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Chief of Staff Flaherty Presents Medals for Operations Enduring Freedom/Iraqi Freedom

John A. Flaherty, Chief of Staff for the U.S. Department of Transportation, today presented Merchant Marine Expeditionary Medals to the officers and crews of the M/V Cape Orlando, the SS Comet, and the GTS Adm. Wm. M. Callaghan in a shipboard ceremony in Alameda, CA. The Merchant Marine Expeditionary Medal is awarded to those who serve on U.S.-flag ships in support of operations involving American and allied military forces.

John A. Flaherty, Chief of Staff at the U.S. Department of Transportation, speaks at the shipboard ceremony in Alameda, Calif., honoring merchant mariners just returned from the Iraqi Conflict. Photo: Susan Clark/MARAD

"The maritime community has served America with great distinction during every major crisis in our Nation’s history, and the mariners who crew the ships are the cornerstone of this effort," said Mr. Flaherty. "From the Revolutionary War, through both World Wars, the Korean War and up to today, our mariners have willingly defended and served this Nation with enthusiasm and valor."

The Ready Reserve Force ship CAPE ORLANDO, decorated for the ceremony, with media from KRON and Noticias 14. Photo: Susan Clark/MARAD

The three ships took materiel to American troops for Operations Enduring Freedom/Iraqi Freedom, and the ships and crews have recently returned from the Middle East. The maritime industry has played a vital role in the war against terrorism and current military operations. More than 80 percent of the materiel that was moved to the Middle East arrived on American-flag vessels, including 40 from the Department of Transportation’s Ready Reserve Force (RRF) fleet.

Department of Transportation Chief of Staff John A. Flaherty...Photo:.

All three ships belong to the Ready Reserve Force (RRF), a fleet of 68 ships owned by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration. RRF ships are all crewed by American merchant mariners who volunteer for this potentially hazardous duty. American merchant mariners have supported U.S. military action since colonial times, traveling into harm's way to transport materiel to the armed forces.

Naval Reserve Merchant Marine flag carried by RRF crew during deployment. Pennat was presented to John A. Flaherty during the ceremony. Photo:

For this conflict, the mariners not only volunteered to go into a war zone on unarmed ships, but they also volunteered to take anthrax and smallpox inoculations to protect them against possible biological weapons. In all, more than 5,000 U.S. merchant mariners participated in these operations, including 73 midshipmen from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

Susan Clark of the Maritime Administration's Office of Congressional and Public Affairs performing "God Bless America" at the ceremony. Photo:

The Department of Transportation has been honoring all returning RRF mariners with medals upon return to the United States and will continue to honor the other ships as they return.

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