Shell signs with AMO for LNG officers · 2 • American Maritime Officer May 2008 American Maritime...

Volume 38, Number 5 May 2008

Copyright © 2008 American Maritime Officers � 2 West Dixie Highway � Dania Beach, FL 33004 � (800) 362-0513 � [email protected]

TWIC deadlineextended toApril 15, 2009Page 3: U.S. merchantmariners now have until April15, 2009, to obtain aTransportation WorkerIdentification Credential. AllAMO members who have notdone so are urged to apply forthe TWIC as soon as possible.

Great Lakes NewsNew AMO jobs asSealift wins HSVSwift contract

Page 5: Use of HarborMaintenance Tax revenues couldalleviate the dredging crisis.

Page 6: The U.S. Navy’sMilitary Sealift Commandannounced that the contract forthe HSV Swift has been award-ed to AMO-contracted compa-ny Sealift Inc. The contract isone year firm with four exten-sion options.

AMO EssentialsRTM STAR Center, Floridaschedule: Pages 8-9

RTM STAR Center, Ohioschedule: Page 9

RTM STAR Centerapplication: 1

AMO directory: Page 10

AMO membership meetingschedule: Page 10

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Shell signs with AMO for LNG officers

Shell companies currently manage 31 LNG carriers. The fleet managed by Shellcompanies will grow rapidly over the next two years as Nakilat Shipping (Qatar)Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Qatar Gas Transport Company Ltd., recentlyselected Shell to provide a full range of shipping and marine services for anadditional 25 LNG carriers.

AMO member Capt. John McFadden (left) and General Manager of Shell ShipManagement Limited Capt. Richard Mellor—McFadden will be able to begin hisfirst three-month tour as master in the Shell-managed LNG fleet after completingcompany-specific training and a three-month paid observation trip. Initial plans forthe first phase of recruitment call for approximately 20 AMO members with LNGrecency to be hired by Shell to begin integrating LNG carriers managed by Shellcompanies with American officers represented by AMO. See Shell � Page 2

American Maritime Officers andShell Ship Management Limited April 30signed what the Maritime Administrationdescribed as a historic memorandum ofunderstanding, through which Shell hasstarted hiring AMO members to sail aboardliquefied natural gas carriers in the interna-tional fleet.

The memorandum of understanding(MOU) will create immediate and extraor-dinary new career opportunities for theexisting base of AMO members with recentLNG experience and will open the door tothe future for AMO officers preparing towork in the LNG trades through the leadingliquefied gas training programs at RTMSTAR Center.

“Our pioneering MOU with Shellcreates new jobs for AMO members in alarge and growing LNG fleet servicing athriving international market,” the AMOnational president said. “Our team has beenworking for the past three years to developthese opportunities for AMO officers in theinternational LNG trades. Our discussionswith Shell began nearly that long ago, andwe have worked extensively with the com-pany, as well as the MaritimeAdministration, to make this a reality for theAMO membership.

“On the union side, I’d like to thankTom Laird for his exceptional work indeveloping the initial contacts and main-taining the dialogue as we all engaged andresolved the complex issues involved withintegrating American officers onboardinternational vessels,” he said. “With Shell,we are expanding AMO’s established pres-ence in the LNG trades, and this MOU doesnot mark the end of our efforts. It is just thebeginning.”

Shell companies currently manage 31LNG carriers, and that fleet will grow rapid-ly over the next two years. Nakilat Shipping(Qatar) Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary ofQatar Gas Transport Company Ltd., recent-ly selected Shell to provide a full range ofshipping and marine services for an addi-tional 25 newbuild LNG carriers.

The week the MOU was signed, ShellShip Management Limited notified AMOmember Capt. John McFadden that he willbe “the first U.S. marine officer to join aShell familiarization course” and that he“will soon be offered a position as master

opportunities,” McFadden said. “I believeinternational shipping is the future for manyAMO officers, and Shell, being truly aworld class organization, stands out as acompany to work for. I look forward to myupcoming orientation and training in prepa-ration for joining their fleet. I am sure otherAMO officers will be joining me in the nearfuture.”

Plans for the first phase of recruit-ment call for approximately 20 AMO mem-bers with LNG recency to be hired by Shellto begin integrating LNG carriers managedby Shell companies with American officers.Shell’s competitive hiring process will leadto permanent positions with the companyfor AMO members.

“We’ve been working closely withthe U.S. Maritime Administration andAMO to encourage the use of Americanofficers in the specialized LNG shippingtrade,” said Bob Salmon, general managerof shipping for Shell Trading (U.S.)Company. “Shell is committed to securingthe most qualified officers for its maritimefleet operations, as a diverse skill pooldrawn from the United States and othercountries around the world is essential forus to manage this growth successfully.”

Capt. Richard Mellor, general man-ager of Shell Ship Management Limited,attended the signing ceremony inWashington, D.C., and signed the MOU forShell.

“We look forward to working withAMO to help us with the recruitment with-in the United States and thereafter in theonboarding process of American officers,”Mellor said. “We are confident that therecruiting will be a success, as will the inte-gration of U.S. officers into fleet opera-tions.”

The signing ceremony was hosted bythe Maritime Administration at theDepartment of Transportation. Since takingoffice nearly two years ago, MaritimeAdministrator Sean Connaughton has madea U.S. LNG crewing initiative an agencypriority. The Maritime Administration hasbeen actively working to achieve public-private partnerships on several fronts thatwill ultimately offer both training and jobgrowth opportunities in this expanding

within the Shell LNG fleet.” McFadden willbe able to begin his first three-month tour asmaster in the Shell-managed LNG fleetafter completing company-specific trainingand a three-month paid observation trip.

“Their fleet of owned and managedgas carriers, both present and newbuildsthat will coming into service in the next twoyears, represents a large portion of theworld fleet and significant employment

2 • American Maritime Officer May 2008

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

Brooklyn, NY, and Additional Mailing OfficesPublished Monthly

American Maritime Officers National Executive BoardThomas Bethel, National PresidentJosé Leonard, National Secretary-TreasurerDaniel Smith, National Executive Vice PresidentJoseph Gremelsbacker, National Vice President, Deep SeaDonald Cree, National Vice President, Great LakesBrian Krus, National Assistant Vice President, Great LakesEdward Kelly, National Vice President At LargeRobert Kiefer, National Assistant Vice President At LargePaul Cates, National Executive Board Member At LargeDaniel Shea, National Executive Board Member At LargeDavid Weathers, National Executive Board Member At LargeDonald Nilsson, National Executive Board Member, Deep SeaJohn Hafner, National Executive Board Member, Inland Waters

Representatives: Stan Barnes, Charles Murdock

Editor: Matt BurkeAssistant Editor: Phree BakerContributing Editor: Paul Doell

POSTMASTER—Send Address Changes To:American Maritime Officers

ATTN: Member ServicesP.O. Box 66

Dania Beach, FL 33004

ShellContinued from Page 1

AMO member relatesexperience sailing asTeekay chief engineer ininternational LNG fleet

energy sector.Over the past six months,

Connaughton has worked with Shell execu-tives, representatives of AMO, and withother international maritime unions in theU.S. and in Europe.

Connaughton commended bothAMO and Shell for their work in achievingthe MOU. He described AMO as a unionwith “an exceptional record in all that itdoes” and remarked on AMO’s focus onmaritime training as a catalyst for newopportunities.

“Having companies like Shell, partic-ularly companies of Shell’s caliber, movingforward and providing these opportuni-ties—it’s something we all should be veryproud of and something we really have tocommend Shell for stepping forward anddoing,” Connaughton said.

Since January 2005, AMO hasaggressively pursued discussions with high-quality companies to secure employmentopportunities for the union’s base of experi-enced LNG officers. AMO’s first suchagreement was reached with TeekayShipping Corporation, one of the world’sleading tanker companies with a significantand expanding presence in the LNG sector.AMO officers are now sailing in seniorpositions aboard Teekay LNG carriers andtankers.

AMO is currently in negotiationswith an international owner/operator ofLNG carriers on a unique agreement toestablish an LNG observation programthat would allow AMO officers to earn thenecessary sea time and endorsement towork in the LNG trades without priorexperience.

The exclusive agreement under nego-

tiation is expected to establish observationbillets for AMO members on Q-class LNGvessels, aboard which the officers would beable to observe the liquefied gas loadingsand discharges required to earn the STCWliquefied gas endorsement. Sailing as LNGobservers, AMO members would also earnthe necessary sea time to take seagoing jobswith international owner/operators in theLNG trades.

Additionally, AMO has the uniqueability among U.S. officers’ unions to pro-vide its membership with the necessarytraining to meet stringent international stan-dards for LNG officers.

In 2007, the LNG Tankship LiquefiedGases course provided by RTM STARCenter was certified to the standards of theSociety of International Gas Tanker &Terminal Operators (SIGTTO). RTM STARCenter is a division of the AMO Safety &Education Plan and the primary trainingprovider for AMO members.

STAR Center is the first and onlytraining institution in the U.S. and one of avery small number in the world to provideLNG training certified to SIGTTO stan-dards. STAR Center has expanded the pro-gram to include an LNG simulation courseon MPRI liquid cargo simulators. Bothcourses are certified by the U.S. CoastGuard.

