Originally Posted by At Sixes and Sevens

What is that suppose to mean? Since I'm in the Navy that must mean that I have some kind of blood lust? I must just be looking for a fight, huh?

Or perhaps I'm sick of my country sticking it's nose in everyone's business for the past 20 years but when something truly awful happens that requires our attention our government is content with being on the sidelines.

We, as a nation, aren't very good at picking our battles.

Originally Posted by At Sixes and Sevens

I'm going to jump on my soapbox right now for a few minutes. Sorry to do this but I feel like I need to go on a good rant right now.

We have all heard the news stories going on with the pirates that tried to overtake that American shipping vessel off the coast of Somalia. The captain of the ship, who gave himself up for the safety of his crew, is being held hostage on a lifeboat (which is out of gas) in the middle of the Gulf of Aden. The USS Bainbridge and other US Navy ships are on scene and as close as 500 feet from the lifeboat. It has been over 48 hours and we have gotten no where. The pirates are sending in reinforcements and are planning on making a run for the coast. We just sit idly and twiddle our thumbs.

I can point the blame at a lot of people in this situation. The two people at the top of my list is President Obama and his Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. It has been over 48 hours, Mr. President, what are we going to do? Are you going to let these 4-5 jagoffs take an American hostage and hold off entire WARSHIPS with nothing more than small arms for two days?!? Are you going let them go? The French military just recently (yesterday or today) went in and took over a yacht that was overtaken by pirates in the same region. The French have balls and we don't.

George W. Bush was criticized for him spending 8 minutes in a classroom reading to children after being informed of the first attack on 9/11. Where is the criticism now for Obama when it has been nearly three days and we have yet to see any kind of action taken? We are going soft and right now is not the time to go soft. This story right now is just going to inspire more and more piracy acts in the near future. It's already gotten out of hand, but it's about to get a lot worse after this debacle.

Which leads me to my next rant. What is the United States going to do about all these pirate attacks? The U.S. Navy (MY U.S. Navy :rolf: ) claims we operate for the purpose of providing free and safe travels for any vessel across the seven seas. We justify the billions and billions we spend a year on these ship deployments across the globe as "physical deterrent and to assure freedom of the seas". There is no other region right now that needs that presence than the horn of Africa. So why isn't the Navy making more of an effort to confront and counter act these kind of attacks?

This is the United States Navy. We are the most powerful Navy in the entire world. Ever since the last World War, the Navy has been in somewhat of an identity crisis mode. We don't have large naval battles anymore. We don't need these ships to transport all these materials and troops anymore. The Navy has been rather lost over the past decade or so. The rise in pirate acts over the past few years should bring in the forefront of the new Navy's agenda. This is a concern and threat to national and global security that the U.S. Navy can specialize in. Yet I don't see any kind of effort or even a mention that the Navy plans on making anti-piracy missions a large part of it's gameplan.

It's not the Nay's fault. They are ill-equipped to effectively patrol the Gulf of Aden and the surrounding waters. Our smallest ships, frigates, aren't small enough to be successful in such missions. We don't have enough ships to patrol that large of an area, that tightly. It is a problem they have but I don't see them trying to come up with an alternative.

We have mobile security force teams that specialize in deployable, security team measures. Why not start training all of those units in anti-piracy? You could slowly start forming units specifically designed for those missions. Even if you can only put one or two units out there at a time that would be better than what we have right now. Our ships would be within range to respond to pirate attacks in a day rather than two or three. They would be trained and ready to handle these matters. It wouldn't be a cluster**** of FBI officials and big government brass. I don't think anyone really knows what we are doing out there right now and all that's doing is making us and everyone who sails the Horn of Africa that much more vulnerable.

We need to take action and these attacks. This is an important shipping lane for many nations and allowing these scumbags to interfere in it and get away with millions is passim.

/rant

Originally Posted by djchameleon

I know you are ranting but with some of the things you are saying I'm having a hard time believing that you are in the Navy. You think that just because you haven't heard anything through the media that the Navy is just sitting by idly not doing anything? Come on now. As soon as the Captain got taken hostage they were setting up the Seals to go in and rescue him. They would go in with or without the approval of the president. In fact, it's not even the president's position to order them to do anything that's what the secretary of defense is there for.

As far as the Navy doing anything about those attacks in the horn of africa well I think that falls back onto the shoulders more of the UN. There is a watchdog group that has been monitoring the attacks and there has been 66 attacks since January.

how do you know there isn't talks of making some sort of anti-piracy force? Are you in an officer's position where you get inside information to all the intelligence that is being discussed? I don't think so

Another thing maybe you aren't paying attention to....there IS a reason why the US NAVY is out there patrolling.

I think the majority of your ran was just to bash the current adminstration which is fine, it's your right to do so but all the other information in your rant is just way off. What's your OS?

Originally Posted by At Sixes and Sevens

How do I know the Navy isn't doing anything about these attacks? Isn't it obvious? Piracy in that region has been a problem for years and years and we have yet to see any kind of real counter-action against it. Sure, baby steps have been taken and that would be acceptable if this was a sudden, out of the blue threat but these kind of attacks are nothing new. They are just now getting the attention.

They had Seal teams and a boatload of Marines on scene but so what? They sat there watching a fellow American being held hostage for over 48 hours in a little lifeboat while the pirates were scrambling together an escape route. Ultimately, it all ended fine but the situation was handled poorly.

The Secretary of Defense works for the President. In a situation like this, it's hard to believe that the President wouldn't be in her ear don't you think?

I am not an officer and I don't have any kind of insider information. I'm a Master at Arms stationed at a shore command. This is just my opinion. A lot of people talk about how the Navy in recent years has no real function in modern warfare and think we are wasting money here. The Navy big brass always throws the line out how it is our duty to "ensure safe passage for all vessels through American and international waters". That's justification for all these expensive cruises that are taken every year. Then why aren't they answering the call to this? It will take time to develop a true answer to this threat, but they have had time and so far it seems like not much has been done.

But this is just my opinion.

Originally Posted by Bane of your existence

That's like asking if the Steelers had just scored one more touchdown last year, maybe they would have won the superbowl more convincingly.
The operation went off FLAWLESSLY. Honestly, I can't remember such a clean, smooth op as this. There's no reason to doubt anyone involved in this. And I think we will be more prepared to act next time.
I feel like the international attention will be focused on, if your clique is four deep and you have the Navy SEALS get called after you, maybe just give up. And I think with all the recent victories with piracy, maybe now they just wont mess with our vessels, cause they learned it's a whole different ball game.