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There was something about President Trump’s prime-time address that didn’t add up.

Several things, actually.

But what struck me immediately was his low-energy delivery. He backed into it, first talking about the Artemis moon mission and then the oil we’re seizing from Venezuela. After that he was just reading words off the prompter.

No one could argue with the president’s core message. Iran is the world’s leading terror state. Something should have been done during its 47-year history of violence and murderous proxies like Hamas. Iran can never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon. The dictators killed 45,000 of their own people (though Trump played this down when he was trying to negotiate a deal).

TRUMP LASHES OUT AT 'SICK' IRANIAN LEADERS, CONFIRMS ESTIMATED TIMELINE FOR ENDING WAR

But the 19-minute speech was a jumble of contradictions. Trump kept saying we’ve won, we’ve decimated Iran’s military, which is true. And yet he said the U.S. will intensify its bombing campaign for the next two to three weeks, targeting Tehran’s energy facilities. 

Why is that necessary, if America has already won? And will it really last less than a month?

It was clear heading into the speech that Trump knows how unpopular the war is. He knows that soaring gas prices are hurting him at home. He knows he is dropping like a rock with young men who bought his no-foreign-wars rhetoric.

MORNING GLORY: PRESIDENT TRUMP’S BIG SPEECH ON IRAN — WHAT WILL IT DO?

He knows – and this is critical – the stock market has tanked since U.S. and Israeli warplanes attacked Iran on the last day of February. Trump is extremely sensitive to the market, as we saw when the Dow hit 50,000, and that often spurs him into action.

Having boxed himself into a corner with an Iranian regime that refuses to seriously negotiate, the public expectation was that he would declare victory and get out. But that didn’t happen. Instead, Trump declared he’ll be bombing Iran back to the "Stone Ages."

What about the president’s own goals?

FORMER REP. MTG VENTS THAT SHE'S 'SO BEYOND DONE,' CHARACTERIZING TRUMP'S ADDRESS AS 'WAR WAR WAR'

He said the war’s goal was never regime change. But he spoke about regime change the morning after the initial attack. In any event, Trump now claims it’s been achieved because several levels of leadership, starting with the Ayatollah, have been killed, 

But the new sheriff in town, the Iranian parliament speaker, Mohammad Ghalibaf, lashed out yesterday.

"When it comes to defending our homeland," he said in a posting, "each and every one of us will become a soldier of this country. If you look askance at our mother’s house … you’re up against the whole family, all of us. Armed, ready, and standing. Come on in, we’re waiting."

ROGAN, DAVE SMITH SPEAK ABOUT HOW TRUMP'S IRAN WAR BROKE HIS COALITION, COULD HAND COUNTRY RIGHT BACK TO DEMS

So much for regime change.

Again and again, Trump said the war could not end until Iran stopped blockading a fifth of the world’s oil traffic at the Strait of Hormuz. But in Wednesday night’s speech, he washed his hands of the matter. We don’t rely on the strait, so who cares? It will "open up naturally," on its own.

The president then scolded our onetime European allies, saying they should show some "delayed courage" and "just take" Hormuz–as if it were that easy.

TRUMP’S IRAN STRATEGY SHOWCASES ‘DOCTRINE OF UNPREDICTABILITY’ AMID STRIKE THREATS AND SUDDEN PAUSE

As for Trump’s declaration that our country is now "free of the specter of nuclear blackmail," Iran still has nearly 1,000 pounds of highly enriched uranium–and further enrichment could lead to a nuclear weapon.

In a CNN poll released just before the speech, 66 percent of those surveyed said they strongly or somewhat disapprove of the decision to attack Iran, a 7-point jump since the conflict began.

Most network pundits criticized the address as a rehash of things that Trump has said before.

POLL POSITION: WHERE TRUMP STANDS AMONG AMERICANS AS HE FACES THE NATION IN PRIMETIME

"There was nothing new in that speech," said ABC’s Jonathan Karl, adding: "Not a lot of optimism."

His colleague Martha Raddatz: "It added to the confusion of why we are there." 

European leaders felt blindsided by the war. "When we’re serious," said French President Emmanuel Macron, "we don’t say the opposite of what we said the day before every day, and maybe one shouldn’t speak every day,"

Austria and Switzerland yesterday joined Italy, Spain and France in banning U.S. warplanes headed for Iran from their skies. They don’t want any part of this war. Britain’s prime minister had done the same but reversed himself after Iran retaliated.

