Editorial: Carrier force

IT has been a long time since the Port of Palma has welcomed a major unit of the U.S. Navy. The aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman is due to arrive in port next week with an escorting cruiser. The vessels have a combined crew of almost 6,000 men and women. Years ago the sight of a U.S. aircraft carrier in Palma was quite commonplace and it seemed that there was always a U.S. warship moored in Palma. In fact, there were bars in the city which only opened when the U.S. fleet was in town. However, the reduction in the size of the U.S. fleet and operational deployments across the globe has meant that the U.S. Mediterranean fleet is only a shadow of its former size. The Truman is in the process of returning home after a long deployment in the Gulf. I would urge the people of Majorca to give the crew of the Truman a warm welcome. Palma has the reputation for being one of the most popular liberty ports in the Mediterranean for the U.S. Navy, Ihope that Majorca lives up to its reputation.