One of the anecdotes form the current crisis that
has garnered a lot of attention was the relief from command for the navy
captain of the USS Roosevelt. A number of friends and co-workers, based on my
military background, have asked my opinion. Many are surprised that I agree
with the action taken against the captain. The timing of it was spectacularly
mishandled but that is a given with this administration. All those who immediately
claimed the Twitterer in Chief was responsible are wrong. The president does
not get involved in these type decisions, it is way, way below his level. The
captain, for his own arguably very good reasons, revealed classified information
about one of our critical strategic weapons.
Civilians blink at me several times when I say this.
A US Navy aircraft carrier is one of the most devastating weapons mankind has
ever created. It forms the very shiny point of the US strategic sword. It
influences the military and political decisions of our rivals in a way no other
weapon does. This weapon was sailing in the waters of truly our only strategic
rival in the world when the captain took his actions. His actions revealed the
ship may not have been capable of handling its mission. It is for this reason
that all military readiness stats are considered classified information.
Civilians always struggle to understand the military
ethos of mission first. A commanding officer always has to focus on the welfare
of the great Americans he is in charge of but that commanding officer has to
place his mission first. This captain’s mission was in large part deterrence
and he failed at this. I’m sure the captain is a good man and a superb sailor.
You don’t reach command of an aircraft carrier without being the very best. He fell
victim, however, to that requisite love of the men & women who served under
him. While that is admirable to his legions of new fans in the civilian world,
he went outside his chain of command when he didn’t have to. He’s smart enough to
know this was the inevitable outcome of his actions and 0-6 retirement pay is
not a bad deal.
Also in the last week, the Chinese navy aggressively
moved to increase its presence in the South China Sea which has been
internationally condemned, including the sinking of a Vietnamese fishing boat.
Things that make you go, “Hmmm.”
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RECURRING
CHARACTERS
BR3
– inbound
granddaughter #3, BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel
- second granddaughter; FBR - First Blog
Reader - first granddaughter, ABFA –
Amazing Best Family Athlete = my daughter in law; Wingman – my son in law; Keene
Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene,
NH; Soxfather - my brother in law; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Cantankerous Friend – friend since
grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to
attract women; Pittsburgh College
Roommate – high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which
grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two
close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3rd musquetera
(musketeer); Riggins - also known as
the Grandpuppy, son's dog; PanaGals
– female relatives/friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latino friends my wife
accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member,
Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of
course); First Friday – celebrations
to mark the First Friday of the Week; Curbside
Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during her single days in
Brooklyn
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