Blast from the past. The sad ending of the 1st Special Service Force

via War Doll Instagram Page.

During the war the 1,800-man unit accounted for some 12,000 German casualties, captured some 7,000 prisoners, and sustained an attrition rate of over 600%. It was on 5 December 1944 in a field near Menton, on the southeast Mediterranean coast of France that the 1st Special Service Force was officially disbanded as the war came to a close.
One Canadian soldier recounted the day they were disbanded saying, "It was very very sad because we had no idea it was coming. They just formed us up and asked the Canadians to step forward. So we stepped forward, formed ranks and marched off.
When the Americans were told to close formation, they refused, preserving the gaps left by their departing friends." 

Have to verify this but don't have time right now.  If true this is inexplicable and demands some type of explanation.  If you know the deal then let me know!

Morality Play. These are the anti-gun protesters? No wonder they keep losing!

Hat Tip to Harden Up Instagram!

Just plain wow.

I've always wondered about how protests are covered in the US and now its apparent that we're getting sanitized views of it all.

This doesn't change my mind about anything but it does make me more aware.  I've had a chance to see the dark side of things from the gay rights parades and more arrests could be made for public indecency than jail space allows and apparently it applies across the board.

Who is right who is wrong?

Depends on your value system, upbringing and I imagine racial/social demographic.

But it still doesn't excuse the above.

Hold true to your personal values but be aware of the those that travel the same lane that you do.

Armor Porn. Bundesheer Leopard 2...

I know it seems like I'm hitting you with a bunch of Bundesheer pics but I follow all of NATO and some of the non-NATO members in Europe and besides Spain and a little from Italy it's all been unicorns and rainbow posts.

That just doesn't motivate me to post it on the blog.

So just deal.  When I see pics of others doing work in the field I'll put it on the blog...but never unicorns and rainbows (read between the lines and you'll get my meaning)...

Missile Porn. RBS 15 Mk 4 Gungnir

What's in a name? In this case - quite a lot. #RBS15 Gungnir is named after the spear that belonged to the Norse god Odin. Unstoppable and never missed its target. Our missile never misses - regardless of weather ⛈🌊💨 How is this possible? Try out our missile journey at saab.com/missilejourney/ 

Interesting.  Saab is really hitting social media hard with the rollout of the RBS 15 Mk 4.

Lockheed Martin was savage with their campaign.  BAE, and General Dynamics were pretty powerful too.

Only Saab seems to be left in the arena of putting out their products for the world to see and not just "decision makers".

I wonder why?

Is it just not cost effective?  Can't see that.  All it takes is turning your graphics and advertising people loose for one afternoon to put stuff together. Does it make a difference in sales?  That has to be the case and if it is then that's a shame.  But it would highlight the disconnect between most defense manufacturers and the public they claim to serve.  Only the elite are worthy of being informed on the products that their govts are buying?

I raise this as an issue because we heard SO LITTLE about the testing of the ACV.  For all we know it was a sham and the ST Kinetics ride actually did well and it was SAIC's failure to execute that doomed it (which I'm hearing thru backdoor channels).

We'll have to see how this new dynamic plays out but Saab is to be applauded. It's all fluff and advertising but I appreciate them putting their product out their for all to see.

Hex Mag's new Glock 17 compatible magazine...yea or nay?

Don't know about this one.  Never knew there was a need but actual utility is a thing of the past in the gun community and style over substance is the new standard.

But I'm ahead of myself.  Haven't even touched one, don't know if they're smooth as silk or rough as a brillo pad.

Guess I'll wait for reviews and check out the price point to see if they get added to the personal arsenal....

Temple Index Training/Vehicle Ops...This blew up as the next "hotness"...

Knowledge nugget so good that a 24 hour story will do it an injustice. Share this with your troops, friends, and brothers in blue. It may come in handy one day 🇺🇸 • • • @temple_indexing_mofo @centrifugetraining • • • #themoreyouknow #hoodrat #knowledge #tactics

A post shared by NEVER A DOUBT ⚔️ (@thatgeardude) on Jul 17, 2018 at 7:52pm PDT

Ok.  I'm definitely out of the loop.  Never heard of Temple Index Training but I knew about vehicle ops being hot but this is really blowing up now.

Don't ask me cause I have too little information on what these guys are doing but I will find out!

Open Comment Post. July 18, 2018

Aviation Porn. Saab J32 Lansen in the air via @marksutherland558

Re-watched the vid of the Las Vegas Metro PD taking down the murder suspects. Standard loadout should be at least 80 rounds....

 

http://range-control.tumblr.com/post/176004984011/whiskey-gunpowder-twoforoneone

 

I've rewatched this vid and this dude is legit. 

Good shoot.

So why am I talking now?  It's about what the standard loadout for patrol should be.  If you're on the streets and you're not walking out the door with 80 plus rounds then you're wrong or have a death wish or work in Mayberry USA.

My thinking?

Assuming you're rocking a Glock 19 then I'm thinking 3 mags on your warbelt, one in your weapon and a 33 round mag on your vest.  Many carry backup guns on their vest so that might make the equation a bit more difficult if you're not using Glocks (the 26 can handle the larger mags of its brother without difficulty), and if you don't go with a backup then you're adding/subtracting issues if the fight goes sideways.  If you're on the ground in full weapon retention mode then its possible the baddy could go for your backup instead....of course so could you so that adds dynamics to the situation that I won't even touch on.

But back to the vid.

I didn't count and couldn't see his belt but I'd guess if the firefight lasted much longer he would have been down to just a few rounds in his last mag.

If you're motorized then go heavy with your personal loadout (ie...in patrol).

Oh and LEO's!  Get your Dept to get you some patrol carbines!  Mount them in your car where you can get to them (NOT IN THE FUCKING TRUNK!!!).  One AR in the hands of the LEO would have sliced that SUV to ribbons and made a fair fight one sided...the way it should be!

Stay safe boys....it's a wild world.

Tank Takeover | 26th MEU tank operations