Brit Junglies support youth activities.

via Royal Navy News.

Naval aviators flew scores of missions over Dartmoor at the weekend to support a massive outdoor challenge involving over 2,000 young people.
Sea Kings and Lynx transported food, equipment, people and even a few injured youngsters, as they helped out at the annual Ten Tors challenge.

and...

Helicopters from Yeovilton provided support throughout the weekend with a Lynx Mk 8 from 815 Naval Air Squadron and two Sea King Jungly Commando Helicopter Force aircraft from 848 Naval Air Squadron – including one painted in the force’s famous green and white stripes.
Over the busy weekend the helicopters lifted more than 50 under-slung loads to the tors, resupplying items from jerrycans of water and rations to radio equipment and safety stores.
They helicopters also lifted over 500 people to remote outcrops on the moor, reaching the most inaccessible corners, many miles from roads or the rough tracks which criss-cross the landscape.

There were also more than 40 minor casualties airlifted off the moor, either back to the base camp at Okehampton or straight to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth. All the casualties have since left hospital and return with their starting teams.
“We train and fly over Dartmoor quite a lot, and it can produce some really awful weather. Ten Tors gives us an ideal chance to train with real people in real situations,” said Cdr Richard Sutton – 848 NAS’ Commanding Officer and also one of the pilots for the Ten Tors.
Brigadier Piers Hankinson, Commanding Officer of 43 Wessex Brigade who runs the event, said: “It is tough for them. The routes are arduous and they have to carry everything they will need with them. To complete Ten Tors takes considerable determination and commitment.”

This is pretty awesome.

In my way of thinking this would be similar to the US Navy and Marines supporting a Boy Scout Jamboree.

Love it.

NCIS investigating/prosecuting widescale theft of rifles/night vision devices.

Geez.  Wide scale theft of govt. property to include rifles and night vision devices.

Check out this tale of woe.

LINDELL KAY and MIKE MCHUGH - DAILY NEWS STAFF

A wide-reaching investigation by military and civilian authorities has uncovered a criminal conspiracy within the Armed Forces to steal and sell nearly $2 million in guns and combat gear to gangs in the U.S. and foreign countries including China, military officials have confirmed.

The probe began more than a year and a half ago when agents with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service began to conduct undercover operations to disrupt and reduce the theft, transfer, sale and possession of stolen U.S. Government property. With the aid of Marine and Naval authorities, NCIS has recovered $1.8 million in stolen guns and combat gear to include assault rifles, night-vision goggles, flashlights and other items, military officials said.

Those involved are accused of stealing, over-ordering or otherwise obtaining equipment and selling guns locally and other gear over the Internet to people in foreign countries including China and Russia, officials said.
Those involved in the criminal enterprise did so for a multitude of reasons including but not exclusive to human greed and the ease by which the material could be pilfered, according to a government official familiar with the operation.
“We’re talking about sophisticated, hi-tech flashlights that cost the government up to $800 per unit. The temptation and ease with which to steal and sell them, for some, is irresistible,” the official said.
The commanders from Camp Lejeune and II Marine Expeditionary Force have been working closely with NCIS during the investigation, said Nat Fahy, deputy director of public relations for Marine Corps Installations East.

With cooperation from Marine and Navy officials, NCIS has been able to conduct 66 investigations involving 47 active duty Marines and sailors to include enlisted and high-ranking officers and 21 civilians who are now in various stages of prosecution.

NCIS agents identified stolen property from the Army and Air Force which launched numerous investigations involving soldiers and airmen, military officials confirmed.

The ever-widening probe now includes the FBI; Homeland Security; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Defense Logistics Agency; Defense Criminal Investigative Service, N.C. State Bureau of Investigations, and several local agencies including the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office and the Jacksonville Police Department.

In email correspondence about the operation, a NCIS spokesman told The Daily News more information would be forthcoming. Agents were tying up loose ends in some of the cases before releasing details, said Ed Buice, public affairs officer for NCIS in Quantico, Va.
A handful of those arrested in the sweeping operation have already been court martialed.

A sergeant with Marine Corps Special Operations Command was found guilty of stealing and reselling military property, said MarSOC spokesman Maj. Jeff Landis.

