Someone You Should Know: Gunnery Sergeant Timothy P. Haney

There is hard.  

Real hard.  

Crazy hard

...and then there's Marine Corps Hard.  Gunny Haney is Marine Corps hard.  Listen to his act of valor here.

3D Printing. Why a magazine ban is now a joke.

Soldier Systems has an article up that asks very important questions about 3d printing an how it will affect firearms.

Read it at his house but I have a much more basic question.

How do you limit magazine size when this is possible?  A Glock Mag is tailor made for this process and I can take the sizing on a 33 round mag and plus size it up to a 50 rounder without problem and circumvent any attempts by authorities to limit my capacity.  That's taking it to extremes but you get the idea.

Technology is making us slaves and technology is setting us free...how do you limit the spread of knowledge especially in a community as tight knit as the shooting community is?  The gun grabbers have already lost.  They just don't know it.

Even the beaches are sweet at RIMPAC.

BELLOWS AIR FORCE STATION (July 28, 2012) A landing craft air cushion delivers personnel and equipment during a training exercise as part of Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2012 exercise. Twenty-two nations, more than 40 ships and submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in the RIMPAC exercise from June 29 to Aug. 3, in and around the Hawaiian Islands. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2012 is the 23rd exercise in the series that began in 1971. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jason Daniel Johnston/Released)
120728-N-RJ303-158

Damn!

Even the beaches are sweet.

JLTV and the Marine Corps.

I like the offerings that Lockheed, BAE, AM General and others have put forward for the JLTV program.

The problem is that the program makes little to no sense.  

Not only are upgrades to the HUMVEE possible, but they're also desireable.  Instead of operating a wheeled fleet with another vehicle added to the mix we should instead upgrade what we have and make sure that MRAPs in storage are available to be rushed to theater if needed.

Question.  Has the US Army or Marine Corps put forward a compelling reason for why the JLTV is needed?  Extend that to all the other armored programs and it becomes ugly.  The only armored vehicle programs that are needed are the Army's M-113 replacement and the Marine Corps' MPC/AAV upgrade/ACV.

Everything else can and should be canned.  That includes the JLTV.

Bradley upgrade?  Yes.  Ground Combat Vehicle?  No.  JLTV?  Fuck no!  Humvee Upgrade?  Yes.  ACV/MPC/AAV Upgrade?  Yes.  Stryker Upgrade?  No.  M-113 Replacement?  Yes.

Until the ground services are able to come up with compelling and common sense solutions to the armored vehicle fleet then my suggestions/recommendations are just as viable as what you're seeing coming from HQ Army and Marine Corps.

Mistral class LHD (BPC) Amphibious Assault Ship, Force Projection & Command Vessel DCNS

The Republic of Georgia should do two things.  First protest the sale of these ships to Russia through every diplomatic contact they have and second...they should buy the most powerful anti-ship missiles available and promise to sink these ships if they appear over the horizon.  We just made another allied country more vulnerable because of a lack of strength toward Russia and France.  We fucked this one up badly.

Osprey pilot educates Brits at air show

Eye Safety Message for guys like you and me.

Do you remember the post that Andrew (Combat Doc and Lucky Gunner Blogger) did on eye protection?  Well I consider that message so important that I reached out to Ari at ESS Eyewear to get a few more details on what guys like you and I should be looking for.  Here's his response..

Regarding the test-results: as Andrew points out, all polycarbonate lenses become increasingly brittle over time, especially in consideration of their exposure to sunlight. If you own eye protection of older or indeterminate age, and/or your eye pro is of previous individual ownership, and you plan to use it in situations where high-velocity threats are a possibility: inspect it carefully for lens crazing, hazing, yellowing, or any other sign of aging or wear. Never put a questionable product into use.

This is one very important reason why ESS does not recommend purchasing our products through Military Surplus or other after-market sales channels. A product's history relative to its environment and its physical wear can vary so widely that the only sensible action is to err on the side of caution, for the sake of your health and eyesight.

