National Maritime Law Enforcement Academy News

The 11th Annual Maritime Risk Symposium: A Virtual Event Exploring All Too Real RisksThe past year has been as impactful for the world’s maritime transportation xystem as it has been for the rest of society. From the Suez Canal to the Arctic and beyond, human, technology and environmental events disrupted maritime activity. And the pandemic highlighted supply chain vulnerabilities in many ways, from mariners quarantined aboard vessels to port congestion due to COVID-driven surges in e-commerce.

The National Maritime Law Enforcement Academy (NMLEA), and its subsidiary International Maritime Law Enforcement Academy (IMLEA), announced a teaming agreement with AMES Maritime Security (AMES) of Kingston, Georgetown (Guyana) to provide international level maritime safety and security services. The cadre of professionals from within both organizations are recognized for their military, maritime, and security skills and competence, and their ability to provide training, exercise, education, assessment, consultation, and other services.

Thirty-year marine industry veteran John R. Hotz has accepted the position as the Assistant Director at the National Maritime Law Enforcement Academy (NMLEA), which together with its International Maritime Law Enforcement Academy (IMLEA) provides education, consulting services, resources and training for law enforcement officers, public safety professionals, military members, ports and waterside critical infrastructure personnel. Following a vision and leadership of Admiral Siler, a former U.S. Coast Guard Commandant, the not for profit NMLEA was established in 2000 to fill a capabilities gap that continues to effect law enforcement and emergency response operations on the water all across America. NMLEA has offices in Washington, D.C. and Tallahassee, Fla.

AdvanFort Company, approved by the Panama Maritime Authority (PMA) for Panama-flag vessel counter-piracy operations. “We at AdvanFort are very pleased that the world’s largest flag state has vetted our company and approved our highly-trained operators to protect their ships from piracy attack,” said Captain William H. Watson, president of AdvanFort. The Resolution (Number 106-26-DGMM) is dated 4 February 2013 and was later signed by the general director, following an extensive review by the PMA’s Technical Committee and Legal Department. The Republic of Panama is the largest ship registry in the world, with more than 5,700 ships flying the Panamanian flag.

The National Maritime Law Enforcement Academy offers this Anti-Piracy training program for corporations that desire to field counter piracy operators that understand and can work effectively in the merchant marine environment. This program will satisfy STCW95 requirements, and certify the operators as vessel security officers through the Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies, and in Maritime Domain Awareness training through the MARAD certified program Portstar. The operators will receive advanced training in use of force, judgmental shooting, and specialized classes in working effectively with Captains and Crews aboard commercial vessels.

Maritime professional will lead the next generation of global security solutions. The AdvanFort Company today announced that maritime professional William Hughes (Will) Watson has joined the company as president. Will comes to AdvanFort from the Office of the Maritime Administrator of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) where he has been Deputy Commissioner of Maritime Affairs and Special Agent since 2009. Additionally, Will served as delegate of the RMI to the United Nations…