Dad was surface warfare qualified on the USS Impervious (known as the Scurvy Pervy). It was a minesweeper.

I remember it was made of plywood and when they would return from rough seas, sometimes there would be plywood missing (top layer).

When the rest of the fleet would head out to sea when a hurricane was inbound, they would duck up a river instead.

I did a dependent's cruise on it and saw how most everything worked. The best was when they would engage mines with the 50 cals.

All that being said, those boats were old (they were technically boats due to their size) and used up. Not sure if the 4 being decommissioned are of the same class. If so, then they are really old as my dad was on the Pervy in '84 and was decommissioned years ago. They have to have something better these days. I will have to Google all of this, but if they are of the same class, they were probably way past end-of-life.

Oh... and most of the cruises my dad went on were to the Med.

quote:

...but if they are of the same class, they were probably way past end-of-life.

Oh trust me, they were.
My main concern is how thoroughly vetted what they are replacing them with actually is. Mostly because of the platform (littoral class), which has been pretty bumpy from the start, and bumpy is being nice.

quote:

Originally posted by Patriot:
Can’t we also use AMCM using MH-53s?

The RH-53s are set to retire if they've not already, as MH-60S has replaced them pulling smaller equipment through the water. I think there's only one squadron set to the mission, they might even be a Reserve squadron. The -60S being a smaller airframe, makes them easier to deploy and integrate on a wider range of ships to include the LCS' as the -53's were limited to just big-decks.

Regarding earlier discussions about the strategic reserves...

https://www.theepochtimes.com/...ok2TEgDV0EGbaCu0Y%3D

172 Million Barrels of Oil to Be Released From US Strategic Petroleum Reserve

The move follows an earlier announcement by the International Energy Agency, whose member nations pledged to make 400 million barrels of oil available.

The Trump administration is tapping into the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve to ease rising gas prices amid the war with Iran, the president said Wednesday.

The Department of Energy announced 172 million barrels of oil will be released beginning next week.

“This will take approximately 120 days to deliver based on planned discharge rates,” the Energy Department said in a statement. “Unlike the previous administration, which left America’s oil reserves drained and damaged, the United States has arranged to more than replace these strategic reserves with approximately 200 million barrels within the next year—20 percent more barrels than will be drawn down—and at no cost to the taxpayer.”

America’s energy security is as strong as ever, the statement said.

Trump announced the move earlier Wednesday but did not specify at the time how many barrels of oil would be released. The action follows another announcement the same day by the International Energy Agency (IEA), which said it will make 400 million barrels of oil available.

When asked about tapping into the reserve, Trump said, “We’ll do that, and then we’ll fill it up. I filled it up once, and I’ll fill it up again.”

A month ago, the national average gas price was $2.94 a gallon, according to AAA. Last week, that number was $3.20. On Wednesday, AAA reported it to be $3.58.

The national average price for diesel on Wednesday was $4.83. A week ago, it was $4.04, AAA said, and the number was at $3.67 a month ago. California had the highest prices: an average of $5.34 a gallon of regular.

“We have to get rid of the evil,” Trump said about the Iranian regime, adding that releasing some of the U.S. reserves will help ease Americans’ pain at the pump caused by the war.

The president’s comments come only hours after the Paris-based IEA said its member nations agreed to release 400 million barrels of oil from reserves. It would become the largest withdrawal on record as governments around the world attempt to mitigate the spike in global energy prices.
Global crude oil demand is about 100 million barrels per day, so the IEA’s release is expected to cover about four days of worldwide consumption.

Oil prices reacted following the international group’s announcement.

The U.S. benchmark for oil prices, West Texas Intermediate, increased nearly 5 percent Wednesday to top $92 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Brent, the global benchmark, rose almost 5 percent as well to around $97 per barrel in overseas markets.

Oil prices have eased significantly since the start of the trading week, when oil topped out at $115 per barrel.

The IEA’s announcement came a day after 32 member governments met to discuss fallout from the Iranian conflict, especially regarding shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which has plunged since the onset of the war.

Each country will release its emergency reserves over a timeframe, according to the IEA’s decision.

“The oil market challenges we are facing are unprecedented in scale,” IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said in a statement.

“Oil markets are global so the response to major disruptions needs to be global too. … I am pleased that IEA members are showing strong solidarity in taking decisive action together.”

This is the sixth time the group, established in 1974, has coordinated a release from emergency reserves.

But it could take time for the oil to reach the market, Siebert Financial CIO Mark Malek told The Epoch Times. Or this could purely be a “psychology move,” he added.

“The market responded to it like a patient responding to a placebo that they believe is real medicine,” Malek said.

