US Redeploys Pacific Warship As Iran Threat Grows
Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. Central Command and the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, which oversee military operations in the Middle East, for comment by email.
"The U.S. Navy is a professional maritime force, focused on ensuring that we maintain the capabilities to deter, defend against, and, if necessary, defeat aggression," the U.S. Seventh Fleet, which operates in the Western Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean, told Newsweek.
Newsweek previously reported that the Milius and its sister ship, USS Ralph Johnson, which are assigned to the Destroyer Squadron 15, have been operating in the Indian Ocean over the past month. The squadron is the Japan-headquartered Seventh Fleet's principal surface force.
The Pentagon is reinforcing its force posture in the Middle East amid continued tensions with Iran over the nuclear talks, as well as the attacks on ships in the Red Sea by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Several American warships operating in the Western Pacific Ocean were re-tasked earlier to the Middle East, including a naval strike group led by the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson.
An official released photo reveals that the Milius shifted its operating area to the Central Command's area of responsibility on April 25. The destroyer, which is homeported in Japan and joined the Destroyer Squadron 15 in 2018, was still in the Indian Ocean the day before.
While another official photo, which was taken on April 24, mentioned the Milius was part of the Destroyer Squadron 15, the warship is now operating as part of the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group. Satellite imagery captured the aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea on April 24.
The Milius, which is one of the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, provides what the U.S. Navy called "multi-mission offensive and defensive capabilities." This class of multi-mission surface combatant is capable of operating independently or as part of a carrier strike group.
In addition to the Milius, USS Wayne E. Meyer, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer that was initially assigned to the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group for a deployment in the Western Pacific Ocean, has been operating with the Carl Vinson in the Middle East since at least April 13.
Apart from the Milius and the Wayne E. Meyer, three other warships were assigned to the Carl Vinson; the cruiser USS Princeton, as well as a pair of destroyers, USS Sterett and USS William P. Lawrence, the U.S. Naval Institute News reported on April 28.
The U.S. Seventh Fleet told Newsweek: "The U.S. [Seventh] Fleet operates its forces from the Western Pacific to the Indian Ocean, promoting regional stability and maritime security in support of a secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific."
The U.S. Central Command said: "Crews embarked on USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) and USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) resupply at sea and operate 24/7, targeting Iran-backed Houthi terrorists within Houthi controlled areas of Yemen."
The Harry S. Truman is the second U.S. aircraft carrier deployed in the Middle East.
It remains to be seen whether the Ralph Johnson will become the next Japan-based U.S. warship to join the combat operations in the Middle East or remain in the Indian Ocean.
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Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
I toured the USS Silversides, a World War II submarine that sank 23 enemy vessels and earned 12 battle stars. Take a look inside.
The USS Silversides submarine sank 23 ships and earned 12 battle stars during World War II. Visitors can tour the vessel at the USS Silversides Submarine Museum in Muskegon, Michigan. The submarine was the site of a successful emergency appendectomy in enemy waters in 1942. Christmas Eve, 1942. The USS Silversides, a US Navy submarine, is surrounded by Japanese warships on a covert patrol in enemy-controlled waters. And George Platter's appendix is about to burst. Platter, a crew member on the USS Silversides, will die if he doesn't get surgery immediately. When the commanding officer gives the order, crew members spring into action. They fashion surgical tools out of utensils from the galley. They find an ironing board to prop up Platter's feet since the table in the wardroom is too short to lie him flat. They submerge beneath the waves to create more stability for the operation, even though the submarine's batteries are only partially charged. The pharmacist's mate, Thomas Moore, has never performed the surgery before. He keeps a medical textbook open next to him the whole time. Platter wakes up during the surgery when the local anesthetic wears off, so they sedate him with ether. It leaks into the rest of the submarine and sedates some of the crew, as well. After four hours, against all odds, the surgery is successful. Platter makes a full recovery and is back on watch six days later. It's extraordinary stories such as this one that are preserved at the USS Silversides Submarine Museum in Muskegon, Michigan. Visitors can climb aboard the historic submarine, which was awarded 12 battle stars for its service in World War II, and explore its battle stations, cramped bunks, and even the operating table where Platter received his appendectomy. I toured the USS