The following is the text of a press release from the State University of New York (SUNY) Maritime College:
(THROGGS NECK, N.Y.) — State University of New York (SUNY) Maritime College President Rear Admiral Wendi B. Carpenter, USN (Ret.), has announced the planned establishment of the Bouchard Transportation Company Inc. Tug & Barge Simulation Center that will be housed in Fort Schuyler, on the SUNY Maritime College Throggs Neck campus. The new tug and barge simulator center will be funded by a gift of $750,000 provided by Bouchard Transportation Company Inc.
The simulation facility will be available to SUNY Maritime College students as part of their program of study and to outside tug and barge companies for employee training. The Center will offer full mission bridge simulators, instruction stations and a “de-briefing area,” where instructors can meet with their students to discuss navigation, seamanship and bridge resource management skills required in the operation of tugs and barges.
While discussing the new Bouchard Tug and Barge Simulator, Admiral Carpenter said, “Our students will benefit greatly by having access to a state-of-the-art tug and barge simulation center. We are very grateful to Morton Bouchard and Bouchard Transportation Company, for their support and for sharing our dedication to our students. Ensuring that our Cadets are well-educated in the specific and complex intricacies of operating tugs and barges carrying all types of commodities including oil and asphalt, and ranging from 3,000 to 12,000 horsepower, will open new doors of opportunity and better prepare them for successful careers.”
“Bouchard is committed to educating our future mariners, the young people who will lead this industry in the years to come and to training mariners currently working in the tug and barge industry to keep them aware of new topics and procedures,” said Morton Bouchard III, President of Bouchard Transportation Company, Inc. “Progressive thinking and a strong commitment to service has fostered Bouchard's continued growth for the last 95 years. We are proud to be able to work with SUNY Maritime College on the creation of the Bouchard Transportation Company Inc. Tug and Barge Simulation Center,” said Mr. Bouchard.
