What it takes to reconstitute the Navy and win the new Cold War

Today’s Navy faces massive challenges, many reminiscent of the darkest days of the Cold War: abysmal recruiting, failing shipbuilding programs, too few ships—all eroding our capability advantages over an increasingly aggressive and confident adversary.

It’s discouraging to be sure, but not insurmountable. The tenure of Ambassador J. William Middendorf II as secretary of the Navy offers an object lesson in how to overcome these serious problems.

Middendorf took the helm of the Navy in 1974. It was a low point in American history. The nation stewed in a post-Vietnam War funk. Leadership was in turmoil over the Watergate scandal. And foreign perils proliferated. Yet Middendorf was able to make decisions that helped turn the tide of the Cold War, and those decisions continue to have a positive impact today.