Is the Battalion Landing Team dead?

via UPI.

The 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit from Camp Pendleton will be training along the central California coast April 15-21 in preparation for deployment to the Western Pacific and Middle East later this year.
The 15th MEU will send its Maritime Raid Force and some of its aviation units to a Navy base in Ventura County where they will practice assaults on offshore platforms near Carpenteria. The exercises will also include "urban flying and navigation" by helicopter crews that could produce some noticeable aircraft noise.
The Marines said in a written statement they were taking steps to minimize any inconvenience to the folks in Ventura County but noted the exercises were critical to their upcoming deployment.
"This realistic training allows the MEU to operate as a complete Marine Air Ground Task Force in an urban environment," said Col. Scott Campbell, the unit's commanding officer. "The importance of an exercise such as this cannot be understated; our future success depends greatly upon the amount of practice repetitions we have during training exercises like this one."

This is a disturbing question for me, but one which must be asked.

SOCOM is taking on more and more missions...even missions that were traditionally done by conventional forces.

But now.

The premier unit in the Marines.  The most visible and forward deployed.  The MEU is sweeping aside its BLT and focusing on its Raid Force.

This doesn't sit well with me but its obvious...just read the article.

My real question then becomes....

Why send a BLT out on these pumps if they're just tasked to play backup for the raid force.  We can chop the BLT down to company size and let them play nurse maid to the raid force.  If all they need are perimeter guards then recruits from Boot Camp can fill that role.

The Marine Corps has been bitten with the Special Ops bug and its destroying its own infantry in order to support SOCOM.

This is a sad day.

A MEU should consist of the Raid Force, a company of Infantry and Aviation.  The rest of the MEU can go home.  Chesty must be punching walls.

Now the SEALs Haze?

OK.

I hope Brandon Webb is doing some damage control.

I hope there are some serious misquotes.  Outright lies.  Spinning of facts going on.

Otherwise the Navy SEALs are going to be up to their eyeballs in Congressional Investigations and possibly face Criminal Charges.

This from the Mirror.

Mr Webb also revealed the extreme hazing ritual forced on him after his colleagues discovered that he had lied to them about secretly marrying.
His hands were duct taped into a ‘lobster claw’ and his eyes were taped shut while he was force fed tequila.

He then had alligator clips attached to his nipples and was shocked using a handheld generator.

Mr Webb wrote: “You can squeeze it in rapid succession and then it lets loose a charge, only in this case the wires were hooked up with alligator clips to my nipples.

“I don’t know how many volts go through that thing but when the charge hits you, you lose all control, and that was exactly what I did.”

Mr Webb was then subjected to a final insulting ordeal which involved Tabasco being poured over his private parts and his pubic hair shaved off and glued to his face.

Just for comparison.

Marines were almost Court Martialed for "Blood Wings"...have faced NCIS investigations for making Privates do pushups for falling asleep while on guard duty in a combat zone and had the Commandant restate an already solid hazing policy.

If what Webb is saying is true then even I (as jaded and twisted in the head as I am) believe that someone should go to jail.

IF THIS ISN'T TRUE.  

Then Webb needs to clarify this stuff poste haste.  Like this weekend, on his blog in BOLD letters.

Not only the conventionals are watching.

So is SOCOM.

So are the SEALs.

So is America.

This is hitting hard in the UK.  Its only a matter of time before these blurbs in the Mirror and the Mail make it back here.

SIDENOTE: Mr. Webb was then subjected to a final insulting ordeal which involved Tabasco being poured over his private parts and his pubic hair shaved off and glued to his face??????  GEEEEEZZZZZ.  This is sounding more and more like embellishment and fiction.  I can't see that happening in any military unit.  SEALs are too laid back for that type of nonsense.  This has to be bullshit.

100 years of Marine Corps Aviation...the E-book....

The powers that be came up with a great E-book ready for download.  Go here to get your copy....

Be warned.

Its over 100 megabytes and if you have a slow connection, it'll bog down your computer but its really worth a look.

BSN's military discount....

BSN® has always supported the US military, and we value the support we’ve received in return from our military customers all over the world. The company takes great pride in the knowledge that so many of the men and women who protect our nation every day rely on BSN® supplements to help them reach their full potential and perform to the best of their abilities. For this reason, BSN® is proud to offer military customers an exclusive discount on all our industry-leading products.
Orders from BSNOnline.net that ship to an APO/FPO address will receive 45% off the order total as well as free shipping. If you are not shipping to an APO/FPO address, proof of service will be required in order to receive the special pricing. Just contact Customer Service by submitting a ticket so that we can verify your military service and apply the discount to your account.

*Discount applies to full-sized individual supplements only. Apparel, Trial Kits, Stacks and Specials are excluded. Discount will be applied after submitting your address at checkout.

That's right Jar Heads...Doggies...Zoomies...Squiddies....

If you're in the military you get 45% off and free shipping.  That beats the price you're getting in the PX and you only have to plan ahead a little bit to take advantage of the savings.  This is really geared toward you guys down range but hey...it even works stateside.

So...put down those wimpy ass kettle bells, pick up some real iron....grab a pull up bar (or make one)...get some proper supplementation and get ready for summer.

You don't want to be a fat ass on the beach do ya?

Check out the offer on the BSN website here.

NOTE:

The only BSN product I'm familiar with is the protein powder Syntha-6.  I can't vouch for the rest of their line but the S-6 kicks booty.

The latest teenage prank that could be weaponized...

A drano bomb.

Kid stuff right?  Maybe.  Check out this story from Yahoo about an alert sent out by NYPD....

