This ain't Hell, but you can see it from here

Category: Navy

  • Former Navy sailor pardoned by Trump says he’s suing Comey and Obama

    USS SSN
    Fox News News reports a former Navy sailor is planning to file a lawsuit against Obama administration officials, charging that he was subject to unequal protection of the law.

    Former First Class Petty Officer Kristian Saucier served a year in federal prison for taking photos of classified sections of the submarine on which he worked, and claims that the same officials who meted out punishment to him for his actions were lenient with Hillary Clinton for using a private email server for handling classified information.

    His lawyer, Ronald Daigle, told Fox News on Monday that the lawsuit, which he expects to file soon in Manhattan, will name the U.S. Department of Justice, former FBI Director James Comey and former President Barack Obama as defendants, among others.

    “They interpreted the law in my case to say it was criminal,” Saucier told Fox News, referring to prosecuting authorities in his case, “but they didn’t prosecute Hillary Clinton. Hillary is still walking free. Two guys on my ship did the same thing and weren’t treated as criminals. We want them to correct the wrong.”

    “We’ll highlight the differences in the way Hillary Clinton was prosecuted and how my client was prosecuted,” Daigle said. “We’re seeking to cast a light on this to show that there’s a two-tier justice system and we want it to be corrected.”

    Saucier, who lives in Vermont, pleaded guilty in 2016 to taking photos inside the USS Alexandria while it was stationed in Groton, Connecticut, in 2009. He said he only wanted service mementos, but federal prosecutors argued he was a disgruntled sailor who had put national security at risk by taking photos showing the submarine’s propulsion system and reactor compartment and then obstructed justice by destroying a laptop and camera.

    Saucier said that he recognized he had erred in taking the photos, which he said he wanted to show only to his family to show them where he worked. But he lashed out at Obama officials, saying that his prosecution was politically motivated, prompted by sensitivity about classified information amid the scandal involving Clinton’s emails.

    “My case was usually something handled by military courts,” he said. “They used me as an example because of [the backlash over] Hillary Clinton.”

    Saucier, 31, said that the pardon has enabled him to pick up the pieces and rebuild his life with his wife and young daughter.

    Well, good for him. He screwed the pooch and paid the price, no sympathy here. That being said, I wish him well in in his endeavors to expose the double standards that currently exist between the hoi polli and the elites. 30,000+ subpoenaed emails destroyed? Cankles McPantsuit has some ‘splainin’ to do.

  • China warns US against provocations following B-52 flyby, Warship FONOPS

    BUFF
    Military Times reports that China criticized the U.S. on Wednesday after a fly-by of two B-52 bombers by the Chinese-held Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, during a period of escalating words and demonstrations of military might from the two major Pacific powers.

    Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying warned the U.S. against “hyping up militarization and stirring up trouble,” while promising that China would do whatever was necessary to defend its sovereignty.

    The U.S. “doing whatever they want is risky and China will not be threatened by any military warships,” Hua told reporters at a daily briefing in Beijing.

    The fly-by of the shoal, which China seized from the Philippines in 2012, came after U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis accused Beijing of “intimidation and coercion” in the South China Sea. China claims almost the entirety of the south China Sea — a resource-rich area that also has some of the world’s busiest shipping lanes — despite ownership claims from neighboring countries including the Philippines, Vietnam, and Taiwan.

    Speaking at a summit of top security officials in Singapore last weekend, Mattis said China has deployed anti-ship missiles and surface-to-air missiles and landed nuclear capable bombers on the disputed islands. He vowed that the Indo-Pacific would remain a “priority theater” for U.S. forces.

    China announced it had dispatched warships and aircraft to drive away two U.S. Navy vessels sailing close to Chinese holdings in the Paracel Island chain last Sunday, where China recently revealed it had landed strategic bombers on an airstrip for the first time. The two ships, the destroyer USS Higgins and the cruiser USS Antietam, were engaged in Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPS) to dispute China’s claims of sovereignty in the area.

    The Chinese bombers landing on the Paracel Islands escalated regional tensions, and resulted in the Pentagon withdrawing its invitation for China to participate in multinational naval exercises near Hawaii, in order to protest China’s military moves in the South China Sea.

    Seems the Chinese still haven’t got the hint, so a couple BUFFs* were dispatched to remind them the U.S. does not recognize their illegal territorial claims, and is not happy with nuclear capable bombers on the islands. We’ll have wait to see what, if any, effect it will have.

    *Big, Ugly, Fat, err, Fellows.

  • ‘Top Gun’ sequel starts filming on NAS North Island

    top gun 2
    The horrors we visit upon ourselves in the name of entertainment. To any knowledgeable of aviation in general, and Naval Aviation in particular, “Top Gun” was at best low comedy, a farce. Dozens of sites have picked it apart for fallacies and errors, here’s a couple examples:

    https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/79-cringe-worthy-technical-errors-in-the-movie-top-gun

    https://www.moviemistakes.com/film1312/factual/pageall

    My personal favorites are the seemingly unlimited amount of fuel the jets carry, same-same with the missile load-out resembling a Western Six-Shooter- they never run out of bullets, either. Best is the defensive tactic known as an “aileron roll” to defeat cannon fire from the bogy on one’s six- this looks cool but would merely distribute the incoming rounds equally along the airframe, and is roughly analogous to firing a shotgun at a pirotteing ballerina.

    Anyway, The Navy Times gushes:

    Negative Ghost Rider, the pattern is full …”

    For years fans of the 1986 mega-hit “Top Gun” have debated on a sequel. Should the Air Force get a chance this time? Will the F-35 have a role?

