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Cudajohn
| | Posted on Monday, April 20, 2009 - 07:12 pm: | 
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I wish we could be let off the chain to go play around for awhile.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNkfyW0PosE |
Cudajohn
| | Posted on Monday, April 20, 2009 - 07:17 pm: |
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And some river action....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7Bctymq4bE&feature =related |
Edgydrifter
| | Posted on Monday, April 20, 2009 - 07:20 pm: |
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Cudajohn: That's wild. I'm always amazed and grateful that we have such fantastic technology, and young people who are brave and skilled enough to use it. You're right--it would be pretty impressive to see what they could do if unleashed, though I sure wish we didn't have to. |
Cudajohn
| | Posted on Monday, April 20, 2009 - 08:40 pm: |
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Just saw this in the motivational poster thread. Very fitting here too I think.
 |
Cudajohn
| | Posted on Monday, April 20, 2009 - 08:43 pm: |
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Hey Grumpy, +1 on the French military in Africa. They do good work. Worked with some in Bahrain as well. |
Bandm
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 21, 2009 - 09:32 am: |
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Perp Walk, looks like he's wearing a body bag.
The old white flag trick.
"I think in this particular case, there's a grave question as to whether America was in violation of principles of truce in warfare on the high seas," said Kuby. "This man seemed to come onto the Bainbridge under a flag of truce to negotiate. He was then captured. There is a question whether he is lawfully in American custody and serious questions as to whether he can be prosecuted because of his age."
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30313755 |
Hootowl
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 21, 2009 - 10:27 am: |
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Unlawfully detained? He's a pirate, not a member of another country's armed forces. |
Edgydrifter
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 21, 2009 - 11:47 am: |
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Warfare on the high seas? That's probably giving the Somali brigands more credit than they deserve here. Now, I'm no expert in international maritime law, but I'm fairly sure pirates don't get to wave the white flag. They're pirates. |
Greenlantern
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 21, 2009 - 11:59 am: |
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Was the pirate ship flying the flag of any nation?
Did he board an American flagged ship with the intention to hijack? ( there are no negotiations for free trade passage in international waters).
Ron Kuby is a loudmouth of the Nth magnitude who makes Al Sharpton seem likable. |
Moxnix
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 21, 2009 - 12:23 pm: |
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In jail in NY, or staying back on the lifeboat with the other pirates. What's the better outcome? |
Krassh
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 21, 2009 - 12:27 pm: |
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staying back on the lifeboat with the other pirates = not having to pay to imprison and try him. |
Limitedx1
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 21, 2009 - 12:41 pm: |
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live by the gun die by the gun......what is so difficult |
Sayitaintso
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 21, 2009 - 12:48 pm: |
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"I think in this particular case, there's a grave question as to whether America was in violation of principles of truce in warfare on the high seas," said Kuby. "This man seemed to come onto the Bainbridge under a flag of truce to negotiate. He was then captured. There is a question whether he is lawfully in American custody and serious questions as to whether he can be prosecuted because of his age."
Ok, no prob. We'll just put him back where we pick him up...minus the lifeboat he stole of course. |
Moxnix
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 21, 2009 - 01:25 pm: |
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Abduhl Wali-i-Musi, boy pirate, made a poor career choice, but a good choice on the job. |
Rfischer
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 21, 2009 - 02:02 pm: |
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When he jumped on the RHI as they were fixing the tow line to the LB, the Swabbies shoulda tossed him back in the water to sink, or rejoin his pals for their soon-departing journey to meet Allah and the 1000 virgins.
More seriously, they took him aboard to reduce by one the number of bad guys they had to deal with, as well as a potential negotiator with the other 3. That part turned out to be unnecessary as it happens...
BTW, by the beaming smile he had on his face on arrival in NYC, I'm guessing he figures whatever awaits him here is waaay better than going back to Somalia. Kid may not be so stupid. |
Mr_grumpy
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 21, 2009 - 07:48 pm: |
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Here's the deal, every ship gets a 5 man team dropped on it by helo, for the passage. High quality radar, night scopes, & Barretts.
A couple of .50cal slugs from one of those will ruin anyones day.
I'm sure shipping companies would pay handsomely for such security, got to be cheaper than ransom.
