Civilians deserve
a taste of Navy life

Concerns that visitors may have distracted the crew of the USS Greeneville brought the practice of allowing civilians aboard Navy vessels under close scrutiny. Then the Navy was criticized for allowing the USS Stennis to be used for the "Pearl Harbor" premiere.

Navy officials asserted, however, that whether the carrier conducted its routine training off California or came to Hawaii, it would still cost half a million dollars a day, and the Hawaii hoopla helps morale and recruiting.

About a dozen years ago, I was a submariner for a memorable day aboard the USS Indianapolis, a Los Angeles-class, nuclear-powered submarine. I boarded off Maui and rode to Pearl Harbor. Everything fascinated me: steering, shooting torpedoes (actually water bursts), watching sonar monitors, eyeing navigational charts, looking through the periscope, eating "sliders" (hamburgers) and ice cream, holding onto poles to keep from falling while diving and surfacing.

The crew's expertise and professionalism were impressive, and the civilians stayed out of the crew's way. When everyone exercises common sense, no harm and much good comes from voters and taxpayers tagging along on routine trips. As for the premiere, it made our state the talk of the world. Besides, it was great fun, even for those of us nowhere near the action.

--Charlotte Phillips

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