Texas A&M Welcomes New Maritime Training Ship to Galveston Campus

[By Texas A&M University Maritime Academy]

The TS Lone Star State is ushering in a new era for maritime education and training and will help prepare the next generation of mariners for the nation’s $1.5 trillion blue economy. 

Over 20 years in the making, a new era has begun for the Texas A&M University Maritime Academy after its long-awaited Training Ship (TS) Lone Star State arrived in Galveston, Texas. The ship not only expands the academy’s capacity to educate and train the next generation of maritime professionals but also creates opportunities for Texas A&M to advance the research, innovation and service that support the state’s and the nation’s coasts, waterways, maritime industries and communities. 

“The arrival of the TS Lone Star State reflects Texas A&M’s sea-grant mission by educating future mariners, advancing coastal research and strengthening our ability to serve Texas communities,” said Glenn Hegar ’93, chancellor of The Texas A&M University System. “America’s maritime future is being built today in Texas, and this ship is proof.”

The Texas A&M Maritime Academy is one of six state maritime academies nationwide and the only one in the Southern United States that provides a U.S. Coast Guard ship officer license in combination with an undergraduate or graduate degree. Global maritime workforce shortages have driven industry demand and salaries for skilled graduates to all-time highs. In response, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) developed the National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) program in early 2015 to build ships specifically for maritime training and to provide disaster response during humanitarian and national security efforts. 

“From energy and shipping to coastal resilience and national defense, the blue economy touches nearly every aspect of American life,” Texas A&M University President Susan Ballabina said. “Thanks to the dedicated efforts of our university community, industry partners and legislators, this new training vessel will ensure Texas A&M remains a cornerstone of maritime excellence — equipping Aggies to lead on the water and strengthen the industries our nation depends on for generations to come.”

The $325 million TS Lone Star State is the fourth of five NSMVs commissioned by MARAD and can accommodate 600 cadets during at-sea training and house 1,000 recovery workers during disaster response. It features a modern training bridge and navigation lab, integrated simulators, expansive classrooms, workshops and labs, hospital facilities, a helipad, roll-on/roll-off ramps and cargo cranes for stowage. 

“TS Lone Star State cements our position as a pillar of the state and nation’s maritime strategy,” said Col. (Ret.) Michael E. Fossum ’80, vice president of Texas A&M, chief operating officer of the Galveston campus and superintendent of the Texas A&M Maritime Academy. “We are improving lives and livelihoods by connecting the knowledge and research needed to understand oceans and coasts with the workforce and expertise needed to work within them. TS Lone Star State expands that ability. It is the most transformative moment in our 65-year history and will continue to be a visual reminder of what sustained investment in Texas A&M’s sea-grant mission can achieve.” 

The teamwork behind this achievement, which brings together people ranging from university leaders to state and federal officials, shows the power of collaboration. Working together, they’re a force for good for the state, nation and world. As the academy embarks on this new chapter, it stands ready to shape the next generation of mariners and leaders for years to come.

Texas A&M will honor the decades of work by countless supporters and celebrate TS Lone Star State’s arrival at the university’s Galveston campus with public celebrations, tours and more throughout the year.  

By Amy Halbert, Texas A&M University Division of Marketing and Communications