This American Life

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1:01:19

This American Life 0824

Only 60 of the 5,000 People on a Carrier Fight; the Rest Restock Vending Machines

On a U.S. carrier after 9/11, only fifty or sixty of the 5,000 people aboard ever touch a bomb. Everyone else spends the war restocking vending machines, doing laundry, and passing rumors — while the captain's biggest worry is whether his sailors are watching the news.

8 Points 7 Quotes U.S. militaryaircraft carrier