FORWARD, READY, AND ENGAGED TODAY
The events of the past year demonstrate the continuing relevance and importance of the Department of the Navy's primary task -- providing the nation combat-ready, sea-based, forward-deployed, and forward-engaged naval forces. Our success in meeting today's operational challenges can be attributed to thorough planning and innovative execution. Three years ago the Navy-Marine Corps Team introduced a new strategic vision, . . . From the Sea, followed immediately by organizational and process changes to foster innovation and streamline communications. In 1994, Forward . . . From the Sea updated and expanded our strategic concept to specifically address the unique contributions of naval expeditionary forces in peacetime operations, in responding to crises, and in regional conflicts. This common strategic concept and common doctrinal foundation between our two Services is unique within the Defense establishment.
Throughout the past year, we continued to build upon the proven success of this concept, further solidifying the Navy-Marine Corps Team's role as the response of choice during times of international crisis. From USS Normandy's quick reaction Tomahawk strike against Bosnian-Serb aggression to the expeditious recovery of Captain Scott O'Grady by the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), naval forces fulfilled a vital operational role by capitalizing on our unique core capabilities -- forward presence, expeditionary readiness, and on-scene power projection from the sea.
Each Service plays an important role in support of the National Security Strategy of Engagement and Enlargement. The Navy-Marine Corps team complements the other Services as part of an overall joint strategy. Within that strategy, naval forces provide the capability to position credible combat power overseas without the consent or imposed limitations of foreign governments, while providing the enabling force for larger operations utilizing joint forces if required.
We continued to focus on improving the quality of life of our Sailors and Marines, caring for them in a manner consistent with their role as the first line of defense for the nation's freedoms. We have promoted core values of honor, courage, and commitment to develop better leaders and more effective Sailors and Marines. Concurrently, we have focused plans for acquisition and modernization to ensure our equipment is on the same level of excellence as our people. In all areas, the Navy-Marine Corps Team is forward deployed, combat ready, and engaged to protect U.S. interests, reassure friends, foster stability, control crises, and prevent conflict. We are truly the right mix, in the right place, right now.
PREPARING FOR TOMORROW
The Department of the Navy (DoN) is committed to ensuring that naval forces can continue to immediately respond to national security tasking, when and wherever required. We understand that the responsive, adaptable, and combat credible naval expeditionary forces of tomorrow depend upon the correct programmatic and acquisition decisions of today. To achieve that end, we are addressing tomorrow's challenges in a variety of ways, including closer Navy and Marine Corps coordination and the reengineering of our acquisition process. These two efforts in particular have benefited from work already accomplished in support of the congressionally mandated Commission on the Roles and Missions of the Armed Forces and the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act.
Our intensified efforts in Navy-Marine Corps integration include closer coordination of the Services' requirements determination and programming processes, more detailed operational integration, and movement of Marine Corps headquarters to the Pentagon.
THE STRATEGIC IMPERATIVE
With vital economic and security interests dispersed around the globe, the United States is, and will remain, a maritime nation. Accordingly, our strategy, as reflected in the National Security Strategy and National Military Strategy, is necessarily a transoceanic one.
Our vital interests -- those interests for which the United States is willing to fight -- are at the endpoints of highways of the seas or lines of strategic approach. These endpoints lie in the world's littoral regions which coincide with the concentration of our vital interests in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. While representing only a small portion of the world's surface, littorals provide homes to over three-quarters of the world's population, locations for over 80 percent of the world's capital cities, and nearly all the major marketplaces for international trade.
It is in the littorals where naval expeditionary forces regularly influence events ashore from sovereign fighting bases at sea operating in the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans and Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea and Persian Gulf, the Caribbean Sea and, most recently, the Baltic and Black Seas. As a concrete demonstration of national interest and intent in an era of declining permanent U.S. presence overseas (over 850 overseas bases closed or reduced in the last four years), combat credible naval forces exert real influence and assurance because real, on-scene power still counts.
