Share this article by John Konrad (gCaptain) Yesterday Commandant Karl Schultz, in the annual State of the Coast Guard Address, outlined the US Coast Guard’s perseverance through a difficult year and highlighted recent developments to advance USCG mission-ready capabilities. He also thanked all US Merchant Mariners for their service during the pandemic. “Make no doubt about it, we are a maritime nation and our waterways provide this nation with a tremendous global advantage.” Admiral Schultz said. “I have to give a shout out to our US Merchant Mariners who are the backbone of the marine transportation system. Last year the USCG made sure our mariners were categorized as essential workers. Annually they are responsible for $5.4 Trillion in economic activity that America depends on. Throughout this pandemic US Merchant Mariners kept products moving to ensure stores were stocked with medicine and critical supplies. Our nation’s 12,000 miles of commercially navigable inland waterways transport 570 million tons of cargo each year. It would take an extra 21 million large trucks on America’s congested highways to transport the same amount of cargo as tugs and barges do each and every year.”