As a native Portlander living in Vancouver, I was disappointed that Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler used the commissioning ceremony of the USS Portland to focus on his perspective or desire that the ship should be used primarily for humanitarian purposes.
It is worthwhile to remind him that the oath all service members take, and that I took, upon entering the U.S. Navy states: I, …, “do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.”
Yes, we perform humanitarian missions, when ordered to by the commander-in-chief. However, the primary reason the U.S. spent $1.6 billion on this vessel is to “protect and defend.”
I submit that Wheeler has his priorities wrong. If we first perform humanitarian missions and forgo the “protect and defend,” we will not be able to help others.
