Concept tanks by Kemp Remillard

Concept tanks by Kemp Remillard

Breastfeeding Airmen wrong...

via Air Force Times...

The Air Force has no policy on breastfeeding in uniform. But it does forbid airmen from using the uniform to advance the cause of an outside organization.

“The uniform was misused. That’s against regulations,” Kosik said. “I want to be very, very clear about this. Our issue is not, nor has it ever been, about breastfeeding. It has to do with honoring the uniform and making sure it’s not misused. I can’t wear my uniform to a political rally, to try to sell you something or push an ideology. That was our point of contention.”

This should get good.

The Air Force doesn't have the balls to actually punish these females (no service would...the Mothers of America lobby is too strong and the JCS is filled with momma's boys) but you can bet your last dollar that this won't be the end of it.  Like most advocacy groups...they won't know when to stop and I guess that they're attempting to recruit women from other services to be photographed in uniform in an effort to push this fake agenda.

200th flight for the first F-35B

NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. – U.S. Marine Corps test pilot Lt. Col. Fred Schenk flies a mission May 10 in F-35B Joint Strike Fighter test aircraft BF-1. The mission expanded the aircraft’s flight envelope in short takeoff and vertical landing mode, and was the 200th flight for the aircraft. The F-35B is the variant of the Joint Strike Fighter for the U.S. Marine Corps, capable of short take-offs and vertical landings for use on amphibious ships or expeditionary airfields to provide air power to the Marine Air-Ground Task Force. The F-35B is undergoing test and evaluation at NAS Patuxent River prior to delivery to the fleet. (Photo courtesy of Lockheed Martin)

Pic of the day. Harrier Glory.

Lt. Col. Thomas D. Gore, former commanding officer of Marine Attack Squadron 223, and a native of Tampa, Fla., pilots an AV-8B Harrier over the Kajaki Dam in Helmand province, Afghanistan, Nov. 20. From November 2011 to May 2012, VMA-223 provided close-air support for Marines and their Afghan and coalition partners conducting counterinsurgency operations in southwestern Afghanistan

Beautiful bird.

Heads up.  Still working on new info on the Marine Personnel Carrier Program.  Its a bit more involved than I thought and I'm trying to backstop some of the opinions that I've come up with.  Should be out this weekend.

To our British Friends!  Thanks for the gift of those spare birds!

USMC Pack System.

You're doing something wrong when you have to put out a 30 minute instructional video on how to assemble and use a pack.

What happened to simplicity, ruggedness and durability carrying the day?  No, instead we have packs that are suppose to carry 100 pounds yet have plastic frames!  

But even better is the fact that it takes longer to teach a Marine how to assemble his pack than it does to teach him how to assemble and disassemble his weapon!

Business and the USAF. Who needs NASA?

All photos via Space.com.

Space X's first mission was a total success.  The USAF has the X-37 program running full speed ahead with nary a hick up.  NASA appears like an old, impotent, tired organization that needs to be put out to pasture.


But on second thought...who needs NASA?  The USAF will be revitalized by taking care of the nations military affairs in space...Big Business will get the job done in low earth orbit and even in deep space if a profit can be made...  yeah.  Its time to take NASA down to the river, hold its head under water till it stops kicking and then let them feed the catfish.

 

Tolley starts a scorched earth campaign against Axe.

General Tolley (hereafter known as the poster boy for military leadership at the flag ranks) misspoke at a Special Operations Convention.


During his "talk" he stated that US Special Operations in Korea were running operations into the North.


David Axe reported what he heard and that's when the trouble started.  The knee jerk reaction from many in the Special Ops community was that David reported a lie.  We found out later via the US Forces in Korea spokesperson that he didn't.


They then stated that David should have known better and double checked his facts...my question to the critics is why?  All he did was report what was stated.  Instead of blaming the person who at fault...the poster boy, the reporter is being blamed.  Talk about a case of entitlement!


But I wish it ended there but SOFREP's own Brandon Webb posted this on his blog....

Warning, satire to follow:
The SOFREP editorial staff has heard unconfirmed reports that (name removed) a journalist has committed suicide over his sloppy reporting regarding US Special Operations in North Korea.  He apparently hung himself and a supposed letter was left posted to his hotel room night stand that stated the following:
“I was too ashamed at my own bad reporting and could not go on living knowing that I had resorted to reporting a tabloid headline in order to attract readers attention and try and land more contract work for myself.  I’m ashamed of myself for not having enough common sense to do my homework on the Special Operations community.  I’ll admit that this is rampant in the international news media.  If I had done my research, I would have known that parachute operations into North Korea would be ridiculous from a military strategic perspective and have little return on investment. I encourage people to visit Soldier Systems.net and SOFREP.com for real information on the Military and the Special Operations community.” -(name removed)
The SOFREP staff encourages news media to use multiple credible military sources and read up on issues with regards to their military reporting in the future. After all Special Forces is an Army term not meant for the USN, USMC, and USAF.

To each his own.

But how about we lay blame where it belongs.

General Tolley fucked up, not David.  To make a post like the one above and ignore the real villian, village idiot or poster boy for silliness is just not right.

NOTE:  When Brandon first filed this story, he did it without the "satire" warning and with David Axe's name on full display (in the area where it now states "name removed")

Combat Qualified Frontline Airmen.

Some terrorist is shitting his pants at the thought of meeting these breast feeding mothers in a dark cave.


Read the story here.

Dawn Descent...

Photos by Cpl. Gene A. Ainsworth III

A Marine serving with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit's ground combat element, Battalion Landing Team 3/1 fast ropes out of a UH-1Y Huey onto USS Makin Island here May 31. The unit is deployed as part of the Makin Island Ready Group, a U.S. Central Command theater reserve force. The group is providing support for maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet area of responsibility.

Hot Hook-Up

Marines with Combat Logistics Battalion 5 return from familiarizing themselves with the downward thrust of a Kaman K1200, or "K-MAX," unmanned helicopter during initial testing in Helmand province, Afghanistan, May 22. Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 2 pioneered the first unmanned, mid-flight external cargo hookups, and delivered approximately 6,000 pounds of gear in their first day of testing.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Lisa Tourtelot)