A Second Great White Fleet

from The New Ledger:

A Second Great White Fleetby Chris Albon and Craig Hooper








On August 31st, little noticed outside naval analyst circles, China’s first purpose-built hospital ship left port on her inaugural mission. The 10,000 ton vessel, called Peace Ark, and her crew of over 400 military and medical personnel will spend the next 87 days providing health care to foreign militaries in the Gulf of Aden and humanitarian assistance to civilians in Djibouti, Kenya, Tanzania, the Seychelles, and Bangladesh. More than that, Peace Ark’s deployment marks the start of a new phase of Chinese soft power: medical assistance to win hearts and minds.



U.S. Navy ships, including hospital ships, routinely conduct similar humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations. The U.S.N.S. Mercy is currently returning from such a mission in the Pacific. However, in almost all cases these deployments are completed by one or two vessels, whose work often achieves only minor local media coverage. If we are serious about improving global perceptions of the U.S., we must think bigger.



One hundred and two years ago, sixteen United States Navy battleships steamed out of Hampton Roads, Virginia. For the next two years, this fleet circumnavigated the globe, making port calls on six continents. The armada, sporting freshly painted white hulls, became known as the “Great White Fleet,” and by doing everything but fight introduced a new and invigorated America to the world.



We need a second Great White Fleet.



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After January’s earthquake in Haiti, the U.S. military and Coast Guard vessels transported supplies, provided security, and even conducted air traffic control for Toussaint L’Ouverture International Airport. During the ongoing flooding in Pakistan, helicopters from U.S. warships have delivered critical food aid and airlifted thousands to safety. Both disasters presented a side of America that is too rarely seen on the world stage: young American men and women sent to aid beleaguered nations.



However, in both these cases the U.S. flotilla was ad hoc, assembled either by reassigning ships from more traditional duties or, as in the case of the hospital ship U.S.N.S. Comfort, deployed from port only through the Herculean efforts of her crew. There was no dedicated squadron trained and tasked for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. We should change this.



Imagine a squadron of half a dozen ships, staffed with medical personnel from all the branches of the military, Coast Guard, United States Public Health Service, and non-governmental organizations. Additional expertise would come from civilian agencies, most importantly U.S.A.I.D. and Department of State. During and after disasters, this squadron would deploy to the area pre-stocked with the resources and personnel most needed. Other times, the fleets would provide humanitarian and other assistance in coordination with host countries: repair schools and hospitals, provide medical care, and train local health providers, and most importantly, build relationships with foreign governments and their institutions.



Critics will say we cannot afford it. We can. They will say we do not have enough medical personnel. We do, if we partner with non-governmental organizations and the civilian sector. They will claim it is not our mission. It has to be. America’s power is great, but finite. The United States can do anything, but it cannot do everything. With our attention and resources already committed near capacity around the globe, the U.S. needs strong partnerships to build a more resilient, secure world. A new Great White Fleet is an opportunity to build the relationships we need to face the threats of the coming decades. Describing the original Great White Fleet before its departure, U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Robley Evans proclaimed that “we are ready at the drop of a hat for a feast, a frolic, or a fight”. In the 21st century, the world knows America can fight. It is time we remind the world we can feast and frolic as well.



Craig Hooper is a San Francisco-based national security strategist and writes at NextNavy. Christopher R. Albon is a political science Ph.D. candidate at the University of California, Davis. He writes at ConflictHealth.