A Sailor's Death

Heatstroke or brutality?

Sailors in the Seventh Fleet know the U.S.S. Ranger is one tough ship. Captain Dan Pedersen sets a high standard for discipline, and his aircraft carrier is well equipped to contend with those who fail to meet it. Persistent rule breakers are confined to the correctional custody unit (CCU), where they are subjected to "retraining"—a program of drills and indoctrination designed to reinstill the lessons of boot camp or, as one veteran puts it, "to make you feel stupid and look stupider." Further instruction may be given in the brig—a solitary cell where the diet is sometimes bread and...

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