Posted on 01/08/2018 11:18:52 PM PST by Oshkalaboomboom
Hollowing of fleet from 700 to 270 ships lead to ‘unsustainable levels’ of combat deployments
The Navy’s disastrous and deadly 2017, punctuated by a slew of accidents and fatal at-sea collisions ending with the deaths of nearly 20 American sailors, was the culmination of deep-seated issues within the sea service’s budget, operations and culture stretching back decades, issues that Navy leaders are only now attempting to address.
And, despite the determination of the Trump White House and defense hawks on Capitol Hill to boost the troubled service’s budget and mission support, the service faces a battleship full of problems coming out of 2017 that will take more than one year to turn around.
Seven U.S. sailors aboard the USS Fitzgerald were killed when the warship collided with Philippine-flagged shipping vessel near the Japanese coast in June. Two months later, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS McCain collided with an oil tanker off the coast of Singapore, resulting in 10 sailors killed.
Prior to the fatal collisions involving the McCain and Fitzgerald, the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Champlain collided with a South Korean fishing vessel off the country’s eastern coast last May, a month before the incident involving the Fitzgerald.
As a result, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson ordered a worldwide 48-hour stand down of all service operations. The order was issued to gain insight into the circumstances that led to three major, at-sea collisions in the Pacific within four months, and to see if systemic problems of command and operations left the Navy susceptible to similar catastrophes.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
The first task confronting the Navy is to restore a warrior’s culture of discipline and accountability. The military should exist to break things and kill people who threaten our nation’s safety. The military is not a tool for social justice.
Another part of the Obama legacy.
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Add in rusting ships due to lack of maintenance ... the one in the picture has several places were rust is evident, even in that small an area.
But, but, but...transgender stuff and butt sex...
Or, perhaps it led to ‘unsustainable levels’... Doesn’t anyone have editors any more?
And now, with my ‘spelling police’ duties have been fulfilled, I want to say that I hope the Navy can get itself back on course in 2018.
The first task should be to restore a warrior culture. Kumbaya culture will kill America
Rusty-looking streaks form beneath scuppers and drains almost as soon as the latest paint job is finished.
That ship is not a good example of a poorly maintained vessel. Poorly operated, definitely, but it’s actually in pretty good shape appearance-wise.
We’ve run the Navy to death. It is clear that we need more ships or less commitments.
This rot started with the fall of the Soviet Union and the decision that being a seapower wasn't good enough for us. What we really wanted to do was become an Asian land power. Obummer didn't do that. GHWB started it, Clinton squandered the piece dividend and began the process of PCness, and GWB delivered the coup de grace.
We need every politician to repeat the mantra that we are great because we are a seapower and we are a seapower because we are great. The Kings and Queens of England, even the dumbest of them understood being a seapower. We, apparently keep forgetting.
I agree.
...and pregnant sailors...
Reinstitute the ensign school before first cruise.
Retrain all ship command staff in ships operations. These folks don’t know how to functionally operate their ships.
Retrain operations staff on their equipment; radar operators that don’t know how to operate them, communications operators that don’t know their equipment, etc.
Train, train, train. It’s just not happening.
Obama’s navy: 8 years of floating debauchery.
Oh, I'd wager they are well trained on micro-aggressions, sensitivity to homo issues, and SJW in general.
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