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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