& when the pirates get it in their heads that it's becoming a bit dodgy & the cash is drying up, they'll pack it in.
I'd go along as cameraman. (just to make sure nobody's human rights are infringed ya unnerstan)  |
Cudajohn
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 21, 2009 - 08:02 pm: |
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I'll go as a trigger puller, Grumpy. |
Mr_grumpy
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 21, 2009 - 08:09 pm: |
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Sure, I'll film that, picture quality might be a bit crap though with me laughing so much. |
Nevrenuf
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 22, 2009 - 08:23 am: |
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got this in an email so snopes this if you want.
This is long. It's a sorry tale of politics in the midle of combat. No one learns from history. I hope the people involved do not suffer career wise for their actions.
Gar is a former Navy F-18 driver......... This is a great read.
Semper Fi Gar, Thanks for sharing.
Hey guys,
New slant on the take out operation. FBI second place again as is any bureaucracy.
Gar
Subject: Pirate Saga Details
Forwarded FYI. This sounds like the real story as it fits with other accounts but makes more sense.
Your "Real" story is not exactly the way I heard it, and probably has a few political twists thrown in to stir the pot. Rather than me trying to correct it, I'll just tell you what I found out from my contacts at NSWC Norfolk and at SOCOM Tampa.
First though, let me orient you to familiarize you with the "terrain."
In Africa from Djibouti at the southern end of the Red Sea eastward through the Gulf of Aden to round Cape Guardafui at the easternmost tip of Africa (also known as "The Horn of Africa") is about a 600 nm transit before you stand out into the Indian Ocean. That transit is comparable in distance to that from the mouth of the Mississippi at New Orleans to the tip of Florida at Key West-- except that 600 nm over there is infested with Somalia pirates.
Ships turning southward at the Horn of Africa transit the SLOC (Sea Lane of Commerce) along the east coast of Somalia because of the prevailing southerly currents there. It's about 1,500 nm on to Mombassa, which is just south of the equator in Kenya. Comparably, that's about the transit distance from Portland Maine down the east coast of the US to Miami Florida. In other words, the ocean area being patrolled by our naval forces off the coast of Somalia is comparable to that in the Gulf of Mexico from the Mississippi River east to Miami then up the eastern seaboard to Maine.
Second, let me globally orient you from our Naval Operating Base in Norfolk, VA, east across the Atlantic to North Africa, thence across the Med to Suez in Egypt, thence southward down the Red Sea to Djibouti at the Gulf of Aden, thence eastward to round Cape Guardafui at the easternmost tip of Africa, and thence southerly some 300 miles down the east cost of Somali out into the high seas of the Indian Ocean to the position of MV ALABAMA is a little more than 7,000 nm, and plus-nine time-zones ahead of EST.
Hold that thought, in that, a C-17 transport averaging a little better than 400 kts (SOG) takes the best part of 18 hours to make that trip. In the evening darkness late Thursday night, a team of Navy SEALs from NSWC (Naval Surface Warfare Center) Norfolk parachuted from such a C-17 into the black waters (no refraction of light) of the Indian Ocean-- close-aboard to our 40,000 ton amphibious assault ship, USS BOXER (LHD 4), the flagship of our ESG (Expeditionary Strike Group) in the AOR (Area Of Responsibility, the Gulf of Aden). They not only parachuted in with all of their "equipment," they had their own inflatable boats, RHIB's (Rigid Hull, Inflatable Boats) with them for over-water transport. They went into BOXER's landing dock, debarked, and staged for the rescue-- Thursday night.
And, let me comment on time-late: In that the SEAL's quick response-- departing ready-alert in less than 4 hours from Norfolk-- supposedly surprised POTUS's staff, whereas President Obama was miffed not to get his "cops" there before the Navy. He reportedly questioned his staff, "Will 'my' FBI people get there before the Navy does?" It took the FBI almost 12 hours to put together a team and get them packed-up-- for an "at sea" rescue. The FBI was trying to tell him that they are not practiced to do this-- Navy SEALs are. But, BHO wanted the FBI there "to help," that is, carry out the Attorney General's (his) orders to negotiate the release of Captain Phillips peacefully-- because apparently he doesn't trust GW's military to carry out his "political guidance."