I can be reached at ari@esseyepro.com if anyone has questions. Our full line of MIL SPEC & ANSI Z87.1-2010 rated eye pro can be viewed at www.esseyepro.com, or at our main social media venue, www.facebook.com/esseyepro.

Thanks for helping in the fight to protect eyes & best regards,

Ari
Communications Manager, ESS

Notice a couple of things that touch me where I live.  He's talking about the test results first and foremost.  He gives advice on what to look for and what to avoid.  He warns about the aftermarket (I'm starting to become more and more alarmed at what I'm seeing turn up there...but thats another post) and only at the end of his comment does he talk about his product.  But even in doing that its with an eye toward providing the best possible solution for the men in my audience (oh and those hardcore ladies too).

I can do business with these guys.

Sidenote:  If you're a shooter and most of the people that come to this blog are then consider doing two things.  One support online ammo retailers like Lucky Gunner.  They're under the gun and so are we.  Let's support them so that they can support us with low prices to help us enjoy our shooting sports.  Next support the NRA.  These gun grabbers are just getting started and since the President can't fix the economy he'll throw meat to his supporters by infringing on our GOD GIVEN rights.  Let's fight them on it!

Now they want to ban online sale of ammo.

I coat all my Ranger 147 grain bullets in black teflon...cool boy factor.

via The Hill.

Two Democratic lawmakers on Monday will announce new legislation to regulate the online and mail-order sale of ammunition.
Sen. Frank Lautenberg (N.J.) and Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (N.Y.) said the new law would make the sale of ammunition “safer for law-abiding Americans who are sick and tired of the ease with which criminals can now anonymously stockpile for mass murder,” in a statement released Saturday.

The lawmakers cite the recent movie massacre in Aurora, Colo. for spurring their bill. “The shooter who killed 12 and injured 58 in an Aurora, Colorado movie theater this month had purchased over 6,000 rounds of ammunition anonymously on the Internet shortly before going on his killing spree, according to law enforcement officials,” the statement reads. “The shooter used a civilian version of the military’s M-16 rifle with a 100-round drum magazine, a shotgun and two .40-caliber semi-automatic handguns commonly used by police officers.”

Read the whole thing but a few points.

1.  The last assault weapons ban spurned the development of pocket pistols.  The Glock 26 was basically born because handguns were limited to 10 round magazines and Glock responded to the new law by developing a mini Glock 19 that would hold the full compliment of allowable ammo.
2.  Everyone in my circle already has an ample supply of both ammo and magazines.  IF this became law, all we would do is buy more so that we could later sell them at a substantial mark up.  It happened last time and it'll happen again.  I have 20 Glock 19 mags and an equal number of Glock 17's.  That doesn't count the Korean knock offs.  Suffice it to say that among a large part of the population this will have no impact.
3. Have you noticed that the "ban" advocates have no off switch.  They believe in certain rights but at the expense of others.  If you want to marry someone of the same sex then that's awesome.  If you want to exercise a right designated by the constitution then not so much.  Heck, the Mayor of New York has some the harshest gun laws in the US so what's he going after now?  Sodas!  These people have no off switch.

But on a sidenote, I notice that the Democrats are pushing another side issue to take attention away from the 600 pound gorilla in the room...the economy.  If they can get the headlines to reflect any issue but the economy then they're winning.

This doesn't stand a chance of passing but it will grab headlines...and in the end...thats all the Democrats want.

Way to go US Army! Combatives Tourney...Army style!

US Army Combatives going hard.  This is freaking awesome.

Initial flight of X-47B at Pax River

*

Marine Corps Military Free Fall Instructors assigned to Marine Detachment — Fort Bragg, release the ashes of Sgt. Brett Jaffe (1971-2012), a Marine rigger, above Phillips Drop Zone at Yuma Proving Grounds, Ariz., on July 26, 2012. "It was an honor and privilege to take this Marine on his last jump and give him a proper hail and farewell," said Staff Sgt. Marty Rhett.Marines in photo (clockwise, starting with the flag): Gunnery Sgt. Brian Boger, Gunnery Sgt. Mike Latham, Gunnery Sgt. Jimmy Smith, Staff Sgt. Lennie Castro, Staff Sgt. Seth Wright, Staff Sgt. Marty Rhett.
(Marine Corps photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Johnny Gunn)

