"The Marine Corps Way Of War" Book Review...and a book giveaway!

Hey gents.  This is the long awaited second half of my review of the book, "The Marine Corps Way Of War".

I told you earlier that the first half was outstanding and that if the second half was even middling that I'd highly recommend the book to my readers and would pen a letter to the Sgt Major of the Marine Corps to push for this book to be put on the Commandant's Reading list.

Mission accomplished in a huge way!

This book has struck a nerve in me in ways I did not expect. 

Somethings need to be experienced and this is one of them.  I (arrogantly) like to think that when it comes to "all things Marine Corps", I might not be at expert level but I definitely advanced.

I had to rethink that after reading this.

This is part textbook, part history book with a big dose of "why" things went down the way they did.

If you're an Iraq Marine then you will get better insights into many of the fights you were involved in.

If you're a armchair Marine Corps historian you'll get a view of not just the frontlines but also a glimpse into what was happening back at Battalion and Regiment.

This is a must read boys.  Doubt me on many things but don't doubt me on this.

Quick side note.  You wonder why it took so long to get this out to you?  That unexpected bout of illness knocked me to my knees in ways I didn't expect. But that's just a part of it.  This is the next thing that has me jazzed about this book.

I've yelled to the rooftops for someone to explain to me why this "aviation centric" Marine Corps that all seem to be pushing is the way forward.  I've sat in my chair and easily punched holes in it and I'm sure some Majors and Lt Colonels have done the same at Quantico.

That's why the Afterword to this book shook me so bad.

I got what I wanted and at first I was enraged.  I read the author's words, punched walls, screamed at the moon and walked in the woods hoping a bear would pop out so I could throat punch the beast.

After I took a beat.  Composed myself.  Reread and analyzed his thinking...his thoughts...his message.  I realized that I got what I needed.

This books gives a nice how and why to how the Marine Corps conducts military operations.  Even better it gives a glimpse into where we're going.

Am I now onboard with the aviation centric Marine Corps?  No.  I'm not.  But I have a better understanding of the institution I love, the war that has cost so many so much and how we, the United States Marine Corps does the Marine "thing".

Well done.  Well written.  Highly recommended.

Book giveaway.  The publisher has been good enough to provide a copy of the book to give to a reader.  If you've read this far then you're in by just responding to this blog post.  I'll do the drawing on Friday a blog post in the open comments daily will inform the winner so they can get me their info to pass along so the book should arrive by Christmas.  For those that don't win? Buy it!  It's nicely priced and well worth your dimes!

Canadian Armor at Exercise Intrepid Lion 2017

pics via armeecdnarmy

This is the next reason for war in Africa? Slave trade in Libya (still ain't worth the fight)....

via Vanguard.

Libya’s UN-backed government says it is investigating allegations that hundreds of African refugees and migrants passing through Libya are being bought and sold in modern-day slave markets.

According to reports, the trade works by preying on the tens of thousands of vulnerable people who risk everything to get to Libya’s coast and then across the Mediterranean into Europe – a route that’s been described as the deadliest route on earth. Libya is the main gateway for people attempting to reach Europe by sea, with more than 150,000 people making the crossing in each of the past three years. “They [the refugees] are from several African countries and they say they have fled war, poverty and unemployment in their countries . “They have taken a tough journey through the desert and they have paid people smugglers to get to Libya to try to cross the Mediterranean to Europe.

Story here.

Let's go on and rip this band aid off now.  Even if this is true in every way that counts I still don't think this is enough reason for us to intervene in Libya or anywhere else in Africa.

Bad things happen all over the world.  From the United States to Africa onto Asia, S. America and Europe.

If our reason for action is because we see people in trouble then we can start at the Appalachian Mountains and move thru every major city and quite a few rural areas in America before we start focusing on things outside our borders.

Now the thing that is gonna have over half you guys cursing me, calling me a "Tom", a "cuck", a "wannabe" and the rest of the trash....I'm not so sure this is real.

We're seeing the same type of immigrant flow from the Middle East and Africa into Europe that we've seen for the past 4 years.  We're seeing fighting age men.  In the modern age those are not the people that you want to "enslave".  Too much trouble and too little return (and no, I'm not a slaver, have never wanted to be one...just trying to use my brain).

