Michael Yon shot this photo, and blogged about it extensively at the time. I just did a search and haven't found it yet; not sure the original site it still up, but he was embedded with 2-4 at the time, I believe.
"Well, Professor - I know how we can pay you off... Apply for this government grant to answer a really obvious question, and we'll call it research. How's $200k sound?"
My first instinct is that I hate to see this done to a perfectly good Boston Whaler, but then again charging up on a pontoon boat full of drunks in this bastard at 40 knots would be hilarious.