On Patrol in Ghazni Province.

Second Lt. Jared Dudley, a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team, leads fellow paratroopers back from a combined operation with Afghan policemen April 8, 2012, in southern Ghazni province, Afghanistan. The early-morning raid was planned and executed with full participation from the Afghans. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Michael J. MacLeod)

Damn. You can hear the pain in their voices.

Listen carefully to this vid.

You can hear the pain.

This is a tough video to start your weekend on, but the price paid by some must be witnessed by all.

Meet the LCS module handling system.

Absolutely Awesome!  Thanks CT for the info!

Hey all.  We've been talking about the LCS a bit more especially in light of CDR Salamander's recent article (he has another one up on USNI Blog).

One of the issues that I had was how are they going to move these modules around.  CT got me the answer and now you do too.

Its the MOBICON SYSTEM.

Go here to get the details on it.

Very interesting.  If.  IF the Navy is able to standardize this in a big way, meaning fleet wide then we might be seeing a mini revolution in logistics.  I'm still not sold on the LCS as a war fighter or humanitarian vessel but it might become a test bed for future capabilities.

And maybe that's where its real value lies.

ANGLICO at Exercise Joint Warrior

Did you know that the Bi-annual Exercise Joint Warrior is going on right now?

Did you know that USMC, British, French, Sweden, Italian and other nations are participating in this exercise in Scotland?

Awesome.  The vid is from the Royal Navy.

Italian Naval Aviation.

No.

I don't speak the language, but the videos are self explanatory.

The Italian Navy appears to be an extremely capble force.

Royal Navy Wall Papers.

The Royal Navy has it all over the other services in the UK when it comes to "advertising" itself.  The USMC matches that effort but in one instance the RN is better.  Their site is more easily navigated.  The Marine Corps should follow this example.

Module systems primer?

via CDK Mobile Systems.

The CLT system is a self loading handling and transport system for ISO Containers and Military Tactical Shelters. When attached to the ends of a container, it lifts them up to ride height using its own on-board diesel engines, so they can be towed by standard military vehicles. The lift height is adjustable at each end to enhance loading up aircraft and ship ramps. CLTs are used by Military Forces in more than 20 countries including the USA.

As part of the JHSV program, CLTs will be used to pick up ISO containers on the supply dock, load them up the vessel ramp and set them in place for transit, and unload them at their final destination.

I was surfing the net and ran across this news item.

It could be old news but its new to me...If containers are to be the basis of the mission modules onboard future Navy ships then this is probably the base of that system.

CDK Mobile Systems has a large portfolio of container moving gear that would lend itself to easily swapping out mission modules at any port in the world...even rather primitive facilities.




It seems like another one of Mike Sparks ideas isn't so crazy after all.  With the private industry showing the effectiveness of containerized shipping, is it time for the Marine Corps to become fully containerized?

I mean even more so than it is already.

Instead of tents, perhaps containerized command posts with all necessary generators, computers and communications gear inside pre-loaded and ready to be put into action.  It would certainly be less man power intensive.

Just a thought.

The S&W Shield.

I don't understand the gun market anymore.

I have a Glock 26.

Its compact.  Holds 10+1 with standard mags but I bought a grip adapter so I can use Glock 19 mags with it (15+1).

Now everyone is rushing toward basically what I consider wheel gun specs.  A mag with 7 rounds plus 1?  It doesn't make sense to me.

This gun will probably be a best seller but I'm still confused.  How many rounds/mags are enough?  I've walked out the door with my modded Glock 19 mags in my G26...used standard G26 mags...and then if I'm headed toward a wild and wooly part of town I'll take one modded G19 mag with two of those same mags as backup.

What is the right number?  Do you even need a backup mag?  Oh and before you bombard me understand I realize that the biggest point of failure is your magazines but do you actually need a backup if you properly maintain your weapon and mags?

Just curious.  Time to do more Google searches.

The All Americans (82nd Airborne) down range.