FORWARD PRESENCE
Naval forces are built to fight and win wars. But an equally important role is to be positioned forward to prevent conflict. On any given day, 40-50 percent of the fleet is underway. Half of those units and over 23,000 Marines are deployed overseas, taking part in a broad spectrum of military operations. These forward naval forces provide:
In cooperation with our friends and allies, naval forces are deployed near potential flashpoints to prevent the emergence of dangers to shared interests. Partnership is developed and enhanced when we promote interoperability at the operational and tactical levels with the naval, air, and ground forces of the most likely coalition partners. Exercises that reassure friends and build coalitions are the stock-in-trade of Navy and Marine Corps units.
This year, as in years past, U.S. naval forces participated in exercises with military forces from over 69 nations. For example, one of our deployed Amphibious Ready Groups/Marine Expeditionary Units in the Mediterranean conducted the largest exercise in Albania and the largest amphibious bilateral exercise to date in the Black Sea.
A driving consideration in the case for forward-deployed naval forces is the demand from those responsible for promoting U.S. foreign policy. Naval forces were used as diplomatic instruments on numerous occasions this year due, in part, to their ability to be unencumbered by host nation restrictions. Naval forces are often the force of choice to respond to crises because of their mobility, self-sustainability, and responsiveness.
EXPEDITIONARY READINESS AND CRISIS RESPONSE
The term expeditionary captures the essence of U.S. national security strategy over the last century -- countering military threats overseas rather than on American shores. The Navy-Marine Corps Team provides the nation a fully integrated air, land, and sea combined arms force founded on expeditionary readiness, designed and employed to immediately confront threats at their source. But what are expeditionary forces? They are Navy and Marine Corps operational forces uniquely positioned and organized to accomplish a wide range of missions including long-range strike operations and early forcible entry to facilitate or enable the arrival of follow-on forces. Power projection is just one of the options available to a naval expeditionary force. These forces have the ability to go rapidly and easily where there is no infrastructure and operate upon arrival. They can do this because they carry their infrastructure on their backs and in the holds of ships. Naval expeditionary forces are tailored economical force packages that can accomplish the mission without having to wait for additional assets or personnel. These forces are self-reliant, self-sustaining, and adept in the most austere environments. They are comfortable with uncertainty and capable of handling adversity. Host nation support is nice to have, but as Navy and Marine Corps units demonstrated in Somalia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, they can operate effectively without it.
Naval expeditionary forces are operationally flexible, imbued with the capability and mobility to quickly transit to new regions and immediately respond to new threats or missions. This unique operational readiness and adaptability was dramatically demonstrated during last year's naval operations, particularly in responding to crises. While supporting operations in Bosnia in June 1995, the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) and Amphibious Squadron 8 rescued downed U.S. F-16 pilot, Captain Scott O'Grady.
On August 4, 1995, the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, positioned in the Adriatic Sea with Navy and Marine Corps squadrons onboard, launched air strikes which destroyed Bosnian Serb antiaircraft missile sites. On August 6, this force quickly transited to a position off the coast of Israel in response to reports of unusual Iraqi troop movements and a possible attack on Jordan. On August 28, with tensions in the Middle East subsiding, the carrier was ordered to change course again and, within 31 hours, traveled over 900 miles back to the Adriatic Sea to launch retaliatory strikes in response to the Bosnian-Serb mortar attack of a Sarajevo marketplace. Shortly after, the USS America CVBG arrived in theater, relieved the USS Theodore Roosevelt CVBG on station and, within 24 hours, also conducted strike operations against Bosnian-Serb forces. These demonstrations of naval power projection were instrumental in bringing the warring factions back to the negotiating table.
Put simply, the readiness, adaptability, self-sustainability, and mobility of naval expeditionary forces make them powerful and compelling instruments in support of national policies. Table VI-1 shows the important role naval expeditionary forces have played in support of U.S. national interests over the last year.
TOTAL FORCE INTEGRATION
The enhanced combat power produced by the integration of all supporting arms, which we seek to attain through joint operations, is inherent in naval expeditionary forces. The Navy and Marine Corps are developing innovative ways to enhance joint warfighting capabilities by capitalizing on technology and the unique flexibility and expeditionary character of naval forces. Accordingly, we have initiated changes in training, procurement, organization, and funding priorities to strengthen joint warfighting effectiveness.