Silversides in May. Here's what I saw. Commissioned in 1941, the USS Silversides sank 23 ships over its 14 war patrols, making it one of the most successful American submarines from World War II. The Gato-class submarine measures 312 feet long and weighs 2,410 tons while submerged. Its standard crew consisted of eight officers and 72 enlisted men. After it was decommissioned in 1946, the USS Silversides was used as a teaching submarine and became a National Historic Landmark. From 1947 to 1969, the USS Silversides was used as a training vessel for the Ninth Naval District in Chicago. It was then moved to the Naval Armory and Navy Pier before arriving in Muskegon to serve as a museum in 1987. It was also used as a movie set for the 2002 film "Below." The submarine is now the star attraction at the USS Silversides Museum in Muskegon. The USS Silversides Submarine Museum is open seven days a week from April through December and operates Thursday through Monday in the winter months of January, February, and March. An all-inclusive ticket to the museum costs $17.50 for adults, $15 for veterans, and is free of charge for active-duty service members. Tickets can be purchased on the museum's website. Like the USS Cobia in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, the museum also offers visitors the chance to spend a night on the submarine. The USS Silversides is docked outside the museum in the Muskegon Lake Channel, which leads into Lake Michigan. The Lake Express ferry passes by the USS Silversides Submarine Museum on its route between Muskegon and Milwaukee. As I began my tour of the submarine, the ferry honked its horn as passengers waved at me from the upper deck. The deck featured weapons such as a 4-inch, 50-caliber deck gun, a 40-millimeter antiaircraft gun, and a 20-millimeter surface-to-surface gun. The 40-millimeter antiaircraft gun had the longest range, capable of shooting targets up to 22,800 feet away. A plaque on the deck memorialized the crew member Mike Harbin, who was killed by enemy fire while manning the deck gun. Harbin was 19 years old when he was shot in battle on May 10, 1942. He was buried at sea. The torpedo loading ramp was made of a wood called lignum vitae, which gets slippery when wet. Lignum vitae is Latin for "wood of life." The rest of the deck was made of teakwood, which is impervious to water, fire, and termites. It also doesn't float, which was crucial to maintain the submarine's covert operations if a piece broke off. Decals on the side of the submarine indicated its many wartime accomplishments. The USS Silversides featured stickers showing it sank 30 ships, but that number has since been amended to 23, Bethann Egan, the museum's executive director, told Business Insider. The USS Silversides also damaged 14 ships, cleared 16 enemy mines, and rescued two American paratroopers. The first stop on my tour was the forward torpedo room, where crew members loaded torpedoes into the six torpedo tubes. The room slept 16 crew members on bunks that unfolded alongside the torpedoes, which measured 22 feet long and weighed 3,000 pounds. Lockers above the bunks were used to store personal possessions. All of a crew member's personal items had to fit into one small locker. Colored lights were used to help crew members' eyes adjust to the dark to prevent night blindness. If the submarine was too bright inside, crew members wouldn't be able to see in the dark if they went up onto the deck at night during an attack. The lights used to be blue and then switched to red, which is why the light fixture said "blue" on it even though the light bulb was red. The shower and bathroom in the forward torpedo room were used by the officers, whose bunks were down the hall. Flushing the toilet on the USS Silversides was a 12-step process. One wrong move would cause the toilet's contents to shoot back out. Meals were plated and reheated in the officers' pantry. Officers ate the same meals as the rest of the crew but dined in the privacy of the wardroom instead of the crew's mess. The pantry also stocked snacks and coffee. The table on display in the wardroom was the original table where George Platter's successful appendectomy took place in 1942. "The pharmacist's mate who actually performed it did not technically have permission from all the way up, but the commander made the decision that this needed to happen or else the sailor was going to die," Egan said. "So he stood up for him and made sure that he was not court-martialed after." The wardroom also served as the officers' dining room and lounge. The higher an officer's rank, the fewer people he had to share a room with. Junior and senior officers served as administrators on the submarine, while the executive officer, known as the "XO," was second-in-command to the commanding officer. Officers' quarters included foldout desks and sinks. The rooms also came with storage areas where they could hang their uniforms. The commanding officer enjoyed the only private room on the submarine. His stateroom featured a depth gauge and a compass above the bed so that he could tell how deep the submarine was and which way it was facing at all times. Chief petty officers slept in a room nicknamed the "goat locker." According to the Naval History and Heritage Command, the nickname dates back to the 1890s, when chief petty officers took care of the goats kept on ships for fresh milk. Another explanation is that chief petty officers served in the Navy for more than a decade to reach their positions and were known as "old