In the first sign of intensified bombing yesterday, Iranian authorities said an airstrike had destroyed a Tehran research facility called the Pasteur Institute. 

I don’t know if the timing was deliberate, the day after the speech, but the president dramatically changed the subject yesterday.

The media are already moving on to Trump’s decision yesterday to fire Pam Bondi as attorney general, because she hasn’t been aggressive enough in prosecuting his political enemies, and for her mishandling of the Epstein files.

In the end, the speech may matter less than what happens for the rest of April.

If Trump ends the assault on the timeline he’s suggested, voters may breathe a sigh of relief and move on. They’ll remember that Trump went after the Mideast terrorists and be mollified if gas prices start declining.

The problem is that the damage to the world economy may be far more painful, and much longer lasting, than if the president had not launched his war of choice. And no single speech could change that.

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The Democratic-controlled Colorado House passed a bill Thursday allowing people harmed by conversion therapy to sue therapists, just days after the Supreme Court blocked enforcement of the state’s ban on the method.

HB26-1322 would establish a pathway for Coloradans to bring civil claims against licensed mental health professionals accused of causing harm through efforts to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

The bill also allows people to seek legal action against the entities that hired and supervised a professional who conducted conversion therapy. The bill now heads to the state Senate, which is also controlled by Democrats, for consideration.

The measure could open the door to lawsuits years after therapy takes place and expose providers to significant financial liability.

KAGAN TURNS ON LIBERAL ALLY JACKSON WITH FOOTNOTE JAB OVER FREE SPEECH

The legislation was advanced just days after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Colorado cannot enforce its conversion therapy ban regarding conversations between therapists and LGBTQ+ minors, arguing the law likely violates the First Amendment by allowing some viewpoints but not others.

In an 8-1 decision Tuesday, the court said the law favors one viewpoint by allowing therapists to affirm a minor's gender identity or sexual orientation, but not help them change it if they want to.

Matt Soper, a Republican in the Colorado House, told Fox News Digital that the new bill pushed by Democrats is a "slap in the face" to the Supreme Court.

SUPREME COURT RULING ON SECRETIVE CALIFORNIA GENDER POLICY COULD RESHAPE PARENT RIGHTS FIGHTS NATIONWIDE

"We have a bill that’s designed to be a de facto ban on conversion therapy moving forward," Soper said.

"That just hits at the heartstrings of the average American, that the Supreme Court can’t even have a ruling be hot off the press before you have a legislature already pushing to undo what the Supreme Court just ruled," he continued.

"At the bottom line, there’s not even a sense of what the law is or can be from the Supreme Court when you have states that are already working really hard to undermine an 8-1 ruling.

"Americans don't like it when you have a legislature immediately trying to overturn or undermine the highest court in the land before the printing has even cooled down."

NJ SCHOOL DISTRICT’S SECRETIVE TRANSGENDER POLICY FACES LEGAL THREAT FOR BUCKING SUPREME COURT RULING

The sponsors of the bill in the Colorado House, Reps. Alex Valdez and Karen McCormick, released a statement following the high court’s ruling, reiterating that conversion therapy is "ineffective and harmful."

"In Colorado, you belong just the way you are. Now more than ever, we must protect LGBTQ+ Coloradans from the harmful practice that is conversion therapy. We vow to keep moving forward to safeguard the rights of the LGBTQ+ community in Colorado," the lawmakers said.

DAVID MARCUS: SCOTUS GETS CASE ON TRANSING KIDS RIGHT, DESPITE THREE CLUELESS JUSTICES

The Supreme Court’s decision stemmed from a lawsuit brought by Kaley Chiles, a licensed Christian therapist, who argued her conversations with youth clients were a form of protected speech.

The Colorado government argued the conversations amounted to professional conduct that the state was allowed to regulate.

The case centered on a law Colorado passed in 2019 banning what the state government described as conversion therapy.

JONATHAN TURLEY: JUSTICE JACKSON'S 'CHILES' DISSENT REVEALS NARROW VIEW OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT

While the 2019 law required that claims against providers be filed within two years, HB26-1322 would remove time limits for legal action, and if the victim has died, their representatives could pursue damages within five years of the individual’s death.

