Gentle Readers, An alert reader noted that Point Loma stood bridge watches on big ships. Most intelligence officers did not stand underway watches, since they are (were?) commissioned as Special Duty- Intelligence officers. That was not true in the Amphib Fleet. The leadership there felt an officer was an officer, and I recall visiting big-deck […]

Editor’s Note: Pt. Loma’s piece on Hong Kong really brought back memories from salty old WESTPAC sailors. The events this week in Hong Kong- ten dead, so far- makes these recollections that much more precious. I personally was skewered for failing to mention famed Jimmy’s Kitchen in Central was snubbed. Not true. Just visited on […]

“In no engagement in its entire history has the United States Navy shown more gallantry, guts and gumption than in the two morning hours between 0730 and 0930 off Samar.” – Rear Admiral Samuel Eliot Morison, “History of U.S. Naval Operations in World War II.” Earlier this year, I suggested to then-CNO Admiral Richardson that […]

OK, OK, a dollar short and late. I am distracted by the level of discourse back up North, the Turkish invasion of Syria (Kurds, anyway) and all the rest of the hysteria that will dog us the next year. The turkey flock made their third incursion on the property. I think some of them might […]

OK, I am on overload from the antics up north. Just to catch you up, the pot is bubbling and not to get on the Halloween thing too early, it seems full of toil and trouble. Speaker Pelosi, uplifted by her party’s mid-term election results, swept back into power. Her team had a bunch of […]

Last year at this time I was freaking out. My lease was up with State Department Susan, and it was either time to re-up for another year (she was big on the ballet of government moves) or move out. Being a man who prefers the path of least resistance, I decided to make an offer […]

It is kind of neat waking up in this transitional season at Refuge Farm. The sun continues to rise in the east. The list of things to accomplish before the onset of Winter is a bit daunting. But the turkeys and roosters start calling a little before dawn, and after a couple seasons, I can […]

Jail break for the turkeys from the Russians. Great afternoon at the farm. Herding cats? Give me a break. Nothing going on today here in the country except assorted poultry. Up north, there seems to be some stuff going on with the acting Director of National Intelligence and that irritating Mr. Schiff. I prefer herding […]

God, I love this time of year in The Swamp. My Wolverines have broken my heat early this season, so that it something out of the way and not to worry about the rest of the season. The Virginia days are gentle, if you are not blocking the Inter-State across town. Demonstrators about something- Climate? […]

(New National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien) So, apparently there was not enough going on here in The Swamp and we had to step it up again. At some point, perhaps sanity will return, but I am not expecting anything much until a year for November. And goodness knows what is going to happen after that. […]