Volume 40, Number 10 October 2010

Copyright © 2010 American Maritime Officers ■ 2 West Dixie Highway ■ Dania Beach, FL 33004 ■ (800) 362-0513 ■ editorial@amo-union.org

Plans mailingestimated lump-sum values toplan participants

Page 2: At the end ofSeptember, AMO Plans beganmailing estimated lump-sumvalues of benefits earned in theAMO Defined Benefit PensionPlan to plan participants.

Great Lakes News

Page 5: AMO maintains fullemployment as the U.S-flagcargo float remains strong.

Evergreen State launched at

NASSCO: The fifth tanker inthe State Class series built byGeneral Dynamics NASSCO,the M/T Evergreen State, waslaunched in September. Whendelivered, AMO will man thetanker under MSC charter.

AMO Essentials

STAR Center courseschedule: Pages 8-9

STAR Center registrationapplication: Page 11

AMO directory: Page 10

AMO membership meetingschedule: Page 10

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AMO keeps Alaska ocean ranger jobs

The State of Alaska Sept. 23 award-ed a new contract for the Ocean RangerProgram to Maersk Line Limited.American Maritime Officers will continueto represent all ocean rangers working inthe state program.

AMO members have been sailing inthe Alaska Ocean Ranger Program since itsinception in 2008. Like the initial oceanranger contract Alaska had with Crowley,the new contract provides for up to 35ocean rangers. The new contract with theAlaska Department of EnvironmentalConservation features a 15-month baseperiod and three one-year options, whichwould extend the contract to four years ifall options are exercised.

Ocean rangers sail aboard cruise shipswhile they are in Alaskan waters and moni-tor shipboard operations involving safety,security and environmental protection. Thecruise season in Alaska runs from Aprilthrough September.

The bidding on this state request for

proposals (RFP) was fierce, with sixcompanies submitting packages inresponse to the RFP. Of the bidders,three were AMO-contracted companies,two were non-union companies and onewas affiliated with another officers’union.

To work as ocean rangers, AMOmembers will need to complete the spe-cialized Ocean Ranger Course developedand provided by STAR Center.

Minimum requirements for workas an ocean ranger differ for Alaska resi-dents and non-Alaskans. For non-Alaskans, there is a minimum require-ment for a third assistant engineer’slicense or higher. For Alaska residents,an ocean ranger candidate must either bea Designated Duty Engineer or a personwho holds a degree in marine safety andenvironmental protection, or an equiva-lent course of study approved by theState of Alaska, from an accredited mar-itime educational institution.

AmericanMaritime Officersmember SterlingPearson, here inKetchikan duringa port inspection

of the SevenSeas Mariner with

the NorwegianPearl in the back-ground, is one of

many AMO mem-bers who have

sailed as oceanrangers since the

State of Alaskalaunched the pro-

gram in 2008.AMO will keep theocean ranger jobs

under the state’snew contract with

Maersk LineLimited.

New AMO jobs aboard BBC Houston

State of Alaska awards new contract to Maersk Line Limited for up to 35 rangers

American MaritimeOfficers memberspreparing the BBCHouston for re-flagging into U.S.registry inSeptember inHouston, Texas,included ThirdMate Matt Piper,Third Mate MarkPottie and ChiefMate Tom Madden.With them here isAMO NationalExecutive BoardMember DaveWeathers. AMOwill man theheavy-lift ship in alllicensed positions.

The BBC Houston is prepared for re-flagging into U.S. registry inSeptember in Houston, Texas. Theheavy-lift ship is one of two such ves-sels for which American OverseasMarine will provide crewing services.

2 • American Maritime Officer October 2010

American Maritime Officer (USPS 316-920)Official Publication of American Maritime Officers

2 West Dixie HighwayDania Beach, FL 33004

(954) 921-2221Periodical Postage Paid at

Dania Beach, FL, and Additional Mailing OfficesPublished Monthly

American Maritime Officers National Executive Board

Thomas Bethel, National PresidentJosé Leonard, National Secretary-TreasurerRobert Kiefer, National Executive Vice PresidentJoseph Gremelsbacker, National Vice President, Deep SeaDonald Cree, National Vice President, Great LakesBrian Krus, National Assistant Vice President, Great LakesMichael Murphy, National Vice President At LargeDaniel Shea, National Executive Board Member At LargeDavid Weathers, National Executive Board Member At LargeDonald Nilsson, National Executive Board Member, Deep SeaCharles Murdock, National Executive Board Member, Inland Waters

Representative: Stan Barnes

Editor: Matt BurkeAssistant Editor: Amber WilkieContributing Editor: Paul Doell

POSTMASTER—Send Address Changes To:American Maritime Officers

ATTN: Member ServicesP.O. Box 66

Dania Beach, FL 33004

AMO Pension Plan mailing estimated lump-sumvalues of retirement benefits in Defined Benefit Plan

As previously reported in AMO

Currents, the American Maritime OfficersPension Plan will soon provide all Planparticipants with statements projecting thelump-sum values of their earned monthlyretirement benefits.

Mailing of projected lump-sum state-ments began September 29 to participantswho had 20 years of pension credit as of

December 31, 2009.Participants who did not have 20

years of pension credit as of December 31,2009, will receive their statements soonthereafter.

As previously reported in AMO

Currents: “There may be some delay in dis-tributing these statements in cases whereearned benefits are offset by benefits earned

under another pension plan because thesespecific benefit calculations are especiallycomplex,” said AMO Plans ExecutiveDirector Steve Nickerson. “But I am confi-dent that most AMO Pension Plan partici-pants will receive their lump-sum valuestatements by the end of October.

“Getting the defined benefit AMOPension Plan fully funded as quickly aspossible so that Plan participants canchoose between monthly benefits and alump-sum rollover at that point is a princi-pal element of the rehabilitation plan theAMO Pension Plan trustees put in place

last October 1 in compliance with thePension Protection Act of 2006,”Nickerson concluded.

The rehabilitation plan was requiredwhen the AMO Pension Plan entered “crit-ical” funding status as defined by the feder-al law.

Additionally, participants will soonbe able to access their projected lump-sum statements online athttps://www.plansdestination.com.

AMO members should continue tomonitor AMO Currents for further infor-mation.

Worksheet for calculatingpotential earnings underDefined Contribution Planavailable on AMO Web site

In conjunction with the receipt oflump-sum estimates from the AMOPlans, AMO members and applicants willbe able to access and download an Excelspreadsheet from the AMO Web site todetermine their potential career-long earn-ings under the forthcoming employer-paidAMO Defined Contribution Plan.

The spreadsheet developed by theAMO national secretary-treasurer allowsusers to enter relevant data such as age,years of service, daily benefit wages, vaca-tion pay and an assumed annual rate ofreturn on investments made through theirindividual AMO Defined ContributionPlan retirement savings accounts. Thespreadsheet provides hypothetical rates ofreturn that users can select.

An automatic assumed wageincrease of 2.5 percent per year is factoredinto the spreadsheet, which also appliesaccrued annual interest on defined contri-bution account deposits and accrued daysof employment and vacation to calculatetotal annual deposits into the accounts.

The spreadsheet is designed toreflect account balance growth based on

183 days of shipboard employment peryear. AMO members and applicants cancalculate their potential earnings over 20years.

Funding factors from Schedule 1and Schedule 2 are already programmedinto the spreadsheet so that the appropri-ate contribution factor is shown for eachyear.

