Open Comment Post. 14 Aug 25

I don't even know how to title this post except to say its another case of senseless violence...

 

Guy accuses 68 y/o dude in a wheel chair of stolen valor provokes a fight. Wheel chair man charges at him with a knife, pulls out an airsoft gun. Provoker pulls out a pistol from his man purse and blasts the guy.

(wheel chair man survived, is a vet)pic.twitter.com/gqYi0HDIYj

— WeaponOutfitters.com (@WeaponOutfitter) August 13, 2025

The title says it all. The only thing left is to say how do you decide who's right or wrong in this case. The law is simple. If the dude pulls out an airsoft gun and the "real" shooter thought that it was real then its a solid case of self defense. But still....just geez....

Open Comment Post. 12 Aug 25

 

Illegal immigrant population down 1.6 million under Trump crackdown via Washington Times

 WT

President Trump is booting out illegal immigrants faster than President Biden added them, according to the latest Census Bureau numbers, which show an unprecedented drop in the number of immigrants living in the U.S.

The total number of foreign-born people dropped by 2.2 million from January to July, and most of that — 1.6 million — was among the illegal immigrant population, said Steven A. Camarota, the research director at the Center for Immigration Studies who crunched the numbers.

It’s an almost unfathomable turnaround from the Biden years, when illegal immigrants surged into the U.S. at record rates, netting about 120,000 new people each month.

Here 

Ok cool.  But are we making allowances for legal immigration especially in STEM fields?

Personally (after proper vetting) I'll take an immigrant from freaking Jupiter if it can advance our tech.

How does the Marine Littoral Regiment stop Chinese grey zone behavior when they're hunting PI ships to ram?

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Do you see this shit? Chinese ships are literally hunting a PI vessel in order to ram/harass it. How does the Marine Littoral Regiment deter this type of grey zone behavior? How is it even credible in this type environment?

AI video of Chinese Landing Barges

 

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31st MEU | Anti-submarine warfare training...Photos by Cpl. Alora Finigan

The Marine Corps is flailing about looking for missions to justify the MLR. This ain't it and is an insult to the sub hunters doing the exacting work especially during the days of the Soviet Union when nuclear annihilation was on the table. Dropping sonobuoys from a supposedly low density/high demand airplane isn't what they should be doing. If its just dropping sonobuoys for other assets to monitor (I see no indication that the USMC is doing the low, risky, highly technical side of subhunting) then they should rig UAVs to do this job. The idea that the USMC thinks they can slam their way into this mission profile is more a glaring indictment of how far the Navy has fallen in the skill of hunting enemy subs (assuming that they have). Once we had carrier based S-3 Vikings that handled this mission with flair. Even SH-60s did their part. But they were specially equipped for the mission, not cargo or troop carrying MV-22s.

 

Can Europe Defend Itself Without US Military Support? via National Interest

 The answer is no!  An unequivocal NO!  But the reasons aren't what you think.  It's not that the US is keeping Europe down.  Its not that the US industrial base "demands" it.  Its that the Europeans don't actually want to spend the money necessary to be "free" of the US.

Don't believe me?  Then check out the points I've highlighted from the article (make sure to read the whole thing for yourself though...here).

Via National Interest.

European militarism keeps the United States happy, especially if it means enriching American defense companies. “Buying American kit will be the quickest and easiest way to dispense all the extra billions pouring into defense budgets,” says Nick Witney of the European Council on Foreign Relations.  

Utter bullshit.  The war in Ukraine has opened the door to S. Korean imports most notably in Poland.  Why not more homegrown investment?  The pussification of Europe by Europeans, not America.

 There are other reasons to believe that this militarization plan will neither make Europe safer nor boost economic growth. It fails to address crucial national security threats, such as climate change, and risks the retrenchment of social programs, which is likely to be unpopular with Europeans. The same IGA survey found that some Western Europeans are open to more military spending, but only a quarter or fewer think their country should spend “much more” on its military.  

This is the real issue.

Even if you're a climate change supporter then how is that a military problem?  Its not.  But it is an additional pot of money to dip into to push for changes that won't work and will allow feel good emotions.  I mean how can't "saving the planet" make the baby boomers that are back to smoking weed everyday and gen z not feel like they're doing there part.

But that's not even the biggest issue.  Its the social programs that has the Europeans skeptical.  They want and need them.  They would rather be under the US umbrella and keep all the goodies than do the adult thing and fund their own self protection.

Even now Europe claims that Russia will attack them once they're done with Ukraine.  Yet they still hesitate to fund their own defense?  The biggest refrain is that it will trigger article 5 and the US will come to their rescue so we should do as they want on their continent instead of standing up themselves.

 “Europe could perfectly well defend itself against Russia even if the US packed up and went home tomorrow,” says Witney. But a simple reality of NATO is that European dependence on the United States is a feature, not a bug. Trump may take credit for forcing Europe to spend more on defense, but he follows in a long lineage of presidents wary of Europe gaining too much independence.  

If this isn't a weak, pathetic, lame ass excuse I don't know what is.  We've degraded our own war stock to plus up what the Europeans aren't doing.  They've used all kinds of fancy accounting tricks to make the numbers bigger but at the end of the day we're hurting ourselves to prop up a people that are too lazy to do it themselves.

I'm done with this debate.

Europe makes excuses while work needs to be done.  Either they step up or sit down and shut the fuck up. 

Is the IDF using personnel chutes to drop cargo?

 

Israeli air drop of food into Gaza.