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Some people are using a popular household cleaning product to make explosives, according to the NYPD.
Police put out an alert earlier in the week that warned of so-called “Drano bombs.
Drano is most often used to unclog drains in sinks, but the NYPD said the creation, also known as a “bottle bomb,” could be exploded by using readily available household products in plastic containers, like soda bottles.
“We will periodically send out information about what’s being seen in various commands that we think is useful for all members of the department to know about,” Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne told 1010 WINS.
If shaken even gently, the dangerous hydrochloric acid in the containers can react and lead to chemical burns or even blindness when they explode.
Authorities have seen the devices being used by gang members in Far Rockaway as a “dangerous” prank, Browne said.

This is kinda interesting though.

I sat through a class on improvised explosives and they're making it up as they go.  I don't know whether to be impressed or worried.

Add bleach to the mix instead of water...increase the size (I mean adding MANY MANY more bottles of drano to the mix)....add soap and gasoline in huge quantities....and you're heading toward something fierce.  And thats without even trying.

Lets face it.  Our entire society can be weaponized if the desire is there.  In the meantime be on the lookout for the little gobblins playing tricks.

Friday Funny.

A button was placed in a quiet Belgian town and they waited for someone to come along and push it.  Check it out below!



If you've seen this already cool.  I just thought it was awesome.

General Tactical Vehicles pulls a fast one.

Don't know how I missed this.

GTV is pulling a fast one and it won't go unnoticed by the competitors in the JLTV comp.

The GTV Eagle...or Mowag Eagle...or Duro Mowag...or whatever you want to call it is basically an off the shelf solution to the JLTV issue.

Problem is...BAE could have teamed with Iveco and submitted the Panther.  Lockheed Martin would have built and designed a less costly and probably less robust vehicle etc....

The Army led ground vehicle programs are a mess.

This will be contested.  The competition will have to be redone.  The Humvee will soldier on and the MRAP will continue.

Looks like the Marine Corps might end up rebuilding the Humvee after all.  Read more about this vehicle and the other contenders here.

Huh????

I'm not a fan of his site.

I've held off on judgement of his book.

But after reading this, I'm gonna break down and buy it just to verify the info in this story from the Daily Mail...

Brandon Webb told how he would have to get up at 5am and run five miles just to get his breakfast, do two thousand press-ups and crawl on all fours through sand until he was physically broken.
He developed half inch deep cuts and calluses on his hands and survived a four-storey fall to the floor under the watch of brutal instructors who were like ‘demons from hell’.

But after surviving all that he suffered an even more humiliating fate when he was wired up to an electrical generator by his nipples and force fed tequila in a brutal hazing ceremony - just for lying to his superiors.

In his book The Red Circle, Mr Webb writes how he began his SEAL training in June 1997 at the age of 23 on the BUD/S course, which stands for Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL.

Ok.

That just sounds gay.

I could see getting punched.

Slapped.

Made to PT till you puked.

But force fed tequila?  Wired up to a generator?  That sounds like some weird sex fetish thing.

Wow.

If you've read the book and this is taken out of context then hit me up.  I would so love to be wrong.

"Being a Marine is inherently dangerous"...Casualties identified in crash....

via Marines.mil

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. —

Two 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing Marines died and two were severely injured when an MV-22 Osprey crashed in a Royal Moroccan military training area southwest of Agadir, Morocco, while participating in bilateral Exercise African Lion, April 11.

Cpl. Robby A. Reyes and Cpl. Derek A. Kerns, both MV-22 crew chiefs with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 261, Marine Aircraft Group 26, died as a result of injuries sustained in the crash.

All four Marines involved were part of VMM-261, based at MCAS New River, N.C., and were the only personnel on the aircraft at the time of the crash. VMM-261 is currently attached to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit and was operating from the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) at the time of the incident.

"Being a Marine is inherently dangerous but this is a shock to all of us," said Col. Frank Donovan, 24th MEU commanding officer. "Our primary focus right now is making sure our Marines and their families are taken care of. We send our prayers and sincere condolences to the families of these Marines and mourn with them through this tragic event."

Reyes joined the Marine Corps from Los Angeles, Calif., in December 2007 and was promoted to the rank of corporal in October 2010. His awards include the Global War on Terrorism Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation and a certificate of appreciation.

Kerns joined the Marine Corps from Fort Dix, N.J., in September 2008 and was promoted to the rank of corporal in December 2010. His awards include the Global War on Terrorism Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal and a certificate of appreciation.

Neither of the Marines had previously deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The two injured Marines have been medically evacuated for further treatment. For their privacy and the privacy of their families, their names will not be released.

The cause of the crash is currently under investigation.

I've always believed the Colonel's words.

Being a Marine is inherently dangerous.

But I've noticed a disturbing trend in recent helo crashes.  Being a crew chief on these planes is probably the most risk filled position.

Every crewmember (I believe) has crash worthy seats.

But the Crew Chief's job often has them up and moving around the aircraft.  Is it time to perhaps change some procedures for these guys?

I DON'T KNOW.  I'm just asking and I'm operating from what I've observed and little actual data.  Regardless.  The Colonel is correct on his other points too.  The focus to make sure his Marines and their families are good to go has to be his primary concern.

God Bless and God Speed.

F-35A PILOTS COMPLETE EGLIN'S FIRST FORMATION FLIGHT

Two F-35A Lightning IIs from the 33rd Fighter Wing soar over Eglin Air Force Base's range during the unit’s first joint strike fighter formation flight April 10. Lt. Col. Eric Smith, 58th Fighter Squadron director of operations, flew the lead aircraft while Marine Maj Joseph Bachmann, Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 aircraft maintenance officer, flew wingman. The pilots, both first in their service qualified to fly the 5th generation aircraft, were validating pilot syllabus objectives in preparation for future training. The 33rd FW is responsible for F-35 A/B/C pilot and maintainer training for the Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and in the future, at least eight coalition partners.