“With the leadership of Phil Shullo,the STAR Center staff, and Greg Musk andJerry Pannell in particular, have done aremarkable job in developing these coursesand securing the endorsements to provideAMO members with the best possible train-ing,” the AMO national president said. “Thecombination of the STAR Center LNGcourses and the observation agreement weare now developing will give AMO the abil-ity to expand the base of qualified AmericanLNG officers and meet the demand in thisspecialized trade.”

By Bill Lewando

I have been employed with Teekayfor more than a year at this time, mostrecently onboard the LNG Al Areesh (oneof the new liquefied natural gas carriers)as chief engineer, along with JonathanCullum as first engineer.

This has been a very positive expe-rience, which I would highly recommendto anyone.

In the 28-plus years that I have beensailing, mostly on tankers/LNG carriers, Iwould have to say that Teekay is one ofthe best companies I have worked for.

Sailing with Teekay in the interna-tional fleet has been very interesting.

Teekay at this time has 150-plusvessels and is expanding with officersfrom all over the world (at this time,Teekay ships carry about 10 percent of alloil cargoes).

Onboard the LNG Al Areesh duringmy latest tour, there were 11 differentnationalities (U.S., U.K., Croatian,Russian, Ukrainian, Romanian, Italian,Polish, Latvian, Indian and Philippine),and everyone takes this job very seriously.Teekay has a reputation as being one ofthe best companies to work for.

The Teekay fleet is always growing.Older vessels are sold as new vessels are

delivered, and all vessels delivered arefully automated and “state of the art” (theAl Areesh maintains an unmannedsteamship engine room and the newer ves-sels are motor vessels).

The wages received onboard arevery competitive (there are different wage

scales for different nationalities) and theliving conditions/accommodations are thebest I have ever seen.

Teekay maintains a very high stan-dard for training, maintenance and presen-tation of their vessels, and it shows. Inaddition, Teekay realizes that the crew isimportant.

Tours for officers are three-on/three-off, give or take, wages are salary,Saturday afternoons are drills and trainingand Sundays are “off-days” (time to watcha movie, do laundry, complete some of therequired computer based training, etc.). E-

mail is available and Internet access isbeing installed.

Finally I would like to state: theseare very good jobs and, with the expand-ing LNG fleet, there are so many opportu-nities out there. It is a great future.

As stated earlier, I would highly rec-ommend employment in the expandingLNG fleet to all.

With the required training and guid-ance being provided by AMO, there is noreason why someone with the right per-spective would be unable to be very suc-cessful in the international LNG fleet.

AMO member Bill Lewando, chiefengineer aboard the Al Areesh

Maritime administratorcommends AMO, Shell

Maritime Administrator SeanConnaughton April 30 congratulatedAmerican Maritime Officers and ShellShip Management Limited on the historicmemorandum of understanding that willput AMO members aboard Shell liquefiednatural gas carriers worldwide.

AMO and Shell worked “very, veryhard in coming together on this,”Connaughton said prior to the signing ofthe MOU by the national president ofAMO and Capt. Richard Mellor, generalmanager of Shell Ship ManagementLimited. The Maritime Administrationhosted the signing at the U.S. Departmentof Transportation in Washington, D.C.

The AMO-Shell memorandum ofunderstanding will yield “experience andemployment opportunities” for U.S. mer-chant marine officers in “one of the bestand safest fleets in the world,”Connaughton said.

“ T h o s ee m p l o y m e n topportunities aregoing to be pro-vided byA m e r i c a nM a r i t i m eOfficers, one ofthe largest offi-cer labor organi-zations in theUnited States,one of the best,and one that hasan exceptionalrecord in all

that it does,” Connaughton added.Connaughton acknowledged the

AMO Safety and Education Plan’sSimulation, Training, Assessment and

MaritimeAdministratorSean Connaughton

See MARAD � Page 6

American Maritime Officer • 3May 2008

Strong Senate support for full MSP funding in 2009

TWIC compliance date extended to April 15, 2009

In a letter to the chairman and rank-ing members of the Senate AppropriationsCommittee, a bipartisan group of 22 sena-tors requested full funding for theMaritime Security Program in fiscal year2009.

In the House of Representatives, abipartisan group of 46 congressional lead-ers signed a letter requesting that theMaritime Security Program be fully fund-ed in fiscal year 2009.

In the Senate, signing the letter wereSenators Barbara Mikulski (D-MD),Gordon Smith (R-OR), Saxby Chambliss(R-GA), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), MariaCantwell (D-WA), Ben Cardin (D-MD),Daniel Inouye (D-HI), Arlen Specter (R-PA), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), FrankLautenberg (D-NJ), David Vitter (R-LA),Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Mark Pryor (D-AR), Jack Reed (D-RI), Charles Schumer(D-NY), James Webb (D-VA), SheldonWhitehouse (D-RI), Ron Wyden (D-OR),Richard Burr (R-NC), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Jeff Sessions (R-AL) and DanielAkaka (D-HI).

“As you prepare to mark up the fis-cal year 2009 Transportation, Housing andUrban Development and Related AgenciesAppropriations bill, we respectfullyrequest $174 million for the MaritimeSecurity Program in the U.S. MaritimeAdministration,” the senators wrote.

“The Maritime Security Programguarantees that the Department of Defensehas access to the U.S.-flag ships and U.S.citizen crews it needs during mobilizations.It also provides the reliable and timely flowof military cargo to our troops overseas,”the senators wrote. “The Department ofDefense has testified that it would need

more than $10 billion in capital costs and $1billion in annual operations costs to repli-cate what the Maritime Security Programprovides at a fraction of the cost.

“Fiscal year 2009 is the fourth yearof funding for the Maritime SecurityProgram at its expanded 60-ship level,”they wrote. “The requested $174 million is

the same funding level included in thePresident’s budget and authorized in theNational Defense Authorization Act of fis-cal year 2004.”

New ship replaces Independence in MSP fleetThe car carrier Independence II waschristened May 8 in Baltimore, Md.,and will replace the Independence inthe Maritime Security Program fleet.American Maritime Officers mem-bers working aboard theIndependence II include Capt. DavidLedoux, Chief Mate Kenny De Groff,Chief Mate Wilson Ziegenbein,Second Mate Chris Weigler andThird Mate Mickey Spillane.

AMO members working aboard theIndependence II include ChiefEngineer Brian Ackerman, SecondAssistant Engineer James Furby,First A.E. Kevin O’Donnell andThird A.E. Jonathan Newhouse.

All American merchant mariners urged to apply as soon as possible for TWIC card

Membership committee reviews union finances

American Maritime Officers mem-bers serving on the financial com-

mittee in May were (front: left toright) John McAninley, Chris

Richards, (back: left to right) DanZurek, John George and Rohan

Samuels. A volunteer committee ofAMO members is convened semi-

annually to review union bills,expense reports and finances.

The Department of HomelandSecurity announced that the final compliancedate for the Transportation WorkerIdentification Credential (TWIC) programhas been extended to April 15, 2009.

U.S. merchant mariners have until thatdate to obtain their TWIC cards, theMaritime Administration confirmed.

The seven-month extension is a directresult of collaboration with port officials andindustry, and realigns the enrollment periodwith the original intent of the TWIC finalrule, according to the announcement.

In its announcement, the HomelandSecurity Department noted: “Owners andoperators of facilities located within

Captain of the Port Zones Boston,Northern New England, and SoutheasternNew England will need to comply byOctober 15, 2008. These three ports wereselected based on favorable conditionsthat facilitate near-term implementation.These ports are ideal for initial compli-ance based upon geographic proximity,the size of their TWIC enrollment popula-tion, and respective enrollment efforts todate. Additional ports will be announcedin the coming weeks, and the Coast Guardwill provide at least 90 days’ notice priorto enforcement.”

The original compliance date forobtaining a TWIC card was Sept. 25, 2008.

Although that date has been extended sevenmonths, U.S. mariners who have not done soalready are urged to apply for the TWIC assoon as possible, and to pre-enroll online tospeed up the process.

As reported by MARAD in a recentadvisory, all of the information needed toobtain a TWIC is available on TSA Websites:

TSA TWIC deployment Web site—twicinformation.com/twicinfo/index.jsp:

•Schedule of when each enrollmentcenter will commence operations

•Enrollment center addresses, includ-ing maps, directions and hours of operation

•Frequently asked questions (includ-

ing the TWIC application disclosure form)•Link to the pre-enrollment Web site

(Pre-enrollment is strongly recommended)•Check card status and schedule pick-

up TSA TWIC home page Web site—

www.tsa.gov/twic:•Small entity guide for applicants•U.S. Coast Guard Navigation and

Vessel Inspection Circular (NVIC) 03-07•Link to the pre-enrollment Web site

(Pre-enrollment is strongly recommended) Both TSA and the Coast Guard have

established help desks to address questionsand concerns:

•TSA help desk: (866) DHS-TWIC / [email protected]

•Coast Guard: (877) MTSA-AID /[email protected]

CorrectionIn the April edition, American

Maritime Officer included an incom-plete listing of AMO members whoreceived the Merchant MarineExpeditionary Medal for their recentmission aboard the USNS Algol butwere not present during the award cere-mony.

