The Navy Follows The Army

The Army is not the only branch of America's armed services that toe the politically correct diversity line. I read this first at Powerline and followed their link to the Navy Times.

Naval Academy leaders removed two midshipmen from a color guard that performed at the World Series last week because they were white men, and replaced them with a non-white man and a white woman so the academy could present a more “diverse” profile, according to several sources, a move that has reportedly angered mids and alumni.

As it turned out, the color guard still ended up all white because the male replacement forgot parts of his uniform.

The clueless and shoeless middie is a Pakistani. If the uniform of the day required him to wear a scimitar and stuff a felafel up his ass you bet he would have come prepared.

Two white, male members of the color guard learned Oct. 28 they were being replaced with a white woman, Midshipman 2nd Class Hannah Allaire, and a non-white man, Midshipman 2nd Class Zishan Hameed, on orders of the school’s administration, according to an internal e-mail message provided to Navy Times by an academy professor. With a national television audience, Naval Academy leadership worried the color guard it planned to send wasn’t diverse enough, the e-mail said.

Once again the primary concern driving the decision process of military commanders is how they must appear to be diverse. This is a disease.

However, after the color guard arrived in New York for the game Oct. 29, Hameed, whose family is from Pakistan, realized he had left his dress shoes and cover in Annapolis. Midshipman 1st Class Aaron Stroud regained his place and served as a rifleman for the presentation of the colors. Allaire carried the other rifle and the four original members marched with the flags.

This idiot leaves half his shit behind. Did the silly wog expect to march bare assed in Yankee Stadium? How the hell did he even make it into the color guard? Never mind. We know.

I have marched in NYC parades and in Shea Stadium during a Jets half time (in high school I was in a drum & bugle corps, our drill instructor was a retired Marine). When you are marching in something as important as the World Series - the freaking World Series! - and you are representing the US Navy and carrying the colors, you bring your shit with you! And your shit is pressed, polished and perfect!

And it appears that the Navy Commandant is now laying a smoke screen by lying about the number of men that were supposed to march in the color guard. Naval Academy Commandant Capt. Matt Klunder states that eight men were dispatched to match but because of the uniform foul up, only six could complete the detail.

But a Naval Academy press release on the morning of the game said six mids were presenting the colors at the World Series, and identified them all by name. Stroud and the other white male mid who had been cut went to the game, according to the e-mail obtained by Navy Times — fortunate, because Stroud was needed to take Hameed’s place — but they never expected to be able to march that night.

It appears that laying smoke is a time honored war tactic that is used not only to mask your maneuvers during a sea battle, but also to cover your ass when you screw up. In any event, Navy midshipmen and Academy alumni are pissed and the American public is treated once again to a vision of our military paying homage to an intellectually and morally bankrupt, meaningless concept.

USS New York

Yesterday, Friday, 20 Aug 09, at precisely 9:11 am, the US Navy accepted the USS New York from its builders after two months of sea trials.

The USS New York is a San Antonio-class landing platform dock ship that was manufactured with over seven tons of reprocessed steel from the World Trade Center in its bow. It will be commissioned on 7 Nov 09 in NYC.

A beautiful, well-designed craft, platform dock ships are designed to transport nearly a thousand Marines as well as all their their gear to hot spots around the world.

The New York is one of three San Antonio-class ships to be named for sites associated with the 2001 terrorist attacks. The Somerset, named for the Pennsylvania county where one hijacked flight crashed, is being built in Avondale, and the Arlington, named for the site of the Pentagon, is to rise from Northrop Grumman's shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss.

In speeches Friday, officers hailed the use of steel from the World Trade Center and the New York firefighters and police who lost their lives.

"You all are first responders now, " Jones told his crew. "This ship is now a first responder. Have no doubt of what our mission is. At the end of the day our job, our mission, is to be first responders. And it is my intent to execute that mission as fast as I can.

It's a great day for the Navy, a great day for the New York, a great day for the nation."

