My Own Pivot to the Sea

Admiral Greenert, Gen. Amos and Admiral Papp 

Coast Guard NSC deployment to Arctic in Summer of 2012

The focus of this blog for the past five years has often been on the ongoing efforts by our land forces in Iraq and Afghanistan as they attempted to confront a landscape that provided fertile ground for ideologies who resisted the connectivity spreading across the planet in the past twenty some years since the end of the Cold War. The efforts of the United States and her allies will have to wait the test of time to see if any worthy legacy will honor the cost in lives, treasury and the loss of focus on other areas of our security, most evident in the maritime arena.

In that vein, I am going to be devoting even more attention to our sea services and the importance of owning the legacy of being a maritime nation. I have added a heading for blog links devoted to naval centric topics and encourage all to read them frequently.

This past week I was privileged to attend the West 2013 Conference in San Diego, where I was able to attend several panel discussions and a very informative luncheon where the guests were the Chief of Naval Operations ADM Jonathan W. Greenert, Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen James F. Amos, and Commandant of the Coast Guard ADM Robert J. Papp Jr. who participated in a round table discussion of the future of the sea services. I have linked the video below, and encourage all to take an hour to listen carefully the their words.

Another, panel I attended discussed the Chinese Navy and her intentions, be they a challenge or a potential partner in maintaining safe passage for all maritime global commerce. That video is also below.

LCS's Independence and Freedom

One major naval centric blog, Information Dissemination, saw the return to frequent blogging by their astute commander, Galrahn who in this post, questions the value of the LCS class ships, and invited this guest post by Robert 'O Work the Under Secretary of the Navy. Excellent posts by both gentlemen as well a give and take in the comments sections.

Chinese shipyard

Mirroring some of the concerns voiced by the panel on Chinese Naval intentions, Galrahn posted this piece that if the Chinese take a page from FDR's Depression era shipbuilding program, will protend a fleet three times larger than today's by 2020. Galrahn concern is the following.

What does the PLA Navy look like if the Chinese decide to retain their shipbuilding sector through this downward economic period by keeping only 30 (~15%) of their major shipyards open via governemnt orders? I don't know what that would look like, but I will note that 30 major shipyards building navy ships is the same shipbuilding capacity the United States leveraged to build all warships in World War II. While no one would expect China to field ships at the same pace the US did in WWII, even if China adds orders of a single large PLAN vessel or multiple smaller vessels for 30 shipyards over 5 years while sustaining current construction pace for PLA Navy and government maritime agencies, the size of the PLAN and associated government maritime agencies could potentially triple by 2020.

Now tell me what it looks like if the Chinese government sustains 30%, or even 50% of their shipbuilding sector with government orders for PLA Navy and government maritime agency vessel orders. In theory, the Chinese government could decide to build their own 1000 ship Navy over the next 5 years by simply buying 2 ships at only 100 of their large shipyards for the sole political and economic purpose of saving the 50% of shipbuilders who are expected to go out of business over the next 2-3 years, with the very real alternative being that all those manufacturing workers become unemployed.

If this is a topic of interest, read the links. All of them. For the record, the title is a Chinese proverb that when translated literally means 'when the wind of change blows, some build walls, while others build windmills.' It is another way of saying it is better to adapt than to be stubborn. When I think about the variety of topics discussed, I thought the proverb fit, not just the Chinese but us as well.
 

Read the whole post: 风向转变时,有人筑墙,有人造风车

Sea Service Chiefs Round table West 2013

 

Panel: Chinese Navy: Operational Challenge or Potential Partner?



 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let's always speak softly people, and carry a "Big Stick."

USS Iowa

Container ship unloading at Port of Los Angeles

Photo LA Times

The past few weeks the focus has been nautical as I have been writing about being a volunteer helping to restore the USS Iowa BB-61 from a state of suspended life, to a return to glory as a museum and education center. The ship is berthed along the main channel for the Port of Los Angeles where the guests and staff are treated to the daily arrival and departure of all manner of commercial vessels carrying the bulk of global commerce that fuels the rise of a global middle class. When a great container ship comes up the channel people gather on the port rails to gaze in amazement as these great ships make their way up the channel. For most of the people on the ship, this is the only opportunity to experience how connected the United States is to the rest of the world. Watching their reaction and having the opportunity to speak to many of them as they voice their new found awareness, led me to pen this post.

From the CSBA report on the ASBC: the section entitled "Blind PLA ISR Systems."

As our armed forces begin to find a way to extract ourselves from what has turned into a war of attrition in Afghanistan, the focus has turned to the sea and the discovery that our influence is adrift in many areas. Some voices are doing all they can to do what might be seen as "tagging" in a political sense by publicly releasing bombing targets to be sought in the opening rounds of a Sino/US conflict. Saner voices have begun to point out the inconsistency of our position as noted in this post from Thomas PM Barnett in Time's Battleland online, where Barnett pulls no punches in his criticism.

Nice Washington Post piece (by Greg Jaffe, of course) on the great COIN counterattack that is the Pentagon’s AirSea Battle.

As scenario work goes, what the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Analysis has done in its war-games has to rank right up there with the most egregiously implausible efforts ever made to justify arms build-ups.

