be Acting Administrator during the absence or disability of the Administrator and, unless the Secretary designates another individual, during a vacancy in the office of Administrator. (d) Duties and powers vested in Secretary All duties and powers of the Maritime Administration are vested in the Secretary. (e) Regional offices The Maritime Administration shall have regional offices for the Atlantic, Gulf, Great Lakes, and Pacific port ranges, and may have other regional offices as necessary. The Secretary shall appoint a qualified individual as Director of each regional office. The Secretary shall carry out appropriate activities and programs of the Maritime Administration through the regional offices. (f) Interagency and industry relations The Secretary shall establish and maintain liaison with other agencies, and with representative trade organizations throughout the United States, concerned with the transportation of commodities by water in the export and import foreign commerce of the United States, for the purpose of securing preference to vessels of the United States for the transportation of those commodities. (g) Detailing officers from Armed Forces To assist the Secretary in carrying out duties and powers relating to the Maritime Administration, not more than five officers of the Armed Forces may be detailed to the Secretary at any one time, in addition to details authorized by any other law. During the period of a detail, the Secretary shall pay the officer an amount that, when added to the officer's pay and allowances as an officer in the Armed Forces, makes the officer's total pay and allowances equal to the amount that would be paid to an individual performing work the Secretary considers to be of similar importance, difficulty, and responsibility as that performed by the officer during the detail. (h) Contracts, cooperative agreements, and audits (1) Contracts and cooperative agreements In the same manner that a private corporation may make a contract within the scope of its authority under its