This is too cool! I love it! Thanks to the Awesome Marine that sent me this! Oh and to the Russian Marines. We'll steal anything not nailed down...to include your women! Just joking (kinda)...chill out!
Wednesday, July 08, 2020
2nd MARDIV Aggressor Company stole the Russian Marines emblem!
This is too cool! I love it! Thanks to the Awesome Marine that sent me this! Oh and to the Russian Marines. We'll steal anything not nailed down...to include your women! Just joking (kinda)...chill out!
LtCol Vindman retires. Is it Trump or Duckworth's fault?
I've been watching talk of the Vindman retirement and to my surprise John Bolton made a fantastic point.
Of course he blamed Trump for politicizing the guy but he also laid blame at the feet of Senator Duckworth. His reasoning? She threatened to hold up 1100 Officer promotions unless the White House/Pentagon acquiesced to certain demands (don't recall what they were).
The weird thing?
Trump can hold up the promotion of any officer in the military for any reason. It's part of being commander-in-chief.
The even weirder thing?
Vindman will be well taken care of. If the Dems win the White House, take the Senate or none-of-the-above, you can bet that he'll either be back in the DoD as a civilian appointee or on a staff of some senator.
He retired but will end up still be promoted.
Tell me where I'm wrong.
Note. In another surprise move by Bolton he said both Trump and Duckworth were at fault. Oh and the interview was on MSNBC!
Of course he blamed Trump for politicizing the guy but he also laid blame at the feet of Senator Duckworth. His reasoning? She threatened to hold up 1100 Officer promotions unless the White House/Pentagon acquiesced to certain demands (don't recall what they were).
The weird thing?
Trump can hold up the promotion of any officer in the military for any reason. It's part of being commander-in-chief.
The even weirder thing?
Vindman will be well taken care of. If the Dems win the White House, take the Senate or none-of-the-above, you can bet that he'll either be back in the DoD as a civilian appointee or on a staff of some senator.
He retired but will end up still be promoted.
Tell me where I'm wrong.
Note. In another surprise move by Bolton he said both Trump and Duckworth were at fault. Oh and the interview was on MSNBC!
Law Enforcement Officers find Dutch torture chamber near Belgian border...
Code-breaking cops find Dutch torture chamber near Belgian border which was housed in shipping containers. Thankfully, it hadn’t been used, with police tipping off potential victims who then went into hiding pic.twitter.com/avuG3pe6IZ— RT (@RT_com) July 8, 2020
Who were the potential victims? What group is behind this? The thing has soundproofing and that aren't hobbled together parts. Where did they buy all this gear?
Something real bad was about to happen here. Good job by the security forces.
Russia offers latest Armata tank to foreign partners
via TASS
MOSCOW, July 6. /TASS/. Russia has started promoting the latest T-14 ‘Armata’ tank for exports, Head of Russia’s Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation Dmitry Shugayev said in an interview with Serbia’s Glas javnosti online newspaper on Monday.
"Russian producers are ready to offer potential buyers both air defense systems, such as the S-300 and the S-400, and advanced aircraft and helicopters. We are preparing the MiG-35 light fighter for sale and are promoting the latest T-14 ‘Armata’ tank," the Russian defense official said.
Russia’s Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov said in April that Russia was planning to start work with foreign customers of the Armata tank in 2021 and had already received several prior requests.
The Armata is a heavy tracked standardized platform serving as the basis to develop a main battle tank, an infantry fighting vehicle, an armored personnel carrier and some other armored vehicles.
The T-14 tank based on the Armata platform was shown to the public for the first time at Red Square’s Victory Day parade on May 9, 2015. The new combat vehicle features fully digitized equipment, an unmanned turret and an isolated armored capsule for the crew.
Chinese & Russian Marines practicing fast rope/rappelling...
某年某月ロシアと中国の海兵隊が合同演習を行い建物の攻略を行った。しかし中国の訓練教官は元雑技団出身の模様（嘘）。 pic.twitter.com/QnEm9SKpRi— sato_kurumi（改） (@25bravofox3) July 7, 2020
Tuesday, July 07, 2020
The Commandant's Planning Guidance is a shot across the bow. He's about to make the Marine Corps unrecognizable...