Soper criticized the bill for lacking a cap on recoverable damages or a statute of limitations on claims.

"A mental health therapist could actually be liable for their entire life," he said.

Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan and Ashley Oliver contributed to this report.

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NASA’s Artemis II crew is on its way to the moon, giving Americans a firsthand look at life aboard the spacecraft as they travel farther from Earth than any crew in more than half a century.

Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch of the U.S., along with Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency, boarded the 322-foot-tall Orion spacecraft and lifted off at 6:35 p.m. Wednesday from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Artemis II crew is expected to travel around the moon and back.

Speaking with Fox News’ Trace Gallagher Thursday night, the four-person crew described what it is like to be part of a mission set to carry astronauts farther from Earth than any crewed flight since the Apollo era — and what life aboard Orion is like as they begin their 10-day journey.

"There is no difference between up and down, and so, yes, I've been sleeping with my feet there and my head down here, and it's very comfortable," said mission specialist Christina Koch. "I think I'll probably stay there the whole mission unless someone kicks me out. We're finding out how to make this space capsule a home."

NASA CHIEF VOWS FOUR MOON MISSIONS BEFORE TRUMP'S TERM ENDS IN AMBITIOUS 2028 TIMELINE

Pilot Victor Glover said he was surprised when the crew got the "go for launch," turning the mission into reality.

"We like to say that we're prepared without having an expectation, but you know in the back of your mind, you kind of hope you launch," he explained. "And then when we got really close, it was like, wait, we're getting ready to go to space. And when those solids lit, you know, it was a ride where you're trying to be professional, but the kid inside of you wants to break out and just hoot and holler."

Glover credited NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems team and launch control team, who have been preparing for the mission for months.

TRUMP HYPES MOON MISSION AS ARTEMIS II PREPARES TO LIFT OFF UNDER PRESSURE FROM PAST FAILURES

"It was an example of how hard they've been working lately that we launched," he said. "Even though we didn't get to really watch, but it felt beautiful."

As the crew answered questions, they passed around a floating microphone in zero gravity. The crew had just completed a trans-lunar injection burn, committing the mission to a trajectory toward the moon.

"We are definitely 100% on our way to the moon," commander Reid Wiseman said. "The lunar gravity will take over in a couple of days here and start pulling us around the far side."

NASA'S ARTEMIS II CREW COMMITS TO MOON TRAJECTORY AFTER CRITICAL BURN SENDS ORION INTO DEEP SPACE

Wiseman highlighted the significance of the Artemis II mission.

"At the end of our trans-lunar injection here, about an hour and a half ago, we just really looked at each other. And I know the United States has done this 1968 through 1972, but it's just – this is unbelievable that we can put our minds to something and pull it off. This is an unbelievable technical accomplishment," he said.

Koch added that the crew was proud that it was traveling farther from Earth than any crewed mission in more than 50 years.

"We are not necessarily a crew that lives on superlatives, but it is a milestone that's important," she said. "It's important that people can understand and wrap their heads around what is the latest in what we're doing? What does this mean relative to what we've done in the past? What are we gonna be pushing for into the future?"

Artemis II follows the uncrewed Artemis I test flight and marks a major step toward future missions, including Artemis III, which is expected to involve a lunar lander from SpaceX, Blue Origin or both, according to NASA.

Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner contributed to this report.

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For the first time in more than half a century, America is sending astronauts beyond low Earth orbit — taking humans farther from Earth than ever before.

Artemis II will send four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the Moon from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Along the way, they will test every critical system aboard the spacecraft, from navigation to life support, laying the groundwork for a return to the lunar surface and, ultimately, missions to Mars.

But Artemis II is about more than a single mission.

NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN PHOTOS OF NEIL ARMSTRONG'S NEAR-FATAL NASA MISSION SURFACE 60 YEARS LATER

It is proof that the United States intends to lead in the next era of space exploration, not follow.

For decades, American leadership in space has delivered more than historic moments. It has driven technological breakthroughs, strengthened our national security, and fueled economic growth across the country. The GPS in your phone, advanced medical imaging and countless modern innovations all trace their roots back to investments in space.

That leadership is now being tested.

China has established its own space station and is aggressively pursuing a long-term presence on the Moon. Other nations are investing heavily in capabilities with both economic and military implications. The next frontier is not just about exploration; it is about influence, security, and who sets the rules.

