Fullbore Friday

When we say a person's name and honor their deeds, like we do on FbF - we keep their name and their deeds alive. When we keep their memory, and we breath life anew into the lessons their sacrifice and example have to offer.

There are reasons that the great were written down from the beginning of time. There are reasons that the Egyptians chissled names off of monuments. There is a reason a Venetian Doge suffers Damnatio Memoriae. As such;

What is Fullbore?

Fullbore is those Army military and civilian security personnel who stopped that Ft. Hood terrorist.

Fullbore is those Soldiers who one minute were just waiting to get their dental, medical, and legal readiness taken care of and the next minute found themselves conducting combat lifesaving by the dozen in their own backyard.

Fullbore is those family members who lean in to help their neighbor who has lost everything when they thought they had it all.

That is Fullbore.

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UPDATE: From our Canadian friends:

Corporal Tobin, (RCAF) and I along with all of our members, (which number just over 345,000) of Remembering our Fallen Soldiers, (cause on fb), would like President Obama, and all American citizens everywhere that we are deeply saddened and shocked about today's events. All of us send our deepest sympathies to all of the families and friends of these fallen heroes. We pray and hope that family members and friends of these slain precious people would be comforted in the days, weeks and months to come. Also that everybody's needs would be met, either for finances, looking after the children, or just living each and every day. Our thoughts and prayers also lie with the 31 people that were critically injured. We pray that while you are lying in your hospital bed, that you will be aware that we Canadians, really do love and cherish our neighbours to the south of us. We also pray that your broken bodies and broken spirits would be completely healed, that your relatives would also be healed during the difficult days that lie ahead. May God bless each and every single person that was touched by these scenes of carnage and absolute horror.

Respectfully yours,

for Corporal Tobin- Royal Canadian Air Force (creator) Rebecca Leah Duesbury- administrator

Hat tip SoldiersAngels.

Fullbore Friday

A little different topic this Fullbore Friday as ... I want to make you mad. 

I won't be subtle or clever here ... thanks to a simple tweet from The Other Sal, I am just going to hit you right in the forehead with it.

Here we are at the dawn of 2022 and all over the spectrum of American maritime "thought leaders" from the SECNAV, CNO, Congress, and ostensibly pro-Navy institutions - we have excuses, squid-ink cover stories, and simple defeatism flavored with a machoistic lust for decline.

Decline is a choice, and bullsh1t to all that.

We are a maritime and aerospace power by geography, economy, and national interest even if those who are trusted to maintain and leverage that comparative advantage fail to act on that.

Until we get the leaders we need, we few - we happy few - will just call them all out from the cheap seats.

So, with that lead-in ... here you go; who gets a "Fullbore" this week - and the first one of the New Year? No question ... and it isn't even close  ... The People's Liberation Army Navy.

The Communist Chinese - who are not a natural maritime and aerospace power (they are a land power) - desire to knock us off our perch and they are not playing around.

Just look at the battleforce warships the PLAN commissioned in 2021.

- 2 Type 075 Helicopter Carriers

- 3 Type 055 Destroyers

- 7 Type 052D Destroyers

- 9 Corvettes Type 056A and

- 1 Ballistic Missile Submarine (SSBN) Type 094

BEHOLD! 

...and what has the United States Navy commissioned? 

- 1 DDG (USS Daniel Inouye (DDG 118) )

- 2 LCS (USS Oakland (LCS 24) and USS Mobile (LCS 26) )

That is it from what I can see. We could have had one more LCS and two SSN commissioned, but those have shifted to the right in to 2022 ... maybe.

Show me what I missed in the main battleforce navy. 

Please.

Anyway, Fullbore to those entrusted with building the PLAN. They have a solid plan, solid funding, and ... well ... just look at the numbers.

Give credit where credit is due.

Fullbore.

Fullbore Friday

Sometimes Fullbore is a battle, a campaign, a concept. Sometimes it is a moment in time - sometimes it accrues over decades.

Fullbore can be found everywhere - could be just down the table from you at the DFAC.

In 1969, Eugene Krueger left his young wife, Sharon, and headed off to Vietnam, where the 20-year-old's heroism as an Army pilot would be recognized with two Distinguished Flying Crosses and a Bronze Star.

Krueger returned home, raised four daughters and embarked on a civilian career with Northwest Airlines while serving with the Washington National Guard.

But Krueger was not through with war.

As part of a marathon military career that ended this week with his retirement, he returned to the front lines as a pilot in Afghanistan. There he spent four months in 2006 flying missions out of Bagram Air Field.

I served with a few in AFG who retired in the late 80s and were called back from the Army. Mostly Special Forces guys who had a very good Civil Affairs background. A very untold story - I'm glad I've had a chance to share one here.

One little note: notice how the Army can still tap into its pool of talent decades back in the Reserves and National Guard - as a result it can do something the Navy can't - tap in to institutional memory.

