Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Open Comment Post. 30 Dec 2020

 


All Domain Reconnaissance Detachment, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU)

Note.  Ordinarily I'd rail against the constant rebranding of shit in the Marine Corps.  Not now.  I'm all in favor of the break with the past  Let this new Marine Corps chart its own course and make its own history.  There is a difference between old and new. Make the line between the two stark and bold!















Tuesday, December 29, 2020

Docksta CB 90HSM pics

 







Let's be honest for a second.

If the Commandant is serious about his transformation then what he's looking to develop is a missile slinging, air optimized, naval infantry.

These boats fit that vision alot better than the ACV, JLTV or any other vehicle the Marine Corps currently employs.

Air transported anti-ship missiles (robotic) along with naval infantry to guard refueling points (EABOs) with a few F-35s doing work with the Navy and he can call it a day.

It's simple but we're not there.  I wonder why.  This little diddy makes alot more sense than the talk of the USMC hunting subs.

Saab brand new Docksta Combat Boat 90HSM

 Thanks to Ogden....he posted this on Christmas and life got in the way...


When you have the most powerful military on the planet (supposedly) people expect a bit of visible action...

Dude posted this to me and Drummond on Twitter.

My first thought.

This is what happens when you supposedly have the most powerful military force on the planet.  People expect a bit of visible action.  

And ya know what?  Dude has a point!

We see our forces running around the planet doing x, y and z for other nations at the drop of a hat.  But when the American people are in a hurt locker its for the most part a Federal Emergency Management issue and they're simply coordinating mostly local response.  

First Responders in my region of the nation have banded together with various mutual aid pacts to help each other in the event of emergency.

But for the most part outside of the Coast Guard and a few aircraft (active duty) during fire season in California you just don't see the military.

That's a problem.

It's also something that will probably have to be carefully thought out.

But to answer the question directly.

Military involvement would probably add a bit of friction rather than lessen it at this point.  Logistics?  Yeah.  That makes sense.  Security of the vaccine?  Yeah. Medical staff to back up these so called over run hospitals?  We've been down that road already.  It would have to be applied in a very smart way.

I just don't know where you would throw bodies at this thing at this moment to make things run better.  Between FedEx, UPS and local law enforcement working with Army logistics and local medical officials things are bumpy but I don't think it would be any better.

The question becomes what happens when Coronavirus 2 that's a real monster hits and is putting millions in body bags.

Will the military be ready to act then? 

Has a terror cell activated in the US? Thousands of Colorado residents without heat after attack on gas service

 via ABC

The FBI has joined a criminal investigation of what police said appears to be an "intentional attack" on gas service lines in Aspen, Colorado, that left thousands of residents and businesses without heat as temperatures in the skiing mecca plunged to near zero degrees.


Work crews are scrambling to restore gas service, and local authorities handed out electric space heaters to residents still without heat Tuesday, as a storm is forecast to bring up to 8 inches of snow in the Rocky Mountains region this week. Temperatures are forecast to fall to 2 degrees in Aspen on Tuesday night, according to the National Weather Service.


Aspen police said the apparently coordinated acts of vandalism occurred Saturday night at three separate Black Hills Energy gas line sites, one in Aspen and two elsewhere in Pitkin County.

Here 

Ya know what went unsaid when I talked about the bombing in Nashville?  It disrupted communications in several states.

Now we have this.

The weak underbelly of the US is our power/communications infrastructure.  Hit a few critically important hubs and you can black out the east coast, shell shock the west and have the midwest/south in a pain locker.

The Pentagon is talking about "reworking" our military to meet peer power competition but you can't bet they're taking notes.

A few energetic spies/saboteurs could wreck us before the first shot was fired.

FBI Lawyer that falsified evidence can only receive 0-6 months in prison?

 via EPOCH Times

A federal judge has postponed the sentencing of Kevin Clinesmith, the former FBI lawyer who pleaded guilty in August to falsifying evidence connected to a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) application.

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg of the D.C. District again rescheduled the sentencing, postponing it to Jan. 29, after Inauguration Day on Jan. 20.

Clinesmith was first scheduled for sentencing on Dec. 10 before it was postponed to Jan. 7.

Kevin Clinesmith admitted on Aug. 19 to altering an email used in a FISA warrant application to spy on Carter Page, an aide in Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.

--------------------

 The sentencing range for Clinesmith is 0–6 months in prison but in their own sentencing memorandum, Durham and his prosecutors requested a sentence between the middle and high end of those guidelines.

Story here 

The politics are irrelevant in this thing as far as I'm concerned.  It's hard enough for the average citizen to know/trust that govt spying on them isn't happening and isn't being abused.

But when the punishment for abusing it is so small that's a HUGE red flag for me.

Regardless of your politics, if they could do this to a President then YOU KNOW they could roll over an average person like a freight train.

Open Comment Post. 29 Dec 2020

 



How does the Navy always end up with the sexiest looking versions of Marine Corps aircraft!

BLT 1/1 Conducts Night TRAP Training

 












Spanish Flu of 1919 vs Coronavirus of 2020

USAF 379th AEW refuels Qatar Air Force Rafale fighter jets...

 





Interesting.

Military Twitter was buzzing last week about a massive US Air Fleet burning circles in the Middle East and everyone was assuming that some type of strike was in the works.

Nothing came of it.

Wonder what that was about?

Regardless it looks like they're getting the Qatar Air Force fully in the mix (as if they weren't before) in the side taking in the simmer and sometimes hot regional war. 

Monday, December 28, 2020

The French are getting hit hard in Mali. Rest In Peace to their 3 lost Soldiers....

Translated by Google

Deep sadness at the announcement of the deaths of BCH Tanerii MAURI, 1CL Dorian ISSAKHANIAN and 1CL Quentin PAUCHET, engaged in the operation #Barkhane and died in combat. Emoted thoughts from all over @armeedeterre for their family, loved ones and comrades of the #1RCH .


Have the French launched an offensive in Mali?  It's far off but I wonder if there is a connection with increased activity in Nigeria by the terrorist there. 

Africa.

If you thought Afghanistan was bad wait till you see what that continent has waiting.

Treasure and pain for all that seek it.