When those who served our nation return home, we owe them a fair shake along with our gratitude. Events such as the Military 2 Maritime information and recruiting session on Wednesday, hosted by the American Maritime Partnership in Jacksonville, Florida, help steer our veterans toward the opportunities available in the maritime industry.
We at the Maritime Administration (MARAD) are proud to be associated with an industry that doesn't just open its doors to America's veterans, but actively helps them navigate the transition to civilian careers. Through licensing and certification information, support for maritime academies and our work with stakeholders, MARAD is actively engaged in making this transition easier.
Many of our veterans have skills and experience that can be major assets to our nation's transportation network, and programs such as Military 2 Maritime connect them with careers in the U.S. Merchant Marine. In Jacksonville, national, state and local maritime organizations -- and even MARAD Executive Director Joel Szabat -- met with veterans interested in maritime careers. Attendees spoke with hiring, licensing and union representatives; toured vessels; and heard firsthand accounts from current employees and crewmembers about careers in the industry.
I can't imagine a better place to provide those veterans with an opportunity to maximize their professional strengths than in our nation's dynamic and evolving maritime industry. By the same token, the folks in the maritime industry are happy to help some of those veterans find a professional home.
"Our industry needs the talent and expertise that current and former members of the armed forces have to fill open positions," said Margaret Reasoner, director of marine personnel for Crowley Maritime.
Connecting a talented pool of job seekers with a growing industry just makes sense. The maritime industry knows it, and veterans do, too. Vick Andre Anthony Atkinson, a 12-year naval veteran and graduate of the Seafarers International Union's Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education, cited his mariner training, certification and ultimate transition into the U.S. Merchant Marine as "a continuation of my naval career."
I heartily second that. As a former naval officer myself, I feel privileged that my current position in the Maritime Administration allows me to serve those with whom I served.
For nearly 250 years, America's merchant mariners have been a source of security and prosperity. As we have grown from a fledgling nation into the world's greatest economy, our mariners have been there every step of the way. And I can't think of a more qualified group of applicants than today's veterans to continue powering the transportation that drives our economy forward.
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