He also chafed at inefficiencies he found in an Army that had become much more bureaucratic.

During the Vietnam era, for example, cargo could be quickly loaded into slings and then hauled by Chinooks to and from combat outposts. But during his Afghanistan tour, cargo was loaded inside the helicopter, a more time-consuming task that forced the helicopter to idle on the ground for hours with engines running so that pilots could escape quickly if the aircraft came under attack.

Krueger suggested that the unit consider slings, but to no avail.

"My argument is we could do the mission in half the time, thus saving half the fuel, half the crew time, half the maintenance, half the $$$," Krueger wrote in a journal entry. "This should be a no-brainer."

Chief Krueger; Fullbore.

Hat tip KP. First posted July 2011

Fullbore Friday

Sometimes, being Fullbore takes place after you have spent years being ... fullbore.

I have ranted since 2004 against those who are trying to do to this generation what they did to the Vietnam Generation WRT PTSD. The major reason is that there are real people with very human things they are working through - working through because they put everything on the line to make sure everyone here can live a life like no other.

The smears p155 me off, because those who actually have real PTSD are normal people; friends, brothers, sons, fathers, neighbors, husbands. They are not broken vessels to be pitied. As a matter of fact - they are fully functional and even deployed.

The fakes p155 me off because they take away funding and help from those who actually need it, and fake it so bad that they make everyone else look bad.

The poseurs p155 me off for all the reasons above.

Who has PTSD? One of those people is Master Sergeant CJ Grisham. I guy I know in person a few days and online for years, and look forward to knowing more in the years to come. A good man, a solid man, what you would expect in a US Army Master Sergeant.

He is also very open to his challenge in a way few men are/can/will. By doing so, he is doing a great service, by his example, for his Soldiers who may need some help as well.

As much as anything, this is Fullbore. Via the Sandbox a couple of months ago - I'm going to steal in large bits.

Today, I listened to the advice of more than a few people and finally went to the TMC and Combat Stress hospital. My right hand hasn’t stopped twitching after nearly a month and it’s beyond irritating. I’m not sleeping, not eating, and highly irritable. I’ve been under a lot of stress and feel like many of those above me are just making things worse.

So, for three hours today, I sat and got to revisit many issues related to my PTSD, depression, and anxiety as well as some new ones. While waiting to speak with one of the case workers, I had the opportunity of sitting down with “SFC Zeke.”

Zeke looked very busy when I entered the room, but could tell immediately I was there for business. He set aside his distraction and gave me his complete attention. He didn’t say a word. Just sat there and listened to me. He didn’t judge me; he didn’t interrupt me; and he never blamed me. In five minutes, Zeke did what few others could do having just met me -- he calmed me down and made me feel like I was worth listening to. I want to introduce you to Zeke:

Read it all.

BZ.

Fullbore Friday

As with all conflicts, just a few days in to the Second Russo-Ukraine War you have stories that start to break out in to the public. Some seem like rumor, urban legends, propaganda, or just embellishments of real stories or hopeful desires.

Two have come up over the last few days. One that seems closer to the urban legend and hopeful desires area is the heroic fighter pilot, "The Ghost of Kyiv," putting up an amazing fight against all odds in his plucky MiG-29.

The second seems to be from the same area but with time we have found is actually a true story.

13 Ukrainian border guards were stationed in an isolated, barren and what would appear to be generally ignorable island off their southwest coast on the Black Sea. 

These were not the elite of their nation. They were not special forces. They weren’t even regular army. They were border guards guarding a small rock far isolated from the front lines.

Then one beautiful winter day, over the horizon comes a Russian warship.

Wow. It seems the Ukrainian soldiers on Snake Island really did tell Russian warships to "go to hell" before they were killed. @unian pic.twitter.com/lRrXQDk3xQ

— Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) February 25, 2022

What is their duty? What do they do? 

What would you do?

In a spirit Americans should fully understand from The Alamo to Bastogne, they had a simple answer.

Audio from Snake Island, Black Sea:

Russians: This is a Russian warship. I propose you lay down arms and surrender to avoid bloodshed & unnecessary victims. Otherwise, you’ll be bombed.

Ukrainians: Russian warship, go fuck yourself.

They were all killed https://t.co/uNqh5b9L8C

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) February 24, 2022

The Russian Navy had their response.

Ukrainian soldier deployed on Snake Island live streamed the moment a Russian warship opened fire on the Island.

13 soldiers died in the attack. pic.twitter.com/FDe92rYYVR

— C O U P S U R E (@COUPSURE) February 24, 2022

Truth is often more inspiring than fiction.

Ukraine's State Border Guard Service confirmed guards had been attacked by Russian ships that fired on the island. A Russian Defense Ministry spokesman said on Friday that Russia had taken control of the island. 

