Open Comment Post. April 9, 2018

Keep your eyes on Brazil. Something SIGNIFICANT/Possibly dangerous is brewing!

via Brazilism Tumblr Page.

Alright but there’s some CRAZY historical shit happening in brazil right now

our ex-president (and the most popular politician alive here by far) was convicted of a crime and police issued an arrest warrant for him yesterday

so he basically said “fine, come and get me, i’ll be at the labor union speaking to the people who support me meanwhile” (cause he was running for president again this year and was VERY likely to win)

and so many fucking people showed up and basically barricaded blocks and blocks around the building that police can’t get near him

and police knows exactly where he is so they can’t consider him a fugitive and apply penalties cause he’s technically not breaking the law

and today after negotiating his surrender carefully he tried to get out and people literally won’t get off the gate???

people are literally human-barricading this dude from being arrested  this is WILD 

This is intense and I haven't paid close enough attention to it.  Something SIGNIFICANT/Possibly dangerous is brewing in Brazil and it's no where in the news.

This could have ramifications folks.

Get your eyeballs on this one.  More to come but keep an eyeball peeled!

82nd Airborne getting serious about their "Division Ready Force" ...pics by Tech. Sgt. Liliana Moreno

These guys weren't too far away at England Air Park and Ft Polk.  Gotta make a trip and get in tight with the PAO for that base...over at Meridian with the Special Ops Community down there, Barksdale Air Base and the bubbas at Ft Hood (can't forget my boys down at Marine Reserve in New Orleans...suck ass city but good people).

I digress though.

The 82nd has been quietly working there asses off.

They're starting to take the look of the old skool bubbas back in the Rapid Deployment Force days.  You know I'm a fan of that concept and believe it would fit better our current defense needs than all this forward presence nonsense (except for forces afloat...being on ship and getting to hot spots or showing the flag will ALWAYS make sense).

Regardless.  Ya heard it here first.  The 82nd is back in the game in a big way!

From average to beast to savage...what does it take? Commitment!

Going lift.  Gotta train.  Can't be like everyone else!

In the world we live in?  Civilized mind, savage body.  Lift more, Train more!

The Type 10 “Hitomaru”...the most "modern" tank in the world....

via M4A1 Sherman Tumblr Page.
At the dawn of the 21st Century the Japanese had decided to revamp their now aging tank force of Type 74s and Type 90s as warfare has advanced and changed rapidly in the past 20 years. The basis for the new AFV was that it was to meet weight requirements and to utilize the C4I (Command, Control, Communication and Computing) system. After assessing the Type 74 and Type 90, it was found that neither tanks had the internal space to be upgraded with the C4I system, therefore the Ministry of Defense concluded that a new design would have to be developed. 

This is for the armor guys on the blog.  Name the most advanced tank in production.  Armata?  Not in production yet.  Leopard 2A7?  As much as it will pain some people, its just a refresh of an old design.  Same with the M1, Leclerc, and various other MBTs around the world.

The newest, "most modern" MBT to roam the earth belongs to the Japanese!

The Japanese Type 10 is hardly ever mentioned when it comes to the top tanks but by rights probably should be.  It checks all the boxes, and has many features not found on other Western tanks.  Want to see real bias? Look no further than this!

USAF Special Operations CV-22 land in Japan?

Five @usairforce CV-22 Ospreys landed in western Tokyo Thursday morning, marking the start of the tiltrotor aircraft’s tenure at the home of U.S. Forces Japan (Produced by Allen Onstott and Seth Robson/Stars and Stripes) More: https://www.stripes.com/1.520496 #starsandstripes #usmilitary #usairforce #usforcesjapan #cv22 #ospreys #tokyo #japan

A post shared by Stars And Stripes (@stripesphotography) on Apr 7, 2018 at 12:17pm PDT

Want to talk about a low density, high demand asset?  Look at the USAF CV-22.

Just my opinion (and gut view of available information) but it seems like SOCOM uses the CV-22 mostly (almost exclusively) in long range raids.  Unless the mission calls for that particular mission set then you're more likely to see Army Special Ops Blackhawks or Chinooks used (or Navy MH-60s when they had squadrons dedicated to supporting SEALs).

That's why we've seen them used in Africa (huge place).  It's also why they're used in Syria (well speed is the main reason there).

But why Japan when SOCOM is as overstretched if not more than the conventional force.

Just spitballing but could planning and troops still be being moved into place in case talks between Trump and the little fat boy fall thru?

I'm not ready to state that as fact but it is an itch in the back of the brain that I can't quite scratch.

Week 11 of the Basic Infantry Qualification Course @ 2nd Canadian Division Training Centre. (Canuk recruits performing simulated assaults in an urban area)

Open Comment Post. April 8, 2018

TOP LAWMAKER SAYS 'READINESS OF THE MILITARY IS AT A CRISIS POINT'

via WTVA.

