Incompetence all the way down. Everyone wants to get to the next paygrade, but nobody wants to do the hard work. It’s the ducks pick ducks, and zero defect mentality put together.
I am considering a spectacular flame out of my modest, if lengthy, career if needed. Of course, it wouldn’t mean a thing to the ossified bureaucracy.
Maintenance and husbandry are logistics 101 basics. If the oft quoted "amateurs study tactics, professionals study logistics" rule has any basis in reality, things are not as bad as they appear. They're much worse than that. Which leads to choices for conflict with China: Don't fight or win fast or go nuclear... Note to Taiwan, Japan, the PI and anyone else relying on U.S. support: Better have a plan B, C, D if plan A is counting on us. Even if we try, we're setting up for failure.
We have raised a generation of officers and senior enlisted men that are in love with "special forces," "stealth aircraft," and "drones." The repair of the U.S.S. Yorktown, following the Battle of the Coral Sea was instrumental to our victory at Midway. Just the humble opinion of an old hermit. (YouTube has some excellent videos of the salvage operation at Pearl Harbor, just thought our leaders might want to watch them)
What is to be expected when we elected in 1992 an admitted draft dodger with nary a peep from the people or veterans' organizations. Peace Dividend, we are fine with it because we keep voting for it.
I know BRAC was eons ago, but the mess it made is still being felt, maybe moreso today, than ever. The San Diego lobby that assasinated LBNS did us a great disservice. Replacing that capability on the Left Coast is desperately needed, but would take an extremely dedicated group of folks to make it happen. Shipyards arent waterfront condos, so they're ugly and unpopular with the investment crowd. But oh, what a couple new drydocks and repair facilities could do for the Navy!! Theres real estate in Portland and even Vancouver that would work great- but sadly itd take an Elon Musk type to make it happen. A person or group willing to create somthing for the greater good, that isnt based on profit per sq ft. I think that a joint effort between civilians and a govt that cuts thru bureauacracy and red tape to dig some holes, dredge some river, and build some piers could still happen, but you hafta get enough ppl on board, and that's still a tough proposition. Selling it for the jobs itd provide likely doesn't work because...nobody wants to work anymore!!
Maybe we need the govt to push its boundaries, and claim 'crucial need', in order to sweep aside all the enviro-regs and surveys and nonsense in order to build somthing useful...but how do you get the local officials to buy into it? How do we replicate the efforts that built the Arsenal of Democracy factories seemingly overnight? Im not expecting to build a yard that turns out 5 Connies a year out of Portland...but how about just a couple DDG-capable drydocks and pier space for say, 4 more?? Im not well versed on our sub issues, but how much sub maintenance capability could we add somewhere else thats not high-end, but still helps ease the strain on Puget Sound?? How much sub backlog DOESNT require a full "nuclear capable" yard?? Also on my wishlist- maybe a facility that builds floating drydocks with a standing order for 8-10 of them before the yard opens? (We're gonna need em!)
Idk, maybe Im just enamored with the history-rich area I live in, and spend too much time daydreaming about a next-generation, Kaiser-esque Navy presence here again...
I would “like” this article but I sure don’t like what I see when a ship is in an availability for FOUR YEARS and is still not functioning properly. This is an ongoing disgrace. It would be money well spent to send the ship and crew to a shipyard that can get things done the right way.
I read elsewhere yesterday that the two SD dry docks were being utilized by a DDG and wait for it....an LCS. Thus the LHD might need to be moved to a drydock elsewhere on the west coast. So in other words, the barely functional LCS is a higher priority than a deployment-missing LHD. There must be something else to this story but that's what Defense News was saying yesterday.
Our Navy and our republic are in trouble.
BTW… Boxer received the Battle E this year… one more example of hubris.
Incompetence all the way down. Everyone wants to get to the next paygrade, but nobody wants to do the hard work. It’s the ducks pick ducks, and zero defect mentality put together.
I am considering a spectacular flame out of my modest, if lengthy, career if needed. Of course, it wouldn’t mean a thing to the ossified bureaucracy.
Four years in the Yard and they didn't bother with a Paint job.