C4I For The Warrior is the JCS conceptual roadmap for achieving global joint command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence (C4I) interoperability. In the 21st century, naval forces will achieve C4I For The Warrior through implementation of Copernicus. Designed as a user-centered C4I information management architecture, Copernicus provides a blueprint for capturing technological change. Copernicus articulates the true sense of modern command and control (C2). It is the foundation for joint and allied operations. The Navy and Marine Corps continue to ensure this architecture remains a viable, evolving construct that fully supports the warfighter while adapting to new technologies and requirements. As a result of fielded systems that support the Copernicus architecture, the goal of true joint and allied interoperability upon arrival is becoming a reality.
| Table VI-1 | |||
| 1995 U.S. Navy/Marine Corps Operations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Operation | Forces | Location |
| Aug 90 - Present | Arabian Gulf Maritime Interception Operations | EISENHOWER, ROOSEVELT, INDEPENDENCE, CONSTELLATION, LINCOLN CVBGs | Arabian Gulf |
| Jul 92 - Present | PROVIDE PROMISE (Humanitarian Operations) | EISENHOWER, AMERICA,ROOSEVELT CVBGs; NASSAU, KEARSARGE, WASP ARGs; 22nd, 24th, and 26th MEU(SOC)s | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Aug 92 - Present | SOUTHERN WATCH (Enforcement of No-Fly Zone) | EISENHOWER, INDEPENDENCE, KITTY HAWK, ROOSEVELT, CONSTELLATION, LINCOLN CVBGs; 3rd MAW Units | Iraq |
| Apr 93 - Present | DENY FLIGHT (Enforcement of No-Fly Zone) | EISENHOWER, AMERICA, ROOSEVELT CVBGs; 2nd MAW; NASSAU, KEARSARGE, WASP ARGs; 22nd, 24th, and 26th MEU(SOC)s | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Jun 93 - Present | SHARP GUARD (Enforcement of UN Sanctions) | EISENHOWER, AMERICA, ROOSEVELT CVBGs; NASSAU, KEARSARGE, WASP ARGs; 22nd, 24th, and 26th MEU(SOC)s | Adriatic Sea |
| Jun 94 - Present | SEA SIGNAL (Migrant Operations) | II MEF Units | Cuba |
| Nov 94 - Mar 95 | MAINTAIN/UPHOLD DEMOCRACY (Support of UN Mission) | EISENHOWER, AMERICA CVBGs; INCHON ARG/II MEF Units | Haiti |
| Jan 95 | KOBE EARTHQUAKE (Humanitarian Operations) | III MEF Units | Japan |
| Jan 95 - Feb 95 | SAFE PASSAGE (Migrant Operations) | II MEF Units | Caribbean Sea |
| Feb 95 - Mar 95 | UNITED SHIELD (Withdrawal of UNOSOM Forces) | I/II MEF Units, ESSEX ARG; CG I MEF/CJTF; 13th MEU(SOC) | Somalia |
| Mar 95 - Apr 95 | FULL ACCOUNTING (Accounting of POWs/MIAs) | 1st MAW Units | SE Asia |
| Jun 95 - Aug 95 | QUICK LIFT (Supply Rapid Reaction Force) | Military Sealift Command | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Aug 95 - Present | VIGILANT SENTINEL (Response to Iraqi Threats) | EISENHOWER, AMERICA, INDEPENDENCE, ROOSEVELT CVBGs; NEW ORLEANS ARG; 11th MEU(SOC); I MEF Units, MPS-2 | Arabian Gulf/East Mediterranean Sea |
| Aug 95 - Sep 95 | DELIBERATE FORCE (Enforcement of Exclusion Zone) | ROOSEVELT, AMERICA CVBGs; 2nd MAW CV and Land-based Units | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Dec 95 - Present | JOINT ENDEAVOR (Enforcement of Dayton Accord) | European Command's ARG/MEU(SOC), Naval Construction Battalion, Marine Corps Security Forces | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Continuous | Counterdrug Operations | Navy/Marine Corps Active/Reserve Air, Surface, and Ground Units | Caribbean Sea, SW U.S. Border |
As naval forces are reduced in numbers without a corresponding reduction in missions, reservists assume increasing importance. Employment of the Total Force -- Active and Reserve -- is imperative. Naval reserve forces provide critical capabilities and augmentation and are undergoing changes that will make them even more responsive. New initiatives include full integration of modern mission hardware and increased reserve involvement in mine warfare, counterdrug operations, and waterfront support. Marine Corps reserve initiatives have been implemented to enhance Active-Reserve integration. The initials USMCR have been removed from unit signs and letterheads to emphasize the reality of one Marine Corps. The Commandant has also redesignated the Atlantic and Pacific Reserve Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Command Elements (CE) as Marine Expeditionary Force (I and II MEF) Augmentation Command Elements to clearly signify their MEF operational relationship.
