The Navy’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year wisely includes increased funding for mental health, including for the prevention of suicide and sexual assault. A lot can change, but more money for mental health services should be part of the final package.
Ships, planes, the latest weapons and communications, bases and buildings — all are important to the strength of our nation’s defensive forces.
But the master chief petty officer of the Navy, the most senior enlisted sailor and the one whose job is to speak up about problems facing enlisted men and women, made an important point when discussing the Navy’s budget. “The people are what makes those ships lethal,” Master Chief Petty Officer James Honea told U.S. Naval Institute News.
