Audio of Friday’s all-hands meeting

January 8, 2017 Andy Simpson, KP '82 Sea Year Stand Down 5

As requested, we’ve uploaded audio of the all-hands meeting that was held on Friday at the Academy.

Audio of Superintendent Helis’ presentation is here.

Audio of Deputy Maritime Administrator Rodriguez and Acting Commandant Stroud presentations here.

5 Comments

  2. So, The INDUSTRY IS THE PROBLEM. The sailors are predators, better stop Sea Year. If I accept this to be true, why was this entire discussion centered on the Mids cleaning up their act and fixing themselves? If it is not true, and THE Academy is the issue (which the Audio supports), then how does MARAD and Helis have the gall to fail to acknowledge they DID have broad power to impact Academy culture and did nothing. They used the words accountability, they used words like “We haven’t been consistent”. They are STILL not holding themselves Accountable, and they are STILL not being consistent. Shame on them all. I still don’t blame Helis, he is just out of his league, was never qualified for the job, and is either unwilling and/or incapable of dealing with this as it needs to be. Send the mids to sea, they are safer there.

  3. By what authority (US Code Law or CFR) is MARAD acting under to require commercial companies to meet in order to return the students to sea with the SSCT?

    Are the commercial companies at risk of losing their subsidies under the Maritime Security Program or can they not meet the SSCT requirements, not take students, and continue to receive a subsidy?

    As a business, there maybe excessive cost and risk to comply with SSCT along with the continuation of taking USMMA students (SMAs can keep coming), especially if the subsidy is not at risk.

    CDR Stroud (USMS?) appear to allude the motivation of the class of 2017 remain short sighted till graduation and are just bearing with it to get through it. However, what magically happens the day of graduation to make the commercial ships instantly now safe to be onboard? MARAD still has not waived the service obligation for these deemed “unsafe” ships.

    • The authority is in the NDAA for 2017. Specifically, Section 3514, which provides:

      Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of
      this Act, the Maritime Administrator, in consultation with operators
      of commercial vessels of the United States, shall establish—
      (1) criteria that vessel operators must meet in order to
      participate in the Sea Year program of the United States Merchant
      Marine Academy that addresses sexual harassment,
      sexual assault, and other inappropriate conduct; and
      (2) a process for verifying compliance with the criteria.

      • Concur, but is the “sea year program of the usmmma” a requirement in order to receive the subsidy under the Maritime Security Program?

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