United States Merchant Mariner (Merchant Marine)

UNITED STATES MERCHANT MARINER (MERCHANT MARINE) -  The United States Merchant Marine are United States civilian mariners and a fleet of U.S. civilian and federally owned merchant vessels.  These fleets are managed by either the government or private sector, and engage in commerce or transportation of goods and services in and out of the navigable waters of the United States.  The Merchant Marine is responsible for transporting cargo and passengers during peacetime.  In times of war, the they can be an auxiliary to the Navy, and can be called upon to deliver military personnel and materiel for the military.  Merchant Marine Officers may also be designated as military Officers by the Department of Defense. This is commonly achieved by commissioning unlimited tonnage Merchant Marine Officers as Strategic Sea lift Officers in the Naval Reserves.

Merchant mariners move cargo and passengers between nations and within the United States, and operate and maintain deep-sea merchant ships, tugboats, towboats, ferries, dredges, excursion vessels, charter boats and other waterborne craft on the oceans, the Great Lakes, rivers, canals, harbors, and other waterways.   As of 2006, the United States merchant fleet had 465 privately owned ships of 1,000 or more gross register tons. Nearly 800 American-owned ships are flagged in other nations.

In the 19th and 20th centuries, various laws fundamentally changed the course of American merchant shipping.  These laws put an end to common practices such as flogging and shanghaiing, and increased shipboard safety and living standards.  The United States Merchant Marine is also governed by several international conventions to promote safety and prevent pollution.