I was reading the Commandant's Planning Guidance and he highlighted certain points. I paid close attention and I'm trying to figure out the message contained. Here's what I've come up with so far....
There is much more but I'm already pissed with this. Maybe a bit more tomorrow.
NOTE! Re-reading this thing and we're back to the Marine Corps "serving it's customers"..."what the customer wants"...that line of idiocy. I wonder what prompted the return of this wording to the Marine Corps/DOD.
There is no piece of equipment or major defense acquisition program that defines us – not the AAV, ACV, LAV, M1A1, M777, AH-1, F/A-18, F-35, or any other program.Did you notice what wasn't included in this hit parade? The MV-22. The CH-53K. The JLTV. HIMARS. He just telegraphed what's on the chopping block. Either these systems will be canned outright (M1A1, AAV, F/A-18) or they're gonna be reduced (M777, F-35, AH-1). A few are in a category I can't yet determine (LAV) and maybe a few others that didn't make the list but if you're a fan of any of the above or worse in that MOS you better get ready to be at best reduced - maybe looking for a new job.
If provided the opportunity to secure additional modernization dollars in exchange for force structure, I am prepared to do so.In an earlier post today I said that I wouldn't be surprised to see the force shrink to 125K by 2030. The above passage from the CPG shows that to be the case. Since 2004 I've heard rumblings of the Corps going down to 150K. That appears to have been optimistic. Few boat spaces indeed.
The Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) will remain our principal warfighting organization; however, our MEFs need not be identical. III MEF will become our main focus-of-effort, designed to provide U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (U.S. INDOPACOM) and the Commander, 7th Fleet with a fight-tonight, stand- in force capability to persist inside an adversary’s weapon systems threat range, create a mutually contested space, and facilitate the larger naval campaign. When modernized in a manner consistent with the vision above, III MEF will be a credible deterrent to adversary aggression in the Pacific. I MEF will also be focused on supporting the Commander, USINDOPACOM and the Commander, 3rd Fleet. I MEF will continue to provide forces to USINDOPACOM to build partner capacity and reinforce deterrence efforts, and must be prepared to impose costs on a potential adversary, globally. We will increasingly accept risk with I MEF’s habitual relationship with CENTCOM; however,2nd MEF is soon to be the Marine Corps bitch boys. If you ain't in 1st MEF you ain't shit. It's obvious from this passage that while 2nd MEF will get a bit of attention the real action will be in the 1st MEF. What has me puzzled is this piece. 7th Marines will continue to support CENTCOM. Why? It kinda throws stuff into an even bigger meat grinder than is necessary in my opinion. They're gonna have to be COMPLETELY different from the other Regiments in the MEF to handle CENTCOM taskings. You are ring knocker? Then you better hustle over to the West Coast if you ever want to make your way to the big chair over at Quantico.
7th Marines is at present purpose-built to support CENTCOM requirements; thus, I MEF will continue to support CENTCOM requirements within the capacity of
7th Marines. II MEF will undergo substantial changes to better align with the needs of Commanders of 2d and
6th Fleets. During a major contingency operation or sustained campaign ashore, necessary combat power will be provided to the committed MEF through global sourcing by the Total Force.
I see potential in the “Lightning Carrier” concept, based on an LHA / LHD; however, do not support a new-build CVL. Partnering a big-deck amphib with surface combatants is the right warfighting capability for many of the challenges confronting the joint force, and provides substantial naval and Joint operational flexibility, lethality, and survivability.Hmm. This makes no sense to me. If it's all about China and doing all we can to combat that threat than a purpose built light carrier makes sense. Unless the idea is to protect big decks. This is where I feel he's showing some true colors. Everything is on the chopping blocks. He's stripping the Ground Combat Element down to nothing but he doesn't want to maximize the F-35 on a purpose built light carrier? Kinda makes a lie of the smaller more numerous more expendable assets doesn't it.
There is much more but I'm already pissed with this. Maybe a bit more tomorrow.
NOTE! Re-reading this thing and we're back to the Marine Corps "serving it's customers"..."what the customer wants"...that line of idiocy. I wonder what prompted the return of this wording to the Marine Corps/DOD.
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