Van Ovost honors seafarers, stresses need to diversify capabilities

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (Dec. 6, 2021) – U.S. Air Force Gen. Jacqueline D. Van Ovost, commander, U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), addressed attendees at the 52nd annual Admiral of the Ocean Sea Award ceremony Dec. 3 in New York City. The event was hosted by the United Seamen’s Service.

Van Ovost began by thanking the maritime industry for its heritage and patriotism, telling the audience their trade networks and mobility capacity are critical to the USTRANSCOM warfighting framework.

“Since World War II, we have enjoyed strategic dominance in each of these aspects and through you, we have presented our Nation’s leaders with options,” she said. “But let me be clear, times are changing.”

Van Ovost said our nation is facing direct challenges across the maritime domain, eroding our advantages, and threatening our ability to deliver and sustain a decisive military force when needed.
 
“We must maintain our strategic comparative advantage by creating multiple dilemmas for our adversaries, while overcoming the complexities of an all-domain contested environment. To do this, we are exploring every risk mitigation measure available,” said Van Ovost.

To illustrate, she shared how USTRANSCOM uses roll-on/roll-off vessels to transport a decisive force around the globe, and Joint Logistics Over the Shore operations demonstrate how we can deliver our military equipment anywhere, at any time … even in austere conditions. However, indicators point to a need to be even more agile and resilient.
 
Merchant mariner crews on TRANSCOM-directed missions routinely incorporate tactical advisors.  These Navy Reserve personnel, many who are also merchant mariners, are trained by Military Sealift Command to integrate commercial ships and their crews with military operations to enhance Joint Force agility while delivering flexible combat power.  

“This mariner-military coordination and integration highlights the requisite interoperability for national success in strategic competition, crisis, or conflict. Only by exercising our current capabilities can we identify the need to diversify and improve them for the future,” Van Ovost said.

She predicts an expansion of intra-theater sealift capabilities within the Pacific, where the last 1,000 miles will prove to be the fundamental challenge for transporting unit equipment, dry cargo, and bulk fuel.
    
“These actions and requirements highlight the requisite agility and interoperability of our commercial and military assets operating in a future, all-domain, contested environment,” said Van Ovost. “But we cannot stop with only exercising our current capabilities. We need to be thinking bigger. We need to think about diversifying our capabilities and minimizing our reliance on foreign entities.”
 
Van Ovost said the command recently completed a Mobility Capability Requirements Study and a Fuel Tanker Study at the direction of Congress. The latter highlighted an increased requirement for bulk petroleum, oil, and lubricants tankers, and the need for a Tanker Security Program as a strategy to increase U.S.-flagged tanker capacity and reduce the risk of reliance on foreign-flag tankers in contingency operations.

“Going forward, we are strong advocates for the necessary capabilities to ensure the entire logistics enterprise remains fully capable into the future. Programs such as the Tanker Security Program, the Maritime Security Program, and the Jones Act ensure we have reliable access to industry capabilities for defense needs,” she said. “We are also strong advocates for developing and further educating mariners for operations in the future contested environment: survivability, ship maneuvering, electronic warfare … just to name a few.”

Van Ovost concluded by saying she could not be prouder of the relationship between USTRANSCOM and the maritime industry.

“As I have met our maritime industry leaders and our mariners, I have seen firsthand the power you bring to the fight. I know that without our maritime industry, we cannot deliver a decisive military force at a time and place of our Nation’s choosing,” said Van Ovost.
 
USTRANSCOM exists as a warfighting combatant command to project and sustain military power at a time and place of the nation’s choosing. Powered by dedicated men and women, TRANSCOM underwrites the lethality of the Joint Force, advances American interests around the globe, and provides our nation's leaders with strategic flexibility to select from multiple options, while creating multiple dilemmas for our adversaries.

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