The spreadsheet soon will allowusers to enter actual changes in wages asthey occur. This will permit officers sail-ing in junior ratings to calculate theimpact of promotions on their definedcontribution accounts over the 20-yearperiod.

This practical, easy-to-use tool andthe AMO Pension Plan’s estimates of thelump-sum values of earned monthly pen-sion benefits will make it easier for AMOmembers to make sound career choicesand to plan for retirement on their ownterms and timetables.

The spreadsheet is available in the“Union and industry bulletins and docu-ments” section of the AMO Web site atwww.amo-union.org.

AMO members participate inthe Mobile Landing Platformearly operational assessment

Members of American Maritime Officers attending the early operationalassessment of the Mobile Landing Platform in September, held inFredericksburg, Va., were Paul Ginnane, Mike Finnigan, DaveCatanzarite, Kurt Kleinschmidt and Tom Oboyle. With them here areChristopher Nette, AMSEA General Dynamics Marine Operations, andRobert Sheen, Ocean Shipholdings Marine Operations.

American Maritime Officer • 3October 2010

Legislation to amend Ocean Shipping Reform Actcould have harmful impact on American mariners

The following letter dated Sept. 24,

2010, was sent by the national president of

American Maritime Officers to

Congressman James Oberstar (D-MN),

chairman of the Transportation and

Infrastructure Committee in the House of

Representatives, and Congressman Elijah

Cummings (D-MD), chairman of the

Subcommittee on Coast Guard and

Maritime Transportation.

Having joined other representativesof seagoing labor in a letter to you earlierthis month urging caution on the issue ofU.S.-flagged liner vessel regulation, I mustcomment more specifically on your legisla-tion to amend the Ocean Shipping ReformAct of 1998 and the harmful effects this billcould have on American merchant mariners,on the U.S. economy and on U.S. nationalsecurity.

H.R. 6167, the bill you introducedSeptember 22 with Rep. ElijahCummings, would alter the existing U.S.regulatory regime under OSRA in waysthat could make continued U.S.-flaggedship participation in U.S. commercialimport and export trades impossible. Theproposed amended rules are too cumber-some, too complex, too restrictive and toodiscouraging — U.S.-flagged merchantvessel operators could withdraw from thesemarkets and abandon U.S. registry alto-gether.

The transfer of these ships to foreignregistries would result in immediate unem-ployment for hundreds of American mer-chant mariners — including marine engi-neers and deck officers I am privileged torepresent. Working men and womenemployed ashore in liner fleet corporateoffices would lose their jobs as well, andthe service and supply vendors that countthese vessel operating companies amongtheir customers could be forced to fire orfurlough employees.

Flag-out on so large a scale wouldalso result in the loss of federal tax revenuesgenerated by U.S.-flagged merchant shipservices and aggravate the U.S. trade imbal-ance in an increasingly important sector —the foreign-flagged shipping lines thatalready claim a 99-percent share of U.S.commercial trade would move in quickly tofill the resulting service gaps, and U.S.importers and exporters could be exposed topredatory pricing in the absence of at leastsome U.S.-flagged competition.

Another legitimate concern is thatH.R. 6167 would weaken U.S. strategicsealift capabilities significantly. Many ofthe ships targeted by the legislation partic-ipate in the Maritime Security Program,which — as you know — provides theDepartment of Defense with timely accessto reliable ships manned by skilled anddependable civilian American merchantmariners to provide specific military sup-port services in defense emergencies. U.S.-flagged liner ships operated by the verycompanies that would be penalized unfair-ly by H.R. 6167 have delivered more than80 percent of the cargoes sustaining U.S.Armed Forces in Afghanistan since 2001.

Many of the ships at issue also par-ticipate in Voluntary Intermodal SealiftAgreement — VISA. Under VISA, U.S.-flagged liners make cargo space availablefor defense equipment and supplies for safeand efficient delivery worldwide.

Moreover, liner fleet officers andcrews on vacation from these jobs are

among the first to crew government-ownedand chartered sealift ships in a major mobi-lization.

As a practical matter, H.R. 6167 isunnecessary. The market has corrected thedifficulties experienced by U.S. importersand exporters — and by the liner companies— in 2009 during the severe recession, andexisting law and regulation provide forpenalties in cases of proven or perceivedabuse by vessel operators. In addition,Federal Maritime Commission ChairmanRichard Lidinsky told the London-basedLloyd’s List this morning that the FMCwould monitor shipping lines in the U.S.import and export trades “like a hawk” inthe next several months as H.R. 6167 isdebated and discussed.

We in American Maritime Officersshare your stated commitment to help the

administration “double U.S. exports in thenext five years.” But we do not believe thatthe additional export of U.S. seafaring jobsis among the goals the President and youhave in mind. We want to know for certainthat U.S.-flagged liner ship companies willbe around to participate in these anticipatednew trades to the greatest possible extent —and a punitive law that would in fact makemarkets more difficult to navigate is not theway to ensure a U.S.-flagged presence in2015.

As you know from long and directexperience with U.S. maritime policy, theAmerican merchant fleet in internationaltrade must contend not only with artificialcost advantages enjoyed by foreign-flaggedfleets, but also with federal agencies thatdefy U.S. cargo preference laws routinely— whether these cargoes be food aid

exports managed by the Agency forInternational Development or foreign-maderenewable energy project componentsfinanced through loan guarantees from theDepartment of Energy under the RecoveryAct. Another dense layer of regulatorybureaucracy is not what the U.S. merchantfleet needs to continue in commercial linertrades.

We expect H.R. 6167 — or a succes-sor in the next Congress — will be airedthoroughly in your committee, and we askrespectfully that AMO and other representa-tives of seagoing labor be allowed a place atthe table.

Thank you for your time and for yourstrong and consistent record of support ofthe U.S. merchant fleet and American mer-chant mariners in all domestic and interna-tional trades.

Maritime labor: amendments to OceanShipping Reform Act would threatenU.S.-flag liner shipping operations

The following letter signed by

five unions, including American

Maritime Officers, was sent to

Congressman James Oberstar (D-MN),

chairman of the Transportation and

Infrastructure Committee in the House

of Representatives.

On behalf of the undersignedAmerican seafaring and longshore labororganizations, we are writing to expressour concerns about proposed legislationto amend the Ocean Shipping ReformAct of 1998. Specifically, we are con-cerned that the introduction of legisla-tion to alter the existing regulatoryframework governing the U.S. linershipping trades without prior agreementamong the liner shipping companies,shippers and seafaring and longshorelabor as to the changes to the Act thatare practical and necessary, may disruptthe efficient and economical operation ofvessels in this segment of our industry.Such disruption and resultant adverseeconomic impact for American lineroperators can directly impact the jobs ofthe American maritime workers our

organizations represent.We greatly appreciate the opportunity

that has been given to us by your staff todiscuss the specific proposals that may beincluded in legislation to amend the 1998Ocean Shipping Reform Act. We understandthat a number of these proposals are, inmany respects, an attempt to address thesevere economic downturn that affected theliner shipping industry and our entire econ-omy beginning in 2009 and which caused areduction in shipping capacity for Americanexporters seeking to ship their products tooverseas markets. We further understand thatthe carriers have addressed and continue toaddress vessel space and container capacityissues, and that available capacity nowexceeds American exporters’ demand.

