Damn. Norwegian C-130 Crew presumed dead.

RAF sent me an update on the search for survivors (thanks man...even though the news sucks)...

Like the title says, the crew is presumed dead.  DN.se (google translated)...

Rescue personnel have found body parts at the crash site in Kebnekaise, police said at a press conference on Saturday night in Nikkaluokta. Rescue Service has suspended sökarbetet and relatives have been informed.

- At 17.30 the police decided that the rescue operation should be stopped. The decision was taken in consultation with the Norwegian authorities. The relatives are also informed about this, said Norrbotten police spokesman Borje Ohman at the press conference.
The missing Norwegian Hercules aircraft will have exploded, police said. The explosion occurred when the plane hit the mountain wall and triggered an avalanche. It was in the avalanche area which body parts were found.

Prayers for the family and the crew.

Prometheus Imax Trailer

They keep teasing this Aliens prequel and I have to admit....I'm pretty jazzed about seeing it.  A prequel that answers questions raised by the original movie instead of resetting the franchise?  Cool!

31st MEU conducts mock helicopter raid

Broken trust.

Remember the post I did on the Marine Corps not disclosing that another one of the family had been murdered by a supposed Afghan ally?

Remember me saying that the Marine Corps is broken?

Its worse than I thought.

While individual Marines are not only having to duck enemy fire, dodge land mines and IED's, sprint to cover while under sniper fire and evade RPG's, the leadership of the Dept of the Navy with apparently no push back from the Commandant of the Marine Corps is looking to give breathalyzers to Marines after they make it back to the safety of the barracks.

What does that tell you?

It tells me that our priorities are totally out of whack.

No longer are we a war fighting, battle winning organization.  Now we're just another part of the politically correct crowd...we're being emasculated without a howl of protest.

Instead of General's slamming fists on the table demanding that the Afghan Army (which we're training and appear to have been thoroughly penetrated by the enemy) clean up its act, our leadership is pounding the table demanding that Marines become teetotalers. 

What happened to our leadership?

How did it get this bad?

What is the solution?

I have no idea, but one of the few Marine Corps General's that I continue to have faith in is appearing on Midrats this Sunday.  Lieutenant General Paul K. Van Riper, USMC(Ret) will be a guest on this program.  I'll be tuning in and if possible I will specifically ask about the happenings that led to the missteps in Afghanistan, the current lack of focus by leadership and what it will take to get our Marine Corps back on track.

Update on missing Norwegian C-130.

All photos by Bjørnar Bolsøy do not use without his permission.  The photos are of the airplane that crashed during exercise "Cold Response 2012"

Bjørnar has been keeping in the loop regarding the missing C-130J that went down during exercise "Cold Response 2012".  His report follows....

Latest news:

* Pieces of possible wreckage has been found on both sides of the South Peak of the Kebnekaise mountain range
(Google Earth coordinates approx:  67°54'4.92"N   18°31'26.22"E)

* Metal pieces were found close to the peak's summit of about 6900 feet as well as part of a "seat with velcro soaked in paraffine"

* The area is now officially a crash site

* Ski hikers in the aera report hearing large bangs which they assumed were avalanches

* Last two radar contacts were a few miles west of the peak: a civilian radar contact at 7200 feet and shortly after that a military radar contact at 7600 feet
(http://static.vg.no/uploaded/image/bilderigg/2012/03/16/1331913742451_463.jpg)

 

* Yesterday's report of emergency radio transmission picked up by a Danish Merlin helicopter has not been confirmed

* Weather is still very challenging with storms, strong turbulence and limited visiblity, very steep terrain and avalanche danger

(panorama picture of the mountain range: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Kebnekaise_Panorama.jpg)

 

* It is believed that there were hurricane winds in the area at the time of the accident
 

* SAR helicopters have been forced to abort numerous times due to the bad weather

* Forecast however looks better for the comming night and tomorrow

* The ship lost has been confirmed as #5630 named "Siv" of 335. Sqn. at Gardermoen AB. It entered operational service mid-2010

* About 20 helicopters and aircraft as well as large ground forces are participating in the search

* Helis include RNOAF Sea Kings and RNOAF Bell 412SPs, Swedish HKP-10s (Eurocopter AS332), Lifeguard 906 (Sikorsky S-76++), EC135 police helicopter as well as two Danish Merlins

* Fixed winged aircraft include RNOAF P-3s and F-16s, NATO AWACS, US MC-130 and E-2C Hawkeye

So far the accident is a mystery. The crew was highly experienced, the C-130J considered a modern and robust airplane and has advanced support systems like terrain avoidence radar. Although challenging, the conditions were not deemed too difficult for flight operations. Earlier, two aircrafts had passed through the same area without incidence. Amongst the speculations are course deviations and a solar flare yesterday causing magnetic storms. However according to scientist Knut Stanley Jacobsen at the Norwegian cartographical service the flare hit the Earth some time after the accident and still wouldn't be strong enough to cause problems with aircraft systems.

