History of the Ready Reserve Force (RRF)

In 1976, Robert J. Blackwell, the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Maritime Affairs, and John Bennet, the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Installation and Logistics), signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA). This MOA acknowledged a collaborative responsibility by their agencies to develop a program of reserve strategic sealift, a Ready Reserve Force (RRF). The RRF is a subset of the National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF), founded to support deployments and follow-on echelon sustainability of the United States armed forces. Since 1976, RRF vessels have been activated hundreds of times, serving in armed conflicts, as training platforms, and in natural disaster relief.

For more information on the current state of the RRF, visit: Ready Reserve Force: American Ships. American Crews. American Jobs 

The Ready Reserve Force (RRF) Missions

• The Ready Reserve Force Response to Hurricane Katrina: A detailed study of MARAD and the RRF’s role in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
• The Maritime Administration’s Haiti Earthquake Response: A summary of MARAD’s role in Operation Unified Response, the U.S.-led disaster recovery effort after the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
• MARAD's Response to Hurricane Sandy: Learn about MARAD vessels and agency personnel who provided valuable assistance to FEMA in the New York metropolitan area after Hurricane Sandy in the Fall of 2012.  
• MARAD's Response to Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria: Learn about MARAD vessels and agency personnel who provided disaster relief to Houston, Key West, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico in the wake of three catastrophic hurricanes in the Fall of 2017.