By Chief Journalist Walter T. Ham IV, USS Bonhomme Richard Public AffairsI bet he's thrilled to write about something like this instead of his usual 'Ship Arrives On Station' and 'Medical Department Receives Award' stories.
ABOARD USS BONHOMME RICHARD, At Sea (NNS) -- After answering a bridge-to-bridge distress call from a Kuwaiti fisherman Feb. 17, multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (BHR) (LHD 6) chased two pirate boats away from a group of fishing dhows in the Persian Gulf.
What's that dark shape over there, Achmed?
BHR received the call when a fishing boat was seized by a group of pirates in Boston whalers. Bonhomme Richard made best speed in pursuit of the pirates, chasing them away from the group of dhows.
Shiver me timbers! Bluejackets off the port bow! Avast, me mateys, and away!
According to BHR Commanding Officer Capt. J. Scott Jones, just the presence of the big deck amphibious ship was enough to scare the bandits away.
Should have launched helos to pursue and prosecute.
"With 44,000 tons of combat power chasing after them, they got out of there in a hurry," Jones said. "This proves again the deterrent capability of this ship and her Sailors and Marines. Just by being here, we were able to protect these fishermen." The San Diego-based ship is currently supporting maritime security operations around oil terminals that are vital to Iraq's economy, and serving as one of the many maritime interception operations platforms to detect, deter and disrupt terrorist threats at sea.
| Yo ho, yo ho, a United States Navy multipurpose amphibious assault ship's life for me. |