RRF Impresses In Haiti

MarAd's Ready Reserve Force (RRF) was praised by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for the "flawless, timely response" of everyone involved in activating the force to support American troops serving Haiti. In a message sent to Albert J. Herberger, MarAd administrator, Gen. John M. Shalikashvili said MarAd and the U.S. Transportation Command "provided outstanding support in the preparation for and execution of the beginning phase of Operation Support Democracy." "I appreciate Gen. Shalikashvili's recognition of the outstanding job done in activating 14 ships on very short notice," said Mr Herberger. All the ships were delivered early, with full crews, composed of volunteer, civilian seafarers.

Of the 14 ships activated, 12 are RoRo vessels to transport large military equipment. One is a barge carrying ship, and the other an auxiliary crane ship.

The RRF was established by MarAd and the Navy in 1976, and the first large-scale activation of the force was in 1990 and 1991 during the Persian Gulf War. A rundown on the ships activated for service for Haiti follows: