United States Merchant Marine

I wrote this in a comment over @ wizbang and decided to copy it over here.

I work as a civilian mariner, a Department of Defense employee for the Military Sealift Command, in what seems is the forgotten service, the Merchant Marine.

In times of war and peace, we go out to sea to supply the United States with goods from abroad (and those working for MSC, we supply the NAVY with goods), often with minimal or NO means of defending ourselves!

Think about airplane hijackings...anytime it happens you hear it on the news. How many pirate attacks do you hear about? Piracy still happens on the high seas (albeit really only in certain areas of the world, and is a little more high-tech now), as well as any terrorist with a bunch of C-4 on a boat can blast a hole in the side of a ship!

I urge you not only support your military servicemen and women, but support the United States Merchant Marine!

-Henry Scharf
3rd Assistant Engineer
USNS Mount Baker (T-AE 34)

Update: Added to this week's Carnival of the Trackbacks.