Read more: AirSea Battle: The Military-Industrial Complex’s Self-Serving Fantasy

On the Beach (1959)

Barnett was just getting wound up in his desconstruction of this concept and continued write more on the topic, by commenting and linking an analysis by an Australian strategist who if we recall the film On the Beach  is about the last place standing after a bunch of great powers pulled the ultimate trigger.

AirSea Battle calls for deep strikes on the Chinese mainland to blind and suppress PLA surveillance systems and degrade its long-range strike capabilities. Such an attack, even if it relied solely on conventional systems, could easily be misconstrued in Beijing as an attempt at pre-emptively destroying China’s retaliatory nuclear options. Under intense pressure, it would be hard to limit a dramatic escalation of such a conflict – including, in the worst case, up to and beyond the nuclear threshold.

 Barnett adds his own comments and literally calls out loudly the reality of pulling the trigger in a hope of preserving US hegemony.

Keeping China from doing something truly stupid in East Asia is not hard. We need to undermine their asymmetrical approach by - as this article argue - creating our own, and NOT by setting ourselves up for a rapidly escalating great-power war. Bombing the length and breadth of China in the opening hours of some crisis is just plain stupid and reckless and painfully unimaginative. This is a massive retaliation response that pretends China isn't a nuclear power capable of significant retaliation.

Sometimes I feel like I'm the only person who hasn't taken the crazy pill on this one: YOU DON'T CONDUCT WIDESPREAD BOMBING CAMPAIGNS AGAINST THE HOMELANDS OF NUCLEAR POWERS!

Read More: Nice critique of the sheer - and reckless - overkill that is ASBC

Why is Thomas Barnett right on this isssue? It is written in his next post, which goes hand in hand with those container ships that slide past the USS Iowa on a daily basis.

Point being, we are locked in a symbiotic relationship with China. There is no good global economy without us and there is no good global economy without them.

 This is what gets me when Pentagon strategists casually consider war with China, to include direct attacks on the Chinese homeland. What happens to the global economy when the two intertwinned biggest national economies decide to start blowing each other's citizens up? The global economy would tank at a speed that would stun everybody. There wouldn't be any days or weeks of bombing campaigns. We'd have global economic turmoil of a stunning nature well before that, as the markets would freak out.

And this final spot-on broadside from Barnett's keyboard.

Beyond that fantastic scenario extension lies CSBA’s plans to basically destroy the entire Chinese air force and submarine fleet, plus institute a “distant blockade” that would see us interdict and search—and here the irony balloons—China’s seaborne trade, which ought to be fairly simple since so much of it involves the US economy. And because it’s not easy to stop committed large ships (don’t tell Somalia’s pirates), CSBA broaches the notion of using Air Force bombers to “provide ‘on-call’ maritime strike.” One can only imagine how many thousands of Wal-Mart containers the US military could send to the bottom of the Pacific before the White House would hear some complaints from the US business community. But why let that reality intrude?

Read more: A complication that displays the interdependency between the Chinese and US economies

Now I am a realist, as well as being a bit of a hawk in the area of defense, but Barnett makes sense on this one.

The interest of the United States strategically remains and has always been to preserve our interests as a maritime nation and having not only a strong navy, but a solid strategy is the bedrock principal in continuing to lead that role. It seems that other's are sensing the same thing. Several new blogs have appeared in the past couple of months to join the bevy of excellent sites like Information Dissemination, and US Naval Institute Blog. Two of the most active are the Center for International Maritime Security and most recently, The Diplomat's Flashpoint.  Naval centric topics have joined the list of simulations on Wikistrat "When China’s Carrier Group Enters the Persian Gulf".

My advice is for everyone to keep their powder dry and their nukes locked shut and take the time to ponder how we can all share this blue, as in mostly covered in water planet in peace. Being prepared is essential to a nation's survival, but bluster, and veiled threats of insured destruction, are about as productive as announcing that your planning to negotiate a new loan, while seated across from the banker, fully armed and wearing combat gear and twirling your pistol. In the best traditions of our country, we have always managed our way through over a century of being a great power by following Theodore Roosevelt's admonition to "Speak softly, and carry a big Stick." It is not lost that the USS Iowa's nickname is "Big Stick."

Recommended Reads for a Summer day

Crossroads, What path to take?

" Image Crossroads (C) by www.martin-liebermann.de"

http://www.martin-liebermann.de/

I have not posted a recommended reading list in quite a while and realized that this is one of the best ways to share ideas in the best traditions of the Medici Effect of convergent ideas meeting at an intersection to be discussed and pondered. The lead off post hails from the desk of Thomas PM Barnett, Chief Analysis for Wikistrat. Tom's post is in response to an inquiry he received from a reader asking for career advice.

As I read "The Pentagon's New Map", I see the book's content as a balanced amalgamation of data, research and insights. You are exactly what I want to be what I grow up.I would love to be that analyst who makes a difference in the way business and political decisions are made.

How do you recommend I get to that point in my career?

Dr. Barnett's response was concise regarding this specific inquiry, but has lessons for everyone contemplating their future.

