Veteran Search and Rescue

03/25/2026

03/23/2026

When will Cuba be set free?

03/22/2026

Japan promises to send help…

03/22/2026

Veterans are proud of their current Commander in Chief!

03/19/2026

In the Marines, you align to the right while pushing away the left…

03/04/2026

It looks like the Hormuz passage is temporarily closed…

03/03/2026

In March 1979, 27-year-old Darlene Iskra—recently divorced and needing a reset—entered the Navy through Officer Candidate School.

By May 1980 she graduated from the Naval School of Diving and Salvage as one of the first three women diving officers.

Her first sea tour put her aboard the WWII-era repair ship USS Hector as diving officer. She led an eight-man team on hull inspections and propeller changes during Western Pacific deployments, working pierside in Yokosuka and supporting operations from Diego Garcia.

She later served as operations officer on the new salvage ship USS Grasp and executive officer on USS Preserver and USS Hoist.

On 27 December 1990 Iskra took command of USS Opportune (ARS-41) in Naples—the first woman ever to command a U.S. Navy ship. Seventeen days later the vessel sortied for Operation Desert Storm, taking station on the Mediterranean side of the Suez Canal with an Explosive Ordnance Disposal team ready to clear mines. It remained on alert for the entire war and later supported Hurricane Andrew relief in Florida in 1992.

Iskra retired as a commander in 2000 after 21 years.

Well done, hero!

03/03/2026

IYKYK…