The ship's damage control systems are dedicated to the memory of Brian Hickey, captain of the Fire Department of New York's Rescue Company 4 in Queens. He was one of 343 firefighters who died in the World Trade Center towers.

Asked why the system is dedicated to Hickey, Northrop Grumman program manager John Wilson choked up. "A long story, " is all he could say.

I really, truly hope and pray that it kicks some terrorist ass. From the UK Times Online:

There is no shortage of scrap metal in New Orleans these days, but the girders taken from Ground Zero have been treated with a reverence usually accorded to religious relics. After a brief ceremony in 2003, about seven tonnes of steel were melted down and poured into a cast to make the bow section of the ship’s hull.

Some shipworkers say the hairs stood up on the backs of their necks the first time they touched it. Others have postponed their retirement so they can be part of the project.

One worker, Tony Quaglino, said: “I was going to go in October 2004 after 40 years here, but I put it off when I found out I could be working on New York. This is sacred and it makes me very proud.” Glen Clement, a paint superintendent, said: “Nobody passes by that bow section without knocking on it. Everybody knows what it is made from and what it’s about.”

The USS New York has its own website. From their website we learn this:

Governor George E. Pataki wrote a letter to Secretary England requesting that the Navy revive the name USS New York in honor of September 11's victims and to give it to a surface warship involved in the war on terror. In his letter, the Governor said he understood state names presently are reserved for submarines but asked for special consideration so the name could be given to a surface ship. The request was approved August 28, 2002.

Eternal Father

Posting about the death of Karl Sensmeier and his service to our nation has put me in a very melancholy mood.

Where do we find the people to replace them? I thank God for the men and woman who serve in our Armed Forces, but what about the citizens who are supposed to stand behind and beside them? Our GI's cannot do it alone. Love of country, honor and obligation to serve seem to have been abadoned by our youth.

Because we are a republic and not an autocracy, our strength as a nation has always been in our commitment, our focus and our culture. Our culture was strongly bound in our faith and this has been severely weakened through decades of neglect and abuse.

In the Old Testament we see time and again how Israel turns from God, faces devastation and ruin, repents, and finds all over again that they can conquer adversity through their Creator.

Our great Nation, perchance, is on the cusp of such a lession. May God help us all.

I come from a Navy family. The hymn, "Eternal Father Strong To Save" was first published in 1860. In 1879 it was first used to conclude worship services at the Naval Academy and it still is today. It is also known as the Navy Hymn.

The lyrics were written by Rev. William Whiting of the Church of England. The music was written by John B. Dykes, also of the COE, in 1861.



Original Lyrics:
Eternal Father, Strong to save,
Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
Who bid'st the mighty Ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep;
O hear us when we cry to thee
For those in peril on the sea.

O Christ! Whose voice the waters heard
And hushed their raging at Thy word,
Who walked'st on the foaming deep,
And calm amidst its rage didst sleep;
Oh hear us when we cry to Thee
For those in peril on the sea!

Most Holy spirit! Who didst brood
Upon the chaos dark and rude,
And bid its angry tumult cease,
And give, for wild confusion, peace;
Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee
For those in peril on the sea!

O Trinity of love and power!
Our brethren shield in danger's hour;
From rock and tempest, fire and foe,
Protect them wheresoe'er they go;
Thus evermore shall rise to Thee,
Glad hymns of praise from land and sea.

MV Global Patriot

Reader Draven wrote in a comment:

"Sig, the story is missing a bit of info. Apparently, the poor oppressed vendor's wares were 'surplus military', according to several sources."

I have been looking for a source for this but so far have not been able to come up with anything credible. I checked the Navy Dispatch and got this so far:

Warning shots fired in the Suez Canal
MANAMA, Bahrain (NNS) -- The Global Patriot, a ship on short term charter to the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command, fired warning shots at a small boat approaching the ship as it was preparing to transit the Suez Canal March 24. Initially, there were no reports from the Global Patriot of casualties. Global Patriot was approached by several boats while preparing to transit the Suez Canal. The boats were hailed and warned by a native Arabic speaker on the Global Patriot to advise them to turn away. Other warning steps, including a signal flare, were used to caution the boats.

