Given the complete debacle of the current administration’s response to the coronavirus, one might hope that our military might be better capable of reacting to the crisis. So far, the US Navy, at least, has demonstrated only how ill-prepared it is in fighting the virus, for reasons that are both practical and political.
Practical Considerations
On the purely practical side, defending naval warship against attack by other ships is far easier than defining against a virus. In fact, warships are particularly vulnerable to infectious diseases. They tend to have large crews living in closely packed quarters. Unless the sick crew members can be identified and isolated quickly, contagion can spread rapidly across the ship.
The incident took place in the early hours of Mar. 30, 2020, but the cruise ship operator only released an 
Sailors on the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt cheered for Captain Brett Crozier as he departed the ship in Guam. Captain Crozier was removed from duty by the Navy after he raised concerns about the spreading coronavirus on his ship in a letter that was leaked to the media. 
Grasping at any excuse to stop thinking about the pandemic, for Throw-back Thursday, here is an updated repost from several years ago about an almost magical ghost ship.
Sadly, this is not an April Fools joke. The 
When particularly interesting ships arrive in New York harbor, I like to go down the waterfront, as time permits, to see them in. This morning was chilly and overcast and in the spirit of social distancing, I watched the arrival of the Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort by 
The Navy hospital ship 
We recently 
Despite the pandemic caused by the coronavirus, known as Covid-19, ships keep moving across the oceans. Oil tankers, bulk carriers, and container ships carry critical resources and manufactured goods to industry and consumers across the globe. Now, however, dozens of nations, including the 27 nations of the European Union, have temporarily closed their external borders to most foreign nationals.
The US Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, 
If you are among the hundreds of millions locked down during the current coronavirus outbreak and would like to get out, even virtually, you might want to take a virtual tour of the 
Social and the mainstream press have been running stories showing swans and dolphins returning to the canals of Venice in the wake of the shutdowns to limit the coronavirus. The possible silver lining to the overwhelming tragedy in Italy appears, however, to be largely fiction.
In the United States recently, there has been a lot of attention given to those who 
The plan was for the 
More that one hundred Australian doctors and dentists on a medical conference cruise have found themselves stranded onboard the cruise ship 
The story goes that somewhere around the year 400 AD, a lad of 16, named Maewyn Succat, was kidnapped by pirates from his home in what is now Wales and was taken as a slave to Ireland. He was enslaved for six years, during which time he converted to Christianity. He finally escaped and returned to his family. He became a priest and studied at a seminary in France. When he was almost 60, he returned to Ireland. By then Pope Celestine I had given him the name “Patercius” or “Patritius.” We know him better these days as Patrick. He did alright in Ireland. He founded over three hundred churches and apparently had a way with snakes. Today is his feast day or as we call it, St. Patrick’s Day.