Could a Diver Breach Security at Norfolk Naval Base?

WAVY News 10 ^ | Jan. 29, 2002 | WAVY News 10

[harpseal]

In the 1980's there was a test operation in New London where some person made the mistake of getting aboard a sub where the CO did not know of any test. One of the watch standers put a third eye (.45 cal) into the operator who had boarded the boomer. Since the boomer had a full war load aboard and the skipper of the sub had no way of knowing it was a test and since the boarder did not surrender when challenged no one got to go to mast but there were some very unpleasent questions to the CO of the unit assigned to penetrate.

Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - yorktown

[harpseal]

I have not been very impressed with the security at some bases over the past months. I shall leave my comments to that.

Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown

[Squantos]

As it should be......when I played agressor in such a manner rule one was no weapons, and when/if ever caught follow all commands usually there was also a monitor/observer who had the watch standers frequency for his portable radio or someone in the control center who validated that this was indeed and exercise to prevent the upcahnneling of a real helping hand or covered wagon report.......

Stay Safe ! BTW we went for 76 degrees Monday to 27 today w/ snow , ice and lots of wind !!.......Ahhhh Amarillo , weather guessers hell !

[sneakypete]

but there were some very unpleasent questions to the CO of the unit assigned to penetrate.

Marchinko?

[harpseal]

I believe the Mr. Marchinko was already staying at club fed when this happened.

Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown

[tracer]

The ships i my homeport (Newport, R.I>) always had their sonars pinging in port. The rationale was that the pings would do a real number on a diver?

Travis, Harpseal, Squantos, et al: is this true??

[stuartcr]

All you need to do is deliver pizzas.

[Travis McGee]

Marcinko is a known liar and self-promoter who is a legend in his own mind.

Yup.

[Travis McGee]

Too much discussion on this topic in open forum will only be helpful to the bad guys, and I will not get into threats and capablities and defenses since it would only be drawing a map for the bad guys. Same as Squantos with IEDs.

[Travis McGee]

Suffice to say SEALs test security around ships all the time as part of their own training, and if our ships are still vulnerable it is not because the Admirals don't know all about it.

But sometimes, as with the COLE debacle, small minds applying peacetime application of the regs will refuse to do what is needed for security.

[harpseal]

I do not and will not get into potential counter measure in an open forum.

Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown

[harpseal]

But sometimes, as with the COLE debacle, small minds applying peacetime application of the regs will refuse to do what is needed for security.

This is only too true and as with the Cole disater sailors die as a result. I will be a whole lot happier when every sailor is well trained in small arms and force protection. I have heard that at least now in Basic training they are getting a good grounding in damage control which is another essential for anyone aboard a ship.

Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown

[sneakypete]

And I'd like to publicly apologize to you and my other SEAL friends for pointing out that this scum-sucking cretin was ever a SEAL. I guess it just proves than no screening system is perfect.

[Travis McGee]

To say the least.

[Travis McGee]

The mindset really has to change for any security to be effective.

The skipper of the COLE had his RHIB in the davits, his crew in the chow line, and his guards with unloaded weapons when the boat bomb came alongside.

We need clear direction that we would rather be "safe than sorry" and be very permissive in giving guards the authority to shoot. Needless to say, they need training in how to shoot!

[sneakypete]

We need clear direction that we would rather be "safe than sorry" and be very permissive in giving guards the authority to shoot.

Good luck,there. This would require the approval of those elitist bastards at the US State Dept in each country visited. The safety and welfare of military people and equipment is pretty low on their priority list. They would rather see sailors die than have a "international incident" happen during their "watch".

[tracer]

I agree with your sentiments re: discussion of countermeasures, but this was old news 30 years ago. The tangos have long since addressed this, no doubt.

And you could hear the ping anywhere around the docks. Hell, even the Chinese laundry pickup drivers would comment about it. I always assumed that my info from the ping jockeys was correct and just wanted a SEAL perspective.

Point well taken, however, in any event. I'm sensitive to the issue of shipboard security, too, having nearly shot a diver (one of ours, as it turned out) trying to board us in a Med anchorage sans other countermeasures on our part. I don't claim "heroism" too far beyond that, though. All the best.....

[tracer]

BTW, we were under no such restrictions re: shooting intruders (do Neopolitan carabinieri count?)-- whenever and wherever.

But those were better days and ironically, a bit before terrorism as we now know it became an international sport. Stay alert and safe....

[tracer]

BTW, I'm no fan of Marcinko, but wasn't he in fact the one who organized ST6 and the concept of counter-terrorist ops in the Nav??

(incoming!!!) 8-)

[Junior]

Those ships are huge and the water depth is very shallow under their berth.

A ship sunk in 30 feet of water is still not going anywhere anytime soon. It may not be a total loss, but it would be considered along the lines of a mission kill.