[Rockingham]

The US Naval Academy and the US Navy do not teach or enforce ship handling skills and discipline as well as merchant marine academies and merchant ship owners. My father was a graduate of the US Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, an institution with a strong focus on the academic and practical skills needed to safely and effective handle ships.

As a Third Mate on his first trip to Europe in the late 40s, my father was trusted with navigating his merchant ship at night through the busy and fogbound English Channel -- without radar. He did so without incident and had an exemplary record as a merchant marine officer and as a naval officer during the Korean War. Merchant marine academy graduates continue to be prized by the US Navy for their ship handling skills.

[NorthMountain]

“USNS” ships are not manned by US Navy crews.

[TexasGator]

“The US Naval Academy and the US Navy do not teach or enforce ship handling skills and discipline as well as merchant marine academies and merchant ship owners.”

This was a civilian crew.

[ansel12]

Have you seen the movie Greyhound?

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6048922/