"Eighty-two Ukrainian soldiers in Zmiinyi Island area lay down their arms and capitulated to Russian soldiers," the Russian spokesman said, according to the Reuters news agency. "Now they must sign a statement that they refuse to participate in military actions. Soon they will be returned to their families."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky commended the group of guards who were killed during a late-night address to the nation on Thursday, as he reported that 137 people were killed during the first day of Russia's invasion. 

"Defending the Zmiinyi Island, all our border guards died a heroic death. But they have not surrendered," Zelensky said, adding that the servicemembers killed would be posthumously honored as heroes of Ukraine.

"Let those who gave their lives for Ukraine be remembered forever." 

Fullbore gentlemen. 

Fullbore.

A question to the Front Porch here. I pride myself in my RECCE skills, but for the life of me I cannot identify this ship class. The stack aft is throwing me out as is the livery and bow shape.

Any idea?

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UPDATE: PCrudy on twitter got it first and frankly, I'm embarrassed: it's a Slava Cruiser. I should have known that instinctively but I was bore focused looking at frigates and corvettes. 

Twin 130mm will do it.

Even more fullbore.

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UPDATE II - Electric Boogaloo: It appears these Chads may be alive.

Fullbore Friday

Sometimes Fullbore is a battle, a campaign, a concept. Sometimes it is a moment in time - sometimes it accrues over decades.

Fullbore can be found everywhere - could be just down the table from you at the DFAC.

In 1969, Eugene Krueger left his young wife, Sharon, and headed off to Vietnam, where the 20-year-old's heroism as an Army pilot would be recognized with two Distinguished Flying Crosses and a Bronze Star.

Krueger returned home, raised four daughters and embarked on a civilian career with Northwest Airlines while serving with the Washington National Guard.

But Krueger was not through with war.

As part of a marathon military career that ended this week with his retirement, he returned to the front lines as a pilot in Afghanistan. There he spent four months in 2006 flying missions out of Bagram Air Field.

I served with a few in AFG who retired in the late 80s and were called back from the Army. Mostly Special Forces guys who had a very good Civil Affairs background. A very untold story - I'm glad I've had a chance to share one here.

One little note: notice how the Army can still tap into its pool of talent decades back in the Reserves and National Guard - as a result it can do something the Navy can't - tap in to institutional memory.

He also chafed at inefficiencies he found in an Army that had become much more bureaucratic.

During the Vietnam era, for example, cargo could be quickly loaded into slings and then hauled by Chinooks to and from combat outposts. But during his Afghanistan tour, cargo was loaded inside the helicopter, a more time-consuming task that forced the helicopter to idle on the ground for hours with engines running so that pilots could escape quickly if the aircraft came under attack.

Krueger suggested that the unit consider slings, but to no avail.

"My argument is we could do the mission in half the time, thus saving half the fuel, half the crew time, half the maintenance, half the $$$," Krueger wrote in a journal entry. "This should be a no-brainer."

Chief Krueger; Fullbore.

Hat tip KP. First posted JUL2011.

Fullbore Friday

After walking around the F-8 on the USS MIDWAY (CV-41) a couple of days ago - I had to dig in the files for this early '07 Fullbore Friday. Even if you saw it then - you need to watch it again.

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Dick Schaffert's 10 minute dogfight. I want you to watch Part 1 and Part 2 below - and then tell me that we can't let a little 1310 in on Fullbore Friday.



More of the Crusader here.

1v4 then 1v6 then 1v1. One F8, 4 Mig-17 and 2 Mig 21 - and everyone came home.

Fullbore.

Fullbore Friday

Sometimes Fullbore is a battle, a campaign, a concept. Sometimes it is a moment in time - sometimes it accrues over decades.

Fullbore can be found everywhere - could be just down the table from you at the DFAC.

In 1969, Eugene Krueger left his young wife, Sharon, and headed off to Vietnam, where the 20-year-old's heroism as an Army pilot would be recognized with two Distinguished Flying Crosses and a Bronze Star.

Krueger returned home, raised four daughters and embarked on a civilian career with Northwest Airlines while serving with the Washington National Guard.

But Krueger was not through with war.

As part of a marathon military career that ended this week with his retirement, he returned to the front lines as a pilot in Afghanistan. There he spent four months in 2006 flying missions out of Bagram Air Field.

I served with a few in AFG who retired in the late 80s and were called back from the Army. Mostly Special Forces guys who had a very good Civil Affairs background. A very untold story - I'm glad I've had a chance to share one here.

One little note: notice how the Army can still tap into its pool of talent decades back in the Reserves and National Guard - as a result it can do something the Navy can't - tap in to institutional memory.

He also chafed at inefficiencies he found in an Army that had become much more bureaucratic.

During the Vietnam era, for example, cargo could be quickly loaded into slings and then hauled by Chinooks to and from combat outposts. But during his Afghanistan tour, cargo was loaded inside the helicopter, a more time-consuming task that forced the helicopter to idle on the ground for hours with engines running so that pilots could escape quickly if the aircraft came under attack.

Krueger suggested that the unit consider slings, but to no avail.

