The Ready Reserve Force (RRF) program was
initiated in 1976 as a subset of the Maritime Administration’s National Defense
Reserve Fleet (NDRF) to support the rapid worldwide deployment of U.S. military forces.
A key element of strategic sealift, the RRF is
specifically structured to transport Army and Marine Corps unit equipment and initial
resupply for forces deploying anywhere in the world during the critical period before
adequate numbers of commercially available ships can be marshalled. Administration and
operation of the RRF is governed by a Memorandum of Agreement.
The Ready Reserve Force is comprised of 68
vessels. Four (4) ships are in full operating status and are on-station overseas. Two
additional ships are assigned to the RRF as troopships, but are layberthed at state
maritime academies where they are used on a daily basis as schoolships.
The RRF made a major contribution to the
success of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm from August 1990 through June 1992, when
79 vessels were activated and operated to meet military sealift requirements. The RRF has
rightfully been called "American Seapower’s Reliant Partner."
During Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom,
the combined strategic sealift operation provided more than 80 percent of all cargo
transportation to the theater of operations. Led by the U.S. Transportation Command, this
joint effort included the Military Sealift Command, the Military Traffic Management
Command, and the Maritime Administration. Forty (40) RRF vessels supported Army and Marine
missions during the operations providing up to 20 percent of the total combined surge
sealift capacity.