The flight of the FBI's passenger jet took a little less than 14 hours at 500-some knots to get to Djibouti. BOXER'S helos picked them up and transported them out to the ship. The Navy SEALs were already there, staged, and ready to act by the time POTUS's FBI arrived on board latter that evening. Notably, the first request by the OSC (On Scene Commander) that early Friday morning to take them out and save Captain Phillips was denied, to wit: "No, wait until 'my' FBI people get there."
Third, please consider a candid assessment of ability that finds that the FBI snipers had never practiced shooting from a rolling, pitching, yawing, surging, swaying, heaving platform-- and, target-- such as a ship and a lifeboat on the high seas. Navies have been doing since Admiral Nelson who had trained "Marines" to shoot muskets from the ship's rigging-- ironically, he was killed at sea in HMS VICTORY at the Battle of Trafalgar by a French Marine rifleman that shot him from the rigging of the French ship that they were grappling alongside.
Notably, when I was first training at USNA in 1955, the Navy was doing it with a SATU, Small Arms Training Unit, based at our Little Creek amphib base. Now, Navy SEAL's, in particular SEAL Team SIX (The "DevGru") based at NSWC (Naval Surface Warfare Center) at Little Creek do that training now, and hone their skills professionally-- daily. Shooting small arms from a ship is more of an accomplished "Art Form" than it is a practiced skill. When you are "in the bubble" and "in tune" with the harmonic motion you find, through practice, that you are "able to put three .308 slugs inside the head of a quarter at 100 meters, in day or night-- or, behind a camouflaged net or a thin enclosure, such as a superstructure bulkhead. Yes, we have the monocular scopes that can "see" heat-- and, draw a bead on it. SEALs are absolutely expert at it-- with the movie clips to prove it.
Okay, now try to imagine patrolling among the boats fishing everyday out on the Grand Banks off our New England coast, and then responding to a distress call from down around the waters between Florida and the Bahamas. Three points for you to consider here: (1) Time-Distance-Speed relationships for ships on the high seas, for instance, at a 25-knot SOA (Speed Of Advance) it takes 24 hours to make good 600 nm-- BAINBRIDGE did. (2) Fishermen work on the high seas, and (3) The best place to hide as a "fisherman" pirate is among other fishermen
Early Wednesday morning, 4/8/2009, MV ALABAMA is at sea in the IO about 300 miles off the (east) coast of Somalia en route to Mombassa Kenya. Pirates in small boat start harassing her, and threatening her with weapons. MV ALABAMA's captain sent out the distress call by radio, and ordered his Engineer to shut down the engines as well as the ship-service electrical generators-- in our lingo, "Go dark and cold." He informed his crew by radio what was happening, and ordered them to go to an out-of-the-way compartment and lock themselves in it-- from the inside. He would stay in the pilot house to "negotiate" with the pirates.
The pirates boarded, captured the Captain, and ordered him to start the engines. He said he would order his Engineer to do so, and he called down to Engine Control on the internal communication system, but got no answer. The lead pirate ordered two of his four men to go down and find him and get the engines started.
Inside a ship without any lights is like the definition of dark. The advantage goes to the people who work and live there. They jumped the two pirates in a dark passageway. Both pirates lost their weapons, but one managed to scramble and get away. The other they tied up, put tape over his mouth and a knife at his throat.
Other members of the crew opened the drain cocks on the pirates boat and cast it adrift. It foundered and sunk. The scrambling pirate made it back to the pilot house and told of his demise. The pirates took the Captain at gun point, and told him to launch one of his rescue boats (not a life boat, per se). As he was lowering the boat for them, the crew appeared with the other pirate to negotiate a trade. The crew let their hostage go to soon, and the pirates kept the captain. But, he purposefully had lowered the boat so it would jam.
With the rescue boat jammed, the pirates jumped over to a lifeboat and released it as the captain jumped in the water. They fired at him, made him stop, and grabbed him out of the water. Now, as night falls in the vastness of the Indian Ocean, we have the classic "Mexican" standoff, to wit: A life-boat that is just that, a life-boat adrift without any means of propulsion except oars and paddles; and, a huge (by comparison) Motor Vessel Container Ship adrift with a crew that is not going to leave their captain behind. The pirates are enclosed under its shelter-covering, holding the captain as their hostage. The crew is hunkered down in their ship waiting for the "posse" to arrive.
