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Our government doesn't officially declare war anymore.
We just invade countries as we see fit.
True. The die has been cast.
Still though, don't understand why our USCG is patrolling waters of wealthy nations that can afford their own patrols and patrol boats. Once again, we look like fools and are happy to play the fool on top of it.
Still though, don't understand why our USCG is patrolling waters of wealthy nations that can afford their own patrols and patrol boats. Once again, we look like fools and are happy to play the fool on top of it.
I think ours are up in the arctic this time of year breaking ice and Search & Rescue missions
BBC News - US ships 'in second rescue of Iranians in Gulf'
WoW! The U.S. Coast Guard is now patrolling the shores of our "Allies". This is something that ALL CANDIDATES (including Obama obviously) approve of, with the EXCEPTION of Ron Paul. 2012 is a vote for "the Republic for which we stand" or for the Empire that we have become.
Yup. CG vet here. I loved my job, and this mission is a reflection of what we ARE about (as service and as a nation), however...
Reminds me of a tongue in cheek joke I told my Commander once upon a time. "Capt'n, can't we put the Coast back in Coast Guard?" He had a good belly laugh because he knew patrolling Japan & Med cruise was pretty far fetched but onward sailors we obediently went.
Irony that squids called us puddle jumpers, but aren't many puddle patrols going on. Matter of fact they've closed so many small boat stations there are gapping holes in sortie response times. We abandon vessel traffic in vital ports, and yet incredulously, preserve Loran stations in Italy for global navigation service. The actual mission (life saving & environmental response) is jeopardized to cover the note on what Maher characterized as 'the big stupid boat'. Spend multi millions rehabilitating a navy leftovers for what purpose? It is neither agile enough to chase down drug dealers, incapable of being useful to rescue Katrina victims, nor is it outfitted to confront environmental nightmares the size of Valdez or BP disaster in the gulf. The mission is whatever political whim DOD might have, and irrational expectations are par for the course.
Dept of Navy, Congress, and now Dept of Homeland Terrorism spread across the globe. Anyone remember the core mission of this service? MUST they pander to every whackaloon notion coming from political agendas for the privilege of being funded at all??? I'm just stepping up for the Commandant of the CG here. It's near mission impossible saddled with politicos in DC around his neck, only to have these very same morons claim he squanders resources and imply they 'failed' BP. Nefarious politicos failed the CG and the nation. They won't let leadership lead because they themselves are the most irresponsible vainglorious idiots heckling outside the UCMJ you'd ever have the displeasure of knowing. No bones about it- I loathe and despise them with a red, white, blue, and purple passion.
Emergency response and preparedness (Semper paratus= to be always ready) gets no respect from legislative and executive branch and is perniciously undervalued. They pull the same crap with National Guard instructed to abandon their posts to manage a whole slew of ancillary nonsense for the other services. Not a peep out of them about it for fear of being perceived as insubordinate, but it's needful of saying.
I'm grateful for Ron Paul bringing to public attention insane foreign policy. I am less grateful to him pushing for 100% isolationist policy. There is a healthy balance & proficiency in deployment for services that must be maintained. Main stream USA and Military need to sit down over coffee and hash it out pragmatically outside the beltway in a tone of voice that honors both and keeps whats worthy of defense clear in their eyes.
I think ours are up in the arctic this time of year breaking ice and Search & Rescue missions
Canadians are sensible. They're structured as civil service, not complicated to distraction by faux military missions & whacked out politicos. If Canadians had to deal with K street deciding ATON/ small boat stations weren't a priority to them, therefore abolish or reduce it to a hollowed out nostalgic museum, you'd be able to understand.
Great lakes radiomen have a wicked sense of humor. Love those guys. We'd bump heads occasionally sorting out our lost lambs yelping mayday. Too bad these 2 agencies aren't dictating foreign policy because common sense was job one when Congress & Dept of Navy isn't looking.
The USCG has the smaller boats able to go into shallower water. The USCG was over in Vietnam in case no one remembers. This is nothing new; they have supplemented the Navy in the past.
When 85% of the CG casualties are the result of 'friendly fire', who is the box of rocks in need of training? The only training CG needed was how to duck and cover from the damned Navy returning their taxpayer bullets to them. Pathetic. When they've sold themselves on the contemptuous story that CG were glorified waterway meter maids, don't expect different outcomes.
More unsung heroes... United States Merchant Marine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Navy octopus should sweep it's own porch and quit the game of demoting "auxilliary" agencies with responsibility but not vesting authority. Sets the stage for ambitious mid level officers engaging in house power struggles for the privilege of getting a job done. It just doesn't work. It can't manage the power it has and dragging everyone else into their drama only makes it worse.
The better arrangement is not DHS. They've only smeared the problem around in another direction. CG, national guard, and various sundry orgs like CG Aux, Seabees/MSG's, civil air patrol, local militia etc etc ought to have stronger relationships for local response and defer the line of demarcation outside contiguous waters as "THE NAVY'S JOB". If the navy wants scuba/ rescue swim/ heavy weather coxswain/ river boat training, open the door and welcome them. CG is already adroit at inter-agency coordination of services with FBI, INS, Drug interdiction agencies... long list, long history of minding chains of custody.
Instead, on Easter day, disrupting a fisheries patrol in Alaska, a Naval officer gets a wild hair up their behind and orders a CG Cutter to drop everything it's doing to cut down a rusted out hulk radio tower on an uninhabited Aleutian chain rock. It was inoperable & about to fall over on it's own with the next gale force wind. Rusting to hell prior WW2. Priorities are priorities, and playing reindeer games are pretty high in DC. Is ALMILACT supposed to surmise that Uncle Ted didn't want the law to apply to his friends fishing fleet? THAT needs a kick in the pants.
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