Free Republic

U.S. troops have begun construction of a pier to be used to bring humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, the Pentagon confirmed Thursday. “I can confirm that U.S. military vessels, to include the USNS Benavidez, have begun to construct the initial stages of the temporary pier and causeway at sea,” Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said. The news came on the same day Palestinian terrorists fired mortars at United Nations officials as they toured the proposed pier site, as Breitbart News reported.

The man fatally shot by Seattle police officers at a Tukwila hotel last week was a retired U.S. Navy physician who is tied to an address in Hansville, Kitsap County, records show.Bruce Coval Meneley,67, was identified Tuesday by the King County Medical Examiner’s Office, which determined he died from multiple gunshot wounds and ruled his death a homicide. Task force members were conducting a sting operation at the Double Tree Hotel in Tukwila to arrest a suspect who thought he was going to meet two young girls, ages 7 and 11, in a hotel room, according to an item posted...

A U.S. Navy photo posted to X is being mocked for showing a commander shooting an AR-platform rifle with the scope mounted backwards. The photo shows a commander, identified as Commander Cameron Yaste by the Defense Blog, shooting an AR-platform rifle with what appears to be a Trijicon VCOG scope atop it. Problem: the scope is mounted backwards. This means the commander had no sight picture whatsoever as he fired the gun. This was shared today by the official US Navy Instagram. When you see it try not to break your phone. pic.twitter.com/udV0hyvdmJ — Zachary Bell (@zacharyebell) April 9, 2024

Thursday, March 21, 2024, shortly after noon, the Battleship New Jersey began traveling down the Delaware River. The ship arrived at Paulsboro Marine Terminal in Paulsboro, New Jersey, just before 4 p.m. for hull preparation. A week later, the historic ship will head to the Philadelphia Navy Yard for historic dry dock maintenance. "This battleship is just a tremendous piece of history," Battleship New Jersey CEO Marshall Spevak said. “This is a once in a generation opportunity really to see the ship move.” When did Battleship NJ depart? The ship left from Camden on March 21 around high tide --...

The commander of an East Coast destroyer squadron that recently returned from an extended deployment aboard USS Gerald R Ford (CVN-78) was removed from his position on Saturday. Capt. William "Mac" Harkin was removed from command of the Norfolk, Va. based Destroyer Squadron 2, by the commander of Carrier Strike Group 12 Rear Adm. Erick Eslich, "due to loss of confidence in Capt. Harkin's ability to perform his duties," reads a Navy statement. "Capt. James Von St. Paul will assume the duties s commodore of Destroyer Squadron 2. Harkin will be temporarily assigned to the staff of Commander, Naval Surface...

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea has conducted a test of its underwater nuclear weapons system in a protest against this week's joint military drills by South Korea, the United States and Japan, state media KCNA said on Friday. The test of the "Haeil-5-23" system, a name North Korea has given to its nuclear-capable underwater attack drones, was carried out by the defence ministry's think tank in the waters off its east coast, the report said, without specifying a date.

The two Navy SEALs who went missing off the coast of Somalia last week were helping seize Iranian weapons bound for the Houthis, the US said in a statement on Tuesday. The Navy SEALs carried out a "complex boarding" of a dhow, operating out of the USS Lewis B. Puller and assisted by helicopters and unmanned aerial drones, CENTCOM said. (excerpt) Among what was seized were propulsion, guidance, and warheads for medium-range ballistic missiles and anti-ship cruise missiles, as well as air-defense-associated components, it said. (excerpt) The Associated Press earlier reported, citing unnamed US officials, that the pair were climbing...

[Video] Schab has returned for the 82nd commemoration of the Pearl Harbor attack. HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Pearl Harbor survivor “Ike” Schab is back in Honolulu. The 103-year-old was greeted with applause Sunday as he got off his flight from Portland. Schab has returned for the 82nd commemoration of the Pearl Harbor attack. It’s a trip that almost didn’t happen because of an illness, but Schab was determined to make it to this year’s ceremony. While it’s been more than eight decades since the Pearl Harbor attack, Dec. 7 still brings back his memories of being there. ”And they’re not necessarily...

USS Thomas Hudner (DDG-116) shot down multiple one-way attack drones launched from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, U.S. Central Command announced on X, the site formerly know as Twitter, Wednesday night. This is the second time the Thomas Hudner shot down drones launched from Yemen in two weeks. The guided-missile destroyer also shot down a drone in the Red Sea on Nov. 15...

Just in case you're feeling too cheerful, here are ten more statistics to make you consider emigrating to Mars: 1. Paul Bond quotes a poll by the Barna Group: "Nearly 40 Percent of U.S. Gen Zs, 30 Percent of Young Christians Identify as LGBTQ, Poll Shows." (The Gallup Poll shows considerably less SNIP 2. We read in Breitbart that a poll shows that a majority of Americans aged 18-24 say the Hamas massacre of Israeli civilians was ‘justified.’ SNIP 3. A friend of mine moved to Arizona years ago to escape New York taxes. Though that state is overly hot...

