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If War Comes, Will the U.S. Navy Be Prepared?
Wall Street Journal ^ | 7/12/21 | Kate Bachelder Odell

Posted on 07/12/2021 10:06:57 PM PDT by MAGA2017

A new report prepared by Marine Lt. Gen. Robert Schmidle and Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery, both retired, for members of Congress paints a portrait of the Navy as an institution adrift. The report, first reported by the Journal and commissioned by Sen. Tom Cotton, Reps. Mike Gallagher, Dan Crenshaw and Jim Banks, concludes that the surface Navy is not focused on preparing for war and is weathering a crisis in leadership and culture.

The impetus for the report was a series of recent catastrophes—a ship burning in San Diego last year; two destroyer collisions in the Pacific in 2017. Were these isolated events? Or did they indicate “larger institutional issues that are degrading the performance of the entire naval surface force”? The report surveyed active and recently retired service members of various ranks, conducting 77 candid hourlong interviews. A key finding: “Many sailors found their leadership distracted, captive to bureaucratic excess, and rewarded for the successful execution of administrative functions” rather than core competencies of war.

“I guarantee you every unit in the Navy is up to speed on their diversity training,” said one recently retired senior enlisted leader. “I’m sorry that I can’t say the same of their ship-handling training.”

Adm. Montgomery told me in an interview over the weekend that when he was a junior officer in the 1980s there was “an intense focus” on a likely confrontation with the Soviet navy—learning about classes of ships or the missiles aboard. After decades without a peer adversary at sea, “the same focus is not permeating the Navy today.”

The report also details a deep culture of risk aversion: If the missiles start flying, will a destroyer captain be ready to make quick decisions and take calculated risks, even if his communications are jammed and he can’t reach his superiors?

(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bureaucracy; china; navy; war
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To: MAGA2017

from what I’ve seen of the US Navy’s performance the past 20 years or so—they might be an effective ramming force of hitting other ships.

but actual combat fighting ability? I can only pray.....
but unlikely since the Navy brass is probably the most compromised of all the armed forces


21 posted on 07/13/2021 1:02:47 AM PDT by Jaysin (Trump can’t be beat, if the Democrats don’t cheat)
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To: MAGA2017
Thanks for such an illuminating post. I've been saying the Navy is in terrible trouble for a long time since it's leadership rolled over and took this "woke" crap in the butt apparently quite literally without lubrication. We've got China acting like they own the seas and now Russia just rolled out a super-submarine that totally outclasses everyone - like an undersea aircraft carrier.

But we have Nancy/Karen admirals singing "In the Navy" doing the Rockette's high step in high heels. We need warriors now more than ever, not a bunch of self-confused idiots in a group grope. Get your shiite together or get out of the way for real men. Misspelling intentional.

22 posted on 07/13/2021 1:15:28 AM PDT by MikelTackNailer (Fortunately despite aging I've been spared the ravages of maturity.)
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To: Governor Dinwiddie

You beat me on it. Good job LOL.


23 posted on 07/13/2021 1:16:55 AM PDT by MikelTackNailer (Fortunately despite aging I've been spared the ravages of maturity.)
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To: MAGA2017

The real question is, who’s side will they be on? I don’t trust our military leaders anymore.


24 posted on 07/13/2021 1:25:48 AM PDT by LIConFem (Read up on Russia's Oct, 1917 Revolution... And prepare.)
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To: MAGA2017

Prepared?

Yep, they are prepared. They have issued all ranks KY jelly.

Obama killed the US Navy. Now Biden is nailing the coffin shut.


25 posted on 07/13/2021 2:07:10 AM PDT by Candor7 ((Obama Fascism:http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/05/barack_obama_the_quintessentia_1.html) )
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

Six months ago, yes, the US Navy was well on the way to being able to hold its own, or even prevail, in a concerted attack at sea upon our fleet. Now, the US Navy is less prepared than they were on the morning of December 8, 1941.

Bombed and sunken in their home port. By “friendly” forces, the prospective enemies need do nothing.


26 posted on 07/13/2021 2:53:33 AM PDT by alloysteel ( Cows don't give milk. You have to work for it.)
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To: MAGA2017

Well any extended war will require total mobilization here at home and that is highly unlikely given what our current government has been up to.


