Friday, July 07, 2006

WHEN ARE THEY GOING TO GET A CLUE????

Right from the start I want everyone to understand that I don't hate animals and would protect them with everything that I have. In fact, I did for many years while working for veterinarians.
I don't want to step on anyone's toes, but here goes. Afterall, this is my blog.

This week and for a few more, we have a wonderful training exercise going on out here in the Pacific called Rimpac. It involves 35 surface ships, 19,000 servicemen, 6 subs, 160 aircraft and amphibious forces from the U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada, (Yes, Canada has some beautiful ships), Chile, Peru, Japan and South Korea.

Now, I know all you wonderful veterans get it, you know how important these training exercises are, but there are just some people that haven't a clue. I am mainly speaking of groups such as the Natural Rescources Defense Council, and other groups filing lawsuits. They are having a hissy fit due to the sonar testing "maybe" harming the whales.

Don't get me wrong, I love whales and I go see them often while they are here. All of the humpbacks are back way up North now, we have a few other breeds that are not endangered still in the Pacific.
The Navy had already made provisions to scale the sonar back, when, in fact, they had the permission to go ahead, it is badly needed for detecting the new diesel subs now being made that are very much quietier than the old ones. It is a use your talent for detecting or loose it being talked about here.

They had made provisions, for the first time in the 35 year Rimpac history, to reduce sonar output to 6 decibels if marine mammals were spotted with 1100 yards, to reduce by 10 decibel within 550 yeards and complete elimination of active sonar within 220 yards. The Navy is taking this very seriously, but how are they to protect us in time of need when they have this constant fight going on? You can bet, in the case of an attack, these groups would be the first to cry for help.

This is a very critical exercise and now we have a District court Judge, A Florence-Marie Cooper sitting way back in San Fran making this huge decision to ban these exercises. I would even go as far to say, she hasn't a clue and has never served in the armed forces or been on a ship.
You can bet your bottom dollar that if the afore mentioned judge was sitting on her akole on the bench out here and had a wacko country like North Korea shooting long range missles that will land God knows where, she would talk out of the other side of her mouth.

Oh Yes, for the 4th of July, where was I, well, we made our yearly pilgrimage through Pearl Harbor and to all the memorials.
Until you have sat at the mouth of the harbor and watched all those beautiful colorful ships, (yes, some are a nice green now) pull out in our defense, then you haven't lived. I still get chicken skin thinking about it.