Consequently, with the serious short-term capacity crisis over, we firmly believethat through your good offices, the carriers,shippers and labor can be brought togetherto discuss what actions the industry and theGovernment should take to mitigate againstany such crisis in the future. Also, as youwell understand, the ocean shipping indus-try, unlike the airline industry, has no barri-

ers to entry. This fact, coupled with thefact that the ocean shipping industry isnot highly concentrated, can and shouldbe taken into consideration by the carri-ers and shippers and others when deter-mining what type of regulatory systemis warranted. In this manner, the affectedparties can work constructively in theclosing weeks of this Congress.Otherwise, the closing weeks of the110th Congress will, unfortunately, bedominated by a counterproductive andpolarizing dispute between parties thatshare the same interest: how to bestfacilitate the efficient and economicalocean transportation of liner cargoes inthe United States export and importtrades.

Maritime labor stands ready toparticipate in this process and to workwith you, your staff, the shipping indus-try and shipper community so thattogether, we can support realistic andmeaningful reforms.

We thank you for your consistentand strong support for the U.S.-flagmerchant marine.

New regulations on liner shipping would impede business-to-business agreements

AMO aboardthe M/V Resolve

Members of American MaritimeOfficers working aboard the M/VResolve in July, here in Galveston,Texas, included Third AssistantEngineer Joe Bishop, Second A.E.Joe McHattie, Chief Engineer PaulBeucler and First A.E. MarkBooth. The Resolve is operatedfor American Roll-On/Roll-OffCarrier by Crowley Liner Servicesand is manned in all licensed posi-tions by AMO.

4 • American Maritime Officer October 2010

Ballots mailed for 2010 AMO Election of NationalOfficers; instructions for requesting a duplicate ballot

Ballots for the 2010 AmericanMaritime Officers Election of NationalOfficers were mailed to all AMO membersSept. 1, 2010, by TrueBallot Inc., theindependent firm that has administeredAMO elections and referendums sinceJanuary 2007, and is conducting this 90-day union-wide secret ballot election.

TrueBallot mailed ballots to eachAMO member at the address he or shehas on file with the union. AMO hasprovided TrueBallot with a current mail-ing list of members for the purpose ofthis election, as is done for each AMO

election and referendum.AMO members whose ballots are

lost or destroyed, and AMO members whodo not receive a ballot in the mail, canrequest duplicate ballots. As stipulated bythe AMO National Constitution, therequest for a duplicate ballot must specifythat the original ballot was lost or muti-lated so it cannot be used.

Additionally, any AMO memberwho would prefer his or her ballot be sentto an address other than the address he orshe has on file with the union can requesta ballot be sent to an alternate address. Aduplicate ballot will be sent to the alter-nate address provided by the member.

AMO members who need to request aduplicate ballot or would like a duplicateballot to be sent to an alternate address willneed to contact Jack Branthover, special

assistant to the AMO national president:

Jack BranthoverAmerican Maritime Officers2 West Dixie HighwayDania Beach, FL 33004FAX: (954) 926-5112jbranthover@amo-union.org

The union will provide alternateaddresses and requests for duplicate ballotsto TrueBallot Inc. for the mailing of dupli-cate ballots to AMO members. As with allAMO elections and referendums adminis-tered by TrueBallot, the union itself willnot be mailing, handling or processingany ballots in this election.

Ballots will be mailed to all AMOmembers, regardless of dues status.However, for each member’s ballot to be

counted in the final tally — which isscheduled for Dec. 6, 2010 — he or shemust be an AMO book member in goodstanding and his or her dues must be paidin full through the end of the fourth quar-ter of the calendar year (Dec. 31, 2010) atthe time the ballots are counted.

As stipulated by the AMONational Constitution, each membermust both have his or her dues paid infull through the fourth quarter of the cal-endar year and establish good standing nolater than Nov. 30, 2010, for his or herballot to be counted.

As defined by the AMO NationalConstitution, a member in good standingis “a member whose dues are paid throughthe current quarter and who is not undersuspension or sentence of expulsion asprovided by this Constitution.”

No publicityfor candidates

So as not to give any candidatean undue advantage in the forthcom-ing election of AMO national offi-cers, neither the names nor pho-tographs of candidates, whetherincumbent or not, will be publishedin articles in the union’s newspaper,American Maritime Officer, or theunion’s online periodical, AMO

Currents. In the case of news storiesthat involve an incumbent who is acandidate, only the candidate’s titlemay be mentioned.

AMO NationalConstitutionavailable onAMO Web siteand at unionheadquarters

The American MaritimeOfficers National Constitution wasmailed to all AMO deep-sea, GreatLakes and inland waters members attheir home addresses and to con-tracted vessels in the April 2010edition of American Maritime

Officer. AMO members wishing toobtain additional copies of theAMO National Constitution canacquire them from AMO headquar-ters upon request. A digital copy ofthe AMO National Constitution isavailable on the AMO Web site atwww.amo-union.org.

AMO aboardthe St. Marys

Challenger

The St. Marys Challenger loadspowdered cement in September.The ship is operated by Port CitySteamship. American MaritimeOfficers represents the licenseddeck and engineering officersaboard the St. Marys Challenger.

AMO members working aboard the St. MarysChallenger in September included Second AssistantEngineer Robert Sincavage.

Chief Engineer David Jarvis and AMO NationalAssistant Vice President for the Great Lakes Brian Krusstand alongside the Skinner Uniflow main engine of theSt. Marys Challenger.

DOT Secretary announces $7 million in marine highway grantsTransportation Secretary Ray

LaHood in September announced $7 mil-lion in grants to be awarded under theAmerica’s Marine Highway Initiative.The funds are the first to be granted underthe program and are intended to promotewaterborne transportation.

“These projects demonstrate howwater transportation can help solve someof our toughest transportation challenges,”said Secretary LaHood. “Transportinggoods by water will let us reduce conges-tion and greenhouse gas emissions.”

The announcement follows theintroduction of the Initiative earlier thisyear, which follows on LaHood’s pledge to

prioritize marine transportation. Lookingnot only to reduce greenhouse gas emis-sions and congestion on clogged high-ways, but also to save energy, increasetransportation efficiency and offer shippersmore options, the MaritimeAdministration in August selected 32 pro-jects to compete for the $7 million infunds and receive “preferential treatment”at MARAD.

Of those 32, six were selected toreceive grants:

•The Cross Gulf ContainerExpansion Project was awarded $3.34 mil-lion to expand barge service betweenBrownsville, Texas and Manatee, Fla. in

the Gulf of Mexico along Interstate 10.Modifications to two barges and equip-ment improvements are expected to save70,000 gallons of diesel fuel per one-waytrip, for an estimated total of 2.7 milliongallons each year.

•The Tennessee-Tombigbee FreightProject was awarded $1.76 million to cre-ate a new container transportation servicebetween the Port of Itawamba, Miss. andMobile, Ala. The funds will help pur-chase and modify nine barges.

•The James River ContainerExpansion Project was awarded $1.1 mil-lion to purchase two barges to expand ser-vice between Hampton Roads and

Richmond, Va. The service already helpsease congestion along Interstate 64.

•The West Coast Hub-Feeder andGolden State Marine Highway wereawarded $275,000 to help expand andimprove waterborne transportationbetween southern California and thePacific Northwest.

•The Illinois-Gulf Marine HighwayInitiative was awarded $275,000 to helpcreate a container-on-barge service betweenPeoria, Ill. and Gulf Coast seaports.

