United We Sail: Sustaining the Fleet Since 1949
The salt air leaves the same crust on your collar whether you are steering an oiler through the Korean Straits in 1950 or navigating an expeditionary sea base through the Arabian Gulf in 2026. Ship classes come and go, navigation bridges shift from paper charts to glowing touchscreens, but the core rhythm of the merchant mariner never changes - stand the watch, stay the course, and deliver the cargo.
For 77 years, the heartbeat of Military Sealift Command has belonged to the Civil Service Mariners (CIVMARs), the seagoing professionals whose office is the open ocean and whose dedication underpins global national security.
“Seventy-seven year ago, Vice Adm. William M. Callaghan stood up the Military Sea Transportation Service at the Main Navy and Munitions building in Washington D.C.,” said Rear Adm. Benjamin Nicholson, Commander, Military Sealift Command. “Could anyone have imagined how the mission set for this command would grow and what a vital role we would one day play in our nation’s national security?”
October 1, 1949, marked the day of inception for Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS), becoming the single managing agency for the Department of Defense’s ocean transportation needs, replacing what used to encompass four separate government agencies. MSTS would go on to be renamed Military Sealift Command during the Vietnam War.
To celebrate MSC turning another year older, the command held a cake cutting ceremony at MSC Headquarters onboard Naval Station Norfolk, Norfolk, Virginia, where the longest serving local CIVMAR, Chief Engineer Joseph Watts, and the newest MSC employee, James Caruthers, cut the first slice of cake in celebration of the command’s past sacrifices and today’s current workforce.
“Today we recognize and celebrate our CIVMARs, past and present, and the civilians and service members who have supported them in helping MSC deliver 77 years of maritime excellence,” said Nicholson.
Watts, who joined MSC Sept. 1, 1981, and is currently assigned to USNS Comfort (T-AH 20), said it’s the environment surrounding MSC that has contributed to his long career as a CIVMAR.
“MSC is a family organization and it’s what has kept me here for so long,” said Watts. “The mentoring that MSC has provided me and my family has been amazing.”
James Caruthers, a civilian at MSC who works as part of the IT Cybersecurity team, is the command’s newest employee having joined the team Sept. 21, 2026.
“Since being on board, I have had a lot of people welcome me to the team and help me with everything I need,” Caruthers said. “Being at MSC has truly been a breath of fresh air.”
For 77 years, CIVMARs aboard MSC vessels have served as the vital lifeline for the global warfighter. From transferring troops and armor during the Korean and Vietnam Wars to sustaining strategic deterrence throughout the Cold War, MSC has logistically driven nearly every major U.S. conflict. Today, MSC remains the steady force behind the front lines, keeping the joint force fueled, supplied, and positioned for victory.
“Thank you for what you do every single day and for the excellence you bring to this command and thank you to the families that support our teams who also greatly sacrifice,” Nicholson said. “Every one of you is part of our story and I look forward to creating many more memories with the Mariners, Sailors and Civilians of MSC.”
MSC exists to support the joint warfighter across the full spectrum of military operations, with a workforce that includes approximately 6,000 Civil Service Mariners and 1,500 contract mariners, supported by 1,500 shore staff and 3,500 active duty and reserve military personnel.
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