The WEST 2018 Conference and Exposition, 6-8 February, was a huge success.
Almost 8,000 people attended to hear the numerous speakers and panels and visit the booths of 367 defense industry and military exhibitors. The theme of this year’s WEST was “Near-Peer Competition Is Back: Are We Ready Now and Into the Future?”
From the program kick-off by the Honorable Patrick M. Shanahan, Deputy Secretary of Defense, to the wrap-up discussion with the three Sea Service chiefs, attendees heard about the challenges posed by today’s high-end threats and what the Department of Defense and the Armed Services are doing to face those challenges. Deputy Secretary Shanahan described efforts to streamline and speed up the acquisition process, recognizing that the U.S. military technical edge has eroded in the past two decades and it will take effort to get it back.
Admiral Scott Swift, Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, connected with the audience by talking about how China is trying to reshape the international landscape in Asia coercively, and how the Pacific Fleet has brought back “Fleet Problems” to innovate tactically in the face of the threat. Admiral Swift expands on the Fleet Problems in his article starting on page 22 of this Proceedings.
Numerous junior and mid-grade officers participated in panels focused on specific problems and developments in the force. The panel of surface warfare Weapons and Tactics Instructors (WTIs) described the rigor of the WTI program, its impact on the fleet, and its ties to the WTI programs of the naval aviation, submarine, and information warfare communities. Those young officers renewed our faith in the U.S. Navy’s future.
The final event of the program was the discussion with Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson, Commandant of the Marine Corps General Robert Neller, and Commandant of the Coast Guard Admiral Paul Zukunft, moderated by Naval Institute Chair, retired Navy Admiral Jim Stavridis. It was heartening to hear all three leaders talking candidly about great power competition. General Neller drew applause for saying, “We need more attack submarines.” The CNO almost hugged him for that line.
One part of WEST that most visitors did not see was the DARE program—a working group of junior military personnel and civilians brought together to study specific problems identified by a service chief, now in its second year. Commandant Neller asked the group two questions that addressed responsible use of alcohol and ways to increase resiliency in the Marine Corps. The out brief and conversation with General Neller (and Admiral Zukunft), led by a Marine captain and a Navy lieutenant (j.g.), were impressive. The group will write formal papers on each topic.
One theme that emerged from all the speakers was the need to end sequestration and pass budgets on time. As the conference ended, Congress reached a budget agreement that increases defense spending by $165 billion over 2018 and 2019, answering the call heard in San Diego and putting the Navy on a path to a “whole” fleet—a term CNO Richardson used to describe rebuilding readiness—and a fleet of 355 ships. You can view the speakers and panels at WEST at www.westconference.org.
The Naval Institute’s Annual Meeting
Our annual meeting will be on 2 May at CSIS in Washington, D.C. The winners of the 2017 General Prize Essay Contest will be recognized. We received more than 100 essays for this contest, and this year’s winners are all active-duty authors. We also will recognize the 2017 Authors of the Year for Proceedings, Naval History, and the Naval Institute Press. Newly elected members of the Board of Directors and the Editorial Board—and Naval History Advisory Board—also will be recognized.
Finally, I will provide the annual State of the Naval Institute report, and the news in that report will be good. Please join us. Registration will be open by mid-March: www.usni.org/annualmeeting.