State Maritime Funding
Producing Licensed Mariners For Our Economic and National SecurityTo expand and strengthen the recruitment, training, and retention of the maritime workforce, the Texas A&M Maritime Academy is positioned to do its part in revitalizing and rebuilding its programs to promote national security and economic prosperity.
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Overview
The maritime workforce of the United States has been weakened by decades of neglect, leading to the decline of a once-strong industrial base while simultaneously empowering U.S. adversaries and eroding national security. The Texas A&M Maritime Academy (TAMMA) is one of six state maritime academies (SMA) in the United States that provide highly trained and qualified U.S. Coast Guard-licensed maritime professionals to support national security and waterborne commerce. We have operated for over 15 years without adequate training facilities.
Opportunity
The federal government has invested in the construction of new National Security Multi-Mission Vessels (NSMV) to replace state academy training ships. Funding provided to the SMAs through MARAD supports the education and training of more than 70% of the nation’s licensed mariners each year. At a time when the nation is facing a merchant mariner shortage, this funding will help to ensure a source of mariners that drive our economy and ensure our national security. The Texas A&M Maritime Academy is the regional maritime academy for Texas and the Gulf region and trains future merchant mariners, including cadets from throughout Texas.
As part of a comprehensive approach to expand and strengthen the recruitment, training, and retention of the maritime workforce, the Texas A&M Maritime Academy is positioned to do its part in revitalizing and rebuilding its domestic maritime workforce programs to promote national security and economic prosperity.
Impact
Merchant mariners are vital to the Gulf region and our nation’s economy. In addition to the economic impact provided by the maritime industry and the disaster response capabilities provided by the academy training ships, merchant mariners play a vital role in national security. Civilian mariners provide logistical support for operational and deployed forces. The Department of Defense relies heavily on commercial ships and civilian crews for military sealift to war zones around the world.
National Security Multi-Mission Vessels (NSMV)
The Lone Star State is expected to be delivered to Texas A&M at Galveston in 2026. It is a state-of-the-art at-sea classroom that can accommodate training up to 600 cadets with eight classrooms, a full training bridge, lab space and an auditorium. It has 12 times the capabilities as our current training vessel, TS General Rudder.
Addressing a Critical Workforce Shortage
Despite blue economy’s economic and strategic importance, the maritime industry suffers severely from a lack of qualified individuals to support it. A recent Maritime Workforce Working Group analysis emphasized this deficit between the number of U.S. mariners with unlimited credentials needed to operate the commercial U.S. flag fleet and sustained military sealift operations versus the candidate pool. The shortage of unlimited credentialed individuals is so critical Military Sealift Command is now sidelining seventeen Navy support ships, citing a lack of qualified mariners to operate them.
Michael J. Hardy
Deputy Chief Government Relations Officer and Director of Federal Relations- mjhardy@tamu.edu
- 979-845-0117
Read Stories of Impact
Cadet Chronicles: Life At Sea And Leadership In Training
For eight weeks, Lance Johnson ’27 snapped photos with his cell phone to document what daily life looked like aboard the TS Kennedy. Standing watch in the engine room, troubleshooting electrical issues, crawling on his stomach through the lowest part of the ship’s hull to scrub away oil leaks — any moment the cadet thought he might want to look back on from his semester at sea.
Read More About Life At Sea
Texas A&M Is The Golden Ticket For Careers In The Maritime Industry
For eight weeks, Lance Johnson ’27 snapped photos with his cell phone to document what daily life looked like aboard the TS Kennedy. Standing watch in the engine room, troubleshooting electrical issues, crawling on his stomach through the lowest part of the ship’s hull to scrub away oil leaks — any moment the cadet thought he might want to look back on from his semester at sea.
Read More About Careers In The Maritime Industry
Texas A&M Offers In-State Tuition For Civilian US Coast Guard Degree Programs
Texas A&M University is offering in-state tuition for all incoming U.S. undergraduate students who select a U.S. Coast Guard license program offered at its Galveston campus beginning the 2025 fall semester. The move aims to offset the national shortage of maritime professionals in fields critical to national security and economic prosperity.
Read More About Civilian US Coast Guard Degree Programs
Shaping The Future Of The Nation’s Blue Economy
Texas A&M’s newest academic college will prepare students to enter a $1.5 trillion industry essential to the nation’s economic prosperity, national security and environmental protection and conservation.
Read More About The Future Of The Nation’s Blue Economy