29th Commandos finish operations in Helmand province

All photos by Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan Chandler.  On a different note, please observe the first photo.  I notice that the USMC and now the British military is all the rage about taking these type of photos.  Action pics I can understand but these posed photos give me the creeps.  I get the impression that they're suppose to be used in the newspaper if you're every mortally wounded.  Maybe its just me but I'd love to hear an explanation of why they're suddenly such a "in" way of doing things.

UH-1Y Venom Special Patrol Insertion/Extraction (SPIE) Demo

Pic of the day. 09/15/2011

Out the door

Paratroopers with the 82nd Airborne Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team exit a C-17 Globemaster III during an airborne training exercise Sept. 10, 2011, at Fort Bragg, N.C. The yellow cord, called a static line, deploys the paratroopers parachute automatically, which is important since the paratroopers are jumping at only 800 feet above ground level. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Michael J. MacLeod

Question.  At 800 feet is a reserve chute even deploy-able if your main malfunctions?  I know they're jumping Hollywood but still...why wear it if it can't help?

Sea Gripen presentation to the Indian Navy

Many thanks to JJ (not Jack Jack from Ares Blog) for pointing me to Livefist Blog.  Go there for the complete slides.

An explanation. SNAFU!'s coverage of Dakota Meyer Medal of Honor winner.

I want to take a second to explain why I haven't been blasting news of Dakota Meyer's soon to be awarded Medal of Honor here on SNAFU!

Understand that I'm extremely proud of the man and am in awe of his actions on that fateful day.

But also understand that while searching for information on him and his award I ran into something that I've rarely run into on Marine Corps websites.

They practically embargoed the news and I got the impression that they wanted tight control over how the news was presented...you either went to an official Marine Corps website or you weren't going to get the news. By the formatting of the stories to the design of the articles that was my sincere impression. I could be wrong but again that was my impression.

With that in mind I decided to let the Marine Corps run with the story and everyone that was truly interested could find it there.

That was about a month ago. Recently the reigns have been loosened and they appear to have reversed themselves and are going all out to publicize the upcoming event.

Right or wrong I was miffed by HQMC's actions on this. 

Compare it to the 11th MEU's Public Affairs Office handling of their training for an upcoming deployment.  They're practically taking the public along for the ride.  But they appear to be more of the exception rather than the rule.  Information about units down range is hard to come by.  You get the fluff pieces of Marines building roads, schools or bridges but info about combat operations is more than hard to come by....its literally hit or miss.

Enough bitching.  I'm proud of Meyer.  I'm pleased that he's being recognized for his actions  I just wish that HQMC was handling this with a bit more awareness of the need to educate the public of what her Marines are doing.

Space Porn...NASA's new heavy lift rocket.

Tigre beauty shots...

Pic of the day. 9/14/2011

Photo by LCpl Ryan Carpenter

11th MEU begins second sea period since becoming a MAGTF

Light Combat Tactical - All Terrain Vehicle

LATV_Bro_9-9-2011

31st MEU trains for airfield seizure..

Rangers----82nd Airborne---watch out------we're training to do your mission....all photos by 2nd Lt. Dave Baugh

Marines from Company E, Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, unload from a CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 265 (Reinforced), also with the MEU, during a mock airfield seizure here, Sept. 9. The helicopter raid exercise is part of a series of training events to prepare the 31st MEU for its upcoming deployment.

Marines from Company E, Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, prepare to breach and secure a room during a mock airfield seizure here Sept. 9. This helicopter raid exercise, which integrates both the air combat element and the battalion landing team of the 31st MEU, is part of a series of training events to prepare the Marines for its upcoming deployment.

Marines from Company E, Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, are extracted by a CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter, part of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 265(Reinforced) during a mock airfield seizure here, Sept. 9. The helicopter raid exercise is part of a series of training events to prepare the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit for upcoming deployment.

Marines from Company E, Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, assault the airfield here during a mock seizure, Sept. 9. The helicopter raid exercise is part of a series of training events to prepare the 31st MEU for its upcoming deployment.

Pic of the day. One wrong step and you're a medivac...

U.S. Army Soldiers begin their descent from the summit of "Big Nasty," a mountain in Paktika province, Afghanistan, Sept. 8, 2011. The soldiers are assigned to Company C, 3rd Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 172nd Infantry Brigade. The unit was on a joint mission with the Afghan army and border patrol in the mountains near the Pakistan border. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Ken Scar

 

 

Wow.

Terrible terrain. 

A challenging patrol problem.

Mountains suck but at least its not winter...