Never turn down a chance to do public speaking. In fact, seek them out at every opportunity. Even if you do a lot of public speaking, it will take the usual 10,000 hours before you get really good.

Study as many foreign languages as you can fit in. Studying several languages is more important than mastering one. Good storytelling is ultimately translation, and the best-communicating experts are experts at talking to other experts from fields other than their own.

Write every day. If you don't get enough opportunities, then start you own blog or join a group blog.

Prepare to view good writing as a lifetime pursuit. It will take nonstop writing for about a decade before you really get good.

Whenever possible, seek out and work with professional editors on everything you write.

Read authors whose style you admire and work their tendencies into your own material.

Listen to what people say you do best and then do that as much as possible, getting others to do things for you that you do poorly. So if mentors you trust tell you're not a good writer and not a good speaker, then spending your life trying to overcome your weaknesses is probably not a great idea. You'd be better off sticking to what you're best at and trying to make those skills world class.

Nobody is good at everything. Life involves choices.

Read the whole post here

Innovators

Co-billing this week is shared by this post from Enterra Insights that zero's in on innovation and how the US can remain the nation of innovators. Steve DeAngelis begins with this opening paragraph.

I don't believe that any particular group of people or type of person has a stranglehold on innovation. Innovators can come from all races, genders, religions, countries, economic circumstances, and cultures. Even so, that doesn't stop people from trying to detect hot spots of innovation to determine why those hot spots exist. One thing that most analysts agree upon is that education helps create such spots. Specifically, more young people need to be educated in science, technology, engineering and math, the so-called STEM fields. In the search for future innovators, one group that has received a lot of attention is immigrants

The post is filled with insights and links that deserve reading and consideration of how we can ensure the future is one we all dream of for our children.
Read the whole post Innovators of the Future

This next post highlights the changing focus of our national defense and security back to the sea and our maritime heritage. Rimpac 2012 is wrapping up this week in Hawaii, where 22 nations naval forces came together to train and learn with the goal of preserving the free access to the worlds oceans. Here is the list from Information Dissemination, of the nations and vessels participating.

RIMPAC 2012

Rimpac 2012 Order of Battle

The focus on naval issues is most apparent when one considers these next recommended reads.

Iran Gearing up for naval fight in the PG versus US, ThomasPM Barnett

A Busy Week in the South China Sea, Center for International Maritime Security

And this trio of posts from a cracking new naval centric strategy blog, Flashpoints: Diplomacy by other means.

Military Strategy for an Unthinkable Conflict

The Land, the Sea, and History

Taiwan's South China Sea Plan

And finally, this on the latest growing boondoggle over whether the LCS can ever assume it's intended role.

Maintinance problems mount for the LCS

A Love Affair

Iowa #1 turret

I have a confession to make. I have fallen in love, deeply and overjoyed every time I am with her. I can't wait to rush down to visit her and crawl all over her magnificent frame and marvel at her every nook and cranny. I am speaking about my love affair with the USS Iowa BB-61 now open as a museum and education center at pier 87, in San Pedro, CA.

Robert Kent, CEO Pacific Battleship Center

The affair began from afar, when I first became acquainted with the efforts of the Pacific Battleship Center led by Robert Kent and company, to bring the Iowa to Southern California. However, I was not prepared for what happened a few weeks ago when I first stepped aboard her wooden decks and took my place alongside dozens of fellow volunteers willing to give up days off, to grind, weld, scrape, paint, replace decks, and haul all manner of material, in an effort to get her dressed for her grand opening. I wrote in a previous post about those first days and the intrepid crew that led the volunteers who make up the ship operations division. The story that unfolded since that first post, has become more than a brief footnote in this great ships lifetime, but an ongoing journey that sees men and women falling in love with  this ship and her history.

Last week, my brother, Vince, navy veteran, and former caretaker on the USS Hornet, came down for our annual visit, and being a fellow plank owner on the Iowa, joined me in bringing her to life. Our motivation was in part to honor the memory of our father, Jay Wade, Navy veteran of World War II, who served in the Pacific throughout the war. We left the house before dawn last Friday, and queued up on the dock to be checked by the diligent security team before bounding up the gangway. We then proceeded to a berthing space/wardrobe division, where we changed to blue coveralls, and then mustered in crews mess for our safety meeting and job assignments. Our fellow crew members ranged from young high school ROTC members, veterans, retired shipyard workers, and some who never served, but soon became shipmates, as devoted as any assembled in our country's history. After getting our assignments we dispersed in small groups where within a few minutes, informal leadership was established, along with the kind of bonding that can only occur when people do jobs that involve some level danger and skill.

Removing armored hatch, Wade brothers on the cheater bar. Mike Getscher on the torch

"Man against steel, man always wins." Mike Getscher, Chief Engineer, USS Iowa, 2012

As the day progressed, the bonding became as natural as mixing sugar and cream in coffee, until the perfect blend of teamwork led to a job being completed on time, and without injury. The common thread that surfaced in working with everyone in what is know as "Ship Ops" is the joy that kept everyone hard at work as sweat stained our caps and coveralls, and empty water bottles began to be strewn about like shell casings during a "Kamikaze" attack in 1945. Being a historian and an observer of people, the breaks between assignments gave me an opportunity to learn about my fellow volunteers, and what led them to work for the sum of hard work and toil. To a man and women, they all confessed it happened after the first day they stepped aboard. Many came with the idea of working a day or two as a way to see the ship. However, for all I spoke too, seduction stepped in, as the Iowa, being the grand lady she is, caused all who grace her decks and hallowed passageways, to fall in love with her magnificent body, and the spirit one can physically sense in every compartment.

