Rest In Peace CCH Maxime BLASCO

Profonde émotion à l’annonce de la mort au combat, ce jour, au Mali, du CCH Maxime BLASCO, un héros qui s’était déjà brillamment illustré lors de ses précédents engagements dans la BSS, en particulier lors de l’opération Aconit en juin 2019. pic.twitter.com/pzATsZwhFk

— Chef d'état-major des armées (@CEMA_FR) September 24, 2021

Wow. French Forces, especially their Special Ops are getting nicked up big time in North Africa...I know they're giving much much better than they're getting but this has to hurt...God Bless.

Hongdu GJ-11 Sharp Sword UCAV mock up

Hongdu GJ-11 Sharp Sword UCAV mock up, being able to carry 4 guided glide bombs with a passing resemblance to SDB I in one weapon bay.
📸goneless#AvGeek #AirshowChina2021 #UACV #aviationlover pic.twitter.com/MXqXn61YKj

— mayufan (@wghxBboM4ogp498) September 24, 2021

Time on station at "critical" chokepoints comparing conventional vs nuclear subs...

 

Fascinating @CSBA_ map of submarine time "on station" from Perth, for nuclear v conventional submarines. In the South China Sea: 11 days for diesel-electric subs v 77 days for nuclear ones.https://t.co/W4guHnZPbf https://t.co/PXTg2yjcA9 pic.twitter.com/2JDDIweKiM

— Shashank Joshi (@shashj) September 15, 2021

I luv and hate you Marine Corps...You pushed physical & mental fitness...well now I have a lovely library I have to trash!

I swear to God.

Recovering from this surgery so I'm "piddling" around (that's what my girl calls it) doing a few things while I heal up.

I take a look at library and it dawns on me.  I haven't cracked one of those books in YEARS!!!!

Time to downsize.

I jump thru the usual hoops.  

"I know I'll sell it on Ebay or Amazon".  Then it hits me.  I've done that shit before and its a huge pain in the ass.  People are as nutty as fruit cakes and its just not worth the effort.

"I know I'll toss it to readers".  Well you fuckers ain't dumb.  The shipping costs would eat you alive.  I get it.  No issues.

"I know I'll toss it to a local school".  Called two of them and they said they NO LONGER have libraries!  Everything is online!  Fuck me sideways...didn't know that was thing now!

"Give it to jails/prisons for inmates"?  FUCK NO!  Those bastards will just tear the pages out so they can smoke some illegal substance that some son of a bitch smuggled in the place inside his jail pocket (ass if you don't know....don't even get me to explain how a man can KNOWINGLY smoke something that another man had stuck up his ass!).

Ok.  I'm not built to give up.  Let me do this another way.

I go online.

I look for organizations that donate books to the needy, troops overseas etc.

Only one I found that tickled my fancy (worked with Salvation Army and the personnel I worked with left me feeling like I was dealing with advanced criminals...nothing against them but that's my viewpoint...most definitely does NOT apply to the whole organization) was the Vietnam Veterans Of America.

They don't pick up in my area...too rural I guess.

Long Story Short (If you're still with me then you're awesome!) is that the Marine Corps...SINCE DAY 1 OF BOOT CAMP...POUNDED INTO US....

*  You will be physically fit.  You will workout everyday and twice on Sunday.  Unless you're dying you will get it in!  FUCK WHAT THE DOCTOR SAYS YOU WILL GET IT IN!

*  You will be mentally fit.  You will SEEK TO LEARN on a daily basis.  You will read books off the Commandant's Reading List and YOU will expand your horizons beyond that.

YOU WILL BE MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY FIT!  YOU WILL DO THIS SHIT EVERYDAY TILL YOU DIE!!!!

So many years ago I thought.  Wow!  I dig that shit.  I'm WITH that shit!

Fast forward to today.

I'm doing the physical fitness thing.  Still digging that shit.

The mentally fit thing I'm still doing.  But damn it!  I have an awesome library.  More books than anyone but a person that's served in the Marine Corps would everything is possible (I leave out professors...they're weird) and now......

Now I have to trash a good portion of it.

I hate the world.  No one values books anymore....We're losing a bit of our greatness and don't even know it.

End Of Rant!

Sisu Gtp 4x4

 

Holy Jesus it looks good!! https://t.co/gT7TjJaBXO

— P&M (@Foliohat) September 18, 2021

Open Comment Post. 24 Sept 2021

 

U.S. Marine Helicopters Land Aboard Kearsarge

 

210818-N-MZ836-1491 ATLANTIC OCEAN (Aug. 18, 2021) From front to back, a AH-1Z Viper helicopter and UH-1Y Venom attached to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron (HMLA) 167, a MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter, attached to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 28 and a CH-53E Super Stallion attached to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH) 461 idle on the flight deck of the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) Aug. 18, 2021. U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Army, and Navy helicopters integrate with U.S. Navy vessels to maintain flight deck landing and take-off proficiencies and qualifications. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jesse Schwab)

52nd FW ACE Deployment to the Netherlands

 

U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons assigned to the 480th Fighter Squadron, from Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, taxi at Leeuwarden Air Base, Netherlands, Sept. 13, 2021. They integrated with coalition F-16 Fighting Falcon and F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft during the Suppression of Enemy Air Defense phase of a weapons instructor course that also included aircraft from Belgium, the Netherlands and Norway. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Anthony Plyler)

Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron (HMLA) 367 participate in Long Range Raid training..

 

An AH-1Z Viper helicopter with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron (HMLA) 367 conducts flight operations during a long range raid on Marine Corps Base Hawaii, September 23, 2021. The raid was conducted to familiarize Marines in air assaults and the ability to deliver security and stability. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Branden J. Bourque)

CH-53E Conducts External Lifts @ Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course 1-22

 

A U.S. Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion, assigned to Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1), conducts an external lift during Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) course 1-22, at Auxiliary Airfield II, near Yuma, Ariz., Sept. 22, 2021. WTI is a seven-week training event hosted by MAWTS-1, providing standardized advanced tactical training and certification of unit instructor qualifications to support Marine aviation training and readiness, and assist in developing and employing aviation weapons and tactics. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Rachaelanne Woodward)