It’s Tuesday, October 15, 1996. Bill Clinton is the U.S. President . The top movies are ‘Long Kiss Goodnight’, ‘Michael Collins’ and ‘Ghost in the Darkness’. The top songs are Los Del Rio’s ‘Macarena’, Donna Lewis’ ‘I Love you Always Forever’ and Celine Dion’s ‘It’s all Coming Back to Me Now’.
Five days ago, USS Thach chopped from COMSEVENTHFLT to Maritime Commander, Australia (MCAUST) and left Fleet Bast West to demonstrate an intelligence collection mission on illegal fishing vessels in the Australian Heard and McDonald islands EEZ. The southern Indian Ocean is one of the most inhospitable places on earth. Characterised by high winds and heavy seas, it is known as the ‘screaming fifties’. Cold water affects ship structures and can cause hypothermia for crew. Man overboard as well as operating in boats are a risk.
Freezing weather can make hulls brittle. Support vessels will often remain 200NM or more north of the Heard Island – allowing them to be in warmer water.
This mission goes for a little less than 6-7 days and was made with RA 1.50.3