Meanwhile, Iran also warned the world on Wednesday to prepare for potential $200 per barrel prices as it struck three commercial vessels near the Strait of Hormuz. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported that unknown projectiles targeted a bulk carrier, cargo vessel, and container ship overnight Wednesday.

quote:

Originally posted by 6guns:
“This will take approximately 120 days to deliver based on planned discharge rates,” the Energy Department said in a statement. “Unlike the previous administration, which left America’s oil reserves drained and damaged, the United States has arranged to more than replace these strategic reserves with approximately 200 million barrels within the next year—20 percent more barrels than will be drawn down—and at no cost to the taxpayer.”

The DOE calls it an "exchange" and it's essentially a loan paid back in crude oil and the interest is also paid back in crude oil.

However, the part I don't like is the payback period takes us past hurricane season. A month before peak hurricane season, this will have the SPR pulled down to 235.4 million barrels. At the rate US refineries process crude oil that's a measly 12 days US wide, or it's a worrisome 22 days for Gulf Coast refinery processing capability.

That was a part of my concern also. Just before hurricane season and the Gulf is already warmer than usual for this time of year.

https://x.com/nhazony/status/2032100407783080305

Satellite imagery shows something curious: While the United States and Israel dropped over 7,000 bombs on Iran over the past week, not a single munition struck the underground complex of Iran’s nuclear site in Isfahan.

Last June, Iran’s nuclear sites in Natanz and Fordow were attacked with massive GBU-57 bombs. The Isfahan site was attacked with Tomahawk missiles. While Iran’s nuclear infrastructure was destroyed, its stockpile of enriched uranium survived.

Iran could be storing its stockpile of 60% enriched uranium in Isfahan, enough for potentially 10 nuclear weapons. It took Iran over a decade to enrich this uranium. If the U.S. bombs Isfahan, it may end up merely burying the enriched uranium. Iran could recover it later.

This may be why President Trump spoke of a ground operation only for “a very good reason.” The U.S. isn’t interested in invading Iran, but appears to be considering a limited special operation to remove or destroy Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile.

Six weeks ago, Iran backfilled the entrances to the Isfahan nuclear site with soil to prevent U.S. or Israeli special forces from going in. Iran believes that such a scenario could happen. Indeed, Iran is particularly vulnerable to this kind of incursion due to its geography.

The Zagros Mountains stretch from northern Iran all the way south towards the Persian Gulf, with peaks reaching 14,000 feet. Any invading army would struggle to traverse them. But for small teams of airborne U.S. special forces, these mountains provide the perfect cover.

And Iran’s territory is massive — larger than that of France, Germany, and Spain combined — U.S. special forces could land undetected in Iran’s vast desolate deserts. With its air force destroyed, Iran has no way of quickly confronting them.

Indeed, last June, Israeli Mossad agents launched Spike missiles from a desolate area inside Iran. By the time Iranian forces arrived on scene, the agents were long gone.

The U.S. and Israel enter and exit Iran at will. If they want to, they can set up temporary positions deep within Iran’s territory. With its air defenses decimated, its radars degraded, and its leadership dead, Iran is exposed to the most painful kind of sabotage.

Iran’s New Leader Issues First Statement, Says Hormuz Closure Should Be Used as Leverage
Mojtaba Khamenei threatened countries hosting U.S. bases, urging them to shut the facilities or face consequences.


Iran’s newly appointed leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, said on March 12 that the Strait of Hormuz must remain closed for leverage and vowed retaliation for Iranians killed in the conflict, according to Iran’s state news agency Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).

The statement, delivered in writing rather than in person, marked his first major address since being chosen to replace his father, Ali Khamenei, who was killed in U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran on Feb. 28.
Mojtaba Khamenei did not appear on camera during the broadcast. Israeli officials assessed on March 11 that he may have suffered a leg injury during attacks targeting his father’s bunker. An Israeli security official told Epoch Magazine on March 11 that the severity of Khamenei’s injury is unclear at this stage.
Khamenei signaled that Iran would pursue a prolonged campaign of retaliation.

“I assure everyone that we will not refrain from avenging the blood of our martyrs,” he said, adding that each civilian killed by Iran’s enemies constituted a separate case for revenge.

He said some retaliation had already begun, but warned the effort would continue until Tehran considered justice achieved.


Iranian Regime Names Khamenei’s Son as New Leader
“We will be especially sensitive regarding the blood of our children. Therefore, the crime the enemy deliberately committed against the Shajareh-Tayyebeh school in Minab, and some similar cases, holds a special status in this process of accountability,” he said.