Stallion Stack

Two CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters assigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 463 take off after delivering Marines and Canadian soldiers as part of a noncombatant evacuation operation during Exercise Rim of the Pacific 2012 at Marine Corps Training Area Bellows, Hawaii, July 26, 2012. From June 29 to Aug. 3, more than 25,000 military personnel from 22 nations, 200 aircraft and 40 ships and submarines are participating in RIMPAC. The world's largest international maritime exercise, the 23rd in the series that began in 1971, is held biennially in and around the Hawaiian Islands. The exercise fosters training, interoperability and improved relations between countries providing security in sea lanes and oceans around the world.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Reece Lodder)

Marines train Senegalese forces in marksmanship

Sidenote:
Are they actually teaching that bullshit?  I'm talking about advancing on your target while firing.  Are you kidding me?  Cool guy factor-100.  Combat utility-negative 10.  I have yet to see one instance in a combat setting where that type of training is applicable.

You do know where the Marine Corps picked that trash up from right?  3 gun shoots.  Police SWAT teams.  All bullshit training that has no bearing on reality.  First 3 gun put it in to make the courses more challenging.  Shooting from your back or on your left or right side is show shit and everyone knows it!   The prone is your friend and modified shooting from that position is applicable but the other stuff is for the meets.  SWAT teams?  Lets be honest and take off the rose colored glasses.  They're most effective against unarmed people and when they charge against armed individuals not only do they not conduct a deliberate assault but they do everything in their power to wear down the person or persons.  Want to know what happens to cool boy SWAT when they run into real opposition?  Think Branch Davidians.

I'm saying all this for one purpose.  Hey Marines.  STOP COPYING 3 gun and civilian SWAT!  The training that they do DOES NOT apply!

Elements of Power called it on the clownish Smallwood!

Elements of Power called it on Smallwood.  He first brought attention to this clown in a blog post here.

I unfortunately underestimated Smallwood's "devotion" to the Sweetman/Air Power Australia/Kopp/Goon/F-35 haters club.  He's at it again and penned an article that must be read.  A small tidbit.

Wheeler is hopeful that South Koreans will resist the industry pressure this time. “I think that there’s so much information out there about the F-35 that governments have learned it’s important for them to wait and see and as they do the costs will go up and the performance will go down.”
Ultimately time will tell whether U.S. marketing strategies can overcome the mounting skepticism of the F-35 airplane and convince Seoul to make a purchase they may regret.

Hmmm.  I forgot to include Wheeler in the list of infamy but you get the idea.  While I personally AM NOT a fan of the US military promoting weapon systems to allies, its an accepted form of business, done on both sides of the Atlantic and is far from illegal.  Let me repeat.  Its done on both sides of the Atlantic.

Smallwood is out test driving the latest talking point for the anti F-35 crowd.

I am not impressed.
 

Navy conducts Pax River's first flight of X-47B unmanned aircraft

The X-47B landed safely at Pax River after a 35-minute flight over the Chesapeake Bay, July 29. (U.S. Navy photo)

The X-47B tailless, unmanned aircraft launched from its initial Pax River flight, July 29. (U.S. Navy photo)

Advanced Light Strike Vehicle...FLYER.

We're starting to see some strange bedfellows in the defense industry.  I thought that this was a General Dynamics project but I found this vid on the AM General website.  Interesting.

AM General BRV-O JLTV

I am the one who knocks...

I was late to the bandwagon with this show but a weekend marathon has me wanting more.  I am the danger!  LOVE IT!

Kevin Martin 1's photostream

31st MEU's "Helo" Company practices fast rope insertion

Ganjgal and a mothers unfinished business....the Marine Corps unfinished business....a nation's unfinished business.

Gunnery Sgt Aaron Michael Kenefick, USMC KIA Kunar Province (pic provided by his mother)

Sometimes I actually hit on a subject that pulls hard on my heartstrings.

