John Lehman

A clear case that bureaucracy was the main factor in choking the advance of nuclear power in the United States can be found in the one place where it didn't happen, the U.S. Navy. Former Navy secretary John Lehman wrote, "The reason for Navy nuclear success is because there has always been one strong experienced person in charge and accountable, standing like a stone wall against the bureaucratic onslaught." The Navy has over 6,000 reactor-years of accident-free operation. It has built 526 reactor cores (for comparison, there are 99 civilian power reactors in the U.S.), with 86 nuclear-powered vessels in current use.

• Where Is My Flying Car?
  • p. 165 (Stripe Press, 2021)