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England Stresses Commitment to War on Terror

By OTTO KREISHER, Special Correspondent

Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon R. England warned that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are just the first campaigns in a long war against international terrorism and "we must remain as committed to our cause as our adversaries are to theirs.

"This is not a war of our choosing. This is not a war we can ignore. This is not a war that will end if we walk away from the battlefield," England told the Navy League's Sea-Air-Space Exposition luncheon audience March 19.

Prevailing in that war will require "strong, steady and committed leadership, a strong military and an even stronger sea service team," he said.

The former two-time Navy secretary compared the current national security threat to the "tough, long slog" of World War II and the nearly 40-year struggle against communism in the Cold War. But he expressed an indirect concern over the nature of the national political debate. During those past struggles, he said, "the nation's security wasn't about Democrats or Republicans, liberals or conservatives. ... It was about a nation committed to peace, freedom and democracy. That is a lesson that clearly needs to be understood and applied today."

England said the only certainties about the future are unpredictability, the prospect of a sustained conflict and the "need for strong naval forces." He said ships like the proposed Littoral Combat Ships and the amphibious transport dock ship New York (LPD-21), which he helped to christen last week, can project power around the world and are vital to the nation.

"Being able to deploy quickly, anywhere in the world, at any time is precisely the capability the nation needs today and will need in the future," he said.

In addition to power projection, naval forces are ideally suited to build partnerships with other nations and spread America's message of the commitment to peace and freedom. Although the United States cannot be defeated on the battlefield, it and its allies cannot win this current war on the battlefield alone.

"Ultimately, what will win the war on terrorism are the choices people make," he said.

Noting the recent observation of the 100th anniversary of the Great White Fleet's goodwill voyage around the world, England said what the next 100 years will bring is not knowable. But, he added, "the nation's security will always rely on a strong naval service team."

Following his speech, England helped Navy League National President J. Michael McGrath present the Navy League's 2008 Gerald Thomas Award for Inspirational Leadership to Marine Gunnery Sgt. Marcus D. Wilson for extraordinary leadership and valor in combat in Iraq and during his recovery at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md., from injuries he received in an improvised explosive device attack.