On 9/11, 2001, the Navy stood at 316 ships. By 2008, after one of the great military buildups in American history, we were at 278 ships and had 49,000 fewer sailors.
Ray MabusWhen I do all-hands calls - and I do a lot of all-hands calls - and I look out across 50 people, or 5,000 people, I see United States sailors. I do not see male sailors, or female sailors, and I do not think anybody else does, either.
Ray MabusHere are the choices I dont want to make: between paying additional fuel costs and flying and steaming less; between paying additional fuel costs and building fewer ships and planes.
Ray Mabus