F-35B confounds its critics again.

Photoshop by Elements of Power Blogspot.

Well details are sparse but Marine Corps Times and Aviation Week are both reporting that the F-35B has again confounded its critics and has done what many hoped it wouldn't. It successfully started its sea trials.

Awesome.

Can't wait to read the comments from the haters!

Major league tip of the hat to Bjornar Bolsoy for the heads up.

Did a piece of shit Beretta cost this USAF Captain his life?

This is straight from Air Force Times.  Emphasis mine.

Captain posthumously awarded Silver Star

Scott Fontaine - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Oct 1, 2011 9:07:32 EDT

An officer who traded gunfire with a rampaging Afghan pilot earlier this year and was killed during the shootout was posthumously awarded the Silver Star.
Miriam Nylander accepted the honor on behalf of her husband, Capt. Nathan Nylander, who was killed during an attack that claimed the lives of eight other Americans. Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz presented the medal Sept. 24 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., where Nylander served as a meteorologist with the 25th Operational Weather Squadron.
Nylander was deployed as an adviser with the NATO Air Training Command-Afghanistan on April 27, when an Afghan Air Force pilot entered the air command and control center at Kabul International Airport and opened fire. Seven airmen and one American contractor were hit. Nylander was one of 12 people in an adjoining conference room; when he heard the gunshots, he moved to the door connecting the two rooms and helped evacuate everyone inside.
The officer had an opportunity to run to safety but chose to help his fellow airmen. He and another officer took up a firing position and shot at the gunman when he exited the air command and control center. The Afghan pilot was shot once and possibly twice, according to the narration that accompanied the Silver Star presentation.
Nylander stayed behind as the other airman left. Nylander and the gunman exchanged fire; the American was shot in the left thigh and received a grazing wound to his right thigh. He began bleeding heavily but continued to fire at the gunman.

Nylander’s 9mm pistol jammed. He managed to clear two rounds in his weapon, and the pistol’s final round was found jammed in the chamber. He tried to flee the building but was fatally shot.

“Of his own volition, Capt. Nylander chose to return to an extremely dangerous and unknown tactical situation and engage an attacker who had taken the lives of eight fellow Americans,” the narration reads. “After an initial exchange of gunfire, Capt. Nylander again chose to stay, with the likely intent of aiding the fallen. Capt. Nylander’s brave actions degraded the gunman’s capability and likely prevented further loss of life, including that of other U.S. personnel who remained in the AAF Headquarters.”

Just plain wow.

I never liked the Beretta's...just personal preference I guess.  But isn't it time to start buying new handguns?  Or how about we finally get on the ball and start issuing PDW's to all non-grunts instead of pistols.

Challis UAV's. Interesting and weird.

I wonder if they'll be able to make these work (check them out here)?  Posted on them previously but it looks like they're expanding the line to the Little Bird....be nice if they could make a manned version for Special Ops.

Sunday nite joke...

  An old Italian gentleman lived alone in New  Jersey .  He wanted to plant his annual tomato garden, but it was very difficult work, as the ground was hard.  His only son, Vincent, who used to help him, was in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament: 

 Dear Vincent,  I am feeling pretty sad because it looks like I won’t be able to plant my tomato garden this year. I’m just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot. I know if you were here my troubles would be over. I know you would be happy to dig the plot for me, like in the old days.  Love,  Papa  

A few days later he received a letter from his son. 

Dear Papa,   Don’t dig up that garden. That’ s where the bodies are buried.  Love,  Vinnie

At 4 a.m. The next morning, FBI agents and local police arrived and dug up the entire area without finding any bodies. They apologized to the old man and left.  That same day the old man received another letter from his son.  

