Russia replaces destroyed Syrian gear...bad old days part deux...

Reinforcement for Russia’s campaign continues amid rising international crisis in #Syria: #ВМФ Project1171 #ЧФ BSF Tapir class LST Orsk transits Med-bound Bosphorus en route to #Tartus carrying BTR80 APCs, Ural4320tanker,ambulance,KamAZ trucks & AirborneTroops VDV’s IVECO 4WDLynx pic.twitter.com/rmfsRRVxnJ

— Yörük Işık (@YorukIsik) April 15, 2018

via AlmasdarNews.

BEIRUT, LEBANON (2:10 A.M.) – A Russian naval vessel was photographed on Sunday crossing through the Bosphorous Strait, the Bosphorous Observer’s Yoruk Isik reported.

According to Isik, the Russian Alligator class landing ship was en route to the Port of Tartous in western Syria.

Story here. 

This reminds me of story those old skool Marines tell.  They'd practically wipe out enemy units, seize tons of gear and the next day they'd see new guys with new gear to take their place.

This is cold war shit part deux.

But wait!  It gets worse if reports are to be believed.

Supposedly Russia is about to quit messing around and supply Syria with advanced anti-air weapon systems.  This is to be expected in my opinion considering what we've done in the Ukrainian mess and now Syria.  WTF am I talking about?  We've been arming so called moderate terrorists with weapons in particular anti-tank missiles.

How long did we expect Russia, Iran and Syria to be on the losing end of that dynamic? 

IF true this will be a big deal.  It will dramatically curtail rotary winged operations if this thing spirals and it could put a hurt on us and our allies...particularly Israel that has made a sport of hitting various targets in Syria.

You get the bear sometimes the bear gets you.

We're gonna need some careful planning to keep this thing at a low boil if I'm reading things right.

Need help identifying this armored vehicle and Gulf States display military power...

Thanks to Jonathan for the link!

can you guys identify this IFV?  

they're getting JLTVs before our own forces????

via xinhuanet.com

JUBAIL, Saudi Arabia, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Troops from 25 countries performed a live-ammunition drill in eastern Saudi Arabia on Saturday, one day before the 29th Arab League Summit.

The drill was attended by Gulf states like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain, as well as other countries including Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan, India, the United States and Britain.

Soldiers with various weapons simulated sudden attacks, ground battles, airstrikes, amphibious assaults, and airborne assistance, after which a parade of gunships, tanks, armored vehicles, cannons, and vessels was staged.

It is also a ceremony show for the "Gulf Shield Joint Exercise-1" from March 27 to April 7, the biggest such event in the Gulf region.

Abdullah Al Sobeiy, joint operation commander of the drill, said the joint exercise which concluded one week ago has displayed the power of the Gulf region "to fight enemies, and to confront threats and challenges on regional countries."

Qatar also joined Saturday's drill, despite its ongoing rift with the Saudi-led quartet since last year.

On June 5, 2017, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt severed diplomatic ties with Qatar over allegations of Doha's support for terrorism and interference in their internal affairs, which Qatar has all denied.

Also on Saturday, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry expressed the kingdom's support for the airstrikes launched by the U.S., Britain and France on Syria earlier in the day, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Therefore, the issue of Syria is expected to lengthen the list of crucial topics during the Arab League Summit to be held in the eastern Saudi city of Dhahran on Sunday.

I'm becoming more convinced that the drama in Syria is tied to the Saudi Arabia/Iran mess.

The sooner those two cross swords and bloody each other badly the sooner we can get back to normal...at least for that region.

With that said I can't identify the IFV in the pics above.  Anyone know what it is?  Probably so simple I'll kick myself but I just can't place it.

Say hi to Chesty, Gunny Ermey...a great Marine, good actor and outstanding advocate has passed away...

Thanks to FormerDirtDart for the news.

We keep losing good people.

2018 is looking to be as big a kick in the nuts as 2017 and the passing of Gunny Ermey is proof positive.

The guy who portrayed a Marine Drill Instructor in Full Metal Jacket was the real thing in life.  He went on to portray a number of other roles and was in my view a very good actor.

What went unnoticed by the majority was his advocate work for veterans, active duty and others.

This was a great man and the world isn't as bright a place with his passing.

Blame corporate America not the police for this latest idiocy...

We apologize to the two individuals and our customers for what took place at our Philadelphia store on Thursday. pic.twitter.com/suUsytXHks

— Starbucks Coffee (@Starbucks) April 14, 2018

Story here.

Wow.

I don't know what to say about America today.  Racism?  Real deal hatred based on skin color not on character is real.

But there is another thing.

Silliness on a string.

I consider this to be one of those cases.  Corporate America is so batshit crazy and has decided to put their finger on the scale in all these social issues that they're getting themselves into a box.

Starbucks is a PRIME case of this.

Remember a few years ago when they went thru a phase of refusing to serve cops?

Now?

Now they're going after a couple of black guys waiting for a meeting.  The whole thing was goofy as hell.  Just buy a cup of coffee or leave.  When cops show up and they ask you to leave just fucking leave.

It's not worth the drama when there are real world things happening but here we are.

There is one other dynamic at play that I don't understand.  Maybe its because I find buying 6 dollar a cup designer coffee batshit STUPID but Starbucks has sought to develop a kind of culture where people go there to hangout.

