The Sea Services launched the newly revised maritime strategy, “A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower: Forward, Engaged, Ready,” at a Maritime Security Dialogue event cohosted by the Naval Institute and the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., on 13 March.
Participants featured Commandant of the Marine Corps General Joseph F. Dunford Jr., Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jonathan W. Greenert, Commandant of the Coast Guard Admiral Paul F. Zukunft, and moderator Admiral James Stavridis, U.S. Navy (Retired), Chair of the Board of Directors, U.S. Naval Institute. It is always valuable to go beyond the PowerPoint and the glossy brochure to hear what each service chief thinks is important in his own words.
The strategy, which is published in its entirety in this issue of Proceedings, is provided to our Members to foster discussion and to make it part of our historical record. The environment has changed since the publication of the earlier maritime strategy in 2007, and the revised document notes:
Today’s global security environment is characterized by the rising importance of the Indo-Asia-Pacific region, the on-going development and fielding of anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) capabilities that challenge our global maritime access, continued threats from expanding and evolving terrorist and criminal networks, the increasing frequency and intensity of maritime territorial disputes and threats to maritime commerce, particularly the flow of energy. . . . China’s naval expansion into the Indian and Pacific Oceans presents both opportunities and challenges.
The strategy addresses the need for high-end capability and the readiness to support it. It doubles down on the value of forward presence, partnerships, and the requirement for assured access across all domains, including cyber. Unlike the 2007 maritime strategy, it includes a section on force design that discusses the force-sizing construct. It also looks in depth at the need for flexible, agile, and ready future forces, and the central importance of fully capable active and reserve Sailors, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, and civilians—“our greatest asymmetric advantage.”
We look forward to a robust exchange on the strategy and its execution in our pages. You can see the rollout discussion between the Sea Service chiefs and Admiral Stavridis at: www.usni.org/events/maritime-security-dialogue-1.
Please join us for the 2015 U.S. Naval Institute Annual Meeting on 22 April at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., as we celebrate 142 years as the independent forum of the Sea Services. We are honored to have support from Northrop Grumman and USAA to make this event possible.
The meeting will include my update on how the Naval Institute is performing, recognition of the 2014 Naval Institute Authors of the Year and General Prize Essay winners, and remarks from featured speaker Admiral James A. Winnefeld Jr., U.S. Navy, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. A reception will follow. The Annual Meeting and reception are open to all Members and supporters. For more information and to register, go to www.usni.org/annualmeeting.
The U.S. Naval Institute takes great pleasure in announcing the digital iPad publication of United States Navy Reserve 100th Anniversary: Ready Then, Ready Now, Ready Always, saluting the centennial of the Reserve, authorized by Congress on 3 March 1915. This new 20-chapter volume takes a sweeping, authoritative look at the challenges, achievements, and history of the Reserve, from the militias in action at the beginning of the Republic to the post-9/11 record of the Navy Reserve in Iraq and Afghanistan. Chief of the Navy Reserve Vice Admiral Robin R. Braun is the author of Chapter One, “A Century of Service.”
The uniquely valuable historical chapters, taken from past Proceedings and Naval Review articles, Naval Institute oral histories, and Naval Institute Press books, are written by authors who have participated in each major phase of the Reserve’s evolution from 1915 to 2015. This is a work you will want to read and keep as a reference. To order your copy, go to https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/naval-history-magazine-most/id895161484?Is=1&mt=8.
The 2014 General Prize Essay Contest winners are announced and published. These officers take their place in the long line of distinguished contributors to the naval services’ culture of critique going back to Mahan and running through King, Nimitz, and Winnefeld.
The winners of the 2014 General Prize Essay Contest are:
First Prize: $6,000
“Operating in an Age of Austerity”
Lieutenant Commander Wolf Melbourne, U.S. Navy
Second Prize: $3,000
“The Coming Era of ‘Omnispatial Warfare’”
Lieutenant Ryan P. Hilger, U.S. Navy
Third Prize: $2,000
“Sea Power & Fortitude”
Lieutenant Roger L. Misso, U.S. Navy
All three winners are Members of the Naval Institute and will have their memberships extended by one year. These authors will receive their prizes at the Annual Meeting on 22 April.
We are pleased to announce that the 2015 General Prize Essay Contest is open for business. The deadline for submissions is 31 December 2015. See the May issue for more details.
The Leadership Essay Contest, in partnership with Dr. J. Phillip London and CACI International, is now accepting entries. This is a wonderful opportunity to write an essay on a bedrock issue of importance to the naval profession. Much has been written on this topic, but leadership remains a core value that deserves the attention of those who lead every day. Look for the ad in the May issue for details about this contest.
Several other essay contest deadlines and opportunities are approaching:
• Information Dominance
Sponsored by HP
Deadline: 30 April 2015
www.usni.org/infodominance2015
• International Navies
Sponsored by Finmeccanica North America/DRS Technologies
Deadline: 1 July 2015
www.usni.org/intlnaviesessay
• Naval History: Marine Corps Actions Shaping History
Sponsored by the William M. Wood Foundation
Deadline: 31 August 2015
www.usni.org/nhessay
• Innovation and Risk: Striking the Right Balance
Sponsored by Engility
Deadline: 30 September 2015
www.usni.org/innovationessay
I look forward to seeing you at the Annual Meeting!
Peter H. Daly, VADM, USN (Ret.)
Life Member and Member since 1978