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?

New Female Marine Dress Uniform.

Jessie Hodge photo.

Hmmm.

Sol likes!

Glock stumbles into advertising.

vid courtesy of ENDO-Mike @ EveryDayNoDaysOff Blog.



From a pure "wow" factor viewpoint, this vid lets me down.

From a form leads to function viewpoint, this vid lets me down.

From a "if I didn't own a Glock would this vid convince me to buy one" viewpoint, this vid fails.

If Glocks continue to lose market share to Smith and Wesson, Spring Field,  Ruger and the other gun makers they can point to all the issues with the Gen4 (and the arrogance that they showed by not fixing it right away)...they can point to the lack of confidence that they displayed by ignoring their instincts by dumping the fish scale serations and rough texturing...and they can point to a lack luster advertising/promotions/aftermarket program...if Glock themselves sold Glock certified (and backed) extended slide releases, paint, adjustable sights and other things that the public is clamoring for then they could build on their customer base.

Instead they're acting like a tired old gun company that's resting on its laurels.

I love my Glocks (all three of them) but if I was in the market for a new handgun it would be a XD.

Air soft. I just can't get there.

Airsoft is the latest "hot thing" to hit the firearms industry.

Oh and there has been quite a few hot things over the last few years.

*AR's in general...

*AR's with rails

*AR's with optics...then lasers and lights...

*Then there was a massive move to AR's that were piston driven (note this occured after the market was saturated with Direct Impingement AR's)

*Then the move was to get as light an AR as possible...

*Off came all the lights, lasers, full size optics and rails...to be replaced by single rail fore ends with places to attach short picantey rails for precision placement of those now small lights.

And now we have airsoft getting popular.  Only we've been here before.  If you remember there was a time when everyone was saying that using paintballs in training was the way to go.  Everyone flocked to the movement like flies to shit and that's exactly what the training was.  SHIT.  People were doing things that they would never dream of doing in actual combat, people were flying all over the place and suddenly with the rise in popularity people started looking for edges...over sized cans came into being, along with oversized paintball holders (don't know what else to call them).

Long story short, it turned into a joke.

The US Military and most (if not all) Law Enforcement Agencies are able to use either miles gear or simunitions.  So having said that I think this is being sold straight to the civilian shooter.  And that's the shame of it all.

If you've ever been to Europe or Japan then you'll see a BOOMING air soft industry.

The reason?

Extreme gun control.  They can't own a real AR so they buy fictional versions.  Oh they look like the real thing but in the end all they do is fire oversized BB's.

We have perverts in the US that go to Thailand for sex vacations...the Japanese have citizens that come to the US and other freedom loving countries for firearms vacations.

When at home they play with airsoft.  Other times they go to other places to get their hands on the real thing.

And then their is the price of good quality replica firearms...From the Air Soft Mega Store...

AIM Sports Tactical Ergonomic RIS Foregrip Vertical Grip w/ Pressure Pad Housing - For All RIS/Weaver Rails	1	$0.00
	420 FPS Classic Army Full Metal LWRC M6A2 Compact Carbine Airsoft AEG (Dark Bronze) - Electric Blowback - w/ Fully Licensed LWRC TrademarksOptions	1	$711.60	remove
	DBoys Airsoft 110rd M4 / M16 Metal Mid-Cap Magazine [Mid-Cap Mag] - For AGM, CA, DBoys, Echo 1, G&G, ICS, JG, KWA, and SRC M4/M16 AEGs	1	$0.00
	AIM Sports 4x32 Fiber Optic Advanced Combat Red/Green Dot Tactical Rifle Scope - 4x Magnification w/ Fiber Optic Sighting	1	$0.00
	Diamond Tactical OpSpec VIPER Single Point Bungee Sling Black [DT208B] - Weapon Retention System	1	$0.00
	Black Bear Airsoft RAIDER Tactical Steel Mesh Padded Lower Face Mask w/ Ear Protection - 550 FPS MISSION-RATED PROTECTION - Black	1	$0.00
	Tactical Assault Airsoft Paintball Law Enforcement Vest - DESERT TAN	1	$0.00
	Diamond Tactical Urban Assault Tactical 36" Deluxe Gun Bag w/ Heavy Duty Padding - Ultra High Grade 600D Rugged Construction - BLACK	1	$0.00

8 items in cart

Subtotal: $711.60

How many red blooded, worried about the economy Americans are going to plump down over 700 dollars for a weapon that doesn't even fire real bullets?  Put this down as a fashion trend...label it as a get rich quick scheme for those in the right spots...but for the average guy, better to save that money for ammo to the range.  

