I just got done reading the Feb. 25 letter “Newspaper has run its course,” on how the writer thinks that Stars and Stripes should be shut down. Well, I read this newspaper every day. I am on board an aircraft carrier in the middle of the ocean without the convenience of the Internet like [many other readers] do for six-plus months. Yes, we have Internet, but they limit the bandwidth usage, making it nearly impossible to even bring up a web site. Plus internet usage hours are in effect during the day to conserve bandwidth for important business. So when we do have the Net, we have work to do rather than surfing the Net.

So how do I rely on the news? Our ship’s media department puts out Stars and Stripes on its local intranet site. This is the news we get out here. This is the news we rely on.

As to the letter writer calling for pink slips for Stars and Stripes’ civilian employees and reassignment of its active-duty members, I am sorry, sir, I call ignorance. These people are hard-working and provide my shipmates and me a means to read what’s going on in the world.

This is especially important for sailors who are haze gray and underway. Thank you.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Brian Russell

Aboard the USS Carl Vinson

Migrated