1/Yesterday, @SenateCommerce@commercedems heard from Max Vekich on his appointment to @FMC_gov. He is a former congressman (D-WA) 83-91 & has worked for @WestCoastPorts. As the name implies, it oversees all west coast ports & its board is made up of all the major ocean carriers.
2/The only story I have seen on this is from @JOC_Updates, with the title "FMC nominee gets rare Senate grilling amid US shipping disruption."
The @FMC_gov is the Federal agency charged with oversight of international shipping.
5/Vehick was pressed by @SenatorTester & @SenJohnThune concerning the issue of American exports sitting on the dock, in particular agriculture. As a senior supercharge for the @ilwulongshore he stated that he wanted the @FMC_gov to learn more about ocean carriers' practices?6
6/When queried by @SenatorFischer about this issue further, he dodged the question but said the least that can be done so to ensure there is "a can to put the products in." But, no guarantee that container will get on a ship and out of the terminals to be exported.
7/Next up will be RDML Ann Phillips for the position of @DOTMARAD. I am sure that right now she is underging a crash course in learning all things maritime so that she can be prepared for @commercedems@SenateCommerce to question her on the current shipping & supply crisis.
8/The issue at play here is that nominating politicians, industry advocates, or a generic military officer to fill key roles in @FMC_gov & @DOTMARAD demonstrate the low level of priority and concern the government has consistently shown toward the maritime sector...
9/In the midst of this crisis we need people on the @FMC_gov and @DOTMARAD who can step onto the job on day 1 (278 days since the new admin) & provide not just leadership, but new ideas.
If one has to first learn on the job, the best one can expect is to maintain status quo.
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1/The latest is that a portion of the Trident pier - the section that is grounded in #Gaza - broke loose while being towed to Israel due to high sea states.
2/ As I discussed in my video yesterday, if the US wanted to deliver aid to Gaza The best way to accomplish this 3was to use existing ports in Israel and Egypt and ship it overland into Gaza.
The least efficient is airdrops and then over the shore.
3/If the administration directed the @DeptofDefense @SecDef to conduct aid shipments by sea, there were several options available instead of a Joint Logistics Over the Shore (JLOTS) using the assets currently in place.
1/The @Heritage has released Project 2025 which is entitled Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise. Basically it would be the next Trump administration policy guide. In it is a section on Maritime Policy (p.637-638). Let's take a moment and digest it.
2/A little short on history as MARAD came from the US Shipping Board created in 1916 and then via the US Maritime Commission.
What is also omitted is that MARAD was originally under the Commerce Dept and included @FMC_gov it is purview.
3/This statement is 💯% the wrong choice. While they are correct that MARAD does not regulate its industry, it makes no argument to transfer it to @DHSgov.
MARAD should be reorganized into an entity that has oversight of all maritime aspects, akin to the FAA over aviation.
A temporary jetty was constructed from concrete and landfill to extend out from the shore.
It was done under the supervision of the IDF.
2/The Spanish-flagged tug Echo 1 Open Arms delivered the barge of 200 tons of food from @WCKitchen via Cyprus.
Due to the shallow draft off the jetty the tug could not push the barge alongside.
This is why the US Army Trident pier will extend approximately 1800 feet out.
3/The barge was maneuvered by the use of two small RHIBs.
This is extremely difficult and danger due to the mass of the barge and the power of the RHIBs. Any current or wind would have precluded this operation.
2/According to the @DeptofDefense spokesperson it will take two weeks to construct.
Okay...but where are the causeways?
They are either in Virginia or onboard prepositioning ships at Diego Garcia or in the western Pacific.
These will need to be shipped and this takes time?
3/Also, the throughput of a barge ferry is ridiculously slow. While this may be enough to sustain a few hundred or thousand soldiers in an exercise, the population of Gaza is over 2 million.
This is going to require a lot of cargo to move quickly and efficiently.