•The East Coast Marine HighwayInitiative and New Jersey Marine Highway

See Marine Highways ◆ Page 6

American Maritime Officer • 5October 2010

Great Lakes

Economic improvement drives movement on LakesSubstantial gains in iron ore loadings fuel 39 percent increase in U.S.-flag cargo float

U.S.-flagged Great Lakes vessels car-ried 53.4 million net tons of dry cargothrough the end of August, an increase of 50percent compared with year-to-date totalsfrom 2009, the Lake Carriers’ Associationreported. August loadings were up 39.3 per-cent over last year, but down 5.1 percentfrom July.

Iron ore cargoes for the year are up118 percent, the LCA reported. U.S.-flagged lakers carried half as much iron orein August, 2009. Coal loadings in Augustwere up 8.6 percent compared with a yearago. Limestone cargoes increased by 10.5percent.

Year-to-date cargoes for coal and lime-stone are higher than last year’s totals forthe first eight months of the year. However,total loadings are down 9 percent from thefive-year average.

U.S.-flag dry bulk carriage on the Great Lakes: August 2004-2009 — net tons

Commodity 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Average

Iron Ore 4,704,447 5,147,843 4,839,516 5,062,032 2,049,093 4,397,180 4,360,586

Coal 3,096,650 2,834,743 2,899,774 2,893,937 2,394,637 2,600,328 2,823,948

Limestone 3,593,229 3,067,699 32,983,122 3,497,364 2,172,778 2,401,298 3,062,838

Cement 457,812 412,672 380,093 347,471 401,581 376,883 399,926

Salt 158,160 123,760 103,056 175,832 138,795 177,207 139,921

Sand 102,024 39,086 79,619 28,135 26,861 31,260 55,145

Grain 58,239 29,553 57,852 14,635 0 22,500 32,056

Total 12,170,561 11,655,356 11,343,032 12,019,406 7,183,745 10,006,656 10,874,420

Source: Lake Carriers’ Association

Above: American Maritime Officers membersworking aboard the M/V Indiana Harbor, here inDuluth, Minn. included Chief Engineer RalphBiggs and Third Mate John Biolchini.

At right (top): Second A.E. John Burress herewith AMO National Representative Stan Barnes

At right: Steward Mark Kotajarvi working aboardthe M/V Indiana Harbor, which is owned andoperated by American Steamship Company.American Maritime Officers represents thelicensed officers and stewards on the ship.

AMO members on theGreat Lakes in September

American Maritime Officers members working aboard the M/V AmericanMariner, here in Superior, Wisc., included Third A.E. Peter Kwasnjuk,Chief Engineer Malcolm Lamp, First A.E. William Nelson. The AmericanMariner is owned and operated by American Steamship Company.American Maritime Officers represents the licensed officers andstewards working aboard the ship.

American Maritime Officers members working aboard the M/V Joseph L. Block, here inDuluth, Minn., included Third A.E. Lloyd Ciszewski, Steward Bob Fretter, Third A.E. JoyceGreenisen and First A.E. Joe Parsons. The Block is operated by Central Marine Logisticsand is manned in all licensed positions by AMO.

6 • American Maritime Officer October 2010

Petition to end piracy presented to IMOwith more than 900,000 signatures

Representatives from seafarers’unions, ship operators and others Sept. 23presented the “End Piracy Now” petitionwith 930,406 signatures to InternationalMaritime Organization Secretary GeneralEfthimios Mitropoulos in London, UK.

The event, which took place on theUnited Nations designated World MaritimeDay, coincided with the presentation of thepetition to governments worldwide.

The petition (endpiracypetition.org)was launched just four months ago by theInternational Transport Workers’Federation (ITF) as the centerpiece of acampaign to persuade all governments tocommit the resources needed to end theincreasing problem of Somalia-based pira-cy. The original goal was to achieve half amillion signatures.

The international campaign calls ongovernments to:

•Dedicate significant resources andwork to find real solutions to the growing

piracy problem•Take immediate steps to secure the

release and safe return of kidnapped seafar-ers to their families

•Work within the international com-munity to secure a stable and peacefulfuture for Somalia and its people

The ITF Seafarers’ Section reportedSept. 23 that some 354 seafarers and 16ships are currently being held hostage inSomalia. Meanwhile, captured pirates arebeing released unprosecuted, free to re-offend.

ITF General Secretary DavidCockroft commented: “At a time whensome countries are actively escortingmerchant ships and pursuing pirates and afew — too few — are prosecuting themwhen caught, the majority, includingmany of those who make the most fromshipping, are doing little or nothing. Forus, this campaign is about making every-one step up and shoulder their responsi-bilities.”

A video posted by the InternationalTransport Workers’ Federation is availableat: youtube.com/watch?v=qJHSLFNt_HM.

This image is taken from a video posted on YouTube by the International TransportWorkers’ Federation showing the presentation of the petition to the IMO.

Reminder: AMOPension Planparticipantswith at least 20years of service

Marine HighwaysContinued from Page 4

Platform were awarded $250,000 to aid inthe creation of a coastal marine servicealong Interstate 95 servicing East Coastports.

An additional $800,000 will be usedto develop and study marine highway con-cepts around the country.

“This is a key opportunity todemonstrate the benefits and viability ofmoving freight on the water,” said DavidMatsuda, Maritime Administrator.“These grants will help a long overlookedmeans of transporting goods finallygrow.”

American Maritime OfficersPension Plan participants with at least 20years of service are reminded that they canretire now and receive monthly benefits ifthey choose, regardless of the Plan’s “crit-ical” funding status as defined by thePension Protection Act of 2006.

Monthly benefits paid now toretired participants and to survivors andbenefits payable to participants whodecide to retire at or after the 20-year ser-vice mark are not affected by the federallaw or by the AMO Pension Plan rehabil-itation plan in effect since October 1,2009, except that benefits payable afterDecember 31, 2009, will be paid at therates calculated as of that date.

Once the AMO Pension Plan isfully funded as a result of the rehabilita-tion plan, Plan participants with at least20 years of service will be able to choosebetween retiring and receiving monthlybenefits from the Plan or rolling thelump-sum value of their earned benefitsinto their personal AMO DefinedContribution Plan accounts while remain-ing at work at sea under AMO contract.

AMO aboard theSeabulk Arctic

The double-hulled product tankerSeabulk Arctic is operated in theJones Act trades by SeabulkTankers, a division of SeacorHoldings. The ship is manned inall licensed positions by AmericanMaritime Officers.

AMO members working aboard the Seabulk Arctic inAugust, here in Port Arthur, Texas, included Capt. EleishHiggins, master of the Seabulk Arctic, and Chief MateDon Meier.

Members of American Maritime Officers working aboardthe Seabulk Arctic in August, here in Port Arthur, Texas,included Second Assistant Engineer Ray Guerrero andThird Assistant Engineer James Murray.

Members of American MaritimeOfficers working aboard theSeabulk Arctic in August, here inPort Arthur, Texas, included ThirdMate Tom Bay and First AssistantEngineer Eric Ketteringham. Withthem here is Engine Cadet OliviaNorris.

American Maritime Officer • 7October 2010

Congress approves Coast Guard authorization billLegislation goes to President with provisions affecting American merchant mariners

In September, Congress sent theCoast Guard Authorization Act of 2010, abipartisan reconciliation between theCongressional bodies, to the President’s deskfor signature. President Obama was expectedto sign the bill into law in early October.

