Page 16: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (October 2026)

U.S. NAVY MILITARY SEALIFT COMMAND

All image courtesy Military Sealift Command technically remains, Nicholson said, but it has been raised been installed aboard 26 government-owned, government- suf? ciently that it is above MSC’s current pay levels. More operated ships, with another installation underway. New importantly, the separate aggregate pay cap affecting over- ships will receive the capability during construction, and time earnings has been eliminated. MSC was also able to MSC is deploying temporary kits to ships operating in areas return money previously withheld under the old limits. where permanent systems have not yet been installed. “That’s “For some of our folks, it was like lottery winning pay- a super important thing, having that connection with peo- outs,” Nicholson said. “It really made a big difference in ple,” Nicholson said, and is an acknowledgement of how the workforce.” much life at sea has changed. “There was a day where a ship would pull into port and all of the sailors, they were

Taking Ships Offline looking for the closest bar,” Nicholson said. “Now we pull

The workforce problem had reached the point where into port, the sailors are looking for the closest Wi-Fi.”

MSC leadership made the dif? cult decision to take ships Connectivity means video calls home, but it also means out of service. Nicholson uses a football analogy to explain handling the routine parts of modern life, from paying it. MSC, he said, is not the ? ashy player making magazine bills to following news while deployed. Training represents covers, but it is the player a team has dif? culty winning with- another competitive tool. MSC pays for technical train- out. For years, that player was hurt and kept playing hurt. ing, and Nicholson wants a workforce large enough that

Eventually, something had to give. “Our can-do attitude mariners can take leave and then attend required schools was killing us because we kept saying we could do stuff without having that training charged against their leave.

and we just really didn’t have the people to do it properly,” The opportunity extends to career advancement. MSC

Nicholson said. Initially, 17 ships were taken of? ine. Do- has mariners serving as masters who began as ordinary sea- ing so allowed MSC to move mariners onto operational men, with the command paying for training throughout ships, bring crewing closer to required levels and improve their progression. An AB-to-mate program allows selected rotations. At the time of the interview, 15 ships remained able seamen to attend school and return with a third mate’s of? ine, with Nicholson expecting a couple more to return license, and MSC is working toward a similar engineering in the following month or two as workforce numbers in- pathway. Student loan repayment is another recruitment creased. His long-term objective is straightforward: enough and retention tool. mariners to fully crew the ? eet regardless of whether ships Nicholson is also expanding leadership training beyond are operating or undergoing maintenance, while still al- technical competence. “I want masters and chief engineers lowing personnel to take leave and receive training. that our people want to work for,” he said. MSC has begun week-long programs for senior CIVMARs emphasizing the

Recruiting & Retaining “softer skills” of managing and leading people. Nicholson’s

Money matters, but Nicholson readily acknowledges that goal is eventually to create a leadership training continuum

MSC has to compete with commercial shipping on the accompanying advancement through the organization. complete employment package. One gap was connectivity.

“The commercial industry for quite some time has had An Aging Fleet full-blown internet at sea and we didn’t,” Nicholson said. The people problem cannot be separated from the hard-

MSC responded with CIVMAR Wireless Internet Net- ware. MSC operates 62 government-owned, government- work (WIN). At the time of the interview, the system had operated vessels crewed by CIVMARs and another 43 16 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • October 2026

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