Found her!

Remember my thoughts yesterday on the EFV and that a lady named Sharon seemed to be one of the 'bashing elite' yet didn't know much about the program?  Well you can read her take on things here.

One serious question raised about the vehicle -- in light of events in Iraq and Afghanistan -- is its inherent vulnerability to improvised explosive devices, the homemade bombs that have proved so deadly to U.S. forces in current military operations. The thin, flat bottom of the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle would be particularly susceptible to such bombs.

Moore says the Marines are addressing this concern by adding to the vehicle's underbelly armor that "significantly enhances its capabilities" to withstand such an explosion.

However, Moore also pointed out the downside to this reinforcement: The armor adds several thousand pounds to the vehicle, which means that it can't travel at the high speeds it's supposed to reach. "It's just not going to be going 25 knots with that [armor] kit on," he said.

Pic of the day. May 28, 2010.

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Mykel Thaete, of the Advanced Infantry Training Battalion (AITB), School of Infantry West (SOI-W), Detachment Hawaii, runs for concealment after popping an M18 green smoke hand grenade on Kahuku Training Area in Hawaii May 19, 2010. Thaete participated as opposition force in an attack and defend field exercise as part of SOI-W's Infantry Squad Leader Course. (DoD photo by Lance Cpl. Jody Lee Smith, U.S. Marine Corps/Released)

MultiCam .... check.
Motto sunglasses ... check.
Popped Green Smoke Grenade ... check.

Conducting training as OpFor for the Advanced Infantry Training Battalion?  PRICELESS

Retro Tucano.

via Aviation News.EU  ...more info at there site

Your new wallpaper.

This photo had to be staged.

A Special Forces Soldier provides security for inbound aircraft after completing a cordon and search of a suspected bomb making facility at a remote village in the Arghandab District Dec. 10, 2009.
Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force – Afghanistan Media Operations Center
Photo by Sgt. Debra Richardson

 

Arrogant Journalist.

I am becoming more than a bit irritated and VERY annoyed at the arrogance I see coming from Journalist these days.  I present to you exhibit number 74.  This via ABC News.  Read the whole thing and try your best not to throw up when she compares herself to actual warriors.

I am now an official "combat aviator" with 5½ hours in the back seat of an F-15E Strike Eagle, flying two separate combat missions over Afghanistan.

Why the USAF would allow this is beyond me.  They effectively took an airplane out of the fight by allowing this publicity stunt.

What's even more annoying is how she raises her own profile and in my opinion questions the urgency of the men on the ground receiving fire, requesting air support.

Courageous restraint?  Not on your life Female.  Not when you're at 20,000 feet in the back seat of an F-15E.  Now don't shoot back when they're lobbing RPG's at ya and then you have my vote for the NATO (mythical) medal...but not for what was done on this mission.

Stories like this make me want to punch walls.  What's the name of the Commanding Officer that signed off on this cluster????

EFV Podcast.

Here ya go.  One stop shopping. Be patient. There is a long gap at the beginning of the recording.
DoD Live: Blogger Round Table on the EFV.

EFV Blogger roundtable notes.

I'm listening to the bloggers roundtable ---initial impressions.....Col.  Moore made the statement that the EFV will be the most capable Infantry Fighting Vehicle in US service and that it will surpass many of the attributes of the Bradley.

That's all well and good but I wonder about the employment of the vehicle.  With the Bradley there was always a tension between its being a fighting vehicle and it being a battle taxi.  A 30mm cannon makes the idea of hunting enemy vehicles and troops rather attractive.

But back to the roundtable...Bettina Chevania from Aviation Week and Greg Grant from DoD Buzz asked really good questions and I'll get a copy of the podcast up shortly.  BUT!  Remember my saying that "haters" would show up to simply bash the program?  Well a person named Sandra filled that role nicely.  It was quite obvious that she hadn't kept up with the program and knew little about it.

1st Scots in Afghanistan.

Off Topic.

This is off topic and maybe I have a weird sense of humor (as in juvenile) but I found this funny as hell.
Hat tip to Jalopnik...Read the forum link at DSMTuners to get the joke (or not).

Pic of the day. May 27, 2010.

Members of the Brazilian Marine Corps Special Operations Battalion clear a house using tactics exchanged with U.S. Navy SEALs during a joint combined exchange training exercise. The bi-lateral training course was facilitated by U.S. Navy SEALS and special warfare combatant-craft crewmen.
Navy Visual News Service
Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Kathryn Whittenberger

RoK/US Amphibious Assault.

An old video but still entertaining.  The Republic of Korea and US Marines conduct an amphibious assault.  Highlighted in the video is the soon to be retired CH-46.

US Army goes from observing K-Max for Marine service to participating?

When the US Marine Corps first came out with a requirement for an unmanned helicopter to perform resupply missions for dispersed units, the Army stated that they would observe the program.  Seems like they've moved from observation to almost participation...this from DefPro.com

“Under the contract, Kaman Helicopters will be adding mission equipment to a test aircraft that helps elevate the reliability of unmanned aircraft to the standards the K-MAX attains in commercial operations,” stated Terry Fogarty, general manager, Unmanned Aircraft Systems Product Group for Kaman Helicopters. “While this is not a deployment contract, it continues our efforts as we prepare for a potential opportunity for a military deployment later this year.” Kaman’s commercial operators boast 98-99 percent availability rates in the harsh helicopter logging environment, where K-MAX rotorcraft deliver 6,000 pound loads 20 to 30 times per hour. A single K-MAX often moves more than one-million pounds of timber in a single day, and has exceeded two-million pounds in a single day on numerous occasions.

I wonder if they just tipped their hand on who the Marine Corps has selected for this mission.  It would make little sense for the Army to select a different helicopter than the Marines (at least in this role) in this age of austerity.