26th MEU. Eager Lion 2013 pics.

Female Servicemembers. Not so simple.

Females in the military.  In combat units.  Its not as simple as many would lead you to believe.  There will be friction because sexuality is a constant.  It is a fact.  The following pics illustrate my point.  If you're a guy in the same unit with one of these females can you be charged for viewing these pics?  I don't know but I do get that impression.

A great deal of attention has been placed at the feet of men...but what about female behavior in all this?  I'm NOT saying to blame the victim, but I am saying that if you're going to charge a LCpl for having a picture of his girlfriend in the nude inside his wall locker then you've got to do the same if you have a female service member that is discrediting the uniform by posing semi-naked.

Yeah.

That would make the commander a dick, but it would be fair...and guys are watching to see that they're treated fairly ... especially in the environment that we live in today.

Wow. This is sad.

The Oral IV debate in the gun community.

Being a gun guy is fun.

Whats not so fun is the base commercialism that crept into it.  First you had a glut of instructors hitting the market...many of them that I wouldn't trust with a weapon, no less teaching about how to properly use them.

Then we have the gear manufacturers.  Many of them put out top flight stuff but many others just put out crap...and then they get some guy from some team telling you that its the best thing since sunshine.

And then you have gun guys themselves that are pushing the latest and greatest piece of gear acting as if you don't have a particular trinket then you're not worthy to share the range.

It would be funny if it wasn't true.

The latest?  We have dueling videos.  One put out by the Morrison System (never heard of them but that means nothing) that says Oral IV is a scam...no better than tap water.

Then we have one put out by Pincus (this guy I do know...he's a big name in firearms training) saying that its legit.  I don't know the chemistry behind it all but its interesting to watch and the comments are worth it.

Watch the Morrison System Vid here.

Watch the Pincus Vid here.

This is approved!

Pic of the day via HeliOps Magazine.

QinetiQ North America highlights its AAV upgrade proposal.

  Brochure Amphibious Assault Vehicle Suite

One question.

How much money is being allotted to upgrading individual vehicles? We need a cost analysis comparing upgrades and new buys.

JLTV SORT

Marine Personnel Carrier Canceled? No response? No debate?

 I'm more than a bit pissed off with regards to the armor situation in the Marine Corps.

But what has me scratching my head, screaming at the top of my voice in the woods and punching pine trees is the fact that I thought we would hear at least some type of debate on this issue.

Instead we've heard nothing.  I thought that we would hear something from the manufacturers.  In my opinion Lockheed Martin and BAE put forward the two most impressive vehicles in this competition and yet not a peep from either organization.

Obviously I'm not clued into the game that was being played and that is what pisses me off the most.  I thought that this was a legitimate, serious competition and that the idea was to get our Marines protected transport but that obviously wasn't the case.

The powers that be can all brag about the intense, free willing debates that occur inside the Corps but I'm calling bullshit on that.  For better or worse it seems that we have people falling in line and no one is willing to tell this particular Commandant that he has no clothes.

So be it.  I hope to live long enough to be able to point back to this moment and tell everyone "I told ya so" and when the whining and crying starts I will proudly tell them all to "shut the fuck up"...you had a chance to be heard and instead remained quiet.

Oh, and when the body bags are filled with Marines who died because they rode into combat in 50 year old AAVs that are the evolutionary stablemate of the Russian BMP-1, I'll grieve with the Marines loved ones...they will have done their job.  The problem is that this generation of Marine leaders didn't have the courage of their convictions...along with the vehicle manufacturers...along with the professional journals to call bullshit on a plan put forward by the commandant that put their loved ones in those heavy, leak proof plastic bags.

So to the Marine Leaders, BAE, Lockheed, Professional Journals, and Professional Commentators I simply say this.

Fuck you all.

OV-10G+ Combat Dragon II. Why isn't the Marine Corps all over this???

Read about it here.

Question.

Why isn't the Marine Corps all over this like a hooker on a Marine on payday?

I can tell ya why...because our eyes are on a certain target, our fangs are out and we've nailed 'em to the floorboard 'cause we want it so bad.

When do you know your procurement model is broken?  When common sense, multi-use opportunities present themselves but you're so locked into a course of action that you can't adjust to take advantage.

What can an OV-10G+ do?

*operate off LHDs.
*escort our MV-22, CH-53K.
*provide a platform to drop recon units.
*act as a Fast FAC.
*provide close air support.
*act as an aerial anti-helicopter platform.

I would so love to see a squadron or two in USMC service.  I think the idea of a Special MAGTF-Crisis Response Force is a bad idea, but a pair of OV-10G+ escorting the MV-22s would definitely make the concept a bit more realistic.

Concept Art By Al Crutchley

Pic of the day.

Wishful thinking in Jordan. 1st ID and 26th MEU on the ground training hard.

So we have the 1st ID and 26th MEU training hard in Jordan.