Dear Papa,  Go ahead and plant the tomatoes now.  That’s the best I could do under the circumstances.  Love you, Vinnie

Harriers prove vital to 31st MEU

USS ESSEX, At sea-AV-8B Harriers with Marine Attack Squadron 214, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, sit on the flight deck aboard USS Essex, Sept. 29. The VMA was conducting this training in preparation for the MEU's upcoming Certification Exercise. The 31st MEU is the only continuously forward-deployed MEU and remains the nation’s force in readiness in the Asia-Pacific region., Lance Cpl. Vernon T. Meekins, 9/29/2011 10:00 AM

USS ESSEX, At sea-AV-8B Harriers with Marine Attack Squadron 214, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, taxi down the flight deck aboard USS Essex, Sept. 29. The VMA was conducting this training in preparation for the MEU's Certification Exercise. The 31st MEU is the only continuously forward-deployed MEU and remains the nation’s force in readiness in the Asia-Pacific region., Lance Cpl. Vernon T. Meekins, 9/29/2011 10:24 AM

 

 

USS ESSEX, At sea-An AV-8B Harrier with Marine Attack Squadron 214, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit is given the signal for takeoff aboard USS Essex, Sept. 29. The VMA was conducting this training in preparation for the MEU's Certification Exercise. The 31st MEU is the only continuously forward-deployed MEU and remains the nation’s force in readiness in the Asia-Pacific region., Lance Cpl. Vernon T. Meekins, 9/29/2011 10:35 AM

USS Essex, At Sea, Pacific Ocean-As one AV-8B Harrier prepares for takeoff (foreground), another executes a vertical landing on the flight deck aboard USS Essex, Sept. 29. The Harriers are with the Marine Attack Squadron 214, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, and are conducting training in preparation for the MEU's Certification Exercise. The 31st MEU is the only continuously forward-deployed MEU and remains the nation’s force in readiness in the Asia-Pacific region., Lance Cpl. Vernon T. Meekins, 9/29/2011 10:47 AM

A bargain for the nation...

Want to see a part of your government that actually works?  Check this out.

"The Corps draws off less than 8 percent of Pentagon spending, including Marine aviation funded through the Navy, Robling said. “For that piece of the budget, the nation gets 19 percent of its tactical helicopter force, 12 percent of its tactical fixed-wing aviation and 30 percent of its maneuver battalions,” he said, in a speech before the national sea services advocacy group."

Seems like anyone with common sense would want to see this type of saving/return on investment from all parts of the US government.

But no.

Instead they bitch.

AMAZING.

USS Pearl Harbor trains with MEU helicopters

Photos by Lance Cpl. Claudia M. Palacios

Sailors aboard landing ship Pearl Harbor unchain a CH-46 Sea Knight with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 268 (Reinforced) here Sept. 30. The squadron serves as the aviation combat element for the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit. The unit embarked the USS Makin Island, the amphibious transport dock New Orleans and the dock landing ship Pearl Harbor in San Diego Sept. 28. The Unit is participating in its final exercise before deploying in November.

A CH-53 Sea Stallion with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 268 (Reinforced) lands on the dock landing ship Pearl Harbor here Sept. 30. The squadron serves as the aviation combat element for the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit. The unit embarked the USS Makin Island, the amphibious transport dock New Orleans and the dock landing ship Pearl Harbor in San Diego Sept. 28. The Unit is participating in its final exercise before deploying in November.

Marines aboard USS Pearl Harbor unload a CH-46E Sea Knight with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 268 (Reinforced) here Sept. 30. The squadron serves as the aviation combat element for the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit. The unit embarked USS Makin Island, USS New Orleans and USS Pearl Harbor in San Diego Sept. 28 for its final two week exercise before deploying in November. Photo by Lance Cpl. Claudia M. Palacios.

A crew chief sits on a CH-46E Sea Knight parked on USS Pearl Harbor here Sept. 30. The Marine serves with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 268 (Reinforced), which is the aviation combat element for the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit. The unit embarked USS Makin Island, USS New Orleans and USS Pearl Harbor in San Diego Sept. 28 for its final two week exercise before deploying in November.