The Pentagon needs a third shipyard that can build nuclear-powered ships so the U.S. can keep pace with China and Russia’s nuclear modernization, a congressional commission said in a new report published Thursday. A third private shipyard would expand industry’s capacity to build nuclear-powered submarines, therefore bolstering U.S. strategic forces, according to the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States. The commission suggests the Pentagon “increase shipbuilding capacity, by working with industry to establish or renovate a third shipyard dedicated to production of nuclear-powered vessels, with particular emphasis on nuclear-powered submarines,” according to the report.

Breaking News Israel: #Iran is now moving "Strategic Weapons" to #Syria for a potential offensive against #Israel according to an Israeli Intelligence officer.The Gerald Ford Aircraft Carrier group is stationed nearby and the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group is en route from the… pic.twitter.com/NVgmMeaD25— Jim Ferguson (@JimFergusonUK) October 15, 2023

A team of former Navy Seals and CIA operatives splash beer on their faces as they prepare to play the part of American sex tourists. They’ll have to maintain laser-sharp focus as they engage in negotiations with some of the world’s dirtiest criminals. One suspicious move or remark could put their whole team at risk and prevent the rescue of dozens of innocent children. This team, known as Operation Underground Railroad, works to prosecute child sex traffickers and to rescue the victims. Heading the team is Tim Ballard — a husband, a father of six children and a BYU alumnus....

The training accident killed eight Marines and one sailor. The former Navy commanding officer of the amphibious transport dock USS Somerset, who was officially censured for a training accident in which eight Marines and one sailor died, will not command an aircraft carrier after all. Navy Capt. John William Kurtz was the Somerset’s captain when an amphibious assault vehicle, or AAV, sank while returning to the ship during a July 30, 2020 training exercise. It was the deadliest training accident involving an AAV in Marine Corps history..... But not long after news broke that Kurtz had been selected to command...

The commanding officer of the guided-missile destroyer John Finn was relieved of command Friday. Cmdr. Angela Gonzales was relieved “due to a loss of confidence in her ability to fulfill her responsibilities in leading the ship,” according to a brief Navy statement issued Saturday. As is the case with nearly every Navy CO firing, no other information was provided regarding the reasons for Gonzales being relieved of command. John Finn is assigned to U.S. 7th Fleet in Yokosuka, Japan. Cmdr. Matthew Hays has assumed interim commanding officer duties, and Gonzales has been reassigned to Naval Surface Force Pacific. US Navy...

Drag performances took place on board the USS Ronald Reagan under the command of a Navy captain whose promotion to rear admiral is currently being blocked by Republican Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville. Capt. Michael Donnelly served as commanding officer of the aircraft carrier the USS Ronald Reagan from April 2016 to September 2018. During that time period, Yeoman 2rd Class Joshua Kelley was performing as a drag queen at Morale, Welfare, and Recreation department-sanctioned events on the carrier under the drag name “Harpy Daniels.” As commander of the USS Ronald Reagan, Donnelly would have been aware of, and responsible for,...

Three people who died when a jet crashed off California’s San Clemente Island this week were taking part in a U.S. Navy training exercise, their employer confirmed Friday. The victims, Eric Tatman, Spencer Geerlings and Shane Garner worked for Georgia-based Phoenix Air, a company with clients in the private sector and government, according to its website. The three men perished when the Phoenix Air Learjet 36 went down roughly one-mile southwest of San Clemente Island, which is the southernmost of California’s Channel Islands, around 7:40 a.m. Wednesday morning, officials said. San Clemente Island is owned and managed by the Navy,...

The Navy brought on an active-duty drag queen to participate in a pilot program aimed at reaching a wider audience through popular social media platforms as the military faces severe recruiting woes.

Presidents Joe Biden and Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday will sign an agreement that includes plans to have U.S. nuclear-armed submarines dock in South Korea for the first time in more than 40 years, a conspicuous show of support to Seoul amid growing concern about nuclear threats by North Korea, according to senior Biden administration officials. The planned dock visits are a key element of what’s being dubbed the “Washington Declaration,” aimed at deterring North Korea from carrying out an attack on its neighbor.

A prominent pro-Kremlin propagandist has been unmasked as a 37-year-old Navy veteran and tropical fish seller from New Jersey. Divorcee Sarah Bils is known to her 100,000 devoted fans online as 'Donbas Devushka', or Donbas Girl. She posed as a Russian Jew from the occupied Ukrainian city of Luhansk and a geopolitics expert. -snip- She left the military in November last year with an honorable discharge but only after being demoted. Bils claims she was 'kicked out' of the Navy due to her 'leftist views.'