"My argument is we could do the mission in half the time, thus saving half the fuel, half the crew time, half the maintenance, half the $$$," Krueger wrote in a journal entry. "This should be a no-brainer."

Chief Krueger; Fullbore.

Hat tip KP.

Fullbore Friday

A timely Fullbore Friday concerning one of my favorite subjects - the Spring Offensive in '72 where the South Vietnamese with US Navy and Air Force cover defeated the North Vietnamese Army. The next time they invaded in '75, the Democrat Congress took away all funding and support - and we know how that ended. Anyway, here is the USS Buchanan (DDG-14) (the second time a USS Buchanan made Fullbore Friday) doing what she was made to do. Thanks to Eagle1 for the inspiration.

USS BUCHANAN first line period in 1972 consisted of 63 continuous days of operation in combat zone off Vietnam

On station off the DMZ March 30, 1972 she was one of the first gunline ships to fire against the North Vietnamese invading force. During those first days of April, BUCHANAN provided gunfire support for evacuation of U.S. Marines at the forward ground observer post, Alpha Two, the defense of Dong Ha and the evacuation of the Vietnamese Naval Base.

On the Cua Viet River on numerous occasions, BUCHANAN took enemy troops and tanks under direct fire and has been credited with the destruction of four enemy tanks at the DMZ and numerous enemy troops killed in action at the approaches to the Dong Ha bridge.

On April 5, with Commodore T.R. Johnson, ComDesRon 31 embarked, BUCHANAN led an operation against North Vietnam. On the afternoon she fired the first rounds into North Vietnam since "Sea Dragon" operations creased in 1968.

On April 10 BUCHANAN was directed to proceed to Danang Harbor for regunning alongside the tender USS Samuel Gompers. This marked the first time that a US Navy ship was assigned tender availability in a forward combat area during the Vietnam conflict.

Regunning completed, BUCHANAN once again put to sea and continued operations off the coast of North Vietnam, Several times a day her guns hammered supply routes, SAM sites, enemy troop concentrations and coastal defense sites.

On April 16, she led the first strike against the Do Son Peninsula off Haiphong Harbor in company with the Seventh Fleet command ship, USS Oklahoma City, USS Richard B. Anderson and USS Hamner.

On the following day, while engaged in a sharp exchange of gunfire with hostile shore batteries, one enemy artillery shell found its mark. The shell penetrated the superstructure and exploded, killing one man and slightly wounding seven others. Material damage was quickly isolated and three hours later BUCHANAN was again striking enemy targets. On April 18, BUCHANAN retired to Danang for battle damage repair.

On April 19 the Task Force BUCHANAN had just left was attacked by MIG's. The USS Higbee DD 806 was severely damaged by direct hit to after Mount. She joined BUCHANAN at Destroyer Tender in Da Nang to undergo repairs. During the battle two MIG's were shot down by USS Steret

After a brief four-day period as plane guard for the attack aircraft carrier, USS Kitty Hawk, BUCHANAN returned to the gunline.

BUCHANAN once again headed for the northern reaches of the Gulf of Tonkin on May 8 and participated in operations in the vicinity of the Do Son Peninsula.

One operation involved suppression of hostile shore batteries while enabling other U.S. Navy Forces to mine the Haiphong Harbor entrance, On the night of May 10, BUCHANAN in company with USS Newport News, USS Providence, USS Oklahoma City and USS Hanson once again returned to the Do Son Peninsula to participate in operations involving the most formidable cruiser-destroyer strike group assembled in the Western Pacific since World War II.

Striking against military targets in the Haiphong area, BUCHANAN is the only U.S. Navy ship to have participated in every surface strike operation off Haiphong Harbor since operations were initiated of April 5.

In 63 days, BUCHANAN had struck North Vietnamese military targets 49 times and also delivered over 7700 rounds against enemy emplacements while receiving hostile fire on almost every mission. She was the first U.S. Navy vessel to engage the enemy as the North Vietnamese forced their way across the DMZ and is now the last of the "Charter members" in combat action to return to port.

Fullbore.

And no; you couldn't do that with a LCS. NetFires can't keep going. 57mm don't cut it - and a LCS will not take a 105mm, 152mm, or 155mm hit and keep going. Don't be sad at these pictures - she served until RIMPAC 2000.

Fullbore Friday

In port.

Just another watch on the pier.

Tic. Toc. Yawn. It's 23:20. Watch is almost over.

Thing is, there is no such thing as a normal watch. You never know when the call comes. You don't even have to be at sea. You don't even have to be overseas. You can just be at the largest naval base in the world in your own nation.

When in a moment things can turn from boredom to the point where character, instinct and training take over. The first, is the most important - the rest only support it.

MA2 Class Mark Mayo, USN. Fullbore Shipmate; fullbore.