A young guy could rebel at anytime.  A young guy could possibly overpower his "owner".  No.  You wouldn't enslave fighting age men into slavery as shown in the vid. You'd go for women and pre-teen children.  The reasons in my mind are legion but I'm probably in enough trouble for today so I won't explain myself further.

I'm not sure what we're seeing but I don't believe it's what we're being told.  Is this a fictitious case for moving into Africa full bore?  Has the idea of killing terrorists worn so bare that we need a new motive for action?  In my mind it could be.  I'm not calling this a false flag, but I am saying it doesn't add up...I mean really, why now, why not 2 years ago?

Defense Writer was talking Korean arms industry but explained the Terrex 3 problem!

via Asia Times.

Most important of all, the global arms business is not an equal-opportunity marketplace. There is no level playing field, even if market leaders like the United States, Europe, Russia and a few others (Israel and China, for example) were not fixing the whole affair. Countries buy arms from certain suppliers for many reasons other than cost or capability.

In the first place, buyers often exhibit what can only be termed as “brand loyalty.” My dad was a “General Motors” guy: His entire life he bought only Buicks or Pontiacs; purchasing a Ford would never cross his mind. It is the same with weapons: Countries will acquire US weapons, for example, because they always have, and they are content to go on doing so.

Politics is also critical. Countries buy from the US or Russia in order to build friendly relations or show that they are reliable allies. That is why Poland bought F-16s from the United States, for example. The joke goes that when a country purchases US weaponry, Washington throws in the US Marines for free.

Story here. 

I consider this a must read!

Think about this.  Have you wondered why the Terrex 3, a vehicle I consider to be at the very least equal too if not better than others in its class has received no offers?

Let me take it a step further.  Have you wondered why the BAE SEP from a couple of decades ago, a world beating vehicle that was so far ahead of its time that if it was updated with additional armor and power pack would still be competitive, but never even got a nibble of an order?  Ever wonder why BAE and other corporations are flooding into the US (well defense firms anyway) so that they can get the stamp of the US DoD on their products?

It is as we've always suspected.  Nothing to do with the quality of the vehicle. I don't even think it has anything to do with the Not Invented Here syndrome that Europeans always complain about (you guys have lost a step on innovation...sorry but it's the truth).

It comes down to military power, industrial base, foreign policy and the desire to maintain relations.

This has been obvious all along but it took this guy to actually spell it out for me to lock onto it.

Going by his playbook what can we expect?  If things continue as they are and the world doesn't change drastically then we can expect to see more and more Chinese weapon systems worldwide.  Have you not noticed that Africa is starting to look like a Chinese weapons bazaar?  We can expect them to continue to saturate that market, probably flow over to N. Africa, attempt even more inroads into S. America before they make a big push into the Middle East.

Before that happens we'll see a few more bases that will make American policy makers uncomfortable and we'll see more treaties to make it stick.

In this light the Russian intervention in Syria was just good business practice to ensure that they preserved a market for their goods!

What does it mean for countries like Singapore, Japan, S. Korea and others that want to make inroads?  They will fail.  Not because they make shoddy equipment.  In many ways they make world beating gear.  They'll fail because they lack the other levers of power to make big arms deals a reality.

Japan's X-2 continues development...

via Aviation Week.

The latest concept design of Japan’s proposed indigenous fighter may have moved a little away from the bias toward long-range and endurance over flight performance that marked the previous preliminary design. The latest design exhibited is evidently 26 DMU, the one prepared in the Japanese fiscal year beginning March 2014 as the last of a series of preliminary concepts. Japan has planned to decide in mid-2018 whether to proceed with an indigenous or possibly internationally developed,

The rest of the story is behind a paywall, but my guess is that the Japanese will develop this airplane fully.

The F-35 will not meet specs for their defense needs and will only guarantee favor from the US (especially now...they're pushing the F-35 hard, so hard that it will probably affect future defense buys from allies).

A purpose built semi-stealth fighter that leverages advances in computing power, electronic warfare and the latest missile tech that they're developing will better meet the threat that China presents.

