Australian Army Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle Crewman Training...

Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle trainees have been busy learning their trade @SOARMDAusArmy . They of course learn how to safely manoeuvre their vehicle across a variety of obstacles of varying complexity

1/2 pic.twitter.com/T9qwxIQpsA

— Trev Williams (@strategic_tank) August 2, 2019

This dude is definitely worth a follow if you have any interest in Australian Armor!

Open Comment Post. 02 Aug 2019

Naval Special Warfare Commander admits that they have a problem...a serious problem with discipline...

via USNI News.

3. By 7 August 2019, I am directing you to provide I written commander’s estimate that describes how you and your command team will develop a plan of action that is informed by “Naval Special Warfare’s Force Ethics Assessment” dated 22 March 2019. This document gives a holistic assessment of the community to include a way forward. As professional development, I direct reading the first 2 chapters of “A Tactical Ethic ” by Dick Couch. This book describes how we have had these problems in the past. and thus provides a case study that we can use to recalibrate our culture and regain our credibility.

Story here. 

I highlighted that bullet point because its important.  Think about the ramifications of the bold part.

Dude in the first part of his letter stated that he was unsure if they had a "culture problem" then moments later admitted that they need to "recalibrate" their culture!

Navy SEALs are broke beyond belief.

I don't think a traditional one or two day stand down can fix the problem.  They ran these guys ragged and now the bill has come due. 

My thoughts?

Punish those you must, but realize that this is as much a tasking issue as it is a discipline issue.

People aren't robots.  You over use them doing dangerous shit and they're gonna show the effects.

In my mind this bad behavior is almost a cry for help.

China's military warns Hong Kong protesters with slick video...

via Saudi Gazette.

China's military has released a slick propaganda video showing a drill of armed troops quelling a protest in Hong Kong, as its commander for the city voiced determination to maintain law and order following two months of pro-democracy rallies.

The double-barrel signals on Wednesday were the strongest public interventions from China's armed forces into the crisis, which has seen masses of people take to the global financial hub's streets to demand more freedoms.

The video, posted online by the People's Liberation Army's (PLA's) garrison in Hong Kong, shows tanks, helicopters, rocket launchers and heavily armed troops in action across various locations of the semi-autonomous Chinese city.

The three-minute clip also specifically features an "anti-riot" drill in which soldiers with assault rifles, armored personnel carriers and water cannons disperse a crowd of protesters in Hong Kong.

"All consequences are at your own risk," a soldier yells into a loudspeaker at the start of the drill in Cantonese, the language spoken in Hong Kong rather than the Mandarin of mainland China.

Story here. 

I need to find a link to this vid!  Gotta see this for myself!

British Royal Navy WildCat's have turned into a real deal Naval Attack Helicopter...

Apparently they also act as genuine wings - they provide additional lift for the aircraft in forward flight, taking some strain off the main rotor. pic.twitter.com/0B8x5ko8Dv

— Henry Jones (@hthjones) August 1, 2019

Didn't see this coming.

Outside of precious few nations, you don't see naval attack helicopters.  Don't get me wrong.  You see helos that are capable of operating from ships that can IDEALLY attack land targets, and you have a few that can flex into the role.

The WildCat is different.

It's one of the very few DEDICATED naval attack helicopters designed to hunt boats/ships.

Impressive.

Oshkosh S-ATV...I really like this rig...

Note.  Everyone is all ablaze about the General Dynamics Flyer or the Polaris Dagor.  They're cool and all but the Oshkosh S-ATV is the rig that has captured my imagination.  Really wish the USMC would take a hard look at this beast.  Pics via Oshkosh.

Penny Mordaunt: I’m fired. Job done...a weirdly emotional, heartbreaking, patriotic tale of politics in the UK Ministry Of Defence...

I didn't know this woman from Adam, but after reading this short story I wish I had taken more time and actually watched her from this side of the Atlantic.

Not gonna spoil an ounce of it with a preview.  Head here and read it for yourself then come back and discuss.