(the shooter) parked his tractor-trailer cab near Pier 1, was able to walk onto the pier and began heading up a ramp toward the USS Mahan when he was confronted by Navy security, said Mario Palomino, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service special agent in charge of the Norfolk field office.

The man then got into an altercation with a female petty officer and disarmed her, Navy officials said. Palomino said Mayo stepped over the disarmed officer and fired his weapon at the assailant. He was serving on watch for the installation that night and came to help once he saw the civilian board the ship.

Multiple pistol rounds were fired between the gunman and Navy security forces responding to the scene, Palomino said. The Navy has said previously that the truck driver fired the shot that killed Mayo.

The base's commanding officer, Capt. Robert Clark, said Mayo's actions to protect the disarmed officer (sic) were extraordinary.

""He basically gave his life for hers," said Clark said during a news conference.

Ship, shipmate, self? Yep; it means exactly what it says.

MA2 Mayo enlisted in the U.S. Navy in October 2007 and began working in Norfolk in May 2011.

“Petty Officer Mayo’s actions on Monday evening were nothing less than heroic. He selflessly gave his own life to ensure the safety of the Sailors on board USS Mahan (DDG 72),” said Capt. Robert E. Clark, Jr., commanding officer, Naval Station Norfolk.

There is more background at the above links and here about the shooter that I really don't want to cover here. There is plenty of time later for that and what lessons we can take away from it.

I have my opinions, but not here, not today. 

Petty Officer Mayo, well done.

Fullbore Friday

We all know the stories about young Sailors who didn't quite find the best woman to fall in love with. 

First deployment and; the cleaned out bank accounts, the sordid infidelities, the incredibly thoughtless letters, emails, and yes - videos - that are sent to Sailors or are waiting for them when they get home. We know those stories. 

Over the last week though, I hope many of you have come to know one Sailor's girlfriend, Danielle Kelly. The story of her boyfriend, Petty Officer Second Class Taylor Morris, is Fullbore in itself - but when it comes to what one would think would be the ideal partner for a Sailor - Danielle is Fullbore in her own way.  

Read it all.

Fullbore Friday

Around every corner there are Fullbore stories that people will never know. Many times is because the Fullbore story never gets to its final act. Many times the actors are modest and demur. Sometimes there is simply no one there to witness it.

The following is the first case, and it is one that applies to everyone who serves, active duty, reserves, guard, or perhaps even living your everyday life going to pick up the kids or fill up the car.

When you get a chance to bring one of these out in to the light for a ponder, you should. Let's do that today.

Sometimes history calls you. How do you act? Well, that is where your true character comes out;

Things are different today, ­Degnon says. At least two “hot-cocked” planes are ready at all times, their pilots never more than yards from the cockpit.

A third plane hit the Pentagon, and almost at once came word that a fourth plane could be on the way, maybe more. The jets would be armed within an hour, but somebody had to fly now, weapons or no weapons.

“Lucky, you’re coming with me,” barked Col. Marc Sasseville.

They were gearing up in the pre-flight life-support area when Sasseville, struggling into his flight suit, met her eye.

“I’m going to go for the cockpit,” Sasseville said.

She replied without hesitating.

“I’ll take the tail.”

It was a plan. And a pact.

‘Let’s go!’
Penney had never scrambled a jet before. Normally the pre-flight is a half-hour or so of methodical checks. She automatically started going down the list.

“Lucky, what are you doing? Get your butt up there and let’s go!” Sasseville shouted.

She climbed in, rushed to power up the engines, screamed for her ground crew to pull the chocks. The crew chief still had his headphones plugged into the fuselage as she nudged the throttle forward. He ran along pulling safety pins from the jet as it moved forward.

You all know how it ended, but read the whole thing anyway.

Both pilots have gone forward with your standard issue careers, and yet ... for that one moment on that beautiful September morning - history called and they stepped forward. Then, history decided to take a rain-check.

Just another entry in the log book.

I want to indulge myself on one thing. I am a father of daughters and a big goosh about them. See the pic below, that is Penny with her father, another pilot. I think the pic, especially for fathers of daughters, speaks for itself.

Hat tip WG.

Fullbore Friday

So, you think you've had some memorable cruises, eh?

What do you think about this record?

DATE	VESSEL SUNK
APR 26, 1944	T29 Torpedo Boat
APR 29, 1944	T27 Torpedo Boat
JUN 9, 1944	ZH1 Destroyer
JUN 9, 1944	Z32 Destroyer
JUN 24, 1944	U971 U-Boat
JUN 15, 1944	UJ1420/UJ1421 Trawler
JUN 6, 1944	M486 Minesweeper
AUG 6, 1944	SG-3C
SEPT 6, 1944	VEDETTE Patrol Boat

I give to you HMCS Haida, a Tribal Class destroyer who sank all those ships within 13-months of her commissioning.

As Jerry Proc so simply put;

HAIDA distinguished herself as Canada's most active warship by sinking no less than nine German ships in the period from April to September 1944. She was also involved in numerous other actions resulting in German shipping losses such as the Battle of North Cape in December 1943.

