I know the coast guard maintains posts up on the north shore... little places, but I'm not aware of any major amounts of firepower.  it's usually just a few guys pulling laid back shore patrols...  Unless someone else has better information...

SynapticJam on Toast - hhhmmm... tastes like chicken (aka PUVJK) #3 in crack hits (Special?  Ain't I just)

I'm from Minnesota and I'm Air Force too (well, I was back when Snoopy was still a Flying Ace). 

Navy?  What is the Navy going to be able to do?  Have you ever seen the Military Rules for a Firefight?

 USMC Rules For Gun Fighting

• Bring a gun. Preferably, bring at least two guns. Bring all of your friends who have guns.
• Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammo is cheap. Life is expensive.
• Only hits count. A close miss is still a miss.
• If your shooting stance is good, you're probably not moving fast enough nor using cover correctly.
• Move away from your attacker. Distance is your friend. (Lateral and diagonal movements are preferred.)
• If you can choose what to bring to a gunfight, bring a long gun and a friend with a long gun.
• In ten years nobody will remember the details of caliber, stance, or tactics.
• They will only remember who lived.
• If you are not shooting, you should be communicating, reloading, and running.
• Accuracy is relative: most combat shooting standards will be more dependent on "pucker factor" than the inherent accuracy of the gun.
• Use a gun that works EVERY TIME.
• Someday someone may kill you with your own gun, but they should have to beat you to death with it because it is empty.
• Always cheat = always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.
• Have a plan.
• Have a back-up plan, because the first one won't work.
• Use cover and concealment as much as possible.
• Flank your adversary when possible. Protect yours.
• Don't drop your guard.
• Always tactically reload and threat scan 360 degrees.
• Watch their hands. Hands kill. (In God we trust. Everyone else, keep your hands where I can see them).
• Decide to be AGGRESSIVE enough, QUICKLY enough.
• The faster you finish the fight, the less shot up you will get.
• Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet.
• Be courteous to everyone, friendly to no one.
• Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun, the caliber of which does not start with a "4".

Navy Rules for Gun Fighting

• Go to Sea
• Send the Marines
• Drink Coffee

Tastes Like Chicken

but if you have this gun mounted anywhere, the enemy is fucked. with a chainsaw.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEu9LLQpOF8&feature=related

 oh what they hell, why not? 

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f84/delamaize/topsecretax1.jpg

http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/1033/gmconstruct0012kj2.jpg

By the way,

 I thought there was some sort of treaty dating back to the war of 1812 that war ships were nto allowed on the Great Lakes.

"Shakespeare said pretty well everything, and what he left out, James Joyce, with a little nudge from myself, put in." Brendan Behan

but it's some damned strong coffee!!! 

..No Bounce..

...No Play...

ahh ok. I guess I need to learn how to control my Feelers then.*maybe i can learn to use my Feelers and do something positive with them.* What are Feelers again?

The Irishman from Ohio

As a Sailor I would notice some inconsistencies in your premise but it would not be a big deal, and no place close to the HUGE liberties Tom Clancy took. Hunt for RO was absolute BS, but we loved the story.

I like the send the Marines part. Makes a whole lot more sense to have someone else do the gun fighting for you.

Of course submarine rules were a bit different - Shoot and Scoot. If they don't know where you are they can't shoot back.

1. You could have a warship on the Great Lakes for sea trials.
2. Some of the crew would come from all over the country/world
3. It would be too far-fetched to fill out the crew with kids from the NSTC? Say there is a skeleton crew for sea trials, and they need bodies on the ship in a matter of hours. Would they get those bodies from NSTC, from elsewhere, or just go with what they've got?

FURTHER QUESTIONS:

1. How armed would this ship be? There has to be some live ammo aboard, right? Could we expect a full test, with dummy ships and oprational armament to text weapon fire and targeting?
2. I'm assuming that if there is a ship on the Great Lakes, it would be the first responder to a bioterror threat on an island in the Great Lakes. If the mission is to stop anything from getting off the island and back to the mainland, it makes sense to send a test warship, yes?
3. If it does not make sense, would USCG cutters be the first to respond?

ASSUMPTIONS:

1. The government is responding to an unknown biological threat. They have to assume they are possibly writing off whoever they send. Who's better for fast-response land/sea operations? USGC or Navy?
2. This will also be kept top-secret (to avoid public panic, of course!). That has to impact what forces are called upon to make sure no one gets out. That's why I'm thinking a Navy warship is better than a USCG cutter.

If i may, what are they called, do they ave special training and from where? Special badges? Age restrictions/family restrictions?

The Irishman from Ohio

I have a question. Does anyone know if Lighthouses have been converted to radio/microwave/data rely stations? Does the USCG have automated buoys that rely calls? Sensor nets?

The Irishman from Ohio

It seemed like every time I turned around there were people from all branches. In the 1980's I served in units that i would forget their rank and branch of service. I was part of both Panama and Granada. It was a scramble between the branches to paticipate in the fight. More recently The Navy and Marines relieved me in Falluja, Iraq. The Army does have ships but not the kind that would be considered as a 'War Ship'. Nevertheless, very armed. I enlisted in 1976 and retired in 2006. I attended the Combat Diver's Course (JFK Special Warfare School) in 1980 with mostly navy people that were not aware that I was Army.

A.K.A. O.D.B. The Old Dirty Bastard

An angle to use for why there is a the type of ship you want in the Great Lakes could be border security.  It could be a basis for why they would use the Great Lake as a trianing ground a newer, sleeker type ship that could be used in the area to respond to any plausible terrorist threat.   Just an idea. 

Melisa Dyer

The Reason the Freedom fits Scott's premise is that the Freedom was built in Milwaukee and the commissioning ceremony was on lake Michigan. All the FDO has to do is time the story so that the need arises prior to her out chop to San Diego. All the armament can be flown in within 24 hours, and the commissioning crew can be augmented by instructors at NTC. I have done crew augment while on shore duty. Happens all the time.