17 counts of murder.

Thanks Joe for sending me this article.

via Yahoo.

Pentagon officials said Thursday that they expect Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, 38, to be charged on Friday on 17 counts of murder, among other lesser charges.

The charges "are expected tomorrow," a U.S. official told Yahoo News Thursday night on condition of anonymity.

Hmmm.

This is gonna be a tough case to prove.  I wonder who's leading the investigation.  Army CID or has the FBI rode in and claimed jurisdiction.

Either way, the crime scene has been tampered with, the SSGT is claiming a lack of knowledge and his prior traumatic brain injury is going to be a factor in determining guilt.

Don't get me wrong, if he did it (and by all appearances he did) then he should be punished.  But if there were ever a case of mitigating circumstances then this case has it written all over it.

My opinion.  Your mileage may vary.

SAS members talk about the Falklands...

via the Telegraph...

Out over the South Atlantic, two C130 Hercules transports of 47 Squadron Royal Air Force battle through the night. Buffeted by strong headwinds, they skim the waves at 50 feet to evade detection. The co-pilots peer through night‑vision goggles, guiding the pilots towards the coast, one lapse enough to cause disaster. Night vision is in its infancy, the devices a secret gift from the Americans. Tension mounts as landfall over Argentina approaches, the conclusion of a 13‑hour flight from Ascension Island involving two mid-air rendezvous with Victor tankers.

Behind the crews, in the cavernous holds of the Hercules, some 60 men of B Squadron, 22nd SAS Regiment, ready their weapons and vehicles, Land Rovers bristling with machine guns. This is a one‑way mission, the best outcomes being escape to neutral Chile, or capture. The worst outcome is all too obvious.

Minutes later, the C130s slam down on the runway at Rio Grande. The rear doors are already open, the lowered ramps scraping the ground. In an instant, the Land Rovers are charging straight for the apron where four French-built Super Etendard fighters of the Argentine navy stand. Some of the SAS fling charges into the engine intakes while others search for the Etendard pilots, who are to be shot on sight. Another group search for the weapon that above all others threatens Britain with defeat in the South Atlantic: the Exocet. Moments later, the first charges explode. Gunfire erupts. The world dissolves into chaos.

That's just a snippet, but the best thing about this entire article is that it confirms a couple things that were speculated and more importantly it gives the perspective of the guys involved.

A nice historical article....about a time when Great Britain had its full groove on.

This is why we're losing Afghanistan...

Major Joseph R. Jackson, the lead governance and development advisor with 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, directs Marines as they escort Holly Barnes, the field program manager of the District Stabilization Team in Kajaki for the U.S. Agency for International Development, on a patrol here, March 13, 2012. The Marines escorted officials from USAID and the U.S. Department of State to the bazaar to meet with local business owners and workers at the health clinic. For the first time since 2006, businesses began returning to the Tangye Bazaar after coalition forces cleared the area of insurgents and brought security to the Kajaki district center.  Photo by Sgt. Jacob Harrer

Lance Corporal Juan R. Sanchezvelazquez, a motor transport operator with Golf Battery, 2nd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, walks across a bridge here during a patrol into the Tangye Bazaar, March 13, 2012. The Marines escorted officials from the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. Department of State, and the U.S. Marine Corps to the bazaar to meet with local business owners and workers at the health clinic here. For the first time since 2006, businesses began returning to the Tangye Bazaar after coalition forces cleared the area of insurgents and brought security to the Kajaki district center.  Photo by Sgt. Jacob Harrer

Corporal Diego E. Castaneda, a motor transport mechanic and assistant patrol leader with Golf Battery, 2nd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, directs his Marines during a patrol here, March 13, 2012. The Marines escorted officials from the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. Department of State, and the U.S. Marine Corps to the bazaar to meet with local business owners and workers at the health clinic. For the first time since 2006, businesses began returning to the Tangye Bazaar after coalition forces cleared the area of insurgents and brought security to the Kajaki district center.  Photo by Sgt. Jacob Harrer

Lance Cpl. Paul L. Mares, a cannonier with Golf Battery, 2nd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, provides rear security with his M240 light machine gun during a patrol here, March 13, 2012. The Marines escorted officials from the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. Department of State, and the U.S. Marine Corps to the bazaar to meet with local business owners and workers at the health clinic. For the first time since 2006, businesses began returning to the Tangye Bazaar after coalition forces cleared the area of insurgents and brought security to the Kajaki district center.  Photo by Sgt. Jacob Harrer

Read the captions above.

Then do what I finally did and step back and think about the implications of Sgt Harrer's words.

Marines are supporting the US Agency for International Development.

Think about that in the larger context of the war.

We're no longer about chasing down the bad guys.  If that was the case then we could pull out and let SOCOM do there thing the right way.  WITHOUT SUPPORT OF CONVENTIONAL UNITS.  I mean they are elite right?

No, we have thousands of Marines and Soldiers in country trying to develop a primitive culture...trying to get women's rights for women that don't want it...in essence we're fighting a war of special interests.

The powers that be are trying to make this back water country into a mini USA.

That's why we're losing.  Classic counter insurgency failed.  It failed because we've bastardized the concept.

And for that I blame military leadership of all services.

Mission accomplishment first.

Troop welfare second.

We can't accomplish this mission.  Time to leave now.  We know it, the Afghan's know it and the American public knows it.

Time for military leadership to finally admit the truth and end this waste of money and lives.

A Grand Proposal.

Its time.

The US Navy has been deploying carriers with half its true compliment for over a decade now.

