Supporting the Transition of Active Duty Service Members and Military Veterans Into the Merchant Marine

Overview

Purpose and Intent

Executive Order 13860, signed by President Donald Trump on March 4, 2019, aims to facilitate the transition of active-duty service members and military veterans into the Merchant Marine. This initiative is driven by the dual objectives of bolstering national security and improving employment opportunities for veterans. The order acknowledges a critical shortage of qualified merchant mariners, which presents a challenge to sustaining the United States' strategic military capabilities and economic interests. By optimizing the transition of military personnel into maritime careers, the administration sought to enhance its strategic resources while providing veterans with meaningful employment opportunities.

Policy Goals

The Executive Order sets forth a policy framework that prioritizes crediting military training and experience toward merchant mariner credentialing. It promotes the idea that military service members possess valuable skills and experiences that are directly applicable to maritime professions. In doing so, the order seeks to streamline the transition process by minimizing bureaucratic barriers such as credentialing fees and ensuring timely verification of sea service experience. It calls for coordination between the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Committee on the Marine Transportation System to foster a seamless integration of service members into the maritime workforce.

Strategic Context

The context of this Executive Order is rooted in a broader geopolitical landscape where the U.S. needs to maintain a capable and ready maritime force to ensure national and economic security. As global strategic competitors expand their maritime operations, sustaining a robust merchant marine becomes increasingly essential. The order reflects a recognition that leveraging the skills of military personnel in maritime roles is vital not only for commercial and trade purposes but also for reinforcing military operations. The policy asserts that a strong United States Merchant Marine is indispensable for both strategic defense operations and commercial vitality.

Implementation Mechanisms

The order outlines specific implementation mechanisms designed to support the policy goals. These include identifying military training for credentialing purposes, waiving fees associated with credentialing, and guaranteeing assistance for service members seeking maritime qualifications. The order emphasizes quick certification processes, an online resource platform for veteran mariners, and interdepartmental collaboration to ensure comprehensive execution. By ensuring these administrative processes are in place, the order aims to provide a frictionless pathway into the Merchant Marine for qualified veterans and service members.

Broader Impact

This policy proposition indicates a strategic alignment between military veterans’ employment initiatives and national security imperatives. It reaffirms the administration's stance on maximizing the economic and strategic potential of military veterans post-service, linking national defense readiness directly to veterans' welfare and available workforce capabilities. Beyond the immediate employment benefits, it positions the maritime sector as a keystone in maintaining the United States' global maritime dominance, emphasizing a long-term vision that transcends transient political or economic conditions.

Legal and Policy Implications

Regulatory Integration

The primary legal implication of this Executive Order involves integrating existing regulatory frameworks governing military service and maritime certification. The order mandates that departments and agencies align their credentialing processes to accommodate military training, thereby requiring modifications in current practices governing maritime licenses and certification. This necessitates close cooperation between the National Maritime Center and military departments to standardize the recognition of military experience in maritime terms.

Policy Changes and Validation

The order reinforces a policy shift towards cross-sector credentialing that recognizes diverse professional experiences within different branches of government and industry. By setting a one-year timeframe for action, it imposes a structured timeline on relevant departments to validate military experiences for certification purposes, potentially requiring amendments to existing processes or new validation mechanisms to support these efforts. This shift could establish precedence for other cross-sector professional credentialing beyond the maritime sphere.

Impact on Legislative Framework

While the Executive Order does not directly amend existing statutes, it implies a need for potential legislative adjustments to accommodate the streamlined credentialing processes it recommends. Future legal and policy measures could include crafting or revising statutory language to codify the recognition of military training in commercial sectors, thus ensuring permanence in the intended benefits beyond the current administration.

Budgetary Implications

The order's directive to waive fees or cover costs associated with merchant mariner credentialing for service members suggests potential implications for departmental budgets, specifically DOD and DHS. These departments would need to allocate funds or reassign budgetary priorities to comply with the order while ensuring resources do not divert from other critical missions unless legislatively addressed through increased appropriations.