The authorization calls for a planwhereby all transportation worker identifica-tion credential (TWIC) holders may apply fora “merchant mariner document” entirely bymail. The legislation also asks the secretaryof homeland security to create a system todeliver TWIC cards by mail or to an appli-cant’s enrollment center of choice.

Another study will assess the feasi-bility of including biometric information inthe “merchant mariner document.” Theinclusion of this data may “eliminate theneed for separate identity credentials andbackground screening and streamline theapplication process for mariners.”

Other provisions of the bill stronglysupported by maritime labor include arequirement that mariners be permitted time-ly shore access, as well as ending scenariosin which mariners have to pay to be escort-ed to and from their vessels. Among otherthings, the legislation also conveys immu-nity from liability to mariners and others act-ing in self-defense to thwart attacks bypirates.

Finally, the legislation authorizes theCoast Guard to enforce the coastwise tradelaws, which reserve the movement of goodsbetween U.S. domestic points to Jones Act-qualified vessels. The coastwise laws arecurrently enforced by U.S. Customs andBorder Protection.

The authorization also requires a“restructuring [of] the Coast Guard’s man-agement organization,” said Rep. JamesOberstar (D-MN), chairman of the HouseCommittee on Transportation andInfrastructure and original sponsor of the leg-islation. “Over the years, Congress hasadded new missions for the Coast Guardwithout increasing personnel or funding, andas a result, the service has been workingshorthanded and underfunded. The legislation… is a bipartisan, comprehensive bill thatwill enable the Coast Guard to carry out itsmany missions with additional funding, newresources and increased training standards.”

Over the course of more than a year,several provisions that would have benefitedmariners were stripped from the bill. Theseprovisions include funding for a new ice-breaker on the Great Lakes, an educationloan program for merchant mariner studentsand projects to address merchant marinerrecruitment, training and retention. This leg-

islation represents the first Coast Guard reau-thorization to be enacted since 2006.

“Though it is critical that the autho-rization passes, I am certainly disappointed

that there were a number of provisions wehad to drop from the House-passed bill in thefinal revisions,” said Elijah Cummings (D-MD), chairman of the House Subcommittee

on Coast Guard and MaritimeTransportation. “Despite the loss of theseprograms, H.R. 3619 is a long overdueauthorization for the Coast Guard.”

Rep. Cummings applauds approval of CoastGuard authorization bill for fiscal year 2011

AMO aboard theM/V Houston

Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-MD), chairman of the House Subcommitteeon Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation,applauded the passage of the Coast GuardAuthorization Act of 2010.

“This bill, the product of four years ofwork, provides a long overdue authorizationfor the Coast Guard and significantlystrengthens the service’s management of itsmany missions,” Rep. Cummings said.  “Inparticular, the bill will strengthen the ser-vice’s control of its billion dollar annualacquisition program.”

The legislation, introduced by HouseTransportation and Infrastructure CommitteeChairman James Oberstar (D-MN), autho-

rizes more than $10billion in annualfunding for theCoast Guard and isthe first CoastGuard authorizationto pass since 2006.

“I am pleasedthat the Senate wasable to move quick-ly to approve thisauthorization, sothat it can be senton to the Presidentfor his signature.

This bill will change the way the Coast

Guard does business, and I believe it willchange it for the better,” Rep. Cummingssaid.

Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), rank-ing Republican on the Coast Guard andMaritime Subcommittee, also lauded thelegislation’s approval. “The absence of anauthorization act has had a real impact onthe Coast Guard. Lack of an authorizationhas prevented the Coast Guard from mov-ing forward with a planned reorganizationof its senior staff, from receiving expedit-ed hiring authorities to bolster its acquisi-tion staff, and from exercising strength-ened authorities to apprehend and prosecutealien smugglers by sea.”

Rep. ElijahCummings (D-MD)

AMO aboard the Maersk Virginia

AMO members working aboard the Maersk Virginia in August, here inHouston, Texas, included Third Assistant Engineer Chris Corr, SecondAssistant Engineer Peter St. John and First A.E. Matt Desmond.Maersk Virginia Second Mate Mark Blom

At left: AMO members workingaboard the tanker Houston inJuly, here in Houston, Texas,included Chief Engineer JasonLyons, Third Assistant EngineerGeorge Surrette, First A.E. HaroldBeal and Second A.E. CarlBernhard.

Third Mate John Wortman

At left : Chief Engineer JasonLyons and Capt. Todd Crane,master of the Houston, with AMONational Executive Board MemberDave Weathers.

8 • American Maritime Officer October 2010

American Maritime Officers Simulation, Training, Assessment & Research Center2 West Dixie Highway • Dania Beach, FL 33004 • (954) 920-3222

GENERAL COURSES

ABS NS5 FleetManagement Software

3 days 14 March

Advanced Fire Fighting 5 days 1 November 6 December 3 January 7 February 7 March 4 April 2 May

Basic Safety Training—All 4modules MUST be completedwithin 12 months

5 days 13 December 10 January 21 February 16 May

Personal SurvivalTechniques (Monday-Tuesday)

1 1/2 days Basic Safety Training

Personal Safety & SocialResponsibility (Tuesdayp.m.)

1/2 day Basic Safety Training

Elementary First Aid(Wednesday)

1 day Basic Safety Training

Fire Fighting & FirePrevention (Thursday-Friday)—Not required if“Combined Basic &Advanced Fire Fighting”completed within 12 months

2 days Basic Safety Training

Basic Safety Training -Refresher

3 days 15 December 12 January 23 February 18 May

Effective Supervision 2 days 7 February

Fast Rescue Boat 4 days 1, 15 November 24 January 28 February 14 March 11 April

GMDSS 10 days 29 November 7 February

Tankerman PIC LNG 8 days 1 December 5 January

LNG Simulator Training—Enrollment priority in the LNG simulator course isgiven to qualified member candidates for employment and/or observation oppor-tunities with AMO contracted LNG companies. Completion of the TankermanLNG PIC classroom course is a prerequisite.

5 days 18 October 13 December 12 January 21 February

Ocean Ranger Program 6 days Please Call

Proficiency in Survival Craft (Lifeboat) 4 days 25 October 18 January 15 February 9 May

Tankerman PIC DL -Classroom

5 days 15 November 21 March

Tankerman PIC DL -Simulator

10 days 25 October 24 January 25 April

Train The Trainer—Requires after hours homework 5 days 18 October 29 November 24 January 21 February 28 March 11 April

Vessel/Company SecurityOfficer

2 days 8 November 19 January 9 February 4 April 9 May

Anti-Piracy Seminar 1 day 10 November 21 January 11 February 6 April 11 May

DECK COURSES

Advanced BridgeResource Management

5 days 7 March - PM class

Advanced Shiphandling for Masters—(No equivalency) Must have sailedas Chief Mate Unlimited

5 days 13 December 14 March 23 May

Advanced Shiphandling for Third Mates—(60 days seatime equivalency forThird Mates)

10 days 6 December 24 January - PM class 9 May

Advanced (or emergency)Shiphandling for FirstClass Pilots, Great Lakes

5 days Please Call

Bridge ResourceManagement Seminar

3 days 15 November

Integrated Bridge System/Podded Propulsion 5 days 8 November

Locking & Docking—FirstClass Pilots, Great Lakes

5 days Please call

STCW Deck OfficerRefresher

3 days Please call

Towing Officer Record Assessment—Third mate (Unlimited or Great Lakes)or 1600-ton master license

5 days 1, 29 November 21 February

Tug Training (ASD Assist) 5 days 14 March 23 May

Visual Communications(Flashing Light)—test only

1 day Please call

ENGINEERING COURSES

Advanced Slow Speed Diesel 10 days 29 November 7 March 16 May

Basic Electricity 10 days 7 February 25 April

Diesel Crossover 4 weeks 24 January

Electrical, Electronic, Control Engineering 4 weeks Please call

Engine Room Resource Management 5 days 6 December - PM 28 February 4 April

Environmental Awareness (includes Oily Water Separator) 3 days 18 January 14 March 1 June

Gas Turbine Endorsement 10 days 8 November 10 January 7 February 25 April

High Voltage Safety 3 days 27 October 14 March

Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs)—An understanding of electricity isrequired. Priority will be afforded to 2 AEs and 3 AEs.