Over the next four days, Vince and I, joined with our new brothers and a few sisters, to make the ship ready not for sea; but to receive hundreds of former Iowa crew members, and for the grand opening on July 7. As the countdown continued, deadlines had to be met, welding teams worked 24/7 to prepare the new brows, and our teams scrambled to hang fire extinguishers, rig emergency lighting, repair rails and ladders, and clear the deck, so as to pass the important fire inspections for safety and security.

Daily Breeze Photo: Robert Casillas

Monday afternoon July 2nd, saw the ship welcome the hundreds who had become "Plank Owners" by contributing money to fund the ship's restoration. They were joined by many veterans of the Iowa who were holding their reunion over the next few days. Those veterans showed that the love for the ship does not dissipate with time, but only grows deeper, and more moving. Old men stepped aboard, and within the blink of an eye, they became 20 again, as they returned to what for most, was the most memorable time in their lives. One fellow volunteer related taking a veteran who had been assigned to the engine room, down several decks, steadying his feet each step, as the veteran's caregiver held his arms. My fellow shipmate related that tears welled up in that old veteran's eyes when he entered the space where he entered adulthood so long ago, and for a moment, he shed scores of years as he told about working in the heat of the South Pacific so long ago. Similar images played out hundreds of times around the ship, as men showed their wives, children, and grand children where grandpa had lived and fought for his country.

For this old army veteran, it brought tears to my eyes as one realized that these men in the very twilight of their lives, sought for one more time to visit the woman who still held their first love. We who are volunteers have come to know the same feeling that inspired those men. I can not fully explain it, but here I am today making a public confession that I love that ship and cherish every moment I step aboard her historic decks.

Dedication ceremony July 4, 2012

This story is continuing to unfold. When the ship opened this Saturday July 7th, over 4000 people lined up to walk her decks and marvel at the power projected in her massive 16" guns. There is much more work to be done to open more of the ship to the public. Volunteers are welcome, but beware that this lady will seduce you, and steal your heart forever. I can not say enough about the leadership of this organization, our skipper Robert Kent, and his staff. Special recognition must be given to our own Lt. Dan, who as assistant ships engineer was the ramrod and spark plug behind our daily efforts. Dan, is a dynamo, who along with Mac our CPO, used the forum of our safety meetings to remind us all in a sonnet, that this ship was a lady who deserved respect, and would treat you right if you treated her right, and hurt you if you forgot to respect her and treat her like gold. Then there is volunteer, Jim Baca who was joined by his wife Sandra, and son. Jim alone, has volunteered over 700 hours the past nine months as the ships electrician/gunners mate, and is a wealth of information on the 16" guns. His wife a former navy veteran herself, remarked that they when they found the Iowa, volunteering was a natural as when they both first joined the Navy.

There are many others behind the scene, each of whom played an integral part in bring the Iowa to life. Some I came to know, like Robert's daughter Erin, who runs the wardrobe department, and always has a kind word for all who came to help. Then there is exhibit curator Dave Way, who worked tirelessly, to take a cluttered space, clean it up, and create a informative museum that showcases the history of the Iowa, and the heritage of battleships, while interviewing tour guide candidates, and planning for future exhibits. And finally, perhaps the hardest working of all, volunteer coordinator Sue Schmidt, who often was sending email up dates, (well after the bars had closed,) just to give you an idea of the time frame of her work day, as she coordinated the thousands of volunteer applications and scheduling assignments.

gunnersmate/electrician Jim Baca

Lt Dan and wife Vicky

Dave Way

Sue Schmidt

I wake every morning, longing for the chance to become a permanent member of her crew as the museum and education center become active. Until then, I will keep volunteering, and spending as much time as possible enjoying what for me, is both a time machine, a primary source for history to our country's maritime heritage, and now; one of the great loves of my life.

Yours truly, HG

Volunteer link
Virtual Tour of Iowa, LA Times

USS Iowa: Progress Report

Iowa in San Pedro

Volunteers on Iowa

Today I was privileged to spend the day on board the USS Iowa with dozens of motivated volunteers and a small dedicated staff who are literally working their tails off getting Iowa ready for the celebrations the will begin July 2, and continue as she hosts the USS Iowa Veterans Reunion and then her grand opening on July 7. The work already done in Richmond produced amazing results for a ship that was left absorbing the elements for over twenty years. Much work is still needed to get her ready, and what amounts to enough volunteers to almost fill her original complement, have stepped forward in such numbers to keep the scheduling staff working day and night, processing the applications of those willing to lend a hand.

