U.S. Maritime Academies Graduate Over 1,100 Amid National Push to Rebuild Sea Power

More than 1,100 graduates from America’s seven maritime academies have joined the ranks of the U.S. maritime workforce as the Class of 2025, entering the industry during what officials describe as a pivotal moment for American maritime strength.

The American Maritime Partnership (AMP) announced the milestone as the Trump Administration and bipartisan Congressional leaders call for renewed national commitment to the maritime sector, with particular emphasis on expanding American shipyards and the U.S.-flag fleet.

“These men and women are entering a career rooted in service, and they do so as America rededicates itself to building more ships here at home and sailing them under Old Glory,” said Jennifer Carpenter, President of the American Maritime Partnership. “From Gulf Coast shipyards to the ports of Hawaii and Alaska, a stronger American Maritime means a stronger country.”

The U.S. maritime sector is rapidly gaining policy attention as both the White House and Congress have launched major initiatives to strengthen U.S. shipbuilding and expand the merchant fleet. President Trump’s “Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance” executive order, signed April 9, establishes aggressive deadlines aimed revitalizing America’s struggling shipbuilding industry, strengthening its maritime workforce, and expanding the nation’s global shipping presence, while the SHIPS for America Act, introduced by a bipartisan coalition, aims to codify these goals with funding, reforms, and new mandates. The combined efforts represent the most significant maritime policy initiatives since the Reagan administration.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, speaking last week at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy commencement, highlighted the strategic importance of maritime power in an increasingly complex global environment.

“This administration understands that restoring maritime dominance is critical to America’s national security, and to do that, our nation needs more brave men and women to sail the ships we have now, but the great ships we’re going to build in the future,” Duffy told graduates. “Whether it’s the Suez Canal or the South China Sea, there are rough waters ahead.”

The 2025 graduates represent all seven U.S. maritime academies: the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Kings Point, N.Y.), SUNY Maritime College, California Maritime Academy, Great Lakes Maritime Academy, Maine Maritime Academy, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, and Texas A&M Maritime Academy.

To earn their licenses as merchant marine officers, the graduates completed a rigorous U.S. Coast Guard examination process involving three days of testing. Their training combined classroom instruction with hands-on experience aboard training vessels and commercial U.S.-flag ships.

Many graduates will serve aboard vessels in the domestic fleet of over 40,000 vessels, while others will apply their skills in U.S. shipbuilding and repair yards. Some will serve in uniform with the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, or other military branches.

The American maritime industry currently employs approximately 650,000 workers and generates more than $154.8 billion in annual economic output, according to AMP.

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