Third Mate Reid Hoover, ThirdA.E. Mike Watson, Second A.E.George Ahten, Second A.E. Greg Jonesand Second A.E. Steve McCormickreceived the medal but were not at thepresentation ceremony.

The editor regrets the error.

AMO memberCapt. DouglasStrassneraboard theIndependenceII, which isoperated byInteroceanAmericanShipping forAmericanRoll-on/Roll-off Carriers


In order to provide useful information for AMO Pension Plan participants who areconsidering filing an application for AMO Pension benefits and/or Money PurchaseBenefits (MPB), the following is a summary and some general answers to frequentlyasked questions:

WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF RETIREMENT?To be considered retired you as a participant must withdraw completely from any

further employment aboard any vessel; surrender your Merchant Mariner Document tothe trustees; and deposit with the Plan satisfactory documentary proof of your with-drawal from membership in the union. However, if qualified (as described below), theAMO Pension Plan has an in-service lump sum distribution option that allows you toreceive a lump sum Pension distribution and continue to work in AMO CoveredEmployment.

WHAT IS AN IN-SERVICE LUMP SUM DISTRIBUTION (GROUP I ONLY)?An in-service lump sum Distribution permits you to receive a lump sum payout

upon attainment of the Alternate Normal Retirement Age (see below) and continue towork in Covered Employment only. No additional pension credit will accrue after receiptof a lump sum payout; however, under certain employment, MPB contributions will con-tinue.

WHAT IS THE ALTERNATE NORMAL RETIREMENT AGE REQUIREMENTSTO RECEIVE A LUMP SUM DISTRIBUTION (GROUP I ONLY)?

I. (a) At least 20 years of pension credit earned as a result of employment under adeep sea or Great Lakes Agreement with the union; or,

(b) Effective August 1, 2000, for employees with an hour of service on or after thatdate, a combination of 20 years of pension credit under a deep sea, Great Lakes and inlandwaters Agreement without regard to past service credit or,

(c) A combination of 20 years under a deep sea, Great Lakes, or inland watersAgreement and Group V (formerly the District 2A Pension and Severance Plan) if at least10 years of pension credit was earned as a result of employment under a deep sea or GreatLakes Agreement with the union; and

II. The participant’s combination of years of pension credit and age totals a mini-mum of seventy-five (75); and

III. The participant is eligible for Pensioner’s Cost of Living Adjustments.IV. A Pre-Retirement Optional Form of Benefit election for a lump sum distribu-

tion must be on file with the Plan office for at least six (6) months prior to your PensionEffective Date.

WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF NORMAL RETIREMENT AGE?You reach Normal Retirement Age on the later of age 65 or the fifth anniversary of

the date you first received credit under the Plan provided that if you have less then fiveyears of vesting credit and you are still employed or you have not incurred a one-yearbreak in service prior to reaching Normal Retirement Age.

WHEN SHOULD YOU FILE FOR PENSION BENEFITS?An application should be filed three months before your pension effective date.

This will provide enough time for the Plan office to process your application and submitit to the Board of Trustees for approval.

WHAT IS THE APPLICATION PROCESS FOR DEFINED BENEFIT AND MPB?•You may obtain an application for defined benefit pension and MPB by contacting

the Plan office at (800) 348-6515 or via e-mail at [email protected] or throughthe AMO Plans website www.amoplans.com.

•After submission of an application for Pension benefits and MPB, the process con-sists of:

- Review of eligibility in accordance with the Rules and Regulations of the AMOPension Plan,

- If necessary, additional documentation may be requested, including:•Copy of birth certificate of spouse (if married) •Copy of marriage certificate (if married) •All divorce documents from previous marriages including Qualified Domestic

Relations Orders (QDRO) that indicate the portion of the pension benefit, if any, award-ed to an Alternate Payee

•Past Service Pension Credit Certification and any Company Offset verification andcalculation

•Verification of any credit recognizable under a Reciprocal Agreement withSeafarers Pension Plan, MEBA, or Group V

- Calculation and detailed audit of your AMO pension benefit based on allCovered Employment and Past Service Credit, including actuarial review of companyoffset, Reciprocity Agreement benefit and, if applicable, any benefit payment to an alter-nate payee. Please note: all actuarial or legal reviews are made by consultants to the Plan,and based on the circumstances may extend the time of the application process.

- An Irrevocable Letter (IL) will be sent to you to provide you with a detailedpension statement outlining your entire work history, including calculation of your pen-sion benefit. The IL requires your agreement to the benefit calculation before paymentscan be made. The IL will be accompanied by all necessary documents for completion ofyour pension application.

•If you are eligible the Money Purchase Benefit (MPB), it is payable upon the ear-lier of death, retirement (including in-service lump sum), permanent withdrawal from theindustry (365 days from your last day of Covered Employment), total and permanent dis-ability, or in the case of payment to an alternate payee under a Qualified DomesticRelations Order, in accordance with the terms of the order.

•Please note, you may not borrow or request a distribution based on hardship fromyour MPB account.

•Your account balance may be distributed by direct rollover to a Traditional IRA,Another Employer Qualified Retirement Plan or directly to you (subject to taxation) inone of the following methods:

•Single payment;•Non-transferable straight life annuity; •10 annual installment payments.•50% Joint and Survivor Annuity;

WHEN CAN YOU EXPECT A DISTRIBUTION OF YOUR PENSION AND MPB?•Once the Plan receives your completed Irrevocable Letter and supporting docu-

ments confirming that you agree with the pension amount payable and you have com-pleted an MPB application (if eligible), after approval is made by the Director of Benefitsand Board of Trustees of the AMO Pension Plan, the benefit check will be distributed asper your instructions. The Plan will coordinate distribution of the MPB through theNewport Group.

•If the processing of the application is delayed beyond the effective date, benefitswill be paid retroactive to the effective date and as soon as administratively possible.

WHEN CAN YOU EXPECT YOUR MONTHLY BENEFIT CHECK?Monthly benefit checks are mailed from the Plan Office on the 15th of each month.

WHAT IS THE MEDICAL COVERAGE FOR IN-SERVICE LUMP SUM PEN-SIONERS AND HOW DO I REMAIN ELIGIBLE AFTER RETIREMENT?

•If you continue to work in Covered Employment following receipt of an in-servicelump sum Pension benefit under the AMO Pension Plan, you and your eligible depen-dents, remain eligible for Active Employee coverage.

•To be eligible for medical benefits as a pensioner, in-service lump sum pensionersmust declare retirement while still eligible for Active Employee Medical Benefits.

•Your Declaration of Retirement must be received by the Plan within 182 days afteryour last date of Covered Employment. Upon receipt of your Declaration of Retirement,you and your eligible dependents will revert to pensioners medical benefits provided theeligibility requirements are met and provided your Declaration of Retirement has beenreceived in the Plan office prior to termination of Active coverage.

WHAT TYPE OF MEDICAL COVERAGE IS PROVIDED THROUGH THEAMO MEDICAL PLAN FOR RETIRED PENSIONERS?

The American Maritime Officers (AMO) Medical Plan includes Hospital, Medical,Prescription Drug, Optical and Scholarship Benefits for certain pensioners with 20 ormore years of AMO pension credit and their eligible dependents (unless otherwise spec-ified below).

•To be eligible for pensioner medical benefits, you as a pensioner must be eligiblefor coverage as an active participant under the AMO Medical Plan on your pension effec-tive date.

•Pensioner medical benefits are dependent on both the level of your benefits ineffect at the time your AMO pension benefit is effective and your number of years of pen-sion credit, unless the Trustees specifically provide otherwise. The Trustees reserve theright to amend, modify or terminate, at any time and in whole or in part, pensioner med-ical benefits, both for current and/or future pensioners.

•Medical benefits for pensioners are subject to annual earnings limitation require-ments.

•You and/or dependents are required to submit to the Plan (annually) a completedPensioner’s Medical Benefits Earnings Limitations and Coordination of Benefits formas well as a copy of your latest annual tax return as filed with the IRS. In the event thatyou and, or your dependent’s earnings exceed the annual limitations established by thePlan’s Rules and Regulations, medical benefits will not be available for that calendaryear. (In the first calendar year, in which the earnings limitation is exceeded, benefitswill cease as of the date you or your dependent’s earnings meets the limitation). In theevent that medical benefit payments are erroneously made on behalf of you or your eli-gible dependent during the calendar year in which earnings exceed the annual limita-tions, you or your dependent’s will be required to reimburse to the Plan any overpay-ments made or they will be deducted from future medical benefits.

•SURVIVOR BENEFITIn the event a pensioner receiving pensioner medical benefits predeceases his

spouse, the surviving spouse and eligible dependent children continue to qualify formedical benefits, provided the surviving spouse is receiving a Survivor’s PensionBenefit under the AMO Pension Plan, or benefits were paid under the lump sum option.If the 60-month payout is in effect, the surviving spouse and eligible dependents will beentitled to medical coverage only for the remaining period of such 60-month payout.The Trustees reserve the right to amend, modify or terminate, at any time and in wholeor in part, survivor benefits for current and/or future surviving spouses and dependents.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE EXCLUSIONS AND LIMITATIONS FOR PEN-SIONER MEDICAL BENEFITS?

