MARAD to Mark the Return of MV Cape Ray

Maritime (MARAD) Administrator Paul N. Jaenichen will host a ceremony on Friday, September 19, 2014 in Portsmouth, Va. to honor the civilian crew who helped to destroy Syria’s chemical weapons at sea aboard the MV Cape Ray.

The MV Cape Ray, crewed by all-volunteer U.S. Merchant Mariners, supported an international effort with China, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Norway, Russia and the U.K. to destroy Syrian chemical weapons and agents at sea.

Upon its completion, President Obama called the mission “a major milestone in the international community’s efforts under the leadership of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to rid the Syrian regime of its chemical weapons,” adding that it “further advances [the] collective goal to ensure that the Asad regime cannot use its chemical arsenal against the Syrian people and sends a clear message that the use of these abhorrent weapons has consequences and will not be tolerated by the international community.”

The M/V Cape Ray is one of MARAD’s 46 Ready Reserve Force (RRF) ships that stand ready to provide rapid movement of equipment and supplies during times of national and humanitarian emergencies.