USS Fitzgerald collision in C7F

[UInavy]

FTFY. CDR Benson’s lawyers are already making hay about the alleged UCI angle.

As they should. Tweet looks like it's deleted now. I'm pretty shocked the Navy account posted that. Usually it's just run of the mill PAO blather. I've never seen them quote any outside piece, let alone an opinion piece on an ongoing GCM.

 

[nittany03]

As they should. Tweet looks like it's deleted now. I'm pretty shocked the Navy account posted that. Usually it's just run of the mill PAO blather. I've never seen them quote any outside piece, let alone an opinion piece on an ongoing GCM.

It's not just the tweet. His lawyers are alleging UCI all the way from the beginning. That the court-martial convening authority was biased, and that senior Navy leadership made public statements that tainted his ability to get a fair trial. The tweet is just the cherry on top of that shit sundae.

Agreed. Was Sal a VP guy?? I always thought he was a SWO. His band of sycophants that follow to make the same, recycled comments on every shallow Proceedings blog post that he churns out are the most annoying part of the entire traveling show.

Feh. Sometimes Sal brings up a good point, or at least is worth reading for the contrarian value of his posts. The mark of an educated mind is being able to entertain an idea without necessarily accepting it. But I swear that more often than not, that comment section devolves into weapons-grade right-wing stupidity. And I say that as someone not precisely on the left side of the aisle myself. Warp speed back to 1976, before teh wimmins and teh gayz showed up to ruin everything . . .

 

[Brett327]

I consider McGrath the less annoying alternative to Sal, who I currently find insufferable. I'm not sure what was in the 90s VPenis water, but between Sal and Hendrix, their most impressive quality is the complete inability to accept criticism in any form.

My sense, from the way he talks, is that he was a VP NFO, but since VP are the SWOs of Naval Aviation, I can understand why you'd think that.

 

[BarryD]

At a Heritage event, Brian McGrath seemed like a nice guy and was willing to talk to me and some other folks while Jerry Hendrix was surrounded by more important people who heard him explain being a "backseater"(his words) in a P-3.

 

[Jim123]

Mmmmm shit sundae.

 

[Brett327]

I think the story of Hendrix's life is that he has always been surrounded by people more important than himself.

 

[UInavy]

At a Heritage event, Brian McGrath seemed like a nice guy and was willing to talk to me and some other folks while Jerry Hendrix was surrounded by more important people who heard him explain being a "backseater"(his words) in a P-3.

I knew that about Hendrix, just made the assumption that Sal was a SWO. Weird.

 

[BarryD]

Mmmmm shit sundae.

I thought the best part was when the one person in uniform in the audience started shaking his head as in "what the hell are these guys saying" during it.

 

[UInavy]

I thought the best part was when the one person in uniform in the audience started shaking his head as in "what the hell are these guys saying" during it.

Was that their CVW construct 'debate'? It'd be cool if either one had either 1.) experience being part of a CVW or CVN (TAO barely counts) or 2.) any sort of technical degree lending itself to analysis or analytical chops that went beyond some time on a Navy staff.

 

[Brett327]

Was that their CVW construct 'debate'? It'd be cool if either one had either 1.) experience being part of a CVW or CVN (TAO barely counts) or 2.) any sort of technical degree lending itself to analysis or analytical chops that went beyond some time on a Navy staff.

I'll add 3.) a security clearance and 4.) any knowledge of current capabilities.

Hendrix told me he did "strike planning" when he was on the CSG staff. Weird how I don't ever remember a CSG Staff LT participating in any strike planning I've ever been a part of. I'm sure his perspective as TAO was essential to the effort.

 

[BarryD]

Was that their CVW construct 'debate'? It'd be cool if either one had either 1.) experience being part of a CVW or CVN (TAO barely counts) or 2.) any sort of technical degree lending itself to analysis or analytical chops that went beyond some time on a Navy staff.

That was the one.
I'd say Jerry Hendrix has been out of the game too long, but he was never really in the game to start with.
And the guy shaking his head was a TACAIR patch wearer . . .

 

[Brett327]

That was the one.
I'd say Jerry Hendrix has been out of the game too long, but he was never really in the game to start with.
And the guy shaking his head was a TACAIR patch wearer . . .

I like that even the (admittedly above average) college student can see past Hendrix's facade.

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

Ageed. Was Sal a VP guy?? I always thought he was a SWO. His band of sycophants that follow to make the same, recycled comments on every shallow Proceedings blog post that he churns out are the most annoying part of the entire traveling show.

90% confidence answer (talking with other SWOs) is that CDR Sal is a Retired SWO CDR.

There's rumors floating that he was never "screened" for SWO command which explains part of his bitterness to the Navy.

 

[Brett327]

It's not a rumor. Sal retired as a non-screened O5. Hendrix had command of a TACRON at some point.

 

[Pags]

It's not a rumor. Sal retired as a non-screened O5. Hendrix had command of a TACRON at some point.

Yeah, I was gonna say that I was 99% sure Sal was a SWO. Neptunus Lex you used to refer to him as a black shoes. He only ever really talks about ships with the occasional post about greater readiness but anything about aviation has a very outsider perspective to it. Also, I'm not surprised to hear that he wasn't screened for command as his posts don't seem to have the perspective of command of a warship. I think he did a couple of IA gigs. That said, he did predict this readiness crunch when Clark was busy "optimizing" crews and focusing on transformation.