CVNs, the aircraft carriers. 71 is the Theodore Roosevelt, 70 the Carl Vinson.
The Roosevelt had the fame (nifamy) button pushed as its captain, Brett Crozier, went public asking for help with the growing number of COVID cases on his ship. Now it is reported that it has shown up in three other carriers, including the Carl Vinson.
This hits home for me. I lived in Alameda, CA when the Vinson, a brand new super carrier, came to be home ported there, replacing the venerable (and much smaller, non-nuclear Coral Seas. Brand new ship, brand new crew. A bunch of farm boys. Green as could be, but a crew that was going to take this seriously, grow up and be good. The guys you want to represent us if we really need it. At least, that was my impression seeing them every day when the ship was in. (I lived a block off Webster Ave, Alameda’s link to Oakland at the Navy base end of the inland.)
Those aircraft carries house a small city. And almost the entire ship is dedicated to warfare. The nuclear power, planes, an airfield, weapons. That small city sleeps in very close quarters, triple bunked. (When that ship or the other CVN, the Enterprise came in, the population of Alameda rose in hours.
I have been against every war we have fought in my lifetime (edit: except Bosnia, where we went in decisively, did our work and got out). But I also see the need for a good, disciplined military. That chain of command should run thorough the same, good, disciplined channels through the highest admirals and generals to the highest levels. I hope the Carl Vinson captain and crew get far better assistance than the Roosevelt got. And thank you, Brett Cozier, for doing the right thing. And for engendering a crew that I wold trust my life and country to.
The irony of ironies. CV 19 hits the CVN initialed C. V.
Ben