BLUE ORIGIN LAUNCHES NEW GLENN ROCKET TO MARS AFTER DELAYS

If America leads, we shape that future. If we hesitate, someone else will.

Just as Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and the Space Shuttle built step by step toward the Moon, Artemis follows that same disciplined path — this time with the goal of a sustained presence. And it is not just NASA leading the way; American companies, innovators and workers are building the systems that will define the future of space.

That matters for every American.

CHINA QUIETLY BUILDS WORLDWIDE SPACE NETWORK, ALARMING US OVER FUTURE MILITARY POWER

Because space is no longer a distant endeavor; it is a cornerstone of our economy, our security and our technological edge. The satellites that power our communications, guide our military and support our daily lives depend on continued American leadership beyond Earth.

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But leadership requires commitment. In Congress, I have worked to ensure NASA is fully funded and to secure an additional $10 billion for spaceflight missions like Artemis. Those investments are not optional; they are essential to maintaining America’s competitive edge in a rapidly changing world.

Artemis II proves that America still has the capability, the talent and the determination to lead.

Now, we must match that capability with sustained commitment.

Because the question is no longer whether we can return to deep space. The question is whether America will lead when we get there.

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This week, the 1st Medical Brigade of the III Armored Corps at Fort Hood, Texas, held a training exercise called "Operation Silver Lightning." 

The exercise, according to the 1st Medical Brigade, "is designed to simulate the challenges of providing advanced medical care in a contested, large-scale combat environment."

Between March 23 and April 1, the 1st Medical Brigade employed the tactical arm of the Army Health System. Combat medics, optometrists, doctors, veterinarians, and other medical personnel simulated a mass casualty event in combat conditions in underground tunnels on the Fort Hood base. 

This week, Fox News got an up-close look at how this training exercise was implemented.

UKRAINE SIGNALS PROCESS ON US SECURITY GUARANTEES

"So the medics have understood that you cannot set up a multi-tent field hospital that occupies four or five, up to 15 acres and provides that world-class care, above ground anymore," said Col. Kamil Sztalkoper, director of public affairs for the III Armored Corps.

Sztalkoper said the shift is driven in part by drone warfare observed in the war in Ukraine. 

"We have to disperse, number one. And then hide in plain sight, is number two. So dispersing is using multiple different kinds of locations. Hiding in plain sight could be in a building, a warehouse, or here. Using one of our unique training facilities that was designed in the 1940s. Utilized in the 1950s to house nuclear and atomic weapons," Sztalkoper told Fox News.

The tunnels have since been decommissioned and cleaned out for use as a training facility — in this case, an underground field hospital. Sztalkoper said the several miles of tunnels are used as a "triage emergency room, operating room, vet, optometry [and] clinics," allowing troops to avoid what he described as the growing drone threat observed in Ukraine.

US ARMY USING INFLUENCERS FOR RECRUITMENT

During this exercise, about 300 soldiers and role players portraying wounded troops ran through different evacuation and medical drills, with soldiers rushing the wounded from a helicopter to a military medical vehicle and then into the tunnels.

Combat medics are then trained to treat wounded soldiers, or, role players. Each of the wounded imitated the pain and symptoms of an injury that could happen on the battlefield.  

"Really the dilemma for them is managing how they deal with all of this with what they have," said Col. Brad Franklin, deputy commander of the 1st Medical Brigade.

Franklin, who also serves as a chief nurse, said he has experienced similar challenges in real-world operations. 

"Knowing you don't have enough people, you don't have enough surgeons, you don't have enough nurses, don't have enough medics and there's more patients than you can handle," Franklin said. "So it's forcing them to triage, reverse triage and take care of these casualties."

WORLD WAR II VETERAN SHARES SPECIAL PERFORMANCE

Aside from treatment for soldiers, K-9s and their handlers are also training in this exercise. Further down a dark tunnel, veterinarians work on a simulated wounded K-9, while the handler is being treated for simulated injuries across the room.

Lt. Col. Cynthia Fallness, commander of the 43rd Medical Detachment providing veterinary service support, said the personnel conducting this training are doctoral-level veterinarians.

"In this case, it is a traumatic fracture, a compound fracture of the hind limb. And the dog also has a chest wound and also, is having trouble breathing because there's a traumatic injury to the mouth," Fallness said. 