5 days 1 November 7 March 11 April 23 May

Steam Crossover 4 weeks 10 January

Welding & Metallurgy—course is open to eligible chief mates and masters ona space-available basis. Applications will only be confirmed two weeks prior tostart of course.

2 weeks 29 November 14 March

MSC TRAINING PROGRAM—includes self-study courses Afloat Environmental Protection Coordinator, Anti-Terrorism Level 1 and Crew Endurance Management (see that section).

CBRD Orientation 1 day 22 October 19 November 3 December 28 January 4 March 1, 15 April 13 May

Damage Control 1 day 21 October 18 November 2 December 27 January 3, 31 March 14 April 12 May

Heat Stress Afloat / Hearing Conservation Afloat 1 day 29 November 24 January 25 April

Helicopter Fire Fighting 1 day 4 November 14 January 17 March

Marine Sanitation Devices 1/2 day 21 January 17 March

Medical PIC Refresher—Note: Not MSC approved 3 days 8 November 15 February 6 April 11 May

Small Arms - Initial & Refresher Training—Note:Open to members/applicants eligible for employmentthrough AMO within one year on MSC or MARADvessels

3 days 18 October 1,15, 29 November 13 December 10, 24 January 14, 28 March11, 25 April9, 23 May

Water Sanitation Afloat 1/2 day 21 January 17 March

Marine Environmental Program - NEW 1/2 day 22 October 19 November 3 December 28 January 4 March

SAMM (Shipboard Automated Maintenance Management) - NEW 3 days 25 October 11 April

American Maritime Officer • 9October 2010

NOTICE: AMO members planning to attend the union’s Center for Advanced Maritime Officers’ Training/STAR Center in Dania Beach, Florida—either to prepare for license upgrading or to undergo specialty training—are asked to call theschool to confirm course schedule and space availability in advance.

NOTICE OF NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY AS TO STUDENTS: The Center For Advanced Maritime Officers Training (CAMOT) and Simulation Training Assessment and Research Center (STAR), established under the auspices of theAmerican Maritime Officers Safety and Education Plan, admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin or sex to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the Center.It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin or sex in administration of its educational policies, admission policies and other programs administered by the Center.

DECK LICENSE UPGRADE: SECOND OFFICER TO CHIEF MATE / MASTER—Successful completion of this program will satisfy the training requirements for STCW certification as Master or Chief Mate onvessels of 500 or more gross tonnage (ITC). This program will complete ALL 53 Control Sheet assessments of the training requirements for STCW. Course completion certificates do not expire. Operationallevel officers (3/M and 2/M) interested in advancing to Chief Mate/Master (Management) Level are encouraged to start obtaining the required courses as soon as practical after acquiring OICNW experience.Advanced Navigation and a USCG approved ECDIS course must be completed within 12 months of each other to satisfy the Management Level upgrade course and assessment requirements.

Cargo Operations 9 days 18 October 4 January 7 March 25 April

Celestial Navigation—Note: A thorough review and understandingof the topics covered in Parts 4 & 5 of Pub. Number 9, TheAmerican Practical Navigator (Bowditch), is a prerequisite.

5 days 29 November 17 January 28 February 11 April

Marine Propulsion Plants 5 days 1 November 13 December 31 January 21 March 9 May

Shipboard Management 5 days 1 November 31 January 21 March 9 May

Upgrade: Advanced Meteorology 5 days 18 October 6 December 24 January 21 February 18 April

Upgrade: Advanced Navigation - ECDIS—Advanced Navigationand a USCG-approved ECDIS to be completed within 12 months ofeach other

5 days 15 November 14 February 4 April 23 May

Upgrade: Advanced Navigation (Includes Simulator) 5 days 8 November 7 February 28 March 16 May

Upgrade: Shiphandling at the Management Level 10 days 18 October 8 November 17 January 7 March 25 April

Upgrade: Stability—Note: It is recommended that chapters 1-13 inthe book Stability and Trim for the Ship’s Officer be reviewed prior toattending this course

5 days 8 November 13 December 7 February 28 March 16 May

Watchkeeping 1 (Bridge Resource Management)—Note:Watchkeeping Weeks 1 and 2 MUST be completed within 12 monthsof each other.

3 days 1 December 5 January 23 February 13 April

Watchkeeping 2 (COLREGS)—Note: Watchkeeping Weeks 1 and 2MUST be completed within 12 months of each other.

5 days 6 December 10 January 28 February 18 April

OFFICER IN CHARGE OF A NAVIGATIONAL WATCH—Successful completion of this program will satisfy the training requirements for STCW certification as third mate and second mate on vessels of500 or more gross tonnage (ITC)

Terrestrial Navigation 10 days 14 March

Ship Construction & Stability 5 days 14 February

Electronic Navigation 5 days 7 March

Meteorology 5 days 17 January

Watchkeeping 10 days 28 March

Cargo Handling & Stowage 5 days 21 February

Basic Shiphandling at the Operational Level 5 days 11 April

Emergency Procedures and SAR 4 days 7 February

Celestial Navigation 10 days 24 January

Magnetic & Gyro Compass 3 days 28 February

SELF-STUDY CD & ONLINE PROGRAMS—Available for use when attending other approved classroom courses

Afloat Environmental Protection Coordinator (CD) Anti-Terrorism Level 1 (Online) DoT - Hazardous Materials Transportation Training (CD)

Crew Endurance Management (CD) Prudent Mariner’s Guide to Right Whale Protection (CD) EPA Universal Refrigerant Certification Examination

RADAR COURSES

Radar Recertification (at Toledo MaritimeAcademy) — Priority will be give to GreatLakes mates

1 day 8 November 16 December 6, 7, 17 January 21 February 14, 15, 18 April 2, 16 May

ARPA 4 days 9 November 18 January 3 May

Western Rivers Recertification 1 day Please Call

Radar Recertification & ARPA 5 days 8 November 17 January 2 May

ECDIS 5 days 25 October 15 November 6 December 24 January 28 February 21 March 9 May

Original Radar Observer Unlimited 5 days 1 November 10 January 28 March 25 April

MEDICAL COURSES

Heat Stress Afloat / Hearing ConservationAfloat

1 day 29 November 24 January 25 April

Elementary First Aid—Note: Prerequisite forMedical Care Provider within preceding 12months

1 day 19 October 16, 30 November 4, 25 January 8 March 26 April 23 May

Medical Care Provider—Note: Prerequisite forMedical Person In Charge within preceding 12months. Please fax EFA certificate when regis-tering

3 days 20 October 17 November 1 December 5, 26 January 9 March 27 April 24 May

Medical Person In Charge—Note: PleaseFAX Medical Care Provider certificate whenregistering

5 days 25 October 6 December 10, 31 January 14 March 2 May

Medical PIC Refresher—Note: Not MSCapproved.