Khamenei emphasized the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes, suggesting Iran intends to keep pressure on international shipping.

“The lever of closing the Strait of Hormuz must certainly continue to be used as well,” he said.

He added that Iran had studied “opening other fronts in which the enemy has little experience and would be highly vulnerable.”

Khamenei also praised Iranian forces for resisting what he described as foreign aggression. He thanked fighters who had “blocked the enemy’s path with their powerful blows” and thwarted attempts to dominate or divide Iran.
Military Bases
The new leader issued a stark warning to countries hosting U.S. forces in the region, urging them to shut down military bases used by Washington.
“These countries must clarify their position regarding those who have attacked our beloved homeland and killed members of our people,” he said, adding that U.S. assurances of security had proven to be “nothing more than a lie.”

Khamenei warned that if compensation was not provided, Iran would seize or destroy enemy assets. “If it refuses, we will take from its assets to the extent we deem appropriate, and if that is not possible, we will destroy its assets to the same extent,” he said.
Succession
In the address, Khamenei acknowledged the death of his father and several close relatives in the airstrike that killed the former leader. He said he personally saw the body afterward.
“I had the honor of seeing his body after his martyrdom,” he said, describing what he called his father’s steadfastness even in death.

He also confirmed that his wife, one of his sisters, a niece, and his brother-in-law were killed in the same attack. His mother was reported killed earlier in the U.S.–Israeli campaign.

Khamenei said he learned of his own selection as supreme leader from state television, suggesting the decision by the Assembly of Experts was made rapidly amid wartime conditions.

Khamenei, 56, was formally chosen on March 8 by Iran’s Assembly of Experts, an 88-member clerical body constitutionally tasked with selecting the country’s supreme leader.
Long seen as a frontrunner, he has maintained a relatively low public profile but wields influence through close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and conservative clerics.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on March 10 he was disappointed by Iran’s choice.
“I was disappointed because we think it’s going to lead to just more of the same problem for the country,” Trump said at a press conference at Trump National Doral.

Trump said in a March 12 post on Truth Social that while higher oil prices benefit the United States as the world’s largest producer, his top priority was preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

“Of far greater interest and importance to me, as President, is stopping an evil Empire, Iran, from having Nuclear Weapons, and destroying the Middle East and, indeed, the World. I won’t ever let that happen!” he said.


https://www.theepochtimes.com/...W2%2FYZRPZq%2FIaM%3D

Find hm, kill him.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
The Zagros Mountains stretch from northern Iran all the way south towards the Persian Gulf, with peaks reaching 14,000 feet. Any invading army would struggle to traverse them. But for small teams of airborne U.S. special forces, these mountains provide the perfect cover.

And Iran’s territory is massive — larger than that of France, Germany, and Spain combined — U.S. special forces could land undetected in Iran’s vast desolate deserts. With its air force destroyed, Iran has no way of quickly confronting them.

Indeed, last June, Israeli Mossad agents launched Spike missiles from a desolate area inside Iran. By the time Iranian forces arrived on scene, the agents were long gone.

The U.S. and Israel enter and exit Iran at will. If they want to, they can set up temporary positions deep within Iran’s territory. With its air defenses decimated, its radars degraded, and its leadership dead, Iran is exposed to the most painful kind of sabotage.

Setting up remote positions within your enemies territory using your own assets (not recruited in-country nationals) and conducting attacks or, in this case to snatch material like uranium would be incredibly audacious and the stuff of legend. The Maduro mission is only 2-months old, arguably one of the boldest missions ever done, missions like described would be next level.
Israel has already been doing it, now with Iranian security forces on its back-feet, how creative can the planners get

Hmmm. I haven’t seen it, but Mrs. slosig asked me about the risk of drone attacks on California’s sole operating nuclear power plant. I checked this thread, thinking that if there was any real (publicly available) intel it would be posted here. Supposedly they will use drones launched from a ship. My reply to her was that we’ve been sinking the living crud out of their ships and I have a hard time believing that our leadership would allow one of their ships to get close enough. Probably just the local news trying to get people spun up. I guess we’ll see…

I've been hearing this for a few days. How in the hell could Iran attack California? Mexico?

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:
I've been hearing this for a few days. How in the hell could Iran attack California? Mexico?

Apparently this was based on some sketchy information and the administration is strongly denying it's true.

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:
I've been hearing this for a few days. How in the hell could Iran attack California? Mexico?

Oh, a couple different ways.

Do you think it was only Mexicans or Latin Americans running across the border during Droolin’ Joes tenure?

How many people are here in America on a Student Visa with bad intentions?

