Today would have been a Sunday, those many years ago, preceding the even. Holiday Routine is the normal situation on the ship. Revillie is delayed, and only the Duty Section (on coming and off going) is required to muster. Chow is much more relaxed and extended, allowing the duty section to get a little extra sleep.

The day is not without work, and I’m sure there was extra activity, given the short notice of the operational requirement, and the shorthanded status of the crew during stand down. Stores and other supplies, delivered to the pier would have to have been broken down off of pallets and hand carried below to the store rooms, magazines and refrigerators. While there is an ammunition elevator in the center of the ship, most items still require “working parties” to be called away to get the job done.

The Command Duty Officer would be busy making sure the events of the Getting Underway Checklist are on track. Despite having easy to start and operate gas turbine engines, basic machinery still drives the propulsion plant and things like heating up the lube oil for the reduction gears, purifying fuel for the filling the service tanks and such things still require a long lead time. Communications checks would be in the works for the day, and checking the message traffic to ensure the request for tugs and pilots from Port services has been confirmed for the sailing times. walks about the ship, for basic cleanliness and to check that spaces are secured for sea are part of the routine. Making sure all the trash gets off the ship, and doesn’t build up are part of the duty of the CDO and the Duty Department heads, as well as the Divisional Petty Officers on Watch.

The Officer of the Deck and his watchstanders monitor the comings and goings from the ship and are the keepers of the Ship’s main phone line, relegating the Messenger or the Petty Officer of the Watch to receptionist duties. Some calls are easy to handle, some are not.

The Duty Engineer has a more extensive checklist and carries most of the responsibility for the efforts on the day before underway to assure the plant is “online and ready to answer all bells” when the Commanding Officer gives permission to get underway the following morning.

By the end of the day, some of the crew not living aboard and not having duty will arrive, choosing to spend the night aboard, so they are not caught in the traffic the next morning. They have their goodbyes with wives and children and head to their berthing space to stow their gear, and then usually go and check to make sure their spaces or work for the dawn are on track, or maybe even complete a few things early, so the next day is not so much of a rush of activity.

The thoughts of many of the crew are not exactly charitable, regarding the sister ship of the squadron, which has been stateside for several months, is not going to sea, and they will be, 31 short days after doing their forward deployed assignment, but they are professionals and sailors, and we all know a happy sailor is a complaining sailor…

Tomorrow: Underway enroute a meeting with notable history.

The A-10 Thunderbolt II has long been the red-headed step child in the Air Force Inventory. Maybe military mythology, but back in the early 70s, I heard the plane being referred to as being shoved down the throats of the USAF by Congressmen, with interests in keeping jobs in their districts. Later, I heard the USAF was scrapping it and the Army enthusiastically stepped up, wanting to take them over. The “Mission Envy” entered the argument and the USAF informed the Army that offensive fixed wing stuff was the domain of the blue suiters and the Army couldn’t have them.

So, here’s the good news: The USAF finally gets it (geez…what slow learners they are!).

Well, after years of a fighter mafia dominance that kicked the A-10 to the curb, Air Force officials finally woke up and realized all anyone cares about these days is putting warheads on foreheads, not shooting down MiGs from 10 miles away. So the blue-suiters have finally given the Hog its due and funneled some much-needed money to the workhorse CAS platform. And now they’re accelerating the Warthog renaissance.

More news at Defense Industry Daily on the details of the A-1oC Precision Engagement Program. I like that sound of that. Too bad Capt Lex is retiring and won’t get the pleasure of precision engagement with the GAU-8.

As I pondered the question asked on talk shows and around the blogs: “Why didn’t he MSM show the beheading videos, but they showed this [Cho’s homegrown work]?”, this is what I believe is an underlying cultural current:

This video, horrific as it is, is yet another way to help describe how “bad” America is. The <a href=”http://amboytimes.typepad.com/the_amboy_times/2007/04/islam_beheading.html”>beheadings</a>, if shown, have the possibility of a backlash that would make the perpetrators look “bad” and then by derivation, America would look “good.” Can’t have that…

Disable reality for a moment and forget that Cho was raised in South Korea in the critical years of youth when personality is developed, according to he experts. Just pretend he has been affected by all that has been railed against in this nation for a few decades, it will make it easier to buy into the MSM’s subconscious efforts.

In addition to the above remarks, consider the trend we see of easily jumping all over the ones who don’t pose a threat. Cho is gone. If he feels bad about any of the spin on his legacy effort, well…he’s not going to shoot anyone else. On the other hand, some jihadi, or jihadi copycat, might show up at your car when you are leaving for the early morning broadcast and doa Nick Berg on you. There you have it: Only pick on the weak, or those who have shown they will not retaliate. Sort of a “Media Bullying” approach to journalism.

Consider how anything that makes the President, Cabinet officials, or any Republican look bad hits the streets right away. Anything that has the potential to make America look like a bunch of gun toting, hood wearing, bigoted, whacked out society is quickly streamed and rolled over and over and over. Where is the news of heroism, sacrifice, persistent effort (vice instant gratification) to accomplish something meaningful? Yes, little snippets pop up, but then are not crawling across the screen of your TV, nor mentioned every 30 minutes for a week. well, maybe if a 6 year old takes it upon them selves to walk their neighborhood and collect money to prevent Global “Climate Change,” then you will see that story over and over…because, you got it: America, by derivation of that type of story, is “bad.”

News: It’s about America’s inherent “badness.”

I think it is connected to this, but is not just about the specific movement discussed in that book.

Connected thought: Just where does the “Self-Esteem” movement come down on this issue? It certainly seems to be absent in telling us we have the right to feel good about ourselves…

Here’s at least a 1000 word essay in compacted form:

By: Chip BokMaybe the best part of this alternative future is the Dems won’t have to take expensive junkets to a far off bit of real estate, stained with the blood of a volunteer force. They are doing the raising right on Capitol Hill. The many advantages include:

• You can stop at the memorial and then be in your office in 2 minutes
• You don’t have to suffer the disapproving stares of the military crews of the transportation command, while you jet half way around the world
• You won’t have to hike about in 130 degree heat to get there and smile while sweating rivers
• You won’t have to look the people in the eyes who’s families were slaughtered when the US military pulls out too early (you may still have to face the families of the dead and wounded service members on the way to your office daily)
• The money saved by not traveling can be used in the welfare system to buy more votes, because you can reduce the travel budget for DoD
• When Shar’ia Law becomes the law of the land, you’ll be worshiped as Heroes of the Caliphate

How convenient!

Now this certainly will come to the front quickly (NOT!) or there will be efforts to, at the least discount, at best, bury, any detailed looks into this report. Talk about and embarrassment at the party’s refreshment bowl, on any side of the aisle:

“I Found Saddam’s WMD Bunkers” from Melanie Phillips’s column in the Spectator.

The reported find of bunkers built under the Euphrates River bed doesn’t seem all that outrageous. Remember the reports about German engineering firms constructing elaborate bunkers for Saddam? No one disputes that. So, possible from a technical standpoint? Yes. Possible from the track record of Saddam? Yes to that, also.

Will we see more to help ferret out the truth? Not likely. Our children will most likely know, long after we go and books are written by historians.

H/T: commenter nuke gingrich at Little Green Footballs