Florida Maritime Partnership Highlights “Military to Maritime” on National Hire A Veteran Day

JACKSONVILLE, July 25, 2019 – In observance of National Hire A Veteran Day today, the Florida Maritime Partnership (FMP), a diverse group of business and labor interests representing the domestic maritime industry in Florida, invites veterans and active military to explore their career options with the American Maritime Partnership’s Military to Maritime initiative.

“America’s veterans play a significant role in supporting the domestic maritime industry, which is vital to our Nation’s economic strength and homeland security. Nowhere is this more visible than in the State of Florida, home to the third highest veteran population and second largest domestic maritime economy in the country,” said Christopher Smith, president of the Florida Maritime Partnership. “In addition to the skills and experiences they may have gained in the military, America’s former service members possess an incredible work ethic, commitment to safety, and spirit of teamwork that helps create opportunities to earn a family-wage job in the domestic maritime industry and continue their noble service to our country.” 

In March, President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 13860 on Supporting the Transition of Active Duty Service Members and Military Veterans into the Merchant Marine. This order directed the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security to reduce barriers to obtaining merchant marine credentials for men and women in uniform, including identifying all military training and experience which may qualify them for merchant mariner credentials, waiving fees for servicemembers obtaining their merchant mariner credentials and Transportation Worker Identification Cards, and expediting any records documenting their service at sea following their discharge.

MilitaryToMaritime.org contains resources for both job seekers and employers in the domestic maritime industry.  Florida Maritime Partnership members who are participating vendors in the Military to Maritime initiative include Crowley Maritime, McAllister Towing, Overseas Shipholding Group (OSG), TOTE, American Maritime Officers, Great Lake Dredge & Dock, JAXPORT, Kirby Corporation, Moran Towing, and Seafarers International Union.

About the Florida Maritime Partnership 

The Florida Maritime Partnership (FMP)  advocates for the state’s vibrant domestic maritime industry, which sustains nearly 66,000 American jobs and creates an annual economic impact of $14.6 billion. 

Our diverse membership represents vessel owners and operators, shipboard and shoreside workers, shipbuilders and repair yards, equipment manufacturers and vendors, dredging and marine construction contractors, numerous maritime associations and national security organizations that all recognize a strong domestic maritime industry is critical for America’s economic, national, and homeland security, and is best supported by maintaining the Jones Act as the foundation of America’s domestic maritime policy. For more, visit floridamaritimepartnership.com.