That is an improper use of resources.

Instead of sending a detachment of Marines to a carrier, my grand proposal is for the Navy to turn over a carrier to the Marine Corps.

Instead of deploying with 3 ships to house a MEU, you could sail with one.  It would be a MEU (-) but it would be a sight to behold and would be a formidable rapid response force.

You have a carrier loaded with a wing of F/A-18C's and D's...AV-8B's, CH-53E's, CH-46 or MV-22's, AH-1Z's and UH-1Y's.

Your Battalion (+)  Landing Team (s) would all be your air battalions instead of just an air company.

If a hot spot were to occur you would be steaming at almost 40 knots to the area of concern and would be able to influence events much sooner not only because of the speed of the carrier but because of the reach of your enhanced air wing.

Small boat swarms?

Really?

Not with this beast sailing around with Marines ready to pounce on them form the air in rotary and fixed wing assets.

Pirates an issue?

Your wing would fly out and protect commercial shipping and if necessary not only bomb pirate/terrorist bases but could also conduct helo raids.

Reinforce a tough situation in Afghanistan?

Again, you're moving at 40 knots and you're flying your Marines in from the sea by CH-53 and MV-22 to help put the situation right.

Enough of not using the resources we have.  Lets fully utilize our carriers.  The Marines are ready is the Navy?

Boeing media steps into the 21st century.

Thanks Ed for sending the link.

To be honest I could care less about the 787 winning the Collier Trophy last year.

I really don't care for the photo.

But the fact that Boeing is finally opening up their aviation photos to us lesser beings is amazing.

Fucking amazing that it took a major corporation so long to wise up!

Next war...Africa by way of pirates.

Thanks Jonathan for sending me this article....

Bad news bat fans...

If you thought that with the war winding down in Afghanistan that we might get at least a temporary pause in action, this should make you reconsider.  Our next battle field (probably already is) will be on the African continent.

The payoff?  I have no idea but piracy is not a big enough problem to warrant full scale military intervention.  via AFP.

BRUSSELS — The European Union will likely approve plans Friday to strike Somali pirate equipment on beaches, widening the scope of its naval operations four years into a mission to protect shipping.
Germany had voiced reservations about plans to allow EU warships and helicopters to fire at trucks, supplies, boats and fuel stowed on the coast of Somalia, but a minister indicated Thursday that Berlin would now back the plans.
"Military officers say they want to render harmless the ships on the beach that could be used. This was a convincing argument," German deputy defence minister Christian Schmidt said after a meeting of EU defence chiefs in Brussels.
EU officials have stressed that the new mandate would not call for the deployment of troops on the ground in Somalia.
"We made clear that this should be limited actions against assets on the edge of the beach. Piracy must be fought at sea," Schmidt said.

Notice the careful wording?

Land forces would not be involved?

Land forces are already involved on the continent.  British, French and American forces are operating all over the place.  Add in the work the Chinese are doing and you the next flashpoint of the future.

Remember you heard it here first.

EDA-R.

I continue to be fascinated by the EDA-R...the French solution to the 'enhanced' landing craft problem.  The fascination isn't with its operation...I don't think that its any more capable than a legacy landing craft with improved thrust.  It's rising and lowering deck doesn't impress...I find it to be overly complicated with little utility.

It's like a strange painting or a car accident (no injuries)...I stare in fascination and wonder how someone could come up with that.  Pics via the French Navy website.

Collapse...

A U.S. Soldier assigned to the 197th Special Troops Company, Utah Army National Guard collapses his parachute after a static line jump in Fairfield, Utah, March 15, 2012. (DoD photo by Senior Airman Staci Miller, U.S. Air Force/Released)

The Navy's real carrier problem.

An MV-22 Osprey maneuvers on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) during test operations. George H.W. Bush is in the Atlantic Ocean conducting carrier qualifications.

The above pic while "artistic" illustrates perfectly the Navy's carrier problem.

They have more carriers than aircraft.

Check out that flight deck.  One MV-22 and maybe a couple of Sea Hawks...pathetic.  It will piss the Admiral's off but the Navy really only has one of two options to keep the current number of carriers and be considered serious.

The first option is to establish a partnership with the US Marine Corps and deploy an enhanced SPMAGTF (aviation centric...AMOS should love that) with the idea of embarking maybe two Battalion Landing Teams to act as regional reinforcement for CENTCOM.

They would bring along extra MV-22's, CH-53E's, AH-1Z's and UH-1Y's....along with a beefed up AV-8B force.

This should be a more than credible spear against small boat attacks, provide an enhanced TRAP option in the event of planes going down etc...

The second option would be to team up with SOCOM...get the 160th on board and maybe a company or two of Rangers along with some Special Forces Detachments and give them the super mothership that they've been begging for.

I like option one best but hey....that's just me.

Either way, the Navy has a carrier problem and unless they start sending ships to sea with full compliments (I'm talking upwards of 90 aircraft) then the carrier force is in danger of serious cutbacks.

UPDATE:
It just occurred to me that I just endorsed a proposal that I shot down weeks ago.  Let me clarify.  Marine Corps detachments aboard aircraft carriers with "full" compliments of their aircraft is a waste of Marine Corps personnel.  Designating an aircraft carrier and having it switch to being a super LHD is different.  It becomes a Marine Corps centric vessel instead of having Marines along as dead weight.

Sand storm at sea...

ARABIAN SEA (March 19, 2012) The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) passes through a sand storm. Carl Vinson and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17 are deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Benjamin Stevens/Released)