Free Republic

WASHINGTON, July 16 - Adm. Vern Clark is stepping down next week as the longest-serving chief of naval operations in a half-century, having spent five years revamping the fleet and trimming Navy budgets in an unusual sacrifice to help pay the Army's bills in Iraq. He has increased the Navy's readiness, improved pay and benefits, accelerated the retirement of outdated ships, and submerged parochial Navy interests as a team player on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. And what thanks does he get? He has been pilloried by the ship-building industry and members of Congress, and not just those representing districts...

Navy SEALs Caught Up In Drug Sweep U.S. being forced to transfer some units More than a dozen sailors, including eight SEALs, are being investigated after testing positive for illegal drug use, the Navy confirmed yesterday. Seven sailors assigned to the Naval Special Warfare Command, including five SEALs, failed drug tests in early May while they were on a training exercise in Thailand. Other sailors reported seeing the commandos using drugs in Pattaya, a Thai beach resort. That was enough for Rear Adm. Joseph Maguire, the Naval Special Warfare commander, to order a drug-testing sweep of 3,300 of the 4,600...