It went about as you'd expect.... #war #gaza #israel #food #airdrop #airborne pic.twitter.com/sJFW2Fkwjg

— Mrgunsngear (@Mrgunsngear) August 10, 2025

Fuck me. The IDF is either showing gross incompetence or they've reached a point of not at all giving a fuck about the optics. Assuming this is real (don't know...AI is a monster if used in a bad way) then someone needs to be up on charges. Whoever rigged this shit needs to go to jail. Its almost like Netanyahu wants to be an international villain.

Damn. Wasn't there so I don't know....

pic.twitter.com/ngvnYAIJjr

— Police Clips (@crazycopvideos) August 10, 2025

I wasn't there so I don't know. BUT! It sorta seems like a lower use of force could have been applied. But fuck man. I wasn't there. I can't get a read on the dude from a vid. I don't get the "vibe" or the energy he's giving off. I don't know if the deputy had dealings with him before. I said it right the first time. I don't know.

Open Comment Post. 10 Aug 25

CH-53K King Stallion attached to Marine Heavy Squadron (HMH) 461 conducts flight operations aboard the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship

 

Training for interoperability or planning for a carrier or two to be sunk?

There’s a first for everything…

The 1st 🇬🇧 F-35B jet lands on a Japanese ship. #OpHighmast #CSG25 pic.twitter.com/87Y0vICdu8

— UK Carrier Strike Group (@COMUKCSG) August 9, 2025

Everyone doing the "lightning carrier" concept is or soon will participate in the cross decking exercises with allies. My question is simple. Is this about interoperability or is it really about planning to lose a carrier or two?

During WW2 the US cross decked aircraft from one carrier to another due to battle damage or in extreme cases because one had been lost.

Fast forward to the 60s and 70s (Vietnam war period) you had aircraft land on the wrong carrier and it was met with humor and graffiti on aircraft.

Now?

I don't know if its technology or just having fewer aircraft deployed together but you rarely see such a thing on big decks (which brings up another point, the cross decking is only done with the F-35B, no other ally operates non STOVL aircraft from carriers except France).

The weird thing?  This all became a thing when the UK couldn't man the HMS Queen Elizabeth because the ship was ready before a full complement

of aircraft could be onboarded.  To save the Royal Navy face the USMC offered up some F-35Bs to fill the gap.

After that event it became all the rage.

So is this actually a useful exercise or just glorified motion to simulate a real war time capability?

Today's funny

pic.twitter.com/xNibOtccBs

— Hazel Appleyard (@HazelAppleyard_) July 22, 2025

Open Comment Post. 9 July 25

 

IDF to occupy Gaza. What a huge mistake....

 The IDF is set to occupy Gaza by order of Netanyahu.  Huge mistake.  I can't imagine why there isn't pushback from the Trump admin...well at least publicly anyway.

One thing that I can't ignore is that while this is a mistake in my opinion, I can't let go of the fact that HAMAS is indeed blocking efforts to stabilize the situation.  The food situation?  I blame HAMAS.  Plenty of evidence that they're stealing aid meant for their people.

Why the international community is ignoring that part of the puzzle is beyond me but it is what it is.

Biggest fear.

While I don't believe the Israeli govt "controls" US policy, I do believe that where once our interests were uniform they're now drifting apart.

When I acknowledge that full throated support might no longer be in our best interests then the Israeli leadership needs to pay attention.  Not me in particular but I get the feeling that I'm not alone in my concerns.  When you have right wing, christian, and evangelical Americans beginning to wonder then you have an issue.  Netanyahu has issues.

Open Comment Post. 8 Aug 25

Gas prices in California?  Is this real?

Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH) 461 & US Army's 2nd Battalion Special Warfare Training Group (Airborne) conduct lifts of rigid hull inflatable boat...photos by Cpl. Mya Seymour

 

Kongsberg awarded full-rate production contract for ACV-30 turrets via EDR Magazine

 

EDR

The United States Marine Corps has awarded a full-rate production contract to Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (‘KONGSBERG’) valued at up to $330 million for the 30mm remote turret for the Amphibious Combat Vehicle 30mm program (ACV-30).

The first order on the contract from PEO Land Systems Program Manager Advanced Amphibious Assault (PM AAA) includes a substantial number of turrets to be manufactured at KONGSBERG’s remote weapon system facility in Johnstown, Penn. A recent expansion at the facility has resulted in more jobs and a dedicated medium caliber turret production line.

“KONGSBERG is honoured to support the US Marine Corps by equipping them with increased firepower and capacity,” said Eirik Lie, President of Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace. “The ACV-30 offers superior performance compared to current comparable systems, and we see the market potential for our medium caliber turrets as positive, both in the US and internationally.”

ACV-30 is one of four variants in the next-generation ACV family of vehicles designed, developed and built by BAE Systems. The ACV-30 variant mounts Kongsberg’s stabilized, remotely operated MCT-30 that provides the capabilities and protection Marines. The ACV-30 turret is vehicle agnostic, able to accept armour and a variety of effectors, including anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM).

Here 

Netanyahu said set to order full takeover of Gaza...this will BREAK the IDF

 via Times of Israel

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly told ministers this week that he will seek cabinet backing for a plan to fully occupy the Gaza Strip, despite objections from within the Israel Defense Forces.

According to reports in Hebrew media, several ministers said Netanyahu used the term “occupation of the Strip” in private conversations describing his vision for the expansion of military operations in Gaza — a notable shift in tone as the government prepares to discuss the future of the Gaza campaign.

The Ynet news site quoted a senior official close to the premier as saying, “The die is cast — we are going for a full occupation of the Gaza Strip.”

Here 

I just can't make sense of this.  Netanyahu is so convinced he's right that he is willing to destroy his armed forces for some unknown goal (the only way to occupy the Gaza strip is to engage in YEARS long fighting in a destroyed urban area...a batshit crazy idea).

I just don't get it.

If someone (REASONABLE) can explain this to me I would appreciate it.