PEOPLE
The heart of the Department of the Navy's readiness is our people -- a total force of Sailors and Marines, both Active and Reserve, and civilians -- who kept faith with the Navy and Marine Corps through the drawdown and now look to the future, to the Naval Services of the 21st century. These men and women are serving today all around the globe, forward-deployed and ready to carry out any assigned mission. Operating the most technologically advanced equipment of any force in the world, they must be ready 365 days a year. Maintaining highly motivated and trained Sailors and Marines during these challenging times requires innovative leadership, diligent planning, and careful management of resources.
Our primary challenge is attracting and retaining high quality people. Over the past year, Navy and Marine Corps Recruiting Commands continued to battle one of the toughest recruiting environments in the history of the all-volunteer force. The market of recruitable young people 17-21 years old is one of the smallest and the propensity to enlist is low. Similar challenges exist in the Department's civilian cadre. We must attract the most talented new people while retaining the services of our senior civilians.
In 1995, our recruiting forces met the challenge. We continue to increase the resources available to our recruiters as we look ahead to 1996 and the task of bringing almost 60,000 new Sailors and 40,000 new Marines into our Services.
Achieving diversity within the Department remains an overarching goal. Gender barriers continue to be eliminated. We welcome all potential contributors to our team. To ensure the Naval Services reflect the society we serve by the year 2000, our goal is to recruit and train a force that includes 12 percent African-Americans, 12 percent Hispanics, and 5 percent Asian-Pacific Islanders.
Several classes of combatant ships, from Aegis destroyers to nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, have already embarked women Sailors, and more will follow. Ninety-seven percent of all career fields are now open to women in the Navy. In the Marine Corps, women may now be assigned to all units except infantry regiments, artillery battalions, and separate ground combat battalions (Combat Engineer, Tank, Reconnaissance). Our policies and programs reflect the Department's absolute commitment to creating an environment in which every member of our team has equal access to training, to challenging work, to all the things that lead to success.
There are a number of initiatives underway that will have a major impact on retention. Enhancing quality of life and improving advancement opportunity are crucial to our efforts. Competitive pay and benefits continue to be important. The Selective Reenlistment Bonus (SRB) is the most effective program for short-term retention of highly skilled enlisted personnel. Protecting retirement benefits is vital for long-term retention of our career personnel.
We have proposed legislative initiatives to authorize quarters allowances for single E-5s on sea duty. Additional proposals support payment of BAQ/VHA allowances to single E-6s and above who are ordered by a permanent change of station to deployed units, as well as to joint military couples who are without dependents and are assigned to sea duty.
Our quality of life programs and resources are targeted equitably to ensure all of our personnel have an acceptable baseline of services available to them. We are particularly interested in supporting the families of our Sailors and Marines. Family Service Centers encompass a variety of important programs including relocation and transition assistance, deployment support, personal financial management, and efforts to prevent family violence. The Navy and Marine Corps have established a New Parent Program designed to help our younger Sailors and Marines with their family responsibilities. Effective quality of life programs have a very positive impact on our recruiting and retention efforts and, ultimately, readiness.
The past six years have been a period of dramatic change. The Department remains focused on what we must do to be fully ready to operate Forward . . . From the Sea in the years ahead. The Naval Services are continuing to build a strong team of Sailors, Marines, and civilians committed to the highest standards of character and ethical behavior. We will take care of this team and their families. We will treat them with respect and dignity in a professional environment which fosters excellence and encourages success in order to guarantee a ready force, today, and in the future.
READINESS
Navy and Marine Corps readiness today is high but there remains a concern for the future. Readiness is key to forward presence, crisis response, war prevention, and winning wars. It remains our priority. A smaller force structure demands that we maintain technological superiority over potential adversaries. Retaining that superiority means recruiting and retaining quality people, as well as providing them with the finest equipment possible. We must make the right decisions now to support both current and future readiness.
