SNAFU!

Saturday, November 30, 2019

Open Comment Post. 30 Nov 2019

UK citizens reduced to using improvised weapons to take down terrorists armed with a knife...

New footage of yesterday's terror attack on #LondonBridge.

Three members of the public armed with a fire extinguisher and a Narwhal tusk take the attacher down. Heroes. pic.twitter.com/8yGBPaGtbL
— Darren of Plymouth 🇬🇧 (@DarrenPlymouth) November 30, 2019

Heartbreaking.

UK citizens were reduced to using improvised weapons...fire extinguishers and a tusk from a near extinct whale...to take down a terrorist.

Where were police?

On the way but they can't be everywhere.

The lesson?

It's up to you but to me it's clear.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Yemeni Houthis indeed shot down Saudi helicopter

It seems the Yemeni Houthis indeed shot down Saudi helicopter as claimed today:
“A Saudi Apache helicopter was shot down by a surface-to-air missile... and its two pilots were killed as it was completely burned” pic.twitter.com/R5PN43J1dl
— Yuri Lyamin (@imp_navigator) November 29, 2019

Russian bora class hoverborne guided missile corvette

What happens when you combine a catamaran and hovercraft, then add a deck gun and missiles, you get this the Russian bora class hoverborne guided missile corvette

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes...

Jesus!

Darwin would be proud. Even worse? The dude keeps reaching for his gun after being put down.

One thing I'm curious about (and no, I'm not criticizing) is why they didn't handcuff the guy immediately instead of holding position. Just curious so don't get it twisted.

PLA Type 15 Light Tank...

Some newish photos of the #PLA Type 15 light tank. Source is SDF. #Armor #MBT pic.twitter.com/58j2I0lpWy
— Alex Luck (@AlexLuck9) November 29, 2019

15 Rounds in the Glock 43X and 48?! The Shield Arms S15 Magazine

Thanks to "THE FIT CORPS" for the link!

Can up the round count for my girl's G43X (and my near future buy to replace my G26 for concealed carry)?

You bet your ass I'm all over this!

No. This does NOT fall under my label of rampant consumerism. I need the proper tools to take down 2 and 4 legged animals and since they sometimes run in packs I believe a 50% increase in round count is nothing but a good thing.

Naval LCA headed for deck trials.

After numerous successful traps, Naval LCA headed for deck trials.

Check position of LEVCONs & inboard slats (AD geeks). Check compressed nose oleo (structure guys). Most jets break up at this load. Hands-off T/O. Auto-throttle ldg. Extended BVR carriage. The list is endless. pic.twitter.com/18T9T51R9j
— Harsh Vardhan Thakur (@hvtiaf) November 29, 2019

Fallout 4 - Intro Cinematic (Colorized using AI Machine Learning)

The Fallout series is a cult classic in the gaming community. But what should catch the attention of military theorists is the baseline story.

While the game is set on surviving the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust, the foundation is based on conflict between China and the US.

Additionally its based on a fight over resources.

China invades Alaska looking for now scarce oil. The US annexes Canada as a way to bolster its defenses against the Chinese invasion.

Chinese subs slink into US waters and launch missiles at near point blank range against every major city on the East Coast. Other Chinese boats do the same on the West Coast.

The US develops power armor as a force multiplier. Chinese troops flee in fear whenever they show up on the battlefield. The Chinese develop stealth suits that allow them to infiltrate US installations at will.

Want a glimpse (through the lore of the story) at some gamers view of how an alternative future plays out...how war between the US and China might go? Then check out the Fall Out series...especially check out the lore channels. Below is a great series that might be of interest in between football this weekend (GO LSU TIGERS!!!!...throat stomp Texas A&M!).

Former SecNav chest thumps and cries on the way out thru an editorial...but few seem to care

via Washington Post.

President Trump involved himself in the case almost from the start. Before the trial began, in March, I received two calls from the president asking me to lift Gallagher’s confinement in a Navy brig; I pushed back twice, because the presiding judge, acting on information about the accused’s conduct, had decided that confinement was important. Eventually, the president ordered me to have him transferred to the equivalent of an enlisted barracks. I came to believe that Trump’s interest in the case stemmed partly from the way the defendant’s lawyers and others had worked to keep it front and center in the media.

After the verdict was delivered, the Navy’s normal process wasn’t finished. Gallagher had voluntarily submitted his request to retire. In his case, there were three questions: Would he be permitted to retire at the rank of chief, which is also known as an E-7? (The jury had said he should be busted to an E-6, a demotion.) The second was: Should he be allowed to leave the service with an “honorable” or “general under honorable” discharge? And a third: Should he be able to keep his Trident pin, the medal all SEALs wear and treasure as members of an elite force?

On Nov. 14, partly because the president had already contacted me twice, I sent him a note asking him not to get involved in these questions. The next day, White House Counsel Pat Cipollone called me and said the president would remain involved. Shortly thereafter, I received a second call from Cipollone, who said the president would order me to restore Gallagher to the rank of chief.
--------------------------

Given my desire to resolve a festering issue, I tried to find a way that would prevent the president from further involvement while trying all avenues to get Gallagher’s file in front of a peer-review board. Why? The Naval Special Warfare community owns the Trident pin, not the secretary of the Navy, not the defense secretary, not even the president. If the review board concluded that Gallagher deserved to keep it, so be it.

I also began to work without personally consulting Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper on every step. That was, I see in retrospect, a mistake for which I am solely responsible.

Story here.

This dude is a mess.

I don't know what backdoor maneuvers he was trying to layout but the obvious thing is this joker was (apparently) part of the "resistance".

The funny thing is that we saw the height of the imperial Presidency with Obama.

Bias? Idiocy on my part to even say such a thing? No. Ignoring the issues with undeclared wars and unfettered restraint on the use of the military (which all Presidents have enjoyed for almost half a century now) the biggest "imperial" move by the President was the Dreamers Act. Dismissing the politics of that issue, the idea that at the swing of a pen one man can effectively put into effect a law should be stunning (again we're gonna ignore secret Executive Orders).

The idea that an appointed SecNav will pen an editorial talking about pushing back against his Commander In Chief should give us all pause.

The wording is VERY IMPORTANT!

He pushed back.

Didn't counsel against taking a particular course of action.

Didn't give his best advice to his CIC.

No. This cowboy "pushed back".

This editorial is what it is. A cleansing document meant to put his actions in the best light possible, to be seen as a paragon of virtue and to make himself be seen as a defender of all that's right with the world.

I'm not buying it and outside of the suddenly extremely liberal twitter military-verse (defense reporters not bloggers) no one else seems to be buying it either.