1987 - USS Stark is hit by two Exocet missiles fired from an Iraqi Mirage fighter jet that mistaked it for either an Iranian tanker or Iranian warship (Iran and Iraq were slugging it out at the time.) Yes, many fine sailors met the Lord that night and numerous lessons were learned from it as well. The main one being listen to EVERY report that comes in from your watchstanders, especially in a warzone. The Stark was so hot from burning missile fuel that it was seen glowing cherry red by other ships standing by to lend assistance.
1988 - USS Samuel B. Roberts hits a mine in the Persian Gulf that blew a humongous hole in the starboard aft side (looking forward/right?) Amazingly no one was "killed" in that incident. Plenty hurt, but the damage control guys did what they do best and kept her afloat. To give you an idea of the power of that mine, it was estimated that the entire ship (or aft section) came out of the water when the mine exploded.
2000 - USS Cole got hit by the explosive filled raft or tug boat thing in Yemen.
More sailors perished. Bill Clinton ordered in the FBI.
There are many incidents that happen on the other side of the world that no one back here ever hears about or that the news picks up.
in 1987 USS starke FFG 31 was hit by an exocet fire from an iraqi aircraft (supposedly an accident) 37 dead.
1988 USS Samuel B Roberts FFG-58 was hit by an iranian mine. no loss of life, but many severly burned and injured.
The Navy learned lots, the hard way about damage control and firefighting from these incidents.
Although libya was not involved in these incidents, We shoulda took out Quadafi years ago.
