1998 Year of the Ocean The Oceans and National Security 



from the government and private sector will have to determine the appropriate level of 

 investment for making defense information with civil applications available to the public. 



There is an increasing awareness that marine pollution and decreases in sustainable yields 

 of marine living resources can be one contributing factor to political instability in coastal regions 

 around the world. In the coming years, the United States must assess what the federal 

 government can or should do to help prevent or mitigate these types of problems. A strategy may 

 be needed to avoid costly impacts on the United States in the form of military humanitarian 

 intervention, responses to mass migration, and unprogrammed foreign aid expenditures. The 

 United States must also consider the appropriate role of private and international aid 

 organizations in this overall process. 



Finally, striking the correct balance between federal and state environmental laws 

 designed to protect the marine environment with military readiness and operations is an ongoing 

 process and continues to be a challenge. 



EDUCATION AND EXPLORATION 



The nation should continue to fund pure and applied research across the spectrum of 

 ocean sciences to meet future defense needs. An investment in defense science will pay 

 dividends to the civilian sector. A more complete understanding of the ocean environment will 

 enable U.S. military forces in the future to meet their traditional defense missions while at the 

 same time minimizing the impacts of those operations on the marine environment. Science is key 

 to finding ways to sustainably develop and manage ocean resources to meet the needs of an 

 increasing world population. Ocean exploration missions are important to meet defense science 

 needs and advance the nation's overall position in science and technology. The United States 

 must continue to attract the best and the brightest to America's shores to study, conduct research, 

 and advance the technology base. 



The nation invests heavily in education and training activities to support national security 

 programs. A full spectrum of training facilities is dedicated to training seagoing professionals. 

 These include the Military Service Academies (Naval and Coast Guard Academies), the 

 Merchant Marine Academy, and the Naval Reserve Officer Training Units located at major 

 universities across the country. The Navy and Coast Guard operate a network of schools to 

 provide apprentice level technical training in all fields relating to the operations of ships at sea 

 including: engineering, ships services, nuclear and conventional propulsion systems, combat 

 systems, navigation and operations. Finally, the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval War College, 

 and Naval Medical Research Institute are among the world-class graduate level teaching and 

 research organizations that are responsible for educating military leaders in the United States and 

 abroad. This investment in training is significant, but the payoff is the world's most highly 

 trained cadre of mariners and marine scientists who serve in both military and civilian positions. 



B-22 