Organizational and Infrastructural Adaptations

Requirements for departmental coordination may necessitate organizational changes within agencies tasked with implementing the order. Compliance with the Executive Order could involve the development of new interagency units or task forces dedicated to facilitating the transition of service members into the Merchant Marine. These adaptations are essential to ensure that personnel and resources are effectively managed and objectives are fully realized.

Who Benefits

Military Veterans and Active-Duty Service Members

The primary beneficiaries of Executive Order 13860 are military veterans and active-duty service members interested in maritime careers. By facilitating the credentialing process, the order opens new employment avenues for individuals possessing naval and maritime-related experiences, providing them with enhanced job prospects in the civilian sector. Honorably discharged service members can leverage their military experience to gain meaningful, potentially high-paying positions within the Merchant Marine, thus supporting their transition to civilian life.

The United States Merchant Marine

The United States Merchant Marine stands to benefit significantly from an influx of qualified personnel. A well-functioning merchant marine is critical to both national defense and economic operations, supporting global logistical needs during peacetime and conflicts. This influx of military veterans offers not only a boost in workforce numbers but also brings proven teamworking abilities, discipline, and leadership skills which are intrinsic to military training. Such influx addresses concerns over a dwindling mariner workforce, directly contributing to the nation's ability to sustain maritime operations effectively.

Maritime Industry and Related Sectors

The broader maritime industry, including shipping companies, ports, and logistics management entities, will benefit from a more readily available, qualified pool of workers. Given the challenges faced with recruiting adequately trained maritime personnel, having ready access to veterans familiar with maritime logistics and operations enhances industry capabilities. A steady pipeline of talent facilitates operational continuity, potentially reducing costs linked with training unqualified personnel from scratch.

National Security Establishment

By enhancing the readiness and availability of a strategically valuable segment of the workforce, the policy indirectly strengthens national security interests. This bolstering of capabilities particularly aids the Department of Defense during national emergencies that require military sealift and logistical operations across maritime domains. Reliable merchant mariner support is indispensable during defense operations, offering logistical flexibility and responsiveness.

Economic and Trade Infrastructure

A more robust Merchant Marine means strengthened trade capabilities. As trade constitutes a significant component of the U.S. economy, enhancements in maritime workforce reliability and capabilities have implications for efficient goods movement, export capabilities, and ultimately the economic prosperity of trade-dependent communities. Strategic investment in human resources within the maritime realm pays dividends in logistical efficiencies and cost reductions across supply chains.

Who Suffers

Potential Administrative Burden on Military Departments

While the order endeavors to provide a seamless transition for service members, its implementation could impose additional administrative burdens on military departments such as the DOD and DHS. These entities may face increased responsibilities associated with identifying and processing relevant military skills and experience for commercial licensing purposes, potentially straining their existing capabilities and diverting attention from core missions.

Bureaucratic Challenges

The demand for inter-departmental and inter-agency coordination to implement the Executive Order’s mandates may lead to bureaucratic challenges, affecting efficiency. Agencies that have historically operated through distinct frameworks may find synchronization in policy and procedural implementation complex, resulting in potential delays or administrative friction that could hinder the expressed goals of facilitating quick transitions for service members.

Non-Veteran Maritime Aspirants

The focus of the Executive Order on veterans might inadvertently marginalize aspiring mariners who have not served in the military. By potentially streamlining and prioritizing veterans for maritime roles, other qualified individuals may find it increasingly challenging to penetrate the industry or to compete for competitive roles where veterans are given precedence, thereby creating barriers for broader workforce diversity.

Budgetary Strain on Government Resources

Funding constraints could emerge as departments allocate resources to comply with the provisions of the Executive Order. Should governmental departments fail to secure compensatory budgetary appropriations, the financial strain of credentialing fee waivers or associated program costs could negatively impact other departmental functions, introducing the risk of stretched financial resources across agencies already burdened by fiscal constraints.