One small boat continued to approach the ship and received two sets of warning shots 20-30 meters in front of the boat's bow. All shots were accounted for as they entered the water.

The incident is under investigation. The U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet Command is cooperating with Egyptian authorities, including the Suez Canal authorities, through the U.S. Embassy in Cairo.

An undated file photo of the U. S.-flagged multi-purpose cargo ship MV Global Patriot. U.S. Navy photo

U.S. 5th Fleet to work with Egyptian family following shooting MANAMA, Bahrain (NNS) -- The U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet has expressed regret for the death of an Egyptian citizen who died March 24, an apparent result from warning shots fired at a small boat approaching a ship chartered by the U.S. Navy. "We express our deepest sympathies to the family of the deceased," said Vice Adm. Kevin J. Cosgriff, Commander, U.S. 5th Fleet. "We are greatly saddened by events that apparently resulted in this accidental death. This situation is tragic, and we will do our utmost to help take care of the family of the deceased."

The U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet Command is continuing to work cooperatively with Egyptian authorities, including the Suez Canal authorities through the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, to fully investigate this incident. "We will work through the investigation very thoroughly, coordinating with authorities and the embassy, to get a full and transparent account of what happened," Cosgriff stated.

An embarked U.S. security team on board the Navy's Military Sealift Command ship Global Patriot fired warning shots at a small boat approaching the ship as it was preparing to transit the Suez Canal Monday night at approximately 8 p.m. Two other boats had also approached the chartered ship but turned away following warnings from Global Patriot.

But nothing on whether or not the small craft was transporting military surplus supplies.

If anyone has a link, please send it to me.

Lessons Learned

The USS Global Patriot has put into practice what Muslim terrorists should have taught every American sailor. Keep your distance or die. From a Human Events article:

As ships gather in the northern Gulf of Suez for the 100 mile north-bound trek up canal to the Mediterranean, it’s common for the "Hey Joe" boats to swarm around them offering cigarettes, carpets, baskets, pottery, CDs, cold drinks and all types of local treasures for sale. These waterborne huckster entrepreneurs ply their trade in the northern Gulf of Suez as they do in many other areas where people gather and wait. (Have you been stopped at a red light lately only to have pan handlers approach the car offering to wash your windshield?)

So boatloads of foul smelling Suez Canal hippies pull up alongside and drool bits of felafel on your bulkheads. Guess that is gonna stop...

The "Hey Joes" (as US sailors have been calling them for years) are well aware that in this post USS COLE attack world, they should not approach US Navy combat ships without permission. After COLE was almost sunk by suicide bombers in a “Hey Joe,” the word went out that a quick way to get shot is to get too close to
a Navy ship. There would be no more closures to the point where the Navy ship would find itself unable to stop the intruder before the boat could get within lethal range of a suicide payload or any other weapon that could be brought to bear. (The exact distance is classified as are most Rules of Engagement.)

Unfortunately the skipper of the hapless Minnow was not aware that the Global Patriot was under lease to the US Navy.

Now reports are somewhat sketchy but it appears that after dark on Monday night as the Motor Vessel Global Patriot, a commercial Roll on Roll Off (“RORO” in maritime jargon), cued up to await the departure of the daily north bound convoy transit of the canal, several small boats approached. The occupants - if they were simply locals trying to sell their wares -- probably saw the MV Global Patriot as just another commercial merchant ship... which it is... except for the fact that she is currently under lease by the Military Sea lift Command (MSC) and as such, was carrying military cargo and -- more importantly to this story -- had a US Navy security team aboard self protection.

As the small boats approached, an Arabic speaking crew member warned them via
standard bridge to bridge radio that all ships monitor and then later through a bull horn to stay away from the ship. When these measures failed, warning flares were fired. One boat reportedly continued to approach at which point warning shots were fired reportedly 20 to 30 yards from the bow of the approaching boat. At this point the boat turned and departed the area.

Here is where reports differ.

