SEALS LAUNCHED FROM USS LEWIS B PULLER IN RAID PRONOUNCED DEAD


By bblouin
A helicopter landing on the USS lewis b puller.

Boarding ships and completing objectives is one of if not the most dangerous operations a member of the U.S. military can undertake. These are the types of missions Navy SEALs exist for. Ever since the Houthi rebels have upped their attacks in the Red Sea, a focused effort to dismantle the Iranian-backed operation has been ongoing. Unfortunately, while intercepting weapons from Iran to the group in Yemen, two SEALs from the USS Lewis B Puller (ESB-3) were lost at sea. After efforts from many different organizations and nations, those SEALs deployed from the USS Lewis B. Puller lost to the Arabian Sea are now being pronounced dead. Suggested read: US Deploys Black Hawk Helicopters After Japan Earthquake

Navy SEALs Left USS Lewis B. Puller to Stop Iranian Weapons From Reaching Houthi Rebels

For 10 days, crews searched for Navy SEALs, however, they are now calling it off, pronouncing them deceased. Therefore, the rescue attempt came after the deployment of warfighters from the USS Lewis B. Puller in the Arabian Sea to board a vessel carrying Iranian weapons. Ships and aircraft from the United States, Spain, and Japan looked for the two Sailors in efforts that covered over 21,000 square miles. This all stems from heavy sea conditions during an operation on January 11, 2024. Boarding a ship is notoriously dangerous, but when an unflagged ship was found with the belief of Iranian weapons on board for Houthi rebels in Yemen, the U.S. knew it had to act. During the operation, one of the SEALs was overtaken by the conditions. In an attempt to rescue him, one of his teammates went into the sea. Sadly, neither would return. The two sailors were Navy Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Christopher Chambers, 37, and Navy Special Warfare Operator 2nd Class Nathan Gage Ingram, 27.Related read: Update: Chinese Balloon Now Reported In Taiwan

An Expeditionary Sea Base

USS Lewis B. Puller Commanding Officer, Capt. Rick Burgess, operates an expeditionary sea base. While it was once a mobile landing platform, it's now a mobile base at sea that helps the Navy conduct a range of missions. The ship replaced the USS Ponce (AFSB(I)-15) in the Persian Gulf late in 2017 to join the U.S. Fifth Fleet. This assignment allows warships that are necessary for other, potentially more hostile, operations the freedom to do so directly. A civilian Alaska-class oil tanker was the inspiration for the design of the USS Lewis B. Puller. This helps the ship accommodate as many as four Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopters and execute a range of functions while also attaching a barge that can hold nearly 300 additional personnel when needed.

USS Lewis B Puller Mission a Bleak Reminder of Our Military’s Sacrifice

When the SEALs left the USS Lewis B. Puller via a smaller craft, they all understood the risk involved. Everyone above in the air as below on the sea that day was ready to provide the ultimate sacrifice in the name of freedom. Frankly, we look at such sacrifices for our freedom, and while explicitly valid, such operations are a reminder that the United States defends much more than just the states. The Houthis would reclaim their designation from the U.S. but their actions were a confirmation of what we knew to be truth long before. Attacking our warships is unacceptable but attacks against civilian vessels are inexcusable. Iran is hellbent on continuing forward, as the raid was successful in taking a range of missiles, warheads, guidance systems, and air defense devices to the Houthis. The group in Yemen has been attacking commercial ships in support of Hamas. Many left the USS Lewis B. Puller to help stifle these efforts and protect lives and international trade. Sadly, not everyone returned. Today and every day, we honor their sacrifice and service so that our world can be that much safer. Read next: Jeju Island Exercises Respond to N. Korea’s Testing & Russian Assistance


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