PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

The Commander in Chief

As a mid-grade Naval Reserve officer I had often heard the numerous "CINC" acronyms--e.g., CINCLANT for commander in chief Atlantic; CINCLANTFLT for commander in chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, etc.--then prevalent in the U.S. armed forces. Nonetheless, the concept of the term itself--commander in chief--and all it means and implies, was still an abstraction meaningful, perhaps, to theoreticians and contingency planners but far above my own pay grade.

Years later, as chief of staff of the U.S. Atlantic Command (now the Joint Forces Command), I had the opportunity, and privilege, of working for the commander in chief, U.S. Atlantic Command, who reported to the commander in chief of all of the nation's armed services--then, President Bill Clinton. There were at that time, in fact, nine uniformed commanders in chief of the major joint U.S. commands, and several single-service commanders in chief--the CINCs of the Navy's Atlantic and Pacific fleets, for example. The overall total, when combined with the nation's civilian commander in chief, the president of the United States, was about 20 or so commanders in chief. This proliferation of CINCs not only defied common sense but also led to a certain amount of confusion to anyone who wanted to know who really was in charge.

Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld has solved the problem by directing that the titles of all of the uniformed CINCs be shortened to "commander." The result is that we now have one, and only one, commander in chief: the president of the United States. Secretary Rumsfeld's decision makes sense to me--and, I am sure, to all members of our nation's naval and military forces.

In today's world, the commander in chief of the United States provides leadership not only for the nation and for our own naval and military forces but also, in many important respects, for the entire free world. There is always a risk, of course, when a CINC sets a course based on his "vision" of what the future may and should be. It is one thing to have a vision; it is another thing entirely to effectively implement that vision. History shows that the most important element in this equation, almost always, is the CINC's willingness to actively support those subordinates and allies who have the responsibility of acting upon his vision and bringing it to fruition.

In last month's mid-term elections the nation's current commander in chief, President George W. Bush, put his personal prestige and political capital on the line by going all out to support those who embrace his vision of the future, particularly his vision of how to best protect this nation and the freedoms we all cherish. Without ignoring the political realities of the elections, it seems evident from the unprecedented results that a clear majority of the American people agree with the national-security vision enunciated by the nation's commander in chief,

articularly as it applies to the global war on terrorism. That vision, spelled out by President Bush numerous times in clear and concise detail, is flexible enough to permit minor modifications if and when needed to gain strength through the support of enough allies--in the U.N. Security Council debate on Iraq, for example--to form a broad-based coalition for action.

There is always a demand for additional details, and for more specifics. But in many situations and scenarios it is much better, for valid military as well as political reasons, not to disclose specific details in advance. In these situations the most effective strategic plan for execution of the vision is better kept in the background so it can evolve and develop in accordance with policies and principles agreed to by Congress and by this nation's coalition partners.

Let there be no mistake about this: Our nation's commander in chief, President George W. Bush, and his senior uniformed and military advisers know where our nation--and, by extension, this nation's armed forces--must go and what they must do to protect our democratic freedoms. From his first day in office this CINC has demonstrated a deep and abiding respect for all who have served in the U.S. military and/or who are now serving in our nation's armed services. On the day after the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 the president met at length with the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Service Secretaries. At that meeting he went around to each person in the room and said, "Never forget. I will never forget. You must never forget."

True to his word, President Bush himself has not forgotten. If anything, he has become even more focused than ever before in confronting the very real, and very dangerous, issues that now face the United States and its allies. And not only the military issues, but also the difficult political and economic issues that threaten to destabilize the less-developed nations of the world.

As national president of the Navy League--a volunteer organization that focuses its efforts on educating the American people about the needs of the sea services--I am confident that I speak for all of our members in stating that the Navy League supports the national-security vision and goals of the nation's commander in chief, President George W. Bush.

Timothy O. Fanning, National President