Special Purpose MAGTF. Continuing Promise.

Surfing the net today, I stumbled across the website of the SPMAGTF Continuing Promise.  You be the judge but it seems like a tremendous waste of time for the Marines involved.  Better to be steaming in circles rather than wasting training time doing Peace Corps missions.

The Navy (which started this nonsense) needs an enema and Marine Corps leadership needs a wake up call.  Bridgeport, 29 Palms and NTA has training space available for use if you can't find better things for your Marines to do.  The website is here.

More Relief Effort Photos. CH-53's over Pakistan.

Notice the missile detection systems --- the 50 caliber machine guns --- the crew chiefs out and looking.


Benign environment my ass.

Marine Corps Super Stallion helicopter from VMM-266 (REIN), 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit takes off during humanitarian assistance operations in the southern province of Sindh, Pakistan.
Date Photo Taken: 9/30/2010 10:15:00 AM
Unit: 26th MEU
Photo ByLine: Capt. Paul Duncan

A Marine Corps Super Stallion helicopter from VMM-266 (REIN), 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit flies in route to deliver relief supplies during humanitarian assistance operations in the southern province of Sindh, Pakistan.
Date Photo Taken: 10/1/2010 12:49:00 PM
Unit: 26th MEU
Photo ByLine: Capt. Paul Duncan

A Marine Corps Super Stallion helicopter from VMM-266 (REIN), 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, flies in route to deliver relief supplies during humanitarian assistance operations in the southern province of Sindh, Pakistan.
Date Photo Taken: 10/1/2010 12:55:00 PM
Unit: 26th MEU
Photo ByLine: Capt. Paul Duncan

New to me. Enclosure for NLOS missiles on LCS-2.

Totally new to me.  I assumed that these missiles would be stored at the stations occupying the 30mm cannon spots.  I really thought it would be one or the other (as far as those weapons were concerned), now I know better.

100327-N-1876H-007 GULF OF MEXICO (March 27, 2010) The enclosure for the non-line-of-sight missile system lies behind the Mk 110 57mm gun housing on the bow of the littoral combat ship USS Independence (LCS 2) as it transits the Gulf of Mexico. Independence is underway on her maiden voyage. (U.S. Navy photo by Lieutenant Zachary Harrell/Released)

The Ultimate Pakistan Relief Photo.

First, we assist our unreliable ally with relief supplies during a horrific flood.  Second, we do this relief effort even though they continue to play both sides of the fence during our effort to secure Afghanistan.  Third they cut off our overland MSR to Afghanistan. 

Now we have our relief helicopters taking defensive measures while delivering those supplies.  Want to know a dirty little secret that the Marine Corps and the Defense Department refuses to admit?


Our forces are in danger while providing this relief.  The Pakistani Intelligence Agencies are thoroughly infiltrated by terrorist and the MANPAD threat inside Pakistan is more of a threat than it is in Afghanistan.  Look at the following pictures...a CH-53E firing off flares?  Hordes of people allowed to crowd around our helicopters when they touch down?

We definitely need to revamp this mission.  Allow the USAF to run with this ball.  The USAF can transport goods into the country and the Pakistan Army can distribute it from different airfields.  USAF Red Horse teams can establish/reinforce existing fields and they can use trucks or aircraft to get it to the population.

The way that we're doing it now is putting our people at risk, is needlessly tying up our strategic reserve (26th MEU) and is (in my opinion) not efficient than a squadron of C-17 flying supplies into a relief hub.

Unit: 26th MEU
Byline: Sgt. Jason Bushong
Date: 2010-09-11 01:07:00
A U.S. Marine Corps CH-53E Sea Stallion helicopter from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit shoots off flares as a self-defense measure while delivering supplies in support of the flood relief effort in Pano Aqil, Pakistan, Sept. 11, 2010. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jason Bushong/Released)

Unit: 26th MEU
Byline: SSgt. Wayne Gray
Date: 2010-09-10 09:03:00
U.S. Marines with the 26th Marine Expeditionary use a CH-53 Super Stallion helicopter to deliver food to flood victims in Pano Aqil, Pakistan, Sept. 11, 2010. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Wayne Gray/Released)

Unit: 26th MEU
Byline: SSgt. Wayne Gray
Date: 2010-09-10 08:43:00
U.S. Marines with the 26th Marine Expeditionary use a CH-53 Super Stallion helicopter to deliver food to flood victims in Pano Aqil, Pakistan, Sept. 11, 2010. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Wayne Gray/Released)

Moroccan F-16

The first Moroccan F-16, shown here, is scheduled to fly in the fall of 2010. Morocco, the twenty-fifth nation to operate the F-16, ordered twenty-four Block 52 aircraft in 2009. The two-tone light brown scheme with gray underside is unique to the Moroccan Air Force. via Lockheed Martin.

Pic of the day. Sep 30, 2010.

via NAVAIR.

Wow. USAF Para-Rescue strikes back. HARD!

I am becoming a 'fan boy' of the Lexington Institute blog.  And the latest just sends a tingle up my leg!  Not because its from one of the authors but because the rebuttal from the Para-Rescue community is vicious, well stated and apparently heartfelt.  But the Lexington Institute still had the balls to post it.  GOOD FOR YOU LexInst.

MUST READ GUYS!

Get it here.

Oh and two simple questions...
1.  Why was the Air Force in such a hurry to deactivate the most advanced helicopter in the western world---the MH-53J?
2.  Why isn't the Air Force simply hanging tough with their current aircraft and climbing onboard the CH-53K program?

Think Defence on 'reading between the lines'

Think Defence has an excellent article on a leaked letter.  At the end of his piece he asks a couple of questions.

Why the focus on naval matters and what does this mean.

My take is that the Brits are blinking on the aircraft carrier controversy and on the F-35.  To move away from their naval roots would be to abandon there role on the world stage.  That would alarm and embolden nations both in Europe (France comes immediately to mind...it seems as if they want to be the 'military' leader of the EU, while Germany seeks to be its economic powerhouse...the UK balances them both) and could even affect US relations with China.

Forget the sensational newspaper stories.  The carriers and the F-35 will survive and thrive wearing British colors.