Staff Reports
John Phelan, a billionaire investment mogul and Republican benefactor, has been tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to take the reins as the 79th Secretary of the Navy. This announcement signals a clear intention to inject some much-needed business acumen into an institution that has been struggling under layers of bureaucracy and ineptness. It’s a bold move that aims to prioritize the interests of the Navy and its servicemen, aligning with Trump’s proven “America First” philosophy.
Trump Picks Navy Outsider to Fix a Thoroughly Broken Servicehttps://t.co/7ZiYQ4oUwR
— RedState (@RedState) November 28, 2024
Phelan is no ordinary appointee. With a solid track record of success at Rugger Management LLC and MSD Capital, the private investment firm he co-founded with tech titan Michael Dell, he comes equipped with the kind of talent that only a few can boast. His educational credentials include an MBA from Harvard Business School, a surefire indicator of his capability to make real changes in the Navy. Above all, his outsider perspective—unencumbered by the constraints of traditional military bureaucracy—could be exactly what the Navy needs to regain its footing.
The challenges awaiting Phelan are daunting, to say the least. The Navy is facing a crisis of credibility and efficiency. Shipbuilding has reached new lows, with NAVSEA managing an enormous workforce yet failing to produce ships that meet operational standards. The Littoral Combat Ship, hailed as a game-changer, has proven to be little more than a punchline, unable to fulfill its responsibilities in critical regions. Meanwhile, real threats loom on the horizon as China continues to expand its naval capabilities without the same constraints the U.S. Navy seems to impose upon itself.
Critics have already begun to pounce on Phelan’s lack of military experience. However, this outsider status could very well be an asset rather than a liability. The bureaucracy of the Pentagon is a bizarre landscape filled with entrenched interests and red tape that often has nothing to do with actual military readiness. Phelan’s role as Secretary is not to navigate these convoluted paths of military culture but to streamline operations and ensure that the Navy can achieve its mission—something that has been relegated to the back burner for far too long.
The current state of affairs is untenable. There are currently more admirals than ships—an absurdity that calls for immediate rectification. Phelan’s task will involve wading through this swamp and purging the self-serving elements within the Navy’s management. He must ensure that the focus shifts back to operational capability, rather than indulging in distractions like political correctness and social experiments. A renewed emphasis on effectiveness over ideology is what the Navy desperately needs to reset its trajectory and become a force capable of genuinely defending U.S. interests.
This appointment reflects Trump’s commitment to a Navy that prioritizes mission readiness and accountability. Phelan’s ties to Trump add an influential layer that can’t be ignored. His unique skill set could disrupt the status quo and hopefully inspire those serving at every level. The Senate should expedite confirmations and get Phelan to work, because with global threats on the rise, America deserves a Navy that is prepared, efficient, and above all, unwavering in its duty to serve and protect.
