were just as capable as any man they flew with. God knew they’d earned
the right to fight for their country. Tombstone had never disputed
that.
Balancing all of that, though, were the undeniable problems sexual
integration had raised. The morale problems alone had put his entire
air wing at risk, and possibly the entire battle group. If he’d learned
nothing else from this episode, it was that the U.S. military was not
the place for social experimentation by politicians or by liberal
activist groups like DACOWITS or NOW. The Navy, for all the scandals
uncovered during the past decade, for all the problems it had endured,
was still America’s first line of defense, the projection of America’s
military might that kept the ambitions of nuclear-armed madmen like
Krasilnikov at arm’s length.
Any nation that tampered with the efficiency and combat readiness of its
military services in this day and age did so at its peril.
Tombstone reached the silently waiting commanding officer of Carrier
Battle Group 14 and the men waiting with him. He saluted, then
addressed Brandt. “Permission to come aboard, sir.”
“Granted,” Brandt said. “Damn you, Stoney, I ought to give you
permission to visit the brig.”
“I get him first,” Tarrant said. “Tombstone. What did I tell you about
bringing back your airplane?”
“I guess I misplaced it. Sir.”
Tarrant shook his head, then laughed. “I ought to make you walk back
and get it. Well, welcome aboard anyhow. And welcome back!”
“Good to be back, Admiral.”
“How’d you like playing with the grunts?” Coyote asked.
“Oh, not bad. Marines are almost human, once you get to know them.”
“I see you also lost your RIO,” Tarrant added. The twinkle in his eye
told Tombstone the admiral knew that Tomboy was safe aboard the Iwo.
“What happened, Stoney, you decide you have enough of women in your air
wing and leave her in the Kola?”
“Terrible thing, sir,” Coyote said, grinning. “But you know what they
say. Women and salt water just don’t mix.”
“I don’t know about women or salt water,” Tombstone said. “But Tomboy,
Lobo, and Brewer and the rest are aviators!” He grinned widely. “They
can fly with me anytime!”
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