•The AMO Medical Plan does not provide medical benefits to any pensioner and/orany pensioner’s dependent who has earnings from gainful employment that are in excessof the amount permitted under the Rules and Regulations of the AMO Medical Plan.

Deep sea/Great Lakes/inland waters - Calendar year earnings from gainful employ-ment cannot exceed twice the maximum amount permitted by Social Security:

2008 Under age 65: $27,120.00Inland waters (Group IA only) - Calendar year earnings from gainful employment

cannot exceed the maximum amount permitted by Social Security.2008 Under age 65: $13,560.00

American Maritime Officers Pension Plan general informationregarding distributions, payments and medical benefits

See Plans Bulletin � Page 11

Underway with AMO on the American Integrity

American Maritime Officers mem-bers working aboard the thousand-footer American Integrity in Aprilincluded (left to right) ChiefEngineer Steven Hess, ThirdAssistant Engineer Sheila Clogg,Second A.E. Thomas Nelson,Second A.E. Dennis Brotz, FirstA.E. Steven Wilson and Third A.E.Stephen Robertson. The AmericanIntegrity left its winter berth inToledo, Ohio, at the beginning ofApril to load iron ore.


Great LakesRepresentatives urged to ensure funds from HarborMaintenance Tax are applied to dredging projects

Ballast water bill approved in House of RepresentativesLate last month, the House of

Representatives approved legislation thatwould impose strict standards on ballastwater discharge to prevent the further intro-duction of invasive species into the Great

Lakes system.Among other requirements, the bill,

H.R. 2830, imposes the most stringent bal-last water standards ever—standards thatare “100 times tougher than existing inter-

national standards,” according to the GreatLakes Maritime Task Force, which repre-sents shipping interests on the Great Lakesand of which American Maritime Officersis a member.

“This bipartisan bill is historicbecause it has passed the House over-whelmingly and because it is endorsed by abroad cross-section of Great Lakes inter-ests, from shipping companies to environ-mental groups,” said Patrick O’Hern, presi-dent of the task force. “This legislation istough but fair—this problem is big enoughthat it needs a tough response.”

H.R. 2830—sponsored by Chairmanof the Transportation and InfrastructureCommittee Rep. James Oberstar (D-MN)and supported by Rep. Steven LaTourette(R-OH), ranking Republican on the CoastGuard Subcommittee—was endorsed bythe Great Lakes Maritime Task Force, aswell as a broad coalition of environmentalorganizations.

“The passage of this legislation is awatershed moment for the Great Lakes,”said Dr. Marc Gaden, legislative liaisonfor the Great Lakes Fishery Commission,the binational agency that manages manyfederal invasive species programs. “Mostimportantly, the bill is designed to protectthe Great Lakes from new invaders intro-duced by ocean-going vessels. Buildingupon the initiative that lakers—those shipsthat do not leave the lakes—have takenvoluntarily, this bill also provides for anemergency response to interlake move-ment of organisms. We urge the Senate tocomplete the job and pass its legislationimmediately.”

The ballast water provision is part ofa comprehensive Coast Guard budget bill,which was approved in committee morethan a year ago, but has been stalled over arange of issues.

The Senate Commerce, Science andTransportation Committee has approvedlegislation that is roughly similar; however,that bill has yet to pass the full Senate.

AMO members train at RTM STAR Center

Members of the Subcommittee onWater Resources and the Environment in theHouse of Representatives at the end of Aprilwere urged to introduce legislation to ensurethat funds from the Harbor Maintenance TaxTrust Fund are used for critical dredgingprojects to restore the domestic navigationalsystem to project depths.

“Federal ports and harbors cannot befully maintained” with existing Army Corpsof Engineers “funding levels,” said JamesWeakley, president of the Lake Carriers’Association and a representative of a coali-tion of shipping interests and maritime nav-igational system users.

Testifying before the House subcom-mittee, Weakley pointed out that providingadequate dredging would directly lead toincreased and more efficient domestic andinternational trade.

In 2007, the federal government col-lected $1.4 billion in revenues through theHarbor Maintenance Tax, but spent only$751 million to maintain domestic deep-draft navigational features, the coalitionreported.

Although the Harbor MaintenanceTrust Fund was intended to help fund dredg-ing operations, it now holds a $4.7 billiondollar surplus—money that should be spenton dredging, Weakly told the subcommittee.

“Dredging can literally make or breakindustry, and the maritime industry is the

grease that lubricates trade,” Weakley said.He noted that 99 percent of U.S. over-

seas trade and the vast majority of domestictransportation are tied to the maritime indus-try, yet the efficiency of the system is limit-ed by a deficiency of dredging in thenation’s ports, channels and other water-ways. On the Great Lakes, U.S.-flaggedships are routinely loading light throughoutthe system to compensate for shallow har-

bors and channels, dramatically reducing theefficiency of the maritime transportationsystem.

Congress established the HarborMaintenance Tax and Trust Fund in 1986,taxing cargo moving through federally-maintained channels. Shippers pay the .125percent ad valorem tax on imports anddomestic cargo.

Separately, writing in the Great Lakes

Seaway Review, Weakley credited the workof the Great Lakes Congressional delegationfor securing $140 million in funding forArmy Corps dredging projects in fiscal year2008, a 30 percent increase over the amountrequested by the administration. He empha-sized the importance of working withCongress again this year to ensure the fiscalyear 2009 budget provides enough fundingto further clear the dredging backlog.

At right: AMO members MosheTzalel, Charlie Edwards (steering)and Dennis Wyllie (on radio) navi-

gate their ship in the Locking &Docking for First Class Pilots

course at RTM STAR Center inToledo with Instructor Ted Olm.

Above: American Maritime Officersmembers completing Vessel SecurityOfficer training at RTM STAR Centerin Toledo with instructor TomMolenaar included (clockwise fromleft) Jon Watson, Dan Franklin, LoriReinhart, Barry Prosak, Jon Olney,Richard Laskey, Dan Fischer, JosephBrown, Scot Powell, Dave Lindmark,Kevin Johnson, Matthew Bassett.


American Maritime Officerssecured across-the-board wage increas-es totaling approximately 16.4 percent(with compounding) over the life of anew four-year tentative agreement withIntrepid Personnel and Provisioning Inc.covering the officers working aboard thetankers tankers Blue Ridge and CoastRange. By year, the wage increases inthe tentative agreement are 5 percent, 4percent, 3.5 percent and 3 percent.

Negotiations with Intrepid on thenew agreement took place April 16 and17 at the AMO offices in Washington,D.C. Serving on the negotiating com-mittee were Drake Ritchie, chief engi-neer on the Coast Range, MatthewLarson, second mate on the Blue Ridge,the AMO national assistant vice presi-dent, at large, an AMO national repre-sentative and AMO Contract AnalystChris Holmes.

In addition to the wage increases,the negotiating committee secured allactuarially required increases in contri-

The Merchant Marine PersonnelAdvisory Committee (MERPAC) in Aprilsubmitted its report on the Coast Guard’sproposed navigation and vessel inspectioncircular (NVIC) on medical conditions andprescription medications. The MERPACreport included sixteen recommendations,several of them calling for sweepingchanges to the Coast Guard’s proposedNVIC.

MERPAC met April 9 and 10 in RTMSTAR Center at American MaritimeOfficers headquarters in Dania Beach, Fla.,to, among other things, review and voteupon the MERPAC working group recom-mendations formulated during nearly threeyears of research and work. AmericanMaritime Officers Director of GovernmentRelations Mike Murphy participated in theworking group that reviewed the CoastGuard’s proposed NVIC.

AMO submitted its comments andobjections to the proposed medical NVICmore than a year ago. It was remarked at theMERPAC meeting April 10 that the CoastGuard had made the approval of its pro-posed medical NVIC a priority followingthe Cosco Busan casualty in San FranciscoBay.

In April, a federal grand jury returnedan indictment charging John Cota, the pilotonboard at the time the Cosco Busan allidedwith the Bay Bridge, with allegedly provid-ing the Coast Guard in 2006 and 2007 withinformation that was not complete or trueregarding his current medications, thedosage, possible side effects and medicalconditions for which the medications weretaken.

At press time, the Coast Guard hadnot issued a formal response to MERPAC onthe committee’s recommendations. TheCoast Guard is now seeking final approval

MERPAC recommends extensive overhaul of Coast Guard’sproposed NVIC on medical conditions, medications

of its proposed NVIC from the Departmentof Homeland Security. The proposed med-ical NVIC could have a significant impacton American mariners in all sectors. It hasthe potential to prevent some mariners fromreceiving Coast Guard documentation, andto require many mariners to obtain medicalwaivers for any number of medical condi-tions or medications before receiving orrenewing Coast Guard documentation.

The proposed medical NVIC is acomplete revision of the entire NVIC 02-98and medical evaluation form CG-719K. Thechanges to existing Coast Guard policy arevast and would have a wide range of impli-cations for American mariners.

MERPAC opened its report by stat-ing: “the development of the draft NVICand the accompanying draft 719K has notused good principles of risk-based decisionmaking. MERPAC recommends that theCoast Guard use all data available to themand reconsider the information contained inthe NVIC. Any requested information ormedical conditions that are currently listedas a medical condition on the current draftthat could prevent a mariner from receivingtheir credential, that is not specificallyrequired by statutory or regulatory languageand that is not supported by the casualtydata or root cause analysis that the CoastGuard has in its database of accidents,should be removed from the criteria listed inthe NVIC.”

