Wednesday, October 13, 2021

USMC BLT 1/1 & US Army TF Bastard conduct interoperability training

 

V3/2 Conducts Range 400

U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Richard Stanley, an infantry unit leader with 3rd Battalion, 2d Marine Regiment, 2d Marine Division, attached to 3d Marines conducts rehearsals on Range 400 as part of Service Level Training Exercise 1-22 on Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California, Oct. 8, 2021. Range 400 provides Marine Corps ground units the opportunity to test and enhance their ability to command and control forces in a contested environment. Stanley is a Clintwood, Virginia native. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Ryan Ramsammy)

Funny but stupid...

 

They're lucky they didn't die a horrible death...never fuck around with deep holes you never know what lurks down there...
https://mtblike.tumblr.com/post/664926782739365888

Must Read! Opinion: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin must resign via Task & Purpose

 via Task & Purpose.

Austin’s appointment to the top of the Department of Defense stunned those of us who had personally observed his stumbling performance as commander of U.S. Central Command. 


“This is not a decision brief,” a member of the Commander’s Action Group advised me in late 2015 as I waited to update Austin on preparations for a special operations task force to take on the Islamic State group in Iraq. “So don’t embarrass him by asking for one.” 


This took me by surprise because the presentation was supposed to be exactly that: a thumbs up or down on whether to proceed with a particular course of action. Instead, my carefully delivered presentation concluded in awkward silence during which Gen. Austin nodded his thanks, then sniffed and tugged at his collar but offered no guidance. Eventually one of his long-suffering staff showed me the way to the door. 


“I’m sorry, Andy, but it is what it is,” he said with genuine remorse, before adding: “Hey bro, make sure you kick ass out there.” That quietly delivered exhortation was more inspiring than anything I heard from Gen. Austin during his two years in command. 

Story here 

British Army close to being 'combat incapable' against high-end threats

 via Forces.net

The British Army is close to being "combat incapable against high-end threats", such as those posed by Russia and China, a senior defence analyst has said.

Francis Tusa has sounded a warning about the UK's "neglect" of its heavy equipment programme through recent decades.

The UK has made a commitment to generate a NATO high-readiness brigade by 2024.

However, Mr Tusa believes that is becoming less likely.

He told Forces News: "The problem is overwhelmingly with equipment.

"Will there be the equipment to equip a coherent, mechanised/armoured brigade by 2024, trained? And the answer is no."

Not surprising.

But only temporary.

Everyone is taking risks to modernize.  Most just aren't as visible as the issues that the British Army is having.

They'll sort this quick.  No worries here.  If they were screwed I'd tell ya....loud too.

Tuesday, October 12, 2021

I've long suspected that SOCOM was in Taiwan...but Marines too?

 via Military.com

U.S. special operations forces and Marines have been deployed to Taiwan and secretly training its military for at least a year as China becomes increasingly aggressive with its territorial claim on the island, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

A couple of dozen special operators and support troops are training small units of Taiwan's ground forces, while a contingent of Marines is working with local maritime forces on small-boat training, according to the report, which cited unnamed U.S. officials.

The news report came amid a record-setting number of Chinese military flights around the island. The People's Liberation Army made a total of 149 military flights over four days, including 56 on Monday, The Associated Press reported.

It also comes at a time of heightened U.S.-China tensions over issues ranging from trade to human rights to COVID-19 and seems sure to further stoke Beijing's ire.

In a statement to the Journal, the Chinese foreign ministry said the country "will take all necessary steps to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity."

The Marine Corps on Thursday directed questions to the Pentagon, which declined to comment directly on the report when contacted by Military.com. A spokesman did release a general statement on the Pentagon's position toward China and Taiwan.

Here

Just wow.  That deflection confirms that Marines are on that island.

Wonder where they pulled them from?

Regardless is it my imagination or does this seem SUPER provocative.  Using SOCOM is one thing.  But using Marines in such an open manner seems designed to agitate.

Am I the only one sensing that the Pentagon would rather the big fight happen sooner rather than later?

I've long advocated that it would have been better to kill the China baby in its crib, but we didn't.  Knock off a teenage China that full of Testosterone and lacking any self control?  Doable but harder than it should have been.

One thing is certain.  This is the right stimulant to get them raging...raging hard.


Our economy and our society is breaking....record number of Americans quit their jobs....

From my chair this is stunning.

We already have tons of job openings that are going unfulfilled, we already have numerous sectors of our economy facing staffing challenges...and we have more Americans talking about rising prices being a major concern (along with shelves being shockingly empty...kinda reminds me of old skool USSR pics).

Yet despite all of the above we have a record number of Americans simply quitting?

I know that the virus scared off alot of elderly workers and many of them simply left the workplace.

Don't know what's going but this seems like a bit of ominous news. Tell me why I'm wrong!  No joke.  I want to be wrong and that this is simply part of the economic cycle.

I know this is Russian propaganda but damn! Didn't know that (assuming its true)...definitely got to dig into this....

18th Mechanized Division Gen. Tadeusz Buk. @ work via FoxTwo PL

BAE....."conflicts of tomorrow"