After receiving MV ALABAMA'S distress call, USS BAINBRIDGE (DDG 96) was dispatched by the ESG commander to respond to ALABAMA's distress call. At best sustainable speed, she arrived on scene the day after-- that is, in the dark of that early Thursday morning. As BAINBRIDGE quietly and slowly, at darkened-ship without any lights to give her away, arrived on scene, please consider a recorded interview with the Chief Engineer of MV ALABAMA describing BAINBRIDGE's arrival. He said it was something else "... to see the Navy slide in there like a greyhound!" He then said as she slipped in closer he could see the "Stars and Stripes" flying from her masthead. He got choked up saying it was the "...proudest moment of my life."
Phew! Let that sink in.
Earlier in the day, one of the U.S. Navy's Maritime Patrol Aircraft, a fixed wing P3C, flew over to recon the scene. They dropped a buoy with a radio to the pirates so that the Navy's interpreter could talk with the pirates. When BAINBRIDGE arrived, the pirates thought the radio to be a beaconing device, and threw it overboard. They wanted a satellite telephone so that they could call home for help. Remember now, they are fishermen, not "Rocket Scientists," in that, they don't know that we can intercept the phone transmission also.
MV ALABAMA provided them with a satellite phone. They called home back to "somebody" in Eyl Somalia (so that we now know where you live) to come out and get them. The "somebody" in Eyl said they would be out right away with other hostages, like 54 of them from other countries, and that they would be coming out in two of their pirated ships. Right-- and, the tooth fairy will let you have sex with her. Yea, in paradise. The "somebody" in Eyl just chalked up four more expendables as overhead for "the cost of operation." Next page.
Anyway, ESG will continue to "watch" Eyl for any ships standing out.
The Navy SEAL team, SEAL TEAM SIX, from NSWC briefed the OSC (Commander Castellano, CO BAINBRIDGE) on how they could rescue the captain from the life boat with swimmers-- "Combat Swimmers," per se. That plan was denied by POTUS because it put the captain in danger-- and, involved killing the pirates.
The FBI negotiators arrived on scene, and talked the pirates into sending their wounded man over for treatment Saturday morning. Later that afternoon, the SEAL's sent over their RHIB with food and water to recon the life boat but the pirates shot at it. They could have taken them out then (from being fired upon) but were denied again being told that the captain was not in "imminent danger." The FBI negotiators calmed the situation by informing the pirates of threatening weather as they could see storm clouds closing from the horizon, and offered to tow the life boat. The pirates agreed, and BAINBRIDGE took them under tow in their wake at 30 meters-- exactly 30 meters, which is exactly the distance the SEALs practice their shooting skills.
With the lifeboat under tow, riding comfortably bow-down on BAINBRIDGE's wake-wave ("rooster tail"), had a 17-second period of harmonic motion, and at the end of every half-period (8.5 seconds) was steady on. The light-enhanced (infra-red heat) monocular scopes on the SEAL's .308 caliber Mark 11 Mod 0 H&K suppressor-fitted sniper rifles easily imaged their target very clearly. Pirates in a life boat at 30-meters could be compared to fish in a barrel. All that was necessary was to take out the plexiglass window so that it would not deflect the trajectory of the high velocity .308 round. So, a sniper (one of four) with a wad-cutter round (a flaxen sabot) would take out the window a split second before the kill-shot-- no change in sight-picture, just the window blowing out, clean.
Now, here's the part BHO's "whiz kids" knew as well as the Navy hierarchy, including CO BAINBRIDGE and CO SEAL TEAM SIX. It's the law in Article 19 of Appendix L in the "Convention of the High Seas" that the Commanding Officer of a US Ship on the high seas is obligated to respond to distress signals from any flagged ship (US or otherwise), and protect the life and property thereof when deemed to be in IMMINENT DANGER. So, in the final analysis, it would be Captain Castellano call as to "Imminent Danger," and that he alone was obligated (duty bound) to act accordingly.
Got the picture?
