Robert Hagen

Bravo Joe

It’s late, but I want to acknowledge the tremendous job that Joe Deegan did putting together the article on the so-called Sunrise Powerlink (“Will These Keep the Lights On?” Cover Story, May 29). Please thank him for me and for hundreds and hundreds of other people who were so impressed by his incredibly well-researched article.

Myrna Wosk

Cheaters Are Everywhere

I think that this young lady is a bit off the mark (“Confessions of a Phony Navy Wife,” Cover Story, May 8). And, like some, just had a real bad Navy experience. Though a well-written article, she as a journalist forgot or failed to remember the number-one rule of journalism. That is to be objective. To give both sides of the story equal footing. This young lady, like others, has in her head that marriage is perfect, and once it happens it runs on autopilot. Marriage is “work in progress.” The key word being “work.” The moment this young lady married this friend of hers to improve her quality of life, she became just like the others she despised. Be it right or wrong, at least those lying cheaters (men) and sluts (women) had sex with their spouses. Are women not being lying cheaters when they commit adultery? The only real difference between the two is women attempt to justify why they had the affair, much like this young lady is doing to justify her wrongdoings.

If you pay close attention, you will notice that as women begin to assume positions of power and authority in the workplace they begin to display characteristics usually associated with men. Things such as discrimination, sexual harassment, and adultery. I must also say that the USS Higgins must have been quite the unique ship. Meaning that the article only mentioned the men of that ship and their adultery. Were there not women on the ship that were also cheating? In my 24 years of service, I’ve seen it go both ways, and I’m sure that she did as well.

I used to tell my sailors, while you are in the military, you should get to know people outside of the military, not including family. It keeps you grounded and attuned to what is happening in the real world. That being said, she would have realized that affairs don’t just happen in the military.

Our civilian counterparts also have affairs as well. The big difference is that our lives are closer in the military than our civilian counterparts’. Case in point, as a chief, I knew all of my sailors’ wives, children, and in some cases siblings and parents as well. How many bosses or supervisors, for that matter, appear in court with their employees? It’s a common occurrence with us. How many creditors send letters of indebtedness to our civilian counterparts? None. After work, many of our civilian counterparts go their separate ways. When you’re on a ship like the USS Higgins in a foreign country, you will tend to travel in the same circles. Return back to the ship, go to sleep, wake up, and have breakfast with each other.

I’m sure by now you get my drift. If you’re the attentive type, you will notice who’s not at the bars and nightclubs as well. Before long you will put two and two together and realize that some couples onboard are taking the clandestine approach and doing their thing in nearby hotels. Most of our civilian counterparts have affairs with coworkers and/or relatives to include in-laws (sisters, cousins, aunts, and uncles). In most cases, it happens with the person you will most likely spend most of your time with. With both parents working these days, we spend more time with our coworkers than we do with our significant others.

Lloyd L. Young
U.S. Navy (Retired)

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