Navy and Marine Corps units require the least amount of supplemental contingency funds because regularly scheduled forward deployments are already funded. However, our operating budget leaves little room to support unfunded contingencies that require deployment of additional ships, squadrons, and Marines. Unplanned deployments often cause us to draw down other accounts, which if unreplenished ultimately impacts current readiness. The Navy and Marine Corps, Active and Reserve, Operations and Maintenance (O&M) appropriations bear the burden of supporting these unfunded contingencies. Diverting programmed O&M funds disrupts quality training while delaying vital equipment repairs and the acquisition of new platforms and weapon systems. As long as we receive additional funding in a timely manner, the impact on readiness from diverting programmed funds will be minimized.
Future readiness is facilitated by correctly sizing the force. Too small of a force places too many operational demands on people and equipment, wearing them down to a level that puts readiness at risk. As downsizing slows and force structure stabilizes, maintaining the readiness to support national security interests requires close scrutiny.
Heavy demands on forces this year indicate that previously programmed force levels require adjustment to meet the tempo of operations actually being experienced. We need to make these adjustments in order to avoid excessive impact on people, equipment, and eventually readiness. We are paying particularly close attention to our surface and amphibious forces.
Readiness is ultimately the foundation for maintaining the credibility of our forces as instruments of foreign policy and national resolve. Today, our naval forces are forward deployed and ready to go in harm's way to defend U.S. interests.
INNOVATION AND MODERNIZATION
Events of the past year clearly demonstrate that we live in an uncertain world that requires naval forces to meet a wide range of contingencies. Through a combination of innovation and modernization, we will build and maintain naval forces that are ready to meet those contingencies. Where it makes economical and operational sense to do so, current platforms and weapon systems will be modernized. We will also take advantage of the explosive changes occurring in high technology to conceive and build new and more capable platforms and weapon systems for the future.
The Department is investing today in the platforms, equipment, and infrastructure required for future naval forces. Our acquisition investment strategy is to maintain a smaller but more technologically advanced force commensurate with current and future required capabilities. This strategy maximizes scarce procurement dollars without compromising quality.
Our near-term investment strategy involves prudent risks. Many of the current platforms and weapon systems were procured during the 1980s and 1990s. Lower post-Cold War force level requirements allow retirement of older and less capable platforms and weapon systems. The net effect is that the average age of our platforms is actually lower than in the past when annual procurement budgets were much higher. However, based upon current production rates, average age will steadily increase. Current programs such as DDG-51, MV-22, F/A-18E/F, and AAAV will help to ameliorate this effect and are critical parts of Navy and Marine Corps future readiness. To support long-term modernization and acquisition, we plan to increase procurement accounts. Resources for this must come from four areas: first, cost avoidances from acquisition reform; second, execution of BRAC and infrastructure reduction decisions; third, actions to reduce the operating and support costs of our systems; and fourth, outyear real budget growth.
Our FY 1997 budget request represents the continuation of a carefully constructed acquisition investment plan. It includes extending our modernization strategy through an integrated program approach.
Future programs must be carefully designed to be affordable and relevant for the future. The transition from current to future naval forces will not necessarily require one-for-one platform replacement. Rather, future programs must produce survivable multimission platforms and weapon systems -- true force multipliers -- capable of meeting a wide variety of mission requirements.
The Department recognizes the need to continue improving business practices by finding additional ways to reduce cost and make the acquisition process more responsive to rapidly changing technology. Acquisition reform initiatives support modernization programs by addressing three key areas: advanced technology insertion, cost reduction, and avoiding platform obsolescence.
In several critical areas, technological advances in the commercial sector outpace the defense sector. This is particularly true with information and communications systems. The Department is taking advantage of commercially developed advanced technologies by incorporating them earlier into our acquisition programs. Cooperative Engagement Capability is a good example -- over 60 percent of this program involves commercial off-the-shelf and nondevelopmental technology which integrates and shares real-time detection data from a variety of sources including ships' sensors and units ashore.
