[PieterCasparzen]

Need to scream and yell about this, we're goin' nuts with this already. It's one reef, it'll bounce back. Nuts.

[Pearls Before Swine]

Are you F’n kidding me?

This is beyond nuts. We are the laughing stock of every competent military in the world!

[Louis Foxwell]

Substantially more damage will be done to the reef in the process of dismantling the ship than if it were simply tugged off the reef. Politically correct policy run amuck, again.

[gaijin]

The US Navy..

1. Put women on nuclear subs

2. Names new ships after 60’s radicals

3. Makes combat aviation documentaries featuring ONLY minorities

4. Cuts up $0.2 billion ships to avoid damaging REEFS

[Pearls Before Swine]

I went to the original article on ABC (not the linked posting). There may be more to it—it’s a wooden-hulled minesweeper, and the hull is trashed and leaking. They could have lifted it onto a barge, but they claim it’s too damaged for that.

[NormsRevenge]

Anchor the dang thing there and claim it in the name of Obama.

[Red Badger]

IT’S A WOODEN HULLED SHIP. Mine sweepers can’t have metal hulls..........

[E. Pluribus Unum]

We've come a long way from Bikini Atoll, baby!

[cableguymn]

Corals are hardy little animals. As long as the cause of injury is removed they bounce right back. I grow them as a hobby and use to run a retail store. We cut them, break them and glue um to rocks. They almost always spring right back.

Why not just pull the ship back the same way it went in? it’ll follow it’s own damage path back out.

[Erik Latranyi]

US Navy defeated by coral!

[elkfersupper]

If you just leave it there, it becomes the reef eventually.

[AZLiberty]

“The U.S. Navy also revealed Jan. 18 that the digital navigational chart in use by the Guardian misplaced the correct location of the reef by about eight nautical miles."

That's the last time they buy mapping software from Apple!

[GeronL]

insanity

[theBuckwheat]

Enviro-madness. The reef will heal. The interest on the money we borrowed to build that ship will keep accumulating forever.

[Rebelbase]

Good thing were not a war and blowing up reefs for landing craft in the South Pacific like we did 70 years ago.

[tophat9000]

Image this same pc government logic when applied to your heathcare

[ridesthemiles]

How many pounds of items would have to be removed to lift the ship higher in it’s draft & allow it to float off- and then the parts could be re-installed?

I have seen more than one trailer too high for a bridge get stuck. Solution? let some air out of the tires—SLOWLY continue under the bridge——or back out completely . Re-air up the tires.

I’m NOT the person who thought this up!!!!

[mrsmith]

How leaving it there for months to beat up the reef while divers maneuver on the dangerous coral to dismantle it is a good idea is beyond me.

Get it off quickly for the reef’s sake and to a safe area to dismantle it for the divers’.

They can make balloons out of very tough fabrics these days.