Here is a nifty little detail; besides a short period in reserve, she served until 1963, including service in the Korean war. Not bad for a ship quickly built in the early years of a world war.

If you find yourself in Hamilton, you can pay her a visit. 

Just look at her!

Fullbore my teethy Canadian friend; fullbore.

 

Fullbore Friday

Sometimes in our line of work we can dilute the exceptional by the overuse of praise and "everyone is in the top 1%" way we evaluate each other.

In other cases, the body of a man's work speaks for itself. To be Fullbore, you don't have to be a combat leader. Not everyone has that opportunity. A Fullbore life though can be demonstrated in many ways. To honor those who meet that standard, you can try to meet the standard that they set for themselves and others to succeed.

It would be helpful in many cases if we remembered in our present day development work a simple phrase from an exceptional man, RADM (Ret.) Wayne E. Meyer, USN.

"Build a little, test a little, learn a lot"

UNCLASSIFIED//

PASS TO OFFICE CODES:

FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N00//
TO NAVADMIN
INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC//N00//

UNCLAS //N05000//
NAVADMIN 256/09
MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N00/SEP//
SUBJ/PASSING OF RADM (RET) WAYNE E. MEYER//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. IT IS WITH PROFOUND SADNESS THAT I REPORT THE PASSING OF REAR ADMIRAL (RETIRED) WAYNE E. MEYER, USN. ADMIRAL MEYER, KNOWN AS THE "FATHER OF AEGIS", WAS A TOWERING FIGURE IN OUR NAVY'S SUCCESS OVER THE PAST FOUR DECADES. FROM 1970 TO HIS RETIREMENT IN 1985, HE BRILLIANTLY LED A TEAM OF DEDICATED PROFESSIONALS WHO PIONEERED THE WORLD'S FOREMOST ANTI-AIR WARFARE SYSTEM, AEGIS.
2. HIS DISCIPLINED APPROACH OF "BUILD A LITTLE, TEST A LITTLE, LEARN A LOT" CAST ENGINEERING BRILLIANCE INTO COMBAT SYSTEMS DESIGNS THAT ULTIMATELY SERVED AS THE BACKBONE OF OUR TICONDEROGA AND ARLEIGH BURKE-CLASS SHIPS. SIMPLY PUT, REAR ADMIRAL MEYER'S VISION, PERSISTENCE, AND LEADERSHIP WERE THE CARDINAL HEADINGS FROM WHICH OUR NAVY SAILED INTO THE FUTURE.
3. TODAY OUR SURFACE NAVY IS LARGELY AN AEGIS FLEET. AEGIS IS ALSO OF GROWING IMPORTANCE TO THE AUSTRALIAN, KOREAN, SPANISH, AND NORWEGIAN NAVIES AND THE JAPANESE MARITIME SELF DEFENSE FORCE. ADDITIONALLY, HIS VISION SERVED AS THE FOUNDATION OF OUR NATION'S AFLOAT BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE CAPABILITY, AGAIN, THE FINEST IN THE WORLD.
4. REAR ADMIRAL MEYER IS SURVIVED BY HIS LOVING WIFE, ANNA MAE, THREE ADULT CHILDREN, PAULA, JAMES, AND ROBERT, TWO STEPCHILDREN, ANNA AND EDWARD AND FOUR GRANDCHILDREN, AND BY THE UNITED STATES NAVY FAMILY THAT HE LED AND PROTECTED BEHIND THE SHIELD OF AEGIS FOR NEARLY FOUR DECADES. HIS RICH LEGACY OF SERVICE AND INNOVATION WILL BE WITH US IN EVERY AEGIS SHIP AND, MOST POWERFULLY, IN USS WAYNE E. MEYER (DDG 108) THAT WILL BE COMMISSIONED ON 10 OCTOBER 2009.
5. RELEASED BY ADMIRAL G. ROUGHEAD, CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS.//

In our world of LCS and DDG-1000, where is our Meyer?

"Similar to [Adm. Hyman] Rickover and his long-term persistence in overcoming all the obstacles to make the nuclear Navy happen, Meyer basically overcame the same sort of obstacles, provided the guidance -- the wisdom, if you will -- and the determination to make it happen," said Bob Harney, associate professor of systems engineering at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif., where the systems engineering institute is named after Meyer.

Facing budgetary concerns, technical problems and "a huge amount of politics," Meyer above all provided leadership, Harney said.

"He led the way," Harney said. "He was out front of everything, and people worked to try to keep up with him."

Thank you Admiral, and may you rest in peace.

Fullbore Friday

Back in 2014 we took a day to give a nod to MA2 Mayo, USN. A year later friends at USNI News posted the final report.

Make sure and read the VCNO's endorsement below. Lots to ponder there, and in honor of Perry Officer Mayo, you should give it a read.

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In port.

Just another watch on the pier.

