Things are worse in Ukraine than we're being told.

Are we going to give the Ukrainians MRAPs?

Check out his story from USA Today...

The Pentagon is rushing new aid — including armored vehicles and increased training — to bolster Ukrainian forces fighting Russian-backed separatists, the Defense Department announced Friday.
The gear includes armored personnel carriers, cargo and patrol vehicles, binoculars, night vision goggles and small patrol boats, said Eileen Lainez, a Pentagon spokeswoman. The equipment is valued at $8 million and follows a similar $7 million package of equipment shipped in April.
Earlier on Friday, the Pentagon also announced a proposed $19 million aid package to help train Ukraine's National Guard forces. The money will help train four companies of soldiers and a headquarters element, Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said. The proposal requires congressional approval and would begin in 2015. Trainers would come from U.S. forces in Europe or the California National Guard, which has partnered with Ukrainian troops in the past.

What type of armored vehicles are we providing---APCs, Cargo and Patrol vehicles can theoretically cover everything from Uparmored Humvees to Strykers?  They talk about patrol boats but this is a pure land campaign...why did they include patrol boats?

I mean no insult to the Ukrainian forces but they appear to be fighting a foe that is more motivated and with the added benefit of having Russian "advisers" fighting alongside them.

I don't think they can win this on the battlefield.  Ukraine will be sectioned off....its inevitable.

About bringing in those citizens infected with Ebola...UPDATE!

UPDATE:  The below is from the CDC's website.  The page has since been taken down but the WayBack Machine has an archived copy...

Although the disease is rare, it has the potential for person -to-person spread, ... number of droplets expelled into the air by talking, sneezing, o r coughing.

So spare me your normalcy bias.  I'm viewing this in a worse case scenario.  I do not know how we turned into a society that only looked at things through the prism of stuff working out as planned.  I wasn't raised that way and when I look at decisions like this its with an eye of what could go wrong...or more plainly...what happens when sugar turns to shit! 

I've been trying to wrap my head around the thinking that has led to US citizens with Ebola being brought into the country.

My questions......

1.  Does this make sense?  They're dazzling the public with all the precautions they're taking but if they weren't being brought into the country it wouldn't be necessary.  This disease has a 50 - 90% mortality rate.  From what I've read its a horrible way to go.  Why take the risk?

2.  Who actually approved this?  Can the CDC order that US citizens infected with a disease be brought into the country?  Would they have to get the approval of the President?  They aren't telling us who the decision maker was on this issue so we can't focus our questions....and rage at that person or agency.  Why aren't they telling us?

3.  What is the contingency planning if sugar turns to shit?  I haven't heard a thing about the Feds or more importantly what the State and Local govts will do in case the worst happens.  I was told from day one to always plan for the worst.  I can careless about the rosy predictions.  What will happen if this thing goes sideways.

4.  Word has it that the Pentagon is considering sending personnel to help with the outbreak.  The Peace Corps is bringing its people back home.  It has a 21 day incubation period.  Some of the Peace Corps volunteers can be bringing back an epidemic.  We're about to put servicemembers in a fire zone.  Is that smart?

I might be being alarmist but this whole thing smacks of bullshit.  I've seen the govt in action when it comes to disasters.  I've never seen them deal with an epidemic.

Confidence is not high.  Alarmist or not I will check preps.

IDF's order of battle in the Gaza fight...

via War is Boring Blog...

Not surprisingly—and which has been graphically demonstrated during the past two weeks—the Israeli invasion represents a huge deployment of the IDF’s ground combat power.
The IDF has committed its largest and heaviest ground unit, the 36th Storm Armored Division, into the fight. The 36th Division formerly was based in the Golan Heights near the Syrian border. The division’s three armored brigades—the 7th, 401st and 188th—all are in Gaza.
There also are at least three regular infantry brigades operating in Gaza. The 84th Givati Brigade, the Nahal Infantry Brigade and the 1st Golani Brigade.
Only the 84th Brigade is normally based in southern Israel—it also carries out amphibious operations, like the U.S. Marines. The IDF pulled the 1st Golani Brigade from its base in northern Israel. The Nahal Brigade normally is based near Jerusalem.
In addition, the IDF’s 35th Parachute Brigade and two Gaza Territorial Brigades are involved. This is in addition to a large—although highly secretive—number of commandos. The IDF also has called up a total of86,000 reservists.

Read the entire thing.

Consider this though.

Israel has pulled the cream of its military crop and put it into its fight.  They wouldn't have done this without some indication that a wider war wasn't in the cards.....having said that they need to finish this fight, get back the kidnapped soldier and put Hamas in the grave.

Get it done! 

Kevin Martin Pics....Your weekend wallpaper...

Swedish Airforce Gripen - Axalp, Switzerland 2013

F-35 News. S. Korea becoming nervous.

via Korean Herald.

Concerns are escalating in South Korea over possible delays in the development of the F-35 fighter jet as this could hinder Seoul’s project to deploy 40 of the radar-evading aircraft from 2018-2021.
The U.S-led multinational F-35 development program has recently been in the media spotlight due to a set of accidents, most recently on June 23, when one of the warplanes’ engines caught fire before takeoff.
Apart from the hardware issues, the development of certain software could face delays of up to 14 months, Bloomberg reported, citing a Pentagon report. The software is crucial for operating navigation, communications and targeting systems, the report said.
Amid concerns about the possible delays in the U.S.’ costliest defense program, Seoul’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration said that it would “closely watch the situation.”
“As we haven’t bought any of the F-35 jets under development yet and will purchase them from 2018, we still have some time to watch the situation and wait for solutions to come,” a DAPA official told The Korea Herald, declining to be named.

Wait!  What?  S. Korea hasn't actually bought any jets yet?  They won't buy them until 2018?  But the plan says the plane won't complete development until 2019!  Hmm.  This F-35 story is just starting to get good! 

Japanese Observer Exchange Program (JOEP) AAV Surf Qualification vid by Lance Cpl. Alexander N. Pool

Homeland Security News. Why are they importing Ebola into the US? UPDATE!

via NBC News.

Emory University Hospital in Atlanta said Thursday it was preparing a special isolation unit to receive a patient with Ebola disease “within the next several days”.
“We do not know at this time when the patient will arrive,” Emory said in a statement. The university also did not say whether the patient was one of two Americans battling Ebola infection in Liberia – charity workers Nancy Writebol and Dr. Kent Brantly.

Read the story at the link but I have one simple and perhaps even simplistic question.

Why would you knowingly transport an infected patient into one of the US' biggest cities to provide treatment that will most likely not succeed in saving their life?

The doctor and nurse (or aidworker, I'm not sure) were experienced in dealing with the Ebola virus and became infected.  I can easily see a repeat but this time on US soil.  Someone in the hospital flubbs containment procedures, takes it home, spreads it to his wife and kids....the kids take it to school and suddenly we're looking at "outbreak" in Atlanta.

I don't know all the facts but this seems like a really stupid idea.  Bless the sick but two people are not worth the risk of starting a pandemic.

UPDATE:  The President signed an amendment to an executive order just YESTERDAY that expands on his authority to quarantine Americans if they have respiratory problems .... check it out here, here and here.  Interesting isn't it.