It's a Free for All--on Midrats
...busy world...
Summary
This episode features a lively free-for-all discussion covering recent naval operations, geopolitical tensions, naval maintenance issues, and international defense collaborations. The hosts share insights on maritime security, shipbuilding, and the strategic importance of alliances in the Indo-Pacific region.
You can listen at this link, or via the Spotify widget below.
Key Topics
Naval operations in the Strait of Hormuz
US Navy maintenance and readiness issues
International defense collaborations in the Indo-Pacific
No one in the Navy has ever been hungry underway
Byron Audler: a good yardbird
Show Links
Chapters
00:00: Introduction
02:19: Recent Strait of Hormuz Activity
07:26: US Navy Intercepts Iranian Ship in Gulf of Oman
11:47: Maintenance Challenges
16:58: USS Boise Maintenance and Accountability
21:40: Naval Readiness and Fleet Sustainability
29:46: Japan-Australia Defense Cooperation and Shipbuilding
38:55: Pacific Region Security and Naval Assets
45:24: China’s Demographics and Economic Outlook
47:26: NASA Moon Mission and Space Exploration
53:14: US-Philippines Relations and Strategic Partnerships
58:41: Naval Food and Morale Myths
59:57: Remembering Byron Audler
Finally, America for the American's, North, Central and South.
One of the issues that is not discussed much and bothers me is what is going in the enlisted community? Although no real proof is available, it is believed that the LHA Bonhomme Richard fire and subsequent loss of the entire ship, was started by an Enlisted man and recently, all the damage from fires and clogged sewer lines to the CVA Ford. I remember my carrier (Ranger) being sabotaged by someone throwing metal in the main reduction gear and sidelining the carrier for months. Some sailors seem to think they are going on 90 day pleasure cruises and don't understand they could become involved in a war at any time. I found that you need to have a certain mindset that "yes", your like has restrictions but your the first line of defense for the nation. In two cruises to Vietnam and Yankee Station, my squadron had less then 15 days when we were not on the line. We bitched as is the right of any enlisted, but that didn't stop us in performing our jobs and setting strike sortie records. With ship handling incidents these past few years and other ship damage caused by unknown persons, this has the potential for serious problems in the future. Enlisted personnel are volunteers. If they really do not want to be in the Navy, then they really should be discharged as even individuals can have major impacts on other personnel.