Just like the USMC is monitoring the development of the Mitsubishi Tracked ACV, I'm sure we'll monitor their work on this airplane.  Could we be making a step back to the future?  During WW1 we bought a large number of fighters from allies.  Considering the current state of aircraft development in the US and how work is now starting in Europe, Japan and S. Korea (and only God knows what the Israelis are doing) on their next combat aircraft, we could in a few years see the F-35 going the way of the F7U Cutlass with a short service career and a hasty replacement.

C-2 Pilot showed tremendous airmanship and courage...he saved lives....

via Daily Caller.

The pilot of a U.S. Navy aircraft that went down in the Pacific last week reportedly gave his life trying to save the rest of the people on board the aircraft.

Lt. Steven Combs, 28, died alongside two other service members last Wednesday when a U.S. Navy twin-engine C-2A Greyhound crashed in the Philippine Sea. Through his efforts, eight of the eleven people on the plane survived the crash, the latest fatal accident to hit the Navy’s 7th Fleet in the past six months.

“Lt. Combs’ airmanship was nothing short of heroic, and was instrumental in savings the lives of the eight survivors,” Navy spokesman Commander Ronald Flanders told The Berkshire Eagle. He revealed that the co-pilot, who survived the crash, told Navy officials that “Steve flew the hell out of that plane.”

Story here. 

Well done.  Heroes...real heroes still exist.  The amazing thing is that this guy gave all and as usual the only ones that will remember his bravery tomorrow are the people he saved and those left behind.  We've got to do a better job of telling their stories and remembering their bravery.

Open Comment Post. Nov 28, 2017

Pics via Artstation...Luv me some military sci-fi!

Sexual identity has gotten out of control! I hope to God I'm being pranked!

pic via SKDTactical!

Open Comment Post. Nov 27, 2017 and a few agenda items!

I love those Jeep Comanche pickups.  The new hotness is to find one that's rusting in a junk yard or to grab one that's been sitting in a barn unused and bring it back to life like you see above.

Jeep is talking about building a "Jeep Truck" based on using the front end of a Wrangler...sorta like the AEV conversions.  I think they're screwing up.  They should have gone back to the future and just modernized these jewels.

Having said that I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.  Hope you didn't make a glutton out of yourself (God knows I didn't....an ill timed bout of sickness saw to that) and I hope you're back on the grind of staying in shape.

I was told that no matter what you should do three things everyday.  Hygiene like you're about to be inspected.  Work like you're making a million dollars that day.  And finally workout because you only get one body and you've got to task it, challenge it and rip it (muscles...don't be an ass, you know what I mean) to make it last.

Last thing I need to say is that I'm traveling back today from the holiday hangout so posting is gonna be LIGHT.  Still, I have ONE PRIORITY!  I have a book review to post this afternoon and I was lucky enough to get a give away for an item that I'm gonna recommend for the Commandant's Reading List.

Stand by for that to drop later today.

Oh and just a reminder gents.  We're in the Christmas season and for some reason my fellow Americans seem to get more stressed out and do more stupid shit during this time of year than the rest (well with the exception of summertime months in certain locations....if you don't understand than I recommend you talk to law enforcement).

Stay safe boys.  I told you about the talk I had with a Sheriff's Deputy in the emergency room while getting shots of antibiotics and later I heard that a DPS Trooper in Texas had been shot and killed in a freaking traffic accident.

I can't imagine.  Pulling some idiot over and ready to write him a ticket and send him on his way and end up in a gunfight from hell?  Many times at the time and place of his choosing (assuming he knows the area well and most people are remarkably "close to home" in their driving habits).

Terrible stuff.

Don't be a victim.  Don't be paranoid but keep your head on a swivel.  You might like to think it couldn't happen to you but it happens to someone everyday...so enjoy the holidays but protect yourself and your family.

SNAFU out!

Another Marine Legend passes away. Colonel Wesley Fox....

Col. Wesley L. Fox, who earned the Medal of Honor for actions during the Vietnam War, passed away. 
He served 43 years in the Corps and was a true Marine’s Marine. 
Semper Fidelis, Col. Fox.

I unfortunately met him at a critical time with an unfortunate outcome but he was the real deal.  Respect.