This is the first-hand account, from a ‘friend of a friend’ as they say, who has a son serving onboard the U.S.S. Boxer, currently on duty off the coast of Somalia.
When asked how he spent Easter …his reply was a bit out of the ordinary, but not totally unexpected! Without getting too graphic, I’ll try to interpret the young sailor’s account of recent events which just played out this past weekend.
“I spent mine watching some pirates get spattered off the coast of Somalia!” (NOTE: Jargon key located at the bottom).
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Saturday, April 11, 2009
I've been taking notes on facts and (well noted) speculation and rumors. What I know is on the eleventh of April, 2009 at 1600, two C17 cargo planes flew over the U.S.S. Boxer and out of the back four parachutes emerged. Then came the boats! Four very fast 1300 hp SWCC boats with radar and guns!
After those were safely extracted, the personnel and SEALs jumped. About 95 people in all arrived in the water near Boxer. Swam to the ship and entered the well-deck. I spoke with some of the SEALs in the hangar bay where they are (were) staging their gear for the time being. He was rearranging his gear and talking to a younger looking Ops guy with shoulder-length hair and a feeble semblance of a beard. I struck up a conversation with them and they're really friendly. The older SEAL finished with his bag and reached for a rifle case, casually unzipped it and pulled out a Mark 416 a highly specialized carbine and as he explained "it's basically an M -4, but made by H&K so it's better!" …"visible and non-visible lasers, collapsible stock. It's nice." "And is that an advanced armament suppressor?" I asked. “Yeah that just makes it sound better, and the ladies love it!"
I asked him if it's the coolest job in the Navy. "Well, I haven't ever flown an F-18 off a carrier, but yeah, pretty much!" “You guys don’t wear any insignia." "We don't wear it, but we're still in the Navy." "I know that but what's with that?" "Well I'm a Chief, and he is a second-class." “Oh, ok!" "So, Chief, did you come in as a SEAL?" “Yep, you don't have to be formal, that's why we don't wear it.” It gets in the way and besides, we know who's in charge." “Well I have to get back to watch." "OK, any time you see us over here and just want to chat and shoot the sh*t, feel free!" "Cool, thanks!" “Any time."
I also found out from the CPO that the guys flew in from VB on C17's and that took 18 hours! They parachuted into the ocean! That’s cool as hell! At 2100 on Saturday, we were headed for the area where the U.S.S. Bainbridge (DDG 96) was already in position several hundred miles east off of Somalia's coast. And on Sunday there were so many parts of our engine that were broken from traveling at flank speed (full Bendix) that we stopped the shaft, engaged the jacking gear, pinned the gear and tagged out the motherf-----! I spent three watches fabricating parts, helping replace sight-flow indicators on journal bearings and running around the ship.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
On Easter Sunday night, at around 1530 I was making my hourly rounds through the hangar bay and heard four distant rifle reports and knew exactly what happened. There was an orange capsule being towed by Bainbridge. Two SEAL snipers laying prone on the fantail with Barrett .50 cal rifles pointed at the small craft. Captain Richard Phillips of Vermont was swimming toward the RHIB sitting close to the lifeboat.
I had to return to my watch station and at close of business I assumed my next watch: CNN's Live broadcast of speculation and grievous bulls---! I have to decipher all of this crap for you.
At 2300 Africa time, the Maersk Alabama safely docked in Mombasa, Kenya, and the crew was debriefed by the FBI for some reason. Captain Phillips was logged onboard Boxer at 1836 and one skinny, short, pitiful-looking (and never in a million year is he sixteen) pirate, who was escorted, handcuffed despite the wounds, wearing blacked out ski goggles, through the hangar bay by like 20 Marines and MA's.
He has asked for amnesty. He'll probably get a UN Trial for international piracy. "We always laugh and joke about pirates onboard and don't realize that this is one of the world's most serious crimes!"
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Monday, APR 13, 2009.
At 0930, U.S.S. Boxer sits of the coast of Somalia and the Bainbridge is at her stern on the port side in tow. The life boat containing three lifeless pirates dispatched into oblivion by the best sharpshooters in the world.
The corpses are transferred under the heaviest morgue security I've seen since President Ford's funeral to the U.S.S. Boxer's chilled holding facility. At 1000 the lifeboat from Alabama is hoisted onto Boxer's flight deck by the local crane. I was there when the boat arrived onboard standing next to some chopper refueling buddies talking about the incident.
Probably the most interesting Easter I've ever spent! Looking closely at the boat, I see four large bullet holes on the STB side where "justice" entered the pirate's minds. I was told before I left San Diego that I would hate the Boxer, I tell you now, I wouldn't rather be on any other ship. Broken parts and all I like it.
At 1025, the "Maersk Alabama, departing." is heard over the 1MC. Personal speculation and trusted brass scuttlebutt says that our AOR has shifted from the Gulf of Aden where there aren't any pirates, to where we sit now….16 ships and 200 hostages from various countries still remain stranded…Not for long, I predict.
As always, keeping it real on the high seas with the U.S. Navy…
KEY:
SWCC, Special warfare combatant crewman, brown water
H&K, Heckler and Koch, famous German weapon's designer's world renowned for their popular .45 cal USP (universal service pistol) and other highly precise firearms.
CPO, Chief Petty Officer, USN, E7
VB, Virginia Beach, Virginia, East coast headquarters of Special Warfare.
DDG, Guided Missile Destroyer
Flank, the fastest speed the ship can travel, equal to about 35 knots
RHIB, (rib) Rigid-hulled inflatable boat
STB, Starboard (right)
1MC, numeric designation for the main announcing circuit used on U.S. Navy vessels.
AOR, Area of Responsibility, the confines within which we roam.
Oh Dude! Thank you for your service and a great story with a happy ending!
My daughter is on the Boxer...thank you for letting us peak into the goings-on of the ship. Thank you, U.S. Navy!!
Posted by: Kristi | April 16, 2009 at 03:26 PM