BEHIND
THE WINDOW

AN AUTHOR’S NOTE

By Joe Looby

Atlantic Ocean · 2017
Pacific Ocean · 1991
Off Sumatra · 2005

One of the questions in The Window is simple:

When a U.S. carrier strike group leaves the Western Pacific, what takes its place?

In the novel, PLA Senior Colonel Zhou Qiang is a student of U.S. naval history.

2003 — A replacement underway

In February 2003, Kitty Hawk is sent toward Iraq while Carl Vinson sails from Hawaii to backfill.

HISTORICAL CASE · FEBRUARY 2003
February 2003 historical case. Kitty Hawk moves toward Iraq. An arrow from the Hawaiian operating area points west. A green ASSIGNED seal and fixed DEDICATED RELIEF field identify Carl Vinson, ordered west to backfill. Selected movements do not establish uninterrupted coverage.

Carrier diversions happen.

The Window asks what happens when a diversion is not backfilled.

2026 — None assigned

AUGUST 2026 · IN THE NOVEL

In the novel’s 2026 opening, George Washington is sent to the Middle East. Abraham Lincoln is sailing home.

AUGUST 2026 · IN THE NOVEL
August 2026 in the novel. Washington and Bush are in the Middle East; Lincoln is shown schematically in the Indian Ocean on August 24. A solid line represents reported eastbound movement; a dotted water route indicates projected travel toward the United States, not a confirmed itinerary. The same DEDICATED RELIEF field contains an outlined carrier and NONE ASSIGNED beneath a burgundy NONE seal. Reported movements inform the starting geography; the relief status is part of the fictional scenario. Other forces and options remain.

No carrier has been assigned as dedicated relief.

USS Mustin · Indian Ocean · July 2, 2026
U.S. Navy photo by MC2 Timothy Dimal · Public domain

For Lieutenant Commander Johnnie Grey, the question is personal.

His twin sister commands a destroyer in the Western Pacific.

For her crew, the answer could mean survival.

THE WINDOW

What happens when the map changes?

The Window by Joe Looby — book cover

A military and geopolitical thriller.

READ THE NOVEL