In the e-mail he sent this blurb...
Monday morning, a drop by 2 C-130 and 3 C-160 took place north of the city of Timbuktu to lock access. A Company of "very strengthened 2eme REP" jumped successfully. It left from Abidjan where she had been prepositioned.If they're dropping a battalion of paratroopers then this is bigger than I originally thought.
Simultaneously, Joint Task Force approaching from the west (left Niono on Friday) took control of the airport in Timbuktu. These ground forces (600 men) were supported by helicopters and airplanes Atlantique 2 and UAVs.
We're all missing this in the US because we've been effectively distracted by gun control, immigration and women in combat.
I would feel better about our lack of visibility on this issue if we were at least focused on something serious like the economy or a belligerent China...but we aren't. Mainstream news media fail number 10,000,873....and I'm being generous.
Read more about this at Navy Recognition and LignesDefense.
I like how the french never muck about when they go to war. Whether its their devil may care bravado (short shorts and berets in a war zone) or the fact that they pretty much shoot first never ask questions, they never hold back and big one is that they dont try to show off, how much publicity would this get if Brit or American troops were involved. The french just go about their business like real quite professionals.
ReplyDeleteOld school full bore all the way, Love It!
Some picture are available here:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.defense.gouv.fr/operations/actualites/operation-serval-48h-pour-reprendre-le-controle-de-la-boucle-du-niger
Obama is at war with America, the conservatives, whitey, the military and flies.
ReplyDeleteHe actually outside of the democrats who still worship him and the media has NO friends.
Obama was always aloof and outside the crowd even as a child.
A sad, sad story, sniff, sniff HAND ME MY CRYING TOWEL BUBBA!
Article in english from my colleagues:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.armyrecognition.com/serval_operation_mali_french_army/french_paratroopers_of_2e_rep_foreign_legion_parachute_regiment_were_parachuted_on_timbuktu_2801132.html
Solomon, forgive my ignorance here, but what's the big fuss over this? Are you upset the US news media isn't covering it? Are you upset US troops aren't assisting? If the answer to any of those questions is "yes," then why? Why do you care? What did I miss?
ReplyDeletetake a look at your average news show. or better yet while you''re in your office have your tv set to a news network. notice how repeititve the stories are? then make note of how many stories are fluff pieces. then note how many are just celebrity gossip.
Deletethen, take note of how many important, serious issues are out there that get no air play. consider the fact that the news media is treating its consumers like kids. the French Foreign Legion conducting an airborne assault is news. big news. and even if it isn't the blog says covering all things military so that's why i care. i like steak, not baby food. give me news i can sink my teeth into.
Golly, leapfrogging the enemy to cut off his escape routes with an airborne. How nouvelle. I have to say I was hoping the French would do something like this. It reminds me of the French airborne groups ops in Vietnam or the Rhodesian Light Infantry writ large. While we like to brag about our Airborne ops, the French really perfected them in Indochina. We would learn a thing or two from them.
ReplyDeleteSol, I know you think a Stryker brigade would be good here, but do you think the US could even exercise the self-restraint from not turning this into another Operation Urgent Fury goatfuck?
I have serious doubts our military could even move with anything less than a reinforced BCT, a SEAL platoon, three companies of Rangers, MARSOC elements, and whoever else in the alphabet soup insisted on piling on in Mali. We tend to forget the 'economy of force' principle.
The alacrity and creativity with which the French have executed Operation Serval thus far is impressive and something we could learn a lot from for our own ops. While it highlights certain shortcomings of our allies in airlift, reconaissance, refueling, etc., the French have been impressive nonetheless.
i think you hit on the key. either make it an USAF/Army mission or make it a Navy/Marine Corps mission. but joint doesn't work if you're trying to be efficient.
Deletei could see a Stryker Brigade coupled with the 173rd doing the same thing that the French are doing.
Towards the end of war when the Rhodesians were short of helicopters some RLI were doing a good handful of jumps per day. Super stuff.
DeleteFrench Army finally released the video:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=p5W9PKR6FdU