SUNY Maritime Cadets Prepare for Summer Sea Term Aboard Empire State VII

Students on the aft deck of the Empire State VII were preparing for this year's summer cruise as the 530-foot training vessel sat docked at Fort Schuyler in the Bronx, where the East River meets the Long Island Sound. , Málaga, Spain and Belfast, Northern Ireland before returning to New York. NPR reported that the ship, with its nine decks, is the first purposely built for training cadets.

SUNY Maritime is one of six state-run maritime academies in the country. Most maritime academies are run like quasi-military academies where students wear uniforms and follow regimented schedules. The curriculum at maritime academies blends traditional engineering and seamanship coursework with Coast Guard-required licensing classes.

Each student is required to do three summer sea terms to accumulate 360 days of sea time required to sit for the license. U.S. Coast Guard license can open the door to lucrative careers in the maritime industry, and the country does not have nearly enough people who hold one.

Most students pursue one of two tracks: one for running a ship's systems and engine room, the other focused on seamanship and maritime shipping. U.S. Navy.

U.S. maritime sector, with more than 5,000 open positions with the Military Sealift Command. The Military Sealift Command is the federal agency responsible for keeping Navy ships stocked with fuel, food, and ammunition in waters around the world.

Without enough supply ships operating in the Persian Gulf, some Navy vessels near the Strait of Hormuz could exhaust their provisions in as few as five days. U.S. " Students at SUNY Maritime take between 18 to 24 credits a semester.

SUNY cadets describe the course load as a double major of traditional engineering or operations classes plus Coast Guard-required licensing coursework. " Starting salaries for entry-level officers are running well over $100,000. The Military Sealift Command is offering signing bonuses of up to $54,000 for a three-year contract, with starting salaries that can exceed $170,000.

Those ships can sometimes operate for months at a stretch and venture into conflict zones. Videos posted on social media showed missiles flying over the Persian Gulf during the Iran war. " The Trump administration unveiled the Maritime Action Plan in February.

The Maritime Action Plan aims to grow the pipeline of licensed mariners. " Maxwell Cappella graduated from SUNY Maritime last year. The 22-year-old recently wrapped up a four-month cruise as a third assistant engineer on a ship under a federal contract but not part of the Military Sealift Command.

The lure of a $50,000 signing bonus was not enough to draw Maxwell Cappella away from a shorter cruise, 24/7 internet access and other benefits. " The work below deck is 12 hours on, 12 hours off, 7 days a week without interruption, even on holidays. The Empire State VII will sail this summer with hundreds of cadets aboard logging sea time toward their Coast Guard licenses.