OPINION:
As a former Navy enlisted man and naval officer who served on 13 ships, including destroyers, radar pickets, aircraft carriers and auxiliary ships, I am concerned with the lack of readiness of the U.S. fleet.
The secretary of the Navy under President Reagan, John Lehman, surged U.S. naval power into Soviet Union ocean domains, and this helped to end the Cold War. A similar situation now exists with China in the South China Sea, but we have too few ships available to patrol that area.
The condition of the Pacific 7th Fleet ships is dire. According to a July USA Today article, “from 2015 to 2016 the pace of operations for 7th Fleet cruisers and destroyers increased 40 percent, from 116 days underway to 162 days.” This is without any increase in ships or personnel, and it continues today.
In 1990, our Navy had 600 ships. Today, we have 283 — yet our missions have significantly increased during this time. A minimum of 300 ships are needed to project U.S. naval power around the world, to complete missions and to safely conduct operations. I estimate that an additional 50,000 naval personnel are needed. Our Navy is in dire straits.
DONALD MOSKOWITZ
Londonderry, N.H.
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