The Burning of Bonhomme Richard

My latest at the Diplomat looks at some of the fallout from the fire in San Diego:

A week after the burning of USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6), many questions remain. Some of these, involving how the fire started and how it spread, are not answerable at this point. A more intensive investigation will undoubtedly provide some results. We also do not yet know if the damage to the Bonhomme Richard will result in permanent decommissioning, although the situation does not look good. We can begin to think about what the fire means for the U.S. Navy’s force posture in the Pacific, however, and the news is not good.