What not to do when seeing a big ship in your path while entering the Persian Gulf

A
couple of things struck me from this audio from the bridge of the
minutes leading up to the USS Porter's collision with a Japanese
tanker
back in 2012. First, it sounds like no one is in charge. Second, when the
skipper asks someone a question, it is taken as an order. Third, I wonder why
during four minutes there is no attempt to contact the other ship in ways besides the
horn -- say, radio, flashing lights, and flares.

"Bridge communications were
atrocious," commented retired Navy Capt. John Byron after listening to the
audio. "A good skipper wants a quiet bridge and a good OOD insists on it."

Speaking
of the Navy, here is a good story about the difficult
decisions facing an F-18 pilot after a refueling mishap.