Immediately, NAVCENT initiated an intensive search and rescue operation using both air and naval assets including aircraft from USS Harry S. Truman and the U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Coast Guard, U.K. Royal Navy and U.S. Navy surface vessels.
—>>All that force - within minutes of last know position. And they couldn’t find them?
NAVCENT’s initial operational reports showed that while in transit from Kuwait to Bahrain the RCBs deviated from their planned course on their way to the refueling. The command investigation will determine what caused the change in course and why the RCBs entered into Iranian territorial waters in the vicinity of Farsi Island.
—>> No GPS? No compass? All failed on TWO boats? How about just head WEST as FAST as possible?
At some point one RCB had indications of a mechanical issue in a diesel engine which caused the crews to stop the RCBs and begin troubleshooting. As the RCBs travel together, the second RCB also stopped. This stop occurred in Iranian territorial waters, although it’s not clear the crew was aware of their exact location. While the RCBs were stopped and the crew was attempting to evaluate the mechanical issue, Iranian boats approached the vessels.
—>> TWO BOATS. One will tow the other. Now let’s get out of here.
Based upon initial operational reports, the first boats on scene were two small craft with armed personnel on board. Soon after, two more Iranian military vessels arrived on scene also with armed personnel on board.
—>> We have guns too. They mean “stay the f*ck away”
Initial operational reports indicate there was a verbal exchange between the Sailors and the Iranians but no exchange of gun fire. Armed Iranian military personnel then boarded the RCBs, while other Iranian personnel aboard the Iranian vessels conducted armed over-watch of the boats with mounted machine guns.
—>> Our guys just surrendered without a fight? Against the US Military Code of Conduct? They all surrendered? No one relieved the officer the charge for being a coward? Are these folks now going to a court-martial?
The first report was at 1410. At 1429, CENTCOM was notified by the Navy that communications were "degraded." That probably means the Navy was unable to reach them. At 1445, CENTCOM is told that all communication was lost. The way I read that, it took 16 minutes for the Navy to conclude that the temporary inability to reach the boats was not simply a temporary communications issue. The "immediately" is in reference to the 1445 message, not the initial call at 1410.
So, it was 25 minutes from the time the boats were first stopped until the time the search started.
More to the point, the boats were in Iranian waters at 1410, and the Navy would not deliberately have entered Iranian waters as part of an initial search. That's why they didn't find them.
What you ask is applicable during war. The Commander-in-Chief of these sailors just gave the Iranians permission to build nuclear weapons. He just returned their military prisoners in exchange for tourists and Iranian/Americans returning to visit family and friends. He just gave the Iranians $150 billion.
He probably passed down through the chain of command the word that "anyone firing on the Iranians will get 20 years in Leavenworth, guaranteed".
Congress needs to bring these 10 sailors before a committee with guarantees of no retaliation now or ever. Get testimony from the next three levels of command authority. Under oath.
Of course, until Hillary is in jail, without bail, for Benghazi AND FileGate and Obama impeached for High Treason, no one will believe Congress' promises.