[Bigg Red]

Btt

[plain talk]

Doug, good catch! Anyway to get this message out to the media? Everything stated here about the logistics makes such common sense and shows how clueless the media is about how the military works.

[Publius]

What has been lost in all of this, according to the commander, is that it was the Navy's idea for the President to come aboard and make a tailhook landing. They opted for an F-18. Because of security, however, the White House opted for the Viking, a 4-seater which could accommodate Secret Service.

My understanding was that the Secret Service itself nixed the F-18 -- which is a shame. Dubya might have enjoyed trying some aerobatics in an F-18. At least he got some stick time in the Viking.

[MalcolmS]

Helicopters in general are much more expensive to operate on a per hour basis than fixed wing aircraft of the same weight. And, if you haven't noticed, Marine 1 is BIG,.

The trip by jet may have saved money.

I would suspect that Marine 1 and Air Force 1 have costs within the same order of magnitude. Perhaps aeronautical FReepers could chime in.

[BOBTHENAILER]

What has been lost in all of this, according to the commander, is that it was the Navy's idea for the President to come aboard and make a tailhook landing. They opted for an F-18.

Great post of some excellent reporting DFU. Now I agree with the Navy, an F-18 would have been a killer.

Think about how many Maxine Waters heart attacks that screaming feat would have caused.

[theFIRMbss]

>REGARDING PRESIDENT BUSH'S TAILHOOK LANDING

Maybe they're just pissed
Clinton never did a MIG
on the Kuznetsov ...

[finnman69]

Good job.

[TomB]

Somebody else brought up a good point. Staying on board the ship overnight and outside of port saved a lot of security and lodging expenses.

[dalebert]

bump

[hut1hut2]

In 1991, the USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT arrived 20 hours early off the coast of Virginia.

That's what the engineering folks call "Liberty Turns".

[doug from upland]

This commander in chief is not being serviced by an intern while discussing life and death matters of troop deployment with a congressman. This is what a real commander in chief looks like.

[N. Theknow]

Someone also noted that the President took Air Force 1 all the way across country when he knew damn well that Greyhound buses ran the very same route.

What a waste of tax dollars!

< /sarcasm >

[sit-rep]

I will cimfirm your Commanders report. While I was in, it was no surprise to find out you've been doing circles for the past two days. Scheduals are followed. If you are early, you will... "find something to do" untill your window opens. Finding something to do out at sea as a snipe, usually ment breaking out the bug juice to clean deck plates...

[ohioWfan]

Beautiful! Just the facts, ma'am!

Thanks, doug! And a PING of TRUTH to the rest!

[RightWhale]

That's all fine. The real issue is whether wire #4 is the first or last cable you come to upon landing. A poster said it is the first, and several jumped on that saying it is the last. Don't know if the question was ever officially FResolved.

[aruanan]

Thanks, Doug.

[Grampa Dave]

Doug, one of our freepers michael sf has his first person thread account of his son on the AL when President Bush landed, greeted the crew and then gave his speech to them and the nation.

Michael, also, points out that the ship docked on time and was not delayed in his thread. Just more proof of how the rats who hate America lie!

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/908669/posts

Some comments:


First, my son, and most of the sailors where thrilled to have the President on board. He termed it a "huge" honor. The Lincoln is also about to receive a Presidential Unit Citation, which was another reason to justify the trip to the Lincoln. During the 9 month deployment the Lincoln served in the Afghanistan Action, Southern Watch and in Operation Iraqi Freedom. They flew an untold number of missions and did not lose a single plane either to attack or mechanical problems. Also every sailor that left Everett on July 20,2002 returned home safely on May 6, 2003 (or before).

My son also reported to us three weeks ago that they would be home on May 6th and that we could make plans accordingly. Thus hotel room, plane and car reservations and even tickets to take in the Mariners, were all made, before we knew that the President would be speaking. They arrived home on schedule.

This dispels Democratic lies that the trip by the President delayed the trip home of the arriving ship.


Contrary to other reports the ship was not stopped. Instead it was "crawling" along at 3 knots. Thus President Bush became the first President to land in an airplane on a moving ship.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/908669/posts

[HOYA97]

Can you get this to Rush or Hannity?

Great work by the way!

[unspun]

Ping of Excellence in FReeping
And a cross post, with apolgies to Merchant Seaman, if he's still with us.

Aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln - A First Hand Report

[Nea Wood]

You ought to call Larry Elder, too. He was talking about this, I think it was yesterday. There was a caller who used to be in the military, and he insisted that the service people on the Abraham Lincoln would have resented the visit from the Prez because it would have caused more work for them and more stress! Larry was asking for anyone with inside knowledge to call him and verify whether what the caller said was true.