Defense Secretary Leon Panetta used his first visit to an aircraft carrier at sea to reassure the crew of the Norfolk-based Enterprise on Saturday that even as he prepares to cut billions in defense spending, America's Navy will remain healthy and strong.
With the roar of jet engines at times drowning him out, Panetta vowed before nearly 2,000 sailors gathered in the ship's hangar bay that he will maintain the Navy's carrier fleet at 11. He said that as the military downsizes, the Navy will only become more important because of its ability to project American power anywhere in the world, even on short notice.
In return, he offered a pledge that the cuts the Pentagon will unveil in the coming weeks - $490 billion over the next 10 years - won't leave a hollowed-out force.
While he said some Navy programs will face cuts and the military as a whole will come out smaller, it will also be more agile, more deployable and more technologically advanced, he said. It will remain capable of taking on any aggressor and focused on the Middle East, all while adding renewed focus in the Pacific.
Speaking later to reporters, Panetta couldn't say whether that might eventually mean that one or more of the Navy's Atlantic-based carriers moves west, though he said no decision to that effect has been made so far.
Asked how long he envisions maintaining 11 carriers, Panetta was less equivocal.
"It's a long-term commitment," he said.
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GERMAN NAVY “SEALS”
German naval commandos are called Kampfschwimmer or "combat swimmers". These German navy counterparts to the US Navy SEALs are Germany's oldest Special Operations Forces. The Kampfschwimmer roots go back to World War II.
Today's Kampfschwimmer formations are heavily involved in international operations against terrorism, including missions in the mountains of Afghanistan.
This e-book is written by a German Navy lieutenant who serves as a Kampfschwimmer team leader -- the equivalent of a US Navy SEAL platoon leader.
"German Navy SEALs" is a profile of the Kampfschwimmer units. The e-book covers the history of the Kampfschwimmer beginning with the World War II era; describes their organization, command structure, capabilities and training; discusses their cooperation with US Navy SEALS and other Special Operations Forces; and their role in German and NATO operational planning.