So they kinda brought this on themselves.

Regardless, this is just something I noted on a lazy Sunday afternoon.  Is it important?  Nope.  Does it cause me to rage?  Nope.  Do I think it's silly?  Yep.  Do I think the cops fucked up?  Nope...follow the link and listen to the Philadelphia Police Chief.  

So long short?

Starbucks is a fucked up company with a weird operating principle, trying to portray themselves as socially responsible that finally got hoisted on the sharp end of a long sword.  Fuck'em. 

Mattis, Dunford and Kelly...The Marine Corps Holy Trinity has taken over DC...

via Business Insider (FEB 2017)

In a White House laden with competing power centers, a trio of military men has emerged as a force to be reckoned with.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly and Joint Chiefs Chairman Joseph Dunford have quickly formed a stabilizing alliance in an administration whose earliest days have been marked by turmoil. At working dinners and meetings with President Donald Trump, the men — all retired or current generals —have sought to guide the new leader and foreign policy novice.

And they have increasingly represented Trump around the world, seeking to allay concerns about the new president and his nascent foreign policy.

Story here. 

I discounted this article when it first came out but have "evolved" since then.  It's obvious that the Marine Corps holy trinity is running things but what I find most amazing is how comfortable they appear pulling the strings of power.

They effectively nullified Bolton in the attack on Syrian chemical facilities and I'm sure are pulling strings in other sections of the Trump foreign policy.

I'll never know their true stance on issues but I'd now be willing to bet body parts that I highly value that they're closer to my own then even I realize.

What does this mean?

I don't think these bubbas are all about endless warfare.  These three have seen enough, suffered enough personally (especially Kelly) and are aware enough to know that endless warfare is useless.

They also won't want to see the military used in stop gap measures across the board.

But what I find especially fascinating is that they haven't overtly sought to raid the piggy bank for the Marine Corps.  I don't think other services would be so kind.  For example the USAF (not to bang on them but as an example).  If they had the same array of leadership in those positions we would probably have seen an air centric strike on Syria, glamorization of stealth aircraft and maybe even a confrontation with the Russian Air Force (pure supposition on my part but looking at the writings and statements of Air Force leadership I feel comfortable in feeling this way).

The Holy Trinity has landed and all is as good as we can get...all things considered...

Israel MOD - Eitan 8X8 Armoured Wheeled Vehicle Advance Field Testing (Vid)

This is why Cops get the bad rap of militarization...

Full disclosure.

My thinking on police militarization has evolved.  I know that there are bad people out there doing bad things that need to be dealt with by good people that are equipped, trained and fit enough to deal with them.

We've seen it with the few terrorist events we've seen in the US and Europe along with active shooting situations (many people are alarmed by the demonstrations against bad police shoots but I am not).

The point is simple.

Police need to be equipped to deal with bad actors.  Full stop.

Having said that do you see the gear display above?

I consider every piece to have a real world application if we're talking about a SWAT Team or even street level narcotics bubbas.

So why do I say they're doing it wrong?

Because they chose to go multicam or whatever color that is.  Cops are getting a bad rap for militarization because they're following the lead of SOCOM and buying gear that looks like they're about to drop into a foreign country and conduct operations.

Why do you need a desert type camo for urban ops?  If you must have multicam than go with multicam black. But even better would be to go with Sheriff's green or Police blue.

This is a simple thing but simple things mean alot.  If you're a LEO and your dept is about to drop coin for your next set of loadout gear then do yourselves and your dept a favor.  Ask for it in green or blue and leave the overseas combat look for guys doing that work.

Sidenote:  Some will say that they need the camo to blend in when working in rural locations.  I personally have never seen that and even the wildlife LEO's wear the green pants, khaki shirt things (for the most part).

Ship to Shore movement with 26th MEU...pics by Staff Sgt. Dengrier Baez

Marines take fitness to HQMC level! FUCKING OUTSTANDING!

I'm a critic of many things that HQMC is doing.  But when they get it right I need to shout that to the rooftops too.

This is one of those things.

I have my personal suspicions on why this is being done, but put that to the side...this is long overdue.

Warrior Fitness....being Hard To Kill...being able to endure under times  of stress both mental and physical?

That's what this is all about.

What would I like to see?  I'd like to see the initiative that Colonel Armes is pushing continue and to watch the fruit that it brings.  I'd also like to see some of the administrative bullshit that came about go by the wayside.  That combat pt test is one such thing (in my opinion).  That should be part of unit pt and does not need to be formalized.  Some of the changes in the PT Test I'd like to see go away but understanding the push made by the feminists in the Corps it's unlikely.

Simplify and amplify.

That should be the goal.

Finally I'd like these ideas that Armes has and will receive to go fleet wide without the paperwork accompanying it.  Develop the stuff that will enhance performance, LIMIT injuries (I hope they understand that people will break no matter what they do and certain demographics will break at higher rates considering the exercises being recommended), and develop the proper mindset.

This little initiative might be the real war winning change we've all been looking for but even better than that it emphasizes the individual Marine instead of glamorizing a piece of kit.  Being fit and strong (mentally and physically) saves lives and kills the enemy!  "Nuff said!

Late Open Comments Post. April 15, 2018