    Answers: 1.) Sorry, Air Force, probably not; and, 2.) No Lightning here, Tom Cruise’s teaser tweet showcased an F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.

    Cruise is on Naval Air Station North Island right now, completing the first of two days of filming at the San Diego base for “Top Gun: Maverick.” It’s all Navy. The service has already completed a first review of an initial script draft and sent it back with requested revisions, DoD’s entertainment office confirmed (but would not reveal what those revisions were.)

    Will Maverick face off against MiGs of unknown origin again over the Indian Ocean, or will he test the skies over the Spratlys in the South China Sea?

    Spare me. Word on the street has an aging Cruise taking on Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles (UCAVs) in his single seat F/A-18. Which is a shame, as Gooseman, his RIO in the first travesty, was about the only saving grace with his sarcastic wit and charm. Obviously, he had to go.

    The “Top Gun” sequel is one of several movies the Pentagon’s entertainment office is involved in. The office is also supporting the upcoming movie “First Man,” about astronaut Neil Armstrong; next year’s “Captain Marvel” and the World War II Navy destroyer flick “Greyhound,” starring Tom Hanks.

    Let’s hope for better days. Sorry, Mick. But it had to be told.

  • Cmdr. Alfredo Sanchez pleads guilty in McCain collision

    Cmdr. Alfredo Sanchez pleads guilty in McCain collision

    Stars & Stripes reports that Cmdr. Alfredo Sanchez pleaded guilty today for dereliction of duty in regards to the collision of the USS McCain;

    Former Cmdr. Alfredo Sanchez appeared somber and tearful during a special court-martial at the Washington Navy Yard for the criminal charge under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Sanchez pleaded guilty as part of an agreement reached earlier this year and has yet to be sentenced, but could face a letter of reprimand and forfeiture of a portion of his pay for three months.

    The criminal conviction could be a career-ending move for Sanchez, who has spent more than 20 years in the service.

    “He negligently failed to ensure the safe navigation of the said vessel,” the charge sheet said, “as it was his duty to do as Commanding Officer to ensure a proper watch was set for transiting a high-density contact contact environment; take proper action and control of the vessel during system casualty; follow operational Standing Orders during a conceived system casualty, and that such dereliction of duty contributing to the death” of the 10 sailors.

  • Chief Boatswain’s Mate Jeffery D. Butler pleads guilty in McCain collision

    Chief Boatswain’s Mate Jeffery D. Butler pleads guilty in McCain collision

    According to the Navy Times, Chief Boatswain’s Mate Jeffery D. Butler pleaded guilty to dereliction of duty in the USS McCain collision;

    Chief Boatswain’s Mate Jeffery D. Butler pleaded guilty Thursday to a charge of dereliction of duty before a summary court-martial for his role in training and qualifying sailors who demonstrated that they were unable to perform basic ship-steering operations.

    Butler, who reached his 20-year mark last November, was sentenced by Navy judge advocate Cmdr. William Weiland to a reduction in paygrade to E-6. The maximum sentence possible was a reduction in paygrade, 60 days restriction and a forfeiture of two-thirds of one month’s pay.

    Just before sentencing, Butler stood to address the families of the fallen who were in attendance.

    “I want to give my condolences and ask for your forgiveness,” he said, fighting back tears. “They were more than just my shipmates – they were family members.”

    Butler claimed to the judge that he had never been trained in the new navigation system except for 30 minutes of training from a master helmsman. He took for granted that his subordinates were already trained in the navigation system. 20 years in the military and he just figured that folks were trained. AMF.

    His commander’s court martial begins today.

    Thanks to Bobo for the link.

  • Retired Master Chief Special Warfare Operator Britt K. Slabinski Medal of Honor

    Retired Master Chief Special Warfare Operator Britt K. Slabinski Medal of Honor

    Our buddy, MCPO NYC USN Ret. sends us pictures from the White House while Retired Master Chief Special Warfare Operator Britt K. Slabinski gets his Medal of Honor today;

  • Cmdr. Tammy Sue Royal canned

    Cmdr. Tammy Sue Royal canned

    Hondo sends us a link to Military.com which reports that Navy Commander Tammy Sue Royal was fired from her job as the commander of USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49);

    Rear Adm. Cedric Pringle, commander of Expeditionary Strike Group 3, relieved Cmdr. Tammy Sue Royal, 48, after superiors lost confidence in her ability to effectively lead sailors and carry out her duties, according to Naval Surface Warfare spokesman Doug Sayers.

    In a telephone interview, Sayers said that “sustained poor performance” during an era when “readiness is a focal point for the Navy” were keys to Pringle’s decision.

    She is the fourth senior officer from San Diego-based amphibious warships to be relieved of duty over the past year.

  • Nuclear Electrician’s Mate Second Class Jeremiah Adams died on hike

    Nuclear Electrician’s Mate Second Class Jeremiah Adams died on hike

    The Navy Times reports that Bremerton-based Nuclear Electrician’s Mate Second Class Jeremiah Adams’ body was found on the Gray Wolf Trail in the Olympics;

    Authorities believe Adams was following a primitive trail when he fell over the edge.

    Clallam County Chief Criminal Deputy Brian King said Adams’ body was found 300 feet (91 meters) below the trail in a ravine after a group of hikers reported glimpsing something that looked like clothing on Saturday.

    He had only traveled about six miles before he had the accident. Officials don’t believe anything nefarious caused the tragedy.