Enhanced warfighting results from technology insertion. Closer ties between the science and technology (S&T) community and the operators establish realistic acquisition program priorities based on warfighting needs, technological achievability, and realistic life cycle affordability. The Navy and Marine Corps are also increasing effectiveness and extending the life of existing systems through affordable near-term improvements. S&T roadmaps are being developed and employed to outline critical path developments, risk reduction for advanced system performance achievement, and basic and applied research in the production of new systems. Navy and Marine Corps programs benefit from increased attention to manufacturing science and technology. Specific examples include focused attention in areas such as advanced composite structures for integrated hull and systems designs, production of multifunctional integrated systems, agile ship construction integrated into advanced design procedures, and simulation capabilities for systems performance and production.
Security assistance programs, international cooperative programs, and defense industry-to-industry cooperation with allied and friendly nations provide ways to stretch our investment budget by minimizing duplicative defense technology investments and maximizing commonality of deployed equipments. Foreign Military Sales initiatives support U.S. foreign policy, enhance interoperability, and reduce Navy and Marine Corps production costs by combining our procurement requirements with purchases by other nations.
While today's platforms are expensive, they are significantly more capable and reliable. Since ships have long service lives, they are designed to accommodate future upgrades. Existing platforms are being modernized with weapon systems to allow future growth and technology refreshment. To this end, extensive use is being made of open systems architecture, commercial standards, modular components, and fiber optics.
EFFICIENCY
In conjunction with the National Performance Review, recommendations from the Commission on Roles and Missions, and other related activities, the Department of the Navy continues to pursue innovative ideas to increase efficiency. We are learning a great deal from private industry and have undertaken several major initiatives including waiver authority delegation; designation of reinvention laboratories; cycle time reductions; acquisition reform; and initial implementation of the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA).
The waiver authority delegation initiative eliminates unnecessary and burdensome restrictions on operational commands. Capping a year of research, test, and evaluation, all DoN Reinvention Laboratories (17 Navy and 10 Marine Corps installations and commands) are now authorized to waive policies and regulations standing in the way of innovation, breakthroughs, and success.
The cycle time reduction initiative is creating shorter turn-around times on all processes, thereby improving readiness. As part of National Performance Review streamlining initiatives, the Department identified 25 candidate areas within which to create more efficient cycle times. These areas cover the budget process, acquisition management, test and evaluation, maintenance, training, and general administration.
Acquisition reform produces significant cost reduction in the procurement of major weapon systems. A special acquisition reform office was established within the Department of the Navy to help focus on structuring executable programs in the face of declining resources. With an anticipated three-year charter, its intent is to encourage and facilitate exemplary business practices in such areas as joint government/commercial ventures, procurement streamlining, and acquisition work force training.
The Department of the Navy is integrating the Navy and Marine Corps Program Objective Memorandum (POM) assessment process in order to articulate Navy and Marine Corps major issues early-on. The two Service's programming databases are being merged into one common DoN database. While each Service continues to develop its own submission to the DoN POM, early coordination in the assessment process will more effectively articulate budget requirements and allow for more efficient programming of scarce resources.
In summary, all these initiatives seek to reengineer key management processes so that the nation will receive the best return for invested defense dollars. The Department's overall objective is to provide high quality, cost effective combat ready forces.
CONCLUSION
As part of our continuing effort to ensure the proper strategic use of naval forces, we are completing the development of a new naval operational concept that will serve as a coherent link between the Naval Service's strategic concept presented in . . . From the Sea and Forward . . . From the Sea and the tactics, techniques, and procedures in Navy and Marine Corps doctrinal publications. The concept will logically support the National Security Strategy and National Military Strategy while highlighting the unique operational and warfighting capabilities that naval forces provide to the nation. As we proceed, we will continue to emphasize our underlying priorities of people, readiness, innovation and modernization, and efficiency.
During the past year, the Navy and Marine Corps have consistently answered the nation's call with success. We are proud of our achievement in making the strategic vision of Forward . . . From the Sea a compelling reality. In places as diverse as Kuwait, Somalia, Haiti, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Navy-Marine Corps Team has been forward-deployed and engaged in the full spectrum of operations from peacetime presence through humanitarian assistance to crisis response. That achievement is the result of the effort of many people over the past year and is the most important indicator of naval expeditionary capability Forward . . . From the Sea.
/s/
John H. Dalton
Secretary of the Navy
