Strategic sealift, prepositioning, and the risks of used ships

The plan's maritime prepositioning force holds cargo forward to shorten deployment timelines and give commanders more options. The described arrangement has five vessels forward in full operating status and two more loaded at Blount Island Command in reduced operating status. The Marine Corps requirement is 2.1 million square feet of cargo capacity, presented in the discussion as an established planning figure. The surge-sealift strategy combines new construction with purchases from the commercial market. A caution drawn from merchant-shipping experience is that maintenance records prepared to keep a vessel insurable may not reveal every practical liability. The discussion therefore emphasizes surveys when assessing a used hull for dependable military service.