Thursday, August 18, 2011
Marine Air getting it done...
Marine Air.
As much as I slam the "fly guys" of the Corps, one thing is certain. They're Marines...and they're getting the job done.
One of the untold stories of the conflicts that we're involved in that will only come out in Marine history journals is the work done with regards to the Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel (TRAP) Missions that these Marines have performed.
Helo-borne assault.
Close air support.
Tactical resupply.
Medivac.
TRAP missions.
Special Ops work.
The list goes on. I hammer the wing like a big brother hammers a little brother. Its done with love, its probably unfair and its fun for the big brother and annoys the hell outta the little one.
Well consider this post the "apology" to the wing.
You guys are doing good work.
Stay safe and Semper Fi.
As much as I slam the "fly guys" of the Corps, one thing is certain. They're Marines...and they're getting the job done.
One of the untold stories of the conflicts that we're involved in that will only come out in Marine history journals is the work done with regards to the Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel (TRAP) Missions that these Marines have performed.
I would be curious to know how many millions of dollars have been saved because these Marines were able to recover downed aircraft instead of destroying them in place.
Helo-borne assault.
Close air support.
Tactical resupply.
Medivac.
TRAP missions.
Special Ops work.
The list goes on. I hammer the wing like a big brother hammers a little brother. Its done with love, its probably unfair and its fun for the big brother and annoys the hell outta the little one.
Well consider this post the "apology" to the wing.
You guys are doing good work.
Stay safe and Semper Fi.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
God bless the 10th Mountain Division
If this story doesn't break your heart then you have no soul.
God bless the 10th Mountain. Story via Stars and Stripes.
For those in Company C, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Thursday was the worst of days. Five of its Soldiers, all from 3rd Platoon’s 1st Squad, were killed when their Mine Resistant Ambush Protected All Terrain Vehicle rolled over an improvised explosive device on a desolate road in southern Kandahar province.
“It’s like your family just got ripped out of your heart,” Pfc. Thadius Deloatch said.
“I didn’t see it at first, but he just saved my life,” said Urzua, who was back at COP when the attack occurred that morning.
God bless the 10th Mountain. Story via Stars and Stripes.
For those in Company C, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Thursday was the worst of days. Five of its Soldiers, all from 3rd Platoon’s 1st Squad, were killed when their Mine Resistant Ambush Protected All Terrain Vehicle rolled over an improvised explosive device on a desolate road in southern Kandahar province.
“It’s like your family just got ripped out of your heart,” Pfc. Thadius Deloatch said.
On
Sunday, the Department of Defense identified those killed in the
explosion: Sgt. Edward J. Frank II, 26, of Yonkers, N.Y.; Spc. Jameel T.
Freeman, 26, of Baltimore, Md.; Spc. Patrick L. Lay II, 21, of
Fletcher, N.C.; Spc. Jordan M. Morris, 23, of Stillwater, Okla.; Pfc.
Rueben J. Lopez, 27, of Williams, Calif.
After the explosion Thursday, the battalion chaplain couldn’t
get here soon enough. A line of Soldiers needing him waited late into
the night, and early the next morning. For many, the tears pushed out in
waves. For others, solace came in the form of a quiet stoicism.
“I
don’t know what to do right now. My whole squad is gone,” Pfc. Jeremy
Urzua said. His squad leader, Frank, was among the Soldiers killed in
the blast and had given him a rare day off Thursday.“I didn’t see it at first, but he just saved my life,” said Urzua, who was back at COP when the attack occurred that morning.
TRAP mission at an undisclosed location in Logar province,
Operation Black Sand
Monday, August 15, 2011
RAF Voyager Tanker Aircraft
Wow.
The size of this tanker is pure dee crazy.
The USAF lucked into the right decision. If they had picked the A-330 like all the Air Bus apologist had recommended then the infrastructure costs alone would have caused the USAF to go bankrupt. Some are blaming Air Force woes on the stealth fighter force.
That couldn't be further from the truth.
What the USAF is facing is in essence the block obsolescence of several different classes of airplanes at the same time. If anything, the fighter force while not perfect is at least going to be recapitalized. Every other type of airplane is in jeopardy. And thats the shame of it.
And even more from the11th MEU...
8/13/2011 By Cpl. Gene Allen Ainsworth Marines from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit's gound combat element scout potential targets for artillery strikes here Aug. 13. |
Amphibious Operations from 1990-2009
Time for another look back at our recent history. This time its courtesy of US Naval Institute's Blog via its articles on Amphibious Operations from 1990-1999 and Amphibious Operations from 2000-2009.
Spare me the critics that attempt to parse these actions with comparisons to World War II actions. That is not the point.
The point is that the US military has only three forms of forcible entry.
1. Airborne Assault.
2. Heliborne Assault.
3. Amphibious Assault.
In many ways these skill sets are unique to the United States. Most of the world's Marine Corps have the ability to raid, not invade. Most of the world's airborne forces are able to at best raid...but don't have the ability to hold on to seized ground long enough for other forces to relieve them ... I know of no Heliborne force outside of the US that has the ability to move more than a couple of companies worth of soldiers at a time.
Its a Marine centric blog but the need to maintain all three forms of forcible entry are obvious. Only those with a vested interests in the weakening of our nation would claim otherwise.
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