U.S. Navy sailors who were awaiting Vice President Mike Pence’s were told by the ship’s command master chief to “clap like we’re at a strip club” when the vice president arrived at the USS Harry S. Truman.
United States Vice-President Mike Pence got a friendly welcome aboard the USS Harry S. Truman Maybe a little too friendly.
The U.S. Navy confirmed that the statement was made to sailors ahead of Pence’s visit to the ship.
“We can confirm that this statement was made by USS Harry S. Truman’s Command Master Chief to Truman’s Sailors, prior to the arrival of the Vice President,” Lt. Cmdr. Laura K. Stegherr
“This statement was inappropriate, and this issue is being addressed by Truman’s leadership,” the statement continued. “Truman’s Commanding Officer personally engaged the crew during all-hands calls to ensure that all Sailors on board understand that the comments they heard are unacceptable.”
After meeting the sailors, Mr Pence also announced that plans to decommission the Truman early had been cancelled, despite a February announcement that the early retirement would save the Navy US$30 billion (S$40.9 billion).
See Details: Trump Reverses Decision to Retire Super-carrier USS Harry S. Truman Early
“We are keeping the best carrier in the world in the fight. We are not retiring the Truman,” Mr Pence said during his speech. “The USS Harry S. Truman is gonna be giving ’em hell for many years to come.”
President Donald Trump confirmed the decision on Wednesday.
“I am overriding the Decommission Order of the magnificent aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman, built in 1998 (fairly new) and considered one of the largest and finest in the world,” he tweeted.
“It will be updated at a fraction of the cost of a new one (which is also being built)!”
