Letters: Region has good reason to celebrate the Navy

Philadelphia directly benefits from the U.S. Navy's role in securing open sea lanes. The Philadelphia Regional Port Authority had more than 560 ships use its facilities in 2010, with more than $94 million in tax revenue generated through the port. Many of the goods we buy every day arrive by ship, and millions of tons of goods are shipped annually to other nations.

The Navy's job is getting harder because the challenges our country faces are unpredictable and diverse. We need to be ready to confront a range of challenges whenever and wherever they happen. The Navy is ideally suited for this kind of world, because it is fast and flexible. It can go anywhere on the ocean on short notice, and can do all of its work from the water.

To handle its wide array of missions, the Navy requires men and women who are highly trained, highly motivated, and courageous - sailors capable of meeting any challenge. Fortunately for our nation, that's exactly who we have. Since January 2006, more than 15,000 sons and daughters of liberty have joined the Navy from Pennsylvania.

Your Navy. It's all about a fast, flexible force. That's what sea power provides. And that's how the Navy protects America, now more than ever. Join us during Philadelphia's Navy Week so that you can meet some of America's sailors and hear their stories.

Rear Adm. Joseph F. Kilkenny

Commander

Naval Education and Training Command

Pensacola, Fla.