goats." In the yeoman's shack, the yeoman handled the submarine's paperwork. In addition to managing personnel records, the yeoman also kept logs of the submarine's changes in direction, speed, and depth. In the control room, crew members managed the USS Silversides' vital functions with numerous technical instruments. The bow and stern plane wheels pictured above controlled the submarine's depth and angle. The commanding officer would give commands such as "2 degrees right rudder," which the crew would repeat and execute. The ship's inclinometer worked like a carpenter's level to show if the submarine was tilting to one side or the other. Keith Gill, the museum's director of curatorial services, told BI that staff members use this inclinometer "every day" to check on the submarine. "It's almost never centered, and that's because we have some leaks in some tanks that we're monitoring and adjusting air pressure to keep water out," Gill said. The hull opening indicator light panel was known as the "Christmas tree" for its red and green lights. A green light indicated that a vent or hatch was closed, while red meant it was open. The submarine could only submerge when the board was fully lit up in green. The helmsman's wheel steered the submarine. On some World War II submarines, such as the USS Becuna, the main helm was in the conning tower above the control room. On the USS Silversides, the main helm was in the control room itself. The control room also housed the compressed air manifold and trim manifold. The compressed air manifold distributed compressed air throughout the submarine, which was used to start the engines, fire torpedoes, and surface the vessel. The trim manifold showed how much weight was in different tanks on the submarine and moved water between them to maintain the ship's balance as it used up fuel or fired weapons. In the radio room, crew members could communicate with vessels up to 12,000 miles away. Most communications happened in code. Cooks prepared all of the crew's meals in the galley. Cooks were also trained to operate the deck guns and perform other technical tasks around the submarine. Gill noted that during World War II, Black crew members were often relegated to roles in the kitchen and weren't allowed to advance beyond serving as stewards because of the Navy's segregation policies. "One of the negative sides of our past is how we treated African American citizens," he said. "They were in the military, but they were segregated somewhat. On a Navy ship, on a sub, you really can't segregate, but you can control what they're doing." The kitchen featured a piece of equipment I'd never seen on a submarine before: a soft-serve ice cream machine. The kitchen also included a deep fryer. Crew members ate meals in three shifts in the crew's mess. Submarines were known for doing some of the most dangerous work and having some of the most difficult living conditions in the military, but the Navy ensured they received the best food. Submariners also received hazard pay, the highest in the Navy. The enlisted men also slept in shifts in the crew's quarters. Newer crew members slept on the bottom bunks, which could also occasionally be used as food storage early on in a patrol. "Supposedly, they called this the honeymoon suite on top," Egan said. "I don't know if that's 100% accurate." The mattresses in the two middle bunks were placed so close together that they essentially functioned as one bed. Regular crew members showered only every 13 to 15 days in the crew's washroom. Officers showered every three to five days, while the cooks showered every day since they were handling food. The forward and after engine rooms each contained two 1,600-horsepower diesel engines manufactured by Fairbanks-Morse. At top speed, the USS Silversides could travel at 21 knots, or about 24 miles an hour. The forward engine room also contained two evaporators that distilled ocean water into fresh water. The engines are still operational. The USS Silversides' insignia was painted on one of the aft engines. The logo depicts a silverside fish smoking a cigar and holding a torpedo. The maneuvering room was crewed by two electricians who controlled the propulsion of the submarine. At full power, the USS Silversides used 4 million watts of electricity. The last stop on the tour was the aft torpedo room in the back of the submarine. The aft torpedo room was smaller than the forward torpedo room, with four torpedo tubes and room for eight torpedoes. The room displayed a real demilitarized Mark 18 electric torpedo. Electric torpedoes such as the Mark 18 didn't leave a wake, or trail of waves, behind them, making them more difficult to detect. After I finished my tour of the submarine, I visited the museum itself, which featured photos and artifacts from World War II and beyond. I particularly enjoyed an exhibit about the appendectomy that took place in the wardroom, featuring photos from the procedure. Preserving the aging submarine is no small task, but the USS Silversides remains a fascinating testament to the dedication of American service members in World War II. After running its engines in an annual Memorial Day tribute, the museum hopes to give the USS Silversides its first oil change since the 1950s this summer. Eventually, the entire vessel will have to be removed from the water and dry-docked because of leaks in its tanks. The museum applied for federal funding through the Save America's Treasures grant program, but Egan said during my May visit that they might not end up receiving it because of sweeping cuts made by the White House DOGE office. "They have not officially cut that funding source yet, but it's not looking good," Egan said. When the submarine was on active duty, the entire 80-person crew worked tirelessly to maintain the ship, and the Navy financed all necessary repairs and upgrades. The USS Silversides Submarine Museum's preservation efforts, however, are privately funded and largely volunteer-driven. "We're just poor museum people who are trying to honor the commitment that these guys made over 14 war patrols to protect our country," Gill said. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
