Our Journey Forward
Building Tomorrow's Response Capability Today
The National Response Platform concept represents more than crisis response - it's a comprehensive approach to strengthening American economic interests while building a more stable, resilient world. By transforming how we think about humanitarian assistance and development partnerships, we create lasting value for America and our partners worldwide.
Our Core Principles
Civilian-Led Solutions
We believe in empowering civilian capabilities to handle humanitarian crises, reducing dependency on military assets while allowing our armed forces to focus on national defense priorities. Through trained civilian responders and merchant maritime professionals, we deliver effective crisis response that builds lasting capacity rather than temporary relief.
Economic Partnership
Every operation creates American jobs while strengthening international partnerships. We prioritize U.S. manufacturing, maritime employment, and professional services, ensuring that humanitarian leadership translates directly into domestic economic growth and sustainable career opportunities across multiple sectors.
Cost-Effective Innovation
We transform expensive, ad-hoc crisis responses into predictable, efficient operations. By leveraging merchant vessels instead of billion-dollar military assets, we deliver equivalent capabilities at dramatically reduced costs, maximizing taxpayer value while expanding our response capacity and global reach.
Capacity Building Over Dependency
Our "leave-behind" approach ensures that equipment and expertise remain in partner nations, building permanent local capabilities rather than creating ongoing dependency. We focus on empowering governments and communities to respond effectively to future crises independently, strengthening global resilience through sustainable partnerships.
Team
Experienced and Dedicated
The U.S. National Response Forces Foundation unites seasoned professionals with deep expertise in maritime operations, crisis response, and international development. Led by Captain Charles "Buck" McDermott—distinguished U.S. Navy veteran, Navy Reserve Strategic Sealift commander, and commercial merchant marine captain—our team combines decades of hands-on experience in emergency management, humanitarian logistics, and large-scale cargo operations. Our advisory network includes maritime industry veterans, military logistics specialists, FEMA emergency response professionals, and international development experts who understand both operational complexities and strategic requirements for sustainable solutions.
Capt. Charles "Buck" McDermott, USN - Retired
Founder and CEO
Lee Solt Ph.D., MBA
Technology Operations
Emily Chen
Program Coordinator