Even the Germans are getting nervous now...

 

Open Comment Post. 13 Feb 2022

 

Let's wade into these waters. The Amir Locke shooting.

 I've been watching coverage (on MSNBC) of the Amir Locke shooting.

It's been disappointing to say the least.

In a nutshell?  I am sorry that the young man was killed.  I am sorry that he chose to associate with a suspected killer.

Let's dig in.

via Fox 9 News.

Locke’s cousin, Mekhi Speed is charged with murder in the mid-January robbery and shooting in the Capital city.

Hasn't the simple question been giving you headaches?  It's had me punching walls.  If Locke wasn't the subject of the warrant then who was?  Apparently his cousin.

 It was on January 10 that Otis Elder was shot and killed during an apparent drug deal.

Detectives eventually tracked down video evidence of a stolen Mercedes-Benz fleeing the scene and returning soon after to Bolero Flats. Further surveillance would identify suspects including Locke’s cousin, Mekhi Speed. 

Their social media accounts show them posing with guns and driving around in fancy cars, according to the warrants.

Police also believed they were involved in several other violent crimes.

The search warrants were signed for three units connected to Speed, his family and known associates. All signed by Judge Cahill.

The warrant for 701 reading in part, "a no-knock entry is necessary to prevent the loss, destruction or removal of the objects of the search, or to protect the searchers or the public because this homicide was a violent robbery where the suspect shot the victim with a .223 caliber firearm." It continued, that the rifle rounds are capable of penetrating police body armor.

This answers the "why"!

In my mind when going after a MURDERER, that alone indicates that a no knock warrant is just plain common sense thinking.

Sounds like the police in this instance were going after a GROUP of people involved in committing violent acts across the city. 

So what do we have?  We have a group of violent actors along with one suspected murderer, can't leave out the fact that apparently drug dealing was also involved and some are thinking that a no knock warrant was a step too far?

This is politics.

This is a new attempt to "motivate" young voters and "activists" to champion the cause of banning no knock warrants.

I don't know if they'll succeed or not.

I do know that if successful we're gonna see more LEOs getting hurt, probably more citizens too and instead of protecting society we're going to be making our cities EVEN MORE DANGEROUS than they are now.

These few tidbits aren't getting much publicity but YOU NEED TO KNOW this!

This is my opinion.  What's yours?

Redback 'Beyond Australia'

Russia's 1st Tank Army moves closer to the border of Ukraine

 

More evidence that the 1st Tank Army equipment in Pogonovo is being emptied and moved closer to the border with Ukraine in Belgorod. https://t.co/mWVoAvyAAt

— Rob Lee (@RALee85) February 12, 2022

Follow Rob! He's all over this Russia/Ukraine thing. Additionally he's got tabs on troop movements. Good stuff. Great open source intel. I'd bet money someone in the DoD, CIA and maybe the State Dept (they're incompetent as hell so maybe not) is following him.

US moves some forces out of Ukraine and orders evacuation of most embassy staff as fears of a Russian invasion grow...

 via CNN

A travel advisory issued by the State Department on Saturday said it had "ordered the departure of most US direct hire employees from Embassy Kyiv due to the continued threat of Russian military action."

It also stated that consular services would be suspended but stressed a small diplomatic presence would be maintained in the city of Lviv in the west of the country, about 50 miles from the Polish border, to handle emergencies.

Several countries are also downgrading their diplomatic presence and urging their citizens to leave Ukraine.

A senior State Department official said during a call with reporters Saturday morning that it's past time for US citizens to leave Ukraine because there are limits to what the US can do to assist them in a war zone, which is "inherently volatile" and "extremely dangerous."

"Once a country or region becomes an active conflict zone we have very little ability to help our fellow citizens," the official said.

A few retired generals are saying that this is a mistake.  That the State Dept should be reinforcing the embassy with additional personnel.

I kinda get it.

Russia won't PURPOSELY target anyone's embassy.

But shit happens so they could get hit.

Having said that the White House, Pentagon, our allies and other places are all signalling that this thing is about to kick off.

I've noticed my Russian audience has become a bit more quiet about "this is just theater" thing they were once so sure about.

We are in the land of mirrors.

No one knows what will happen next.  Pass the popcorn!

 

The Marine Corps picked a TERRIBLE time to do an IRR muster!

 

This is too funny.

Can you imagine how many bricks are being shit when this letter went out?  I just have to wonder how many are gonna show up drunk, pissed off and ready to yell that they got obligations!

More than likely (like the commenters on Redditt said) a chance to grab hold of some recently separated Marines and a hustle to try and get them to reenlist.

The timing though.

Seems like a minor delay would have been smart.  

Open Comment Post. 12 Feb 2022

 

I wanted to pop out a comment and reply that me and a reader had about the situation in Ukraine and see what others think...

