Monday, September 05, 2011
This Air Force dude is pure dee bad ass...
Air Commando Gutierrez Nominated for Air Force Cross
Wow.Bleeding Out“We decided that we were combat air effective,” and the high-value target was dead, so “we were going to use one more pass as a cover for us to exit,” Gutierrez said. “I put my kit back on, put my helmet back on, ... [and] gave instructions to the A-10 pilot. He fully obliged [and] came back through. As [he] struck, we pushed out and left the compound.”Determined not to be a burden on his team, Gutierrez got to his feet, with the medic holding his bag and supporting his shoulder.“Since my ears were out, my balance was completely off. I couldn’t really stand up straight,” he said. “I kind of would veer off everywhere.” Gutierrez called in a medical evacuation for himself, the captain, and two other wounded troops, but he was initially denied. It was too dangerous; they had to leave the area, he was told.Sporadic gunfire followed them as they stumbled away from the village. After struggling for about two miles, Gutierrez’s lung collapsed for a second time. The medic did another needle decompression by the side of a four-way intersection as the A-10s continued to provide close air support and ISR assets fed them vital information from above. When he got his breath back, Gutierrez requested an immediate medevac.The troops found a muddy, square vegetation field, roughly 300 feet by 300 feet, which had just enough room for one helicopter to land. They secured the site and waited for the medevac, a joint Spanish and Italian team from Herat Airfield, to arrive.Wet and weak from the loss of blood, Gutierrez waited for an hour-and-a-half. His uniform became soaked and stuck to his arm. At first he thought it was sweat from the difficult trek to the landing zone, or maybe muddy water from the canal he stumbled in as they pushed out.He had no idea he had lost five-and-a-half pints of blood.
Just plain wow.
I fuck with Air Force guys but wow.
That's plain bad ass. Read the whole thing here.
Brits in Canada...
Are we going to be losing capability when the CH-46 retires?
I'm beginning to wonder if we're going to be losing capability when the CH-46 retires for good and we're using only the MV-22.
Don't get me wrong, the MV-22 is a technical marvel that has and is proving itself in Afghanistan. But when it comes to getting men and material into tight places...when added stability is needed to get back aboard ship...when simplicity trumps a complex system...are we going to miss these old helicopters?
The V-22 is obviously tailor made for the Special Ops mission.
It has no peer in the rotary winged category when it comes to getting personnel ashore in an assault.
But what happens during those conflicts when its all about the dirty, grimy boring tasks of moving people and supplies around?
In the assault the V-22 is king. For everyday work, we'll miss the CH-46.
Battalion PT. Marine Corps Style...
Responding to sniper fire...
Friday, September 02, 2011
31st and 11th MEU's in action...
Thursday, September 01, 2011
CDR Salamander nails the J-20.
Read his post here, but I think CDR Salamander nails it when it comes to the J-20. Many believed the J-20 to be a fighter. Why? Because thats what the US, and Russia are working on. This is what Salamander says....
I don't know about you - but the J-20 looks less like a fighter and more like a penetrating attack aircraft; almost an update of the F-111 concept.Read the whole thing but I would bet good money that by this time next Tuesday every think tank in the US will be switching gears and following the CDR's lead.
Even with allowances for Chinese technology not being as compact as Western technology (which I think is slightly a bogus argument in 2011) - that bird is big for a reason. I don't think air superiority is it.
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