Best Defense
Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security.

Good for the Navy on the USS Gabrielle Giffords, bad karma on the Cowpens, and more Navy crime news from all over

Good for the Navy. Some of my e-friends dislike naming the ship after a former member of Congress who is still alive. But in the case of Gabrielle Giffords’ case, I think that is kind of the point — honoring a woman of courage, resiliency and spirit.    Meanwhile, the Navy jettisoned another skipper of the ...

U.S. Navy
U.S. Navy
U.S. Navy

Good for the Navy. Some of my e-friends dislike naming the ship after a former member of Congress who is still alive. But in the case of Gabrielle Giffords' case, I think that is kind of the point -- honoring a woman of courage, resiliency and spirit.   

Good for the Navy. Some of my e-friends dislike naming the ship after a former member of Congress who is still alive. But in the case of Gabrielle Giffords’ case, I think that is kind of the point — honoring a woman of courage, resiliency and spirit.   

Meanwhile, the Navy jettisoned another skipper of the USS Cowpens. This is becoming an annual event. I wouldn’t want to be the next CO of that ship.

Also, oddly, the chief of the boat for one of the crews of the USS Nebraska got the heave-ho. The Navy says it was not because he got all inappropriate with a female midshipmen. But they didn’t say why it was.

Also, a Navy wife was convicted of second-degree murder for stabbing to death her lt. cdr. husband, supposedly provoked by learning he was having an affair. 

To top it off, a cashier at the Naval Academy managed to steal more than $120,000. She probably envied the football coach’s salary.

Thomas E. Ricks covered the U.S. military from 1991 to 2008 for the Wall Street Journal and then the Washington Post. He can be reached at ricksblogcomment@gmail.com. Twitter: @tomricks1

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