I was just wondering if the Navy still uses Swiftboats, is planning to use them again, or if there's anything similar to them being used. From what i gather, they aren't used anymore nor are they even in the planning phase, but don't know if there's anything similar to them being used.

Anyone know?

Ask Afterglow, he served on the big brothers to the swift boats, river gunboats. ETC1966 is active duty Navy, he'd be able to tell you also.

I never paid the much attention to the Navy, scrapping rust was too dull for me.

I posted this article in one of the military forums a while back 'bout new small boat units bein' commissioned by the Navy for just this purpose, eh? Methinks that's what you're lookin' for.

... and falling out of helicopters is better than scrapping rust because...?

couldn't resist, my friend...

Well I bet falling off a ship in the middle of the ocean would have ultimately been more injurious to my health than fallling off a couple of helicoptors, eh?

I think the Navy woulda given you a pair of waterwings way back in basic... but who the hell keeps the stuff they were issued in basic, eh?

Well, since we was taught to use our dungaree or utility pants as water wings methinks they was smart. We kept our pants after basic, eh?

Yes, these are exactly what i'm looking for. Thanks, flydangler.

Yeah, they put us through a course called drown proofing.

When I went to Europe in 1972 the longshoremen in Britain were out on strike so we had to anchor out in the harbor. We used a couple of Higgins boats for us to go out on liberty. Ever wonder where hurricanes go after they blow out to sea? Well this one ended up as a strong gale battering the SW coast of Britain, strong enough to swamp one of the liberty boats. I think 4 or 5 guys ended up drowned.

We lost a squid overboard on our way back from Europe on that same cruise. We followed a late season hurricane back towards the USA and I never saw waves like that in my life. Standing out on the boat deck you'd have to tilt your head to about 45 degrees to see the sky when the ship dipped in the trough between waves. It was already starting to get cold so he didn't stand much of a chance in the open sea.

We've got one of those parked in the river here in town waiting to be taken out for it's tests.