[Candor7]

I do not subscribe to the idea that Kirk Lippold was derelict in his duty. Rather he was a victim of the peace corps mentality that was being promoted throughout the Gulf Command,not to offend the natives. The ROE for the deck watch was not to fire first without permission.Obviously this was not appropriate in view of the terrorist activity that had already ocurred at the time.

Perhaps if Kirk had the mind of Chesty Puller, he would have found a way to open up on any craft within a hundred meters failing to answer a hail. In retrospect that was what was needed, not Clintons lax posture in the region, which was as much responsible as anything for the USS Cole tragedy.

The deck watch should have been locked and loaded with full ammo racks, with permission to initiate fire, as any warship should have.

[XJarhead]

I don't know enough of the facts to say for certain whether or not he failed to do something he should have done.

If the standing orders prohibited certain things, then I don't blame him for following those orders. But there may have been other things that he could have done, but didn't do, that might have made the ship safer. I suspect if they found that he could have done more, they were referring to something other than violating his orders. I'm just saying that the Kirk Lippold I knew was not a lax guy. Maybe he screwed up a bit, maybe not. But he would not have run a slack ship, IMHO.