Sorry Haley.  Good idea but on this one, I think you're wrong. 

NOTE:

Haley put forward a couple of EXTREMELY important issues when it comes to getting the most out of this training.  Off the top of my head I remember him talking about training the way that you fight.  Using it to make up for training when you can't make it to the range.  To make sure that you're wearing the same gear and have the weapon set up the exact same way as you would when you're kicking in doors...and a few more I can't recall.  

But my main issue with all of this is that because of the very nature of air soft, good training, good tactics and basically good firearms discipline goes out the door.  IF YOU'RE EXTREMELY REGIMENTED THEN THIS COULD WORK.  But I don't see many being able to maintain the type of focus and discipline especially during force on force training when you know that pain really ain't coming out the end of the other guys barrel.  A little...a very little discomfort but not pain.  That's why simunitions are king, MILES is an ok alternative (especially for armored units) and airsoft just don't cut it.  Don't believe me?  Check out the vid below.  Oh and these are probably some of the most hardcore airsofters on the net.  These Brits have the kit, have expensive airsoft rifles but lousy tactics.  See for yourself!

 

What else did they get wrong?

The Telegraph talks defense u-turn.

Philip Hammond, the Defence Secretary, cannot have enjoyed announcing yet another government U-turn on the type of fighter aircraft that are to fly from the Royal Navy’s new Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers. Only 18 months ago Dr Liam Fox, his predecessor, announced that the carriers were to be fitted with catapults and arrestor gear to enable them to carry the more conventional version of the F-35 fighter. Dr Fox’s decision was one of the central pillars of the much-maligned 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR). It also meant overturning the previous Labour government’s conclusion that the carriers should be equipped with the Short Take-off And Vertical Landing version of the F-35, a like-for-like replacement for the legendary Harrier jump jet. The Government decided that it no longer needed HMS Ark Royal and its highly specialised team of Harrier pilots, who were unceremoniously consigned to the scrapheap – a decision this newspaper bitterly opposed.

Now we find that Dr Fox had not done his sums properly, and that the cost of fitting cats and traps was more than twice the original estimate. Consequently, Mr Hammond, who with his business background knows a thing or two about the bottom line, felt obliged to call a halt to yet another costly MoD procurement blunder in the making, and reverse Dr Fox’s reversal of Labour’s original proposition.

If a central pillar of Dr Fox’s SDSR can be jettisoned so easily, we wonder how many of its other erroneous conclusions will need to be redressed. Certainly, so far as the carriers are concerned, we sincerely hope that Mr Hammond’s decision brings this sorry saga to an end, and that we can look forward to the day in the not-too-distant future when Britain once more has a fully operational aircraft carrier to defend our shores.

Straight to the heart of the matter.

If the UK's defense review got the big stuff wrong then how many of the "little" things did they screw up.

No one in the UK wants to ask and answer this very important question (well no one but the Telegraph).

The defense establishment in the UK is jacked up.  I hope they fix it.

China and Asian Social Media.

Thanks for the vid Joe!

Do you want the best indication that "old school" military blogging is dead?  Oh and let me clarify, by dead I mean, no longer meets the needs of users and is missing the real story behind movements around the world?

Its the video below.

It was produced by a Philippine national and he asks a simple question.  Is the Philippines capable of defending itself from a belligerent and expanding China?  The answer of course is no, and although his numbers are off because he looks at total strength instead of forces China will bring to bear, he is onto something.

And we're onto something because we're taking notice of his work.  While the Obama administration seeks accommodation and dialogue with China, the people of the region are nervous and if the people are nervous then the governments must be frightened.

France regrets the UK's u-turn.

Article courtesy of Joe (thanks).

via Yahoo News.

France said Friday it regretted Britain's decision to reverse its choice of fighter jets for future aircraft carriers, with the result that French warplanes will no longer be able to use the ships.

