A severe shortage of Merchant Marines is forcing the Biden-Harris administration's U.S. Navy to sideline 17 key vessels, raising alarms over national security as critical logistics operations face disruption.
A critical shortage of Merchant Marines is forcing the Biden-Harris administration’s U.S. Navy to remove 17 ships from regular operation, according to reports. The Merchant Marines, a civilian force that serves as the backbone of commercial shipping and supports military operations during wartime or national emergencies, has seen a significant drop in manpower. This shortage has hampered the Navy’s ability to fully staff key vessels, putting strain on naval logistics and raising concerns about national security.
According to Fox News, the Merchant Marines organization, which is managed through a partnership between the federal government and the private sector, has lost enough personnel that it can no longer properly crew and operate ships across the fleet. This issue is now affecting vital components of the Navy’s Military Sealift Command (MSC), which relies on Merchant Marines to staff logistics ships that supply fuel, ammunition, and other critical resources to warships.
“The problem, of course, is the ships are at sea, away from home port 12 months of the year,” said Rear Admiral (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, senior director of the Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. He added that the lack of experienced mariners is creating a dangerous gap in the Navy's operational capabilities. "We’re desperately short of the number of people," Montgomery noted. "This is really a clear danger to national security."
As a result of this shortage, the Navy’s MSC has been forced to put 17 vessels into "extended maintenance," according to a report from the U.S. Naval Institute. Among the ships affected are two Lewis and Clark-class replenishment vessels, a fleet oiler, 12 Spearhead-class Expeditionary Fast Transports (EPF), and two forward-deployed Navy expeditionary sea bases. The crews from these ships will be redistributed to other vessels to alleviate staffing shortages.
Although Merchant Marines are not officially part of the U.S. military, they play an essential role in military logistics, especially during wartime or national emergencies. The Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) describes them as operators of commercial vessels who also serve as an auxiliary to the Navy during these critical periods. The logistical support provided by Merchant Marines is crucial to the Navy's global operations.
Montgomery emphasized that this issue directly impacts the Navy’s ability to project power and sustain operations. “The sailors tend to man our warships, while the Merchant Mariners man something that’s equally important — the logistics backbone of the Navy," he explained. "These include oilers, ammunition ships, and transport vessels that move the Army and Marine Corps across the water."
Montgomery also highlighted the broader implications of the Merchant Marine shortage, noting that just as 90 percent of global trade is moved by ships, the same reliance on sea transport applies to military logistics. “It’s too difficult, too expensive, and insufficient to move everything by aircraft, so we rely on ships,” he said. With key vessels taken out of regular operation, the strain on the Navy’s logistics chain could have serious consequences for military readiness and effectiveness at a time when maintaining global reach is vital for national security.
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