Sea Services Under Pressure: Budget Battles, Industrial Gaps & Unshakable Resolve

Retired Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy and current CEO of the Navy League, Mike Stevens, joins Francis to deliver a stark message: the nation owes it to its sea service members to give them the tools, funding, and support they need—not only to accomplish the mission but to come home safely. 

Stevens dives deep into the persistent challenges the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard face, from budget uncertainty and the constraints of continuing resolutions to the critical weaknesses in the maritime industrial base. With global tensions rising and Navy carrier groups actively engaging threats, the conversation underscores the high stakes for readiness and sustainability. Stevens also shares a powerful perspective on the mental and emotional toll that long deployments and high-stress combat environments can take on enlisted service members—effects that often don’t surface until years later. 

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