As stated by MERPAC: “We continueto be concerned that the list of medical con-ditions exceeds the defined goal of taskstatement 61, which was to ‘provide recom-mendations on medical waivers, functionaltests for mariners and identify risks of sud-den incapacitation.’ MERPAC believes thatmany conditions listed in the draft NVICcontinue to exceed the above described stan-

dard, and should be removed from the docu-ment.”

MERPAC also recommended theCoast Guard conduct “a comprehensive riskbased study to determine the causes of andcontributing factors to marine casualties.The study should identify data requirementsand collection procedures, reports, and othermeasures that will improve the CoastGuard’s ability to evaluate future marinecasualties, to monitor trends to identify caus-es and contributing factors, and to developeffective safety improvement policies,including: workload, manning and medicalreview provisions and programs.”

Murphy identified several specificelements of the Coast Guard’s proposedNVIC that have the potential to significantlyimpact U.S. mariners and noted the MER-PAC recommendations that applied. Amongthem were:

� All medical evaluations andwaivers will be done at the NationalMaritime Center (NMC). The health careprovider who conducts the physical exami-nation will only gather the data required bythe NVIC for submission to the NMC.MERPAC recommended designating certainmedical practitioners as “trusted agents”and giving their physical examinations moreweight when processing them.

� The NVIC now lists 201 medicalconditions requiring further review. TheNVIC directs detailed documentation oftests and evaluations for each condition andthese will have to be submitted with thephysical to NMC in order to be consideredfor a waiver. MERPAC expressed their con-cerns that the list of medical conditions“exceeds the defined goal.”

� The NVIC has a revised section onmedications, including prescribed, over-the-counter and herbal supplements.

Medications are classed as: “Non-Waiverable,” “Waiverable” or a time ofabstention prior to operating under theauthority of a credential. All medications,whether prescribed, over-the-counter orherbal supplements must be disclosed on theMedical Evaluation Form CK-719K. MER-PAC recommended that the look back periodbe limited to the 30 days prior to the physi-cal examination.

� Hearing standards have been signif-icantly tightened. The unaided threshold infour frequency ranges is 30 db and thethreshold with a hearing aid was proposed at20 db. MERPAC has recommended that thehearing aid threshold be lowered to 30 db.

� The CK-719K Medical EvaluationForm now incorporates a comprehensivehealth questionnaire. This 89 question sur-vey delves into every aspect of a mariner’shealth and requires a “yes” answer if themariner currently has the condition, “or hasever suffered from” the condition. MER-PAC and the medical working group had avigorous debate over this questionnairebecause it puts the mariner at risk of prose-cution under 18 USC 1001 if there is incon-sistent information between physicals.MERPAC ultimately recommended that thissection, along with the medication declara-tion, is made detachable and not submittedwith the physical.

� The CG-719K Medical EvaluationForm has a Body Mass Index (BMI) rating.A BMI of 40 will automatically trigger aDemonstration of Physical Ability Test.MERPAC recommended removing all refer-ences to Body Mass Index in the NVIC andthe Medical Evaluation Form.

When the complete MERPAC reportand attachments become available, a link tothe documents will be posted on the AMOWeb site.

Across-the-board increases in newAMO agreement with Intrepid

AMO members serving on the bargaining unit negotiating committee wereMatthew Larson (left), second mate on the Blue Ridge, and Drake Ritchie,chief engineer on the Coast Range.

New jobsfor AMO ascontract forHSV Swiftgoes toSealift Inc.

The U.S. Navy’s Military SealiftCommand this month announced that thecontract for the U.S.-flagged high-speedvessel HSV Swift is being awarded to SealiftInc., which employs American MaritimeOfficers members in all licensed positionsaboard its vessels.

The contract covers a 12-month char-ter of the HSV Swift, and includes fouroptions—three 12-month extension optionsand one 11-month option. The Swift will beoperated worldwide in support of U.S. FleetForces Command and the war on terrorism,and will also be used for emerging opera-tional concepts, such as seabasing and theGlobal Fleet Station.

Details will be published as theybecome available.

butions to the AMO Plans. The total laborcost increase over the life of the agree-ment is 19 percent.

“The AMO officers on the bargain-ing unit committee are to be commended

for their hard work and dedication,” saidthe AMO national assistant vice presi-dent. “Their participation and assistancewere of tremendous help in securingthese increases at the bargaining table.”

MARADContinued from Page 2

Research Center and its LNG programs asfactors behind the AMO-Shell agreement.STAR Center provides “not just simply edu-cation and training,” but also “experience of

a much higher caliber than we see in manyplaces in the world,” Connaughton said.

He said expanding international mar-kets and growing world trade offer “limitlesspotential” for U.S. merchant mariners “ifwe’re willing to work to address it.”

Increasing demand for highly trainedU.S.-licensed merchant marine officers in

LNG markets and other trades portends “agreat future for us,” he said. Shell, for exam-ple, “is looking to greatly expand its fleet —its very specialized, very complex vessels.”

MARAD considers LNG shipment away for the U.S. to “diversify its energyresources,” Connaughton continued.“Looking at all the projections, we see

America’s importation of LNG increasingdramatically and, obviously, having the abil-ity to have Americans out there is somethingwe feel is very positive.”


NTSB officialstour RTM STAR

Center

Rep. Taylor receives 2008 Salute to Congress Award

TRANSCOMcommanderto retire, Lt.Gen. Frasernominated

Congressman Gene Taylor (D-MS)April 29 was presented with the PropellerClub’s 2008 Salute to Congress Award forhis strong and steady support of theAmerican maritime industry and U.S.-flagshipping.

In his remarks, Rep. Taylor reaf-firmed his position on U.S. maritime policy.“I believe in the Jones Act, in your industry,and I believe that we need to look towardthe future,” he said.

The award ceremony honoring Rep.Taylor was attended by members ofCongress, Executive Branch officials, andmaritime labor and industry leaders.

Rep. Taylor, of Bay St. Louis, servedin the Coast Guard Reserve from 1971 to1984 as the skipper of a search and rescueboat. He received the commandant’s letterof commendation for fire fighting, and a let-ter of commendation for saving the life of acrew member.

Prior to his election to Congress in

1989, he served as a member of the Bay St.Louis City Council and the MississippiState Senate.

In the U.S. House of Representatives,Rep. Taylor serves on two major commit-tees, the House Armed Services Committeeand the House Transportation andInfrastructure Committee. He is the chair-man of the Subcommittee on Seapower andExpeditionary Forces. He also sits on theReadiness Subcommittee. On theTransportation and InfrastructureCommittee, he serves on the WaterResources and Environment Subcommitteeand the Coast Guard and MaritimeTransportation Subcommittee.

Rep. Taylor also serves as co-chair ofthe following Congressional member orga-nizations: Shipbuilding Caucus, NationalGuard and Reserve Caucus and CoastGuard Caucus.

Propeller Club International President Rockney Nigretto (left) and Rep. NeilAbercrombie (right) present the 2008 Salute to Congress Award to Rep. GeneTaylor April 29.

AMO members complete ocean ranger training The first group of American MaritimeOfficers members completed spe-cialized training to work as oceanrangers with instructors RosemaryMackay and Snow Kausland at RTMSTAR Center in Dania Beach, Fla.,and began work aboard internationalcruise ships operating in Alaskanwaters in April. The first oceanranger course, developed by STARCenter, included 29 AMO members.The course was commissioned bythe Alaska Department ofEnvironmental Conservation andincludes federal and state environ-mental law, security and occupation-al health and safety. The secondcourse began in May.

Gen. Norton Schwartz, commanderof the U.S. Transportation Command(TRANSCOM), has notified members ofthe command of his retirement and thenomination of his successor, Lt. Gen.William Fraser III, U.S. Air Force.

Fraser currently serves as assistantto the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staffand is slated to become theUSTRANSCOM commander Nov. 14.Fraser’s nomination is subject to confir-mation by the Senate Armed ServicesCommittee.

Fraser entered the Air Force in 1974as a distinguished graduate of the TexasA&M University ROTC program. Hisoperational assignments include duty as a T-

37 instructor pilot and evaluator; B-52 air-craft commander, instructor and evaluator;and deputy commander of a B-1 operationsgroup.

Fraser was the first commander of the509th Operations Group, then served as thevice wing commander for the 509th BombWing at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo.

He commanded the 28th Bomb Wingat Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., and 2nd

Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base,La. Fraser’s staff duties include tours on theAir Staff, Joint Staff and Joint StrategicTarget Planning Staff at Offutt Air ForceBase, Neb.

He also has served as chief of theNuclear Requirements Cell at SupremeHeadquarters Allied Powers Europe andchief of staff for U.S. Strategic Command,Offutt Air Force Base.

More than5,000 MRAPvehiclesdelivered toU.S. troops

The U.S. Transportation Command(TRANSCOM) has reported that morethan 5,000 mine-resistant, ambush-pro-tected (MRAP) vehicles have been deliv-ered to U.S. troops, a major milestone inhelping protect warfighters in Iraq andAfghanistan from the effects of manyimprovised explosive devices.

