Well, except for the one time that my commander-in-chief, Ronald Reagan, sold weapons to our adversaries in Iran that could have been used to sink my ship. But why nitpick?

 

Anyway, the customary sacrifices of family separation and marching into harm’s way have been compounded by a confounding virus that brought a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to her knees, and a brewing scandal involving a U.S. president’s compliance or ignorance — take your pick — with a plan to kill American troops for cash.

 

Earlier this year, the carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, a 90,000-ton floating fortress of American steel, was crippled by a virus invisible to the eye. For the grievous sin of wanting to protect his crew, the captain was relieved of duty, reinstated, and then relieved again.

 

My own carrier duty, while often grueling with endless hours, days and months on patrol, nevertheless had those little slices of heaven called port visits. Today’s sailors are likely too overwhelmed with worry to enjoy any time in port, if their ship is even welcome. 

 

And then there’s that little matter of the current commander-in-chief and what he either knew or did not know about those bounties placed on U.S  troops in Afghanistan by Russia. 

 

Will Donald Trump once again take the word of his pal Vladimir Putin over that of our own intelligence?

 

Our men and women in uniform take an oath in which they swear to protect our Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic. 

 

Between the virus seeping into their ranks and a leader who may have known about a scheme to put prices on their heads, our troops may be wondering just who is protecting them, and which enemies — foreign or domestic — should be their biggest concern. 

 

Vin Morabito

 

Scranton