Thomas Bethel (AMO) & William Pennella (Crowley) Receive USS 2010 AOTOS Awards

The United Seamen's Service (USS) 2010 Admiral of the Ocean Sea Awards (AOTOS) were presented to Thomas J. Bethel (right), National President of American Maritime Officers (AMO), and William A. Pennella (left), Vice Chairman and Executive Vice President of Crowley Maritime Corporation, at a gala industry dinner and dance.

In addition, Military Sealift Command Executive Director Richard Haynes was given a Special AOTOS Recognition Plaque as he plans his retirement after a 34-year career. His entire career has been as a civilian employee of the Navy.

Crowley and AMO provided much-needed humanitarian relief services to Haiti after January's devastating earthquake. AMO's response was to man many of the U.S.-flagged vessels. Crowley's response was to unload Haiti relief cargo containers filled with water and meals in the Dominican Republic to be trucked across the border into Haiti. Five American maritime union leaders also received plaques honoring the work done by their membership to alleviate the effect of that earthquake.

In accepting their AOTOS Awards, both Bethel and Pennella paid respect to the award recipients that preceded them and to American maritime labor.

Said Tom Bethel: "They (seafarers) serve our nation's economic interests in ways that too many Americans are not aware of. When they respond to natural disasters, as they did in Haiti and along our own Gulf coast after hurricanes Rita and Katrina, they represent the human spirit at its most generous.

"When they deliver U.S. food aid to developing nations, they serve our nation's diplomatic interests," he added. "And when they crew-up, operate and maintain government-owned and chartered sealift ships in defense
emergencies, they serve U.S. national security interests, often without the recognition that goes so routinely and so appropriately to our armed forces." Michael J. Sacco, president of the Seafarers International Union, presented his award.

American Maritime Officers (AMO) is affiliated with the Seafarers International Union of North America, AFL CIO. Mr. Bethel has served the union in several capacities since coming ashore in 1983. A marine engineer, he is a specialist in collective bargaining, shipping charters awarded to U.S.-flagged vessel operators by the Maritime Administration and Military Sealift Command, and maritime policy, legislation and regulation.

Mr. Pennella, the son of a longshoreman, said: "I have always felt in awe of the social importance of the maritime labor movement. It allowed an entire generation of immigrants to join the middle class, educate their children and have a decent standard of living.

"I also strongly believe that if the labor movement had not fought hard to force corporations to share the wealth in the early 1900s, this great country could have faced a social revolution and unrest," he added. In honoring his late father, he said: "He taught me to respect all workers and I was always proud that in my career I was never responsible for a work stoppage or strike. "

Crowley is a 118-year-old privately held family and employee-owned company, which provides diversified transportation and logistics services in domestic and international markets. William A. "Bill" Pennella began his maritime career in 1968 with Sea-Land Service. He held various management positions with Global Terminal and Container Services and United States Lines before joining Crowley in 1987. He is the third Crowley executive to receive an AOTOS, after the late Tom Crowley Sr. in 1987 and Tom Crowley Jr. in 2002.

Tom Crowley Jr. presented the AOTOS to Mr. Pennella.

Richard S. Haynes, who is a lawyer, serves as principal advisor to the Commander, MSC, Admiral Mark Buzby, who presented his plaque. As Executive Director, he has authority over all aspects of the Command's mission and business operations. He exercises management direction of the MSC senior staff and advises the Commander on all issues involving MSC's interaction with the maritime industry. Rick is recognized in the maritime community as one of the Navy's leading experts on the military's relationship with the ocean transportation industry, including the maritime labor unions.

Award winners pictured with their presenters, (right to left): Tom Crowley, Jr., William A. Panella, Thomas J. Bethel, Michael J. Sacco.

American maritime union leadership were also presented with plaques by U.S. Air Force General Duncan R. McNabb, commander of the Transportation Command, recognizing their collective extraordinary response to the Haitian disaster. Accepting the recognition were Mr. Bethel, Mr. Sacco, James McNamara of the International Longshoremen's Association, Donald Keefe of MEBA and Donald Marcus of the International Organization of Masters, Mates and Pilots.

Four acts of bravery at sea were also recognized in the annual Honored Seafarers' Program. All proceeds from the AOTOS event benefit USS community services abroad for the U.S. merchant marine and those of other free world countries. Since 1942, USS continues to provide community services for the U.S. Merchant Marine, the American Armed Forces, and seafarers of the world. USS, a non-profit agency, operates centers in eight foreign ports in Europe, Asia, and Africa and in the Indian Ocean, and also provides seagoing libraries to American vessels through its affiliate, the American Merchant Marine Library Association.