Submarine Parachute Assistance Group

A member of the Submarine Parachute Assistance Group (SPAG) is pictured on a practices jump into the bay of Gibraltar during an annual training exercise.

The Submarine Parachute Assistance Group (SPAG) was formed using members of staff serving at the Submarine Escape Training Tank (SETT). They are tasked to be able to rapidly deploy a team of people with Escape and Rescue knowledge to provide advice and assistance to the crew of a submarine, survivors on the surface and any other rescue forces involved in the rescue effort.
The SPAG are trained in water descent parachuting using both round and square static-line parachutes. They are on 6 hours notice to take-off, 24 hours a day, all year round.Photographer: Cpl Ralph Merry ABIPP RAF

Cowardice across the blogging world.

The new image of the Marine Corps.  Not a hardcore warrior but a care giver in uniform.

Rant time.

I'm extremely disappointed.

I've been waiting anxiously to see which of the "big boy" blogs would come out and comment on the news yesterday that women would be allowed to go to the Infantry Course.

Not one of them has.

CDR Salamander (which I like alot) is silent.  He'll wax on for days at a time about diversity...but its usually about racial diversity.  This subject he won't touch with a ten foot pole.  Selective outrage anyone?  Yeah.  I'm disappointed and won't read his posts the same ever again.

Information Dissemination.  I don't like Galrahn and his crew.  They're arrogant, condescending and I always had a grudging suspicion that they were under cover ass kissers.  Suspicions confirmed.  He isn't touching on this either.

Black Five.  On this one I am extremely surprised.  They haven't touched on it and they're composed of all these warrior, type A personality types.  They also have writers from the only two SOCOM outfits that I like and respect...Rangers and Special Forces...but they're silent too.  Extremely disappointed.

Last but not least is USNI Blog.  I think simply saying that Colonel Ripley would not be happy is enough.

I've always been told and truly believe that physical courage is much easier than moral courage.  Charging through a hail of gunfire is easier than taking politically unpopular positions.

This subject proves that to be true.

(I apologize in advance Army guys) But remember when US Marines used to laugh at pics like the ones below????  Something tells me that all the guys that were heading to the Marines to standout will be heading toward the Army now.  Airborne, Air Assault and Ranger Units will probably start to overflow with new recruits once the Marine Corps puts this female in the Grunts initiative in place. 

Ironic words.  "Lucky for us, we still have the Marines"...not any fucking more.  GOD!  I wish the leadership would just carry their sorry asses out the door!

Endurance Course.

First F-35C formation flight

Massive hat tip to /Bjørnar for the pics!

General Barrow and Col Ripley on women in combat..

Yeah.


Two real Marines that led from the front.  Setting the example not only because of their intense physical endurance/courage but also because of their unrelenting integrity in the face of political correctness.


The above video shows General Barrow.  Click here to read Colonel Ripley's testimony on the subject.

A massive hat tip goes to Modern American Heroes blog. 

Sea Dart's last hurrah.

For probably the last time in its 40-year history the Navy’s principal shield against air attack, Sea Dart missiles, have been fired by a Royal Navy warship.
HMS Edinburgh launched seven of the Mach 2 missiles at target drones off the Outer Hebrides in a last hurrah ahead of a major military exercise off western Scotland.

How are they going to make it work???

How is the Marine Corps going to get women into Combat Arms...by there very essence physical in nature....while keeping Marine Corps Infantry, Tanks, Artillery, AAVs, Engineers etc hardcore?

I have no idea.

Take the Combat Physical Fitness Test.

If they're serious about standards being equal then that is going away.

What about the tried and true PT Test?

No more flex arm hangs for you women.  Now get your ass up their and do pull ups.  Or do we water it down and do push ups?  But wait.  Men have more upper body strength than women so how do you come up with a gender neutral test????


You go Air Force or Navy and have swim tests?

Wow.

No offense to those services but thats just not the Marine way.

This is a bad idea but the powers that be...and that ranges from pussified bloggers that are politically correct all the way up to the SgtMajor of the Marine Corps over to Generals that have been in combat (ground combat) like Mattis.

They all know that this is a feel good initiative that will weaken our combat power but they won't fight it because they've lost their integrity in the effort to get pats on the back at parties in New York or DC.

I don't think many of these future female officers have any idea of the kind of stuff they're going to run into --- both stateside and down range.  God help the females that find themselves assigned to these units.  They better have the strength of Xena, better run like the wind and can hump a base plate.  Of course they'll be coddled which will breed more resentment, but Battalion Commanders will be under the gun to make it work.

I'm sure some lesbian feminist will cheer when the first female is assigned to an infantry unit.  Too bad they won't be the ones going through the hell.  No.  They'll just send someone elses daughter into the meat grinder that is Marine Corps Combat Arms.

PS.

I want video of mixed sex martial arts training.  After all we're about to send women into combat against men so it makes sense that they'll be caught in close combat situations and might have to go hands on.  So show me a fight between a five foot five inch tall female going head to head against a six two two hundred pound rage factory.  If the Commandant and his cronies are right she should be able to hold her own right?  Yeah its bullshit but he's the one feeding it to you not me.

I couldn't find an image for an upside down Marine Corps flag but this one will do.  Both the Country and the Corps is in distress.  A start to fix both organizations will be to replace the current leadership.

Its official. Australia is jacked up.

Ok Devils...those of you that get sent to the paradise down under, now you have another worry.  If Salt Water Crocs were just decorations for your K-Bar....if the 19 different varieties of poisionous snakes were just living belts just waiting for you to skin them...then how about this.


THE SPIDERS IN AUSTRALIA EAT SNAKES!!!!

Yeah.

That's right.

The Spiders in Australia eat snakes.  Oh and no.  It didn't happen in the boonies...or outback as they call it....no.  The guy who photographed this just happened to catch the scene in his fucking back yard!

Go here for the rest of the story.