As reported by TRANSCOM, morethan 5,000 MRAP vehicles had beendelivered to the U.S. Central Commandarea of operations as of April 5.

An earlier turning point occurred inlate March when the number of vehiclesdelivered by sea exceeded the number air-lifted to the area of operations,TRANSCOM reported.

TRANSCOM officials project thatby the end of June, all MRAP vehicleswill be shipped by sea. Many MRAPshave been delivered to U.S. forces byships manned in all licensed positions byAmerican Maritime Officers.

“This is truly an achievement of all themilitary and commercial partners in this ven-ture,” said Gen. Norton Schwartz. “Theselifesaving vehicles are proving their valueevery day in protecting our warfighters andkeeping them safe while in harm’s way.”

National Transportation SafetyBoard Vice Chairman Robert

Sumwalt (third from left) and SeniorHuman Performance Investigator

Dr. Katherine Lemos (third fromright) in April toured the trainingand simulation facilities of RTM

STAR Center in Dania Beach, Fla.Leading the tour were Engineering

Instructor and Course DeveloperRosemary Mackay, Director of

Training Phil Shullo, DeckDepartment Manager Snow

Kausland, Engineering DepartmentManager Guillermo Briceno andDirector of Member Training and

Officer Development Jerry Pannell.

Deck Instructor and CourseDeveloper Greg Musk describesthe different liquid cargo training

and simulation courses and equip-ment to Lemos and Sumwalt.


The Raymond T. McKay Center For Advanced Maritime Officers Training2 West Dixie Highway • Dania Beach, FL 33004 • (954) 920-3222

GENERAL COURSES

ISO 9001:2000 Lead Auditor Training 5 days Please Call

ABS NS5 (“Safe Net” update) 3 days 30 June 17 November

Advanced Fire Fighting 5 days 16 June 14 July 18 August 15 September 13 October 10 November 8 December

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

5 days 28 July 20 October 15 December

Advanced Shiphandling for Third Mates—(60 daysseatime equivalency for Third Mates)

10 days 18 August 1 December

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

5 days 23 June 22 September 15 December

Personal Survival Techniques (Monday-Tuesday a.m.) 1 1/2 days 23 June 22 September 15 December

Personal Safety & Social Responsibility (Tuesday p.m.) 1/2 day 24 June 23 September 16 December

Elementary First Aid (Wednesday) 1 day 25 June 24 September 17 December

Fire Fighting & Fire Prevention (Thursday-Friday)—Notrequired if “Combined Basic & Advanced Fire Fighting” com-pleted within 12 months

2 days 26 June 25 September 18 December

Basic Safety Training -Refresher 3 days 25 June 24 September 17 December

Bridge Resource Management Seminar 3 days 28 May

Fast Rescue Boat 4 days 14 July 29 September 8 December

GMDSS 10 days 2-Jun

Integrated Bridge System/Podded Propulsion 5 days 2 June 22 September 17 November

Proficiency in Survival Craft (Lifeboat) 4 days 25 August 3 November

Tankerman PIC DL - Classroom 5 days 16 June 25 August 17 November

Tankerman PIC DL - Simulator 10 days Please Call

Tankerman PIC LNG 8 days 2 June 21 July 15 September 20 October 8 December

LNG Simulator Training 5 days 7 July 11 August 6 October 3 November 1 December

LNG Addendum to SIGTTO Standards 1 day 12 June 1 August 25 September 30 October 18 December

Train The Trainer—Requires after hours homework 5 days 28 July 27 October 1 December

Vessel/Company/Port Facility Security Officer 3 days 23 July 3 September 15 October

Visual Communications (Flashing Light)—test only 1 days Please call

ENGINEERING COURSES

Electrical, Electronic, Control Engineering 4 weeks 9 June 8 September

Engine Room Resource Management 5 days 2 June 6 October 17 November

Environmental Awareness (includes Oily Water Separator) 3 days 23 June 6 August 22 September 20 October 15 December

Gas Turbine Endorsement 10 days 18 August 27 October

High Voltage Safety Course (Classroom) 3 days 28 July 15 October 8 December

Steam Crossover 4 weeks 7 July

MSC TRAINING PROGRAM—includes self-study courses Afloat Environmental Protection Coordinator, Anti-Terrorism Level 1 and Crew Endurance Management (see below).Additional courses, including Marine Sanitation Devices and Water Sanitation Afloat will be included soon.

CBRD Orientation 1 day 24 July 25 September 20 November

Damage Control 2 days 26 June 28 August 23 October 18 December

Heat Stress Afloat / Hearing Conservation Afloat 1 day 16 June 14 July 1 October

Helicopter Fire Fighting 1 day 11 August

ICODES Training—For Masters/Chief Mates aboard MARADships and others chartered by MSC. Follows deck upgradecargo class

1 day Please call

Medical PIC Refresher—Note: Not MSC approved. 3 days 27 August 19 November

Small Arms - Initial & Refresher Training 3 days 23 June 21 July 25 August 22 September 6 October 20 October 3 November

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 11days. 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) 3 days 9 June 7 July 11 August 8 September

Elementary First Aid 1 day 12 June 10 July 14 August 11 September

Drug Collector Training 1 day 13 June 11 July 15 August 12 September

Breath Alcohol Test Collector 1 day 14 June 12 July 16 August 13 September

Advanced Fire Fighting 5 days 16 June 14 July 18 August 15 September

MEDICAL COURSES

Elementary First Aid—Note: Prerequisite for Medical CareProvider within preceding 12 months

1 day 17 June 15 July 16 September 14 October 2 December

Medical Care Provider—Note: Prerequisite for MedicalPerson In Charge within preceding 12 months. Please faxEFA certificate when registering

3 days 18 June 16 July 17 September 15 October 3 December

Medical Person In Charge—Note: Please FAX MedicalCare Provider certificate when registering

5 days 23 June 21 July 22 September 20 October 8 December

Urinalysis Collector Training 1 day 25 August 29 September 27 October 17 November 15 December

Breath Alcohol Test 1 day 26 August 30 September 28 October 18 November 16 December

RADAR COURSES

Radar Recertification 1 day 12 June 3 July 11 August 10 October 17 November

ARPA 4 days 2 September

Radar Recertification & ARPA 5 days Please Call

ECDIS 5 days 29 September 15 December

Original Radar Observer Unlimited 5 days 25 August

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

Afloat Environmental Protection Coordinator (CD) Anti-Terrorism Level 1 (Online) Crew Endurance Management (CD)

DoT - Hazardous Materials Transportation Training (CD) Prudent Mariner’s Guide to Right Whale Protection (CD)


The Raymond T. McKay Center For Advanced Maritime Officers’ TrainingOne Maritime Plaza • Toledo, Ohio 43604 • (419) 255-3940

DIESEL ENDORSEMENTCourse Length—23 DaysSeptember 8

BASIC SAFETY TRAININGCourse Length—One WeekJune 16, 23 August 18, 25 October 20, 27

PROFICIENCY IN SURVIVAL CRAFTCourse Length—Four DaysJuly 21 September 2 October 20

ECDIS/ECPINSCourse Length—Three Days (Monday-Wednesday)Call for scheduled courses

8.5-HOUR ELEMENTARY FIRST AID/CPRCourse Length—One Day (prerequisite for 24-hour MCP)June 30 September 2 November 3

24-HOUR MEDICAL CARE PROVIDERCourse Length—Three DaysJuly 1 September 3 November 4

40-HOUR MEDICAL CARE PROVIDERCourse Length—One WeekJuly 7 September 8 November 10

CBRDCourse Length—One DayCall for scheduled courses

VESSEL/COMPANY/PORT SECURITY OFFICERCourse Length—Three DaysJune 9 September 15 December 8

PERSONAL SAFETY & SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITYCourse Length—4 HoursJune 18, 25 August 20, 27 October 22, 29

RFPNW (Rating Forming Part of a Navigational Watch)Course Length—One DayCall for scheduled courses

STCW DECK OFFICER REFRESHERCourse Length—Three DaysSeptember 29

FIRE PREVENTION & FIRE FIGHTINGCourse Length—Two DaysJune 19, 26 August 21, 28 October 23, 30

BASIC WELDINGCourse Length—10 DaysJuly 7 December 1

Officer in charge of a navigational watch: Successful com-pletion of this program will satisfy the training requirements forSTCW certification as third mate and second mate on vesselsof 500 or more gross tonnage (ITC)

ELECTRONIC NAVIGATIONCourse Length—Five DaysJuly 7

BASIC SHIPHANDLING AT OPERATIONAL LEVELCourse Length—Five DaysJuly 21

CARGO HANDLING AND STOWAGECourse Length—Five DaysJuly 14

SHIP CONSTRUCTION AND STABILITYCourse Length—Five DaysJuly 28

TERRESTRIAL NAVIGATIONCourse Length—Two WeeksAugust 4

METEOROLOGYCourse Length—Five DaysJune 2 September 8

EMERGENCY PROCEDURES AND SARCourse Length—Four DaysSeptember 2

WATCHKEEPINGCourse Length—10 DaysAugust 18

CELESTIAL NAVIGATIONCourse Length—Two WeeksJune 9 September 15

MAGNETIC & GYRO COMPASSCourse Length—Three DaysJune 23 September 29

ARPA CERTIFICATIONCourse Length—Four Days (Monday-ThursdayJune 30 August 12 October 7

