Friday, January 25 - "You Can't Have It Both Ways"

Sep 29, 2026

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Program announcement and policy commentary on U.S. national security amid Cold War pressures, defense cutbacks, and strategic constraints. The text questions whether the U.S. Navy can respond to Soviet buildup in the Mediterranean, how funding reductions affect operations, and how SALT agreements influence nuclear submarine and missile development. Additional material addresses the energy crisis’s implications for America and summarizes defense force drawdowns, emphasizing the need for strength and careful planning.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

WHAT DOES THE ENERGY CRISIS MEAN FOR AMERICA?

Across-the-Board Cuts

Careful Planning

Strategie Airlift

# FRIDAY,JANUARY 25th,12 NOOWG0LD BALLROOM,SHERATOW-PALACE HOTEThe Honorable JOHN W.WARNER Secretary of the U.S.Navy"YOU CAN'T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS" The U.S.Navy,once the undisputed sea power of theworld,now faces a serious challenge from the SovietUnion.Can the U.S.checkmate the buildup of Sovietforces in the Mediterranean?How seriously havecutbacks in funds affected naval operations?To whatextent have the SALT agreements hampered thenavy's development of nuclear-powered subs andsubmarine-launched missiles?Is the U.S.Navy keep-ing pace or is it being outmaneuvered?Is the all-vol-unteer Army helping or hurting Navy enlistments? Tickers $5.00 at door only # SPECIAL TICKET LUNCHEON MOMDAY,FEBRUARY 4,12 MOON HYATT REGENCY HOTEL The Honorable JOHN C.SAWHILL Deputy Director of the Federal Energy Office(assistant to William Simon) ## WHAT DOES THE ENERGY CRISIS MEAN FOR AMERICA? Is the American oil industry capitalizing on the energy crisis by reducingsupplies and raising prices?Will rationing help?Do we have the tech-nology to convert to other energy forms before it's too late?Warningswere received on the energy crisis up to two years ago.Why were wecaught with our amps down? Tickets $7.00 each.Tickets will be mailed if check and self-addressedstamped envelope are received at the Club Office no later than Monday,January 28th. Unpaid reservations cannot be held after 5:00 P.M.Fiday.February Ist. DETENTEDOESNOTSIGALENDTOVGNE FRIDAY FLASHES-JAN.IITHFrom Address by GENERAL GEORGE S.BROWN,Chief of Staf,U.S.Air Force “We in uniform have an obligation toseek better public understanding of na-tional security matters,and to give youan accounting of how your tax dollars arebeing spent. Since World War II,there have been anumber of major crises which havebrought us to the brink of war.In 1962,we faced the Cuban missile crisis—andtwice we came to the barriers over Berlinand a confrontation of the super-powers.A shooting war was avoided in each case. ## Across-the-Board Cuts Fortunately in the recent war in theMiddle East,we were able to avoid a sim-ilar confrontation.But in all of these sit-uations it was the strength and respon-siveness of the U.S.military forces whichbacked our diplomatic actions. Our concern is to insure that we will beable to meet such challenges in the future.Major force reductions to pre-SoutheastAsia levels were to be expected.But thedraw-down which has occurred exceedswhat was expected.Maintaining Strength During the Korean War,Air Force mil-itary personnel strength was nearly a mil-lion men and women.For the SoutheastAsia build-up,it was over 900,000.Pres-ently,we have 630,000 active duty per-sonnel,our smallest force since World War II.Further reductions are being con-sidered. What about weapon systems?Look backjust ten years—prior to the force build-upfor Southeast Asia.Since then,while ourmissile forces remain level and we havemade some qualitative improvements,ourstrategic bomber force has decreased bynearly two-thirds—from over 1200 air-craft to about 400. Our general purpose forces,which per-formed so well in Vietnam,have decreased from nearly 100 squadrons to lessthan 75 at present.Continental air defense forces of this nation have been se-verely reduced by 85%—down from over800 fighters just ten years ago.And theBOMARC air defense missiles have beenphased out completely. ## Careful Planning This is not merely an Air Force prob-lem.During this same period,the Navyretired or scrapped nearly 400 ships whilecommissioning only 231;the combatArmy has been reduced by the equivalentof over seven divisions,or nearly one-third its size. We have withdrawn our forces fromVietnam.We have shifted our nationalpriorities to concentrate on domestic prob-lems.And we have opened a constructivedialogue with the Soviet Union and thePeople's Republic of China. This does not mean that national secur-ity is assured,that our national defensestructure can be permitte

FAQs

What issues does the document raise about the U.S. Navy’s ability to respond to Soviet actions?

It questions whether the U.S. can counter Soviet force buildup in the Mediterranean, how funding cutbacks affect naval operations, and whether SALT agreements hinder development of nuclear-powered submarines and submarine-launched missiles.

What does the document suggest the energy crisis means for America?

It asks whether oil suppliers are exploiting the crisis through reduced supplies and higher prices, whether rationing would help, and whether technology exists to shift to other energy forms in time.

How does the defense commentary describe the impact of reduced military strength?

It highlights personnel and weapon-system reductions across services and argues that maintaining strength and resolve is necessary for credible negotiation and national security readiness.

Sep 29, 2026

Upload by jayni