This is one of those times.  But I have a problem.  I write too simply and speak too plainly to give it the justice that it deserves.  I've read the accounts by others and they have the polar opposite issue.  They're too flowerly in their prose, and perhaps a bit too elogquent in their wording to give it the hearing that it deserves.

I'll provide links that can give you a good primer on this battle, the same battle in which Sgt Myers won his Medal of Honor, so that you can get up to speed on the issues involved.  In a nutshell it boils down to....

1.  Sgt Meyers deserves his Medal of Honor.  The entire team involved in that action on that fateful day deserves MoH's.  Those guys lacked supporting fires, not courage and we should ALL feel ashamed because of that.
2.  Rules of engagement got men killed and no one has called leadership on that.  From what I've read Vietnam was bad.  From what I see Afghanistan is worse.  I've said it before and I'll say it again.  We're seeing the worse leadership in the history of our nation when it comes to those running the US military.  Politics has trumped any and all strategic/tactical considerations and men are dying because of it.
3.  A total lack of accountability when it comes to blame holding those resposible for the outcome.  Hazing incidents, sexual misdeeds, and politically incorrect pictures taken on the battlefield have led to more severe punishments than we've seen from those that denied fire support to that training team.  By not seeing those responsible mounted on a base flag and hoisted high for all to see is a travesty.  Punishment must be given, it must be visible and it must serve as an example to others.
4.  That this hasn't caused more of a stir in the Marine Corps is also a travesty.  Some brother Marines were killed and no one anywhere got pissed off enough to throw rank insignia up against the wall and ask the guys in the 10th Mountain what the fuck were they thinking.  No one flew in back of a CH-53 or an MV-22 over to that Tactical Command Post and punched one of that bastards in the face or carved their initials in there ribcages...no one in the Marine Corps got PISSED THAT THIS HAPPENED!
5.  This also relates back to number 2.  Why is a mother leading the charge on this?  I was contacted by one of the fallen Marine's mother.  Unfortunately I wasn't able to talk to her today because of an issue that took me away.  I hope to talk to her next week, but the point remains.  A Marine's Mom is doing something that Marines, Marine Leadership, Retired Marines and Veterans should be doing.  This incident is about one micrometer away from being a full fledged crime.  We owe her more, we owe the Marines that were involved in that battle more and we owe the fallen more.

The Commandant was right.  The Marine Corps is off the rails and this is exhibit number 1.  But what do we do now? I have no idea.  A blog post isn't enough.  An interview with a grieving mother isn't enough so what do we do?  The only thing I can think of is to perhaps get Senator Webb's attention on this subject but he's a former SecNav so he's well aware of what happened and even has the classified briefing.  I thought about hitting up Sgt Meyer and asking him to write a guest post but that would be asking too much.  He lived it.  No need to ask him to live it again.


So what do we do?


I have no idea.

F-35B To Edwards

USMC Lt. Col. Matt Kelly flew F-35B BF-2 to its new but temporary home at the F-35 Integrated Test Force at Edwards AFB, California, on 23 July 2012. The aircraft is at Edwards for a series of flights involving airstart testing.

Blast from the past. Army Jet Pack.

BF-16 flies. The F-35 has a higher production rate than the Rafale.

Interesting tidbit.  Craig Hoyle over at the Dew Line reported today on the production rate of the Rafale.  If his numbers are correct (and I believe they are) then the F-35 has achieved a production rate almost 3 times higher (if not more) than the vaunted Rafale program.  The only thing left for the critics to do is to state outloud..."we were so wrong!"

Lockheed Martin test pilot Al Norman flew F-35B BF-15 (US Navy Bureau Number 168312) on its inaugural flight on 26 July 2012 from NAS Fort Worth JRB, Texas. The aircraft will be assigned to VMFAT-501 at Eglin AFB, Florida.

Australian Air Force F-18's vs. SU-30's.

Troy Battle Stock in use by professionals

Colombian anti-narcotics police officers escort Diego Perez Henao, a.k.a. 'Diego Rastrojo', alleged leader of 'Los Rastrojos' drug traffickers gang, upon his arrival at the narcotics airbase in Bogota, on July 25, 2012, after being extradited by the Venezuelan authorities. Perez, captured on June 3 in the Venezuelan state of Barinas, is indicted in Colombia for drug trafficking, murder, conspiracy, formation of armed groups and financing of terrorism.

