During Memorial Day weekend, Americans were able to witness the might of the Sea Services at the Port of Los Angeles during Fleet Week. The aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson and an assortment of Coast Guard and Navy vessels were on display, along with band routines and armed forces flyovers.
Although the activities and tours were impressive, the Sea Services and other military branches are undergoing numerous challenges despite an annual budget approaching $1 trillion. As we ponder the current and future emerging threats, what can be done to strengthen the Sea Services as proactive forces vis-a-vis peer competitors such as China and Russia?
First, the Coast Guard and Navy could emulate the example of the Marine Corps. The Marines routinely meet recruitment goals while maintaining mental and physical training standards. Because of a range of factors, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and Navy have fallen short of their enlistment and retention goals in recent years. Fortunately, USCG Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti are working to rectify these shortfalls.
Next, the Sea Services ought to make life in the armed forces more attractive for both enlisted ranks and officers. That involves better benefits, reenlistment incentives, life-work balance, and reasonable deployments and transfers that aid in professional development. How the services treat their personnel can go a long way in making tours rewarding and can also turn a shorter commitment into a career. Moreover, service members who refused the COVID-19 vaccine and were forced out should be reinstated if they request it, as they represent critical skillsets and valuable experience.
Third, the Sea Services should avoid current ideological trends in favor of training warfighters who are capable of confronting any crisis instead of reacting to events. Promotions through experience and merit must be the standard in order to prevent accidents or even loss of lives. Military leaders should encourage intellectual diversity and innovative ideas. Moreover, nimble special forces specialties ought to be increased.
Fourth, for the most part, the Marines and Navy are acquiring most of the equipment that they need. However, the Navy could use a few more destroyers, frigates, and supply ships to bolster the 11 carrier strike groups in long-range endeavors. They are utilized to protect the force from air, land, subsurface, and surface threats. Marine and Naval vessel maintenance shipyards could also benefit from expansion and upgrades.
One wonders if federal port inspectors, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency could handle some of these missions. That would free up the USCG to focus on guarding 95,000 miles of coastlines and coordinating with the Marines and Navy in crisis situations. During wartime, the Coast Guard has often been interoperable under the Navy umbrella.
This urgent modernization project takes time but is necessary because of the hybrid warfare and military buildup occurring with our adversaries China and Russia. China has the largest coast guard cutter in the world and augments its regular fleet with armed fishing boats that form a maritime militia.
While the United States has only two heavy-duty icebreakers (Healy and Polar Star) and one for the Great Lakes (Mackinaw), Russia has dozens of icebreakers. Indeed, Russia has the largest icebreaker on Earth (Arktika), which can smash ice 13 feet thick. The United States needs a stronger presence in the Antarctic and Arctic regions as a balancing counterpoint.
The mottos for the Sea Services are Semper Paratus (Always Ready) for the Coast Guard, Semper Fidelis (Always Faithful) for the Marines, and Semper Fortis (Always Courageous) for the Navy. If we want these mottos to be more than mere slogans, then resilient personnel, effective aviation and ship platforms, and relevant rigorous training must be ramped up to deter threats, coordinate with our allies, and project peace through strength.