Photos by Sgt. Mike MacLeod

Paratroopers with the 82nd Airborne Division kick up dust while returning to their base in southern Ghazni province, Afghanistan. While agriculture is the most important industry there, much of southern Ghazni is arid desert.

A combined team of paratroopers with the 82nd Airborne Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team and Afghan police move toward a compound to search for a suspected weapons cache in the early morning of April 8, 2012, in southern Ghazni province, Afghanistan. The police and paratroopers have been training with each other for several weeks.

A combined team of paratroopers with the 82nd Airborne Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team and Afghan police prepare to rush a compound for a suspected weapons cache in the early morning of April 8, 2012, in southern Ghazni province, Afghanistan. They are using the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle as a shield against potential enemy fire.

A paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team returns to his base in Afghanistan's southern Ghazni province in front of a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle, or MRAP, April 8, 2012. His brigade took over the Polish mission in the area in early April.

I'm geeking out over the "Prometheus" movie...

I'm really geeking out about the new "Prometheus" movie.  Check out these new graphics that they've released on the fan site.

Kinda cool (IMO).

F-35A aerial refueling pics.

An F-35A Lightning II from the 33rd Fighter Wing soars alongside a KC-135R Stratotanker and an F-16 Fighting Falcon during the unit’s first joint strike fighter air-to-air refuel mission April 11. Lt. Col. Eric Smith, 58th Fighter Squadron director of operations and first Air Force qualified F-35 pilot, flew the mission. The 33rd FW is responsible for F-35 A/B/C pilot and maintainer training for the Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and in the future, at least eight coalition partners

We spoke softly. Now its time for the big stick!

via Military.com

China deployed a third ship Thursday in an area of the disputed South China Sea where a tense standoff with Philippine vessels has dragged on, sparking alarm in Manila.
Chinese and Filipino diplomats have been scrambling to resolve the dangerous impasse at the Scarborough Shoal off the northwestern Philippines that erupted Tuesday. A Philippine warship attempted to arrest several Chinese fishermen accused of illegal entry and poaching, but was prevented by the arrival of two Chinese surveillance ships.
One of the Chinese ships blocked the entrance to a lagoon at the shoal, where at least eight Chinese fishing vessels were anchored. The Chinese ships also ordered the Philippine warship to leave Scarborough, claiming Chinese sovereignty over the rich fishing ground.

OK.

We've tried nice.

Our own State Dept keeps trying nice.

But now its time to bring out the big stick.  And in 2012, the big stick is the USS Teddy Rosevelt along with its task force.

China needs to be taught the limits of its powers.  The Teddy would go a long way in giving that lesson.

A vid-cast on the MV-22 crash.

LCS will prevent future wars?

Hmmm.

Everytime I think I have a role figured out for the LCS, the Navy leadership utters a few words that makes me think we have idiots in charge.

Check out these tidbits from an AOL story...

Even the LCS contingent soon to start operating out of Singapore will focus on exercises, port visits, humanitarian assistance, and counter-piracy operations with Southeast Asian partners -- taking that burden off the more war-worthy carrier, cruisers, and destroyers based in Japan.

and...

 So while the LCS will be the Navy's most numerous future class, it won't be much of a warfighter. No less an authority than the Pentagon's independent Department of Operational Test & Evaluation has officially warned that "LCS is not expected to be survivable in a hostile combat environment." That's despite the Navy having significantly toughened survivability standards in the middle of building the first two vessels, retrofitting improvements at a major cost in time and money. All that work simply brought the LCS up from commercial survivability standards to what the Navy calls "Level I," equivalent to existing minesweepers, patrol boats, and supply ships, which are expected to last long enough for their crew to get out alive if the ship is damaged but not to keep on fighting after they take a hit. Destroyers and carriers, by contrast, are Level III.

I mean seriously?

