Free Republic

A fifth U.S. warship steamed toward the eastern Mediterranean on Thursday to join four other cruise missile destroyers poised for strikes on Syria, as U.S. and allied military planning continued for a bombing campaign against Syria. U.S. intelligence agencies, meanwhile, continued to put the finishing touches on an assessment the Obama administration expects will conclusively link Syrian government and military leaders to the deadly nerve agent strike near Damascus Aug. 21. A defense official said the fifth destroyer, the USS Stout, would soon arrive in waters near Syria. The warship is armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles. Other officials familiar with...

Old sailors are scratching their heads trying to recall the last time the Navy kheel-hauled a skipper, his CMC, two officers, five chiefs and a petty officer, all in one fell swoop. That's right, gang. Ten members of the crew on the USS Stout are out of a job and off the Aegis-class guided missle destroyer. The two top names on the list are the tin can's captain, CMDR Nathan Borchers, and his knock-out, good-looking CMC, Susan Bruce-Ross. We're not kidding. This gal definately is not your typical fat, man-hating bull-dyke. She is simply gorgeous. And while there's no accusation...

Navy's in port for Carnival Crews of two vessels will be among downtown's happy crowds through Fat Tuesday 02/20/04 By GEORGE WERNETH Staff Reporter About 400 sailors on two Navy warships arrived at Mobile on Thursday to submerge themselves in the last riotous six days of Mardi Gras. The commanding officer of the Norfolk, Va.-based USS Stout, Cmdr. George Bonsall, said he put in the request to bring his vessel to Mobile this year for Carnival. The Stout, a 505-foot-long guided missile destroyer with some 350 officers and crew, is the official 2004 Mardi Gras ship. "I had the pleasure...