3 days 8 November 15 February

Urinalysis Collector Training 1 day 13 December 18 January 7 February 21 March

Breath Alcohol Test 1 day 14 December 19 January 8 February 22 March

Saliva Screening Test — QEDs only 1/2 day 15 December 20 January 9 February 23 March

OICNW— Additional required courses with priority to students enrolled in the OICNW program — GALLEY COURSES

Original License (Great Lakes) Courses (Deck &Engine)

As Required Please Call Basic Safety Training 5 days 10 January, 9 May

RFPNW Assessments 1 day 3 March GMDSS 10 days 29 November, 7 Feb.

Marlin Spike 1 day 4 MarchGALLEY COURSES

40-Hour Able Seaman 5 days 18 April

EFA/MCP 4 days 25 January 23 May Food Safety, Sanitation & Nutrition (ServSafe) 5 days 24 January

Proficiency in Survival Craft (Lifeboat) 4 days 18 January 16 May Culinary Fundamentals 10 days 31 January

Original Radar 5 days 1 November, 10 Jan. 28 March, 25 April Advanced Steward Course 5 days Please Call

MARAD TRAINING PROGRAM—(11 day package composed of the courses below) Students will be nominated and assigned by their contracted company and shall attend all 11 days. Any places not

taken by the contracted companies shall be made available to the membership on a chronological order basis.Small Arms Training (Initial & Refresher)—Note: Open to members/applicants eligible foremployment through AMO within one year onMSC or MARAD vessels

3 days 28 February

Elementary First Aid 1 day 3 March

Drug Collector Training 1 day 4 March

Breath Alcohol Test Collector 1 day 5 March

Advanced Fire Fighting 5 days 7 March

10 • American Maritime Officer October 2010

HEADQUARTERS

DANIA BEACH, FL 330042 West Dixie Highway(954) 921-2221 / (800) 362-0513Thomas J. Bethel, National President (tbethel@amo-union.org)José E. Leonard, National Secretary-Treasurer (jleonard@amo-union.org)Jack Branthover, Special Assistant to the National President(jbranthover@amo-union.org)FAX: (954) 926-5112Joseph Z. Gremelsbacker, National Vice President, Deep Sea(jgremelsbacker@amo-union.org)Charles A. Murdock, National Executive Board Member, Inland Waters (cmurdock@amo-union.org)FAX: (954) 920-3257

Dispatch: (800) 345-3410FAX: (954) 926-5126Brendan Keller, Dispatcher (bkeller@amo-union.org)Robert Anderson, Dispatcher (randerson@amo-union.org)Member Services: Extension 1050 (memberservices@amo-union.org)

PORTS

TOLEDO, OH 43604The Melvin H. Pelfrey BuildingOne Maritime Plaza(419) 255-3940(800) 221-9395FAX: (419) 255-2350Donald N. Cree, National Vice President, Great Lakes (dcree@amo-union.org)Brian D. Krus, National Assistant Vice President, Great Lakes(bkrus@amo-union.org)Stan Barnes, National Representative (wbarnes@amo-union.org)Bruce DeWerth, Dispatcher (bdewerth@amo-union.org)

PHILADELPHIA, PA 191132 International Plaza, Suite 422Robert J. Kiefer, National Executive Vice President (rkiefer@amo-union.org)(800) 362-0513 ext. 4001 / 4002Mobile: (215) 859-1059FAX: (610) 521-1301

SAN FRANCISCO / OAKLAND, CA 946071121 7th Street, Second FloorOakland, CA 94607(510) 444-5301(800) 362-0513 ext. 5001Daniel E. Shea, National Executive Board Member At Large(dshea@amo-union.org)FAX: (510) 444-5165

GALVESTON, TX 775512724 61st Street, Suite BPMB 192David M. Weathers, National Executive Board Member At Large(dweathers@amo-union.org)(800) 362-0513 ext. 2001Mobile: (409) 996-7362

NORWOOD, NJ 07648463 Livingston Street, Suite 102PMB 60Donald R. Nilsson, National Executive Board Member, Deep Sea(dnilsson@amo-union.org)(800) 362-0513 ext. 3004Mobile: (201) 913-2209

WASHINGTON, D.C.

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20024490 L’Enfant Plaza East SW, Suite 7204(202) 479-1166 / (800) 362-0513 ext. 7001J. Michael Murphy, National Vice President At Large(mmurphy@amo-union.org)Paul Doell, Legislative Director (pauldoell51@yahoo.com)Phree Baker, Assistant Legislative Director (pbaker@amo-union.org)FAX: (202) 479-1188

STAR CENTER

STUDENT SERVICES/LODGING AND COURSE INFORMATION2 West Dixie HighwayDania Beach, FL 33004(954) 920-3222 ext. 201 / (800) 942-3220 ext. 201Course Attendance Confirmation: (800) 942-3220 ext. 200FAX: (954) 920-314024 Hours: (954) 920-3222 ext.7999

TRAINING RECORDS SYSTEM:Lisa Marra(954) 920-3222 ext. 7118 FAX: (954) 925-5681TRS@star-center.com

MEMBERSHIP SERVICES

MARITIME MEDICAL CENTER AMO PLANS2 West Dixie Highway 2 West Dixie HighwayDania Beach, FL 33004 Dania Beach, FL 33004(954) 927-5213 (800) 348-6515FAX: (954) 929-1415 FAX: (954) 922-7539

LEGAL

Joel Glanstein, General Counsel Michael Reny305 Madison Ave. Suite 2240 AMO Coast Guard LegalNew York, NY 10165 Aid Program(212) 370-5100 (419) 243-1105 / (888) 853-4662FAX: (212) 697-6299 Mobile: (419) 346-1485

MikeReny@BEX.NET

AMO Safety & Education Plan Non-Resident Training ProgramAs a reminder, the board of trustees has

approved a Non-Resident Training Programthat will reimburse eligible participants ofthe Safety & Education Plan designatedamounts toward tuition costs for certainclasses taken at approved training facilitiesother than STAR Center. The followingcourses are approved:

•Radar Recertification•Visual Communications (Signaling)•Deck Upgrade — study materials as

approved for raise of grade, including CDs

and online programs•Engine Upgrade — study materials as

approved for raise of grade, including CDsand online programs

•Refrigeration RecoveryPlan participants must submit an

application for approval to attend trainingprior to taking the class to be considered forthe benefit. Reimbursement will be madeafter the class has completed, once the claimform and all other required documentation hasbeen submitted. Both the NRT application

and claim forms can be downloaded from theSTAR Center Web site.

Any questions regarding the NonResident Training benefit program should bedirected to Jerry Pannell, Director of MemberTraining and Officer Development, at (800)

942-3220 ext. 7507 or via e-mail to jpan-nell@star-center.com.

Enrollment questions or applicationsshould be directed to Student Services at(800) 942-3220 ext. 201 or via e-mail toregister@star-center.com.

