Posted on 01/15/2016 6:26:00 PM PST by pboyington
Don’t give up the ship! Fight her until she sinks!â€
Last Words of Captain James Lawrence, USS Chesapeake, June 1813
I think I can speak for most Americans, that the sight of US Navy sailors on their knees, hands on their heads, surrendering to the Iranians is absolutely sickening.
What happened last week in the Persian Gulf is an absolute disgrace to the US Navy and the United States of America and is an insult to the brave sailors of the US Navy who gave their lives in previous conflicts.
Frankly, I don’t care what the excuses are. The fact the US Navy personnel surrendered to the armed forces of a two bit dictatorship like Iran without a fight, is disheartening and speaks volumes about the decrepit state of the US military’s fighting spirit.
This is the kind of military you get when the troops are more worried about doing PT (physical training) in pregnancy simulators than about training for war.
This is the kind of military you get when the Commander in Chief is a feckless, naïve, left-wing fool.
Numerous questions remain concerning this most recent cluster by the US military:
–Why were such small craft, designed for operations close inshore so far out in the Gulf?
–The episode is now being blamed on a “navigational error†but how is that possible when every decent sized-fishing boat has GPS and radar equipment aboard to determine its position down to a cable-length? Also, how could both boats have had navigational issues? Are we supposed to believe that the GPS and radar equipment malfunctioned on both boats?
–Why, given the small size and vulnerability of such craft were they not being escorted and/or shadowed by more substantial naval vessels in these disputed waters?
–Given the known hostility of the Iranians and the British 2007 precedent, were the Riverine craft under surveillance by US Navy air assets? Where the heck were our air and sea assets when the craft were over-powered by the Iranians?
–What were the rules of engagement for the young officer in command in the event that his boats came under attack?
–Even if the rules of engagement put a stranglehold on the commanding officer, what feather merchant authorized him to surrender his flagged combat vessels of the United States Navy, without offering any resistance? Was he ordered to do so by higher command? If so, who ordered it? The surrender of those vessels violates the US military Code of Conduct, Article II, which states…
I will never surrender of my own free will. If in command, I will never surrender the members of my command while they still have the means to resist.
–Were the boats prepared to defend themselves as naval vessels of a sovereign power against boarding and seizure, even in disputed waters?
–Were the weapons on the boats loaded and ready for action as one might expect in such a hostile area where terrorists abound? If not, why not?
–Was the commander authorized to make a televised admission of guilt on Iranian television? This is again a violation of the Code of Conduct, Article V, which states…
When questioned, should I become a prisoner of war, I am required to give name, rank, service number, and date of birth. I will evade answering further questions to the utmost of my ability. I will make no oral or written statements disloyal to my country and its allies or harmful to their cause.
To me, it sounds like the US Navy needs to hold some classes on the Code of Conduct for its sailors, not more sensitivity training.
Congress should investigate this issue and find out why the US Navy acted as it did and subsequently, why Secretary of State Kerry was groveling to the Iranians, instead of issuing them a firm warning, which should have gone something like this…
If you try something like this again, the Iranian Navy will be destroyed.
That being said, the incident on the high seas last week was a terrific blow to the prestige of the United States. In a nutshell, we look like total cowards to our friends and allies and a virtual pushover in the next conflict to our enemies like the IRANIANS, the Russians, the Chinese and ISIS.
The United States is weak and we are getting weaker by the minute thanks to President Barack Jimmy Carter Obama.
No doubt there will be more insults to injury carried out by the Iranians before Obama leaves office.
If one boat had a problem with it’s engines then the other boat surely did not.
neither did both of their GPS’s go broke at the time.
Also when in those waters the Navy should have been watching them much more closely and had at least air support in the air on stand by.
Something does not add up, just like when Seal team 6 was taken down in their chopper.
If one engine went then the other could have towed.
No way did both engines go broke and both GPS’s go broke.
Something does not add up, not that I expect this pathetic biased media to actually do research and ask questions.