The news media is saying that its a show of force to the Syrian government.

I say its wishful thinking.

Assad doesn't give a rats ass about what the US and Jordan are doing across the border.  All he cares about is defeating the rebels and solidifying his power.

I'm a skeptic but from watching the history of these things, I just get the feeling that Hezbollah is licking its chops at the idea of capturing a US service member and parading him or her (God have mercy if they capture a female) and parade them in front of the cameras before they decapitate them on YouTube.

One side note:  I'm not sold on the idea that the refugees that are pouring into Jordan are as big a threat to the current leaders power as he is claiming. As a matter of fact the more I think about it the more convinced I am that he's using the crisis as a bid for more foreign aid.  I could be wrong but I don't think so.

3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion & Assault Craft Unit 5 at Dawn Blitz

Photos by Lance Cpl. Alexander Quiles

F-35A AF-28 First Flight

LARC-V. Unappreciated Work Horse.

The LARC-V.

I consider it one of the most unique and valuable tools in the Gator Navy.  It is used as a jack-of-all-trades and does its best work behind the scenes.

Its also another example of an old vehicle being used well past its prime and in need of replacement.  Here is the passage on its SLEP program via Wikipedia.

The United States Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) has directed the Sealift Support Program Office (SSPO) to supervise a Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) on the LARC V's used by the Navy. This SLEP involved changing from a mechanical to an hydraulic transmission, updating the electrical system, and improving other on-board systems. These reworked LARCs began delivery in June 2006 for use by U.S. Navy Beach Master Units, Underwater Construction Teams and the Maritime Prepositioned Force ships. A total of 42 LARCs are currently funded to transition through the SLEP process.
Towing capacity on land was improved to approximately 29,000 lb and bollard pull in water was doubled to 7600 lb. The vehicle operates in all-wheel drive while in land or tow modes. The craft is powered by a 375 horsepower John Deere turbo-charged diesel engine that is Tier 2 certified. Engine speed is constant with an hydraulic transmission modifying speed.
Design and manufacture of the SLEP LARC-V's was carried out by Power Dynamics, LLC of Stennis Space Center, Mississippi.

The SLEP `was a good idea and accomplished a modest improvement in reliability but in my opinion more needs to be done.  So what vehicle should we consider to replace the LARC-V?  How about the Gibbs High Speed Amphibian?

 How useful is the LARC-V?  It was used by the Argentinians in the Falkland War...It was used in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina...Australia used them for rescuing people during recent flooding.  The Gibbs High Speed Amphibian would be a worthy successor.

Don't lie. You would shit your pants.

Real Leadership, Real Motivation. Mattis for Commandant.

Generals, even after retirement, are always considered to be on "on active duty"...it wouldn't be a reach to make Mattis the next Commandant.

Azerbaijan receives huge arms shipment.

T-90S tank

TOS-1A Solntsepyok

BMP-3

via Russian Information Bureau.

94 T-90S tanks, about 100 BMP-3 armored vehicles, 18 Msta-S SPGs, 18 Smerch multiple-rocket launchers, 18 Vena multiple-rocket launchers and 6 TOS-1A Solntsepyok flamethrowers have arrived from Russia to Baku.
Vladimir Yevseyev, director of the Center for Socio-Political studies, believes that the vehicles are an attempt to maintain balance in the region. He says that Russia enforced the Gyumri base and probably needed to calm Azerbaijan by sending the armaments. It may be an attempt to improve relations before the summit of Presidents Vladimir Putin and Ilham Aliyev planned for October.

Good old fashioned Russian diplomacy.  We send food and give promises while the Russians deliver arms.

Considering the issues in Syria, Afghanistan and insurgencies in the Philippines and Indonesia, I bet our allies want more than flowery speeches from the President. 

Syrian Rebels being supplied T-55 Main Battle Tanks???

via Press TV.

There are reports that armored vehicles including a shipment of t-62 and t-55 tanks, which are old armored Russian tanks collected in Libya and transferred to Syria, have reached foreign-backed militants through different secret ways.

The US and its allies are geared up to disturb the military balance, prolong the clashes and change the situation into a war of attrition in Syria, Al Quds Al Arabi reported.

There have been reports of a plan for training and organizing thousands of Syrian volunteers including those who had avoided military service or civilians capable of carrying weapons and taking military training.

A comprehensive reconnaissance mission is currently underway on the borders of Syria’s neighboring countries as a preparatory measure for launching arms to the foreign-backed militants.

The mission seems to be a good reason for the presence of 8000 American, British and French forces on the borders of Syria with Turkey and Jordan to supervise the process of arming and delivering weapons to the foreign-backed militants.

There are also reports that opposition groups consisting of 650 military groups are equipped with new arms in Dara’a.

Uh wait.  What?

T-55's?

This is unlike any other civil war I've ever heard of.  New definitions are needed when a civil war/insurgency is now involving heavy armor!

Are we trying to make this a regional war????