Civil Service Workforce Implications

The focus on delivering maritime roles to transitioning veterans could also shift resource allocation away from civil service personnel who are traditionally involved in recruitment and maritime administration. Departments may transition resources toward supporting the maritime pathway for veterans, which could impact staffing strategies and operational focus areas in other civil service functions, diminishing their service delivery capabilities.

Historical Context

Evolving Veteran Employment Strategies

Executive Order 13860 is part of a broader historical trend where various administrations have pursued innovative avenues to integrate veterans into civilian employment sectors. This policy resonates with strategies that aim to address veteran unemployment by capitalizing on transferable military skills. Historical precedence exists for leveraging military experience towards civilian applications, reflecting a continued effort across time to minimize veteran unemployment and promote economic reintegration post-service.

Trump Administration's Focus on National Security

The order aligns with the Trump administration’s broader national security agenda that emphasizes strengthening domestic defense capabilities. By ensuring a well-prepared Merchant Marine, the administration directly addressed strategic concerns related to maritime defense readiness and commercial security. This reflects continuity in policy direction toward fortifying the country's defense posture and economic resilience, which were central themes during this administration.

Continuity and Change in Maritime Policies

While the maritime sector has always been a strategic priority, this order aligns with evolving legislative and executive initiatives targeting a dynamic integration of military personnel into the commercial maritime domain. Historically, conflicts such as World War II underscored the significance of a robust Merchant Marine, which later drove continued legislative attention towards supporting maritime commerce, an emphasis this order perpetuates within contemporary contexts.

Veterans' Affairs and Legislation

The order is reflective of legislative trends targeting improvements in Veterans' Affairs, often resulting in legislative and executive actions aimed at facilitating veteran transitions. It underscores legislative enhancements aimed at bridging gaps between military service and civilian employment. This aligns with historical legislative focuses on veteran rights and employment, reflecting ongoing efforts to provide military personnel with comprehensive support structures upon completing their service obligations.

Partisan Perspectives and Executive Orders

This order forms part of the continued utilization of executive orders as policy tools for advancing particular administrative priorities. While executive orders have been used by past administrations to bypass legislative bottlenecks and institute policy changes, partisan debates often emerge about their appropriate scope and impact on governance. The use of such orders in effecting policy changes is emblematic of broader discussions concerning executive power during the Trump era.

Potential Controversies or Challenges

Legal Challenges and Constitutional Questions

Executive orders can face legal challenges, with questions often arising regarding their alignment with legislative or constitutional mandates. While Executive Order 13860 is grounded in existing legal provisions, there is potential for disputes particularly if it is perceived to infringe on congressional prerogatives or circumvent established statutory frameworks. Legal challenges could arise in terms of how the order mandates inter-agency coordination and whether it effectively oversteps the boundaries of executive authority.

Congressional Pushback

Congress may push back on the order if it is viewed as potentially overreach or if funding implications conflict with legislative budget priorities. In scenarios where the order introduces unfunded mandates or necessitates budget reallocations, congressional concerns regarding resource allocations could manifest in oversight hearings or funding restrictions aimed at mitigating financial impacts, especially if perceived to affect other critical government functions.

Implementation and Coordination Barriers

The call for comprehensive inter-agency coordination required to effectively implement the order often presents operational challenges. These challenges emerge where existing structures or frameworks may not fully align across departments, leading to discussions or debates over the efficacy of such coordination or the new burdens placed on agencies tasked with simultaneously managing other priorities under limited resources.

Veteran Representation and Advocacy

Veteran advocacy groups may express concerns regarding whether the processes outlined in the Executive Order adequately consider or address the broad spectrum of veteran experiences. Ensuring equitable access and opportunities for all deserving veterans could require further administrative advocacy to preempt any unintended biases or limitations impacting veterans' ability to engage with the new opportunities envisioned by the order.

Judicial Redress and Preemption

Potential judicial redress arises where stakeholders affected by operational or administrative discrepancies in implementing the order seek litigation as recourse for grievances. Judicial interpretation or interventions may bring clarity or enforce adjustments in agency actions, particularly where stakeholders view administrative practices or credential recognition processes as inconsistent, discriminatory, or exclusionary in application.