Given the ongoing troubles with USS New York (LPD 21), CNO Admiral Gary Roughead’s November 7, 2009 speech at LPD-21’s commissioning ceremony is rather distressing. Here’s the relevant snippet:
“…The ship across the way is now ready to serve our great nation; ready to sail in
harms way on any point on any of the world’s oceans to prevent conflict when possible and to win decisively when necessary; ready to carry our shipmates in the Marine Corps into harms way; ready to defend the interests of our nation by force if necessary; ready to secure the maritime commons for peaceful trade; ready to support our partners and allies through humanitarian assistance and aide; and ready to show the flag of our nation as a symbol and a message of freedom of commitment and resolve…”
Really? If there was a ship ever less ready, it was the LPD-21.
Maybe the CNO’s speechwriter wrote that passage as a gesture to Admiral Roughead’s dry wit, but, given current events, I can’t help but wonder just what the CNO was thinking as he spoke those words…
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YNSN–THAT is the untold story of the LPD-17. I’d love to know the retention rates and/or the promotion record for folks who served on, say, San Antonio. How do they stack up with Whidbey Island class vessels, for example…
I haven’t seen good data to suggest that there’s a statistically significant difference, but I’ve sure heard some stories…
If we didn’t allow the ship builders to all merge. If we didn’t only build a couple of hulls a year. Maybe then we could have more than empty rhetoric. But, we don’t have any other options. We can’t fire the ship yard, it’s them or BIW. If we fire them, then there is only BIW.
If you only knew some of the Sailors off of the LPD 17 hulls… It is wrong what they are made to endure. I’ve know Sailors who were true assets to the Navy, be broken by it and decide to leave. Sailors who would have become excellent CMCs one day. Not BAH, or the promise of Shore Duty were enough to keep them in. No incentive was. It’s a real shame.
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