Darin L. Huggins - USMM & U.S. Navy

Commander Darin Huggins is a native of the Panama Canal Zone. Both his parents were US Government employees working for the Health Department in support of the Panama Canal Company. He graduated from Maine Maritime in 2002. He was commissioned as a Naval Officer in the Strategic Sealift Officer Program upon graduation. He currently lives in Durham, NC. He enjoyed growing up in the Canal Zone.

He starting sailing with the Marine Engineers Beneficiary Association in 2003 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom aboard a MARAD RoRo. He started working for Military Sealift Command in 2005 as Second Mate on the USNS STOCKHAM. At that time the USNS STOCKHAM was assigned to CTG 515 and designated AFSB/MPF-E.

The vessel was part of MPRSON-3 but had its own OIC and embarked MILDET. In 2012 he started sailing Master for Military Sealift Command. Additional commands as Master have included USNS OBREGON (MPS1, EX. Pacific Partnership, EX Epic Guardian, EX Balikatan), USNS KOCAK, USNS PLESS, USNS WATERS (PM2), SS REGULUS, CAPE TEXAS, CAPE TAYLOR, CAPE VICTORY CAPE KNOX. In 2018 Captain Huggins joined USNS RED CLOUD under the OPCON of MPSRON-3. In 2019 USNS RED CLOUD cycled back to CONUS and offloaded her mission package in preparation for Dry Docking. In 2020 he joined USNS WATKINS in Bayonne Dry Dock with a follow on mission to the Far East.

In the Strategic Sealift Program Commander Darin Huggins has supported Military Sealift Command and the Maritime Administration annually over the last twenty-two years. Tours have included: MSCFE SSRG OIC, MTS Sasebo, Project Officer Exercise Balikatan, EX ROK JLOTS, EX Foal Eagle Korea, MSC Charleston. With MARAD onboard vessel support has been executed in all three coasts: MARAD Western Region, Central Region and Eastern Region

Commander Huggins is actively on active duty with the U.S. NAVY. He previously sailed with Patriot Maritime as Master aboard USNS WATKINS T-AKR-315 through 2024.

Commander Huggins is also the current National President of AMMV (American Merchant Marine Veterans)