The Navy and crew of the MV Global Patriot report that they accounted for the bullets fired and that the rounds landed well in front of the boat. The Egyptians report that one person was killed and up to three injured.

If the men aboard the Minnow were just vendors trying to make a buck, then indeed this is unfortunate. But after hearing my daughter speak of the street vendors in Cairo (she studied Arabic at the American University at Cairo for a year) then what ensued was bound sooner or later to happen; if not with the Global Patriot, than with another US vessel.

Arab vendors can be a real PITA. They will not let go, they don't know when to stop and they can drive you crazy. My daughter has encountered this in Egypt, Jordan and Israel. She related one instance in particular that really upset some tourists at a Red Sea resort.

The University would send the students on trips throughout Egypt to experience the country and practice their language skills. One such visit was to a resort. An American couple - a husband and wife maybe in their forties - joined the students while they were walking through the resort area. The street vendors were as thick as flies and one of them proved particularly persistent. He would not let up. He followed them without respite, yelling at the tourist couple trying to get them to buy something.

Finally the wife had enough and started screaming at the vendor to get lost. An Egyptian policeman (they're all over the place) decided to bring his trusty community policing skills into play and defuse a potentially troublesome situation. He accomplishes this by smashing the vendor's skull with the butt end of an AK-47. Now the American lady is really upset because she thinks the cop just killed the vendor.

But this is Egypt.

The cop, satisfied at a job well done, strolls away for a rewarding cup of coffee and the vendor (not dead) is picked up by his buddies and hustled away. The American couple wonder why they ever came here in the first place; my daughter had been thinking that for months. True story.

So keep this in mind about Egyptian vendors - sometimes they just don't listen until you break something on them. Let's continue with the article.

So what COULD have happened? A quick look yields one HYPOTHETICAL scenario:The Hey Joes saw a commercial RORO cued up for the transit and they approached the potential customer quickly because time is money. So their outboard motors were probably roaring. Perhaps being small boats, they had not installed or held hand carried radio to hear the bridge-to-bridge warning and could not hear the bull horn over their outboards. When the flares were fired, that was probably very startling and two of the boats stopped immediately. But the third, for some reason yet unexplained, continued. When the warning shots were fired, depending on the angle, bullets could have ricocheted off the water and struck people in the boat.

The above is purely conjecture but what follows is not. These are dangerous times and there will not be another USS COLE if anyone in a Navy uniform can help it. The Navy is not "trigger happy" by any stretch of the imagination and is in fact very disciplined in its use of deadly force.

Recent harassment in the Gulf by Iranian speed boats that did not draw fire from Navy ship drew fire from critics who thought that the Navy should have fired. That said, Naval officers and sailors are also taught to make sure they don't "take the first hit."

I don't know enough to guess who has the ultimate say about Rules of Engagement. Perhaps the Commander-in-Chief himself. But it seems that the rules have changed.

This incident was bound to happen as local systems butt up against the increased awareness and security measure post USS COLE. The Navy and the local authorities need to work out systems whereby each understand what the warning signs are and make sure they know that if violated, there will not likely be a "do over." In fact, there may be just such an understanding in place in the northern Gulf of Suez because it appears the crew of the MV Global Patriot were stepping very systematically though a practiced routine.

I'll will hazard a prediction. There will be no further reckless incursions by "Hey Joes" on American shipping.

The USS Cole Syndrome

US vessel 'shoots at Suez boat'
A US container ship approaching the Suez Canal has opened fire on a small Egyptian motorboat, killing one man and wounding two others, reports say.

The Global Patriot, carrying used US military equipment, was in the Gulf of Suez when it was approached by a motorboat selling local merchandise. Its crew fired after the boat failed to stop when asked, Egyptian sources say.

It appears that these were innocent vendors. But after 17 sailors were murdered and 39 others wounded on board the USS Cole in 2000 (read the following post), you'd think that everyone would be a little careful when approaching a US vessel in arab waters. Especially if you are wearing a keffiyeh.

