Our response to the terrorist attacks on the United States will be directed against an enemy more elusive, devious, and inhumane than that confronted by any other generation of American fighting men and women. The defeat of this fanatical enemy will take a sustained, coordinated effort on the part of our Navy and our sister services and by every local, state, and federal agency in the country. Most important, it will require the lasting dedication and support of the American people. If we have learned anything through the years, in war and combat, it is that we in a democracy cannot sustain our military forces, cannot sustain our military readiness, and cannot sustain successful military operations without the support of the people.
One thing has not changed since 11 September: The United States is a global power in a maritime world—and the U.S. Navy's command of the seas continues to be a guarantor of our nation's global interests.
The Navy's relevance in our nation's defense is tied directly to our combat readiness. So, I would like to talk about how we are postured to defend the nation's interests, whether against terrorism at home or against aggression overseas. We are manning, training, and equipping ourselves to support the war against terrorism over the long haul, while at the same time maintaining the capabilities to support the fundamental mission of the U.S. Navy, one we have had for 225 years: defense of our nation at and from the sea.
How are we ready? How are we relevant?
The Navy's operations on 11 September paint a good picture of the fleet's combat readiness and relevance to today's missions. As dawn broke over the East Coast of the United States that Tuesday, three carrier battle groups and three amphibious ready groups were forward deployed around the globe—a typical day for your Navy and Marine Corps.
By late morning, these forces were joined at sea by several ships of the Atlantic Fleet, sortied to support [North American Aerospace Defense Command] air defense operations along the East Coast. The George Washington (CVN-73) already was under way preparing for carrier qualifications, with the Mahan (DDG72) in escort. They quickly were joined by the Vella Gulf (CG-72) and Leyte Gulf (CG-55), the first ships under way from Norfolk. By 1400 the Second Fleet Commander, Vice Admiral Cutler Dawson, had embarked in the George Washington, and fighters from Oceana Naval Air Station armed with air-to-air missiles were brought on board as the carrier steamed toward New York City.
The John F Kennedy (CV-67), under way from Mayport that morning for training, was ordered to station just off the beach in the Virginia Capes operating area, joining eight other surface combatants assigned air defense stations along the East Coast and within the Chesapeake Bay. The Yorktown (CG-48) and the Ticonderoga (CG-47) sortied from Pascagoula to take up positions in the Gulf of Mexico.
In addition, the Bataan (LHD-5) and Shreveport (LPD-12), a week shy of their normal deployments, got under way on short notice for Camp Lejeune. They prepared for embarking medical personnel and elements of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which Lieutenant General Raymond P. Ayres, Commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Atlantic, had ordered reconfigured to support relief operations. We did not know how many casualties would be involved, or precisely what kind of support would be needed, but those forces were standing by while we determined what support New York and Washington required.
At the same time, the USNS Comfort (CT-AH-20) was activated and directed to proceed to New York City with medical personnel embarked. We realized quickly that care for injured patients was not the requirement (the hospitals on the ground were able to cope with the casualties); the city asked instead for support for the thousands of firemen, police, and other volunteers assembled at the site. As a result, the support team on the Comfort reconfigured the ship as a rest and recovery station.
So, are naval forces relevant? You bet we are. Within 48 hours, the Navy was able to respond with a ready, capable force, organized to support homeland defense and disaster relief alongside our sister services and state and federal agencies. That's a tremendous capability, and we should all be very proud of our sailors and Marines who answered the call.
Last month's attack has caused us all to reevaluate and accelerate our efforts to support the larger challenge of homeland security. I call it a challenge because of the freedoms we enjoy in this great nation. I do not believe the United States should trade those freedoms for a police state in which homeland security might be an easier problem to solve. That would serve the terrorist a victory. The challenge of homeland security must be balanced against the freedoms on which this nation was built.
We are working closely with Joint Forces Command and the Coast Guard in refining our strategy for homeland security and homeland defense. The Coast Guard has long provided excellent force protection support to the fleet, augmenting our own assets both in home port and during port visits in the continental United States, and most recently establishing a naval vessel protection zone around each naval vessel while transiting U.S. waters. We have built on that solid foundation of coordination and liaison with the Coast Guard to better integrate efforts in harbor security, and to provide increased vigilance against potential waterborne threats offshore.
We are prepared should the United States call again on its Navy to respond close to home, just as we are ready to safeguard the nation's interests overseas. And your Navy stands ready to support the combined efforts of joint and coalition forces in this new war against terrorism.
What's the relevance of naval forces against this enemy, in a war focused on a land-locked nation, a good distance from the sea? Read the news today. The Kitty Hawk steams toward the Middle East, reconfigured to support and launch a new capability ... an example of the tailored response that remains the cornerstone of Navy and Marine Corps combat capability. Our other carrier battle groups that are forward deployed are ready with embarked air wings and Tomahawk missiles that can reach out and support operations throughout Afghanistan.
Most important, all our naval forces can deploy forward within reach of Afghanistan and not have to depend on another nation's hosting us, or another nation's okaying our being there, or okaying our operations. Historically, that freedom of action has been one of our greatest strengths. That continues to be our greatest strength today, and I assure you, it will remain so in the future.
Admiral Natter is Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, and Commander, Fleet Forces Command. This is an abridged and edited version of his 3 October address at the Naval Institute’s Sixth Warfare Exposition and Symposium at Virginia Beach, Virginia.