OS3 Janet Billings was on the downhill side of her four-hour watch in Combat Information Center. She was staring at her monitor and then at the big board, just to stay awake and alert. Her eyelids weighed about as much as a tire from her F-150 back home in Utah. Still, she took her watch seriously. Too many sailors had been lost a few years ago because of collisions. That was not going to happen on her watch.
Scanning her monitor and then looking up at the big board, her head snapped back at her monitor. There! Moving fast and at low altitude, something was headed their way.
Contact! Bearing 301 degrees, Heading 121 degrees, altitude 300 feet, speed... Crap! Speed 650knts, range 145nm and closing!
The officer of the day in Combat, LT. Rachel Lang, concurred immediately and snatched the phone off the bulkhead.
"Bridge, Combat. Contact Bearing 301 degrees, heading 121 degrees, altitude 300 feet, Speed 650knts, range 140nm and closing! Recommend Battle Stations!"
On the bridge, LT. Stan "The Man" Irving shot a look at the Chief of the Watch: "Sound General Quarters, Battle Stations, make it no drill, repeat, NO DRILL!"
"Aye, aye sir! Bo's' in, Sound General Quarters, Battle Stations and make it no drill!" said the Quartermaster.
In about three seconds, a bleating alarm sounded throughout the ship. This was followed directly with a call over the 1MC:
"General Quarters, General Quarters! All hands, man your Battle Stations! This is not a drill, repeat, this is not a drill!"
Set in the not too distant future off the coast of Somalia, begins a small naval battle. Facing one onslaught after another of missiles. A US Navy Task Force must hold the line against an unknown attacker. Will they survive? Will they lose the first US Navy ship since WWII? Who is attacking them and why?
Find out in this nautical page turner from Tom Andrews.