This was my second day aboard the Iowa. Last weekend I joined up with a small group of strangers who soon became shipmates, as we went about the task of removing the walls of a petty officers lounge to make way for expanding the museum space. The task at first seemed daunting as the walls resisted our grinding tools that made little progress against what turned out the be honeycomb metal walls. We soon collectivly seized upon using a combination of metal saws and grinders to cut away the walls and open the space. Sparks flew, smoke spewed, and the ever present danger of fire, was suppressed under a careful watch. The walls soon gave way to present a new problem of how to get them topside. All the while, our little group continued to bond and in doing so, put our heads together to solve the problem of removing walls, then winching them topside through the hatch via a block and tackle. By the end of the day we were the tightest of shipmates, and left for our homes with a feeling of accomplishment, and even deeper, that sense of comraderie when you've made new friends.

Lt. Dan, Operations Boss

Today was no different, as the volunteers gathered in a crew dining space and awaited the safety meeting which is the daily benediction, before fanning out to the various assignments. Except for staff, most of the faces were new to me; except James a fellow volunteer from our Saturday crew. He and I were assigned to go with the Ship Ops Lead, Mac, to  raise the colors on the fantail, and them forward to raise the pennant on the bow. We then collected a half dozen ROTC students from San Pedro High, who had been coming aboard every day this week to lend a hand. The main task today was to move a large stack of life rafts racks to the side of the ship for removal to the dock. They were nested in rows below the barrels of number three turret and needed to be moved to the side of the ship where they would be hooked on to the forks of a lift and off loaded onto the dock. I must admit, it was challenging work, as we carefully untied the racks, stacked four high, and then by shear muscle power lifted then to the deck, and carried them to the rail, careful not to mar the wooden deck.

"Mac"

Our leader, was a former Iowa crew member who we will acknowledge as "Mac" who's first priority was doing it Safely, Safely, and more Safely!. The students worked along side old salts, and this old army guy, as we moved those heavy racks one by one to the side for offloading. Mac, kept everyone's head in the game with his ever present cautioning and if needed chewing out if anyone strayed from paying attention to the lurking danger associated with offloading such material. He demonstrated, then supervised the careful hooking of the straps, and calling out caution as each rack soared over the side onto the dock.  We them moved onto other assignments, each acomplished without a whimper of complaint, or any shirking to the task by old or young. The ROTC group consisted of five boys and one girl, who represented the diversity of Los Angeles and America today. Our next task was moving 60 cases of water, by forming a chain gang and passing the cases across the deck to a hatch where they were slid them down to the galley below and via chain gang moved snake like to a storage space. Again, us old guys were hard pressed to keep up with the enthusiasm of those students. During a break I learned that they were part of an Air Force ROTC program, and all planned to go into the Air Force, (too bad Navy, as they would make great sailors). All I can say is I tried to pitch them to consider switching services when they graduated.

I came away with two impressions, the first, that all of those who have volunteered, each feel a deep sense of commitment to the ship and the sea service. And second, they all share the feeling that they are part of a great enterprise, and take immense pride in working on the Iowa. Even more heartening, was my impression of the high school students who never once complained, or shirked from any assignment, and actually jumped at any task they were assigned. I am assured, that some of America's future leaders were among that group, and demonstrated the kind of grit and innovation that is a purely American trait.

Battleships: America's Symbol of Becoming a Great Power

USS Iowa, passing Golden Gate, 2012

History has recorded the rise of empires that spanned continents, but it took the rise of naval power to see influence and power expanded to global proportions. Nations in the past have tried, but did not have the source code of being a maritime nation to found and sustain a navy capable of being a global force. Not until Great Britain established a navy to be reckoned with in the 17th century, did a nation first become a global power. It was not until American naval officer Alfred Thayer Mahan wrote The Influence of Sea Power upon History: 1660-1783 in 1890, did nations begin to take measures to build strong blue water navies and saw Great Britain launch the for-runner of the modern battleship, the Dreadnought in 1906.

Roosevelt reviewing the fleet

The United States, in reality was a small nation that grew into what could best be described as a continental nation that had the geographic characteristics of an island, with two vast oceans on each side. Mahan's theory was adopted by then Assistant Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt, who moved to expand shipbuilding, and upon becoming President, launched the United States on the course that led to being a Great Power.

USS Iowa leading the battle line

The first, and most enduring symbol of the America's trajectory to becoming what Thomas PM Barnett wrote is, "The source code for this era's version of globalization, which superseded the colonial model of world integration after its collapse..." has been the battleship, which after four decades of being our symbol of naval force, saw the aircraft carrier and submarine, take the stage in projecting sea power and securing the sea lanes. However, battleships continued to serve alongside the carriers and add to the projection of force for the next five decades until the end of  the Cold War ushered in them into permanent retirement. Today, all of the surviving battleships stand as sentinels to the heritage that gave birth to a world that has seen more people achieve middle class status than anytime in history, and a world that has gone over half a century without a great power war.

Navy Seals visit Iowa at offshore

USS Decatur passes in review

This past week saw one of the last of these great battleships, the USS Iowa BB-61 taste the open sea one more time as she was moved south to the Port of Los Angeles to become a living history museum and education center. The passage of this great ship captured the attention of thousands who lined the shore as she passed under the Golden Gate. The active U.S. Navy stood in salute, and as she road at anchor having her hull cleaned off the coast of Los Angeles, Navy Seals and the USS Decatur cruised by to offer one more salute and pause to remember her service and the legacy of American naval sea power she represented.

