The Challenges Ahead

Iraq. Syria. Iran. Al Qaeda, Hezbollah, and other terrorist groups. North Korea. Afghanistan. Pakistan and India. China. Israel and Palestine.

And that is only a partial list. All have been very much in the headlines in recent months. Most if not all represent clear and present dangers not only to the United States but to global peace and stability in the brave new world order of the 21st century.

The complexity of the multifaceted challenge facing U.S. decision makers was underscored by the terrorist bombings in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on 12 and 13 May. In that same two-day time frame: U.S. and allied forces were still fighting scattered elements of the Taliban in Afghanistan and taking new casualties in the war to win the peace in Iraq; terrorists killed over 40 people and wounded more than 200 others in attacks on a Russian compound in Chechnya; the U.S.-led initiative on a new peace plan for the Middle East was being resisted by both Israel and Palestine; and President Roh Moo-hyun of the Republic of Korea arrived in Washington for a meeting with President Bush to discuss the implications of North Korea's possession of nuclear weapons.

In the United States itself, meanwhile, thousands of state, local, and federal workers were participating in Topoff 2, a five-day DHS (Department of Homeland Security) exercise that started with the simulated explosion of a "dirty" (i.e., radioactive) bomb in Seattle and included a mock bioterrorist attack in Chicago. A final analysis of the exercise will not be released for several months, but initial reports suggest that: (a) significant progress has been made in the last two years, particularly in advance planning and in creation of the DHS organizational structure, to protect the U.S. homeland and the American people; but (b) this nation is today still more vulnerable to outside attack than at any time since the War of 1812. In short, much has been accomplished, but much more remains to be done.

That same assessment holds true for the unprecedented challenges facing U.S. forces overseas. As many predicted at the time, the end of the Cold War and breakup of the Soviet Union did not really make the world safer. Instead, those cataclysmic geopolitical events fractionated the danger and, combined with the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs)--and WMD delivery systems--made it possible for even small nations to wreak untold destruction on their neighbors. Here, North Korea is the most obvious example.

Despite the continuing and seemingly intractable problems in the Mideast, the possibility of a major confrontation with China--over Taiwan, probably--is now perhaps the worst-case scenario being studied by Pentagon contingency planners. U.S. air and ground forces in the Western Pacific are highly capable, but limited in number. Keeping them supplied would be a major logistics challenge. And it is far from certain that Japan and South Korea would let U.S. bases in those countries be used in a shooting war with China.
As is true in many other areas of the world, the bulk of the combat burden would fall, therefore, on forward-deployed U.S. naval forces. But China's own naval capabilities have been growing rapidly in recent years with the addition of new surface combatants, submarines, fighter and attack aircraft, and long-range missiles. By the end of this decade, in fact, "the PLA Navy may have the ability," according to the Jamestown Foundation's Richard D. Fisher Jr. (writing in the 7 May Asian Wall Street Journal), to mount an air, submarine, and surface attack strong enough "to stop [a] U.S. carrier group." How can and should we as a nation, and we as an organization, respond to such a challenge?

A Personal Note: For the past two years I have had the privilege and honor to serve as your national president. We have worked together through a horrific attack on America and two wars to defeat terrorism. During this trying period our Navy League volunteers celebrated our 100th anniversary as Citizens in Support of the Sea Services.

We have accomplished much in reaching out to Navy League councils through expanded training programs and our online Internet community--which provides updated real-time membership information and easier interaction with our vastly improved Membership Services Department. We no longer send out volumes of "alpha" reports--which were rarely read. Today, councils can obtain current data in a user-friendly format to help them with their membership rosters and assist in council management.

We also have increased our corporate membership base, especially the number of Gold Corporate Memberships, by providing more meaningful benefits.

Our close relationship with sea-service leaders is exemplified by the fact that when the CNO, the Secretary of the Navy, and other senior officials travel they call ahead to NLUS councils to ask if they can participate in council or community events. The Commandants of the Marine Corps and Coast Guard also have been attending more Navy League events, both in the D.C. area and around the country.

In the legislative area we have a growing presence on Capitol Hill, where we helped initiate the Navy and Marine Corps Caucus--which now has 92 members. I want to personally thank the members of our Steering and Executive Committees for their efforts, and for their dedication to making the Navy League the great organization it is. Our new headquarters building is under construction, and when completed it will provide a sound investment for the future as our revamped Development Department promotes the many naming opportunities available.

There have been changes in our Communications Department as well. Sea Power is better than ever, and our public relations staff has been very successful in getting out the Navy League message.

There are many challenges remaining, but I know that your new president, Sheila McNeill, will provide the leadership, enthusiasm, and vision needed to lead the Navy League for the next two years. Thank you again for all of your hard work and dedication. May God bless our country and all members of the sea services defending our freedom.

Timothy O. Fanning, National President