There’s an idea…turn the LCS into an AGI, and then she’ll get just as shot up as the Liberty. Yes, that was sarcasm.

No offense, but the only thing that would have saved Liberty from the pounding she got was a CG ready to fire back.

The metric is that it’s always stupid to put an unarmed/lightly armed ship in a place where it can get shot to pieces.

Roger that, Chief. My only point was that no good can come from putting an unarmed/lightly armed US Navy ship in close quarters to harms way with no support to speak of.

Out of respect to the Chiefs wishes, I’ll refrain from responding.

Glad to see a brave sailor get the recognition he deserves.

Way too damn late.

(Warning: Old curmudgeon opinion follows.) Especially since he and his shipmates were hung out on windy corner with no way to defend themselves by bonehead Flag Officers and various bunches of guys sitting around tables in DC.

Now Natty, I spell: ALFA: unarmed third party forward observers hanging around an ongoing battle tend to get picked off by one or the other engaged parties who may want to keep something unobserved.

BRAVO: Expectations in battle get you killed. Things go from koolaid and cookies on the veranda to death cage match with mad mamma grizzly bears on no notice. Expect and prepare for trouble, the worst kind of trouble, pray it doesn’t come. That’s not a 40 year old lesson learned, that’s the nature of the business.

CHARLIE: Navy sailors on Navy ships therefore need to go armed. Heavily armed, drilled daily, dead eye accurate, and quick on the draw. So they can go home to make and dandle babies. Anything less is just Russian roulette.

DELTA: Shipboard sailors follow orders, good or bad. When the orders ignore the above, good sailors die. Needlessly. Regardless, their duty is to do the best they can with what they have (h.t. FADM E. J. King). Liberty’s Captain and crew did better and braver than the Navy has a right to expect and does anyway, because our sailors are US Navy sailors. May it ever be so (about our sailors, not bonehead orders).

The flag means the officer concerned is responsible to issue good orders that keep good sailors from dying needlessly. Sometimes thiry years before the fact, in a memo setting forth a design concept. It is their duty to keep that in mind, all day every day.

Hope that clears it up.

Chief: this is a footnote on the valor of a brave sailor. Nothing more. Nuff said.

When two old crusty Chiefs are rumbling around, I tend to stay in the weeds…

@Natty – I disagree. I think Grandpa’s lessons are pretty straightforward.

Alfa – Even if you are not directly involved, you’re still potentially going in harm’s way.

Bravo – Considering alfa, you better expect the unexpected, and be prepared for it.

Charlie – Considering alfa and bravo, you need something more than 45s and M1s (IIRC that’s all they had), and you better be proficient with them.

Delta – If you’re a flag officer putting a unit in a potentially hostile area, you better have their backs with units ready to act.

Maybe not ground-breaking observations, but still good lessons to remember.