[url]http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/news/news_stories/cole.html[/url]

Time for revenge.

The feds knew something was brewing in yemen prior to the cole getting hit......somebody screwed up on that one.......if it was GW....things would probably have been different.....our buddy Bill wanted to keep a low profile..........[argue]

God speed to my fellow shipmates in their quest for revenge..[USA]

Its good to hear that the USS Cole is returning to service.

I can only hope that the Cole gets the opportunity to provide "feedback" to those that have attacked our country and our way of life.

"Haze Gray and underway" again. Outstanding.

[b]Get some![/b]

Anyone know of the skipper who was on the Cole when it was attacked is back on it? I'd bet the farm he isn't. Strong odds that the deck machine guns will be manned 7/24 in all ports of call.

I'll agree with you there.  These Sailors will probably be salivating over the prospect of getting an Al-Qaeda zodiac in their crosshairs...

Edited to add:

BTW, have you heard about the plan to give the ship's Phalanx anti-ship missile defense system an anti-surface capability.  3,000 rpm of 20mm...that would be a sight to see.

Missiles too!

Just letting the sailors on watch LOAD THEIR WEAPONS would be an improvement.  

I think that it's bullshit that the Captain of the Cole didn't end up in Leavenworth.
No one did their jobs.
No one supervised.
Orders were ignored.
Men died.

Bob, you're right!  The skipper of the Cole was ordered to visit the families of his slain crew and after that was transferred.  In addition, most of the crew was scattered through the fleet. After her hull was patched, she was refloated and brought up on land for repair.  The craft workers did an outstanding job of removing the damage and replacing the steel.  Her keel was almost broken.  Now she is better than ever.  The crew members that remain say she handles better than she did before the attack.  She should.  She now has Gas Turbine engines instead of steam.  You may wonder how I know this.  I am a Security Shift Captain at Northrup Grumman Ship Systems in Pascagoula, MS and I am damned proud of the work we did.

Marty Akers

P.S.  Our parent company also makes this fine weapons system for the Navy  [-=(_)=-]

Edited cause its had to spell after a long night at work.

WoooooHooooo!!!!!

I heard about 20% of the crew [b]asked[/b] to stay with the USS Cole, even though they could have transferred.  My hats off to them.

Here's a scenario to ponder:

Let's imagine that you're the captain of an American warship.  Your ship is supposed to visit a port that the intelligence briefers have told you is a high risk area for terrorism.  You want to establish in-port security adequate to defend against this risk, but orders have come down the chain of command that you are NOT to deviate from the usual security arrangments.

Do you:

A) Say "Aye, aye, sir!" and follow orders

B) Disregard the orders and do whatever needed to protect your ship and your crew

C) Resign your commission in protest

D) Do something else

?

Keep your ship safe and your men alive.
Period.

It was his responsibility.

Although she had extensive work done to her engine room, she never operated a steam plant.  She (and all of the rest of the Navy's destroyers) use gas turbines for propulsion.  

What happened to the commander of the Marines who were killed by the truck bombing in Beirut in 1983?

Different situation.  The Bn Commander did all that he could.  He employed everything that he was allowed.
The Captain of the Cole didn't even do all that was SOP.  His direct orders were ignored.  There was no supervision.
It all came up in the investigation.  

Remember the Marine who got lost out in the desert, in 29 Palms, about 12 years ago?
The one who died.

Guess what happened.
Plt Commander -Jail
Co Commander -Jail
Battalion Commander -Jail
Regimental Commander -Kicked out of the service.