Scale Model New's take on a European Stealth NH-90 Gaddafi Grabber!

Scale Model New's take on a 'Gaddafi Grabber' NH-90.  Go here to read the whole thing.  Overall I think its improbable but an interesting exercise none the less.

Question. Is the Marine Corps an elite force?

A simple question to all.  Is the Marine Corps an elite force?

The question came up when me and some buddies were having a few cold ones talking about this that and the other thing...being that it was a bunch of military guys....2 Marines, a couple of Sailors and a Soldier...that question came up.

My answer was---of course.  Is it Special Ops?  No.  Is it elite?  Yes.

The Soldier chimed in wanting to know the difference....my reply was that the 82nd Airborne is elite...that the 101st is elite....and that before the Stryker conversions the 10th Mountain, 25th Infantry were also elite.

Of course he agreed but added that some Stryker Brigades and even some Heavy Battalions could be considered elite.

Sailors being who they are also decided to add their two cents.  It got to the point where Carrier Air Wings, EOD and Riverine should also be considered elite units.

So on this somber weekend, where we remember our fallen I'm posing this question.  What is elite and who fills the bill?

The Thugs video taped themselves.

Thanks USS Helm! 

These Thugs had the audacity to video tape themselves committing this atrocity.  I still want them to fry....here on earth and later in hell.

Go Wind Pics.

DCNS Go Wind Family of Ships.  Below is the Go Wind OPV L'Adroit which was recently launched.  It appears that the French have taken the Corvette Class (read LCS) in a pretty impressive new direction.

RS-24 LARS.

Hmm...seems the START Treaty isn't keeping the Russians from modernizing their nuclear forces.  Additionally they're moving from single to multiple warheads.  Interesting.

Pima County SWAT Team and Sheriff's Dept caught in lies and a cover up!

First up a bit from Salem-News

Having survived two tours in Iraq, Marine combat veteran Jose Guereña in Arizona was gunned down in front of his family, inside of his own home, by the Pima Regional SWAT team earlier this month. They fired 71 rounds in seven seconds, striking him 60 times.

Then, to add insult to injury, the deputies under the command of Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik, blocked paramedics from approaching the scene for well over an hour, and of course that cut off any chance of Guereña surviving.

After all, it was only 60 police rounds that struck him, certainly the man was still dangerous.

Jose's wife, Vanessa Guereña, told reporters with KGUN Channel 9, "I was going to touch Jose because he was [moaning]," she said. "And I saw his stomach, and all the blood on the floor."

Officers did say that he drew a weapon and shot at them, and that was the only reason for "returning" fire on Mr. Guereña, which many people could understand, as that equates to self-defense.

But then it was discovered that this Marine veteran actually didn't fire; he never took his weapon off safety, probably because he realized they were police. Marines are the best riflemen in the world and their mistake ratio in combat is lower than other military combatants in the world.

Read the whole thing...and then consider this bit from Huffington Post.

The Pima County Sheriff's Office has now changed its story several times over the last few weeks. They have issued a press release (PDF) scolding the media and critics for questioning the legality of the raid, the department's account of what happened, and the department's ability to fairly investigate its own officers. They have obtained a court order sealing the search warrants and police affidavits that led to the raids, and they're now refusing any further comment on the case at all. When I contacted Public Information Officer Jason Ogan with some questions, he replied via email that the department won't be releasing any more information. On Saturday, Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik told Arizona Daily Star columnist Josh Brodesky that he may never release the search warrants and police affidavits. Dupnik rose to national prominence earlier this year after claiming combative political rhetoric contributed to Jared Loughner killing six people and wounding 19 others, including Rep. Gabielle Giffords, last January.
The department's excuses for keeping all of this information under wraps make little sense. In his May 18 press release (PDF), for example, Ogan wrote, "The investigation that lead to the service of the search warrants on May 5 is a complicated one involving multiple people suspected of very serious crimes. Sometimes, law enforcement agencies must choose between the desire of the public to quickly know details, and the very real threat to innocent lives if those details are released prematurely." Dupnik used the same line of reasoning with Brodesky. "Those are the real sensitive parts of why we are having difficulty with trying to put information out publicly--because we don't want somebody getting killed," Dupnik said.
The problem with that explanation is that the search warrants and affidavits weren't sealed until four days after the raids were executed, right at about the time the troubling questions about Jose Guerena's death began to make national headlines. If revealing the details of this investigation -- which remember, was initially described by the Sheriff's Department as a marijuana investigation -- could endanger lives, why weren't the warrants and affidavits sealed from the start? It isn't difficult to understand why some would suspect a cover-up, or at least an attempt to suppress details until the department can come up with a narrative that mitigates the damage. In any case, it's awfully audacious for a police agency to scold the media for not trusting them and for "spreading misinformation" just days after revealing they themselves released bad information.