This is the first time I've seen the Troy Battle Stock being used by professionals.  On the net its gotten mixed reviews and I've seen more than a few vids of it performing badly.  I'd be real interested to know if its a winner or loser...if you can actually bust doors with it or whether it collapses on itself with just a light tap.

You can check it out for yourself here.

Directing fire.

Canadian Army Warrant Officer Robby Fraser, a platoon warrant officer with Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, directs machine gun fire at a support by fire position during a platoon-size live-fire assault, July 22, as part of Rim of the Pacific 2012. Approximately 2,200 personnel from nine nations comprise Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force 3, Combined Force Land Component Command. The land component of RIMPAC is conducting amphibious and land-based operations in order to enhance multinational and joint interoperability.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Robert Bush)

Interesting.  A platoon warrant officer.  The Marine Corps could benefit from such a program.  It would allow experienced SNCO's to lead platoons.  It would never fly but it is a thought.

F-35B BF-17 First Flight

Lockheed Martin test pilot Bill Gigliotti flew F-35B BF-15 (US Navy Bureau Number 168313) on its inaugural 1.2-hour flight on 24 July 2012 from NAS Fort Worth JRB, Texas. The aircraft will be assigned to VMFAT-501 at Eglin AFB, Florida.

The Costa Effect hits hard.

You knew this was coming.

Once the beard (Costa) started running LaRue guns, everyone and their mother would be ordering the same one.  It might be time to start calling it the Costa Effect (CE) 'cause Haley's been low profile of late.  Rumor has it that he's transitioning to training only high profile units and individuals...

Anyway, this news is burning up the internet in the gun culture.  You too can owe your very own Costa Edition LaRue Offensive Optimized Battle Rifle!

In memory of Army Sgt. Eric E. Williams...

Don't know the guy but would feel a kinship when we meet in the beyond.

Read about his all too common tragic death here, but take the time out to read his last blogspot here.  If that doesn't touch your heartstrings then you haven't been anywhere or done anything.

The Admiral that called the kettle black!

This guy is a trip!

He's the same person that joined journalist in laughing at an old skool Special Ops General when he told him to stay out of the media and now he's talking about leaks possibly endangering Special Ops guys!

Amazing.  Read it all but check this out.

 Recent national security leaks have put lives at risk and may ultimately cost Americans their lives unless there is an effective crackdown, the head of the Special Operations Command Admiral William McRaven says.

Just plain wow. 

I have never seen a head of Special Operations so in the limelight (this was a forum) and he has the nerve to make this kind of statement!  Geez, please put Special Forces in charge of SOCOM!

Quick Rant. The President did it again.

Sorry guys.  Rant time.

The President did it again.

He grabbed onto a cultural issue when he was getting kicked in the head over economic issues.  The Romney campaign has been making hay over the gaff that the President committed by stating that government builds small businesses.

Polls indicate that he was losing ground because of this issue.

So when he's getting hit over the economy he latches onto a cultural issue to make up ground.  He was losing ground earlier this year and he repealed DADT.  He was getting hit by unemployment news in the Latino and Black communities so he put forth the dream act and an African American studies office.

This might work short term but the 10 ton Gorilla in the room is the economy.  And thats what people will be voting on in November.

Bill trips out.

I first heard about this from BlackFive and didn't want to believe that Bill really made such an ass of himself.

I checked out the video and yep.  B5 was spot on.  But even better the internet is exploding in rage (at least in the gun culture) at how stupid he is.  Since when is an AR-15 or an AK-47 in the same class as a bazooka or a mortar?  Bill is so misinformed that it hurts.

Simply amazing.

On a sidenote, if you're not getting B5's feed you're missing out.  Between McQ, Uncle Jimbo and the Laughing Wolf (not to mention the others) you're getting guys that are really tapped into guys that know what tugs on the heart strings of military, vets and right thinking people.  Check them out.

