Law Enforcement Battalions.

Marine Law Enforcement Battalions.

I've been watching this issue in the Marine Corps since early May.  I watched the renaming ceremony.  I peeped at them running ranges at 29 Palms.

And even though everyone (and I do mean everyone) is filling my inbox with news of this, I'm unimpressed.

A Marine hates to give the Army credit for anything but they do Battlefield Military Police work a million times better than the Corps ever could.  What the Marine Corps is trying to invent, the Army already has in spades.

Quite honestly the Marine Corps would be better served by disbanding Military Police (they use civilian police on base now) and using the boatspaces for an additional Infantry Battalion or two.  The story on this is here..but a tidbit.

The Corps activated three such battalions last month. Each is made up of roughly 500 military police officers and dozens of dogs. The Marine Corps has had police battalions off and on since World War II but they were primarily focused on providing security, such as accompanying fuel convoys or guarding generals on visits to dangerous areas, said Maj. Jan Durham, commander of the 1st Law Enforcement Battalion at Camp Pendleton.

The idea behind the law enforcement battalions is to consolidate the military police and capitalize on their investigative skills and police training, he said. The new additions come as every branch in the military is trying to show its flexibility and resourcefulness amid defense cuts.

Marine Corps Style MMA

Staff Sgt. Christopher B. Milam, Martial Arts Instructor Course instructor, Bravo Company, Combat Logistics Battalion 4, 1st Marine Logistics Group (Forward) grapples with a student here, July 14, during the final conditioning session. The grappling station was one of the many workout stations the students had to rotate through during the session.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Mark Stroud)

Haley goes hardcore.

via Kitup.  Make sure you read it all...just a tidbit.

Fact:
The Second Amendment does not grant us this right. This right already existed. The Second Amendment merely prevents the government from infringing on it.

Fact:

There is a Scumbag criminal out there right now about to break into someones home in the middle of the night and hurt or kill someone. If you take away the Second Amendment then… the scumbag is still going to break into someones home in the middle of the night and hurt or kill someone.

Fact:
I can have my neighbors call 911 and tell dispatch: “A man just shot and killed everyone in my neighbors house and ran out the front door” or I can call 911 and tell dispatch: “A man just broke into my house and presented a lethal threat to my family and I killed him as he came through my front door.”

Fact:
When a gun is sitting on a table it is only a gun sitting on a table… When a killer picks it up, it’s only a tool that the killer picks up. When the killer shoots an innocent with the tool everyone forgets about the killer and blames the tool.

Great stuff.

15th MEU. Amphibious Assault Vehicle water gunnery

Photos by Cpl. John Robbart III

Assault Amphibious Vehicle Platoon prepares for their training off San Clemente Island, July 20. The AAV platoon practiced water gunnery, an advanced level of AAV gunnery, in preparation for the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit's upcoming deployment. The training was part of Composite Training Unit Exercise, the second at-sea period the 15th MEU and Peleliu Amphibious Ready Group have conducted since the MEU formed a Marine Air Ground Task Force in February. The training will prepare the two units to function as a blue-green team, capable of conducting a wide-variety of worldwide missions ranging from humanitarian aid to combat.

An Assault Amphibious Vehicle with AAV platoon, India Company, Battalion Landing Team 3/5, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, prepares to suppress targets on San Clemente Island, July 20. The AAV platoon practiced water gunnery, an advanced level of AAV gunnery, in preparation for the 15th MEU's upcoming deployment. The training was part of Composite Training Unit Exercise, the second at-sea period the 15th MEU and Peleliu Amphibious Ready Group have conducted since the MEU formed a Marine Air Ground Task Force in February. The training will prepare the two units to function as a blue-green team, capable of conducting a wide-variety of worldwide missions ranging from humanitarian aid to combat.

An Assault Amphibious Vehicle with AAV platoon, India Company, Battalion Landing Team 3/5, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, suppresses targets on San Clemente Island, July 20. The AAV platoon practiced water gunnery, an advanced level of AAV gunnery, in preparation for the 15th MEU's upcoming deployment. The training was part of Composite Training Unit Exercise, the second at-sea period the 15th MEU and Peleliu Amphibious Ready Group have conducted since the MEU formed a Marine Air Ground Task Force in February. The training will prepare the two units to function as a blue-green team, capable of conducting a wide-variety of worldwide missions ranging from humanitarian aid to combat.

