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SIU-crewed Flickertail State receives Professional Ship Award (7/15)

The SIU-crewed Flickertail State received the Professional Ship Award from U.S. Maritime Administrator Captain William Schubert during a ceremony July 15 in Newport News, Va. SIU Vice President Government Services Kermett Mangram took part in the event. He congratulated the crew for “an outstanding job” in Operation Haiti and Operation New Horizons – performances which earned them the recognition from the Maritime Administration. “Welcome home, and thanks for making us all proud,” Mangram stated. Speaking to the rest of the audience, he noted, “Most of you here today are very familiar with the long history of the U.S. Merchant Marine and our role as the fourth arm of defense. We’ve proven our value time after time. We’ve proven our loyalty and reliability since the very beginnings of this country.” SIU President Michael Sacco sent a letter to the crew, which is reprinted in the sidebar on this page. The ship is operated by Interocean Ugland Management. The Maritime Administration issued the following press release, which also is available on their web site here Newport News Ship and Crew Honored for Role in Haiti SS Flickertail State Receives Professional Ship Award In a waterside ceremony today in Newport News, Maritime Administrator Captain William G. Schubert presented the Professional Ship Award to the officers and crew of the SS Flickertail State. The crew was honored for its part in Operation Haiti, working under fire delivering supplies and equipment to the U.S. Marine Corps. The Professional Ship Award is given to non-military ships that achieve the highest degree of readiness, performance, efficiency, reliability, productivity, and safety. The Flickertail State is part of the Ready Reserve Force, a fleet of ships owned by the Maritime Administration and crewed by civilian merchant mariners. Ships of the Ready Reserve Force are supporting the U.S. Armed Forces in the Middle East, as well as serving in humanitarian missions and in other military-support roles throughout the world. Captain Schubert praised the officers and crew, saying, “The crew of the Flickertail State is an outstanding example of the integral role the Ready Reserve Force plays in our national defense operations. Our nation’s Ready Reserve Force helps ensure our security by supporting the men and women of the U.S. armed forces.” The ceremony was attended by representatives from the U.S. Transportation Command and the Military Sealift Command, which have operational control of Ready Reserve Force ships when they support the military, and by representatives from two seafaring unions, the Seafarers International Union and the American Maritime Officers. # # #

Message to Seafarers Aboard the Flickertail State July 15, 2004 Dear Brothers and Sisters: It is with great pride and appreciation that I congratulate you on receiving the Professional Ship Award for service both during Operation Haiti and in Operation New Horizons. Your recognition is well-earned and it certainly isn’t something to be taken lightly, considering that the U.S. Maritime Administrator’s Professional Ship Award is given to non-military vessels that achieve the highest degree of readiness, performance, efficiency, reliability, productivity and safety. During Operation Haiti, when you worked under fire delivering supplies and equipment to the Marine Corps, and in Operation New Horizons, when you tested new technology at sea during exercises in the North Atlantic, you lived up to the U.S. Merchant Marine’s vital role as America’s Fourth Arm of Defense. That role remains as important as ever, with our nation leading the fight in the global war against terrorism and also continuing the rebuilding of Iraq. I simply couldn’t be more proud of each and every one of you. Your performance, your patriotism and your dedication are a credit to the entire union and indeed the entire U.S. Merchant Marine. Your story will be shared with the membership as a shining example of what the SIU is all about. Again, congratulations on a job well done. Fraternally, Michael Sacco President