Iowa coming into port

Iowa, doubling down

The interest in this great ship has continued; over 1200 have volunteered, to supplement the hundreds who worked the past seven months in Richmond, CA to make her ready to assume her new mission this July 7th, when she opens to the public. What makes battleships so special? Maybe it is because they are so powerful looking we stand in awe. Aircraft carriers look massive, but without air operations, seem benign and almost like visiting a floating city. Battleships on the other hand, bristle with all manner of fire power from their massive main guns, to the secondary weapons. American love their fireworks, and ships like the Iowa are a living symbol of the ultimate fireworks maker. Then there is the armor, as thick as 17" in some places, and inside the bowels, machinery that stand as a tribute to ingenuity and manufacturing skill of our forefathers. Those of you who read this on your computer might be surprised to learn that the first Mark I computers were designed and installed on the Iowa Class ships to calculate the firing solutions for their 16" guns.

The contributions of these great ships has been more than their intended role to slug it out with other battleships in great contests rivaling those that occurred two hundred years ago, as we remember the War of 1812. But it is well documented that without them, the history of our rise would not have been possible.

Sailing Orders: USS Iowa BB-61

USS Iowa, by Don Bartletti, LA Times

From Los Angeles Times May 12, 2012

In four days May 20, 2012, a trio of tug boats will begin to ease the USS Iowa away from the pier in Richmond, CA where she has undergone an extensive re-refurbishment that resembled her past preparations for a deployment. However, in this case, instead of off to war, she is being prepared to sail one more time as she is moved south to be anchored off the Port of Los Angeles and given a final touch up before being the main event in a grand entrance down the main channel to berth 87 in San Pedro, former home of the US Navy's Battle Fleet from 1919-1940. This great undertaking is led by the Pacific Battleship Center headed by Robert Kent, and a devoted staff, along with hundreds of volunteers who have been working long hours in Richmond, as well as many hundreds more waiting in Southern California, who are anxious to climb aboard and help get her sparkling, and ready to become what is destined to be the finest living ship museum, and education center in the world.

I have watched the progress as the ship left Suisun Bay last October and was moved to pier 3 in Richmond, and as each week passed, followed the updates posted by many of those volunteers on the Facebook page for Pacific Battleship. This weekend will mark a new chapter for the Iowa and a chance to taste the tang of the open seas as she passes the near littorals and moves south to her new home. A web page has been set up to track her progress as she is towed by Crowley tug Warrior and her cohorts. Soon, I will be taking my turn in preparing her for July 7th, when her gangway will welcome thousands who have a hankering to experience the aura of this grand ship and learn of her sailors and missions that spanned over half a century.

This week also is the final opportunity to become a plank owner, so anyone who wants to both pitch in or lend a hand, visit the link below.

Plank Owners

volunteer

Thoughts on a Maritime Nation

Dropping Astern: HMS Guerriere versus USS Constitution

19 August 1812

The maritime theme that most often runs through this blog, and binds it together, is the same one that for over two hundred years has bound together the United States, and led to our success as a nation and great power. Due to our ability to recognize our failings, and self correct ourselves this path has led to a world more prosperous and secure, than any time since humans have existed. Our nation was founded by people who journeyed to our shores on ships, and then when divorced from Europe, founded a navy to protect our shores and lanes of commerce.

The past two decades since the end of the Cold War and ten years of war in Southwest Asia has seen the Navy take a back seat. First as the fleet, post-Cold War shrank to the smallest since the 1920's, and second, as the soaring cost of two land wars outstripped the treasury more than any conflict since World War II, and diverted funds from shipbuilding programs.

The recent decision by President Obama to commit to a "Strategic Pivot" to reinforce our presence in the Western Pacific has left the Navy with hard choices to do more with less, as it plans to retire 16 ships and now 7 more cruisers and 2 amphibious ships next year. Some in Congress have begun to question the logic and soundness of the Navy's decision. This topic has spread to the influential naval centric blog of Information Dissemination, where this post generated lively debate. Amid the plans for pivoting to Asia is a rather large fly in the ointment named Iran. Reading the "Tea Leaves" tends support the phrase, plan for the worst, and hope for the best.

Looking back, to the beginning of the nation Alexander Hamilton lobbied for the maintaining of a strong navy that was chronicled in the recent book, Six Frigates by Ian Toll. Our nation relied on ships like these were our first line of defense during the war of 1812 when the USS Constitution made history and due to her service remains on active duty as a tribute to those first ships.

At the end of the 19th century the pen of Alfred Thayer Mahan produced a book that introduced Theodore Roosevelt then the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, to apply the principles of The Influence of Sea Power on History 1660-1783 when he became president. Mahan's book was the bible that guided American naval strategy during the 20th century and now is being followed by China, as she moves to correct a historical mistake they made in the 15th century.

The story of our naval heritage in the 20th century and especially the War in the Pacific was written about in a masterful way by Samuel Eliot Morison who's books are still available from US Naval Institute.

