The US Navy has always protected the freedom of navigation for commercial shipping, and with the free flow of goods to/from some of our allies at stake, we must cruise about and though these islands.
I'm all for protecting freedom of navigation. I'm just against using OUR ships & sailors for targets in a Chinese shooting gallery.
I think a better plan would be an overwhelming show of force composed of at least several or more ships from ever nation sharing a similar interest in freedom of navigation (e.g. Japan, SK, Britain, Australia, Philippines, Malaysia, France, Canada, Mexico, ...).