Play back September 11ths events, now imagine that multiplied by 5.
20 small groups across America, not just the west coast. Major cities like LA, Chicago, Dallas, las Vegas, Denver…

We seem to be able to sneak in how many tons of Cocaine, Heroin, Fentanyl every year. So all of a sudden the Cartels grew a concise? Why not sneak in some cool shit like explosives? Grenades? RPG’s? It’s not like that stuff isn’t lying around in Afghanistan or Iraq, and places in between.
Im not going to talk about sneaking in really cool shit like chemical weapons or nuclear shit.

Or just a few hard-core Hadjis with a handful of AK’s and full magazines. Shopping malls, schools… hell, St Patrick’s Day parades are going to be abundant this weekend. In a few more weeks, Spring Break destinations like Fort Lauderdale…

It’s not that hard.

Kurt Schlichter’s book “The Attack” released before the Nov 2025 Election lays out various scenarios of who, what, when, where, how.

quote:

Originally posted by CPD SIG:
How many people are here in America on a Student Visa with bad intentions?

Yeah. I said to her that if there were teams already here, it’s harder to defend against that. But when she said drones from ships, I have trouble believing that.

something really big just blew up in Qom...

like seriously big explosion

https://x.com/i/status/2031784520194634013

https://www.theepochtimes.com/...zXWH1NizdZ%2B1VnM%3D

US Knows Location of Most Iranian Sleeper Cells Inside America, Trump Says

‘We’ve got our eye on all of them,’ Trump said.

President Donald Trump said on March 11 that his administration knows the location of most Iranian sleeper cells in the United States.

Joint U.S.–Israeli strikes killed many top leaders in Iran, including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and denigrated the country’s military, prompting concerns that Iranian undercover terrorist cells, or sleeper cells, may act inside the United States.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Sen. Ted Cruz have both publicly warned of a heightened risk of terrorism in recent days.

When asked about reports of an internal government bulletin warning of an Iranian cell in California and a question regarding how many sleeper cells are in the United States at the moment, Trump said, “We know where most of them are; we’ve got our eye on all of them,” adding that “a lot of people came in” through the border policies of the previous administration.

Earlier this month, Abbott warned of potential sleeper cells in Texas after a Senegalese man fatally shot three people and injured more than a dozen people at a bar in Austin, Texas. A law enforcement official told The Associated Press that the man, Ndiaga Diagne, was wearing clothing featuring an Iranian flag and the words, “Property of Allah.”
Earlier this week, Cruz told a reporter that the “risk of terrorism right now is quite high” as he made note of the Austin shooting and another alleged terrorist attack in New York City over the past weekend.

In the New York incident, two people were arrested following the attack in which improvised explosive devices were thrown.

On March 12, Iran’s new leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, issued his first statement on the conflict in the Middle East, saying that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz should be used as leverage, and that attacks on Iran’s Gulf Arab neighbors will continue. Mojtaba Khamenei, who is the son of Ali Khamenei, has not yet made a public appearance.
The statement from Mojtaba Khamenei, according to Iran’s state-run PressTV, said that the “will of the people is to continue effective defense, and their presence on the scene must be maintained.” He added that the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for oil and natural gas transport, “must remain closed.”

Khamenei said he will “will not abandon the pursuit of justice for the blood of our martyrs,” according to PressTV. “The revenge we seek is not limited to the martyrdom of the great leader of the revolution but extends to every member of the nation who is killed by the enemy,” he added.

Earlier on March 11, Trump said the war with Iran is “not finished yet.” He said that Tehran’s air force and navy have been destroyed, adding there will be “more of the same” coming to the country.

“Right now, they’ve lost their navy. They’ve lost their air force. They have no anti-aircraft apparatus at all,” he said. “They have no radar. Their leaders are gone, and we could do a lot worse.”

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
https://x.com/nhazony/status/2032100407783080305

This may be why President Trump spoke of a ground operation only for “a very good reason.” The U.S. isn’t interested in invading Iran, but appears to be considering a limited special operation to remove or destroy Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile.

I had this very thought over the last week. No better way to ensure custody then to send specialized units in to retrieve any materials.

quote:

They have no radar

Maybe they bought some of that CCP crap what worked so well in Venezuela.

quote:

Originally posted by 6guns:
https://www.theepochtimes.com/...zXWH1NizdZ%2B1VnM%3D

US Knows Location of Most Iranian Sleeper Cells Inside America, Trump Says

‘We’ve got our eye on all of them,’ Trump said.

President Donald Trump said on March 11 that his administration knows the location of most Iranian sleeper cells in the United States.

Then, take them out, arrest them, jail and deport them if you know where they are....