REPORT ON THE U.S. NAVAL INSTITUTE'S "WEST 2015" CONCLUDED IN SAN DIEGO.
PD Editor's Note: Day 2 summary linked at bottom of page.
DAY ONE:
The gathering converged at the San Diego Convention Center February 10-12, 2015. The topic of discussion this year "Lower Budgets and Higher Demands: How Do The Sea Services Strike the Right Balance". As the world continues to descend into instability due to the foolish decisions of many Western governments on economic, defense, security, and immigration issues, Chinese economic and naval aggression, rising Russian imperialism, and the global Islamic Jihad this seems an appropriate and timely question.
As many of our readers have noted by now our staff are nearly all members of the U.S. Naval Institute , some are also financial contributors, and some have contributed articles for publication from time to time. As a publishing and publication sales organization we literally are a reaction to the Institute's constant admonition to sea service personnel at all grade levels to "dare to think , speak, and write." We constantly admonish our naval professional site visitors to join the Institute . No one can match the Institute's credibility, competence and integrity. Unfortunately despite growing internet services and seminars such as the one we are reporting on now, the Institute can't air every author who deserves an audience. American Admiralty Books is one alternative.
We don't use our real names on the American Admiralty Books blog because there is good reason for the Institute to admonish us to "dare"to think speak and write. But when we do write for the PROCEEDINGS we do use our real names because with so many leading naval lights on the editorial board of the PROCEEDINGS, there is a certain feeling of safety in taking an unpopular or uncommon position when your essay has passed scrutiny with the Institute's editorial board. Unfortunately the Institute can't publish everyone who deserves to be published on any and all naval subjects. American Admiralty Books with our policy of allowing publication under pens names is one of the alternatives for those who dare to think , speak, and write on naval subjects.
We like to report on activities of the Naval Institute for those of our readers who have not joined the membership of the Institute or don't know their way to the Institute's various Internet sites where daily news can be obtained. WEST 2015 is one such activity: The distinguished speakers at the conference on the first day addressed the issue of how the military and the sea services in particular can handle threats with diminished budgets. The threats continue to grow, the budgets continue to shrink. Speakers on the first day pointed out that much of the military success in solving this puzzle depends on money, something in constant short supply. Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work said at the conference that the Obama Administration's $585 billion defense request for 2016 is $36 billion above sequestration -level financing. To our ears this sounds like continued gutting of the U.S. military but this is the norm at any Institute sponsored event, you're going to be exposed to more than one side of any naval issue. At the convention's first panel discussion titled "What Are the Force Providers Priorities", the doing more with less theme was in evidence.
To read the full official Institute Report on the Conference click here: WEST 2015 DAY 2 "Confrontations await in cyberspace, and those encounters will test military readiness, speakers said Wednesday at the WEST 2015 convention in San Diego, Calif." FULL REPORT BY USNI
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