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<v Speaker 1>Pentagon facing major questions tonight about reports of American sailors

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<v Speaker 1>jumping overboard from the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has now

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<v Speaker 1>been deployed in the Middle East for two hundred sixty

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<v Speaker 1>six days. It's about nine months nine months deployed, two

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<v Speaker 1>hundred and fifty of those days not even with a

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<v Speaker 1>land stop. This is because they are in the middle

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<v Speaker 1>of Trump's war with Iran, and that war is taking

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<v Speaker 1>a toll on sailors aboard who've complained about not having

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<v Speaker 1>enough food. They've literally gone hungry, and we've heard these complaints.

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<v Speaker 1>The lack of basic necessities that includes toothpaste, deodorant, soap,

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<v Speaker 1>and all of those things add up with an incredibly

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<v Speaker 1>long deployment that keeps getting extended to dangerously low morale.

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<v Speaker 1>There are five thousand American sailors on board, and sources

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<v Speaker 1>tonight confirmed to CNN that at least one sailor did

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<v Speaker 1>in fact go overboard earlier this month. That sailor was

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<v Speaker 1>ultimately rescued. And that follows a shocking Military Times exclusive report,

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<v Speaker 1>which we detailed on out Front last night, about multiple

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<v Speaker 1>attempts by crew members to jump off the ship. One

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<v Speaker 1>woman who has pride to jump, telling the Military Times

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<v Speaker 1>he's scared. He thinks he'll get a dishonorable discharge and

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<v Speaker 1>just because he was burnt out, his thirteen year career

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<v Speaker 1>is ruined, just like that. But tonight, the Defense Secretary

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<v Speaker 1>Pete Hegseth is denying the reports, saying they're simply untrue.

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<v Speaker 1>Listen to what he told News Max when questioned about

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<v Speaker 1>the reporting while traveling in Panama.

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<v Speaker 2>Completely misrepresented. Because we make sure at every ship, every crew,

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<v Speaker 2>every captain has everything we can provide them at every

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<v Speaker 2>single moment.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, that is not what our Pamela Brown, who was

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<v Speaker 1>on board the USS Abraham Lincoln last month, heard from

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<v Speaker 1>some sailors on board. Here's what they told her.

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<v Speaker 2>Actually, I would say, we're all's pretty low, and not

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<v Speaker 2>just in the division like I'm in the ship entirely.

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<v Speaker 3>You know.

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<v Speaker 4>Personally, what helps me is I go to the gym.

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<v Speaker 5>You know, I'm I'm trying to better myself in every day.

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<v Speaker 4>But it's hard.

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<v Speaker 2>The food.

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<v Speaker 4>I'm sure you heard the food was pretty bad.

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<v Speaker 3>For a couple of months. We were surviving on not

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<v Speaker 3>a lot, and it takes a lot.

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<v Speaker 4>To push through, persevere, keep going you want. It gets hard.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, you heard what he told Pam there that you

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<v Speaker 1>heard about the food. There's a time there was not

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<v Speaker 1>a lot. And in April the USA Today did publish

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<v Speaker 1>a story about sailors on board going hungry. At the time,

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<v Speaker 1>hag Seth dismissed those reports too, We called them fake news.

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<v Speaker 4>But you just heard the crew member there.

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<v Speaker 1>And it is therefore perhaps not a surprise that families

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<v Speaker 1>with loved ones on board the USS Abraham Lincoln are

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<v Speaker 1>privately warning each other not to speak out up front.

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<v Speaker 1>Is learning from the Military Times and Natalie Olaverio, who

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<v Speaker 1>broke all of this, that the families fear that if

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<v Speaker 1>they reveal any more details about the disturbing conditions, it

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<v Speaker 1>could result in punishment for their loved ones, which.

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<v Speaker 4>Adds to the low morale aboard the Lincoln.

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<v Speaker 1>But if you ask Defense Secretary heg Seth about his

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<v Speaker 1>strategy for boosting morale, even though he denies that there's

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<v Speaker 1>any problem whatsoever, I guess, to the extent he does

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<v Speaker 1>address it, He's put out videos like this lifting weights,

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<v Speaker 1>working out with US troops, talking about upping testosterone levels

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<v Speaker 1>for social media, apparently in an effort to I guess,

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<v Speaker 1>boost morale Natalie Olaverio, the Military Times Pentagon reporter. I

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<v Speaker 1>mentioned her a few moments ago. She has been breaking

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<v Speaker 1>all of these details on the USS Lincoln. She's also

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<v Speaker 1>a Navy veteran, and Natalie, I'm glad to have you back,

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<v Speaker 1>and I know you've got more information tonight. The Defense

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<v Speaker 1>Secretary Pete hag Seth today though, says your report about

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<v Speaker 1>poor conditions right you were talking specifically people you had

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<v Speaker 1>spoken to who's loved ones had tried to jump overboard

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<v Speaker 1>about the shortages of food and soap and basic materials deodorant.

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<v Speaker 1>He calls it completely misrepresented. So I wanted to give

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<v Speaker 1>you a chance to respond to what he's saying.

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<v Speaker 3>Thanks for having me back, Aaron. It's great to be here,

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<v Speaker 3>and I appreciate the opportunity to respond. It's not really

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<v Speaker 3>me that he's responding to. It's the countless sailors who

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<v Speaker 3>have reached out to Military Times and to other news

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<v Speaker 3>outlets they trust with their organic photos. Parents who are

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<v Speaker 3>sharing native chat sessions with their kids, spouses doing the same.