Tic. Toc. Yawn. It's 23:20. Watch is almost over.

Thing is, there is no such thing as a normal watch. You never know when the call comes. You don't even have to be at sea. You don't even have to be overseas. You can just be at the largest naval base in the world in your own nation.

When in a moment things can turn from boredom to the point where character, instinct and training take over. The first, is the most important - the rest only support it.

MA2 Mark Mayo, USN. Fullbore Shipmate; fullbore.

(the shooter) parked his tractor-trailer cab near Pier 1, was able to walk onto the pier and began heading up a ramp toward the USS Mahan when he was confronted by Navy security, said Mario Palomino, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service special agent in charge of the Norfolk field office.

The man then got into an altercation with a female petty officer and disarmed her, Navy officials said. Palomino said Mayo stepped over the disarmed officer and fired his weapon at the assailant. He was serving on watch for the installation that night and came to help once he saw the civilian board the ship.

Multiple pistol rounds were fired between the gunman and Navy security forces responding to the scene, Palomino said. The Navy has said previously that the truck driver fired the shot that killed Mayo.

The base's commanding officer, Capt. Robert Clark, said Mayo's actions to protect the disarmed officer (sic) were extraordinary.

""He basically gave his life for hers," said Clark said during a news conference.

Ship, shipmate, self? Yep; it means exactly what it says.

MA2 Mayo enlisted in the U.S. Navy in October 2007 and began working in Norfolk in May 2011.

“Petty Officer Mayo’s actions on Monday evening were nothing less than heroic. He selflessly gave his own life to ensure the safety of the Sailors on board USS Mahan (DDG 72),” said Capt. Robert E. Clark, Jr., commanding officer, Naval Station Norfolk.

There is more background at the above links and here about the shooter that I really don't want to cover here. There is plenty of time later for that and what lessons we can take away from it.

I have my opinions, but not here, not today. 

Petty Officer Mayo, well done.

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259089347 USS Mahan Shooting Report

Fullbore Friday

Dick Schaffert's 10 minute dogfight. I want you to watch Part 1 and Part 2 below - and then tell me that we can't let a little 1310 in on Fullbore Friday.



More of the Crusader here.

1v4 then 1v6 then 1v1. One F8, 4 Mig-17 and 2 Mig 21 - and everyone came home.

Fullbore.

Fullbore Friday

Right now throughout Afghanistan and the different ways out of that nation, Americans, Brits, and others are doing all they can to fill in the gaping scar of dishonor that is our defeat-of-choice and retreat from Afghanistan.

There are individuals, ad-hoc groups of like minded veterans, family members, and others who are doing all they can to help Americans, family members, and those who trusted and fought with us from almost certain death.

From American school kids, to helicopter pilots - people are trusted in our government to not leave them behind are trapped. There are good people on the other end who are doing extraordinary things to make up for the disgraceful official US government abandonment of those left behind.

Some are already to safety, but thousands more are still trapped in a nightmare that will only grow darker with time.

Over the course of the next few weeks you may hear of some of their stories, other tales will always be hidden due to the desires of those involved, but the stories will come.

There will be books and movies - some good some cringingly bad - that will come out over the next few years about what is happening right now in the shadows.

I don't have any specific stories to share this week - it isn't my place - but know this; we are a nation of great people who will always have enough people willing to take action even when our government fails us.

Fullbore to them.

Fullbore.

Fullbore Friday

 ...and there she goes. Laid down when Eisenhower was CINC. Commissioned when Kennedy was CINC. Decommissioned 49 years later when Obama was CINC.

The Vietnam War, most of the Cold War and almost two decades after it ended, was in movies such a Seven Days in May and The Final Countdown, from A-1s to F/A-18s, all the way through to the conflicts in Africa, Southwest and Central Asia of this century.

Our last conventional carrier to be decommissioned, and now she's off to the breakers;

 The USS Kitty Hawk, the nation's last oil-fired aircraft carrier, departed Bremerton on Saturday for a 16,000-mile journey around South America for its ultimate fate: scrapping at a Texas shipyard.   

Onlookers, many of them former sailors aboard the "Battle Cat," watched as tugs pulled the rugged warship into Sinclair Inlet on a foggy Saturday morning. At more than 1,000 feet long, the Kitty Hawk won't fit in the Panama Canal, so the warship will be tugged through the Strait of Magellan en route to Brownsville, Texas.

Let's not leave you with that visual of the old girl, here she is with a bone in her teeth; 

Fullbore Battle Kitty ... Fullbore.

Fullbore Friday

Where can you catch a break from post-election politics? Why ... Fullbore Friday that's where! To break the adhesions, let's go back half a decade to a 2007 FbF ... take us away!

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The Imperial Austrian triple-decker wooden battleship Kaiser. Yes the AUSTRIAN Navy, again. Why her for Fullbore? 

