[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 36 (Wednesday, February 28, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E189-E190]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING THE MARITIME SECURITY INFRASTRUCTURE COUNCIL'S PLAN TO 
                       MODERNIZE THE USMMA CAMPUS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ANDREW R. GARBARINO

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 28, 2024

  Mr. GARBARINO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a member of the U.S. 
Merchant Marine Academy Congressional Board of Visitors to thank the 
experts of the Maritime Security Infrastructure Council.
  Recognizing the vital role of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in our 
national security and concerned about outdated and deteriorating 
conditions across campus, they assembled a straightforward, multi-year 
plan to bring the campus up to a standard commensurate with its crucial 
function. I am pleased to include in the Record a summary of their plan 
to modernize the Academy's 80-year-old infrastructure as well as a link 
to the Full Speed Ahead Plan in its entirety, which can be found at 
https://wearetheusmma.com/fullspeedahead/.
  Graduates of the USMMA, one of our Nation's five federal service 
academies, make up more than 80 percent of the U.S. Navy Strategic 
Sealift Officer Force. Without these service-committed mariners, the 
Nation would have no assured source of trained, licensed officers to 
crew the vessels which move materiel, fuel and supplies to foreign 
shores in wartime. Without a comprehensive capital improvement plan and 
its timely execution, conditions on the USMMA's Kings Point, New York 
campus will continue to worsen, adversely impacting mission-critical 
training and hindering recruitment of dedicated service-obligated 
midshipmen.
  For far too long, Congress has ignored the infrastructure required to 
provide USMMA midshipmen the specialized education and training they 
need to fulfill their mission. It is now time to make the institution 
worthy of their commitment to serve our Nation.

                Maritime Security Infrastructure Council

           U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Full Speed Ahead Plan


 Full Speed Ahead: A Plan to Address Critical Infrastructure Needs at 
                    the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy

       Background: In January 2021, the Maritime Security 
     Infrastructure Council (MSIC), a group with expertise in 
     major construction project management and concerned about the 
     deterioration of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) 
     infrastructure, developed a comprehensive plan to bring the 
     campus up to the standards necessary to prepare USMMA 
     Midshipmen to lead our Nation's maritime mission in the 21st 
     century.
       The Full Speed Ahead Plan is an intensive 8-year program to 
     execute a decades overdue, comprehensive modernization: new 
     academic buildings, physical readiness/training facilities, 
     midshipmen morale and welfare spaces, parking structures, 
     faculty and senior staff housing, utilities, IT, and campus 
     security upgrades, and renovations of many existing 
     buildings. This plan is adaptable, e.g., it can be adjusted 
     for longer construction timelines and funding schedules, 
     and--importantly--it is intended to be executed while keeping 
     USMMA fully operational throughout construction.
       Previous cost estimates were $611M in January 2021 and 
     $820M in March 2022. The estimated cost when adjusted for 
     inflation has now risen to $1.02B; additional delay will only 
     further increase the cost of this urgently needed 
     modernization.
       The need: With over 80 years in service to our nation, a 
     comprehensive modernization is long overdue if USMMA is to 
     continue producing world-class, service-committed merchant 
     marine officers who are the backbone of the U.S. Navy's 
     Strategic Sealift Officer Force and a crucial element of 
     defense readiness.
       Congress has rightly recognized the necessity of and 
     supported funding modernization projects at the other federal 
     service academies, especially West Point and Annapolis. Long-
     term low funding levels have left the campus under-resourced, 
     and the result is a deteriorating campus that makes 
     attracting a diverse applicant pool and providing state-of-
     the-art mission critical training even more difficult. Many 
     of the facilities date back to the Academy's founding in the 
     1940s and are simply not conducive to the immersive training 
     and demanding coursework expected from our Nation's five 
     service academies.
       Modern IT is nearly nonexistent in several buildings; what 
     is available cannot accommodate even the most basic digital 
     needs of Midshipmen, let alone support the increasingly high-
     tech vessel systems that they must master.
       Aside from minor Midshipmen Barracks repairs in the 2000s, 
     there have been no renovations or upgrades since 1988. Nearly 
     every building on campus has exceeded its life expectancy and 
     now requires replacement or major renovation.
       This is particularly true of the Academy's physical 
     training, leadership readiness, and athletic facilities. 
     Although USMMA was the first federal service academy to admit 
     women in 1974, no additional athletic or training spaces have 
     been provided for female teams in the ensuing 50 years, 
     clearly contrary to the requirements of Title IX. Overall, 
     these limited and outdated facilities are inadequate for 
     Midshipmen to maintain physical readiness standards of the 
     U.S. Navy and other services and adversely impact the 
     recruitment of future Midshipmen. Midshipmen need a purpose-
     built pool, featuring a separate wave pool with high dive/
     jump capabilities in order to accommodate their specific 
     mandatory training needs for rescue and survival at sea.
       The Fix: Our working group of maritime executives, 
     engineers, architects, and construction industry 
     professionals--some USMMA graduates--propose the 
     authorization and funding of a multi-year program of 
     infrastructure replacement and improvement projects.
       The Budget and Timeline Snapshot: We suggest directed 
     funding for foundational design work that will serve as the 
     blueprint for an aggressive eight-year construction and 
     project management program. However, the plan can be readily 
     adapted to meet longer construction timelines and funding 
     schedules, along with any potential project modifications. As 
     of January 2024, the current cost of the plan is $1.02B over 
     eight years.
       The Plan: For decades, concerned stakeholders have 
     unsuccessfully sought to upgrade USMMA's physical plant; this 
     plan reflects much of the quality thinking and hard work that 
     went into earlier plans, which regrettably never came to 
     fruition. This document specifically builds on the input of 
     those earlier planning initiatives.
       This plan details the facilities necessary for the USMMA to 
     preserve its position as the preeminent leader in maritime 
     education in the Nation, today and into the future. It 
     reflects a long overdue acknowledgment that the campus has 
     fallen woefully behind the other four federal service 
     academies and other peer top-tier institutions.
       The plan meets the long-term objectives of the Academy 
     through facilities that will promote modern educational best 
     practices, including globally connected research facilities; 
     engineering powerplant laboratories; 21st century IT-enabled 
     classrooms.
       Support mission critical proficiencies: Standards of 
     Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping (STCW) applications 
     laboratories; Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) training pool; 
     Conference and license exam space.
       Promote readiness: Accessible modernized fitness facilities 
     sufficient to enable all Midshipmen to maintain physical 
     readiness standards required of USN Reserve officers; NCAA-
     standard facilities for all athletes; Health and wellness 
     center.
       Facilitate leadership development: Weapons range; enhanced 
     waterfront facilities; band facility.
       Attract a diverse pool of applicants to ensure USMMA 
     enrolls the best and the brightest.
       Provide continuing education and industry engagement 
     facilities: Maritime Center of Excellence for research, 
     innovation, and policy development; MSCE accreditation 
     required post-graduate continuing education opportunities; 
     Maritime industry leadership conference capability.
       Maintain a secure facility and a safe environment: secure 
     campus at a level necessary to protect a federal facility; 
     centralized security/access control at main gate and academy 
     facilities; fencing and monitoring of campus boundaries; 
     cyber-secure, modernized IT network.
       Master Planning Process and Principles: The 82-acre campus 
     is a unique, historically significant property. Our plan is 
     designed to modernize the campus without expanding its 
     current footprint.
       The Education District includes the original 1943 academic 
     buildings, barracks, and

[[Page E190]]