Regular monthly membership meetings for AMO will be held during the weekfollowing the first Sunday of every month at 1 p.m. local time. Meetings will beheld on Monday at Headquarters in Dania (on Tuesday when Monday is acontract holiday) and on Wednesday in Toledo. The next meetings will takeplace on the following dates:

DANIA BEACH:TOLEDO:

November 8, December 6November 10, December 8

Clarification:In the September edition of American Maritime Officer, we reported AMO would bemanning two Waller Marine Inc. ATBs under a short-term contract to transport powerbarges to Venezuela. The company has since cancelled the contract due to difficulties incoming to an agreement with the government of Venezuela.

Correction:In the September edition of American Maritime Officer, the owner of the S/S Wilfred

Sykes was incorrectly identified. Indiana Harbor Steamship Company owns the S/S

Wilfred Sykes. The editor regrets the error.

American Maritime Officer • 11October 2010

U.S. Coast Guard auditor commends STAR CenterOn August 31, Course Oversight

Auditor Nancy Hejde, LTJG, of RegionalExam Center Miami conducted an admin-istrative visit at the AMO Safety &Education Plan’s STAR Center in DaniaBeach, Fla., which is a U.S. Coast Guardapproved training facility.

In her report on the administrativevisit, Hejde included two ‘commendable’notes and one observation:

1. Commendable: Excellent portfacility training environment and boatequipment observed. Boats and equipmentare well maintained with the interest ofsafety the priority.

2. Commendabl e: Excellenttraining environment and instructorshipduring observation of a practical exercisein the simulator for D110D, DeckUpgrade — Ship Handling. Very realistic

hands-on experience with top-notch equip-ment and simulators. Very high marksfrom student surveys about this class andthe simulator experience.

3. Observati on: The currentcourse calendar is good through December2010 but will need to be updated withnext year’s schedule at our next visit inDecember.

Hejde concluded that no corrective

AMO members completeBasic Electricity trainingat STAR Center

At left: American Maritime Officers members completing Basic Electricitytraining in September with instructors Tom Balzano and Rosemary Mackayincluded Daniel Budin, Kevin Krogh, Fred Doyle, Andrew Weglarczyk, MikeHadley, Brence Bedwell, Aldo Santiago and Emmanuel Roldan.

At right: AMO members build various motor controllers and test generatorsand motors as part of the Basic Electricity laboratory exercises during thecourse conducted in September.

actions were required. Coast Guard over-sight visits are meant to improve busi-ness relations, provide policy and guid-ance, check standards and foster bettercommunications.

STAR (Simulation, Training,Assessment & Research) Center, a divi-sion of the AMO Safety & EducationPlan, is the primary training provider formembers of American Maritime Officers.

12 • American Maritime Officer October 2010

STAR Center has acquired aWestfalia OSD-2 self-cleaningcentrifuge used to clean fuel oil,lube oil and diesel oil. The sep-arator features a self-shootingbowl and the unit is automatedusing a Siemens PLC. The newunit will be used in STAR Centerengineering courses involvingdiesel training. Exercises will bedeveloped using the unit in theAdvanced Slow Speed Dieselprogram.

Engineering officers advised to completelicense upgrades at earliest opportunity

All AMO engineering officers whoare considering upgrading their license areadvised to do so at the earliest opportunity.Similarly, all QMEDs considering obtain-ing an original third assistant engineer’slicense are advised to complete originallicense preparation and exams as soon aspossible.

In response to the ManilaAmendments to the STCW Conventionapproved by the IMO in June, the U.S. Coast

Guard is expected to publish a notice of pro-posed rule making (NPRM), possibly beforethe end of this year, that will implementSTCW training requirements for engineers.

Although the draft U.S. implementa-tion details are not finalized, all indicationsare the training and assessment requirementsfor upgrading an engineering license orobtaining an original license will be veryextensive and time consuming, similar tothe current requirements for deck officers

upgrading to the chief mate/master level, orunlicensed mariners obtaining an originalthird mate’s license.

More on these requirements will bepublished in American Maritime Officer andon AMO Currents as reliable informationbecomes available. Be advised the bank of‘actual’ mariner exam questions is no longeravailable on the National Maritime CenterWeb site. Only sample questions will beposted by the NMC.

STAR Centeradds MilitarySealiftCommandReadinessRefresherProgram

Military Sealift Command (MSC)has approved the five-day ReadinessRefresher Program created by STARCenter for the convenience of AmericanMaritime Officers members sailing aboardor preparing for work on MSC vessels.

STAR Center’s MSC ReadinessRefresher Program consists of the follow-ing courses:

•Three-day U.S. Coast Guardapproved Basic Safety Training Refresher

•One-day Helicopter Fire Fighting•Half-day Damage Controller

Refresher•Half-day CBRD Refresher•Marine Environmental Programs

(scheduled after hours)To be eligible for this course, AMO

members must have completed a fullDamage Control course and CBRD coursewithin the previous five years.

Initial dates for the ReadinessRefresher Program have been scheduled asfollows: Dec. 13, Jan. 10, Feb. 21.

Any questions regarding theReadiness Refresher Program should bedirected to Director of Member Trainingand Officer Development Jerry Pannell at(800) 942-3220 ext. 7507 or via e-mail tojpannell@star-center.com.

Enrollment questions or applica-tions should be directed to StudentServices at (800) 942-3220 ext. 201 or viae-mail to register@star-center.com.

Some courses provided by STAR Center tobe accepted for credits by three colleges

Some courses provided by STARCenter will soon be accepted for credittowards graduate, bachelor and associatedegree programs at three colleges.

STAR Center - a division of theAMO Safety & Education Plan and the pri-mary training provider for members ofAmerican Maritime Officers - has estab-lished relationships with Florida Atlantic

University, American Public University andMountwest Community and TechnicalCollege. These institutions will soon acceptvarious STAR Center courses for credittowards graduate, bachelor and associatedegree programs.

Requirements and credit hours avail-able are different with each university and col-lege. The details of the agreements with the

various schools are currently being finalizedand will be published in an upcoming editionof American Maritime Officer.

AMO members interested in takingadvantage of these programs are encour-aged to contact Director of MemberTraining and Officer Development JerryPannell at (800) 942-3220 ext. 7507 or viae-mail to jpannell@star-center.com.

USCG commends STAR Center instructorSTAR Center received the following

letter, dated Sept. 24, from Cmdr. D. G.

McClellan, U. S. Coast Guard officer in

charge, Marine Inspection Miami.

Thank you for working with Coast

Guard Sector Miami personnel to create andinstruct a course to benefit our marine inspec-tors and port state control personnel. It isclear that the class material as well as thesuperior instruction from Mr. Greg Musk

benefited all the students that participated.We would like to continue to work

with the STAR Center to improve thiscourse and continue to educate other CoastGuard personnel.

AMO aboard theM/V Patriot

M/V Patriot Chief Engineer Ray Timmons, Third AssistantEngineer Nick Calvo and Second A.E. Steve Pankow

The M/V Patriot calls at Dundalk Marine Terminal inBaltimore, Md. The Patriot is one of nine U.S.-flagged carcarriers operated for American Roll-On/Roll-Off Carrier byCrowley Liner Services and manned in all licensed positionsby American Maritime Officers.

M/V Patriot Second Mate Chris Richards and ThirdMate Laureel Williams

Chief Mate Sandy Bendixen and Capt. TomChase, master of the M/V Patriot

New oil separatorfor diesel training