Free Republic

INDIAN OCEAN (NNS) -- U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Gonzalez (DDG 66), currently operating as part of Task Force 51 in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility, helped ward off an attack on motor vessel Tigris June 6 in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Somalia. The guided-missile destroyer received word of the attack via a bridge-to-bridge radio report from Tigris. The crew of the motor vessel, who escaped uninjured, reported they were under attack and being fired upon. “The master [of Tigris] sounded extremely scared and provided Gonzalez his position and requested immediate assistance,” said Cmdr. Jeffrey...

April 20, 2003 IN THE NORTH ARABIAN GULF -- The amphibious assault ships of Task Force 51 come together in an unprecedented formation during operations in the North Arabian Gulf. This marked the first time that six large deck amphibious ships from the East and West coasts have deployed together in one area of operations. Led by the flag ship USS Tarawa (LHA 1), the ships in the second row from bottom to top are USS Saipan (LHA 2) and USS Kearsarge (LHD 3); and the third row ships are USS Boxer (LHD 4), USS Bataan (LHD 5) and USS...