USS Johnston at Battle off Samar 25 October 1944

Other authors have published recent books that chronicle our naval history during World War II. Men like James D Hornfischer who has penned three books bound to be classics, and Ian Toll whose Pacific Crucible joins his previous Six Frigates, as another classic account of the US Navy.

It might also be noted as President Obama is prone to call a "Learning Moment," to consider that the two presidents who had the most influence on the American Navy in the 20th century, both learned to appreciate sea power when serving as Assistant Secretaries of the Navy. As noted above, Theodore, and his cousin Franklin D. Roosevelt, held that post and both brought our Navy to the forefront of a global presence that has lasted to this day. One can only hope that future presidents heed their example, and maintain the Navy as a force that will continue to wear the mailed, or surgical glove, with equal mastery.

Back on the Bridge, and Forging Ahead!

Forging on ahead!

Wikistrat North American Energy Export Boom

The blog has been a bit quiet this past week as I started teaching a new round of classes, and contributing to two simulations for Wikistrat, What Comes After Chavez? and, an in-depth project, the North American Energy Export Boom. Both simulations are excellent, and the cloud of minds that have been assembled, have led to insights beyond my expectations. Mindful of neglecting the blog, I want to step back onto the bridge, and into the realm of history, and visit my favorite subject, naval history and how it relates to this nation's heritage and future security.

USS Iowa BB-61

tour route of Iowa

A couple of weeks ago, I attended a presentation by Robert Kent, President and founder of the Pacific Battleship Center, now tasked with preserving the USS Iowa BB-61 the Battleship of Presidents as a living museum and education center, soon to be stationed at Pier 87 in San Pedro, California. I wrote stationed, because unlike other museum ships, the Iowa along with her sister the Wisconsin, is mandated by Congress to be kept in a state or readiness, so if the need arises, they can be returned to duty to defend the nation.

Robert Kent, CEO, Pacific Battleship Center

What Robert Kent conveyed to those gathered was a view into how the Iowa will be preserved, and how it will convey not only the history of it's long service, but the history of the great gun ships down through history. More than just examples of firepower will be displayed, visitors will learn about the level of engineering skill that went into designing, and building the massive turrets with a precision that compared to the best Swiss watches. As visitors move deeper into the center of the great ship, they will experience what it was like to live and work aboard the ship, from her commissioning on Washington's Birthday, 1943, to the last time her ensign was lowered in 1990.
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The Iowa is a living example of the industrial ingenuity and the skill of the thousands of workers who fashioned the machinery that even today stands as an engineering marvel. Using the latest technology, visitors will be able to experience via the magic developed in Hollywood, a "Life at Sea." as they are taken on tours, guided by experts who will give them the experience of being on a active duty ship. Without giving away any trade secrets the tours will set the bar for museum experiences, to a new level. I can not say enough about this amazing enterprise.  After meeting Robert and his indispensable partner Trish Place, I was impressed enough to be willing to swab the deck, chip paint, and any other task, just to share in their passion for this great ship. They have led this effort with all the skill of the greatest naval captains who ever commanded a ship and deserve a fleet wide signal of Bravo Zulu.

As noted above, the battleship is to be maintained in a state of readiness in the event of having to be recalled to duty. Recent developments in armaments have been touted as making gun ships completely obsolete, where million dollar a shot cruise missiles, drones, and the soon to be deployed, railgun which if all goes well, will be on navy ships within five years. But wait! is it wise to shed the tried and true methods of defense? One of the advantages of the Iowa is that she is equipped with both guns, cruise missiles, and anti-ship missiles. There is a soon to be released fiction movie based on the board game "Battleship," where a modern naval fleet when confronted with an alien invasion must fall back to the old reliable and obsolete battleship to save planet Earth. I know this is great fiction, but recent developments in a weapons system that will defeat electronics, including radar, computers, and the control of missiles, was successfully tested by the Air Force in May, 2011. This technology uses HPM (high power microwave), which is the non-nuclear equivalent of the EMP (electromagnetic pulse) weapon. It stands to reason that what we have now, will soon be had by other nations, (think nukes). So given that reality, it's back to the future for war-fighting.

A final thought about the battleship and her main armament the 16 inch gun, and it's amazing accuracy, along with the relative cost per round, compared to the cost of a cruise missile, is something to ponder when considering the cost of launching hundreds of cruise missiles into Libya last year. A few weeks ago, I attended the West 2012 Conference about the Navy in the 21st century, and listened, as both the Navy and Marines discussed the need to maintain the ability to preform a forced entry by sea, something that hearkens back to the days of Alexander the Great. Hopefully, that day never comes, but until the railgun, or some other technological advancement is developed to defeat HPM weapons, the last two Iowa class battleships stand ready to answer the call.