On a personal note I flew with that very same aircraft on the official inauguration flight of the RNOAF C-130J fleet in August 2010. Photos attached. Note that airborne C-130J is #5607 "Idunn". It was quite difficult to get good shots bacause the chasing C-130s were directly behind the jet exhaust of our ship "Siv".

 

Hopefully we'll find the aircrew alive and well but "even training is dangerous"...

The thought of flying in hurricane force winds is bad.  Doing it during wintery conditions is brave beyond words.

So much for the European's being soft huh?  Best wishes and luck to the missing aircrew and the searchers.

When I get updates so will you.

2nd Recon Jump.

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C.-Corporal Rylan S. Miller, a reconnaissance Marine with Company C, 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, conducts the first round of parachute checks on Marines with 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, March 12, at Tactical Landing Zone Pheasant in the Greater Sandy Run Area aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune prior to their low-level static line jumps., Sgt. Bryan A. Peterson, 12/31/1999 7:00 PM

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C.-Gunnery Sgt. Brad Dean, a Richlands, N.C. native and operations chief for Company C, 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, makes an aerial assessment prior to the reconnaissance Marines’ low-level static line jump March 12 at Tactical Landing Zone Pheasant in the Greater Sandy Run Area aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. Jump-qualified Marines must conduct jump operations for sustainment and proficiency, quarterly. The recon Marines conducted jump operations from March 12 - 16, which included low-level static line, high altitude opening and high altitude low opening jumps., Sgt. Bryan A. Peterson, 12/31/1999 7:01 PM

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C.-Three reconnaissance Marines with Company C, 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, prepare to land after their high altitude open jump March 12 at Tactical Landing Zone Pheasant in the Greater Sandy Run Area aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. The recon Marines conducted jump operations from March 12 - 16, which included low-level static line, high altitude opening and high altitude low opening jumps., Sgt. Bryan A. Peterson, 12/31/1999 7:03 PM

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C.-A MV-22 Osprey aircraft prepares to land at Tactical Landing Zone Pheasant in the Greater Sandy Run Area aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 266 spent nearly eight hours providing flight operations for Company C, 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion’s jump. The recon Marines conducted jump operations from March 12 - 16, which included low-level static line, high altitude opening and high altitude low opening jumps., Sgt. Bryan A. Peterson, 12/31/1999 7:00 PM

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C.-Marines with Company C, 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, parachute toward their landing zone at Tactical Landing Zone Pheasant in the Greater Sandy Run Area aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, March 12. The recon Marines conducted jump operations from March 12 - 16, which included low-level static line, high altitude opening and high altitude low opening jumps., Sgt. Bryan A. Peterson, 12/31/1999 7:02 PM

Your hollow points just became obsolete.

That's right gun guys.  Your favorite hollow point just became obsolete.  Whether its Gold Dots or Rangers it looks like a new kid on the block might be worth checking out.  I know I will.  via Shooting Illustrated.

The initial goal of the EFMJ bullet was to provide a non-hollow-point projectile that would reliably expand without hydraulic dependence, yet would feed unfailingly in semi-automatic handguns. You see, conventional hollow-point handgun bullets need to impact a fluid-based material to expand. Bad guys are made of mostly water. As a conventional hollow point enters a bad guy, liquefied materials enter the hollow-point cavity and create pressure on the inside of the jacket walls. This forces the bullet to expand.
If the hollow-point cavity is clogged with some sort of material like cloth or dry wall, the bullet may not expand. EFMJ bullet expansion relies on mechanical force as opposed to hydraulic force. How does this work? The EFMJ bullet consists of a gilding-metal jacket surrounding a lead core located at the rear of the bullet. The open (rear) end of the jacket is crimped over the rear of the lead core, just like in a hardball round. The real difference is at the front of the bullet, where there is a void between the front of the lead core and the nose of the jacket.

Read the whole thing but I know I'll be taking these to the range as soon as I can lay hands on a box.