Sgt. Daniel Adam Reich, a former member of 3rd Marine Special Operations Battalion, was convicted of four separate counts: Article 80 for attempt to sell military property of a value more than $500; Article 81 for participating in a conspiracy; Article 108 for selling military property of a value more than $500; and Article 134 for wrongfully receiving military property of a value more than $500.

Reich was sentenced to a dishonorable discharge, reduction in grade to private, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, a $2,500 fine and confinement for 40 months.

Reich’s charges are indicative of those involved, officials confirmed.

Contact Daily News Senior Reporter Lindell Kay at 910-219-8456 or lkay@freedomenc.com. Read his crime blog, "Off the Cuff," at http://onslowcrime.encblogs.com. Follow him on Twitter and friend him on Facebook @ 1lindell.

This ain't a MARSOC story.

This ain't a NCIS or any other law enforcement agency story.

This is a Marine Corps story.

WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON WITH MY MARINE CORPS?

African Partnership Station 12 Marines conduct unit certification exercise.

Photos by Staff Sgt. Jemssy Alvarez

  This evolution was designed to refresh both the Marines and sailors of Security Cooperation Task Force Africa Partnership Station 12 on the embarkation procedures in support of contingency missions APS-12 may face on their upcoming deployment to Africa.

Scout SV family of vehicles.

Once a Marine...Always a Marine.

11th MEU. At sea.

USS Pearl Harbor, left, and USS Makin Island, embarked with Marines and sailors serving with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, May 8. The unit embarked the ships, as well as USS New Orleans, in San Diego Nov. 14, beginning a seven-month deployment to the Western Pacific, Horn of Africa and Middle East regions.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Claudia Palacios)

US Marines in Africa. We're heading toward critical mass.

First check out this vid...

Then head over to SOFREP and read Jack Murphy's article (yeah, I'm doing an about face on those guys...leave me alone...I sometimes...error)

Then consider what we know.

US Marines are in country now and will be sending a Special MAGTF soon.

US Army Special Forces are all over the continent doing whatever it is they do.

The USAF has F-15's, C-130's and UAVs flying all over the place.

Rumor has it that the US Army Rangers are stomping all over the place.

And while we're training Ugandan forces, they're (Ugandans) fighting in Somalia...you can bet whatever body part you want that they're being led by a Special Forces A-Team in those fights.

Long story short.

We're already at war in Africa.

British Heroes are brought home.

It really does infuriate me.


Remember when one US Soldier went on a rampage?


Front page news for weeks.


Afghans have been killing US, British and other allied trainers and they're instantly labled as terrorist and the news is instantly pushed back to page 6 or even further back in new papers.

Rest in peace men.  You left the earth much too soon.

Air Soft Alternative...

22 LR conversion kits.  CMMG is probably the best known on the market but the major AR makers are even making 22 LR AR's now.

What ever the case the issue is.  How do I maintain weapons proficiency and not burn thru alot of cash?

The 22 LR conversion can keep you on the range for pennies on the dollar.  Force on Force training is out but weapon manipulation and range time while shooting steel is enhanced.

What the Fuck is going on with the 82nd???

via Military.com

The Army is investigating Brig. Gen. Jeffrey A. Sinclair, who has been reassigned from Afghanistan back to Fort Bragg, officials said Friday.
Earlier this month, Sinclair was removed from his job as the 82nd Airborne Division's deputy commanding general for support in Afghanistan. He had been deputy commander since July 2010.
"This is a criminal investigation," said Ben Abel, a Fort Bragg spokesman.
Sinclair has returned to Fort Bragg for his assignment as special assistant to the commanding general of the 18th Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg, Abel said.

I usually have no sympathy for Flag Officers.

If this is anything except a combat related incident then my track record remains....I'll have no sympathy.

And if it isn't combat related then what the hell could be going on?

One thing is certain.

General Mattis needs to get his house in order.

That combat zone is spiraling out of control.  The attacks on coalition forces by our allies...a withdrawal under fire in the making...a lack of control over the border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan...public support for the war decreasing every day....and now a Flag Officer being removed because of a crimminal investigation.

Kinda makes the days of Marines pissing on the enemy that they JUST PUT A BULLET into seem like the non-issue it really was huh?