Are you telling me those little fishing boats stopped two US naval vessels that were armed to the teeth? Excuse me but WTF !! These boats were equipped with 50 cal and freakin mini guns. The minis alone would have cut those fishing boats litteraly in half.
It appears no sensitive items were thrown overboard as the Iranians approached. Clearly all their weapons were captured, machine guns still on the mounts. How about crypto items and gps devices? All in the hands of the Iranians now? Then the blabbering commander while his barefoot sailors sit around, one wrapped in muslim rags. Courts of inquiry at the least, courts martial should be in line for the commander and who ever put them in this position.
This is the navy of Ray Mabus, the jerk most interested in getting rid of “man” from all titles, destroying the Marine Corps and doing any other damage he can do over the next year. War fighting capabilities are the last thing he is interested in.
Have done and been there so why don’t you take a seat for a minute.
both engines did not go broke meaning the other boat could have towed.
Both GPS’s could not have been broke at the same time either.
Why was not airsupport in the air covering them or even on stand by?
You want to fly off the handle then do it when you get a grip of yourself.
“The minis alone would have cut those fishing boats litteraly in half.”
But,but this is Obama’s Navy.
You can’t shoot any HUMAN BEINGS,they might get hurt.
.
I posted the picture of the sailors with hand behind their necks and kneeling in submission on FB for my “friends” of the insane(progressive) persuasion. I was attacked for calling our military cowards. “Those whom God wishes to destroy, he first drives mad”, said someone much smarter than me.
I suggest you stick to the cooking blogs. Many of us have military backgrounds, far more than you will ever have.
I remember it well. I was sitting atop a hill in Osan Korea that fateful night waiting for Lyndon Johnson to give the order to go and get that boat. The order never came and Lloyd Bucher and his crew were held for close to 11 months.
A rather mundane boring tour of duty turned real serious that night and remained that way till their release.
The only thing that should have been said to the Iranians after we became aware of the seizure should have been “ YOU HAVE TWO HOURS TO RELEASE OUR SAILORS AND CRAFT IN AN UNHARMED AND PERFECT CONDITION, IF THIS IS NOT DONE TO OUR SATISFACTION; IN 3 HOURS EVERY SHIP, BOAT, RAFT, HULL AND PLATFORM YOU HAVE IN OR ON THE PERSIAN GULF, THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ, THE GULF OF OMAN, AND THE ARABIAN SEA WILL BE ON THE BOTTOM”.
To those who say this could start a war; the answer to that is, the war was started by the Iranian seizure of American service men, women and equipment.
But of course it takes leadership, honor, and courage to do that.
Something our nation seems to have a sever lack of in the higher echelons of government and the military.
Two boats, two GPS setups? Both failed...this smells funny!
exactly and here was my response to that.
If one boat had a problem with it’s engines then the other boat surely did not.
neither did both of their GPS’s go broke at the time.
Also when in those waters the Navy should have been watching them much more closely and had at least air support in the air on stand by.
Something does not add up, just like when Seal team 6 was taken down in their chopper.
If one engine went then the other could have towed.
No way did both engines go broke and both GPS’s go broke.
Something does not add up, not that I expect this pathetic biased media to actually do research and ask questions.
Correct. The whole story stinks. We may learn more of the truth in few years if we’re lucky.
Lloyd Bucher saved the lives of those that normaly manned the 50 calibers guns. The covers were frozen so to send people out to remove frozen covers then load and fire, there’s no telling how many crew would have been killed. The Pueblo was surrounded by four PT boats, 1 SO-1 sub chaser, and overflown by at least two Migs. The SO-1 fired the shot that killed Fireman Duane Hodges and wounded several others, including Bucher. So the Pueblo was in a no-win situation. Sad the he had to face a near court martial as a result. The entire crew acted well under the circumstances.
never going to find the truth just like Benghazi and other issues this administration has done.
Two boats but one could not tow the other.
