How will the Army be relevant in the Pacific?

That's the question of the day.

How will the US Army be relevant when everyone's attention is turning to the Pacific?

The answer is found in history and in Japanese planning.

Its to occupy islands in the area with Air Defense Artillery and Infantry Brigades.

As things currently stand the Stryker Brigades will be relegated to what they have always been...irrelevance.  Sidenote:  You don't form units around vehicles...its been a mistake that the Army's been making since reinventing its Infantry Squads to fit the Bradley.  The US Army will have to re-embrace the Light Infantry concept and get boots back on the ground.  It will take an institutional change in mindset but its doable.  Brigade sized units scattered around the Pacific on select islands would be an automatic force multiplier.  Toss in some robust Air Defense Artillery and you have road blocks and containment units to help cage the Chinese Dragon.


Best of all this matches not only US planning but also that of our Japanese and Australian allies.  I would bet body parts that I highly value that Singapore would be happy with any training opportunities..as would the Philippines and even Vietnam.

Quick and easy the US Army is in the game in the Pacific...has a role in combating N. Korean nukes (if it deploys the appropriate gear for anti-missile defense) and has the chips in the game to help it survive those dastardly budget wars.

Marine Aviation doing what it does best. Supporting the Marine on the ground.

HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan-Sgt. Kyle Harrison, a crew chief with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 365 and a San Diego native, keeps an eye on the terrain over southwest Afghanistan March 28. Two VMM-365 crews dropped off approximately 40 Marines and sailors with 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, as well as several Afghan National Army soldiers, in Helmand province to support combat operations., Cpl. Lisa M. Tourtelot, 3/28/2012 5:54 AM

HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan-Sgt. Andrew Lopez, a squad leader with 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment and a Port Jervis, N.Y., native, prepares to disembark an MV-22B Osprey in Helmand province, Afghanistan, March 28. The 2/6 Marines, sailors and Afghan National Army soldiers flew with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 365 in support of combat operations., Cpl. Lisa M. Tourtelot, 3/28/2012 6:02 AM

HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan-Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Cody Vaneerd, a Three Lakes, Wis., native and hospital corpsman with 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, gives military working dog, "Bone," an ear rub before taking off in an MV-22B Osprey, March 28. Approximately 40 Marines, sailors and Afghan National Army soldiers flew with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 365 to a patrol site in Helmand province, Afghanistan., Cpl. Lisa M. Tourtelot, 3/28/2012 6:08 AM

HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan-Two MV-22B Ospreys with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 365 cut through the sky over Helmand province, Afghanistan, March 28. The Osprey crews flew approximately 40 Marines and sailors with 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, as well as several Afghan National Army soldiers, to a patrol point in support of combat operations., Cpl. Lisa M. Tourtelot, 3/28/2012 6:53 AM

HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan-Sgt. Kyle Harrison, a crew chief with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 365 and a San Diego native, stands guard as Marines with 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, disembark an MV-22B Osprey in southwest Afghanistan March 28. Two Osprey crews flew approximately 40 Marines and sailors with 2/6, as well as several Afghan National Army soldiers, in support of combat operations., Cpl. Lisa M. Tourtelot, 3/28/2012 8:43 AM

HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan-Military working dog, "Bone," leads the way as Marines with 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, disembark an MV-22B Osprey in southwest Afghanistan March 28. Sgt. Kyle Harrison, a crew chief with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 365 and a San Diego native, keeps a watchful eye on the horizon while the 2/6 Marines spread out in the unstable region., Cpl. Lisa M. Tourtelot, 3/28/2012 8:43 AM

Tavor to be sold in the US? I'm buying one!

The Firearms Blog is reporting that this weapon is coming to the US.

Awesome.

I THOUGHT I was done buying guns...but if the Tavor is coming to America then I have to make room for it and its little brother!

T-Rex vs. Titano Boa.

via IO9 by way of the Smithsonian



My money is on the snake.  Ambush predators are plain tough to beat.

Lies, Damn lies and What The Fuck Lies.

Robin Laird has an article that everyone should read...go to his place but check out this part....

