[MikefromOhio]

If we turn tail and run everytime they use guerilla tactics we're never going to clean this up.

Where the hell are you getting this crap? We DON'T. The Naval ship in question ONLY had a handful of Marines aboard. If you DON'T know your damned situation you DON'T commit your forces unless absolutely necessary.

Another damned armchair general ping.....does anyone know a Naval officer on FR that could explain this situation to the "general" here?

[J. Worthington Witfellow]

A handful of marines - you're right - we were way outmatched by the army of rocket launchers.

[Jeff Head]

The ships got out to sea where they are more mobile and capable of being defended by other assets and more capable of defending themselves. This was the correct action.

I am a bit surprised that while in port, some of their own defensive systems were not active. After the Cole, you would think, particularly in the Mid East, that there would be provisions for this.

Both ships are equiped with CIWS designed for shooting down incoming missiles.

I understand a reluctance to do so in port because whatever you hit is going to fall right into the middle of the port city and cause civilian, collateral damage and death. Just the same, protection of those ships is the first order of business IMHO when they are fired upon.

Once they were fired upon in this manner and in this situation, the clear course of action was to get to sea. It is not like they were in the middle of an ongoing landing where they had air cover and other supporting ships to supress this type of fire.

Just my thoughts on the issue.