As you see from the cover copy and table of contents, this issue examines a wide range of concerns. Many contributors focus on threats, others address professional development challenges, some propose organizational changes, and saber rattlers take on hot-button problems. We believe all this represents Proceedings at its best—giving voice to those who seek the finest Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.
Years ago, Proceedings celebrated its history by publishing a monthly column titled “Where We Were.” The editors looked back 75, 50, and 25 years to reflect on what was being discussed at those times, and by whom.
In 1917 Proceedings transitioned from a quarterly publication to a monthly one. As we celebrate by bringing back “Where We Were,” the plan is to feature coverage from 100, 50, and 25 years ago. Former Proceedings editor-in-chief (1963–66) Denis Clift will identify these gems from the magazine’s past. In 2009, after 43 years of service both as a naval officer under Eisenhower and Kennedy and as a senior executive in the administrations of 11 successive presidents (including 13 years in the Executive Office of the President and the White House), Dr. Clift returned to the Naval Institute as Vice President for Planning and Operations.
In addition to this new column, we are pleased to welcome two new professionals to the Proceedings team: Ashley Stearns, Art Director, and Karen Eskew, Director of Design and Production. You can see their impact in the pages of this issue. These two creative individuals are bringing new energy to Proceedings layouts and challenging the editors to work closely with them to make our authors’ content more engaging.
Finally, we encourage you to take advantage of a special offer to sign up for our other magazine—Naval History (see ad on cover three). Naval History also is benefiting from new initiatives to make its rich content even more appealing for everyone who appreciates our naval heritage. Discover why many members of the Naval Institute subscribe to Naval History.
Fred H. Rainbow
Editor-in-Chief
Life Member since 1976
Where We Were
February 1917 – “The present issue of the Proceedings,” Secretary and Treasurer Lieutenant Commander J. W. Greenslade had advised in January, “is the first in the new monthly form.” One month later, he reflected on the implications of the change. “If it is granted that the Institute is fulfilling—even to a slight degree—its object of advancing professional, literary, and scientific knowledge in the Navy, then it must be also granted that the obligation of everyone in the service to become an active supporting member is undeniable.”
February 1967 – Warning of the threat to the U.S. Navy of enemy mines off Vietnam, Commander J. A. Meacham in “The Mine as a Tool of Limited War” looks back at the laying of the North Sea Mine Barrage in World War I by the U.S. Navy’s new mining squadron—a contribution that well exceeded expectations. “While this minefield actually developed a threat considerably less than 25 percent and sank or damaged only about 10 submarines, the Germans regarded it as impenetrable, and for all purposes ceased to challenge it,” Commander Meacham observes. “We have not opted out of the mining business entirely, but we have made a good start in that direction because of our failure to appreciate the value of the sea mine in the wars we are most likely to fight in the years ahead.”
February 1992 – Lieutenant T. M. Downing asked in “Just Say No”: “With the signing of the 1992 Defense Authorization Act, the issue of women in combat has come to the forefront of political-military discussion. Will we lower the standards?” Would the Navy, he worried, “force sexual integration of combat units, and thereby destroy the combat effectiveness of our military?” No, countered Lieutenant Commander Lori Bolebruch in “And the Walls Come Tumbling Down.” She insisted that “the only consideration should be to excel at the job at hand—without regard to gender. The old battle cry—‘Women can’t fly fighters because of the law’—has been silenced.”
— Denis Clift