[Diana in Wisconsin]

Lose a few sailors or flood and sink the entire ship? Would the Enemy Media be happier if she had been sunk and all souls were lost?

Probably.

*SPIT*

[Sacajaweau]

When I was 12, I almost drowned. The next thing I knew I was on the deck with the lifeguard. I believe you pass out from the stress. That’s what seems to have happened in my experience.

[mad_as_he$$]

“...died on the USS Fitzgerald when it sank may...”

Huh?

[garyb]

My heart and prayers go out to those who died in this horrific incident, and to those that had to make the decision and/or to implement the action to close the water-tight hatches to preserve the vessel.

That just has to be about one of the hardest things to order or to do.

[Red Badger]

on the USS Fitzgerald when it sank?..........

[gaijin]

I agree with Travis McGee:

Really seems like “Nautical Jihad”

Why the insane U-turn...?

Cuz it was DELIBERATE.

[lurk]

It is a great pity to lose them. But ships and sailors are made for that eventuality.

[rlmorel]

As a sailor, this is an ever present danger.

Always.

In the time I spent at sea, being attached airwing, I was fortunate enough to spend the majority of it in areas such as the flight deck and hangar bay where the possibility of being trapped in a flooding compartment was less, but I assure you, I felt that advantage acutely over the ship’s company who labored far below decks.

Those guys have guts.

[central_va]

In peacetime the loss of a ship is a great tragedy but it's not worth the cost of seven lives. I would have let them out of that berthing compartment even if the ship were to sink as a result of that action. Court martial me if you want. I say this as someone with many years of ocean going naval experience.

In wartime those sailors would have to face drowning but the situations are different.

[CincyRichieRich]

While silence isn’t golden, at least Trump isn’t telegraphing his next move.

Once the joint chiefs conclude their investigation and the facts are known by those who need to know (not like the 0bama regime where they were leaked to the MSM and the #of troops, seals, marines, missles to be used), the response will be a surprise, out of nowhere. I trust him. Silence sucks, but it won’t be long.

[Drew68]

"SAVE THE SHIP" is the first order of business when it comes to damage control. Everyone onboard understands this (though admittedly, very few sailors in today's Navy have had to actually face it).

Only after all efforts have been exhausted and it is clear the ship will founder do you consider saving your own skin.

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

A moron wrote the article.The ship did not sink.These writers don’t know squat.Most are little pajama boys.

[deport]

I don't if this plot and time line are accurate.

[PraiseTheLord]

FWIW on local radio they reported a mother of a sailor on it
said that her son told her that he kept diving down to try to get shipmates.

[PGR88]

Sadly, that’s the entire reason why waterproof hatches exist

[Haiku Guy]

Saving the ship must always be the first priority.

This is the hard truth of the military. There are some things that take precedence over the life of the individual soldier, sailor or airman.

That is why the sailor tragically sealed in the flooding compartment is a cliché found in every navy movie ever filmed.

[CrazyIvan]

A large breach near the bow while the ship is moving can act as a scoop and cause massive flooding. This may have been the only way to prevent further loss of life.

[NewJerseyJoe]

Sadly, this is not an unknown scenario in naval history. It happened at Pearl Harbor.

Pearl Harbor: 16 Days To Die

[lacrew]

I once toured a WWII Submarine (its in Mobile, Alabama - great tour). Anyway, the guide described the SOP for the doors - some alarm is sounded, and everybody shuts the doors ASAP...and that’s the cruel rules they have to live by.

[Lou L]

The Navy is investigating the horrifying possibility that some of those who died on the USS Fitzgerald when it sank may have been trapped alive in rapidly flooding compartments as emergency hatches were closed, it has emerged.

As gruesome as this must sound to civilians, it was likely the correct thing to do. Had those hatches not been quickly sealed, the entire ship may have been lost.