 SolarWarden • an hour ago

Looks like it's really going to happen. I thought for sure Putin is bluffing he's not dumb enough to kill the Russian economy but I reckon he has backed himself into a corner. Wishful thinking on my part because an invasion the US/NATO, especially with the global elites running the US and Europe, would somehow find a way to make sure to get involved militarily. Is the US/NATO going to stop flying ISR aircraft over eastern Ukraine? Why would they when they are invited by the sovereign government of Ukraine. What happens if Russia shoots a US/NATO aircraft down? We're being set up. This will be the war where US and Russia shoot at each other.

My reply.  Remember this was just quick and dirty.  

 

Solomon Mod  SolarWarden • a minute ago

he hasn't backed himself into a corner. he's backed the US/NATO into a corner. think about this. the US stock market just went down over 500 points today. why? inflation. fuel prices spiking on war concerns. what do you think will happen if Russia invades? oil is gonna be sky high. does the US and NATO press forward with sanctions? the US might. the greens are in control in the White House and they won't give a fuck if oil is 8 dollars a gallon. the US people will feel differently. that alone will accelerate inflation. that alone will basically kill the Biden admin.

Republicans will be back in charge.

Biden is all but finished and the dems have lost control of the house and senate for at least 8 years (assuming Trump isn't re-elected).

add sanctions to the list and this whole apple cart goes sideways. Prices across the board (not just oil) will skyrocket. we're looking at FIRST runaway inflation across the globe. SECOND we're looking at the monster that can't be tamed. DEFLATION! that will spiral and then the whole world will face the world wide depression that we're probably overdue for.

in the US that's just the economic concerns. we're facing a crime spike from hell. half the population is STILL scared shitless about covid. workers are hesitant to go back to work and those at work are agitating for higher wages.

this little war could be the start of something big. i don't know what it is but its scary as hell.

Is this plausible or am I way off base? 

Apparently this thing is about to kick off in a big way. Pray for Ukraine because if Russia goes its gonna be terrible for them...

 

Oh shit https://t.co/VYTJvjMFdk

— AlternateHistoryHub (@AltHistoryHub) February 11, 2022

BREAKING: U.S. intelligence community believes Putin has decided to invade Ukraine - PBS

— BNO News (@BNONews) February 11, 2022

This is the one that caught my full attention. Rob is a Russia watcher and if he's seeing signs that this is beyond the scale and scope of anything we've seen before then I believe him!

I want to emphasize this once more, Russia's current military buildup near Ukraine is unprecedented. This is not like previous war scares or the buildup in the spring. The amount of Russian aerial, ground, and naval military power near Ukraine now is quantifiably far greater. https://t.co/7R60f8hUaW

— Rob Lee (@RALee85) February 11, 2022

United States Marine Corps...an enduring Stand-In-Force

U.S. Marines with 3d Battalion, 12th Marines, 3d Marine Division, conduct Expeditionary Advanced Based Operations on Okinawa, Japan, Feb. 01, 2022. The training demonstrates the joint force’s ability to integrate command and control, expand battlefield awareness, and conduct long-range precision strikes as an enduring stand-in-force. (U.S. Marine Corps video by Sgt. Kallahan Morris)

Getting mighty tired of this "stand-in-force" mantra.

What happened to "force in readiness"?

What happened to "expeditionary force"?

What happened to "assault force"?

Nope.  Now these bubbas are claiming we're a "stand-in-force".  Sounds cheap.  Disposable.  Damn near useless.

The messaging on this thing is terrible and the concept is just like the Army's nuclear force during the 50's.  Its gonna fail. Hell the only thing I've seen the last 3 Commandant's accomplish is to add so much churn and friction to the system that its obvious that the Marine Corps has picked up the Navy's disease.  It's adrift and feeling its way in the darkness trying to find some light.

Jumping South of the Alps...by Capt. Robyn Haake

JGSDF CH-47 conduct deck landing qualifications....Video by Petty Officer 3rd Class Thomas Contant

EAB operations on Ie Shima

2d Cavalry Regiment Deploys to Romania...Video by Spc. Ryan Parr and Cpl. Austin Riel

 

Open Comment Post. 11 Feb 2022

 

Thought of the day.

 If the United States Marine Corps is in the (primary) business of killing ships then the USA doesn't need a Marine Corps.  It needs a better managed and more capable Navy.

This is what max effort looks like! Yeah, its oddly terrifying...

 

 

Wow!

I've left the gym thinking that "yeah...I wrecked myself today".

Wasn't even close.

This dude did indeed wreck himself.  I'm impressed and a little shocked.

This is pushing yourself FOR REAL!

Russia issues a "notice to airmen" of naval & air exercises in the Black Sea..

 Thanks to Деметрий В for the pic!

Well at least the Russians are gonna leave an escape route for their opponents (I say that tongue in cheek).  

I had hoped that this would blow over.  My Russian audience still thinks it will.

I'm not so sure.

Nato runs exercises galore.  Russia?  Not so much...most not even close to this scale. I wonder if that's part of this.  Russia being a bit miffed at all the exercises going on in Europe, all the time?

Time will tell.  We all wait to see what happens next.

MCAS Camp Pendleton daily flight operations