THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 10, 1994 TAG: 9407080016
SECTION: COMMENTARY PAGE: J6 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 37 lines
To build an additional nuclear-powered aircraft carrier (CVN-76) would be foolhardy.
The nuclear-powered carrier that our congressmen are pushing so hard to build out of the national treasury is not needed for national defense. This carrier is in addition to CV-74, the Stennis, and CV-75, the United States. Neither carrier has been completed. Stennis has been launched but not commissioned and turned over to the Navy.
A carrier is a very expensive national asset. Besides construction costs, there are high maintenance costs; operating expenses; a large crew to feed, clothe and pay; embarked air wings and staffs; and escort ships and a submarine and replenishment ships.
The United States does not need 12 CVs; 10 will do the job. If 12 were needed, the Kennedy, America, Saratoga and other CVs scheduled to be decommissioned are far superior to any carrier possessed by any of our adversaries.
Funding for CVN-76 is a ruse by our congressmen to help keep Newport News Shipbuilding employed. It is not a wise expenditure from our national treasury. We need to ``bite the bullet'' and procure only needed military hardware.
ALTON D. QUISENBERRY
Virginia Beach, June 23, 1994
Editor's note: Mr. Quisenberry was the senior logistics planner and fleet logistics plans officer for CINCLANTFLT for 14 years. by CNB