Documentary exploring the integrated and critical national defense roles of the U.S. Navy, American Merchant Marine, and the nation's shipbuilding industry.  

Aired nationally, exhibited in several strategic public-policy events and hearings, and ultimately instrumental to its presenting sponsor, Bath Iron Works, securing new contracts valued at several billion dollars, including construction of the USS Arleigh Burke — lead ship of the DDG-51 class guided missile destroyers.  Since then, BIW has delivered dozens of these destroyers, each built at a cost of more than $1B.

Filmed aboard warships of the U.S. Navy's Atlantic Fleet, in offices and hearing rooms of the U.S. Senate, and at 22 other locations along the Eastern seaboard from Maine to Mayport, Florida.

Features former Chiefs of Naval Operations, Admirals James Holloway III and Thomas Hayward; senators and cabinet members William Cohen and the late John Tower and John Glenn; American Enterprise Institute and Brookings Institution scholar and faculty member, Sidney L. Jones; and former Under Secretary of the Navy and eventual CIA Director, R. James Woolsey.  Actor Robert Lansing is host. Interviews conducted by the film’s director, Dugan Rosalini.

Portions of the film were used years later during Congressional base consolidation and closures to assist the successful efforts of the governor of Illinois and mayor of Chicago to preserve Naval Station Great Lakes as the U.S. Navy's sole Basic Training facility. 

     "The most effective media piece promoting our efforts to build a 600-ship Navy."                                                          — Hon. John Lehman, former Secretary of the Navy

Bronze Anvil award — Public Relations Society of America

Gold Camera — U.S. Industrial Film Festival

In Memoriam: The film is dedicated to the officers and crew of the American merchant vessel, S.S. Marine Electric, who appear in the film and were subsequently lost at sea when their ship sunk in a winter blizzard off the coast of Virginia. 

PRINCIPAL EXHIBITION: cinema/special event venues

SECONDARY: television

• Request viewing the entire film here.