The late, great Johnny Cash once sang, "I've been everywhere, man. Crossed the deserts bare, man. I've breathed the mountain air, man. Of travel, I've had my share, man."
Most service members are familiar with the Man in Black's concept of constant travel, reaching far corners of the globe — in the air, on land and sea — courtesy of Uncle Sam.
But when those journeys require lingering on a deployed ship for upward of a month or more without setting foot on solid ground, morale wavers, monotony dominates and tempers flare, as the same faces seen day after day begin to appear exponentially more punchable.
Fortunately, for the embarked shellbacks and wogs, subjection to Neptune's domain is interspersed with any number of training stops, humanitarian efforts and exotic (or not-so-exotic) liberty destinations.
As typical at-sea deployments route sailors and Marines into the western Pacific or Mediterranean regions (and the Persian Gulf depending on the mission), service members develop lifelong memories during port visits.
For those of you — sailors and Marines — who have ventured off on a Med cruise, we want to know: Which port call proved to be the most rewarding?
Likewise, for those who have gone on a WestPac deployment: Which destination left the best and most lasting impression?
J.D. Simkins is the executive editor of Military Times and Defense News, and a Marine Corps veteran of the Iraq War.
