Ten US sailors who were detained in Iran on Jan. 12 have been returned unharmed, officials said. “I want to personally thank Secretary of State John Kerry for his diplomatic engagement with Iran to secure our sailors’ swift return,” Defense Secretary Ash Carter said in a written statement. “Around the world, the US Navy routinely provides assistance to foreign sailors in distress, and we appreciate the timely way in which this situation was resolved.” The sailors were aboard two riverine command boats en route from Kuwait to Bahrain when they lost contact with the US Navy; they reportedly drifted into Iranian waters when one of the boats broke down. They were held for several hours on Iran’s Farsi Island, while US officials communicated with Iranian officials, according to DOD press releases. The sailors eventually left the island aboard the riverine boats, then were transferred to the shore by Navy aircraft, while other sailors took the boats to the original destination, according to a Navy press release.
Billy Mitchell: Lessons a Hundred Years Hence
Dec. 16, 2025
Exactly 100 years ago, on Dec. 17, 1925, Brig. Gen. Billy Mitchell was convicted by court-martial for violating an order that required approval before he could engage with the media. Mitchell’s provocative thoughts and unorthodox methods sought attention for a cause that he saw as uniquely American.
