“Speak softly and carry a big stick” – those were the famous words of our 26th President Theodore Roosevelt when addressing foreign policy.
Since then, America’s military strength has stemmed from our ability to answer any call, anytime, anywhere. Over the last 100 years, the United States saved the world in two World Wars and we won the Cold War against the Soviet Union in 1991. Less than a year later, the Soviet Union itself had ended and the United States stood stronger than ever. But now, it seems as if we have lost our mojo.
Just this week, a Chinese warship crossed the bow of our guided missile destroyer, USS Chung-Hoon, forcing the American vessel to slow down to avoid collision with the Chinese warship. The Chinese ship also violated international rules of the road, a standard accepted by all sea-going countries around the world. USS Chung-Hoon was exercising the Freedom of Navigation in the Pacific, this Chinese ship turned to starboard (right) across its bow. This was not the first time the Chinese acted aggressively in international waters. In recent years, the CCP has used its military and economic coercion to bully its neighbors and threaten maritime lanes for shipping. Even several of our ships from the U.S. Seventh Fleet have had near misses in the past few years. In 2001, a U.S. Navy EP3 was harassed by Chinese fighters and forced to land in China where the CCP exploited the aircraft for all intelligence value before returning the aircraft and the crew weeks later.
Yet, what does our Navy do in response to this week’s near collision? Nothing. Instead, the U.S. Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro touts the diversity of our ships during pride month and said that combating climate change was his top priority. He went on to say that LGBTQI+ Sailors, Marines, civilians, and contractors were working to mold the future of the Navy and realize the “limitless possibilities of a collaborative, diverse, and inclusive workforce where everyone can live as their true self and defend our Nation from extremism and any threat.” This message was also mimicked this week by the U.S. Space Force Lt. Gen. DeAnna Burt.
What is happening? I thought the mission of the Navy was to “maintain, train and equip combat-ready naval forces capable of winning wars, deterring aggression and maintaining freedom of the seas.” As a U.S. Navy Captain, I was required to be prepared at all times to defend our country’s interests around the globe. That was our mission. I didn’t care what my Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen did in the privacy of their own homes. This was the premise of the Clinton era “Don’t ask, don’t tell.”
But now I find myself asking, has the U.S. military lost its mojo? First, the Biden Administration extended an invitation to the Chinese Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu to meet with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in Singapore following increased tensions stemming from the war in Ukraine and the Chinese spy balloons that floated across the United States in recent months. But that meeting did not come about. Instead, the Chinese Defense Minister thumbed his nose up at Secretary Austin’s request for a bilateral discussion essentially saying “you’re not worth my time.” Then, on June 8th, the Wall Street reported that Beijing is paying billions of dollars to Havana to establish an eavesdropping facility in Cuba capable of recording U.S. electronic transmission. In the Black Sea, a Russian fighter dumped fuel onto our unmanned aircraft in international air space and caused a catastrophic casualty forcing it to crash. What did we do then? Nothing. Instead, we moved the operating area further south to avoid another situation.
This is the direct result of feckless leadership at the White House and at the Pentagon, and we cannot continue down this dangerous path. It’s no wonder why military recruiting has reached an all-time low. Just last year, the Army missed its recruitment goal by 15,000 soldiers – about 25% of its target – and during a hearing on April 19 of this year, military leaders told the U.S. House Armed Services Committee that they predict the Army and the Air Force will miss their FY23 recruitment goal by 10,000 and the Navy expects to fall short 6,000 sailors.
Alpha men and women do not follow weak leaders. We need to get our mojo back and get a bigger stick. We need fearless leadership that will give the world faith in the United States’ ability to stand up to threats. But most importantly, we need to see change in our nation’s capital and it needs to happen now.
Hung Cao, Honorary Chairman of Unleash America PAC and Senior Advisor at POLARIS National Security. Cao is a retired Navy Captain who served in special operations for 25 years.