Seven US service members died in four noncombat-related air crashes in just four days, prompting concern over readiness in the US military.

The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, released a statement Saturday saying the "readiness of the military is at a crisis point."
The incidents coincided with President Donald Trump's decision to deploy up to four thousand National Guard troops to several Southwestern states. The Pentagon has been working with state and federal agencies on the logistics to execute the President's stated goal.

However, with few specifics coming from the administration, defense officials have been left to grapple with questions on how the military plans to balance its priorities -- a challenge that is only amplified by the fact that 16 US service members have been killed in noncombat aircraft crashes in recent weeks.

"Last month Congress voted to provide our troops the funds they need to begin turning this crisis around," Thornberry said in his statement. "That vote involved painful choices, but Congress was right to make it and the President was right to sign it into law. Given the urgency and importance of this issue, there can be no higher priority for the Department of Defense than ensuring that our aircraft are safe and that pilots get the training they need. Nothing should divert us from that mission."

On Thursday, a day after Trump ordered National Guard troops to the border, Pentagon spokesperson Dana White discussed the readiness issue.

"Border security is national security, and we are leaning forward to support the President and his intent and his goals," White said. "But readiness remains our top priority."
"The secretary believes that this needs to be the most lethal force in the world. ... So, yes, I can assure you that our resources will still be dedicated to ensuring that our war fighters get what they need when they need it," she said.

Not a crisis?

The US military maintains that it is not experiencing an aviation "crisis" despite a string of noncombat incidents that have killed 16 service members since mid-March, but lawmakers on both sides of the aisle warn that the recent spate of deadly mishaps is part of a disturbing trend that has been building for years.

Three of last week's incidents occurred on Tuesday and involved Marine Corps aircraft -- including a CH-53 helicopter that crashed near Naval Air Facility El Centro in California and killed four crew members.

An Air Force Thunderbirds pilot was also killed when his F-16 jet crashed at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada on Wednesday. Two soldiers were killed in an Army AH-64E Apache helicopter crash at the local training area of their base in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, Friday night.

Two deadly noncombat aircraft incidents also occurred last month: Two Navy pilots were killed in a crash off of Key West and seven service members were killed in a chopper crash in Iraq.

When asked if the recent incidents indicate a crisis, Joint Staff Director Lt. Gen. Kenneth McKenzie said Thursday that he is not prepared to characterize the mishaps as evidence of a "wave" or "crisis."

But McKenzie acknowledged that any deadly incident is "not normal" and each crash will be thoroughly investigated.

"We look for causality," he said. "Was it a single incident? Was it systemic? Is it related to something we're doing across the entire fleet ... or something in the training of the aviators that are flying the platforms? Or is it a maintenance issue?"

"We work very hard to uncover all those things, to look both individually at each accident, each mishap, as well as linkages between the two," he added.

Story here. 

Just plain wow.

You know what frustrates me so much with current (and recent) military leadership?

It seems like they've lost the ability to move with a sense of purpose.  They lack speed and intensity even when US service men are dying.

It's obvious to all that something is wrong here but instead of acting quickly, instead of getting ahead of the curve on this thing, they've instead "adopted a business approach" and are acting like this is a PR crisis instead.

Am I impressed by Thornberry?

Nope.

The guy is a defense hawk and his number one goal in life (apparently) is to throw as much money at the military instead of demanding transparency in spending, a focus on achievable missions and making sure that our guys aren't stretched from here to yonder protecting other countries.

Last but not least I'm not impressed by the reporting.  Did you notice how they tried to turn this story into a "Trump is wearing out the military by positioning National Guard troops on the border"?

The response from the military is less than stellar, the response from a "top" law maker is less than impressive and the reporting is downright pathetic.

In short?

Expect more planes to drop out the sky while the military tries to do too much with too little while spending a gawd awful amount of money at the same time.

Russian army unveils new BMPT fire support armored vehicle at military parade rehearsal...via Army Recognition...

Story here.

Some of you guys have been talking about this vehicle but this is the first I've laid eyes on it.

The funny thing?

The US Army and Marine Corps are talking about fighting in urban areas.  If they're serious then we're gonna need this type of vehicle.  Heavy guns with great elevation that can reach the upper floors of tall buildings...yeah, we should be building one too if we're serious about going into that meat grinding, lost battalion fuck fest of a fight.

I know the Marine Corps thinking.

They believe that the Expeditionary Rifle Squad and/or the Company Landing Team can make quick surgical raids and/or support SOCOM doing the same.

I don't believe even that is possible in the future against terrorists not to mention nation state forces but they're determined so I'm betting we'll see the real deal soon enough.