"So these are our diesel dogs," she said of the fake K-9 on the operating table.

Out of the dozens of combat medics training, one medic says his role in the military is more than just a job. 

"My grandfather actually served in World War II as a combat medic," William Rothwell, a combat medic with the 1st Medical Brigade, told Fox News. "He went into Normandy, I believe, after the push on Omaha Beach."

Rothwell, a Boston native, never met his grandfather, but heard stories from his father.

"Which was just how brutal it was, how rough it was. Medicine back then wasn't as great. So handling patients was somewhat traumatic." 

In this training, Rothwell is getting that real-world medical combat experience before stepping foot on a battlefield. 

"The stories of how much he cared and was willing to go, you know, the mile and above to make sure that he can get his brothers home … really touched me," Rothwell said. "So that's kind of how I feel in this situation."

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The chair of the Hernando County, Florida, Democratic Party who was arrested for allegedly hitting a man in the head with a bullhorn during a "No Kings" protest, said that he did not act as an aggressor and did not escalate the confrontation.

Brian Stewart, 63, was charged with simple battery, a misdemeanor in Florida, and booked into the Hernando County Sheriff's Detention Center after the incident in Spring Hill on Saturday. He was released later that day, records show.

Stewart said he is "not a violent person" and that the man he was accused of hitting — a disabled veteran identified as Thomas Michta in police reports — was harassing others at the demonstration "in an attempt to elicit a reaction."

"This was a peaceful event attended by many members of the community," Stewart told Fox News Digital.

FLORIDA COUNTY'S DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIR ACCUSED OF HITTING MAN IN HEAD WITH BULLHORN AT 'NO KINGS' PROTEST

"Unfortunately, an individual disrupted that environment and was harassing rally attendees in an attempt to elicit a reaction," he continued. "At no point did I act as an aggressor. I am not a violent person, and I did not seek out or escalate any conflict. I never expected that I’d be accosted or need to defend myself as I did in that moment."

The incident happened as demonstrators in Hernando County and across the country protested against the Trump administration's policies.

Deputies responded at around 10:30 a.m. on Saturday to the intersection of Mariner and Cortez boulevards, where Stewart allegedly struck Michta in the head with a bullhorn.

Michta told deputies he was walking through the protest when he and Stewart became involved in an argument. He accused Stewart of striking him during the dispute and reported being in pain, with a visible lump on his head, according to an arrest affidavit, WTSP reported.

According to the affidavit, video footage captured by a witness and reviewed by deputies showed Stewart using a bullhorn to hit the man in the head and push him in the chest.

After reviewing the video, a witness' statement and Stewart's own admissions, deputies said they developed probable cause to believe Stewart intentionally hit the man and caused bodily harm, the affidavit says.

Stewart declined to comment further, saying his lawyers advised him not to make additional public statements.

"I have many more thoughts to share, but my lawyers advise that I should defer doing so until after the case has concluded," Stewart told Fox News Digital. "Out of respect for the legal process and on the advice of counsel, I will not be commenting further on the specifics of the case at this time."

Stewart is scheduled to appear in court on April 27.

LATE-NIGHT HOST JIMMY KIMMEL SHOWS UP TO 'NO KINGS' PROTEST WITH KIDS, HOLDS 'ENOUGH ALREADY' SIGN

The Florida Democratic Party and the Hernando County chapter said in separate statements earlier this week that they "condemn violence."

"We have been made aware that our Chair, Brian Stewart, was arrested after responding to a provocation from a local agitator who threw a drink on him and yelled obscenities at community members during a protest," the Hernando County Democratic Party said in a statement to the Tampa Bay Times.

The Florida Republican Party called for Stewart to be removed as chair over the incident at the protest.

"Violence and political intimidation have no place in our state, and Floridians deserve better than mere silence from Democrat leadership. Nikki Fried must immediately remove Brian Stewart from his position of leadership in the Florida Democrat Party!" Florida GOP Chairman Evan Power said in a statement to WTSP.

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Moving at speed from the Philippine Sea near China, the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA-7) is now on station for U.S. Central Command. Aboard are 2,200 Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. With them are aircraft designed to strike into Iran — or control coastal positions along the Strait of Hormuz.

And get this: all of Tripoli’s aircraft are designed for vertical takeoffs from the flight deck. Yes, even the F-35B stealth fighters aboard can take off like helicopters.

