Though the ways of war change, heroes stay the same. Excellence is timeless.
America also changes, and to live up to her God-given potential, she needs heroes to keep the promise of Western civilization alive.
U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Earl Ehrhart is a hero, and he may be first U.S. military war ace since Vietnam. An ace is a crew member whose aircraft has shot down five enemy aircraft. But pilots in Vietnam would never have dreamed of fighting the enemy pilots now face.
While details of specific missions remain classified, we do know Ehrhart has downed seven Houthi drones, according to the BBC.
Semper Fi, Capt. Earl Ehrhart. Semper Fi.
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“I never imagined I was going to be doing this when we launched,” Ehrhart told the BBC during a tour of the USS Bataan, one of dozens of ships deployed in the Red Sea operation.
The Bataan is an amphibious assault ship. It is made for rapid deployment and is equipped to fight. In this case, it pivoted to an air defense vessel with the help of some innovative thinking by its crew, according to AVWeb.
Will the conflict near the Red Sea soon escalate?
As far as Ehrhart was concerned, he and his crew were headed home. They’d been patrolling waters close to the Persian Gulf for months and were about to finish their tour of duty — the best laid plans.
The morning of Oct. 7 changed everything. Israel’s war on Gaza began. Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, murdering approximately 1,200 innocent people, according to the BBC. Within hours, the USS Bataan received new orders. They were to plot a course to the eastern Mediterranean where they would set up to monitor the coast of Gaza.
Less than two weeks later, the mission changed again. They were ordered to engage the Houthis, an Iranian-backed terrorist group operating out of Yemen, according to Forbes.
Since mid-December, the Houthis had attacked more than two dozen shipping vessels. The terrorist organization claimed the ships were Israeli-owned or operated but many don’t seem to be connected to Israel at all, according to the BBC.
In January, the U.S. and the U.K. ordered airstrikes in retaliation. The USS Bataan was one of the military assets tasked with the job. It wasn’t easy.
“The Houthis were launching a lot of suicide attack drones,” Ehrhart said. “They are a robust and capable force.” The Marines did what they were taught to do, “improvise, adapt, and overcome all obstacles in all situations.”
“We took a Harrier jet and modified it for air defense,” Ehrhart told the BBC. “We loaded it up with missiles and that way were able to respond to their drone attacks.”
Ehrhart is an experienced fighter pilot and intercepted seven Houthi drones. It’s not like he was playing a video game. His life was in danger. Flying close to the explosive drones is very risky.
“They are shooting at us all the time,” Ehrhart continued, “so we need to be even more focused. Our systems need to be primed so we can stay safe.” Warfare relies on technology today more than ever. Life and death, however, are still the same.
The crew of the Bataan will need to be vigilant for the foreseeable future. The troops on board don’t know when they might get to go home. Tensions are high in the region, and the USS Bataan’s mission has been extended until further notice.
Stay safe Capt. Ehrhart. America needs heroes. Israel needs you. The world needs you.
May God bless you.