10 hours ago
- Business Insider
After living in a dozen cities across the globe, I finally settled down in the coastal city where I grew up
I spent most of my life moving, never living in a single place for more than a few years. In fact, I attended five different elementary schools, each in a different part of the globe. When I tell people how often I've moved, many assume one of my parents was in the military. However, each move was voluntary, as my parents are Chinese immigrants who left the motherland in search of better opportunities in America. I spent my childhood in several different cities I was born in Nanjing, China, where I lived until I was 5. We moved for the first time after my dad was accepted into a Ph.D. program in San Juan, Puerto Rico, which he mistook for an American state. I immediately fell in love with the city's turquoise beaches and creamy flans. However, I had to white-knuckle my way through kindergarten because I knew neither Spanish nor English — a frustration that left me silent and sullen most school days. After a year in Puerto Rico, my dad decided to pursue his postdoctoral fellowship, this time in Ames, Iowa. The transition from spending long Caribbean days at Catholic school to attending public school in a small Midwestern town surrounded by cornfields was a culture shock, albeit not an unwelcome one. Being the only Asian kid at school meant that my classmates couldn't pronounce my name and questioned everything about me, from what I had for dinner to whether my black hair was real. But to this day, Iowans remain the nicest folks I've ever met. We stayed for nearly two years, just long enough to make my first American friend and be heartbroken when my dad's fellowship ended, forcing us to move once again. I spent a longer stretch of two-and-a-half years in College Station, Texas, where my dad found another postdoctoral position at Texas A&M. After spending most of our time renting apartments and student housing, my folks could finally afford their first house there, a little duplex with a gooseberry tree. However, I was once again the sole Asian student in school, and I longed for a place where I felt like I belonged. Our time there was cut short when my dad's postdoctoral position wasn't renewed, and we had to move again — this time, to California for my mom's new job. I spent my formative years in California Next, we settled in Torrance, a beachside suburb in Southern California, where I spent all of middle and high school. Moving here was a game changer: it had glorious beaches, people I could call friends, and perfect weather to boot. Plus, Torrance was much more diverse than other places we lived. I finally felt at home because it was the first place (outside China) where I didn't have to look for fellow Asians or assess the likelihood that my ethnicity was going to be a liability. In my high school, the homecoming queen and captain of the football team were both Asian. I had groups of friends at church and in school, and we bonded over AP classes and checking out local boba shops. Being settled in one place with people I loved was a thrill. College and graduate school led me to live in different parts of the state: the Bay Area, where I went to UC Berkeley for undergrad, and the Central Coast, where I went to UC Santa Barbara for graduate school. In Santa Barbara, I even met the man who'd become my husband, and we had our first child together. We then spent years living in different cities across the state, but none of them truly felt like the right long-term fit for us. After a brief period of living with my parents in Rancho Palos Verdes, an affluent hillside community full of retirees in Southern California, I left the West Coast for Cambridge, Massachusetts, to pursue a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard. As much as I loved Cambridge's proximity to Boston, buzzy energy, and easy public transportation, my family couldn't stomach the brutal winters. So, after three years there, we once again headed back to California. Now, I'm finally settled and happier than ever We spent several years bouncing around different California cities for work, but by 2020, I was ready to settle down in a place I could call my permanent residence. Months into the COVID-19 pandemic, we decided to relocate to Torrance — where I'd spent my formative years — and move back into my childhood home. The whole family fell in love with the city's beaches, diverse food options, weather, and spectacular public schools. After two decades away, I was delighted to reconnect with my old high school friends and teachers. I love that my children go to the same schools I did and even have some of the same teachers. Living in all the cities that have marked the different chapters of my life has given me a newfound appreciation for this coastal suburb — something I wouldn't have if I had stayed here all along.
