5-20 Infantry Regiment doing its thing...with long range firepower on patrol.

U.S. soldiers from 5-20 infantry Regiment attached to 82nd Airborne walk on patrol in Zharay district in Kandahar province, southern Afghanistan April 26, 2012.

I don't know the designation for the sniper rifle that the Soldier is carrying but to see not only that weapon but I would assume their designated Marksman right behind him seems unusual.  Wonder whats going on in this part of the country.

On patrol... in every clime and place.

British insanity over their carriers.

Wow.

The Brits are definitely confused.

The most powerful political ad this year.

This is the most powerful political ad I've seen this year.  Even the President's most fevered supporters are left speechless after watching this...the Morning Joe pair were left clawing for words.  I consider that priceless.  Anyway, I'm sure you've seen it, but drink it all in again...and wonder how you're going to vote this fall.

AAI Corporation family of UAVs

F-35 going Transonic!

F-35C Formation Flight

45 Commando, Zulu Coy from the Royal Marines

Women in the Infantry. Did the Marine Corps just do an about face????

via Marine Times.

Expanded infantry training for women does not mean the Marine Corps is ready to send women into combat assignments, the Corps’ top personnel official said Wednesday
“Assignment policy for women has not changed,” said Lt. Gen. Robert Milstead Jr., the deputy commandant for manpower and reserve affairs.
“We are not training women to be infantry officers,” he said. “We do not have that authority. That authority rests with Congress.”
His comments came before the Senate Armed Services subcommittee on personnel, where the panel chairman is Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., a former Navy secretary and Marine combat veteran. Webb said the decision is controversial, and that he will be closely watching.
As Marine Corps Times reported last week, the service is in the midst of an extensive research effort to determine what additional jobs could be opened to women. Plans call for sending an undetermined number of female volunteers to the Infantry Officers Course, a three-month program in Quantico, Va., where Marine officers are groomed to serve in direct combat roles and lead troops into battle.

Read the whole thing at there site.

Ship to Ship replenishment. Are we doing it right?

Serious question.

Are we doing ship to ship replenishment correctly or perhaps better said are we doing it cost effectively?

Considering the high cost per flight hour of all our helos...Navy and Marine.  Considering the fact that these are finite resources that we should be guarding...should we be using our aircraft for these simple supply missions?

LCAC's are a no go because they are also a precious resource with high operating costs.  So perhaps a step down in technology...a bit of a reduction in speed but maybe we can get greater loads per trip would be to purchase fast Landing craft for this mission.  We could simply sail them into the well deck for most of our ships in the Gator Navy and for the rest we could still use the tried and true.

Its not a perfect solution but it should reduce costs, we should be able to get as much gear in two trips with a fast landing craft as we can with a series of helo flights and we should be able to save a ton of money.

Just wondering.