Couldn't Stop Thinking: Gerry Connolly

What I’ve been looking up today: Gerry Connolly, the late representative from the Virginia suburbs of Washington, DC. I met him at a Kings Point Club event when I was a freshman (or soon to be freshman?) at the academy. Already a familiar local name from his service on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, his first two elections in 2008 and 2010 were competitive. In a place like Virginia, “safe seats” are earned, not given. He was likewise unflappable as boundaries changed again, Northern Virginia’s other representatives retired, lost re-election, or resigned to seek higher office. Just now, I learned that he was a key advocate for Information Technology modernization and accountability across the US government, and perhaps a reason why I had to trade in work laptops every two years. Gerry Connolly was a knowledgeable advocated for what mattered to his constituents: the civil service. Apparently, that was a major reason he ran for reelection in his twilight years: to guarantee his longtime staffers a federal retirement. Democratic Party internal policies were not kind to him, with their strict adherence to seniority in choosing who would serve as a ranking member on the House Oversight Committee. This year was “his turn”, and Mr. Connolly’s frail appearance juxtaposed with contender Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez became a flashpoint in left-wing circles. Legacy is something that is often revealed after death. Congress must act on this year’s spending bill, and hometown realities mean that the most caustic disestablishmentarian ideas against the civil service have been removed. We expect that the new laptops will keep coming.

On Renaming Ships, Part II

If you can recall, several years ago I disagreed with renaming the USS Chancellorsville (CG-62) for several reasons: Firstly, there should be no opposition to honoring servicemembers who perish in a “losing” battle- instead, the argument was framed as “celebrating a Confederate victory”. Secondly, the ship CG-62 was already scheduled to be retired. Thirdly, Robert Smalls, an African-American Civil War privateer, deserved to have his name on a brand new ship- a capital vessel at that. Our military’s tactical strength is in making a decision and following through, rather than re-litigating the past. In this regard, the very recent- and apparently unilateral- proposal to rename the USNS Harvey Milk, a newly-built fleet oiler (T-AO 206), is a flyball. Before the ship’s keel was laid, it was the California congressional delegation that pushed for a ship named in honor of Harvey Milk, himself a Navy veteran. Among them was Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Fears of a “gay ship” led to the compromise of giving Harvey Milk an auxiliary ship, crewed by “professional” civilians, rather than a combat ship crewed by often-teenage sailors. The issues were discussed and a decision was made. On what ground should it be reopened, now that the ship is now in service? Were civilian mariners requesting religious exemption from working onboard the USNS Harvey Milk? I have seen no evidence of this. Did our military allies (particularly in the Middle East or Southeast Asia) request renaming of the ship? I have seen no evidence of this. Did notorious sexual acts happen more frequently on this ship, than on other Navy ships? I have seen no evidence of this. And if “frociaggine” (using Pope Francis’ term) occurred on the ship, the UCMJ, with its prohibitions on fornication, does not apply to the civilian crew*. The Secretary of Defense’s goal is to reclaim a fighting spirit, with a focus on “lethality, readiness, and warfighting”. Are you sure that renaming a fleet oiler ship contributes to that goal? * There are restrictions on intimate relationships between supervisors and their subordinates; and implemented within the last three years, between maritime cadets and other crewmembers. Views expressed are solely those of the author, and not the official position of the Department of the Navy or any of its subordinate commands.