Newsweek
10 hours ago
- Newsweek
Hysterics Over Senior Labrador's Reaction to Puppy—'Not Today Thank You'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. People often share videos of their resident dog meeting the puppy they brought home, often leading to the cutest reactions. But that wasn't the case for senior canine Libby, who was thoroughly unimpressed by her puppy brother and refused to acknowledge the small bundle of energy. For many years, Sarah McHale and her partner, Steven, had their hands full with Bailey, Coco, and Libby the Labrador retrievers. The trio were the best of friends and lived such full and joyous lives. Unfortunately, Coco sadly had to be put down in November 2022, closely followed by Bailey in January 2023. Age caught up with them, and McHale, 31, from the U.K., told Newsweek that they "said goodbye as a family," so that Libby could be with her siblings until the end. Bailey, Coco, and Libby (center) pictured laying together on the grass. Bailey, Coco, and Libby (center) pictured laying together on the grass. @ / TikTok "Libby went a little bit within herself after that; she was very clingy and just had big, sad eyes," McHale said. In the months that followed, McHale and her partner deliberated getting another dog to keep Libby company. Although she was in her senior years, she had spent her whole life with siblings. The couple certainly didn't want her to feel put out by an energetic puppy, but it was clear that she had lost her spark when her brothers passed. "We had to consider Libby's age as she was slowing down, so the last thing we wanted was her to feel replaced. We considered rescuing an older dog, but I thought it brought extra worries coming into Libby's home. The idea of having a puppy was to bring our family together and make it full of adventure and love," McHale continued. On October 1, 2022, they brought home Loki, an 8-week-old Labrador retriever. From left: Sarah McHale holds Loki as a puppy; and the brown dog stands with Libby during a walk. From left: Sarah McHale holds Loki as a puppy; and the brown dog stands with Libby during a walk. @ / TikTok When Libby was introduced to her new brother, McHale might have hoped for a positive, and perhaps even-excitable, reaction. However, the reality couldn't have been more different. Libby hilariously refused even to look at Loki and simply demanded more scratches from her human instead. McHale captured a video of the first encounter and couldn't resist sharing it on TikTok (@ as a throwback. Internet users have lauded her underwhelmed reaction, leading to more than 441,700 views and over 17,100 likes on TikTok at the time of writing. Thankfully, after a few hours, Libby was ready to accept the new addition. She was patient and nurturing toward Loki. McHale said that they quickly became "the best of friends." She continued: "I initially thought when she went to Steven that we shouldn't have brought a puppy home, but she warmed to him and he injected so much life into her. She came to life and played with her toys again. Within days, they were playing tug-of-war and snuggling up together." From left: Sarah McHale pets Loki and pushes Libby in a buggy outside; and the two dogs sleep side by side. From left: Sarah McHale pets Loki and pushes Libby in a buggy outside; and the two dogs sleep side by side. @ / TikTok Libby and Loki got to spend two wonderful years together, until it was time to say goodbye in July 2024. Libby lived to the age of 15, and, in her final days, she was surrounded by her family and canine friends. McHale wasn't sure how Loki would react when the vet arrived to put Libby to sleep, but he seemed to understand and sat between his owners as they said goodbye. "Libby had her head in Steven's lap and her paw in my hand. Loki was a good boy and caught all my tears as Libby went to meet her brothers at the rainbow bridge. She wagged her tail right until the very end," McHale said. They may have got off to a rocky start, but Loki and Libby became inseparable. Losing her has been hard for Loki, who doesn't seem to play with other dogs as much, and just prefers to be with his owners instead. Loki often sits looking out of the window, and McHale wonders if he is waiting for Libby. Loki and Libby sleep together in their dog beds. Loki and Libby sleep together in their dog beds. @ / TikTok Loki's owners ensure that his life is still so full of love by taking him on day trips and hosting parties with his other canine friends. After the video of Libby and Loki's first meeting went viral, plenty of TikTok users have taken to the comments section to laud her nonchalant reaction. One comment reads: "Not the emotional support slipper." Another TikTok user wrote: "Aw bless her, she's like 'not today thank you'." A third person joked: "But it's not a slipper." Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to life@ and they could appear on our site.
