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26 April 2003, 23:26

Navy warriors helped seize oil platforms, port
By SONJA BARISIC, Associated Press
© April 25, 2003
Last updated: 7:40 PM

VIRGINIA BEACH -- After two months of intense practice, it was finally time: Special operations forces were going to try to seize two oil platforms in the north Arabian Gulf before the Iraqis could set them ablaze or detonate them.

The moon was bright and the sky was cloudless -- tough conditions for a mission that is supposed to be run under the cover of darkness.

But the seven naval special warfare warriors from Special Boat Team 20 Detachment Alfa, based at Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base, pressed on. The special warfare combatant-craft crewmen had to transport commandos who would capture the platforms, then provide security on the water to keep the area clear.

``The mission had to be done,'' Petty Officer 1st Class Mike Jensen said matter-of-factly Friday as he and fellow ``boat guy'' Petty Officer 3rd Class Ryan Hathorn recounted parts of their war experience.

During the first Persian Gulf War, Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein had opened the platforms -- used to fuel tankers -- and let the oil flow into the water, creating environmental and economic problems. There were intelligence reports that he might do that again, or else sabotage the platforms.

So the men of Detachment Alfa launched their two 37-foot rigid hull inflatable boats from Kuwait the night of March 20, after the first 30 missile strikes against Iraq. They were part of what Jensen and Hathorn would describe only as a ``a very large group'' of special operations forces. They declined to divulge too many other details, given the clandestine nature of their jobs.

The haze gray RHIBs are powered by twin 470-horsepower diesel engines and can travel faster than 50 mph. Each boat has two mounted machine guns, and the crewmen also are armed with pistols and rifles. Jensen and Hathorn would not say whether they had to open fire or were shot at themselves.

``I was excited. I was nervous at the unknown, what we were going to expect to be on the platform,'' said Jensen, 25, an aviation structural mechanic from Chicago. ``We had practiced for two months and ... we were all very focused.''

Two hours later, they were at the platforms and could see armed Iraqis on them.

One platform ``was lit up like Christmas,'' Hathorn said. The lights on the second platform were not quite as bright, he said.

Hathorn said he was both anxious and timid at first.

But ``the guy right next to you was there for you, and you were there for him. That made all my nervous thoughts go away,'' Hathorn said. ``I was working with the best, and he was working with me, so we could get the job done.''

The roughly 12 hour-mission ended in success.

``I was amazed at what happened, what we did, how well we did it,'' said Hathorn, 21, a gunner's mate from Rochester, N.Y., who just completed his first deployment.

Detachment Alfa returned to Little Creek last week after a six-month deployment that included operations supporting the war on terrorism as well as the war in Iraq. Two other detachments from Special Boat Team 20, the only special boat team on the East Coast, also returned to Little Creek last week.

Detachment Alfa also assisted in the capture of the Iraqi port city of Umm Qasr, which allowed humanitarian aid to reach the Iraqi people. Its mission was to detect snipers and water mines in the area, Jensen said, and otherwise keep an eye out for anything suspicious.

Both men said they were still sorting through everything they had experienced.

``In retrospect, it still seems all pretty much a big ball of madness right now,'' Jensen said.

``It was an amazing time to be there doing what we do,'' Hathorn said.