>Konrad explained, "Truth is bridges are an Army Corps of Engineers responsibility but they are so unprepared they gave the job to Navy Salvage to lead. Navy salvage is so broken they had to outsource it to the US subsidiary/partner of a European firm which is chartering equipment from private companies at great expense."

>"And it's the Army's own fault. The West Point Mafia has systematically destroyed our nation's maritime strength," he said, adding that China would've had the Baltimore shipping channel "fully cleared in weeks," not months (read more about the reopening timeline here).

>"With Chinese military capability growing exponentially, how do you win a war in Asia? The same way we did in WW2: with ships & marines with the Army and Air Force serving a support role"

>"No today's West Point mafia leader Jack Reed controls the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee & has blocked the Future of the Navy Commission That Congress created to develop a Naval rebuilding strategy"

>"Now under General Lloyd Austin & Reed EVERY SINGLE navy shipbuilding project is delayed."

>"The West Point Mafia has gutted every Maritime service [...]
>United States Navy Armed Guard: gone
>US Navy Reserve: zero ships in inventory
>USCG Icebreaker fleet: down to one ship
>US Navy salvage fleet: mostly gone
>Seabees: cut to 7,000 active personnel
>Merchant Marine: now less than 80 ships in international service
>MARAD Ready Reserve Fleet: small & on average age a half century old
>US Maritime Service: just a handful of officers at the US Merchant Marine academy
>Marine Hospital Service; gone except the uniforms
>NOAA Officer Corps: down to 330 officers
>Marine Hospital Service; gone except the uniforms
>NOAA Officer Corps: down to 330 officers
>Army Corps of Engineers dredge fleet: includes ancient hulls like the 57-year-old dredge McFarland
>Army Corps of Engineers salvage: the last SECDEF, @EsperDoD sold all Army salvage vessels in Baltimore
>Army Watercraft: gutted by at action by Esper
>USCG: forced to cut 10 cutters this year alone"

zerohedge.com/military/west-point-mafia-has-systematically-destroyed-nations-maritime-strength