Commander Jonathan G. Odom, a military professor at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, has a new OpEd published by The National Interest entitled “How Trump Can Make America Navigate Again: How can the next administration ensure freedom of the seas?”

In this editorial, Odom provides six concrete steps the new U.S. presidential administration should consider undertaking for a solid strategic plan to ensure access to the world’s oceans remains free and open.  The first priority is to “declare early and clearly that protecting America’s maritime freedom around the world is a priority national interest.”

Odom’s other recommended steps include: prepare to counter any potential challenges to U.S. maritime freedom early in the Administration, work with U.S. allies towards collective efforts to protect this common interest in global maritime freedom, prioritize America’s accession to the Law of the Sea Convention, and increase capacity of U.S. operational forces to meet challenges to maritime freedom around the world.

“If maritime freedom is essential to America’s security and economic future, then [the new Administration] should consider each of these six steps, along with any other available means, to effectively protect that fundamental freedom,” stated Odom.

Jonathan G. Odom is a Military Professor at the U.S. Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies. Previously, he served as the Oceans Policy Advisor in the Office of the U.S. Secretary of Defense. The views expressed are his own and do not necessarily reflect the positions of the U.S. Department of Defense or any of its components.

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Read the full editorial online at: http://nationalinterest.org/feature/how-trump-can-make-america-navigate-again-19065