It was after sunset on Monday when a motorboat carrying three local Egyptian traders approached the Global Patriot in the Gulf of Suez as it prepared to sail towards the Mediterranean, according to Egyptian officials.

The Global Patriot's crew are reported to have ordered the motorboat to stop and when it did not, they opened fire, killing Mohammed Fouad and wounding two others, the officials added.

And of course the BBC does not fail to amuse us with their idiotic closing comments.

It is not clear why those on board the Global Patriot opened fire, although al-Qaeda militants have in the past used small motorboats to attack US military and other foreign vessels in waters off the coast of Yemen, our correspondent adds.

Ya think?

Never Forget

The USS New York was christened yesterday.

AVONDALE, La. (AP) — Thousands of people, including friends and families of those who died in the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, gathered Saturday for an at-times poignant and uplifting service to christen a Navy ship built with twisted steel from the ruins of the World Trade Center.

I'm looking at the smile on the face of ship sponsor Dotty England as she smashes a bottle of champagne on the bow of the newest warship in our fleet. Dotty England is the wife of Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England.

We can all appreciate the added capabiltiy this craft gives to the American war fighting effort.

But I'll smile when the 800 Marines this ship is capable of carrying participates in an invasion of some Islamic terrorist shithole.

God bless American and the men and women who will serve on the USS New York.

For a look at other Navy vessels named for the Empire State, look here at Warships of New York

Mach 7

From the Military Times:

Navy breaks record with railgun test-shot
DAHLGREN, VA. — The Navy set a new world record for the most powerful electromagnetic railgun when it fired a test shot here Thursday morning.

The gun fired an aluminum projectile at 10.68 megajoules. A joule is the work needed to produce one watt of energy for one second. A megajoule is 1 million joules.

Watch video of the test

Guests including Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead and Rear Adm. William Landay, head of the Office of Naval Research, witnessed the shot via a live video feed at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren. The gun was launched from a control center after approximately four minutes of charging the electromagnetic rails. After the charge, the gun fired and witnesses saw a quick burst of flame as the projectile, traveling at 2,500 meters per second, or Mach 7, hit its target.

What does Mach 7 mean? For this discussion, mach is the speed of sound at sea level at a temperature of 15 degrees celsius which is 761.2 mph or 1115 feet per second.

To bring some perspsctive, 2500 meters/second is 1.553 miles per second or 5,591 mph. That is 8200 feet per second. Compare that to a high powered rifle at 3200-3600 f/s. Most jet fighters have a speed limit below Mach 2. Escape velocity from the earth's gravitational field is about 6.95 miles per second (25,000 mph) or 11,200 meters per second.

Roughead called the gun a “revolutionary approach to naval warfare.” He acknowledged the Navy is “a ways from seeing this in the fleet,” but said it is important that the service “never loses sight of the next big thing.”

The previous railgun record of 9 megajoules was held by the Center for Electromagnetic Materials and Devices at the University of Texas, according to the Office of Naval Research. The Institute for Advanced Technology, also at the university, certifies electromagnetic railgun launches.

An EM railgun is powered by electricity rather than gunpowder. A shell is launched at Mach 7 through the electromagnetic rails into the atmosphere for about one minute, flies out of the atmosphere for four minutes, and then descends to Earth toward its target at Mach 5 in approximately one minute. The projectile is guided using the Global Positioning System.

This is so cool. I wonder if they will ever come out with a hand held version?

The Navy hopes an EM railgun onboard a ship could increase ship design options because the gun weighs less and requires less infrastructure than traditional guns that use gunpowder and magazines.

Traditional fire-protection and ammunition-handling requirements are not necessary using an electromagnetic-pulse power system. Potentially, this could change the way the service thinks about naval gunnery, Landay, the head of ONR, told reporters after the test firing.

The Navy plans to have an EM railgun onboard a ship, potentially its next-generation cruiser CG(X), between 2020 and 2025. Officials declined to say what ship would be a good candidate for the gun.

“The gun can fit on any electric ship,” said Elizabeth D’Andrea, the EM railgun program manager at ONR.