Tiger Balm 2012 Overview

Douglas X-3 Stiletto

Call me baby video is a problem.

Less than a month after putting out a video in which the Commandant calls on Marine leadership to find its "true North" and stop allowing the Marine Corps to be humiliated by acts of stupidity we see this video.

You can say hey its all in good fun but the question must be asked.

Is it in keeping with the image of the Marine Corps that the public expects?

I think not.

We are faced with leadership that's involved in situational ethics and its no wonder that Marines are confused as to what is and isn't allowed.  You can wear your uniform to a Gay Pride Parade (and Gays are active in politics) but you can't to a Tea Party event.  Marine Scout Snipers take a photo in front of a BLUE flag with SS on it and instead of being defended they are held up as supporting Neo-Nazi's even though everyone that has even been close to the military knows that SS in this instance stood for Scout Sniper and blue isn't a Neo Nazi color.

We are not well served by our leadership.  Time for them to go.  Before they damage the Corps permanently.

NOTE:

I don't care if this is joint service stupidity.  I'm not concerned about the Army's image...or any other service except the Marine Corps.  Other bloggers can chime in on whether or not it's appropriate to their service. 

NOTE 1:

I'm seeing rockers and flight wings in that video.  That means Marine SNCO's and Officer's were participating in this bullshit.  FIX OUR HOUSE AMOS!

I called it. Faber just wasn't hungry.

via Fox Sports.

Round Five
Faber tries to catch the leg of Barao but is unsuccessful. Barao lands a counter left on Faber. Faber is trying to mount offense but he just doesn't seem to be able to hit Barao in a way that hurts him. Faber throwing some jabs but its not the type of offense that's going to set up the knockout he needs. Barao is throwing his hand up and then throwing dynamite with the other - including a nasty left hook. Faber rushes in and mounts some offense but its soon back to Barao dismantling the former poster-boy of the lighter weight classes. Barao connects with a hard right cross and very nearly gets a spinning back kick. I have that 50-45 to Barao on my scorecard. All three judges have similar lopsided scores for an ecstatic Renan Barao who does an hilariously over the top celebration.
Renan Barao defeated Urjiah Faber to become Interim Bantamweight Champion via unanimous decision (49-46, 50-45, 49-46)

This was easy to call.

Faber just wasn't hungry and this is a sport where you have to be hungry and want it.  Barao wanted it and it showed.  He had the will to win.  Outside of UFC fans he's unknown.  He isn't a pretty boy and unlike FABER he doesn't have anything else.  For Barao its either succeed here or lose it all...I just imagine for him that this was a do or die situation.  That makes you hungry.  That makes you work harder than the other guy.  That made Faber his victim tonight.

On the undercard the light and featherwieghts continued to impress, but one fight I had my eye on was the Jordan match.

Wow.  I just expected more (also) being an LSU fan.  He just seemed to be missing the fire in the belly.  Being the smaller guy gave his opponent an advantage but not an overwhelming one.

Again.  It comes back to the will to win.  A little homecoming went on up north but I don't expect anything less from the Canadians and I'm sure White will get that shit sorted out ricky tick quick.  Overall.  A good fight night.

Camo your weapon.

The above vid is from Soldier Systems.  Real Deal Guys.  Follow the link and subscribe to those guys.  They're almost becoming my one stop shop for news on gear.  As a matter of fact I've dropped some other channels because they're so good.

Next.  I would really love to see a Battalion Commander, Battalion Sgt Major or someone with their ear (like a Marine Gunner) to slam some rank insignia on the table and demand that we finally get this done.  We don't necessarily need to have patterns.  A coat of coyote brown or olive drab will do.  But enough of this black rifle stuff.  The only black rifles should be in civilian or police service.  Going to war decked out in full camo should include your weapon.  I mean seriously...black boots are gone...why not rifles?

