March 26, 2021 For Those Who Serve Washington Happenings Lots of talk about Afghanistan this week. During a much anticipated press conference in which reporters found time to ask about the 2024 Presidential Election but did not ask about the Coronavirus pandemic, President Biden stated that he did not anticipate the U.S. achieving a withdrawal by May of this year but also stated that he “can’t picture” them there in 2022. This comes as key special operations leaders have stated and testified before Congress that the Taliban has not upheld its end of the peace agreement and that the Afghan government needs U.S. forces as a bulwark against insurgent violence and bloodshed. At the same time, the House Foreign Affairs Committee advanced a bill to repeal the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) which served as the foundation for much of America’s post-9/11 actions in the Middle East. Despite opposition to the AUMF emerging periodically from both sides of the aisle at different times over the last two decades, the committee vote fell primarily along party lines. And coming as great relief to appropriators and staffers on Capitol Hill, the Biden Administration has promised to release a "skinny budget" next week rather than wait up to two months for a full President's Budget to drop. This "skinny budget" is expected to provide adequate guidance for Congress to begin drafting more specific numbers in their budgets. Preserve Alameda, CA historic WWII Merchant Marine training site! Please take action by signing this petition to explain to the Alameda Historical Advisory Board the historical significance of the U.S. Merchant Marine Training School so that it may remain on the Historical Advisory Board Study List with an "S" (State) designation. For more information and to sign the petition, click here! Don’t forget to share your stories with us! Your stories are important and they matter to your representatives. Please connect with us here at the Navy League so that we can relay your stories to the representatives that can affect real change in support of our Sea Services. Tell your story here! Navy League Advocacy Updates Navy League Legislation Affairs Committee Members can view our updated Legislative Affairs Committee Page with all kinds of resources to support your grassroots advocacy! Support the Jones Act The Jones Act helps support 650,000 jobs across America, with an annual economic impact of more than $154 billion. More importantly to the nation as a whole, the law provides important national, homeland, and economic security benefits. Additionally, the Jones Act plays a critical role in maintaining our Merchant Mariner force and sealift capacity. Both are foundational aspects of wartime transport and emergency resupply. When our nation went to war in Iraq and Afghanistan, Mariners from the U.S.-flag Jones Act and International trading fleets crewed the Reserve Fleet ships that answered the call to transport military equipment across the oceans to support our war effort. Only the U.S. Flag Merchant Marine and its Allies can be relied upon in our time of need, and the Jones Act ensures that those forces remain strong and ready for whatever dangers await our nation in the future. Tell Congress to support our Coasties! The Coast Guard needs more funding to support ever-growing maritime demands in an era of increased transnational criminal organization (TCO) activity, arctic operations, and Great Power Competition. Ask your representatives to support the Coast Guard's need for adequate funding in fiscal year 2022. We believe this is necessary to ensure proper maintenance and training, establish effective readiness and maintain a strong workforce. The Navy League is asking Congress for a 5 percent annual increase in the fiscal year 2022 Operations and Support account to properly man, sustain, maintain and equip Coast Guard units. Tell Congress to fund America's Tanker Fleet! If the United States needed to engage in sustained foreign operations, a possibility made all the more likely by our renewed focus on great power competition, our forces would not have access to the refueling fleet required to accommodate both domestic trade needs and global military operations. For this reason, Congress and the White House must work together to establish and fund a fleet of Tanker Security Program ships capable of meeting the needs of American naval and ground-based forces conducting major operations in the Indo-Pacific. This program initially would provide a stipend for 10 tankers in exchange for their agreement to be activated by the Department of Defense when America's national security interests demand it. The NDAA provided authorization for this program but full funding is needed for FY22 and beyond. Sea Service Updates In a clear sign of the times, and a precursor to the dispersed battles of the 21st century, special forces in the Pacific will work with U.S. allies to counter China’s disinformation efforts in the region. General Clarke, commander of Special Operations Command, made clear in remarks before the Senate Armed Services Committee that special forces will work to “tamp down some of the disinformation that they [China] continuously sow”. And in what will undoubtedly be viewed as a first test of the Biden Administration, North Korea launched a new guided missile. Biden has warned the rogue state against escalating tensions. The two missiles fired were confirmed as ballistic missiles by Japanese authorities. Many see this act as an effort by North Korea to gain leverage in any possible negotiations with the new administration. ATLANTIC OCEAN (Mach 4, 2021) Marines assigned to 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (24th MEU) board an MV-22 Osprey attached to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 162 (Reinforced), aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) during a routine exercise with the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group, March 4, 2021. Iwo Jima is conducting training with Amphibious Squadron 4 and the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (24th MEU) as part of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class J. E. Veal) Sea Service News The State of the Sea Services Fewest number of special ops forces deployed since 2001 as Pentagon reviews decisions to draw down troops – Stars and Stripes / March 25 There are now fewer special operations forces deployed around the globe than at any point since the United States invaded Afghanistan in 2001 following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the commander of U.S. special operations said Thursday. New Navy Command To Oversee Unmanned Ships As They Work With Fleet - Breaking Defense / March 25 The Navy is preparing a first-of-its-kind operational command to test and develop concepts for its new generation of unmanned surface vessels, a major step in getting autonomous ships into the fleet. *Special Coronavirus Coverage* Majority of US personnel in Middle East could be vaccinated by early April, CENTCOM says – Stars and Stripes / March 25 An large batch of the one-dose Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine heading to the Middle East and Afghanistan could allow U.S. Central Command to inoculate most overseas personnel who want the shots by early April, military officials said Thursday. Coronavirus rate among US military in Japan is 0.02%, senior enlisted adviser says – Stars and Stripes / March 25 The U.S. military in Japan and South Korea reported 14 new coronavirus patients as of 6 p.m. Thursday, some dating back nearly three weeks. Great Power Competition China’s defence minister on Europe mission as US tries to rally Nato – South China Morning Post / March 25 Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe defended Beijing’s Xinjiang policies as he landed in Europe for a weeklong trip as the US tries to rally countries on the continent to its side. Biden Says China Won’t Be Most Powerful Country on His Watch – Bloomberg / March 26 President Joe Biden on Thursday promised to outspend China on innovation and infrastructure to prevent it from overtaking the U.S. to become the world’s most powerful country. Navy League of the United States 2300 Wilson Blvd, Suite 200 Arlington, VA 22201 703-312-1571 .