For those who would like to be a plank owner, the window is still open for a couple more months.
USS Iowa Plank owner

West 2012-The Navy and Marines in the next decade

US Navy

US Marine Corps

This past week I had the pleasure of attending the WEST 2012 Conference in San Diego, where the theme was America's Military at the Crossroads: What's Out and What's In for 2012 and Beyond. I was encouraged to attend by the involvement of the event co-sponsor, the United State Naval Institute. The USNI has been in the forefront of offering a platform where those with an interest in the Navy and all the attendant aspects of strategy, history and tactics are given a forum to express and discuss their interests. The attention to the future of the sea services became all the more important in the recent changes being described as the "Strategic Pivot" to face west into the Pacific and prepare to confront what some see as a potential adversary, China, as she builds her own blue water navy. How big is this threat? Are we building the right fleet, or are we building a fleet based on the last major war WWII? What in the light of the current economic times, can we afford to build. And finally, what kind of Sailors and Marines and leaders do we need for the next two decades and beyond? Those are some of the questions that the conference's many panels attempted to answer.

ADM Mike Mullen

I was able to attend some of the many panel discussions and was able to hear former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Admiral Mike Mullen (ret), as he spoke of his vision and hopes, for the future of our defence strategy and the needs to return to the traditional role of the Navy, as both an instrument of war, and diplomacy. Now retired, he gave a visionary speech, that was refreshing in the lack of boilerplate rhetoric that some still in uniform were obligated to profess in their comments.

UltimaRatioRegis

Col Merritt Edson, USMC

As noted above, I attended because of the USNI, and had the opportunity to become acquainted with several of the major contributors to their fine blog. I had know of one young petty officer, from his posts and another who wrote under the name of UltimaRatioRegis: The Last Argument of Kings . My first introduction to  these two fine men, came during the question and answer part of a panel discussion on whether the Navy and Marines would "Hang together, or Hang Separately." I looked up to see a Petty officer standing behind the mike, where he proceeded to ask the two admirals about the quality of shipbuilding, using the example of the well known problems of his former ship, a class leader as the example. I instantly recognized him, as the young petty officer blogger noted above, and was impressed by his eloquence as he addressed the flags. The next question was raised by a Marine Lt. Col. who was reminiscent of famed Marine Col. Edson in his demeanor and the directness of his questions to the panel. His message to the panel was that the Marine Corp return to the fundamentals that were the same as those developed in 1943-44, that forced entry needs to breach the beaches in order to have a place to bring the supporting elements for a prolonged campaign. Later, I learned he was the one making the "Last Argument of Kings" from above. The point of mentioning these two gentlemen, is to reflect the quality of those who express their views on the USNI blog, and have the stones to stand before an esteemed panel and really speak for the thousands of sailors and marines who trust that those in the flag rank, the civilian leaders, and the suppliers of all manner of tools for the service; understand that the trust of the men and women in their equipment and leadership is in their hands. One would hope that those leaders, will heed the concerns from the rank and file, and step beyond the personal motives of managing their careers, or landing a future post-retirement job with a supplier, and step up to leave a lasting legacy that ensures those who serve and the nation, will have the leadership and tools to meet the 21st century requirements.

After watching several panels discuss topics, I noted that many of the attendees were brought to the point of being glassy eyed, stealthily texting, or playing with their iPhones or pads. Thankfully, each panel had at least one or two, who stepped up to show both leadership and and voiced an opinion that proved the Navy and Marines have real leaders who care about their men. These were the admirals and generals who talked about their men first, and used ample references to history to formulate their thoughts. I can't name them all, but a few stood out like, VADM Beaman, VADM Richard Hunt, and RDML Peter Gumataotao. from the Navy. The Marines were most vocally represented in the four panels I observed; and were best represented by BGen O'Donohue and BGen Daniel Yoo who shined brightly in their knowledge of history, and demonstration of leadership skills, as did the other attending Marine generals.

For an overview of the conference take the time to visit these links to the USNI blog where a summary of the message it conveys is discussed. Read each of them for ample food for thought.

The Navy-Marine Corps Team-the-Jointest

We have run out of money

The Naval Century and Global American Sea Power

Vital Roles and Surface Warfare

Where does this leave us in relation to the Strategic Pivot? Consider this, post from Thomas PM Barnett that examines US Debt and Petroleum, and their relationship to Obama's Pivot. As you examine the list of nations holding US public debt, note that besides China holding 8%, other counties together, hold 14.9%  and are important to our global naval posture to ensure that they remain confident in our ability to protect free trade, and ensure the global sea lanes that carry 90% of all the goods across the planet, remain secure.

Hong Kong: $121.9 billion (0.9 percent)

Caribbean banking centers: $148.3 (1 percent)

Taiwan: $153.4 billion (1.1 percent)

Brazil: $211.4 billion (1.5 percent)

Oil exporting countries: $229.8 billion (1.6 percent)

Mutual funds: $300.5 billion (2 percent)

Commercial banks: $301.8 billion (2.1 percent)

State, local and federal retirement funds: $320.9 billion (2.2 percent)

Money market mutual funds: $337.7 billion (2.4 percent)

United Kingdom: $346.5 billion (2.4 percent)

Private pension funds: $504.7 billion (3.5 percent)

State and local governments: $506.1 billion (3.5 percent)

Japan: $912.4 billion (6.4 percent)

U.S. households: $959.4 billion (6.6 percent)

China: $1.16 trillion (8 percent)

The U.S. Treasury: $1.63 trillion (11.3 percent)

Social Security trust fund: $2.67 trillion (19 percent)

Read more:
Charts of the Day-US Debt and Petroleum