Navy League National President Phil Dunmire
"Congress and the executive branch simply must compromise," on the fiscal deadlock before the nation, Phil Dunmire told the quarterly meeting of the Greater Chattanooga Area John J. Spittler Council of the Navy League of the United States Tuesday evening.
During the meeting, officers for 2013 were elected. They are: Dan Saieed, president; Patty Parks, vice president; Larson Mick, secretary; Dick Lewallen, treasurer; Charles Dammann, Gary Meyer and Ron Galante, directors.
In an impassioned message to an enthusiastic audience, Mr. Dunmire, national president of the Navy League of the U.S., urged his fellow Navy League members to discuss the sequestration facing the nation if a fiscal agreement is not reached by the end of the year. Although Third District Congressman Chuck Fleischmann, sitting next to Mr. Dunmire at the dinner, told him he would not agree to any compromise, Mr. Dunmire asked members to contact their congressmen and ask them to support a compromise agreement to avert the so-called "fiscal cliff."
He said that "to fail to provide adequate defense of the nation is an aberration of the responsibility of government, which is built around the need to protect against our adversaries, not fiscal priorities."
When the 2011 Budget Control Act was passed, a bipartisan committee was appointed to find a fiscal solution, but the committee did not reach agreement. It was thought, Mr. Dunmire said, that a lack of leadership would force Congress to reach an agreement, but this has not happened. In a political year, it was not possible, but now Congress and the president are almost the same and it is imperative that they reach an agreement.
Sequestration will result if an agreement is not reached, he said. The Budget Control Act is a mindless across the board cut of 1.2 trillion dollars on January 2 . The secretary of defense has said this would risk national security. There would be total chaos. It would eliminate ship building for two years, reducing the number of ships to the smallest number since 1915. Industries which serve defense would close and health services would be affected.
"We need strong sea services. They affect the economy and safety. Without a safe sea, economy would be affected by things such as piracy, which would increase the cost of goods. A million containers come to the U.S. yearly and goods are shipped overseas. The U.S. Navy is in charge of safety on the seas and is the presence of the U.S. around the world.
"A lot of people don’t understand what it costs to defend the country," he said. "Those who are not engaged in the longest war against terrorism are not just names, but people, many who have died. They are volunteers who have placed their lives on the line to keep this country free."
Mr. Dunmire is the Navy League of the United States’ 46th president He lives in Wellington, Fla., has been an active member of the Navy League for 24 years, serving in numerous Council- and National-level positions including 16 years as a National Director and three years as National Vice President.
Enlisting as a private in the U.S. Army in 1967, Mr. Dunmire was later commissioned as a second lieutenant. He served in various staff positions in Germany before joining the 2nd Region Traffic Management Agency as Operations Officer in Qui Nhon, Vietnam, where he was awarded the Bronze Star.
Mr. Dunmire’s post-service career spanned 26 years in finance and banking. He became the first President and Chief Executive Officer of First Wisconsin Trust Company of Florida in 1986, establishing offices in West Palm Beach and Sarasota, Fla.
Founded in 1902, the Navy League of the United States is unique among military-oriented associations in that it is a civilian organization dedicated to the education of citizens about the importance of sea power.
The Navy League supports men and women serving in the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard and U.S.-Flag Merchant Marine and provides support to their families as well.
The Navy League encourages America's young people through its youth programs, including sponsorship of the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps, the Navy League Scholarship Program and Navy JROTC units like the one at Howard High School in Chattanooga.
To learn more about Navy League of the United States or to join the Greater Chattanooga Council visit www.navyleague.org, www.chattanooganavyleague.org.