Thank God for the reporter at Huffington Post thats running with this story.  MR. RADLEY BALKO  I am a fan!  Make sure you read both stories in full.

A couple of things are beyond obvious and if you disagree fine...but you won't change my mind.

1.  The Pima County Sheriff needs to resign immediately.  
2.  The US Justice Dept needs to start an investigation of this Marine's death. 
3.  These bastards should fry. 

US Army's new advertising campaign. "A Symbol of Strength"

Delta Zulu trailer.

TEOTWAWKI Blog posted this and thought some might like a little mid week entertainment.  Who doesn't love a good movie trailer?

House Armed Services Committee plays with AAV upgrade funding.

The Statement of Administration Policy has some interesting stuff in it.  In particular is the item on the AAV and the F-35 engine (WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO KILL THE ALTERNATE ENGINE!).  But since I feel the AAV upgrade is the more pressing issue.  The F-35 engine is pure politics.  Read the whole thing.  I've never been one to follow the HASC but I think that's about to change.

Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAV):  Section 214 would restrict the ability to develop improvements to existing AAVs until the completion of an analysis of AAV requirements and the completion of an analysis of alternatives of various options to fill such requirements.  The Marine Corps is committed to a follow-on for the AAV; however, this provision would limit the ability to both improve the existing fleet and inhibit analysis of the best replacement options.

 If I had to bet, it would be that the delegation from Ohio is attempting to revive the EFV.  But I could be wrong.

saphr1540r_20110524

McDonnell Douglas Model 226-458 Quiet Attack Aircraft...

Go to RetroMechanix to read the article on this amazing airplane!

Time to shine.

Thanks B Bolsoy for the link...via Air Force Magazine.

Lockheed Martin's Time to Shine: Lockheed Martin is 20 percent ahead of it's flight plan for all three variants of the F-35 strike fighter and 33 percent ahead of planned test points, Bob Stevens, company chairman and CEO, told reporters Tuesday. "There will not be another rebaseline of this program. There will not be. We understand that," said Stevens during a briefing at the company's offices in Arlington, Va. He said the company is committed to working with the Defense Department to get the F-35 program back on track. "There are early signs that the program is stabilizing," he noted. Last week, Senate Armed Services Committee leadership expressed concern over the F-35 program's estimated $1 trillion price tag (in inflation-adjusted dollars). That estimate is based on 2,443 airplanes flown over the course of 52 years with more than 50 basing locations, said Steve O'Bryan, Lockheed vice president for F-35 business development. O'Bryan said the company does not believe that the cost figure is realistic and is dedicated to proving the aircraft's reliability—better reliability would mean less lifecycle costs. "Let's see how we perform. I will feel more confident [citing a figure] once we have more than 10 percent of all testing behind us," said O'Bryan.

—Amy McCullough

A view of the Senate hearings that I had not heard before.  The explanation of the life-cycle costs indicates that Senator McCain's staffers fed him bad information.  It seems that he should either replace them or put them on some type of remedial training program!

F-35 to be deployed for combat before IOC...all three models.

Via DefenseNews.com

The U.S. military may deploy the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) before the tri-service fighter is formally declared Initial Operational Capable (IOC), top uniformed officials told Congress on May 24.
While the U.S. Marine Corps has always maintained that it would declare IOC with interim Block 2B software, the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy require that the aircraft be fielded with Block 3 software before the jet is formally declared operational. However, in testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, leaders from both services said they would consider deploying the fifth-generation stealth fighter into combat zones with interim Block 2B software provided that there were no safety concerns.

"If the combatant commander said, 'bring me this capability,' then we clearly would provide it," said Air Force Lt. Gen. Herbert Carlisle, the service's deputy chief of staff for operations, plans and requirements.
The Navy's director of warfare integration, Rear Adm. David Philman, who was also testifying, concurred.
"I don't see any reason we wouldn't be able to be told to go into theater, assuming all the safety considerations have been taken care of," he said.

Hmm, I can't wait to see the response to this news.

A video series you must see: The Battle For Marjah.

Its a series of 9 vids.  Well worth the time.

Pic of the day. May 24, 2011.

The third F-35 Lightning II carrier variant flight test aircraft, designated CF-3, launches from Naval Air Station (NAS) Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base on May 21 on the way to completing its first test flight.

Not sure but that should be the last test aircraft.  Every plane built from here forward should be going to the training center in Florida.

NASA announces Multi Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV)

I'm of mixed feelings on the course that NASA is currently taking.  Privatizing space exploration feels like a big time mistake but it gives the US Air Force a tremendous opportunity.  I'm also a bit jaded on the MPCV.

