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.
Our military is signifantly weaker and less capable than it was just 5 years ago.
A situation that can be quickly corrected with the right leadership.
I was in the military. My guess is these guys were ordered to surrender.
I doubt they even had ammo for their guns.
Our troops have to have permission to fire their weapons. They’d likely be charged with murder otherwise.
A simple boy scout compass is all that is needed. In addition, those damn boats are fast, 40 knots, and I find it absolutely unbelievable they could not our run the carpet flyers and their fishing boats. To not outrun them with weapons alert is unreal.
If they are not allowed to defend themselves, congress should make a huge fuss. Of course it seems that now congress is not a lot better than the administration.
The naval engagement you are referring to was the Battle of Layte Gulf. My father served on the USS Heermann during this battle.
But you are correct, I know of no sailor that I served with who would have surrendered without a fight to the death.
This entire incident smells of skullduggery.
“After first suggesting that a mechanical failure had disabled at least one of the boats, they acknowledged that there was no mechanical problem. Both boats were returned to the United States under their own power, leaving Pentagon officials to untangle the chain of events that led to the episode.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/14/world/middleeast/iran-navy-crew-release.html?_r=0
I already have - on both counts - what about you?
“What were the rules of engagement for the young officer in command in the event that his boats came under attack?”
Hands up, don’t shoot.
It’s been pointed out many times on FR: When the cops pull you over, you do not resist, and you respect their authority
That was my first thought and then I thought of the rules of engagement..
No, it cannot be quickly corrected.
The DOD change is deep, long and contiguous.
We have sustained devastating irrevocable undermining to the defense Our Nation.
All the flag waving, rah-rah delusions are done.
Same
I suggest you go F yourself, clown.
This is the kind of military you get when the troops are required to learn about lactation.
Yes please tell why were shallow draft near shore boats so far out?
No overwatch, nothing - just a couple of 30' patrol boats out for a lark? Having a party out of sight of their superiors? On a training mission - deep water training?
Having run a boat for 30 years at about the same size as a commercial fisherman, I would never go more than 15 miles off shore - just too dangerous for so small a boat and where the unexpected takes lives. With land that flat, their radar was likely useless to determine were the actual shore line was, leaving only the GPS and plotter if they had one.
Often overlooked or ignored is the Iranians declared war on the US back in '79 and have never rescinded that proclamation.
Fireman Duane Hodges was killed by North Korean gunfire during the taking of the Pueblo
was doing his job - trying to destroy classified....
I feel sorry for the lieutenant in command of the boats. No matter what the reason, even if he was ordered by the Navy’s CNO, he is all washed up as a naval officer.
Liberals hate to be shown for what they are.....like you.
This entire episode stinks! The true story will be a cover up to save the PC brass following orders from Valerie and Barry.
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