How is a ship with a max crew of what...75? Going to properly respond to a humanitarian assistance crisis? HA's require manpower, heavy equipment and helicopters...plenty of all 3. The LCS is limited in everyone of those categories.

How is so small a ship with limited firepower and armor going to even handle the primitive pirates operating around the world...pirates that will have RPG's and Assault Rifles?


I seriously wonder if our current military and political leadership actually believe some of the nonsense they spout.  And to think...I just gave them credit for knowing how to play the politics game.

Never Forget.

Photos by Sgt. Michael Cifuentes

(From left) U.S. Marines Lance Cpl. Randall Paul, Sgt. Gregory Hartman, and 1st Lt. Alexander White, Marines serving with White Platoon, 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, listen while a Marine recalls a funny anecdote about Cpl. Roberto Cazarez, during a memorial service held in his honor April 8, 2012. Cazarez, a light armored vehicle driver and an Angostura, Mexico, native, was killed in action during combat operations March 30, 2012. He enlisted in the Marine Corps out of Los Angeles, served for nearly six years and was with the battalion since March 2010. Paul is a New Palestine, Ind., native, Hartman is a Sacramento native, and White is a Fredericksburg, Va., native.

U.S. Navy Seaman Garrett Keith, a corpsman serving with Delta Company, 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, places an LAV driver’s helmet on a memorial stand honoring Cpl. Roberto Cazarez, a fallen LAV driver who served with the company’s Alpha Section, White Platoon, during a memorial service April 8, 2012. Cazarez, an Angostura, Mexico, native, who enlisted in the Marine Corps in Los Angeles, was killed in action during combat operations March 30, 2012. Some of his closest fellow Marines said he’ll be remembered most for his humor and good-natured debates he sparked among his friends. Keith is a Oklahoma City native.

U.S. Marine Sgt. Matthew Landis, a rifleman and section leader serving with Delta Company, 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, salutes to the memorial stand of Cpl. Roberto Cazarez during a memorial service in his honor April 8, 2012. Cazarez, a light armored vehicle driver and an Angostura, Mexico, native, was killed in action during combat operations March 30, 2012. He enlisted in the Marine Corps out of Los Angeles, served for nearly six years and was with the battalion since March 2010. Some of his fellow Marines said he’ll be remembered most for his humor and good-natured debates he sparked among his friends.

U.S. Marine Col. Roger Turner, the commanding officer of Regimental Combat Team 5, and Sgt. Maj. Alberto Ruiz, the regimental sergeant major, kneel and pay homage to Cpl. Roberto Cazarez during a memorial service in his honor April 8, 2012. Cazarez, a light armored vehicle driver and an Angostura, Mexico, native, was killed in action during combat operations March 30, 2012. He enlisted in the Marine Corps out of Los Angeles, served for nearly six years and was with the battalion since March 2010. Some of his fellow Marines said he will be remembered most for his humor and good-natured debates he sparked among his friends.

U.S. Marines and sailors serving with Delta Company, 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, in Helmand province’s Khan Neshin district gathered April 8, 2012, to pay homage to Cpl. Roberto Cazarez, a light armored vehicle driver with the company’s Alpha Section, White Platoon. Cazarez, an Angostura, Mexico, native, was killed in action during combat operations March 30, 2012. Some of his fellow Marines said he’ll be remembered most for his humor and good-natured debates he sparked among his friends. He enlisted in the Marine Corps out of Los Angeles, served for nearly six years and was with the battalion since March 2010. His awards include the Purple Heart, the Navy Achievement Medal, and the Combat Action Ribbon.

U.S. Marine Maj. Gen. David H. Berger, the commanding general of Task Force Leatherneck, 1st Marine Division (Forward), kneels to pay homage to Cpl. Roberto Cazarez during a memorial service in his honor April 8, 2012. Cazarez, a light armored vehicle driver and an Angostura, Mexico, native, was killed in action during combat operations March 30, 2012. He enlisted in the Marine Corps out of Los Angeles, served for nearly six years and was with the battalion since March 2010.

