Ray Mabus: Wichita a partner with U.S. Navy

I will visit Wichita Wednesday to name the Navy’s newest littoral combat ship, USS Wichita (LCS 13). A ship’s naming is the first milestone in bringing it to life, and here continues the long tradition and strong connection between the people of Wichita and our Navy. It is also an opportunity to highlight our commitment to increasing our Navy fleet size.

Born a maritime nation, America has always known that success depends on an exceptional Navy and Marine Corps. Article I of our Constitution authorizes Congress to “raise” an army when needed, but to “provide and maintain a navy.”

More than 80 percent of the world’s population lives within 60 miles of the sea, 90 percent of global trade goes by sea, and 95 percent of all voice and data transfer goes under the ocean. Some 40 million American jobs are directly linked to seaborne international trade. For seven decades, the presence of our Navy and Marine Corps has been the primary protector of maintaining open sea lanes and freedom of commerce.

Maintaining our naval presence requires a properly sized fleet. On Sept. 11, 2001, the fleet stood at 316 ships. By 2008, it had declined to 278 ships.

In the five years before I became secretary, the Navy contracted for only 27 ships, not enough to stop the slide in the size of the fleet. In my first five years, we contracted for 70 ships, halting and reversing the decline. By the end of the decade, we will once again top 300 ships.

Building those ships also provides thousands of high-skilled, good-paying jobs, not just in Navy shipbuilding yards, but for subcontractors in nearly every state in our nation.

Even in Wichita, though seemingly far from an ocean, the shipbuilding industry and Navy play a role in the regional economy. The shipbuilding and repair industry and its work through local contractors contribute more than $126 million annually to Kansas’ gross domestic product, as well as more than 1,580 jobs across the state.

The shelves of your stores are all stocked with “just in time” deliveries from around the globe. And they are there because the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps are present across the world’s oceans, keeping the sea lanes open and ensuring maritime security.

More importantly, we cannot have a strong Navy and Marine Corps without the American people, and I greatly appreciate these opportunities to see firsthand the result of our partnership with a community. USS Wichita will soon sail the world’s oceans in defense of our country.

One of USS Wichita’s greatest strengths will be the highly trained, always strong, always faithful U.S. Sailors and Marines. Around the world, far from their homes and families, they are deployed in defense of America. We truly are America’s “Away Team.” Today the partnership between our men and women in uniform and the people of Wichita is playing a vital role in maintaining American sea power and presence around the world.

This story was originally published September 12, 2015 at 7:02 PM with the headline "Ray Mabus: Wichita a partner with U.S. Navy."