Jim Webb gave a speech this morning at the 2008 Surface Navy Association Symposium. Some of the news from the speech is coming out, and while some news reports highlight the hyper partisan nature of his speech, when talking about the issues related to Navy shipbuilding he appears to be saying all the right things IMO.The Navy must build more ships to project power across the globe and protect the country’s strategic interests, Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., said Wednesday morning.
“I am concerned today about how far the sea services’ force structure has been allowed to deteriorate,” Webb, a former secretary of the Navy and Marine officer, said at the Surface Navy Association’s annual conference. “The size of naval forces must be considered in terms of our national strategic interests.”
The quotes go on, and as I read through the article I thought to myself that Senator Webb appears to get it, then I read the very last 2 paragraphs of the Navy Times story.
An audience member asked Webb what he thought of the new maritime strategy released by the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard in October, in light of the strategic direction of the maritime services.
“I have not read CNO’s maritime strategy,” he said. Webb explained when was talking about “strategic interests,” he meant the nation’s interests writ large.
It was a very good question, and a very revealing answer. If Senator Webb, a former Secretary of the Navy, hasn't read the CNO's Maritime Strategy, who on capital hill has?
Roughead will testify in front of both the House and the Senate in the coming months. Instead of the usual prepared statements, the Navy should print up the Maritime Strategy in its full color including pictures, distribute to everyone present, and read it out loud to Congress.
Seriously, it couldn't hurt, and is more important than the usual rhetoric.
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