Bollinger Built The Boats:Coast Guard Secures Persian Gulf

The U.S. Coast Guard continues to secure the Persian Gulf in support of Operation New Dawn,successor to Operation Iraqi Freedom.Performing the task are the crews of six Island class patrol boats.These 110-foot cutters have a complement of 16 and a range of 1900 nautical miles.They are armed with one Mk38 25mm machine gun and two .50 caliber machine guns.
The Island class is powered by two diesel engines and has a speed of 29.5+ knots.It is currently being refurbished for cost-effectiveness and to extend its service life by another 15 years.The patrol boats are the product of Bollinger Shipyards,Inc.
Bollinger operates 12 shipyards with 32 drydocks in South Louisiana and Texas.It was founded in 1946 and serves both commercial and military interests.

Noted Actor Was Navy Vet

Tony Curtis,the critically acclaimed actor who was a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II,died September 29.He was 85.
Mr.Curtis,born Bernard Schwartz in the Bronx,New York,peaked as a film actor in the 1950s and 60s.In later years,he made a number of T.V. appearances.Among his most highly regarded films were Houdini(1953),The Defiant Ones(1958)and The Boston Strangler(1968).
Tony Curtis was a submariner from 1942-1945.He served aboard the USS Proteus(AS-19)in the Pacific Fleet.In September 1945,he witnessed the surrender of Japanese forces in Tokyo Bay.
Attaining the rank of SM3,Mr.Curtis was an ardent supporter of the U.S. Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C. after the war,lending his celebrity to the Memorial on a number of occasions.Survived by his wife Jill,he was married five times,including to actress Janet Leigh.
Actor Ernest Borgnine also served in the Navy in World War II,and comedian Bill Cosby was a Navy corpsman in the 1950s.

In Tribute:Ambassador Richard Holbrooke

The man who symbolized American diplomacy for more than four decades,Ambassador Richard Holbrooke,has died from complications of epic surgery to repair his torn aorta,the main artery leading from the heart.Dr.Sanjay Gupta said the tear is typically caused by years of high blood pressure in men in their 50s and 60s.Mr.Holbrooke was 69,but had no intention of slowing down at an age when most have at least partially stowed their shingles.
Mr.Holbrooke was a significant associate of Democratic presidents from Lyndon B. Johnson to Barack Obama,beginning his career at the Saigon embassy in Vietnam,where he served from 1963-66.His greatest achievement was brokering the Dayton Accords in 1995,the peace treaty which ended the Bosnia War,but he also participated in the Paris peace talks that ended the Vietnam War and the reopening of relations with China.
A tough and demanding boss with a vast knowledge of history,Richard Holbrooke knew all the reporters by name and was quite open with them.A man of charisma and great intellect,the tall ambassador was described by those who knew him well as being larger than life and a force of nature who saw the U.S. as a force for good in the world.
Mr.Holbrooke held a number of posts,including Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia,Ambassador to Germany and U.N. Ambassador.His current title was Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan,but he was regarded as the architect of President Barack Obama's policy for that region and worked closely with General David Petraeus,commander of coalition forces in the Afghan War.
General Wesley Clark,U.S. Army Retired,said Richard Holbrooke epitomized everything great and good about U.S. diplomacy and the United States of America.He had a tremendous vision of what Europe was all about.He pushed for NATO alliance enlargement,shifting U.S. policy on the matter.He could always step back from a problem.He was an outstanding leader.We were in awe of what he delivered.

General Atomics Develops Sea Avenger

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems is developing an aircraft carrier-based,unmanned aerial system for Intelligence,Surveillance and Reconnaissance(ISR)and precision strike capabilities for the U.S. Navy.It will provide naval commanders with enhanced situational awareness and instantaneous,time-sensitive strike,the company says.
Based on General Atomics' Predator series,the Sea Avenger will expand the projection of naval power through speed,long endurance,sophisticated sensors and significant strike capabilities.It is presented as being both low-risk and affordable.
Founded in 1955,General Atomics employs 5500 people and is headquartered in San Diego,California.The company works in the research and development,as well as manufacturing,of defense,energy and other advanced technology products.The aeronautical systems affiliate manufactures unmanned aircraft systems,tactical reconnaissance radars and surveillance systems.
The Sea Avenger will be deployable soon,General Atomics claims.