Capt. Brent Sadler named Commandant of the U.S. Merchant Marine

By John Konrad | gCaptain

In a significant and long-awaited move that could reshape the trajectory of American maritime policy, retired U.S. Navy Captain Brent Sadler (USNA ’94), a former submariner, has been officially nominated by President Trump to serve as the next Administrator of the Maritime Administration (MARAD) and, by extension, Commandant of the U.S. Merchant Marine.

The nomination was submitted to the Senate yesterday, following the resignation of former Administrator Ann Phillips earlier this year.

This is not just a personnel change, it’s a potential turning point.

For decades, MARAD has suffered from institutional neglect, manpower shortages, policy drift, rape scandals, and a chronic inability to keep pace with the geopolitical stakes of a maritime century. Now, the nomination of Sadler signals a potential course correction.

Sadler, a veteran naval officer and senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation (the think take behind Project 2025 but also several maritime initiatives), has been one of the few voices in Washington consistently beating the drum on maritime readiness, sealift capacity, and the critical role of the U.S. Merchant Marine in strategic competition.

He’s not just another bureaucrat with a résumé. He’s a serious policy strategist who understands that America bleeds influence without hulls in the water, flags on sterns, and skilled mariners at the helm.

Sadler is also a vocal opponent of DEI initiatives and believes in restoring merit and excellence to the US Merchant Marine Academy.

He is a critic of the UN’s International Maritime Organization and Chinese Maritime policy but a strong proponent of Naval Diplomacy and maritime alliances. He is the author of U.S. Naval Power in the 21st Century and coauthor of Returning from Ebb Tide, Renewing The United States Commercial Maritime Enterprise.

Sadler is a strong candidate who will put America first but sources tell gCaptain several maritime unions are disappointed that, once again, a seasoned merchant mariner has not been selected to lead the Merchant Marine.

It’s been decades since a professional mariner has held the top spot at MARAD—a disheartening trend that sidelines the invaluable experience and insights that only those who have sailed the world’s trade routes can provide.

The last MARAD Administrator to hold a Masters Unlimited license was Captain William G. Schubert in 2001. Hopefully, his deputy will be a US merchant marine captain or chief engineer.

This pattern raises concerns about the agency’s direction and its ability to truly understand and advocate for the needs of our Merchant Marine.

The recent tenure of former Administrator Ann Phillips, a retired Navy Rear Admiral, was marked by a notable lack of public engagement and effectiveness. Her leadership was characterized by an elusive presence, earning her the moniker “the Ghost Admiral.”

During critical times for the maritime industry, her absence from key discussions and failure to address pressing issues left MARAD adrift.

Conversely, Sadler is a skilled speaker and frequent guest on major media platforms like Fox News and a prominent naval podcast like Cavaships.

Let’s be clear: the role of MARAD Administrator is not ceremonial. This office oversees the U.S. Maritime Service, maintains the rusting National Defense Reserve Fleet, anemic Shipyard financing, lagging Merchant Marine recruitment and training, and plays a central role in mobilization of fuel and logistics in times of crisis or war. And in this era of great power competition, when China is launching new ships every few weeks and the Red Sea is a shooting gallery, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

While MARAD has failed in these missions for decades, it remains a tiny office with fewer than 800 employees—just a fraction of the 45,000 people its sister agency, the FAA, employs.

But now, for the first time since Nixon, the nation has a National Security Advisor—Mike Waltz, originator of the SHIPS for America Act—and a President determined to rebuild both commercial and naval shipbuilding strength.

Brent Sadler’s nomination gives MARAD the chance to become what it should be: a command center for maritime strategy, industrial resurgence, and sealift dominance. This is an opportunity to write meaningful maritime strategy and forge a bold vision—a Merchant Marine not as an afterthought to the Navy, but as a critical enabler of national power.

However, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Confirmation isn’t guaranteed. Sadler must navigate the challenging waters of Senate hearings, defend his record, and demonstrate that American maritime strength isn’t merely nostalgia—it’s necessity. As a prolific contributor on X, there is no shortage of information for the Senate to review.

gCaptain will be watching closely. Because this isn’t just about one man; it’s about a smaller, orphaned DOT administration that needs to be overhauled and rebuilt.

And it’s about whether this country still has the will to command the seas—not just in battle, but in trade, in supply, in the raw projection of national will across the globe.