'Speed, Agility and Persistence' Mark Navy Contributions to Operation Iraqi Freedom
Navy Newstand
Story Number: NNS030422-11
Release Date: 4/22/2003 2:01:00 PM
By Chief Journalist Walter T. Ham IV, CNO Public Affairs
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Vern Clark said the Navy Marine Corps team capitalized on its ability to operate quickly, flexibly and persistently on the point in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
"When I look at Operation Iraqi Freedom, I think about speed. I think about agility. And I think about my new favorite word, persistence," the CNO said during his April 17 address at the Navy League Sea-Air-Space Exposition. "I am so pleased with the way the Navy Marine Corps team has responded to the challenge."
The CNO also called on the industry leaders at the Sea-Air-Space Exposition to find ways to help the Navy improve its business efficiency, and he thanked the Navy League for telling the Navy's story.
Clark said the Navy Marine Corps team demonstrated speed by its ability to surge forces to the scene.
"When I think about speed, I think about five battlegroups ready to go, with another one in the Pacific," the CNO said. "U.S. forces deployed in half the time it took for Desert Shield."
The CNO added that speed was also displayed in the Navy's ability to respond to time-sensitive targets.
"When I think about time-sensitive strike, I think about the joint decapitation strike. I remember when the Tomahawk was a system where planning a target would take days to weeks. But on this occasion, from the time we got the target, which came back via satellite to the United States for planning and got back to the ships via satellite, into the system, and a missile went out of the tube, it took just over a couple of hours," Clark said. "That's what speed is about."
Clark said the Navy is demonstrating its agility by operating in unison as a distributed force from three separate areas.
"Some of our force is sitting in the Eastern Mediterranean. A thousand miles away is another piece of our force. These groups are operating in a totally cohesive way, but free to go wherever they need to go."
According to the CNO, the Navy has once again proven the value of having persistent combat power available in the battlespace, as it did during combat operations in Afghanistan.
"If we are to be victorious, we must be able to project persistent combat power," Clark said. "We've learned again the importance of combat reach, the ability to affect events and influence events at great range."
The CNO said the Navy Marine Corps team has operated seamlessly with its sister services and coalition partners on the ground, in the air and at sea.
The American taxpayer's investment in readiness has yielded dividends in the Navy's ability to respond, Clark added.
"We invested in readiness, and that investment paid off. It paid off in giving the president options," Clark noted. "I've been talking about this subject of readiness for two years and nine months, and I want to tell you, I could not be more proud of our men and women and the way they have executed in the battlespace."
Clark added that the Navy Marine Corps team has to remain ready to fight and win in the war on terrorism, and has to stay focused on the emerging threats of the 21st century.
"I am convinced that this was not like the last war, and it won't be like the next one," the CNO said. "The key for us is to create capabilities that have the flexibility to be used with great advantage anywhere we're called to go.
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