NORFOLK, Va. - The Navy is targeting the War of 1812 bicentennial celebrations with a public relations campaign to help reconnect Americans with the importance of their naval service after recent surveys have shown other branches of the military are seen as more important to national defense.
After a decade of war in landlocked countries, the Navy has been frustrated with its inability to effectively convey its message that its ships are an active war-fighting force that have been involved in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and served as a deterrent in other regions around the globe.
In June 2011, a national Gallup survey showed the Navy ranked fourth - just ahead of the Coast Guard - in prestige and importance to national defense. That survey was taken after the high-profile killing of Osama bin Laden by Navy SEALs. The image problem can affect recruiting as well as the Navy's ability to secure funding when it competes with other branches that may have broader support from the public.
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The Navy is choosing the War of 1812 for a major public outreach campaign because its victory over the mighty British fleet in what is often called the "second war for independence" marked the dawn of U.S. naval power.
Among other things, the war was sparked by British attempts to restrict U.S. trade. The Navy likes to remind people that today 90 percent of international trade travels via the sea and that it protects shipping lanes from hostile countries and pirates.
"The same tenets of 1812 apply today, and we're using this opportunity to get that message out so the people know when they invest in our Navy it's for good reason and good cause," said Rear Adm. Herman Shelanski, commander of the Norfolk-based Carrier Strike Group 10.
The Navy has spent several years preparing for the bicentennial celebration, which will last through 2015. Major celebrations have already taken place in New Orleans and New York. More are to come in Baltimore, Boston and in cities along the Great Lakes. The Navy has launched a website dedicated to the bicentennial celebration, including a video narrated by actor Richard Dreyfuss.
On Friday, an international armada of tall ships sailed into Norfolk for a bicentennial celebration and a narrator outlined the history of the War of 1812 over loudspeakers to thousands in attendance. The parade of ships was broadcast live on local television stations which pointed out the war's history and the Navy's importance of it.
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• War of 1812 commemoration
