About Sal Mercogliano

Salvatore R. Mercogliano is an associate professor of History at Campbell University in Buies Creek, North Carolina and teaches courses in World Maritime History and Maritime Security. He is also an adjunct professor with the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and offers a graduate level course in Maritime Industry Policy. A former merchant mariner, he sailed and worked ashore for the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command. His book, Fourth Arm of Defense: Sealift and Maritime Logistics in the Vietnam War, available through the Naval History and Heritage Command.

Turbo Activation – A Sealift Surge, or just a Trickle?

December 31, 2019 by Sal Mercogliano

By Salvatore R. Mercogliano, Ph.D. - In September, gCaptain reported on Turbo Activation 19-Plus, US Transportation Command’s largest peacetime exercise of the 61-ship surge sealift fleet. Initial assessments, gathered from unclassified sources reported that 23 out of the 28 ships activated on Monday, September 16, 2019, were able to get underway to meet their readiness … [Read more...]

The Long Gray Line – Turbo Activation 2019

September 23, 2019 by Sal Mercogliano

By Salvatore R. Mercogliano, Ph.D. - On Monday, September 16, 2019, the United States Transportation Command ordered the no-notice activation of 28 out of the 61 ships held in the reserve sealift fleet. This exercise aimed to determine the material readiness of the fleet and whether the commercial merchant marine - the operating companies assigned to manage the vessels and … [Read more...]

Ready or Not, Here Comes the Ready Reserve Force!

September 18, 2019 by Sal Mercogliano

By Sal Mercogliano, Ph.D. - In a week punctuated by a drone missile strike on two oil production plants in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia, the United States Transportation Command on Monday initiated a Large-Scale Sealift Readiness Exercise. As part of its Turbo Activation series which began in 1994, the joint command, located at Scott Air Force Base in southern Illinois, … [Read more...]

Mounts Bay to the Rescue!

September 11, 2019 by Sal Mercogliano

Editor's Note: The Royal Navy has announced that RFA Mounts Bay has now completed its 10-day humanitarian mission to the hurricane-hit Bahamas after distributing all of her stores, which included 3,000 ration packs, nearly 100 tonnes of water, over 900 emergency shelter kits, and 1,000 hygiene kits. By Salvatore Mercogliano -- The destruction that has been wrought upon … [Read more...]

One Small Step for Man, One Giant Leap for the Merchant Marine

July 21, 2019 by Sal Mercogliano

By Salvatore R. Mercogliano - As we celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of mankind’s first steps upon the lunar surface, many have focused their attention to the heavens, but a key component of the success of that first landing on the Moon resides upon the Earth’s oceans with ships crewed by merchant mariners. Many specials are showcasing the career of Astronaut Neil Armstrong … [Read more...]