27 posted on 07/13/2021 2:58:44 AM PDT by McCarthysGhost (q)
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To: MAGA2017
Hey, if anyone attacks, we'll send social workers out to find out why our enemies are upset.
28 posted on 07/13/2021 3:18:03 AM PDT by laweeks ( )
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To: MAGA2017

Lyrics
“In The Navy” - Village People

Where can you find pleasure
Search the world for treasure
Learn science technology
Where can you begin to make your dreams all come true
On the land or on the sea
Where can you learn to fly
Play in sports and skin dive
Study oceanography
Sign up for the big band
Or sit in the grandstand
When your team and others meet

In the navy
Yes, you can sail the seven seas
In the navy
Yes, you can put your mind at ease
In the navy
Come on now, people, make a stand
In the navy, in the navy
Can’t you see we need a hand
In the navy
Come on, protect the mother land
In the navy
Come on and join your fellow man
In the navy
Come on people, and make a stand
In the navy, in the navy, in the navy (in the navy)

They want you, they want you
They want you as a new recruit

If you like adventure
Don’t you wait to enter
The recruiting office fast
Don’t you hesitate
There is no need to wait
They’re signing up new seamen fast
Maybe you are too young
To join up today
But don’t you worry ‘bout a thing
For I’m sure there will be
Always a good navy
Protecting the land and sea

In the navy
Yes, you can sail the seven seas
In the navy
Yes, you can put your mind at ease
In the navy
Come on be bold and make a stand
In the navy, in the navy
Can’t you see we need a hand
In the navy
Come on, protect the motherland
In the navy
Come on and join your fellow man
In the navy
Come on be bold and make a stand
In the navy, in the navy, in the navy (in the navy)

They want you, they want you
They want you as a new recruit

Who me?

They want you, they want you
They want you as a new recruit

But, but, but, I’m afraid of water.
Hey, hey look
Man, I get seasick even watchin’ it on the TV!

They want you, they want you in the navy

Oh my goodness.
What am I gonna do in a submarine?

They want you, they want you in the navy

In the navy
Yes, you can sail the seven seas
In the navy
Yes, you can put your mind at ease
In the navy
Come on be bold and make a stand
In the navy, in the navy
Can’t you see we need a hand
In the navy
Come protect the motherland
In the navy
Come on and join your fellow man
In the navy
Come on be bold and make a stand


29 posted on 07/13/2021 3:44:25 AM PDT by Old Yeller (Republican politicans love being in office, Democrat politicians love being in power.)
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To: MAGA2017

And ship captains no longer get ship handling training, rather they learn how to handle their newly assigned ship on the job. So hitting a container ship is to be expected, as is running aground in open waters; its a wonder with all the corners cut to please the bureaucracy, to teach SJ, faggotry, and other woke crap, that more ships haven’t been lost.

Perhaps China doesn’t have a blue water navy, but the ship handling on both sides **may** be equal now ... unless the Chinese unleash their secret weapon ... a fleet of container ships ...


30 posted on 07/13/2021 4:02:00 AM PDT by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now its your turn)
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To: MAGA2017
Guess which one is CNO?


31 posted on 07/13/2021 4:13:45 AM PDT by Bonemaker (invictus maneo)
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To: MAGA2017

Depends on what stage of the sex change they’re in.

We can always have Biden give the aggressors a list of targets that are off limits or we can call a timeout.


32 posted on 07/13/2021 4:27:08 AM PDT by maddog55 (The only thing systemic in America is the left's hatred of it!)
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To: Jaysin

....”....will a destroyer captain be ready to make quick decisions and take calculated risks, even if his communications are jammed and he can’t reach his superiors?”

Well,given today’s Navy, it would probably be a “her” or maybe even an “it” trannie....let’s hope she’s not going through PMS...


33 posted on 07/13/2021 4:45:51 AM PDT by TokarevM57
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To: MAGA2017

How can a country that out sourced all of it’s pharmaceutical industry ever be prepared for war?


34 posted on 07/13/2021 4:48:39 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn...)
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To: MAGA2017

When a ship goes to GQ now a days what does the announcement sound like? “’Person’ your battle stations”.


35 posted on 07/13/2021 4:51:18 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn...)
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To: MAGA2017
In a word. No.


36 posted on 07/13/2021 4:54:42 AM PDT by Sirius Lee (They intend to murder us. Prep if you want to live and live like you are prepping for eternal life)
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To: MinorityRepublican
If China moves on Taiwan, sternly worded letter from Jo and the Ho is the max they get.
37 posted on 07/13/2021 4:58:08 AM PDT by skimbell
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To: central_va

.....good point....! when I was at sea we had regular “Man overboard!” drills....do they still have those, or have they been changed to “Person overboard!” or something....??


38 posted on 07/13/2021 4:58:26 AM PDT by TokarevM57
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To: TokarevM57

Someone’s overboard?


39 posted on 07/13/2021 5:01:33 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn...)
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To: ProtectOurFreedom; MAGA2017

40 posted on 07/13/2021 5:03:08 AM PDT by Travis McGee (EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com)
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