ORIGINAL RADAR CERTIFICATIONCourse Length—Five DaysJune 23 August 4 September 29

RADAR RECERTIFICATIONCourse Length—One DayJune 2, 6, 9, 13, 16, 20, 27 July 7, 11, 14, 18, 21, 25, 28August 1, 8, 11, 18, 22, 25, 29 September 5, 8, 12, 15, 19, 22, 26

RECERT & ARPACourse Length—Five DaysAugust 11 October 6 December 8

BRIDGE RESOURCE MANAGEMENTThree-Day Course—Open To All Deck OfficersJune 16 August 4 October 14

FAST RESCUE BOATCourse Length—Four DaysJune 2 July 28 September 8

GMDSSCourse Length—10 DaysJuly 7 November 10

ADVANCED SHIPHANDLING FOR THIRD MATESCourse Length—Two WeeksJune 9 October 27

40-HOUR ABLE SEAMANCourse Length—One WeekJuly 14 August 25 October 13

MARLIN SPIKECourse Length—One DayJuly 25 October 24

ELEMENTARY FIRST AID/CPRCourse Length—One DayJune 16, 23 August 18, 25 October 20, 27

PERSONAL SURVIVAL TECHNIQUESCourse Length—12 HoursJune 17, 24 August 19, 26 October 21, 28

DECK LICENSE UPGRADE: SECOND OFFICER TO CHIEF MATE / MASTER—Successful completion of this program will satisfy the training requirements forSTCW certification as Master or Chief Mate on vessels of 500 or more gross tonnage (ITC). This program will complete ALL 53 Control Sheet assessments.

Cargo Operations 9 days 16 June 15 September 1 December

Celestial Navigation—Note: A thorough review andunderstanding of the topics covered in Parts 4 & 5 ofPub. Number 9, The American Practical Navigator(Bowditch), is a prerequisite.

5 days 28 July 3 November

Marine Propulsion Plants 5 days 4 August 11 August 15 September 20 October 1 December

Shipboard Management 5 days 23 June 18 August 25 August 27 October 15 December

Upgrade: Advanced Meteorology 5 days 7 July 29 September 27 October 8 December

Upgrade: Navigation — Note: From July 21, upgradenavigation will split into two separate weeks. Week one:ECDIS / week two: upgrade navigation. Both weeksmust be completed within 12 months.

10 days

ECDIS:9 June

Nav:16 June

ECDIS:21 July

Nav:28 July

ECDIS:8 September

Nav:15 September

ECDIS:13 October

Nav:20 October

ECDIS:10 November

Nav:17 November

Upgrade: Shiphandling at the Management Level 10 days 14 July 1 September 6 October 3 November

Upgrade: Stability—Note: It is recommended that chap-ters 1-13 in the book Stability and Trim for the Ship’sOfficer be reviewed prior to attending this course

5 days 2 June 25 August 6 October 17 November

Watchkeeping 1 (Bridge Resource Management)—Note: Watchkeeping Weeks 1 and 2 MUST be completedwithin 12 months of each other.

3 days 4 June 6 August 24 September 3 December

Watchkeeping 2 (COLREGS)—Note: WatchkeepingWeeks 1 and 2 MUST be completed within 12 months ofeach other.

5 days 9 June 11August 29 September 8 December

The Raymond T. McKay Center For Advanced Maritime Officers Training2 West Dixie Highway • Dania Beach, FL 33004 • (954) 920-3222

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

NOTICE OF NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY AS TO STUDENTS: The Raymond T. McKay Centers For Advanced Maritime Officers Training (CAMOT) and Simulation TrainingAssessment and Research Centers (STAR), established under the auspices of the American Maritime Officers Safety and Education Plan, admits students of any race, color, nationaland ethnic origin or sex to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the Centers. 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 Centers.


HEADQUARTERS

DANIA BEACH, FL 330042 West Dixie Highway(954) 921-2221 / (800) 362-0513Tom Bethel, National President ([email protected])José E. Leonard, National Secretary-Treasurer ([email protected])Jack Branthover, Special Assistant to the National President([email protected])FAX: (954) 926-5112Joseph Gremelsbacker, National Vice President, Deep Sea([email protected])Paul Cates, National Executive Board Member At Large([email protected])John Hafner, National Executive Board Member, Inland Waters([email protected])Charles Murdock, National Representative ([email protected])FAX: (954) 920-3257Dispatch: (800) 345-3410FAX: (954) 926-5126Brendan Keller ([email protected])Robert Anderson ([email protected])Member Services: Extension 1050 ([email protected])

PORTS

BROOKLYN, NY 11232652 Fourth Avenue(800) 545-9589Don Nilsson, National Executive Board Member, Deep Sea([email protected])FAX: (718) 965-1766

SAN FRANCISCO / OAKLAND, CA 946071121 7th Street, Second FloorOakland, CA 94607(510) 444-5301 / (800) 362-0513 ext. 5001Daniel Shea, National Executive Board Member At Large([email protected])FAX: (510) 444-5165

TOLEDO, OH 43604The Melvin H. Pelfrey BuildingOne Maritime Plaza(419) 255-3940 / (800) 221-9395FAX: (419) 255-2350Daniel Smith, National Executive Vice President ([email protected])Donald Cree, National Vice President Great Lakes ([email protected])Brian Krus, National Assistant Vice President Great Lakes([email protected])Stan Barnes, National Representative ([email protected])Phillip Kelley, Dispatcher ([email protected])

GALVESTON, TX 7755413730 FM 3005, SUITE 170David Weathers, National Executive Board Member At Large([email protected])(800) 362-0513 ext. 2001 / Mobile: (409) 996-7362

PHILADELPHIA, PA 191482604 S. 4th Street(800) 362-0513 ext. 4001Robert Kiefer, National Assistant Vice President At Large([email protected])FAX: (215) 755-2574

WASHINGTON, D.C.

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20024490 L’Enfant Plaza East SW, Suite 7204(202) 479-1166 / (800) 362-0513 ext. 7001Edward Kelly, National Vice President At Large ([email protected])Charles Crangle, Director of Congressional and Legislative Affairs([email protected])Paul Doell, Special Assistant to the National President([email protected])Michael Murphy, Director of Government Relations([email protected])FAX: (202) 479-1188

RTM CAMOT/STAR CENTERS

STUDENT SERVICES/LODGING AND COURSE INFORMATION2 West Dixie HighwayDania Beach, FL 33004(954) 920-3222 ext.7109 and ext. 7112(800) 942-3220 ext.7109 and ext. 7112FAX: (954) 920-314024 Hours: (954) 920-3222 ext.7999

CAMOT/STAR TOLEDO TRAINING RECORDSOne Maritime Plaza SYSTEM MANAGER:Toledo, Ohio 43604 Lisa Marra(419) 255-3940 (954) 920-3222 ext. 7118 FAX: (419) 255-8833 FAX: (954) 925-5681

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

[email protected]

AMO 2008 election: ballots mailed to all book members March 24Ballots for the American Maritime

Officers 2008 limited rerun election weremailed to all AMO book members March24 by TrueBallot Inc.

Independent firm TrueBallot Inc.has been retained by the union to admin-ister this election and all future electionsand referendums for AMO. TrueBallothas established a Web site with a link to alist of all AMO members to whom ballotswere sent. The list also indicates whethereach member’s ballot was mailed to ahome address or to a vessel address.

The address for the TrueBallot Website is: www.electionadmin.com/amo.htm.

AMO will also provide a link to theTrueBallot site on the AMO home page atwww.amo-union.org throughout the election.A sample copy of a printed ballot, completewith the instructions printed on the reverseside, is available on the AMO Currents Website at www.amo-union.net/sampleballot.pdf.

Ballots were mailed to all AMObook members regardless of dues statuspursuant to a recent amendment to the

AMO National Constitution.In order for an AMO member’s bal-

lot to be counted when the ballots are tal-lied on June 24, 2008, that member’s duesmust be paid in full through the end of thesecond quarter of 2008.

The second quarter ends June 30,2008, and each AMO member will beresponsible for ensuring his or her duesare paid in full through the end of the sec-ond quarter prior to the tallying of ballots,which will take place June 24, 2008.

As stated in the instructions printedon the reverse side of each ballot, anymember who wishes to request a dupli-cate ballot for any reason can do so bycontacting the DOL election supervisor. Itis preferred that you make this request bye-mail at [email protected]. If e-mailis not available, you can request a dupli-cate ballot by telephone or FAX to RobertHayes, election supervisor, at (704) 845-2775 or by FAX, also at (704) 845-2775,or by mail at P.O. Box 79255 Charlotte,NC 28271. The deadline for requesting

duplicate ballots is June 10, 2008. Allballots must be returned to Post Office

Box 188, Dania Beach, FL 33004 byJune 24, 2008.

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), on Wednesday in Toledo, and on Friday in Brooklyn. Thenext meetings will take place on the following dates:

DANIA BEACH:TOLEDO:

NEW YORK:

June 2, July 7June 4, July 9June 6, July 11


•Pensioner and pensioner’s dependents do not have hearing aid, dental coverageand annual co-insurance maximums no longer apply as of the Pension Effective Date.

