The following editorial, "Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard are integral part of safety on the seas," appeared in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel on Feb 28, 2008...

by J. Michael "Mike" McGrath
Navy League National President

For more than a century, the Navy League has been educating the American people about the critical importance of strong maritime forces to our national security and economic prosperity.   Simply put, we must have a Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Merchant Marine that are second to none if we are to survive and prosper as a beacon of freedom and democracy.

Today, the strength of our vital maritime forces is being jeopardized by the financial strains of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the broader Global War on Terror and our enduring security commitments to friends and allies in every corner of the Earth.

If Americans want to safeguard their futures, protect US citizens and interests across the globe, and maintain our role as leaders in a globalized economy of free nations, it is imperative that we invest wisely NOW, and rebuild and replenish our sea-going services.

In just a few weeks, the Navy League will issue its 2008 Maritime Policy Statement, a compendium of top national security challenges and budget priorities.  It will be provided to members of Congress and unveiled to the public at the Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space exposition in Washington this March.  Topping our list of deficiencies that demand urgent attention are the continued shrinking of our Navy fleet; excessive wear and tear on virtually all Marine Corps aircraft, vehicles and weapons; and increasing wrong-headed attacks on vital military training operations by so-called environmentalists, who have no regard for the legitimate training needs of those who serve.

The Navy’s current goal is to grow to a fleet of 313 combat ships.  That’s right, they need to GROW to that number, because our Navy today has only 279 ships- HALF the fleet size when Ronald Reagan left the White House.  And Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead told the House Armed Services Committee that the 313 ship “goal” is really a floor, the minimum number of ships needed to meet worldwide maritime commitments.

Until these new ships come on line, the Nation must live with “moderate” risk that the Navy and Marine Corps will not be able to respond when needed at times.  Efforts to avoid such an occurrence will place increasing demands on our ships and the Sailors who take them to sea.  They will spend more time deployed and away from their families, increasing strain on the home front as well. Can the United States, a maritime Nation that thrives on global trade and unencumbered commerce on the seas, afford to accept this additional risk?  The Navy League says “No,” and we call on Congress and the Administration to provide a top-line budget increase for the Navy and Marine Corps, and to increase funding immediately for the Coast Guard’s Deepwater recapitalization effort. 

The Navy-Marine Corps team is the greatest expeditionary fighting force this nation has ever had, but they cannot possibly meet the challenges of the future with an anemic 280-ship fleet. Similarly, the Coast Guard cannot be expected to build on their enormous post-9/11 successes with antiquated ships that are more than 40 years old.

The sea services need a financial commitment from our national political leaders to bolster the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base and its suppliers.  The shipyards themselves must then be willing to commit to making the necessary investments in modernization for future productivity and reduced costs.

It has become fashionable for certain “armchair admirals” to question the need for strong maritime forces.  They say our sea services are looking backward, that the days of fleet engagements on the high seas are over.  Sadly, these pundits completely miss the point.  There’s no doubt much has changed.  But even more important is what has remained the same.

The United States is still a maritime nation whose economic health depends upon transporting goods by sea.  More than 90 percent of all products arrive here in ships.  One need only think back to the economic repercussions of a labor strike at just one West Coast port a decade ago to recognize the calamity that would befall the global economy if future adversaries disrupt that trade. 

It also remains true that our global partners depend upon US naval forces to enforce freedom of the seas and safeguard regional security.  We cannot continue to meet those obligations with dwindling and aging resources. 

Americans take these conditions for granted precisely because our maritime forces have met the challenge over the years.  The time has come to recognize the importance of that mission, and properly fund and train our Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.  The very future of our nation depends upon it.