Surface Navy learns to play politics.

via FoxNews.

"With its stealth, incredibly capable sonar system, strike capability and lower manning requirements -- this is our future," concluded Adm. Jonathan Greenert, chief of naval operations, who gave the warship his endorsement on a visit last week to Bath Iron Works, where the ships are being built.

Wow.

They learned the lesson well.  Check out all the buzz words in the CNO's remarks...Stealth...Incredible sonar and strike capability...lower manning requirements....

Every high tech junkie from here to Bejing must be going nuts at the very thought.

Its good to see the Navy finally getting the hint on how to market its capabilities.  A nice start....a little late, but better late than never.

11th MEU. LAV Platoon.

Photos by Sgt. Elyssa Quesada

Marines with Battalion Landing Team 3/1, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, participate in a motorized training patrol here Jan. 27. The team serves as the ground combat element for the unit, which is currently providing support for maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet area of responsibility.

Marines with Battalion Landing Team 3/1, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, participate in a motorized training patrol here Jan. 27. The team serves as the ground combat element for the unit, which is currently providing support for maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet area of responsibility.

11th MEU. Weapon Drills.

All photos by Cpl. Tommy Huynh

Cpl. John M. Seno demonstrates magazine reload techniques aboard USS Pearl Harbor here April 11. The 23-year-old hails from Saginaw, Mich., and serves as a rifleman with Company K, Battalion Landing Team 3/1. The team serves as the ground combat element for the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit. The unit is deployed as part of the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group, currently a U.S. Central Command theater reserve force. The group is providing support for maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet area of responsibility.

Cpl. John M. Seno demonstrates magazine reload techniques aboard USS Pearl Harbor here April 11. The 23-year-old hails from Saginaw, Mich., and serves as a rifleman with Company K, Battalion Landing Team 3/1. The team serves as the ground combat element for the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit. The unit is deployed as part of the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group, currently a U.S. Central Command theater reserve force. The group is providing support for maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet area of responsibility.

Cpl. Alvin Hosokawa practices magazine reload techniques aboard USS Pearl Harbor here April 11. Hosokawa hails from Torrance, Calif., and serves as a rifleman with Company K, Battalion Landing Team 3/1. The team serves as the ground combat element for the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit. The unit is deployed as part of the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group, currently a U.S. Central Command theater reserve force. The group is providing support for maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet area of responsibility.

FUCK! 2 Marines killed in MV-22 crash at African Lion 12.

Thanks Think Defence for the heads up....wish it were better news.

via Marine Corps Times.

An MV-22 Osprey from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit crashed Wednesday during training exercises in Morocco, according to a Marine official. An official at the U.S. Embassy in Morocco said two Marines were killed in the crash, and two more were injured.
The crash took place in southern Morocco during exercises involving Marines and Moroccan troops, embassy spokesman Rodney Ford said. The 24th MEU is participating in Exercise African Lion, a 10-day joint exercise overseen by the 14th Marine Regiment.
Agence France-Presse reported that the crash took place in the region of Ouad Daraa, about 550 miles from Rabat.
The 24th MEU deployed from Camp Lejeune, N.C., on March 29. The Osprey was part of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 261 (Reinforced), out of Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C.
Further information about the incident is being withheld until the next of kin have been notified, Ford said.

I hate this.

You know every family member on the aviation side of the 24th MEU is going crazy.

God Bless.

CDR Salamander. They were listening!

Littoral combat ship USS Independence (LCS 2) steams through the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida. Sailors from Independence's Gold Crew and embarked Mine Countermeasures, Detachment 1 are underway for the ship's maiden voyage to San Diego after successfully completing testing on the MCM mission package.

CDR Salamander just wrote a blogpost this morning covering the LCS woes much better than I ever could.


Then this afternoon we get this from the LCS geeks.


Interesting.

Question:  Are those missile covers just behind the gun?  I wonder what missile they're for?