Admiral James Stavridis joins Michael Smerconish to assess the escalating confrontation with Iran, why he says the Strait of Hormuz is effectively closed, Trump’s approach to North Korea, and the extraordinary 260-plus-day deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln. Then, listeners who served at sea share firsthand stories of long Navy deployments, life aboard submarines and aircraft carriers, and what it takes to endure months away from home. Original air date 18 August 2026.