Navy League, Sea Services Rise to Tough Challenges Ahead

If past is prologue, 2004 will be a challenging year for the Navy League. Our nation remains at war against a vicious, unpredictable foe that is determined to dim the great beacon of freedom America shines across the world. Our enemies watched, shocked and embittered, as the American spirit so quickly rose from the ashes of the World Trade Center. Recent events indicate that the terrorists and those who support them have redoubled their efforts. We must do the same.

We have learned since 9/11 that our successes in Afghanistan and Iraq were initial battles in what will be a long, difficult campaign. Adm. Vern Clark, chief of naval operations, said in his Nov. 1 remarks at our Winter Meeting: “We face an enemy who doesn’t like the fact that the United States of America … emboldens people to believe in something called freedom. …We need to understand that this is not a conflict and a competition of ideas that is going to last for just a few minutes. This is a conflict that, in my view, is the new Cold War. This is going to last for years because there is a generation of people who despise what we are all about.”

Our armed forces—regulars and reservists—remain in harm’s way in many parts of the world. They need us now, more than ever. Our chief mission in 2004, as always, is to support our sea services by educating the media, the public, and the Congress about the requirements and accomplishments of the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and U.S.-flag Merchant Marine. Our support of the sea services begins in Washington and extends to the grass roots of the Navy League. Our councils are legendary because of the terrific hospitality they extend to military members in all parts of the world.

Our organization is in an excellent position to fulfill its obligations in support of the men and women who wear the cloth of our nation. The Navy League’s relationships with members of Congress have never been better. Our partnerships with sea services leaders will help us shape a future even more productive than the past.

President George W. Bush recently returned Gordon R. England to his rightful post as Secretary of the Navy. The president also extended the tour of Adm. Clark as chief of naval operations. They will continue to build a surge Navy capable of projecting the right kind of power quickly to world trouble spots.

Adm. Thomas H. Collins, commandant of the Coast Guard, has been at the forefront of the Deepwater project since its inception, and will propel it forward in years to come. Gen. Michael W. Hagee, commandant of the Marine Corps, is building an even faster, more flexible force able to project power far inland. And Adm. James M. Loy (ret.), the former Coast Guard commandant, has been named deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). We look forward to working again with Adm. Loy in support of DHS initiatives. My recent visits to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and discussions with its superintendent, Vice Adm. Joseph D. Stewart, have helped me refocus our organization in support of the Merchant Marine.

To accomplish its mission, the Navy League must be lean, vigorous, and financially robust. In 2004, we will take major steps toward completion of our new headquarters building in Arlington, Va. Most of its space will be leased, generating future cash flow that will support our mission-oriented activities for years to come. Our portfolio of investments is generating substantial returns, and we foresee a rise in advertising revenue in 2004.

For the long term, the Navy League will grow and thrive only if we build the membership. Each of our 71,000 members has one friend, one neighbor, one business contact eager to volunteer for the war on terror. They can do that by joining the Navy League, the best support group in the fight. We must seek out those who share our values and beliefs and recruit them into our organization.

In 2004, as every year, we will run a tight fiscal ship. Under the direction of our new National Executive Director, Steve Pietropaoli, we will examine every aspect of our structure and operations and make changes necessary to better support the day-to-day functions of our Navy League, ensure better communications between our national headquarters and our councils, and increase our value to the sea services.

As a means to that end, we have made substantial improvements to Sea Power, our best means of communication with our target audiences. We have revitalized the design, shortened the articles, added monthly special reports on key defense topics, and increased our coverage of military men and women. Edited for both lay readers and defense specialists, Sea Power is a vibrant voice of the Navy League.

We will continue to hone our legislative efforts, which achieved important successes this year on issues such as encroachment and improvements to the National Defense Reserve Fleet. We are proud to have played a part in Congress’ approval of $11.5 billion for Navy shipbuilding in 2004. It includes $168 million for the Littoral Combat Ship, a program the Navy League has championed on Capitol Hill.

The sea services are rising to meet the challenges that confront us, and so is the Navy League. Working together, let us ensure that 2004 is remembered as a year of great challenge and profound accomplishment.

Sheila M. McNeill, National President