4 guns is an arsenal?

via Yahoo.

The gunman who blasted his way through a packed movie house early on Friday, killing 12 people and injuring 58 others, had apparently been planning his attack for weeks.

"In the last 60 days he purchased four guns at local metro gun shops, and through the Internet he purchased over 6,000 rounds of ammunition," Aurora Police Chief Daniel Oates said Friday night.

The suspect, 24-year-old former medical student James Holmes, had also been stockpiling magazines to carry the gun ammunition. One clip recovered at the scene could hold 100 rounds for his assault rifle.

"As far as we know, it was a pretty rapid pace of fire in that theater," Chief Oates said.

Police are trying to learn more about the man's motives but have thus far been unable to access his booby-trapped apartment near the Colorado medical school where he recently withdrew from classes.

Investigators have described the apartment as being filled with chemicals, trip wires, jars of ammunition and possible mortar rounds.

"It is a very vexing problem how we'll get into that apartment safely," Chief Oates said. "I've personally never seen anything like what the pictures show us."

Read the whole thing but I can assure you that four guns does not consitute an arsenal...at least not down south.  Wow.  We're going to hear more on this I'm sure but until something pulls me by the short hairs I'm done.

Not mine just a picture from the net showing some of the caches that others have...

UFC 149: Faber vs Barao

I like Faber but I have a feeling that the ferocity of Barao will win the day.  This isn't going to be technical, its going to be about those intangibles that never show up on tales of the tape or a look at past fights.  Barao by decision.  Don't feel bad Faber fans, he's been a little distracted by publicity and hollywood.  He'll eventually be the best fighter pound for pound in the world.  Just not in this fight.

Wargasim...

Wargasim: noun; the intense rush of blood to a man's nether regions which results from seeing motivating Marine Corps propaganda.

This is your Wargasim for today.

NRA on the Brady ranking...

via Hooda Think.

The NRA-ILA reviewed the rankings and have found – again – an interesting correlation: The higher the ranking given by the Brady Campaign (meaning the more restrictive the state is in protecting their citizen’s 2nd Amendment rights) the higher the rate of violent crime.

• California, the state that has the most gun control and received Brady’s highest score (79), has violent crime and murder rates that are 14% and 23% higher, respectively, compared to the rest of the country.
• Brady didn’t bother giving a score to Washington, D.C., which has more gun control than California and even higher crime rates.
• Most of the 38 states that Brady gave 20 or fewer points to, have total violent crime, murder, and robbery rates that are below the national rates.
• For states that have total violent crime, murder, and robbery rates that are below the national rates, Brady gave average scores of 19, 19, and 14, respectively.
• For the 10 states with the lowest total violent crime, murder, and robbery rates, Brady gave average scores of 12, 12, and 9, respectively.

"Nuff Said.

MARSOC Colt Rails busting during testing. The AK-47 of pistols my ass!

John sent me this article (thanks dude!) from Soldier Systems.  As he said..."The AK-47 of pistols my ass!"

Read the article but check out this part.

These rather interesting photos come from TEST REPORT FOR THE CLOSE QUARTERS BATTLE PISTOL (CQBP) BID SAMPLES, PHASE II and are of Colt test articles from the CQB Pistol solicitation which was just awarded to Colt yesterday. They depict various frame cracks.
Guns 11, 12, 14 and 15 (1-10 were not fire tested) fired 12,000 rounds before being deadlined due to visible safety-critical cracks found in the slides. Each slide had cracks in the same location, but they varied in size.

They'll put close to that many rounds through those weapons before they even head down range.  MARSOC fucked up by choosing these pistols.  Can anyone say GLOCK, SIG, FNH or Springfield?

F-35 and the Future of Power Projection.

Quote soon to be uttered by F-35 Critics...

JFQ 66-85-93 Laird Timperlake

Round out.