•Upon being eligible for benefits under the Federal Medicare Program, Similar toMedicare benefits under the AMO Medical Plan will terminate.

•For those pensioners or pensioner’s dependents eligible for pensioner medicalbenefits (deep sea/Great Lakes/inland waters) and also eligible for coverage under theFederal Medicare Program or its related programs, the Plan will supplement Medicarebenefits up to the Medicare allowable rate and subject to Plan limitations and exclu-sions.

•No benefits are payable to any pensioner, or his dependent, who retires from acompany that does not participate in the AMO Medical Plan, or who returns to employ-ment aboard a vessel without prior approval by the AMO Pension Plan Trustees.

WHAT ARE THE RULES FOR PENSIONERS RETURNING TO WORK?•Pensioners who wish to return to work on a vessel in either covered or non-

Covered Employment must request in writing and receive written permission from theTrustees. If you return to Covered Employment you will have your pension suspendedduring the period of employment unless the Trustees determine there is a temporary short-age of qualified personnel, in which case they may determine that you may return toCovered Employment without loss of pension payments during the period of re-employ-ment. This approval is within the AMO Pension Plan Trustees’ discretion.

•If you return to Covered Employment under this provision with a company con-tributing to the AMO Medical Plan you will be eligible for medical coverage as an activeemployee upon meeting the eligibility requirements of the Medical Plan. ActiveEmployee Medical Benefits for a pensioner who returns to Covered Employment willcease on the day following the last day of Covered Employment. If you were eligible forpensioner medical benefits you and your eligible dependents will revert to pensioner cov-erage after your last day of Covered Employment.

•If you return to employment aboard a vessel, including Covered Employment,without written permission from the Board of Trustees of the AMO Pension Plan you willincur penalties including repayment of pension benefits received and forfeiture ofMedical Benefits under the AMO Medical Plan.

WHAT CAN I DO NOW TO EXPEDITE FUTURE PENSION BENEFITS?If not already on file with the Plan office, please provide the required documenta-

tion including:•Birth Certificates,•Marriage Certificates,•All divorce documents from previous marriages including QDRO’s and any

AMO aboard USNS Dahl, USNS Sisler

American Maritime Officers members working aboard the LMSRs USNSDahl and USNS Sisler in February included Third Mate Tom Kozarski, ThirdMate Kathleen Friel, Second Assistant Engineer Matthew Davis, ChiefEngineer Tim Tralongo, Third A.E. K. Bailey, Electronics Officer StephenGallegos, Capt. Todd Datsis, Capt. Kurt Kleinschmidt, Chief Engineer DrewNelson and Electronics Officer Timmy Cannon. The ships are two of eightLMSRs operated by Maersk Line Limited for Military Sealift Command andmanned in all licensed positions by AMO.

Plans BulletinContinued from Page 4

waivers or benefits payable to alternate payees,•If applicable, proof of employment as a maritime officer under a qualified pension

plan in the maritime industry,•Any proof of employment that may be recognizable under a Reciprocal Agreement

with any other maritime union (for example Seafarers Pension Plan),

WHERE CAN I GET THE BEST INFORMATION REGARDING FILING ANAPPLICATION AND PAYMENT OF MY AMO PENSION BENEFIT AND MPB?

The AMO Plans can be contacted as follows:•Telephone: (800) 348-6515•Pension Plan e-mail: [email protected] •Web site: www.amoplans.com

We encourage you to contact our Smith Barney Financial Consultants with anyinvestment-related questions for lump sum, MPB and 401(k) Plan distributions and forinformation regarding plans features, such as retirement planning, family wealth man-agement, investment options, and mutual funds. Please call Larry Goldstock, SamBrandwein or any of their service team at: (800) 975-7061.


Bolton new master of Cal Maritime’s TS Golden BearAmerican Maritime Officers mem-

ber Capt. Harry Bolton has accepted theposition of master of the CaliforniaMaritime Academy’s 500-foot training ship

Golden Bear.Bolton, a

1978 graduate ofCal Maritime, willassume commandof the training shipfrom CommodoreJohn Keever, whorecently retired asthe school’s vicepresident formarine programs.Bolton will jointhe university inMay and take

command of the Golden Bear for the firsttime when she calls at Tahiti at the mid-point of her first 2008 two-month trainingvoyage to the Southern Pacific.

“I’m very proud of my 30 years withAMO,” Bolton said. “The opportunities Ihad working through the union and beingable to spend as much time as I have work-ing on ships prepared me for this position.”

Bolton joined AMO in 1978 and hasbeen sailing full-time as master since 1988aboard maritime prepositioning shipshome-ported in the Western Pacific and theMiddle East, providing wartime sealift ser-vice in the Persian Gulf, prepositioningmilitary cargo and delivering humanitarianaid cargoes. He was the senior captain onthe M/V 1st Lt. Baldomero Lopez from1991 through 2006.

Bolton is the recipient of numerousawards, medals and citations for meritori-ous service and outstanding performance,including the U.S. Navy’s MeritoriousPublic Service Award, the OutstandingPublic Service Award from the FederalEmergency Management Agency, theAmerican Institute of Merchant Shipping’sShip Safety Achievement Citation of Meritand two U.S. Merchant Marine

Expeditionary Medals.Bolton is looking forward to the new

job and the opportunity “to give 30 years ofmaritime experience back to the cadets.That’s really what it’s all about,” he said.

“Every single thing I learned at CMAI used in my first seven years at sea,” he

said.When first sailing as master, “I real-

ized they taught me everything I needed toknow; I just needed the sea time,” Boltonsaid.

Bolton’s selection for the position ofmaster of the Golden Bear followed an

exhaustive worldwide search for candi-dates, the academy reported.

“The post of training ship is trulyunique, and not easy to fill,” said CalMaritime President William Eisenhardt.“In addition to the standard maritimeskills of vessel command and manage-ment, it also requires an individual who isgood at working with young people, whoteaches by example, and one who servesas leader, delegator, diplomat and innova-tor.

“The training ship is a critical ele-ment of the university’s unique educationalprogram year-round,” Eisenhardt said.“During the four months when the GoldenBear is at sea each year, she is home andfloating classroom for a significant numberof our cadets, as well as faculty and staff.At that time, the ship’s master is an exten-sion of my office. The master must have theability to handle challenges as they ariseand make decisions independently. CaptainHarry Bolton is an excellent successor toCommodore John Keever, who served thisinstitution with skill and distinction fornearly three decades.”

Harry Bolton

The California Maritime Academy training ship Golden Bear at its berth on theCarquinez Strait adjacent to the campus in South Vallejo, Calif.

Next generation introduced to U.S. merchant marine

Photo: Michael Thomas

USNS Lopez, M/V Phillips serve in anti-terrorism exerciseThe USNS 1st Lt. Baldomero Lopez

and the M/V Pvt. Franklin J. Phillipsserved central roles in several training sce-narios during a recent multi-national anti-terrorism exercise conducted in the SouthChina Sea and Straits of Malacca.

The prepositioning ships were thefocal points of several training scenariosduring the exercise called Southeast AsiaCooperation Against Terrorism (SEACAT).

Naval forces from the U.S.,Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Bruneiand the Philippines participated in theexercise. The USNS Lopez and M/VPhillips played the roles of suspiciousmerchant vessels in the exercise, whichwas geared toward training in maritimeinterception operations and sharing infor-mation in a multi-national operating envi-ronment.

The USNS Lopez is operated byAmerican Overseas Marine Corp. and theM/V Phillips is operated by Maersk LineLimited. Both ships are manned in alllicensed positions by American MaritimeOfficers.

During the exercise, the ships wereboarded five times by representativesfrom four nations. The Phillips sailed eastthrough the South China Sea from Bruneiand the Lopez transited southwest fromThailand—both en route to Singapore.Asian naval forces tracked the ships andresponded to simulated challenges,including searches for suspicious cargo orcrew.

Both ships will also serve as plat-forms for U.S. Coast Guard teams to trainforeign military personnel in techniquesfor successfully boarding and searchingsuspicious vessels.

Above: A Brunei special forces heli-copter lands on the M/V Phillips.

At right: The M/V Pvt. Franklin J.Phillips (right) and the USNS 1st Lt.

Baldomero Lopez served key roles inthe 2008 Southeast Asia Cooperation

Against Terrorism exercise. Bothships are manned in all licensed posi-

tions by AMO.

M/V Phillips Master Alexander Olaes, Chief Mate Fred Goodin and Third MateEd McDonnell worked with Honeywell Supervisor Dave Bauer and theSingapore Navy anti-piracy team onboard the M/V Phillips.

Photos: Edward McDonnell

Gem State Chief Mate Chris Sharikdiscusses bridge operations duringa tour of Ready Reserve Forcevessels (here on the KeystoneState) in Alameda, Calif., conduct-ed for students of Loconoma ValleyHigh School Lower Lake HighSchool by Seafarers InternationalUnion Assistant Vice PresidentChester Wheeler and members ofAmerican Maritime Officers and theSIU. AMO members participating inthe tour included Chief Mate JohnBaucom, Chief Engineer RossShimel and First Assistant EngineerFred Reyes.

Shell signs with AMO for LNG officers · 2 • American Maritime Officer May 2008 American Maritime...

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