Well, the year was 1866 and this wooden warship held her own in the first major naval battle of ships of iron and steam against the Italian Navy at the Battle of Lissa.  

Sure, she was outdated and the Fleet Admiral Wilhelm Freiherr von Tegetthoff was only 39, but was a glorious effort for a Navy that had only a little more than a half a century left.

Encountering the Italian fleet early on the morning of 19 July 1866, Tegetthoff sailed straight for the center of the Italian fleet, hoping to ram the ships to make up for his own fleet's lack of firepower. The smoke from the Italian ships made visibility very poor, however, and the Austrians missed the Italian fleet completely. Swinging around, Tegetthoff again charged, this time setting two Italian armored ships on fire and damaging several more.

After Tegetthoff's flagship, the Erzherzog Ferdinand Max, rammed and sank the armored Italian frigate Re d'Italia, the Italian fleet retreated the next day. Tegetthoff returned in triumph to his base at Pola (Pula). Nevertheless, his victory did not materially affect the outcome of the war, as Italy emerged victorious.
...
Seeing things going badly, Persano found the courage to throw himself into battle, deciding to ram the unarmoured screw battleship Kaiser rather than one of the armoured ships engaged with the Italian 2nd Division much nearer him. However, Kaiser managed to dodge Affondatore. Taking heart from his admiral, the captain of Re di Portogallo decided to hurl his ship at Kaiser, maintaining a heavy fire with her rifled guns as he did so. At the last moment, von Petz turned the tables on her and turned into the ram, in effect conducting a counter ram. The impact tore off Kaiser’s stem and bowsprit, leaving her figurehead embedded in Re di Portogallo. The Italian used the opportunity to rake Kaiser with fire, putting her mainmast and smokestack into the sea. The smoke was so great that as they backed off for another ram they lost sight of each other and ended the duel.

It's all here. Using 2,000 yr old tactics to win. Making the best of the Fleet you have. Aggressive action. Leaders who lead and win without waiting for specific direction to do so. More on the Kaiser, she survived the battle, here and here.

Fullbore Friday

Yes my friends, it is a Buffalo Summer! What is that, one, two big 'ole Brewsters? Well, thanks to reader Cro, we have #3.

In honor of the opening of the second season of the best military show on TV, The History Channel's Dogfights - let's tell a under told story of a great officer from a great military and a great nation who fought in an almost (in North America) unknown war against terrible allies, spotty equipment, and nightmarish odds. His specific plane we are going to honor today isn't just in the painting you see on the right (yes, that is a Farting Elk) - it is now part of the US Navy story.

The story of how the US Navy now has her is a great read as well. Enjoy BW-372's last mission.

In June 1942, BW-372 was assigned to Lieutenant Lauri Pekuri. At 82 and a retired colonel, he gave this account of his last mission on Finnish television: "We were engaged in combat next to the Russian airfield.... My wingman was Sergeant Anttila, a young fellow in his first fight. When I gave the order to disengage, Anttila couldn't comply. I looked and saw a Russian aircraft--it was a British-made Hurricane--behind him, firing from a somewhat long distance and scoring hits. Black smoke started to pour out of Anttila's aircraft, his engine stopped and he began to glide down. I managed to shoot down the Russian fighter and thus prevented him from completing the damage he had done."

"After this I disengaged from the fight," Pekuri continued. "I flew on the deck at full power for 40-50 km.... I was awakened by bullets hitting my aircraft-- they made quite a racket--and my left wing tank caught fire. The Russian, I believe it was a Hurricane, overtook me at high speed just a few meters higher, and suddenly I found him right in front of me, practically filling my whole gunsight. Instinctively, I pulled the trigger, and the Russian aircraft caught fire and crashed into the woods."

His Brewster on fire and its Wright Cyclone barely ticking over, Pekuri made a wheels-up landing on the water. The plane flipped over, but righted itself sufficiently that it sank nose-down into the lake. (It was on its belly when Villiard's team found it. At Pensacola recently, an admirer noticed that the propeller blades were bent around the engine, showing that they had been spinning when the plane hit the water.) The young lieutenant evaded capture and made his way back to Finnish lines. He was married a few weeks later, his eyebrows still singed from the flames that had enveloped BW-372's cockpit.

Overall, Pekuri was credited with 10.5 Russian aircraft on Brewsters, making him the ninth-ranking Buffalo ace in Finland--and the world, of course. He later flew a Messerschmitt Bf-109, accumulating an additional 8 kills before he was shot down and captured in June 1944. He was released from prison camp at the end of the year, after Finland signed its second armistice with Russia, and in time became the first Finn to fly faster than Mach 1.0.

After looking at the battle damage shown in photographs of BW-372, Colonel Pekuri decided that some had been inflicted by explosive shells and that his attacker was actually a MiG-3 fighter. He died in 1999, after his airplane was lifted from the chill waters of Big Kolejärvi Lake, but too soon to learn its fate.

Fullbore Colonel Pekuri. Fullbore.