Good evening. I'm Nora O'Donnell, live from the US naval
base here in Bahrain,
home of the Navy's Fifth Fleet.
So much has happened since we arrived here in the
Middle East on Sunday.
Each day we have learned of new attacks from Iranian
backed militias.
American soldiers have died and American warships and aircraft are
under fire.
The number of attacks from Houthi militants are increasing and
some of their weapons are getting closer.
A senior defense official here in Bahrain just moments ago
telling us exclusively that about 10 minutes ago the F18
Super Hornets bombed 10 unmanned drones in western Yemen that
we're preparing to launch. That is how dynamic this situation
is.
Also, just hours ago, there was another attack,
the USS Carney, shooting down a ballistic missile and several
drones that were heading their way.
And we're also learning new details about that attack on
AUS destroyer last night.
That was the USS Gravely and the Houthi missile came
within a mile of the battleship.
That is significant. Why? Because it forced sailors to use
their final line of defense.
Bottom line, despite the Bite
Administration's efforts to calm tensions,
things are escalating. We are the first journalist to make
the long trip to the Red Sea,
embedding with the US Navy,
who describes this situation as increasingly dynamic and unprecedented.
We just got back after getting a close hand.
Look
these sailors and Marines are just one part of the
US military presence in the Middle East.
Roger. Over in Yemen today,
a Houthi anti aircraft missile targeted American patrol aircraft.
The missile which was in firing position was destroyed by
the US military according to the Pentagon.
Folks that need to show restraint are these groups that
Iran backs,
Groups like the one that killed three Americans earlier this
week.
President Biden has approved a series of strikes against targets
including Iranian personnel and facilities inside Iraq and Syria.
We have obligations in the region,
including those to our troops and our facilities.
And now those attacks have taken the lives of three
of them
that we will have to do.
We will do what we need to do to make
sure that
that those responsible are held properly accountable.
the US has positioned one of its most lethal and
effective assets in the Red Sea.
We went to see for ourselves,
taking AC2 Greyhound, also known as a COD,
to the USS Dwight D Eisenhower aircraft carrier.
U.S. troops deployed in the region are now in what's
called a weapons engagement zone,
meaning the US service members are in the range of
enemy fire.
The night we arrived on board the carrier,
the destroyer, the USS Gravely intercepted another Houthi missile.
We're on call 24/7. It never stops.
Rear Admiral Mark Mcgez is the commander of Carrier Strike
Group 2,
which includes the Eisenhower and the Gravely.
What's the first thing the President asked.
When there's a crisis where the carrier strike groups,
and there's a reason for that?
You've seen some of it
in full display over the last 8 hours.
The carrier strike group is leading the
US-led coalition's defense with a nuclear powered aircraft,
carrier destroyers, 75 aircraft and some
7000 sailors strong. I know that our sailors are trained.
I know that they're going to react and respond
as they've been trained to do
and it was relevant last night,
Just like it's going to be relevant anytime
we get, we get shot at Captain Christopher Hill,
call sign Chowda is in charge of the Ike.
It's kind of a testament to the capability of our
missile systems and our guns
and the capability of our sailors to operate that equipment.
We were there during night flight operations.
F eighteens launched with military precision,
the choreography perfected so fighter jets can go from zero
to
125 mph in just two seconds.
Captain Hill was observing from the ship's bridge
today. We asked him about the attack on American service
members in Jordan that killed three soldiers.
The president has said that he has made a decision
about how to respond.
Does this carrier strike group stand ready?
We have been ready for quite some time.
No matter what the order,
no matter what the order,
do you think you'll end up being involved?
We are presently involved. We flew by helicopter to see
the ships heavily involved in deterring the Houthis and defending
American warships,
the destroyers. We're on a Navy MH 60 helicopter right
over the Red Sea and we are heading to the
USS Mason.
That destroyer is the tip of the spear.
Once on board the Mason,
we went inside the highly secretive Combat Information Center,
CIC. It is the ship's nerve center where split second
decisions are made when Mason's radars pick up an inbound
threat.
Simply put, at any time in any given place inside
the Red Sea,
I could be shot the
entire the ship's captain, Justin Smith,
says. Mason has been on high alert for incoming Houthi
missiles and drones since it arrived in the region 88
days ago.
We have about 10 to 15 seconds to
to be able to make that determination.
If we're going to engage that,
that's not enough time to make a phone call.
You just have to make the decision,
let's make the decisions. How long can you carry that
on that heightened level of posture?
Now it's this is demanding,
this is demanding work. But
our sailors have the tools,
they have the resources and we have the flexibility and
logistics to be able to maintain this
for a long period of time.
Commander Melanie Olli call sign.
Brucey is the only female Squadron Leader on the Ike.
We've seen a lot of different threats that I don't
think we were expecting to see on this deployment.
But you know, when you realize that there's merchant shipping
at risk,
there's innocent people at risk,
you step up, we want to help.
Just a look at what we saw today.