Nine Years is a Long Time

...what, exactly, were our priorities?

I think this is going to be tender week ... as my post tomorrow will be on the same topic.

I want you to think about 2012. Yes, it was nine years ago. Obama was running for re-election against Mitt Romney. 

The #1 song of that year was "Somebody That I Used to Know" by Gotye featuring Kimbra.

ISIS, in its present name, did not yet exist for another year.

It also was the last time...

The submarine tender USS Frank Cable (AS 40) completed a weapons handling exercise involving the transfer of a MK-48 inert training shape to a submarine, Oct. 22. This was the first expeditionary reload Frank Cable has conducted outside of Guam since 2012.

OK. Here is a question I hope someone in Congress askes next time a 4-star comes in front of them.

“This exercise was instrumental to developing the expeditionary combat capabilities that our submarine tenders and submarines bring to the Pacific theater,” said Capt. Albert Alarcon, Frank Cable's commanding officer. “Every training opportunity helps assure our readiness for any contingency.”

So, all that talk about a Pacific pivot. All that talk about the, correct, primacy of our SSN fleet in any engagement west of Wake ... all that ... talk ... 

...and yet we did not conduct an evolution that will be essential for any sustained war effort in the Western Pacific.

Why?

I know there is message traffic on this. I know there is a reason ... but as a profession we need a serious conversation on why this was not done until ... 1QFY22.

h/t the immortal Chris Cavas.