'PRESSED HARD' NATION'S TOP NAVY MAN SPEAKS OF THE WAR ON TERROR.Byline: Eric Leach Staff Writer PORT HUENEME Port Hueneme (wī'nē`mē), city (1990 pop. 20,319), Ventura co., S Calif., on the Pacific coast; founded 1870, inc. 1948. It has an artificial deep-sea harbor and is the site of a huge naval construction-battalion (Seabee) center. - Adm. Michael G. Mullen, the nation's chief of naval operations chief of naval operations n. pl. chiefs of naval operations Abbr. CNO The ranking officer of the U.S. Navy, responsible to the secretary of the Navy and to the President. , told sailors at Naval Base A naval base primarily for support of the forces afloat, contiguous to a port or anchorage, consisting of activities or facilities for which the Navy has operating responsibilities, together with interior lines of communications and the minimum surrounding area necessary for local Ventura County on Monday they are serving their country in a crucial period of American history, facing a war on terrorism Terrorist acts and the threat of Terrorism have occupied the various law enforcement agencies in the U.S. government for many years. The Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, as amended by the usa patriot act likely to last decades. ``We're in a long war - the global war on terror This article is about U.S. actions, and those of other states, after September 11, 2001. For other conflicts, see Terrorism. The War on Terror (also known as the War on Terrorism ,'' said Mullen, a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. ``If you stay in 30 years, this war will still be going on.'' He spoke to hundreds of young sailors gathered to hear him speak during a stop on his way to Hawaii to commemorate the Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor, land-locked harbor, on the southern coast of Oahu island, Hawaii, W of Honolulu; one of the largest and best natural harbors in the E Pacific Ocean. In the vicinity are many U.S. military installations, including the chief U.S. anniversary on Wednesday. ``The attack on Pearl Harbor 64 years ago was a horrific day for us,'' he said, adding that when people remember Dec. 7, 1941, they now think about the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Since becoming the Navy's top uniformed officer on July 22, Mullen has made it a priority to visit sailors around the world, discussing everything from the war on terrorism to what he called his no-tolerance attitude against racial and gender discrimination in the Navy. He grew up in North Hollywood, graduating in 1964 from Notre Dame High School Notre Dame is the name of the following high (secondary) schools: Bangladesh
Notre Dame officials are proudly featuring Mullen in a profile to be published in the January issue of the school's biannual bi·an·nu·al adj. 1. Happening twice each year; semiannual. 2. Occurring every two years; biennial. bi·an magazine, the Knight Letter. ``His accomplishments are extraordinary,'' said Katie Feeney, a publications coordinator at the school who put together the profile. She quotes Brother Robert Hampton, the principal while Mullen attended Notre Dame, who called him a gentleman who excelled in his classes, including math he took with other gifted students. ``I'm not surprised that Mike has risen to the top of the Navy,'' Hampton, who taught algebra to Mullen, is quoted as saying. For the upcoming magazine, Mullen said his background at Notre Dame helped make it possible for him to take advantage of opportunities he encountered. ``The rigorous academics, the sense of teamwork on the basketball court and the support of great friends and skilled teachers all gave me the confidence I needed to succeed in the Navy,'' he said. On Monday, Mullen thanked hundreds of members of the Naval Construction Battalion Force, or Seabees, for their ``can-do'' reaction helping hurricane victims in the Gulf Coast. ``The Seabees' contributions have been extraordinary,'' he said. He also praised the role of the Seabees supporting the Marines in Iraq and talked about plans for the Navy to assume a new role in the detention of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and new responsibilities fighting terrorism and piracy around the Horn of Africa Horn of Africa, peninsula, NE Africa, opposite the S Arabia Peninsula. Also known as the Somali Peninsula, it encompasses Somalia and E Ethiopia and is the easternmost extension of the continent, separating the Gulf of Aden from the Indian Ocean. . ``We will continue to be pressed hard,'' he said, adding that, while the challenges are unprecedented, the Navy is ready. ``This is the greatest Navy we've ever had.'' Eric Leach, (805) 583-7602 eric.leach(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Adm. Michael G. Mullen, the nation's chief of naval operations, speaks to sailors about their role in the global war on terror at Naval Base Ventura County in Port Hueneme on Monday. Jason R. Williams/U.S. Navy |
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