Wednesday, June 27, 2007

RE: RE: RE: RE: Pirate Answer - Part II   [W. Thomas Smith Jr.]

Steve, you say:

On one hand, in the greater regional scheme of things, it's not that big of a deal. Yet on the other, the counter to that is that it is not all that difficult to pull off.

Agreed, in a sense. But remember everything is relative.

And if I may put on my counterterrorism instructor's cover (hat) for a moment (I did this work for a couple of years during my time in the Marine Corps) let me say that shipboard tactical operations — whether boarding or repelling boarders — is extremely difficult. It requires a lot of skill in tactical movement, close-quarters combat, and much rehearsal.

Not to mention the fact that it is extremely difficult to board a moving vessel.

On top of that, the ever-changing nature of a single combat operation — regardless of the size and scope of it — is just as personally challenging for that young Marine lance corporal or that SEAL petty officer who might be tasked with fast-roping from a helicopter onto the deck of a ship commandeered by pirates in the middle of the ocean, as it is for that more experienced battalion commander directing his companies in some Iraqi city.

Now, I'm not telling you these things to suggest you don't already know them, but some readers may not. Yours are good points, from the very first question you posed today. And I think it's important they're discussed.

Editor’s note: Please see this note.

06/27 06:32 PMShare