CDR Salamander - So, I've Been at this 22 Years, it Seems

I remember sending this off into the ether with a shrug 22 years ago as if it were yesterday.

22nd anniversaries are not that big of a deal, and I know many of you, like my friend Sid, have been with us from the start. I did a good origin story on the 20th anniversary post, so if you’re new, give it a read.

At the 20th anniversary, my friend Claude Berube was kind enough to interview me on the inarguable UNCLAS Read Board Podcast that is outside the paywall. I think it ages well.

I think for the rest of the 22nd I wanted to take note of a few things.

First of all, in the last year, we saw the passing of a CDR Salamander Plankowner, Byron Audler, in April. A good man I had the pleasure of breaking bread with a few times.

We also saw last fall the aforementioned Claude Berube—after two decades at the front of the maritime national security debate—decided to decouple from all that, delete almost everything online, and concentrate on things locally.

As he told everyone for years, as his 60th year approached, another friend, Bryan McGrath, decided to back away from everything but musings on his Substack. Like with Claude, I respect their decision, but I will not take their path…at least not anytime inside the horizon I see.

I know I’ve used the word “friend” a lot in this post. It isn’t by accident. There are “online friends” that may or may not be a friend IRL if they lived nearby. There are DC friends that really aren’t but are nice to be around as long as you understand the nature of that town and the reality that the friendship will exist only as long as they find you useful. That’s OK. It just is. There are also allies, some in the open and some you work with on issues in the background. Those are solid as well.

There are also many of you—some who I have had the pleasure of meeting IRL—who I do consider in that perfect circle of acquaintances and friends that I enjoy seeing in comments and when fate allows us to gossip in person between panel discussions, share an adult beverage and/or cigar. Some, like Sid, Byron, Claude, and Bryan, I’ve know for a decade or two, some just in the last few months, but one way or another, allow me to say, “thank you.”

Thank you for taking time out of your day to pay a visit here, leave a comment, drop a DM or email, or otherwise just entertain my imperfect observations of the things I see along the waterfront.

Here’s to another year—and again, thank you for being part of the CDR Salamander community.

Oh, and as a side note, as has become a tradition in the couple of years since I put out the tip jar, if you’ve been pondering becoming part of the paid subscriber community of CDR Salamander underwriters, we have an anniversary sale discount of 22% on yearly or monthly subscriptions which, in addition to my unwavering gratitude, gives you access to the paid-subscriber-only UNCLAS Read Board Podcast.

If you are so inclined, follow the link and claim your discount before it expires at midnight Eastern.

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