The ceremony honors the lives of U.S. Navy Sailors Boatswain’s Mate 1st Class Michael J. Pernaselli and Signalman 2nd Class Christopher E. Watts, and U.S. Coast Guard Injury Controlman third Class Nathan B. Bruckenthal, who died whereas conducting maritime safety operations within the Arabian Gulf on April 24, 2004. The three have been stationed aboard the Cyclone-class patrol coastal boat USS Firebolt (PC 10).
The three have been killed whereas intercepting a suspicious dhow headed for the Khawr Al Amaya Oil Terminal within the Northern Arabian Gulf. As their rigid-hull inflatable boat neared the dhow, the vessel exploded in an obvious suicide assault. This motion prevented the dhow from hitting its supposed goal, however induced the RHIB to capsize, resulting in the three service members dropping their lives within the course of.
“Their heroism within the waters of the North Arabian Gulf 20 years in the past in the present day conjures up us nonetheless,” stated Vice Adm. George Wikoff, commander of U.S. fifth Fleet, who spoke on the ceremony. “Whilst we communicate, Sailors not not like these three younger males are going through down anti-ship ballistic missiles and one-way assault drones within the Pink Sea. Like these heroes from Firebolt, they sail unflinchingly into hurt’s manner, understanding theirs isn’t any ‘routine mission.’”
Wikoff additionally famous that in the present day, Sailors and Coastguardsmen within the Arabian Gulf and the Northern Arabian Sea present help to mariners when wanted, and board suspect vessels to make sure regional maritime safety, interdicting illicit drug trafficking, and seizing weapons supposed for malign actors.
“They, too, realize it’s no ‘routine mission,’” he stated.
The ceremony additionally included recapping the lives and accomplishments of the three service members in addition to the taking part in of Faucets and tolling a bell 11 occasions, symbolic of church bells which rang on the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918 to sign the top of the First World Battle.
Firebolt, which was decommissioned in February 2022, was commissioned in June 1995. It started conducting coastal patrol operations within the U.S. fifth Fleet in 2003. Previous to working from Bahrain, the ship helped safe New York Metropolis’s harbor instantly following the September eleventh terrorist assaults. Months later, Firebolt performed coastal patrols within the Arabian Gulf throughout Operation Iraqi Freedom.
U.S. fifth Fleet space of operations encompasses about 2.5 million sq. miles of water space and contains the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Pink Sea and elements of the Indian Ocean. The expanse contains of 20 international locations and contains three crucial choke factors on the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal and the Strait of Bab al Mandeb on the southern tip of Yemen.
