Fighting other navies is part of the mission

Editor,

 

The February 2009 Correspondence article by retired Coast Guard Captain Raymond J. Brown was interesting and informative (In fighting pirates, merchant vessels are mostly on their own – pg 30). But I have to dispute one of the Captain’s closing assertions. He states: “The U.S. Navy is in search of credible missions right now – and navies do not exist to fight other navies…†During my twenty-plus year career in the U.S. Navy we constantly trained and prepared specifically to fight other navies. In fact, I think you would agree that the U.S. Navy’s mission statement specifically states, in part, that it has long existed to fight other navies: “The mission of the Navy is to maintain, train and equip combat-ready Naval forces capable of winning wars, deterring aggression and maintaining freedom of the seas.â€

 

Sincerely,

Daniel J. Force

CTOC(AW), USN, Retired