This is bordering on either criminal negligence, or criminal incompetence. But hey, it was a good 250 year run…
Maintenance and husbandry are logistics 101 basics. If the oft quoted "amateurs study tactics, professionals study logistics" rule has any basis in reality, things are not as bad as they appear. They're much worse than that. Which leads to choices for conflict with China: Don't fight or win fast or go nuclear... Note to Taiwan, Japan, the PI and anyone else relying on U.S. support: Better have a plan B, C, D if plan A is counting on us. Even if we try, we're setting up for failure.
We have raised a generation of officers and senior enlisted men that are in love with "special forces," "stealth aircraft," and "drones." The repair of the U.S.S. Yorktown, following the Battle of the Coral Sea was instrumental to our victory at Midway. Just the humble opinion of an old hermit. (YouTube has some excellent videos of the salvage operation at Pearl Harbor, just thought our leaders might want to watch them)
When do we start recalling retired flag officers to duty to court martial them for gross dereliction of duty?
There is room at Mare Island right now.
What is to be expected when we elected in 1992 an admitted draft dodger with nary a peep from the people or veterans' organizations. Peace Dividend, we are fine with it because we keep voting for it.
There is a workforce that fixes MSC ships at Mare Island now.
I know BRAC was eons ago, but the mess it made is still being felt, maybe moreso today, than ever. The San Diego lobby that assasinated LBNS did us a great disservice. Replacing that capability on the Left Coast is desperately needed, but would take an extremely dedicated group of folks to make it happen. Shipyards arent waterfront condos, so they're ugly and unpopular with the investment crowd. But oh, what a couple new drydocks and repair facilities could do for the Navy!! Theres real estate in Portland and even Vancouver that would work great- but sadly itd take an Elon Musk type to make it happen. A person or group willing to create somthing for the greater good, that isnt based on profit per sq ft. I think that a joint effort between civilians and a govt that cuts thru bureauacracy and red tape to dig some holes, dredge some river, and build some piers could still happen, but you hafta get enough ppl on board, and that's still a tough proposition. Selling it for the jobs itd provide likely doesn't work because...nobody wants to work anymore!!
Maybe we need the govt to push its boundaries, and claim 'crucial need', in order to sweep aside all the enviro-regs and surveys and nonsense in order to build somthing useful...but how do you get the local officials to buy into it? How do we replicate the efforts that built the Arsenal of Democracy factories seemingly overnight? Im not expecting to build a yard that turns out 5 Connies a year out of Portland...but how about just a couple DDG-capable drydocks and pier space for say, 4 more?? Im not well versed on our sub issues, but how much sub maintenance capability could we add somewhere else thats not high-end, but still helps ease the strain on Puget Sound?? How much sub backlog DOESNT require a full "nuclear capable" yard?? Also on my wishlist- maybe a facility that builds floating drydocks with a standing order for 8-10 of them before the yard opens? (We're gonna need em!)
Idk, maybe Im just enamored with the history-rich area I live in, and spend too much time daydreaming about a next-generation, Kaiser-esque Navy presence here again...
But its a NICE daydream...!!
A Non-sailor's observations:
1. Why do you put LCS-24 in the only large DD on the West coast?
2. Why shouldn't they have sent her to Portland? Or sunk her?
3. If the DDG is there for a AN/SLQ-32(V)7 upgrade, why put her in a DD?
4. As I understand it the AN/SLQ-32(V)7 is on the deck, not below the water. Am I missing something?
The Boxer is only one of many candidates for the title of Navy canary in the coal mine.
I would “like” this article but I sure don’t like what I see when a ship is in an availability for FOUR YEARS and is still not functioning properly. This is an ongoing disgrace. It would be money well spent to send the ship and crew to a shipyard that can get things done the right way.
I read elsewhere yesterday that the two SD dry docks were being utilized by a DDG and wait for it....an LCS. Thus the LHD might need to be moved to a drydock elsewhere on the west coast. So in other words, the barely functional LCS is a higher priority than a deployment-missing LHD. There must be something else to this story but that's what Defense News was saying yesterday.