U.S. Marines with Golf Company, Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit launch a volley of mortars for suppression during a live-fire exercise in Shoalwater Bay, Queensland, Australia, July 13, 2012, during exercise Hamel 2012. Hamel is a combined training exercise designed to increase interoperability between the U.S. Marine Corps and the Australian Army. (DoD photo by Cpl. Jonathan Wright, U.S. Marine Corps/Released)

Fuck it. I'll say it. One armed citizen could have made a difference.

It happened again.

One madman attacked a group of his fellow citizens and no one stood up to take the rabid dog down.

The video above shows what happens when good men stand up to defend themselves and others.  Take a good look.

Evil flees in the presence of strength and determination not to be a victim.

ONE PERSON, ARMED AND READY COULD HAVE SAVED LIVES.

You talk about how we should all be disarmed...how only police should have guns?  Guess what.  The police response was excellent.  There actions on scene picture perfect.  Yet too many were killed and injured.

Its time for the pussification of America to stop.  Arm yourselves, become proficient with your weapons and take down rabid dogs where you find them.  People die.  Bad things will continue to happen but we should gird ourselves to that reality and not cry about the times in which we live.  Fight back, make a difference.

You owe YOURSELF nothing less.


UPDATE: 

As expectged the anti-gun crowd has arrived and are throwing around statistics designed to back there position.  Like I said.  As expected.  Paralus makes such a strong statement against there position that I thought it needed to be highlighted.

Pfooey. There are over 70 million gun owners in the US. We experience about 9-12k homicides a year, 15000 suicides and about 1100 accidents resulting in a death.

Taking out the suicides (firearm is the method, not the cause of those, which is mental illness), that means we have about 13k firearms homicides.

We have about 45k automobile related deaths each year in the US. One third of those involve alcohol. That means we tolerate 15k traffic deaths due to drunk driving.

We don't bat an eye at drunk driving or automobile deaths in our society, and the vast majority of simply accept it as the cost we pay for having access to alcohol and vehicles. We could easily require manufacturer's to install breathalyzer ignitions or develop technology that detects erratic driving, but we don't. Why? Drunk driving deaths are okay to our society.

But firearms? "Firearms are dangerous and should be banned".

More lives in the US have been adversely affected by alcohol-related traffic accidents than those affected by firearms deaths, but 'guns are the problem'. I bet more people have driven drunk themselves than known anyone involved in the firearms homicide.

As Malthusian population control factor, guns don't have anything on our own socially permissible vices.

BAE and the UAE 8x8 comp.

The UAE just bought its MRAPs and is also in the market for an 8x8.

I don't know if BAE saw this coming, planned ahead of time because of a hunch or if it has some really good market intel but its RG-41 is almost designed for the UAE. 

But that brings us to the obvious question.  What are they looking for?  The answer to that question is what intrigues me.  It could give clues to the Marine Corps comp.  Are they looking for the best performer?  Will they take good enough as long as the price is right?  Will clean sheet designs be a plus or a negative?

Ya know I just stated that this would give clues to which vehicle the Marine Corps will choose but its also important to the entire industry.  Are we in a time and place where new designs are savaged and revamped models held up as whats needed?  Are we in a kind of development purgatory?

I don't know but we can bet that the RG-41, the Patria AMV (Havoc), the Piranha V (and maybe the IIIC) along with possibly the Pandur II and the Terrix could all end up competing in the desert.  Whoever wins could tell us where the armored vehicle industry is headed....and which company will live to design another day.

5th Generation STOVL Capability for the UK

Oshkosh wins big in UAE.

Big win for Oshkosh.

Oshkosh, Wis.  (July 19, 2012) — Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE: OSK) announced today that the Company’s Defense segment has been awarded a contract to provide the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Armed Forces with  750 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected All-Terrain Vehicles (M-ATVs).  The Oshkosh M-ATVs will enhance the UAE’s ground operations by providing greater off-road mobility and crew protection to support national security, as well as critical missions related to the security of the Middle East and the broader community of nations.
The contract awarded to Oshkosh Corporation allows for additional vehicles to be ordered at the discretion of the customer.  Oshkosh is scheduled to deliver M-ATVs to the UAE between January and August 2013, pending standard regulatory requirements.

Still betting they're a takeover target but this should increase the asking price.