Defense Official Underscores National Security Role of Merchant Mariners During Commencement Speech

Kathleen Hicks, the deputy secretary of defense, recently highlighted the role that U.S. merchant mariners play in national security efforts.

Merchant mariners are civilian crew members responsible for the import and export of goods to other countries, usually through maritime vessels. The U.S. Merchant Marine is an organization of crew members and ships overseen by the Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration.

In a commencement address to graduates of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy on June 17, Hicks explained that merchant mariners are key to projecting power around the world, responding to emergencies on short notice and supporting joint operations. 

Hicks, a past speaker at a Potomac Officers Club event and a 2023 Wash100 awardee, noted that the United States’ most significant challenge is to overcome adversaries such as China. China is the competitor of the U.S. “with the will, and increasingly the capability,” to reorient the international order, Hicks said Saturday.