Saturday, January 02, 2021

The French lose two more Soldiers in Africa...what is going on over there?

Two more troops lost in Africa.  What is going on over there?  Has an offensive been launched that we've missed?  During ordinary operations it was quiet and now they're getting hammered.

The curious thing is that we're not hearing any reports of fighting.  From my chair (and that's a terrible perspective), it seems like they're doing patrols and getting hit by IEDs.

Can a French reader of this blog give us a heads up on what the deal is? 

Landing on the beach of the Retin during MARPHIBEX amphibious exercise...

 

US Army HEL (High Energy Laser) Mobile Demonstrator.

 Major hat tip to Vodkár Kurvenár for the link!





Jesus! We're looking at even MORE electoral chaos...11 more Senators to object to Electoral College vote!

 via Epoch Times

A group of 11 senators on Saturday announced they’re going to challenge electoral votes during the Jan. 6 joint session of Congress.

“America is a Republic whose leaders are chosen in democratic elections. Those elections, in turn, must comply with the Constitution and with federal and state law,” the group wrote in a joint statement.

“When the voters fairly decide an election, pursuant to the rule of law, the losing candidate should acknowledge and respect the legitimacy of that election. And, if the voters choose to elect a new office-holder, our Nation should have a peaceful transfer of power. The election of 2020, like the election of 2016, was hard fought and, in many swing states, narrowly decided. The 2020 election, however, featured unprecedented allegations of voter fraud, violations, and lax enforcement of election law, and other voting irregularities.”

Here 

Wow.

Ya know for awhile I didn't buy into the thinking that America was looking crazy to the rest of the world.  Democracy is messy.  

Don't get me wrong.

This is in full compliance with the rule of law.  These Senators have the right to dispute this.

BUT!!!!

There has to be a point where we call this quit and move on to the next fight right?  There has to be an off switch right?

My main issue isn't the games being played in Washington though.  I know this is simple political theater for the masses.  My worry is how this will affect those that are already unhinged by the coronavirus crisis.

Some of my fellow Americans are on a raged edge and this kinda thing isn't gonna be good for them.

Why is leadership everywhere pushing chaos?  

Why is this gaggle of leaders embracing friction instead of seeking to bring order to madness?

I just don't get it.

It's beyond politics now (at least in my mind).  I'm seeing a play on emotions and that ain't good.

Indonesian Marines doing the "Marine Thing!"

Massive hat tip to JASONIT Twitter Page!


 

Interesting conversation on the characteristics of future war...if Rob Lee is right, we're screwed...

If Rob Lee is right then we're screwed.

I've noticed that's a recurring theme on military forums, blogs and Mil Twitter.  Everyone believes that "personal" communications discipline will be a killer.  Whoever gets it right will win, whoever does it wrong will die a horrible death.

My question to you.

Do you think that a simple order not to carry cell phones etc...into the field will work? You don't believe that some snot nosed PFC or 2nd LT won't sneak one in his gear so he can TikTok events to the world?

Oh and don't think that a simple search of gear will keep it out either.  I've seen some weird shit smuggled so cell phones will be easy.

The answer?

We have to plan on a breakdown in discipline.  We have to expect non-compliance. Which means we need a solution to render them non-effective in the field. 

 

Open Comment Post. 2 Jan 2021

 


Air-Ground Integration

 

U.S. Marines with 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, assigned to Special Purpose Marine-Air Ground Task Force - Crisis Response - Central Command, off-load an MV-22 Osprey in Kuwait, Dec. 14, 2020. Marines with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 362 and 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, rehearsed embarking MV-22 Ospreys to maintain proficiency in airborne operations. The SPMAGTF-CR-CC is a crisis response force, prepared to deploy a variety of capabilities across the region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Robert Kuehn)





Friday, January 01, 2021

XCH-142A Tilt-Wing Cargo Aircraft...Expanding the envelope...

 


Piranha 5

 


Woman wanted after she beat a sheriff's deputy with her own baton for being asked to wear a face mask.

Thoughts? 

Turkey will lead NATO's high-readiness force in 2021

 


via UPI

NATO's Very High Readiness Joint Task Force, its quick-deployment unit of 6,400 personnel, will be led in 2021 by Turkey, the military bloc said on Wednesday.

Turkey will take over the responsibility from Poland on Jan. 1, a NATO statement said.

Leadership of the VJTF, which places soldiers on standby status and ready to deploy, rotates annually among NATO members, with the majority of the force's personnel comprised of units from the lead country.

The approximately 4,200 troops of Turkey's 66th Mechanized Infantry Brigade Command, and about 2,200 more from Albania, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Britain and the United States, will serve in the unit.

Here

This will be interesting.  VERY interesting.