The TS Kennedy, a new training ship, has been given to Texas A&M University at Galveston. The 540-foot ship will help Texas A&M Maritime Academy students learn more about ship navigation, marine engineering systems, repair, safety, and security all year long.
State maritime academy training ships are boats that belong to the federal government but are used by the six state maritime academies to teach cadets.
Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA)
Successful political work in Washington, D.C., led to the Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA) giving up the TS Kennedy this year and the NSMV Lone Star State, a new National Security Multi-Mission Vessel, in 2025.
The TS General Rudder, which used to be the academy’s training ship, can hold 12 times as many people as these ships. Ship-sharing agreements with other state maritime schools have been in place for several years, but the campus has not been given a training ship that meets all of the mariner training needs for the past 18 years. You can check out Texas A&M Galveston Gets TS Kennedy Training Ship
Col. Michael E. Fossum, vice president of Texas A&M University, chief operating officer of the Galveston Campus, and superintendent of the Texas A&M Maritime Academy, said, “We have dreamed of having this capacity for over a decade and are very grateful to the Department of Transportation, MARAD, university administration, and elected officials for helping us get here.” “A large training ship that can fit our entire maritime academy will help us meet the demand for highly skilled mariners and maritime professionals in the industry and support the blue economy on the Gulf Coast.”
With the bigger TS Kennedy, the Texas A&M Maritime Academy will be able to teach more well-trained and professional deck and engine officers who the U.S. Coast Guard licenses to work on ocean-going and inland waterway ships and commission officers for the Navy.
Cadets go on a summer sea term on the ship every summer to get training at sea, which often takes them to other countries. This year, students will sail from Galveston to Curacao, Georgia, Puerto Rico, and Louisiana before returning to campus in August.
