The Sailors on the USS Abraham Lincoln Deserve Better

When I was deployed at sea as a junior officer, I used milestones to track the passage of time. Each day counted toward something: a port call, when you get a break on land from the monotony at sea; the “crossing the line ceremony” when a ship crosses the equator (unfortunately, canceled at the last minute for my ship); and, eventually, the date I knew that, no matter what, I would be going home. Even on my worst days, that end point helped me stay focused on the mission and gave me something to be hopeful for.