This tailored crisis response force will give President Donald Trump fresh options to wrap up Operation Epic Fury. "The Strait of Hormuz could be open tomorrow if Iran stops threatening global shipping," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last week. The USS Tripoli is set to help.

IRAN'S INTERNET BLACKOUT HIDING STRIKE DAMAGE AND SUPPRESSING DISSENT, ISRAELI OFFICIALS SAY

Amphibious Ready Groups, or ARGs, are often poised for noncombatant evacuations. "The ARG-MEU is the Swiss Army knife of the joint force. It can do just about anything," Marine Gen. Francis L. Donovan, commander of U.S. Southern Command, testified to Congress on March 17. Trump uses amphibious ships in historic ways. You saw the USS Iwo Jima, another amphibious ship, taking an active role in the raid to apprehend former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in January.

USS Tripoli is often called a helicopter carrier. At 844 feet long, Tripoli is a pure aviation machine. Most other amphibious ships have a well deck with a ramp into the sea for launching landing craft. Tripoli’s design traded away the well deck for extra aviation fuel, hangar deck space and weapons storage.

For USS Tripoli, the mission against Iran could include maritime interdiction, airstrikes, air assault, or controlling key sea lanes and terrain ashore. Operation Epic Fury is first and foremost an air campaign. Here’s a look at Tripoli’s combat planes and helicopters now entering the fight.

The MV-22B Osprey: The Marine MV-22B is a tiltrotor assault aircraft that can hover like a helicopter or fly far and fast. Two engines on the tips of a fixed wing point upward like helicopter blades, then rotate for level flight at 300 mph — much faster than any helicopter. MV-22s started flying combat missions with Marines in Iraq and Afghanistan. Their typical operating range of up to 1,000 miles puts any Iranian strategic asset in range. Back aboard ship, the Osprey’s wings fold up, which is essential for deck operations.

TRUMP’S STRAIT SHOWDOWN: FIVE BOLD MOVES TO CRUSH THE IRAN THREAT NOW

The F-35B Lightning "Jump Jet": You have seen U.S. Air Force F-35As and F-35Cs from the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln excelling in the skies over Iran. The Marine Corps F-35Bs on Tripoli are stealth fighters of a different breed: jump jets built for vertical takeoff and landing. The F-35B’s aft engine nozzle swivels down 95 degrees to redirect engine thrust and lift the rear of the aircraft. Behind the cockpit, a 50-inch counter-rotating lift fan adds more thrust. Roll posts in the wings provide roll control for level flight. Tripoli can be configured as a "Lightning carrier" to host 19 F-35Bs, bringing a full range of weapons and the ability to counter drones and strike ground targets. Marine F-35Bs can carry the 230-mile stealthy, supersonic AGM-158 JASSM ground-attack missile and its cousin, the Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile. That should scare any Iranian forces still operating.

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Big helicopters: At 88 feet long, the CH-53E Super Stallion is the biggest helicopter in the U.S. military. One of these giant CH-53E helicopters was photographed landing on Tripoli back in January. Armed with .50-caliber machine guns at the windows, the CH-53 can carry a few dozen Marines, and their mission is amphibious assault. Along with them are MH-60S Sea Hawks. A variant of the Army Black Hawk, the "Sierra" version of the Sea Hawk can engage Iranian small boats, deploy airborne mine countermeasures in the water and carry out "special warfare" tasks.

Worried about the risky waters near Iran? Don’t be. Well defended inside the sea-based umbrella of Aegis destroyers, Tripoli also has deck guns and missiles of her own, such as the Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile. Her hull design was proven years ago, when sister ship USS Wasp passed full-ship shock trials. That’s a test where the Navy detonated thousands of pounds of ordnance near the ship at sea to validate resilience. All good.

USS Tripoli’s Marines arrive ready to fight. After all, Tripoli is named after expeditions against the Barbary pirates memorialized in the lyrics of the Marine Corps anthem: "From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli." In 1804–1805, the Marines pushed back Barbary pirates who had been plundering seaborne commerce and controlling trade routes. Sound familiar?

USS Tripoli deployed forward to Japan last year as part of a regular rotation and was running exercises with Japan when CENTCOM called. After Iran, it will be back to the Pacific with battle-tested capabilities to deter China.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM REBECCA GRANT

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