     administrative offices that form the hub of the campus.
       The Waterfront District includes Eldridge Pool, the 
     Memorial Arbors, the Chapel, Yocum Sailing Center, the USCG 
     Station, Samuels Hall and Crowninshield/Cressy Pier.
       The Physical Training and Athletics District includes all 
     the Academy's athletic facilities.
       The Community District encompasses all of the McNulty 
     Campus, including faculty housing and the museum. A second 
     community district south of the Education District includes 
     senior staff housing, the Patten Health Clinic, and the 
     Midshipmen Activities Center.
       Program Cost Summary:
       Construction: Academic Center $116M; Activity Center 
     $42.2M; Aquatic Readiness Center $65.6M; Leadership 
     Development and Readiness Center $133.1M; Parking Structures 
     $50.7M; Federal Maritime Center of Excellence $49.1M; Senior 
     Staff/Faculty Housing $12.2M; Crowninshield Pier Replacement 
     $31.7M; Waterfront Sailing Center $19.2M. New construction 
     subtotal: $519.8M.
       Facility Renovation & Upgrades: Samuels Hall Renovation 
     Completion $8.8M; Campus Security and Waterfront Improvements 
     $28.3M; GIS and Upgrade Academy Utilities $95.4M; Main Gate 
     and Campus Security Upgrade $53.9M; Bowditch Hall and 
     Steamboat Road Improvements $76.4M; Existing Building 
     Renovations $94.8M. Facility Renovation/Upgrades Subtotal: 
     $357.6M.
       Design: $91.1M.
       Program Management: $51.3M.
       Total Program Cost: $1019.8M.
       Maritime Security Infrastructure Council Members:
       John D. Cameron, Jr., P.E. Managing Partner, Cameron 
     Engineering & Associates, LLP: Mr. Cameron oversees the 
     firm's consulting engineering services, which specializes in 
     public and private sector engineering such as site 
     development, energy management; water quality management 
     planning, waterfront protection and resilience; roadway, 
     drainage, utilities and infrastructure improvement; planning; 
     building systems; building department services, and 
     construction management. The firm's work has included major 
     mixed use, residential, commercial and industrial projects as 
     well as brownfields and waterfront projects. He is a frequent 
     spokesperson on regional planning, sustainability, economic 
     development issues for Long Island and beyond.
       LTG Bill Grisoli (Ret.) Distinguished Chair of Civil 
     Engineering and Chair of the Civil Engineering Advisory 
     Board, USMA: LTG Bill Grisoli is currently serving as the 
     Distinguished Chair of Civil Engineering and Chair of the 
     Civil Engineering Advisory Board at USMA. He spent 39 years 
     on active duty and retired in 2015 as the Director of the 
     Army Staff. Prior to his retirement, LTG Grisoli held a wide 
     variety of engineer command assignments at the Company, 
     Battalion. Brigade, and Army Corps of Engineers Division 
     level. His staff assignments include Director of the Army's 
     Business Transformation Office and Director of Program 
     Analysis and Evaluation Office, G-8. LTG Grisoli was born in 
     NYC and graduated from USMA in 1976.
       Lloyd C. Caldwell, P.E. SES, US Army Corps of Engineers 
     (Ret.): Mr. Caldwell served until 2020 as the national 
     Director of Military Programs responsible for the policy and 
     technical functions of the Corps' worldwide program for 
     engineering, design, construction, real estate and 
     environmental activities. He was responsible for military 
     construction and installation support at the USMA and the 
     USAFA. From 2005 to 2010, he was the Director of Programs for 
     the N. Atlantic Division responsible for military and civil 
     works and the Director of Programs for the Gulf Region 
     Division in Iraq. He is a Distinguished Military Graduate 
     with a Bachelor of Building Construction degree from Auburn 
     and holds MS in Civil Engineering and MPW degrees from the 
     University of Pittsburgh.
       Capt. Eileen Roberson, USN (Ret.) SES, DOT/US Navy (Ret.): 
     Eileen Roberson is a retired United States Navy Reserve 
     Officer. As a long-time member of the Federal Government's 
     Senior Executive Service, Roberson has served as Director of 
     Total Force Management for the US Navy's Military Sealift 
     Command, Assistant for Administration to the Under Secretary 
     of the Navy, Associate Administrator at the Department of 
     Transportation's Maritime Administration, and Deputy Program 
     Executive Officer (PEO) for Navy Information Technology 
     Roberson holds a Master of Science degree in Management 
     Information Systems from Bowie State University in Bowie, MD 
     and a BS degree in Engineering from the United States 
     Merchant Marine Academy.
       John O. Arntzen, President, ACTA Maritime Development 
     Corporation: Recently retired as a Senior Program Manager 
     with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, North Atlantic 
     Division at Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn, New York, he helped 
     oversee a $2.4 billion Military Construction program on U.S. 
     Army and U.S. Air Force bases in Europe. Prior to this, 
     Arntzen was Special Missions Ships Project Officer for the 
     U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command. From 2015 to 2019, 
     Arntzen was Chairman of the USMMA Alumni Association and 
     Foundation (AAF). Arntzen holds a M.S. in Transportation 
     Management from SUNY and a B.S., with Honors, in Marine 
     Engineering from USMMA.

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