A Maritime Century

Sea-Air-Space 2023 kicked off its largest conference in history in fitting fashion — with leaders from the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Maritime Administration discussing the future of their forces over the next decade

To comply with the new National Defense Strategy and National Security Strategy, the sea forces are reevaluating how they recruit and retain personnel, and acquire hardware and software. During the Monday morning Sea Service Chiefs Leadership Panel discussion, “Sea Security 2030 and Beyond,” Moderator Francis Rose, founder and host of “The Federal Government Today,” concentrated on two key questions in those areas.  

  

People First 

All of you have talked about the importance of investments in people. What investments are you currently making or would like to make? 

Ann C. Phillips, RDML USN (Ret.), administrator of the Maritime Administration, said safety for mariners at sea is the “north star of the department.” In late 2021, the Merchant Marine Academy launched its Every Mariner Builds A Respectful Culture (EMBARC) program that improved safety at sea, especially for women and minorities.  

Only 7 percent of Merchant Marine mariners are women, and Phillips hopes EMBARC will help boost those numbers. “We don’t want them to be afraid of what will happen to them while at sea,” she said. “We are committed to investing in everyone’s safety at sea.”  

Phillips said the Maritime Administration is also building state-of-the-art vessels to train future generations of mariners and encourage them to serve. The first ship, Empire State, is scheduled to be delivered this summer. 

The Maritime Administration is also committed to listening to and delivering what’s important to young mariners, Phillips said, including internet access, gym equipment, good food, and vessels that are well maintained and cared for. 

“Our goal is to get them at sea and get them to see there’s a place at sea for them to advance and move up,” she said.   

Admiral Linda Fagan, commandant of the Coast Guard, said one of the biggest problems in attracting people to the Coast Guard is that many Americans don’t even know we have a Coast Guard, let alone the “true opportunity for service it represents. We always hear: ‘Had I known about the Coast Guard, I would have joined sooner.’” 

The Coast Guard is committed to doing a better job of marketing and recruiting, Fagan said, including opening nine new recruiting offices and new junior ROTC programs. It’s also committed to quality-of life initiatives like childcare, healthcare and medical access for families. 

“Our highest priority is our people,” Fagan said.  

Gen. David Berger, commandant of the Marine Corps, said the Corps’ force-modernization program is focused more on people than operations. Noting ruefully that the 18-30 age group, “is not bashful about telling us what their priorities are,” Berger said not all Marine facilities or services are at the standard that service members expect. 

“What’s important is where they live, the fitness centers, child development centers, where they work, where they eat. We must invest in that now,” he said. 

Berger said Marine quality-of-life priorities include healthcare. “We have to make sure military members get the very best care in the world, including mental and reproductive healthcare and training.” 

“The thing most people intuitively think about in terms of quality of life is the best and most realistic training, because that’s our best chance at winning,” he said. “We need to train for today, not 30 years ago.” This includes acknowledging that people learn at different paces, and weaving live, virtual and constructive training alongside our allies and partners, he said.  

Adm. Mike Gilday, chief of naval operations, U.S. Navy, said the Navy is also making significant investments in live, virtual constructive training, including leveraging technology from the gaming community.  

“That is the future, and we’ve found it to be highly effective,” he said, noting that the Navy is also investing in ready relevant learning, including training that’s “not cookie cutter — more creative.” 

Talent management is another key Navy recruitment and retention initiative. “We want to be more transparent about what’s available to sailors and how they can manage their own career,” Gilday said. “They’re thirsty for that, and we’re very committed to delivering that.” 

Shipbuilding Support 

What platforms are you asking for now, and what is the status of those in progress? 

“We’re in very good shape in support for shipbuilding. All of our production lines are humming,” Gilday said. “We’re optimistic about stable, predictable funding for ships, and we hope to sustain that.” 

Berger said the equipment each Marine wears now is “extraordinary.” And “aircraft modernization is so far down the road, the capability is pretty eye-watering.” 

The goal now is to focus on logistics. “The time to set the theater, which we grew up thinking was 30-60 days, is shorter now,” Berger said. “I can’t say it any more strongly: The power of information in a conflict is key to the ability to make adjustments.” 

Fagan said the Coast Guard needs more ships with polar capacity, and the Polar Security Cutter Program is dedicated to doing that.  

“We’re working on great state-of-the-art vessels and are in a great place in regard to acquisition, but we still have significant infrastructure backlog,” she said. Some shore facilities are in poor shape, and the Coast Guard would like 3 to 5 percent growth in infrastructure funding. Any current increases in funding are going to operations, including information-technology investments, she said.  

Phillips said the average Maritime Administration Ready Reserve vessel is 45 years old. Consequently, the Administration, which is funded jointly by the U.S. Department of Defense and the Department of Transportation, is working to service existing vessels and buy two new, used vessels a year.  

The Maritime Administration has also launched a port infrastructure-development grant program as part of its mission to foster, promote and develop the U.S. maritime industry. Last year the program funded $700 million in grants, and it has an equivalent amount available this year, Phillips said.