"This choice threatens to restrict our naval aviation cooperation, which we regret," foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said, referring to Britain's opting for a jump-jet model of the US-built F-35 instead of the conventional takeoff and landing version to save money on equipment.
"We would like to believe that this decision, which the British government says is based on budgetary reasons, does not jeopardise our cooperation" in this field, he told a regular press conference at the foreign ministry.
Britain confirmed Thursday it had changed its mind over which model of the F-35 to purchase for its planned new carriers because of the extra cost of fitting launching catapults and arrester gear to the ships.
Such equipment is required for France's Rafale warplanes, which were to have shared use of the two carriers under a 2010 defence deal between the two countries.
It is not needed for the F-35B fighter that Britain has now decided to purchase, unlike the more conventional F-35C.
The change risks being politically damaging to Britain's coalition government and is an awkward start to Britain's relationship with French president-elect Francois Hollande.

I wonder how I forgot this part of the story.

The Brits and the French were talking about if not sharing carriers then at least having each others military members aboard each others ships.

I wonder how they fix that planning?

All is not well with that budding alliance.   Sidenote.  The test model of the F-35 is a really light weight looking fighter.  I wonder how weight gain became an issue.  And I wonder if requirements creep didn''t lead to some of the issues.

15th MEU. TRAP training.

Photos by Cpl. John Robbart III

A CH-53E Super Stallion carrying the Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel Platoon, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, leaves after successfully completing a simulated rescue of personnel, May 9. The training was conducted as a part of the ground portion of Realistic Urban Training, an exercise designed to prepare the 15th MEU for their upcoming deployment scheduled for this fall.

The Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel Platoon exits a CH-53E Super Stallion before recovering a downed pilot, as a part of a scenario-based training, here, May 9. The training was conducted as a part of the ground portion of Realistic Urban Training, an exercise designed to prepare the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit for their upcoming deployment scheduled for this fall.

Sergeant Scott W. Ghilcrist, recovery team leader, Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel Platoon, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, prepares to rescue Cpl. Brittany L. Jones, who was playing the role of a downed pilot during training, here, May 9. The training was conducted as a part of the ground portion of Realistic Urban Training, an exercise designed to prepare the 15th MEU for their upcoming deployment scheduled for this fall. Ghilcrist, 24, is from Hurst, Texas, and Jones, 25, is a radio operator with the unit and hails from Elizabethtown, N.C.

A Marine with the Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel Platoon, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, lowers Cpl. Brittany L. Jones from a tree during training, here, May 9. Jones was playing the role of a downed pilot during a TRAP mission. The training was conducted as a part of the ground portion of Realistic Urban Training, an exercise designed to prepare the 15th MEU for their upcoming deployment scheduled for this fall. Jones, 25, is a radio operator with the unit and hails from Elizabethtown, N.

Marines and a Navy corpsman with the Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel Platoon, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, carry Cpl. Brittany L. Jones back to the helicopter during training, here, May 9. Jones was playing the role of a downed pilot during a TRAP mission. The training was conducted as a part of the ground portion of Realistic Urban Training, an exercise designed to prepare the 15th MEU for their upcoming deployment scheduled for this fall. Jones, 25, is a native of Elizabethtown, N.C., and is a radio operator with the unit.

Lance Cpl. Joseph A. Ferguson, Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel Platoon, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, provides security for Cpl. Brittany L. Jones who was being escorted back to the helicopter during training, here, May 9. Jones was playing the role of a downed pilot during a TRAP mission. The training was conducted as a part of the ground portion of Realistic Urban Training, an exercise designed to prepare the 15th MEU for their upcoming deployment scheduled for this fall. Jones, 25, a native of Elizabethtown, N.C., is a radio operator with the unit and Ferguson, 20, is a native of Brentwood, Calif., and serves as a fire support man.

Marines and a Navy corpsman with the Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel Platoon, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, carry Cpl. Brittany L. Jones back to the helicopter during training, here, May 9. Jones was playing the role of a downed pilot during a TRAP mission. The training was conducted as a part of the ground portion of Realistic Urban Training, an exercise designed to prepare the 15th MEU for their upcoming deployment scheduled for this fall. Jones, 25, is a native of Elizabethtown, N.C., and is a radio operator with the unit.