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CHAPTER 41
U.S. NAVY CENTRAL COMMAND (USNAVCENT)
BAHRAIN
SUNDAY; 20 MAY
1740 hours (5:40 PM)
TIME ZONE-4 ‘DELTA’
The shore version of the admiral’s Flag Plot bore very little
resemblance to the sort found on aircraft carriers. Gone were the radar
consoles and radio handsets, replaced by computer terminals and desks
with secure telephones. The walls—uncluttered by piping and cable
runs—were decorated with bronze and wooden plaques bearing the names
and coats of arms of nearly every ship, submarine, and aircraft squadron
that had ever served within the
U.S. Naval Central Command’s area of responsibility. The large
tactical display screens that dominated the east wall were of civilian
design: the type used by corporations for training or briefing large groups
of people. But despite the obvious physical differences, the shore and ship
versions of Flag Plot were more alike than they were different. The tools
were different, but the conversations that took place over the secure
telephones tended to cover the same subjects that were discussed over
shipboard secure radio circuits. The tactical symbols that peppered the big
civilian-built display screens were from the same catalog of symbology
used on ships.
The Duty Intelligence Officer, Lieutenant Commander Calvin Fisk,
didn’t give the differences or similarities of ship and shore facilities even a
passing thought. In addition to his other duties, he had an inch-thick stack
of reports and message traffic to plow through. Luckily, most of the
information was routine, meaning that he could skim some of the pages—
checking only for significant changes in matters of tactical interest.
One message grabbed his attention. It was a contact locator report from
SUCAP (Surface Combat Air Patrol), the squadron of fighter jets
dedicated to monitoring—and if necessary, engaging—hostile and
unknown surface craft operating in the Gulf region.
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