Recently, we have seen yet again, a US government report on the life cycle costs of the F-35 fleet from a 55 year perspective!
One could ask a simple question: what has mandated this question and why are they not fired?
There are many questions one can ask in life but wondering about the lifecycle costs of combat systems 55 years in the future is not one of them.
There can only be one purpose of posing this question: to come up with a PR number to club the program.
But analytically, we should laugh this effort off of the stage.  Simply to pose the question should be met with ridicule, disdain or perhaps sorrow.
To give perspective, let us imagine that our predecessors had been so stupid or irrelevant.  Let us go back in time – 55 years ago – and pretend that we are GAO analysts being tasked to look at the life cycle costs of weapon systems by the year 2012.  (Hard to imagine President Eisenhower not calling such folks up to the White House for a barbecue, and not to eat ribs).

Some MORON at the GAO is trying to ESTIMATE costs of the F-35 fifty five years into the future!

Say it out loud.  55 fucking years!

And yet certain aviation websites and defense sites are publishing this GUESS and obvious HIT PIECE and running with it like its news.

I only wish that this was an April Fool's joke and not something that our government actually put out.

I'd be amazed if it wasn't par for the course.  Pathetic. 

UPDATE:

Darren hit me with the numbers that we should be looking at (journalist too)...

Production fly away cost
F-35A = $83.4 million ((£52 million))
F-35B = $108.1 million ((£67 million))
F-35C = $93.3 million ((£58 million))

Guess what bat fans...this makes the F-35, a stealth airplane and probably the most technologically advanced airplane flying known to the general public, cheaper than its rivals...Typhoon, Rafale and the F-15E/S/K.  Kinda puts things into perspective doesn't it?

Her Bra Saved A Life!

IDF medic Anastasia Begdlov was a passenger on a civilian bus on the Israel-Egypt border last August when terrorists opened fire on it. Begdlov treated injured passengers immediately, improvising with whatever supplies she could reach. She used her bra as a tourniquet on a severely wounded man's knee, saving his life. Today, the IDF rewarded her with a military decoration. Begdlov is currently a cadet in officers' course.

I'm dumbfounded.

Speechless.

Just wow.  I've heard of improvised gear but this has to be a first.

Whoa! You ever hear of these high speed Air Force guys?????

Airmen of the 820th Base Defense Group jump out of a U.S. Air Force HC-130P/N King cargo aircraft at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., March 21, 2012. There were a total of 30 Airmen who participated in the static line jump. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Douglas Ellis)

820th Base Defense Group.

Ok.  Color me impressed.

First I didn't know that the USAF had established a truly expeditionary Security Force that is able to sortie out, jump in and defend an air strip or base.

The concept itself impresses me.  The curious thing is that they don't advertise the capability.

These jokers have been around since '97!

Amazing.  Between this unit and the Red Horse guys the USAF is doing some things that they should be beating their chests and pounding on tables about.  Check out this passage from Wikipedia....

The 820th is different from other Security Forces Groups in that it is not on a rotational schedule also known as Air Expeditionary Force (AEF). The concept of the 820th BDG is to have a high operations tempo and be ready to deploy to any location at a moment's notice for extended periods of time. Falling under the 820th is the combat operations squadron. Medics, engineers, and communication specialists all fall under the 820th COS.
There are many different Army and non-Army schools 820th airmen may attend, to include: Airborne, Pathfinder, Special Reaction Team, the Close Precision Engagement Course (CPEC), Ranger, Air Assault, Raven, Raven B UAV, Army Sniper, and EMT. Since its activation in 1997, the 820 BDG has deployed in support of Operations Desert Safeside, Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, and Bright Star. It has deployed to locations such as Iraq, Djibouti, Cairo, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Hurricane Katrina (New Orleans), Haiti, and Pakistan.

The highlighted portion indicates that this unit is as close as is possible (within the USAF's force structure) to a version of a combined arms task force.  Of course you add in the fact that these guys are going to be protecting and theoretically receiving support from high performance jet aircraft and you're cooking with gas.

Next question is this.

Are they based at Camp Lemonnier in Africa?  And if not then where are they?