A General gone bad?

If the allegations against this general is true then he needs to be retired immediately.  This is unsat.

MV-22 Ospreys now in Japan

Sidenote:

1.  I don't know what's going on with Marine Public Affairs but this "experimental" camera work is annoying.  They purposefully fuzz the outlines of the vid?  If that's artistic then I want no parts of it.
2.  With HQMC emphasizing MARSOC at the expense of conventional Fleet Marine Forces, how can we justify the MV-22?  I've been a huge supporter but that was with the thought that FMF would be leading the fight.  If the emphasis for the MEU is to turn to disaster and humanitarian relief then the MV-22 is severe overkill.  Better to give the V-22 to SOCOM and get MH-60's to replace the CH-46.  It would save money, maintenance hours and the MH-60 could still get the job done.

Someone You Should Know: Lance Corporal Cody R. Goebel

LCpl Cody R. Goebel.

This guy is hard as woodpecker lips and someone you should definitely know. Click this sentence to hear his story. On a sidenote, I'm gonna be slamming McQ's inbox to find out where this show lands so I can pass it on to you. In the meantime subscribe to the RSS feed and browse through it. Heroes all and stories that we can't afford to forget.

F-35C flying a more comfortable ball

Combat Doc talks eye protection.

Quite honestly I've been waiting for someone to do a run down on ballistic eye protection.  To me at least its about everyday safety.  The modern world is a hazard place, your eye sight is precious and I want to know what works so I can keep me and my loved ones as safe as possible.

Think I'm a bit overboard?  How about the aftermath of car accidents?  Construction accidents.  Chemical splatter (and I'm talking about something as simple as outside bleach) and even debris from cutting your grass.  Ballistic protection that works is important.  And that's even before we start considering what guys going down range are facing.

Check this out.

See more analysis on our Eye Protection and Shooting Glasses Review

The author of the video was an FMF Corpsman...a real deal Devil Doc.

Foxhound vehicle on display

The Infantry "call me baby"

Thanks for the link John! Terminal Lance's Grunt "call me baby"...check it out.

Eurcocopter X3 and Airbus A400M in flight

Eurocopter handled the US tour of its X3 badly.  I guess its another example of a large corporation that has little experience with marketing its products to the American people.  Quite honestly it didn't even get that much play in the aviation media. Consider this a missed opportunity.

Is the SCAR-17 the weapon of choice for SEAL Teams?

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (July 21, 2012) Navy SEALs participate in the capabilities exercise portion of the 43rd annual Underwater Demolition Team (UDT)-Sea, Air and Land (SEAL) East Coast Reunion at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story. The annual reunion started in 1969 and has expanded into a weekend of events, contests, and a SEAL capabilities exercise. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Anthony Harding/Released)

Every pic I've seen of SEALs lately shows them sporting SCAR-17's.  Is that the new weapon of choice?

30 vs. 250. Marine leads his men against the Taliban. Someone You Should Know.

Hear the story of GySgt Blonder by clicking on this link.  Its well worth your time.

The French Marine's stairway to heaven.

Marines from Security Cooperation Task Force Africa Partnership Station 2012 (SCTF APS-12) train together with French Marines from France's 3rd Marine Brigade on an obstacle course at Fort De Penthievre. SCTF APS-12 is conducting a series of training events with the French Marines to strengthen relations between France and the U.S.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Jemssy Alvarez)

Are these considered Special MAGTF's or SCTF's??  I've seen it written both ways.

Bronies. The pussification of the US Army IS complete.

I would hope that a Marine would get skull fucked, throat punched, wall to wall counseled and made to dig a fighting position for a platoon of tanks if he was caught doing this.

Parts of the Army?  Hey its ok, roll with it.  Other parts?  They'd do it the Marine way.  Either way, ATF is funny as hell, Every Day No Day's Off you guys rock and to the dude in ACU's with the rainbow joy patch.  Just go punch yourself.

Now what unit or group affiliation does that patch represent? 

Argonaut Search and Rescue Amphibious Vehicle Concept

Pretty cool.  Saw it on this website.