Note: I might be reading this wrong, but the evacuation of the embassy in Juba, S. Sudan is being publicized by Marine Corps Public Affairs as a triumph of Amos' Marine Air Ground Task Force-Crisis Response concept. I see it as another example of a dog and pony show gone bad. Check out the pics below and I'll get back to you....
I have to admit that I selected these photos because they marry up with my theme that this is nothing but a show. What do you see when you look at them? I see a few Marines running around in helmet, flak, ruck sacks and weapons. I also see Air Force personnel chilled the fuck out, maxing and relaxing. Even further back (look closely) you can see what I assume are security personnel taking it all in. Lastly I see a Marine on a work detail without any gear on slinging boxes.
What does all this tell me? That this isn't actually a danger area. That their isn't really a threat where these men are. That this is all a show.
Marine propaganda at its worse...if you know what to look for (assuming I'm reading this right).
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| check out the bubba in the black polo shirt. he has state dept security written all over him...5.11 tactical pants, some type of what i call sport combat boot, cool boy shades and if you look real close i can almost see him printing in the photo. too easy to clock. make note law enforcement/security bubbas! i won't even bother to talk about the joker in the checkered shirt with cool boy shades, hat rolled ranger style and the BIG ASS ear wig showing for the world to see! you would think they'd get these boys some modern gear so they don't have so many tells! |
I have to admit that I selected these photos because they marry up with my theme that this is nothing but a show. What do you see when you look at them? I see a few Marines running around in helmet, flak, ruck sacks and weapons. I also see Air Force personnel chilled the fuck out, maxing and relaxing. Even further back (look closely) you can see what I assume are security personnel taking it all in. Lastly I see a Marine on a work detail without any gear on slinging boxes.
What does all this tell me? That this isn't actually a danger area. That their isn't really a threat where these men are. That this is all a show.
Marine propaganda at its worse...if you know what to look for (assuming I'm reading this right).
Soloman, what are your thoughts on the marine in the second picture full of gear and what looks like an aviation wing on his chest.
ReplyDeletethats just his id patch. standard issue. standard info. standard eagle globe and anchor centered. don't see any aviation wings and if i did then it would be no big deal. my argument (and thanks for reminding me...i definitely need to say it more) isn't with the Marines in the wing below the rank of perhaps Colonel but with some of those Colonels and definitely the brass above on a procurement and policy matter
DeleteThat guy in the second picture is a FAC, those are avaitor wings. also the guys in the first pic are either Force or regular Recon, FSBE kit/1911 sidearms (the fanny packs/Mich helmets are a easy tell)
Deletewhere are you seeing wings?
DeleteUnder his ID patch, its a black and gold velcro patch. also his liberator 3 headset, prc-152 with UHF antenna, and like most fac's his gear bomb layout on his armor.
DeleteSol, when were these photographs taken?
ReplyDeleteThe RAF evacuated UK national from Juba on the 19th, wonder why the UK and USA did not coordinate and share, we usually do in these circumstances?
http://www.raf.mod.uk/news/archive/raf-aircraft-provides-south-sudan-evacuation-19122013
http://www.itv.com/news/update/2013-12-20/raf-plane-drama-in-south-sudan-evacuation/
Are thes epics from Juba, I think I read that some US personnel were injured when their aircraft was fired upon in another area of South Sudan
news broke today that this happened and the photos went up at the same time so i imagine it happened a couple of days ago. as to why we didn't coordinate? its because we have children running our State Dept and they're always doing things at the last minute ... like children.
Deleteabout the personnel that were injured versus this op. the French rolled into this airport hard and have basically pacified the entire city. their isn't one enemy fighter that will raise his head up within a mile of the place. the French will shoot them and keep shooting them after they're dead.
Yes French seem to have quite a good track record handling the natives in Africa on one hand they roll quite light(small logistic footprint) compared to US but on the other hand they always bring light armor and big guns (Artillery and 90-105mm armed armored cars) + some very light Air ,Gazelles and no real fixed wing air support.
DeleteMaybe the US and Europe should ask the French Foreign legion on how they dealt with Africa. It would seem to me that the French Foreign legion is very much an expert on Africa Operations and know how to deal with them
ReplyDeleteThey finally made it Juba? Last i heard they were still in Uganda.
ReplyDeleteThis is up there with the 2006 NEO out of Lebanon. The French and Greeks evacuated their people before us in 2006.
i'm having trouble keeping up with all these specialty units the Marine Corps is forming. i know the SPMAGTF-CR had people in Uganda but so did the SPMAGTF-Africa! additionally last word i had was that SPMAGTF-AFrica was also training to do the same missions as CR but i wondered hard about that because they're mostly (or i thought) Reservist.
DeleteAFRICOM sent a “platoon-sized” team of Marines and a C-130 aircraft from Djibouti (Spain prior to that) to Entebbe, Uganda, just south of S. Sudan, on Dec 24.
DeleteInteresting that the Marines used their C-130s at a secure airport, rather than trying to use MV-22Bs - maybe they didn't want their -22s shot up like the USAFs last week... It's probably because of the ranges involved, but the Marines never miss a chance to tout their super machine. Anyway, still waiting for some better reporting on exactly what the CV-22s were attempting....
ReplyDeleteKeep that gear on--and not just for photo-ops.
ReplyDeleteJan 3, 2014
S. Sudan’s ex-VP says Juba will ‘fall soon’
The three-week old rebels in South Sudan said they were advancing on the capital, Juba, as fighting between rival politicians intensifies further.
“Today our forces crushed the amassed government soldiers at their stronghold in Jameza on Juba road. Our troops broke their stronghold and are pursuing them as they flee back to Juba. Juba will fall soon,” South Sudan former vice-president Riek Machar told Sudan Tribune by phone Friday.
http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article49437
Nonessential U.S. Embassy personnel were evacuated Friday from South Sudan aboard two KC-130 aircraft
ReplyDeleteThe KC-130J transport plane has airborne assault capabilities, and is also used for medevac, search and rescue, and aerial refueling. The linked photo shows the Marines and Sailors, probably medics, uploading a KC-130J at Djibouti on December 24, 2013.
http://www.talkingproud.us/MilitaryNews/files/marinessailorsdjibouti.jpg
There are also still 45 Army soldiers at the embassy in Juba (apparently).