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<v Speaker 3>These are not fabrications, they're not stretches at the truth.

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<v Speaker 3>Like you mentioned back in April when the USA Today

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<v Speaker 3>broke out pictures on the mess decks of what any

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<v Speaker 3>American would quantify as an adequate nutrition for our service

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<v Speaker 3>members and are all volunteer force of service members who

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<v Speaker 3>are in extraordinary conditions right now. I think gaslighting our

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<v Speaker 3>force is disrespectful and at a minimum, they deserve transparency

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<v Speaker 3>and accountability.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, at a minimum, And you speak as a Navy veteran,

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<v Speaker 1>of course, Natalie, so I guess in that context, I

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<v Speaker 1>want to ask you about what hag said, what appears

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<v Speaker 1>to be his strategy for booty morale, and of course

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<v Speaker 1>he denies it's a problem, but to the extent you

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<v Speaker 1>know that he's trying to motivate people, right there's the

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<v Speaker 1>videos he's posting on social media where he's lifting weights

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<v Speaker 1>there and he's working out with US troops, or he

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<v Speaker 1>posted that post that of course you've seen about. You know,

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<v Speaker 1>we're going to be testing testosterone and upping the testosterone.

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<v Speaker 4>Levels for our force.

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<v Speaker 1>How is all that landing with actual crew members and

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<v Speaker 1>members of the Navy rockily?

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<v Speaker 3>I think some service members are concerned because altering your hormones,

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<v Speaker 3>they come with a host of issues that not everyone

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<v Speaker 3>can predict, so not everyone is really riled up for

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<v Speaker 3>more testosterone. There are a lot of service members who

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<v Speaker 3>find it to be really contradictory and unfair in the

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<v Speaker 3>face of rejecting gender affirming care and other areas of

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<v Speaker 3>the military. But I can tell you from my experience

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<v Speaker 3>that morale makes a difference on way morale has been

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<v Speaker 3>planned for for decades, such as when you're.

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<v Speaker 5>Out at sea for forty five days, you get to

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<v Speaker 5>have two beers, you get to have a steel beach

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<v Speaker 5>picnic where you put down the nets on the flight deck,

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<v Speaker 5>maybe take a swim call, put on some music, get

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<v Speaker 5>cozy on the non skid and just.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, have some time to gather camaraderie. Yeah, it's

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<v Speaker 3>combat operations. Maybe it's not sunshine and steel beach picnics,

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<v Speaker 3>but we can do a whole lot better knowing that

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<v Speaker 3>these morale milestones are the markers service members and sailors

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<v Speaker 3>look forward to to get them through some of the

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<v Speaker 3>most strenuous and difficult times underway.

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<v Speaker 4>Senator, I appreciate your time.

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<v Speaker 1>Hagsath says today that these reports aboard the ship are

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<v Speaker 1>completely misrepresented by the way. I'll just remind everybody that

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<v Speaker 1>you know, for example, when it came to Trump getting

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<v Speaker 1>off Air Force one and the catering car. You know,

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<v Speaker 1>all that was completely denied as false too, and of

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<v Speaker 1>course it was true. So you know, they deny things

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<v Speaker 1>whether they're true or not. So it's hard to know.

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<v Speaker 1>But he says, the troops have everything they need, even though,

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<v Speaker 1>of course we've seen the images of inadequate food. You

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<v Speaker 1>heard the sailor there speaking to our Pamela Brown. So

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<v Speaker 1>do you believe anything that hag Seth is saying.

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<v Speaker 2>Heggseth trying to characterize these powerful, credible reports as fake

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<v Speaker 2>news is really a disservice and profoundly disrespectful to the

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<v Speaker 2>sailors who are on the USS Abraham Lincoln and enduring

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<v Speaker 2>these hardships. They are more than just quality of life threats.

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<v Speaker 2>Lack of sufficient food, toothpaste, soap, hot water. Okay, that's

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<v Speaker 2>quality of life maybe, but it affects morale and it

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<v Speaker 2>exacerbates stress, which is reflected in that sailor going overboard.

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<v Speaker 2>But anyone who's familiar with how an aircraft carrier operates

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<v Speaker 2>knows that these jobs are highly su stressful, requiring stamina.

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<v Speaker 2>As these fighter jets land on an area that looks

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<v Speaker 2>like a postage stamp, as they begin their descent. And

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<v Speaker 2>these sailors, whether they are on the deck or below

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<v Speaker 2>doing mechanics, or at the surveillance systems fending off possible attacks,

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<v Speaker 2>are all under tremendous dress and doing work that can

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<v Speaker 2>be highly dangerous if they are either distracted or demoralized.

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<v Speaker 2>So it's a real strategic issue. And remember also that

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<v Speaker 2>there are reports now that the USS Washington is on

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<v Speaker 2>its way to replace or relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln finally,

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<v Speaker 2>after a record of two hundred plus days without even

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<v Speaker 2>a port call, without setting foot on ground, well, the

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<v Speaker 2>USS Washington is being taken away from its forward position

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<v Speaker 2>in the Far East. So the endless war of impulse

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<v Speaker 2>without strategy and exit plan is having a toll on

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<v Speaker 2>our military readiness.