We've given up on the Shuttle concept and are reverting back to a Big Apollo type capsule.

The current NASA Chief is a former Marine.  And I can't say that I'm impressed by his leadership.  First the outreach to Muslims via our space program and now the muddle that is our manned flight program?

Yeah, I'm not impressed.  More like disappointed.

Read about the MPCV here.

US Northern Command. Still sleep.

Another swarm of tornadoes hit the heartland of the country.  Its obvious that local authorities are overwhelmed.

But where is Northern Command?

This from their website.

USNORTHCOM’s civil support mission includes domestic disaster relief operations that occur during fires, hurricanes, floods and earthquakes. Support also includes counter-drug operations and managing the consequences of a terrorist event employing a weapon of mass destruction. The command provides assistance to a Primary Agency when tasked by DOD. Per the Posse Comitatus Act, military forces can provide civil support, but cannot become directly involved in law enforcement.

In providing civil support, USNORTHCOM generally operates through established Joint Task Forces subordinate to the command. An emergency must exceed the capabilities of local, state and federal agencies before USNORTHCOM becomes involved. In most cases, support will be limited, localized and specific. When the scope of the disaster is reduced to the point that the Primary Agency can again assume full control and management without military assistance, USNORTHCOM will exit, leaving the on-scene experts to finish the job.

I would say that the disaster in Joplin is beyond the scope of local authorities.

Northern Command should be there.

At the very least they should at least be up to speed with current events instead of putting up puff pieces like "Astronauts worst day may be our best".

F-35C ferries to Pax River

Devastation in the Heartland. A missed mission for our Active Duty Forces.

All photos from Buzzfeed.com

The recent devastation in Missouri has me wondering about something.

Where are our Active Duty Forces to help with situations such as this?

And before you hit me with Posse Comitatus Act nonsense, let me hit you back with this.

The US Military can certainly replicate the assistance given to Haiti and Japan within our own borders can't they?  Just like in Japan we wouldn't be going in with weapons...but with self sufficient forces that are able to provide shelter, food and possibly most importantly medical assistance to fellow Americans that have suffered tragedy.

States are already stretched thin.  Police and Fire services are being cut back in order to maintain legislatively required balanced budgets.

But possibly more importantly than all that is this....

If the Department of Defense has no role to play in this type of scenario then exactly what is Northern Command all about?


Note:  If you're curious about what the current commander of NorthCom is focusing on you can read his blog here.  I can give you a quick primer now though.  The Admiral is extremely proud of a national level disaster response exercise.  My critique stands.  What better time to swing from an exercise into a real world situation?  Until or unless NorthCom starts helping the American people, its just another command for General level Officers to fill billets.

Bayonet question answered...

On an earlier post I asked why Sgt Shue had, what I thought was a US Army bayonet and P-Mags with his weapon.

Luckily, USMC Combat Cameraman LCpl Mark Stroud was kind enough to send me an e-mail that filled in the blanks.

A couple of points that LCpl Stroud and other Marines were kind enough to hit me with include...

1.  The Marines were ordered by their command to run the course in the uniform shown.
2.  The Marines were not ordered to bring their own bayonets and borrowed the ones shown in the photo from the Australian Army.
3.  The P-Mag issue still eludes my understanding.  I've gotten two different stories on them and I'm just going to write the subject matter experts (the boys of the Weapons Training Battalion at Quantico...hopefully they'll write me back!) and see if P-Mags are unit purchase, optional gear or now Marine Corps issue.

One last point though.  I fuck with the Wing.  I tease the Wing.  But the Marines in the Wing are Marines.  I haven't forgotten that. 

Operation Urban Thunder at 29 Palms.

MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. -Members of Animal Company 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment ready the Amphibious Assault Vehicles for their march to their objective in their culminating exercise for Operation Urban Thunder in the Blacktop training area May 17, 2011. , Lance Cpl. D. J. Wu, 5/17/2011 2:13 AM

MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. -Lieutenant Col. Timothy Barrick, the commanding officer of 1st Tank Battalion stands by and awaits orders to advance about his M1 Abrams, the “ Game Changer”, in Operation Urban Thunder in a Combat Center training area May 17, 2011. , Lance Cpl. D. J. Wu, 5/17/2011 2:36 AM

MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. -An M1 Assault Breacher Vehicle sets off its mine clearing line charge as part of Operation Urban Thunder May 17, 2011., Lance Cpl. D. J. Wu, 5/17/2011 7:58 AM

MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. -Members of Mike Battery, 3rd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, fire their M777 howitzer down range in a call for fire exercise in Regimental Combat Team-7’s Operation Urban Thunder throughout Combat Center’s training areas May 17, 2011., Lance Cpl. D. J. Wu, 5/17/2011 3:33 AM