Seafarers welcomed new job opportunities with the renaming and reflagging of the car carrier Freedom at a ceremony Oct. 30 in Baltimore.
SIU President Michael Sacco served as keynote speaker. Also addressing the crowd of more than 200 industry representatives were Lieutenant General Gary H. Hughey, deputy commander, U.S. Transportation Command; U.S. Maritime Administrator Captain William Schubert; Kathleen Broadwater, deputy director of the Maryland Port Administration; Raymond Ebeling, chairman and CEO of American Roll-On Roll-Off Carrier; and retired Congresswoman and Federal Maritime Commission Chairperson Helen Bentley.
“Our security is enhanced by building a manpower pool of qualified seafarers,” Sacco stated. “Many of these same crew members who are crewing the Freedom as it enters the U.S. fleet may someday use their skills to deliver vital cargo to U.S. troops overseas. A lot of the training and skills that they need to operate the Freedom also can be used on other RO/ROs and on tankers and containerships and crane ships.”
Chief Steward Stephen Bird said the Freedom is “an excellent vessel. It’s nice and clean, with good accommodations. The crew seems very upbeat.”
Additional coverage of the ceremony will be published in the December issue of the Seafarers LOG.
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