After medically attending to the wounded pirated, and feeding him, come first light (from the east) on Easter Sunday morning and the pirates saw they were being towed further out to sea (instead of westward toward land), the wounded pirate demanded to be returned to the lifeboat. There would BE NO more negotiations-- and, the four Navy SEAL snipers "in the bubble" went "Unlock." The pirate holding Captain Philips raised the gun to his head, and IMMINENT DANGER was so observed and noted in the Log as CO BAINBRIDGE gave the classic order: WEAPONS RELEASED! I can hear the echo in my earpiece now, "On my count (from 8.5 seconds), 3, 2, 1, !" POP, BANG! Out went the window, followed by three simultaneous shots. The scoreboard flashed: "GAME OVER, GAME OVER-- NAVY 3, PIRATES 0!"
I hope you found the above informative as best I know it-- and, please excuse me in that after more than 50 years the Navy is still in me. I submit that AMERICA is going to make a comeback, and more than likely it'll be on the back of our cherished youth serving with honor in Our military. So, let's
Look Up, Get Up-- and, Never Give Up!
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Moxnix
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 22, 2009 - 08:40 am: |
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T. B. Bechtel, a City Councillor from Newcastle , Australia , was asked on a local live radio talk show, just what he thought about the allegations of torture of suspected terrorists.
His reply prompted his ejection from the studio, but to thunderous applause from the audience..
HIS STATEMENT:
'If hooking up one raghead terrorist prisoner's testicles to a car battery to get the truth out of the lying little camelshagger will save just one Australian life, then I have only three things to say,'
'Red is positive,
Black is negative, and
Make sure his nuts are wet.' |
Nevrenuf
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 22, 2009 - 10:05 am: |
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gotta love the people down under. |
Crackhead
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 22, 2009 - 10:45 am: |
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in prison he will be fead better then back home. |
Nevrenuf
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 22, 2009 - 11:11 am: |
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they interviewed the 2nd mate down here in tampa and one of the things he said was the guy they captured wanted to know if he could go to the united states and you see how the guy is smiling. he's made it to the states. |
Sayitaintso
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 22, 2009 - 11:16 am: |
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Nevrenuf, thanks for sharing its a good read. Not too sure its 100% true, there seems to be too much name dropping and extra detail but its a good story anyway.
One thing though, dont discount the FBI HRT (hostage rescue team). They definitely aren't in the same league as the SEALS (all around) but they are still really good at what they do. When I was in high school in the 80's I worked at Quantico (don't laugh it was in the kitchen washing dishes) and used to watch them practice whenever I could. From 30yds any of the guys on HRT could have made the head shot too...probably not a quarter like in the story but then I'm not sure that I believe that part anyway. A quarter is small at 30yds but an very very easy shot if things are stationary, add the movement of what is basically a dinghy being towed behind a ship at sea and that quarter is almost impossible to keep in a scope not to mention keeping the crosshairs on it. But then who needs to be that accurate, a head is a big target. |
Nevrenuf
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 22, 2009 - 11:52 am: |
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i never knew anyone in the seals(of course, anyone who was or is doesn't say anything anyhow and that came from a wife of one that was working on the job site i was on years back, her husband was an officer down at macdill. and anyone who says they are or were, chance's are they are wash outs) anyhow, i've only heard stories, 2nd hand at best and the one thing that is true, these are the crem della crem of our elite and it wouldn't shock me in the least if it was all true. |
Sayitaintso
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 22, 2009 - 12:17 pm: |
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I don't doubt in the slightest that the basic rough outline of the story is true....its just the details that were added make it sound like a high school kid wrote it. The part about using a wad cutter, the naming of the make and model of the guns, going on and on about how the ship/boats moved, it just sounds sophomoric and not like what someone in or was in the military would say.
As for SEALs being the cream of the crop and not running off at the mouth about it, you're dead on. When I was in the Army I was stationed at Ft. Bragg and my barracks were right down the road from the green beret's 7th group. They were quiet, reserved, and very professional in everything they did. I'm sure its very similar with the SEALs and every other elite group like them.
For me it was an somewhat of an honor to be living two buildings down from them and I tried my best to model my behavior after them. |
Nevrenuf
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 22, 2009 - 01:42 pm: |
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definitely hats off to them all. |
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