We've all heard the riddle, "If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there, does it make a noise?" Fast forward to today and the current six-month deployment of the HSV Swift to the Caribbean for the pilot cruise of the Global Fleet Station (GFS) concept, in which our Sea Services promote good will and common interests by assisting other nations' maritime forces. The deployment began in late April 2007. Listen carefully. Did anyone hear anything? Well, certainly not much-perhaps a faint echo! Okay, CHINFO (Office of Navy Information) did publish a "Rhumb Lines" (internal Navy newsletter) on the GFS pilot, Admiral James Stavridis, Commander U.S. Southern Command, did mention it briefly in his May Proceedings article, and there have been short references in other, mostly internal to the Navy, publications. So, what's the problem?
First, some background. GFS is one of several new operational concepts, including the overarching 1,000-ship navy, developed by our Navy over the past two years. Both ideas spring from an understanding of the critical role of the maritime commons in the globalized economy of the 21st century. Disruptions, even temporary ones, can have crippling effects on the world's economy, hence the imperative for cooperation among international navies, coast guards, maritime security forces, and, yes, even merchant ships, to share information that contributes to the security and free use of the seas.
In the case of the GFS concept, one of the principal objectives is to establish a persistent presence, with minimal footprint ashore, to enhance partner nation capability in selected areas where normal rotational naval forces are either not present or sparse. Furthermore, it's not just a Navy show. The GFS concept envisions embarked trainers from the Coast Guard, Marine Corps, State Department, Seabees, explosive ordnance disposal teams, Medical and Dental Corps, and even non-governmental organizations.
CNO Admiral Mike Mullen has described the GFS as a "force for good." It is an example, in many respects, of what Professor Joseph Nye at Harvard University calls "soft power," i.e., non-kinetic U.S. influence for the greater good of the global community. Or, to paraphrase Admiral Stavridis, "It's ideas, not Tomahawks." One of the ideas he is advancing from Southern Command is cooperative action to strengthen maritime security in his area of responsibility.
The Swift deployed from Mayport, Florida, in late April 2007 under the command of Navy Captain Douglas Wied, bound for Belize, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, and Panama. Each country will be visited twice for approximately two weeks each time. During the visits, training teams composed of U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and State Department personnel will host information exchanges and hands-on training sessions. The objective, according to Captain Wied, is to catalyze "enhanced regional maritime security through improved interoperability, increased capability for regional partners, and increased information sharing."
It is understood that our Navy plans to continue the GFS in the Caribbean when the current cruise is completed in October. Moreover, Naval Forces Europe will deploy a GFS to the west coast of Africa later this year, building on a similar and very successful deployment in 2006. Furthermore, the GFS concept might be employed usefully in many areas of interest, allowing U.S. and combined forces to rapidly compose a tailored force for a variety of operations, including natural disaster relief operations. All of this aligns clearly with Admiral Mullen's "1,000-ship navy/a force for good" rubric.
So, what's the problem? The problem is few Navy people know about GFS and almost no one outside the Navy has even the foggiest idea of the good (i.e., non-kinetic) stuff our Sailors are doing. Granted, the GFS pilot initiatives are just a starting point and must be followed with persistent presence and more interagency participation to achieve the desired results, but at least it is a start in the right direction.
In the end, we must do a better job of getting the word out-especially to those outside the Blue and Gold fraternity.
Captain Harris is a retired surface warfare officer whose commands Included the USS Conolly (DD-979) and DESRON 32. He had multiple planning assignments in OPNAV, the Navy Secretariat, and the Joint Staff. He is employed by Lockheed Martin Corporation.