U.S. Maritime Administrator Capt. William Schubert today announced that two Ready Reserve Force (RRF) ships successfully completed readiness activation exercises. The two activated ships were the SS Flickertail State and the SS Cornhusker State, both berthed in Newport News, VA.

Administrator Schubert said, "Readiness exercises such as these keep our ships in shape to provide the support our armed forces need. Forty ships of the RRF provided sealift for the Iraqi conflict, and they had an operational reliability record of 98 percent. Success like that comes with practice."

Turbo Activations, sponsored and monitored by the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the U.S. Transportation Command, are made without notice. During an exercise, RRF ships are directed to shift from a reduced operating status to a fully crewed status, with the quarters made habitable and cargo gear ready, within four or five days. Activations are often followed immediately by a sea trial.

The SS Flickertail State and the SS Cornhusker State were successfully prepared for delivery to the Military Sealift Command well within their readiness time frames. They were supposed to be ready in five days; they were ready in 3 days, 23 hours and 50 minutes. RRF ships are managed by commercial companies; Interocean Ugland Management Corporation, of Voorhees, New Jersey manages both ships. The two ships are auxiliary craneships used to carry cargo. In addition, they can be used to load and unload other ships anywhere in the world and are particularly useful when port facilities have been damaged.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration maintains the RRF, which is a fleet of 68 militarily useful ships. This fleet, located throughout the country, is maintained in a reserve status in the event that the Department of Defense needs these ships to support the rapid, massive movement of military supplies and troops for a military exercise or large-scale conflict. All RRF ships are crewed by civilian merchant mariners; officers for both ships are members of the American Maritime Officers (AMO), and unlicensed mariners are from Seafarers International Union (SIU).

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