Ensign Matthew Snyder

The Houthis in November 2023 started to attack commercial shipping in the Red Sea. Attacks continue even though the United States and other nations have stationed naval forces to protect commerce in the region. The perception of risk to commercial ships transiting the Red Sea has in fact grown, to judge by the rise in insurance rates during the first half of September. The Houthis are a clearly inferior combatant.

Women are not just small men. Although this should not come as a surprise, there are many examples of society’s tendency to default to “male” standards. Be it crash-test dummies in automobile development, standard subjects for medical research, or outfitting the military, men are viewed as the norm and women are thought of as “other” (if they are thought about at all).

A recent Proceedings article identified four “schools” of classic American foreign policy— Hamiltonian, Wilsonian, Jeffersonian, and Jacksonian—and how naval forces would align with each. A fifth possible addition would be a Corbettian school: focused on allies and partnerships, sea power, and the common benefits of having secure global commons. The current U.S. National Security Strategy (NSS) and National Defense Strategy (NDS) have set priorities to structure national efforts.