GPS on both are not working to let them know they are in Iranian waters.
No air support up in the air or on stand by.
Where is this frigging media to ask these simple questions. frigging no where yet again t protect their messiah while we become a laughing stock.
I think a lot of this can be hung on Ray Mabus. The PC SECNAV.
Cleaned up a bit:
Don’t give up the ship! Fight her until she sinks!”
Last Words of Captain James Lawrence, USS Chesapeake, June 1813
I think I can speak for most Americans, that the sight of US Navy sailors on their knees, hands on their heads, surrendering to the Iranians is absolutely sickening.
What happened last week in the Persian Gulf is an absolute disgrace to the US Navy and the United States of America and is an insult to the brave sailors of the US Navy who gave their lives in previous conflicts.
Frankly, I don’t care what the excuses are. The fact the US Navy personnel surrendered to the armed forces of a two bit dictatorship like Iran without a fight, is disheartening and speaks volumes about the decrepit state of the US military’s fighting spirit.
This is the kind of military you get when the troops are more worried about doing PT (physical training) in pregnancy simulators than about training for war.
This is the kind of military you get when the Commander in Chief is a feckless, naiive, left-wing fool.
Numerous questions remain concerning this most recent cluster by the US military:
-Why were such small craft, designed for operations close inshore so far out in the Gulf?
-The episode is now being blamed on a “navigational error” but how is that possible when every decent sized-fishing boat has GPS and radar equipment aboard to determine its position down to a cable-length? Also, how could both boats have had navigational issues? Are we supposed to believe that the GPS and radar equipment malfunctioned on both boats?
-Why, given the small size and vulnerability of such craft were they not being escorted and/or shadowed by more substantial naval vessels in these disputed waters?
-Given the known hostility of the Iranians and the British 2007 precedent, were the Riverine craft under surveillance by US Navy air assets? Where the heck were our air and sea assets when the craft were over-powered by the Iranians?
-What were the rules of engagement for the young officer in command in the event that his boats came under attack?
-Even if the rules of engagement put a stranglehold on the commanding officer, what feather merchant authorized him to surrender his flagged combat vessels of the United States Navy, without offering any resistance? Was he ordered to do so by higher command? If so, who ordered it? The surrender of those vessels violates the US military Code of Conduct, Article II, which states...
I will never surrender of my own free will. If in command, I will never surrender the members of my command while they still have the means to resist.
-Were the boats prepared to defend themselves as naval vessels of a sovereign power against boarding and seizure, even in disputed waters?
-Were the weapons on the boats loaded and ready for action as one might expect in such a hostile area where terrorists abound? If not, why not?
-Was the commander authorized to make a televised admission of guilt on Iranian television? This is again a violation of the Code of Conduct, Article V, which states...
When questioned, should I become a prisoner of war, I am required to give name, rank, service number, and date of birth. I will evade answering further questions to the utmost of my ability. I will make no oral or written statements disloyal to my country and its allies or harmful to their cause.
To me, it sounds like the US Navy needs to hold some classes on the Code of Conduct for its sailors, not more sensitivity training.
Congress should investigate this issue and find out why the US Navy acted as it did and subsequently, why Secretary of State Kerry was groveling to the Iranians, instead of issuing them a firm warning, which should have gone something like this...
If you try something like this again, the Iranian Navy will be destroyed.
That being said, the incident on the high seas last week was a terrific blow to the prestige of the United States. In a nutshell, we look like total cowards to our friends and allies and a virtual pushover in the next conflict to our enemies like the IRANIANS, the Russians, the Chinese and ISIS.
The United States is weak and we are getting weaker by the minute thanks to President Barack Jimmy Carter Obama.
No doubt there will be more insults to injury carried out by the Iranians before Obama leaves office.
I don't think they're cowards. I expected Obama ordered them not to resist.
They are not ‘kids’, they are fighting men.
And yes, I think they were sold down the River to Obama’s buddies.
Were the boats returned?
Elected twice
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