Open Comment Post. 01 Aug 2019

From Think Defens(c)e Flickr Page...3 wheel axle section

U.S. Marines with India Battery, 1st Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment @ Fire Exercise 19

Nigerian Army firefight with Boko Harem.

 

https://enrique262.tumblr.com/post/186680516110/bigwordsandsharpedges-captain-price-official

 

 Couple of things.

1.  Thought Executive Outcomes was dead.  Is the part about former members assisting in this fight true?

2.  The US/UK and others are involved in this fight.  Africa is the new Special Ops playground.  Circling back to #1.  Has anyone done a study comparing the effectiveness of what EO is doing verses SOCOM?

3.  Interesting that they aren't talking about using any fancy ISR.  Don't know for sure but it sounds like they're using old fashioned trackers.  Is our reliance on drones and other systems a weakness?

4.  The part about "endless pursuit" rings of our whack a mole strategy.  What are they doing that we aren't?  Instead of being in all places at once should we go back to an idea of pushing a force...running a single entity (whether ISIS, or Boko Harem) into the ground in order to successfully disband the organization?

That's just a few initial thoughts.

One thing is certain.  Our entire playbook is in need of a re-evaluation.

Thurs Weird (Very Weird) Blast From The Past...13 Men Died for Her Love: Pictures of Persian Princess, the Beauty Symbol in 19th Century

Different strokes for different folks.  Who am I to tell another culture, another time and with a different view, what is and isn't beautiful.

Still.

It's fascinating as hell.  Check it out here.

7th Special Forces Group..."“If we don’t jump, we will never fly” ... video by SPC Jose Vargas

#SinePari https://t.co/lQqB9LuYhD

— USASOC (@USASOCNews) July 31, 2019

Wow.  They're jumping heavy.  Bet that's some pain when they hit deck!  Just as a side note, and I'm only going by social media, but when was the last time you saw a unit (besides the the 7th SF) jumping heavy?

782 gear is to be kept clean/orderly when in garrison. Why can't we do proper maintenance on our aircraft/ships?

Tyler over at The Drive has a fascinating pic and article on the appearance of an over 100 million dollar stealth jet that  looks like warmed over dog shit. Check it out here.

My question.

When did it suddenly become allowed for our ships/aircraft to be in such shit state?

I MIGHT be able to make an exception if the planes are on deployment.  If you're doing work then it makes sense, but the image above is from an airshow.

You would think that for something that is being rolled out to the public, the US military would at LEAST slap a coat of paint (or radar absorbent material) on the bird...something to make it presentable.

But that's obviously not the case.

It extends past this example too.  We've seen US Navy ships that honestly look like tramp steamers from the 1930s.  Aircraft that makes you wonder how in God's name they get off the ground.  The list goes on.  It even extends to the ground side of things to a certain degree.

Remember the parade in DC?

The few armored vehicles that the Army sent looked like dog shit too.

How are other nations able to get it right yet on something this basic we're getting it wrong?

Fix the basics and you might crack the code to fixing the force!

Think Defense Flickr Page...one of the most organized, varied and awesome military pic collections I've seen...

Think Defense has one of the most organized, varied and awesome military pic collections I've seen on the web.

His OCD is a good thing for us (probably drives his loved ones crazy) because its sorted and collated in a fashion that makes it incredibly easy to find whatever floats your boat.

What is gonna have me swimming thru it for hours are pics of historic, experimental and rarely seen armor that he has.  It doesn't stop there though. Check it out here.  You can thank me for the tip later.

Combat Assault Company 3rd Marine Regiment...Video by Cpl. Eric Tso

Open Comment Post. 31 July 2019.

Will SPMAGTF's revert to their traditional role?

We've seen SPMAGTF's become a standing force within the Marine Corps. It wasn't always that way.  I'll have to dig into my books but from memory SPMAGTF's were once Marine Air Ground Task Forces designed to fulfill a unique (special) task and were never meant to be a standing unit...historically.

Of course all that's changed.  So under the new Commandant will we see these units go away?

How does this formation that is aviation centric (although I do seem to recall an effort to get them aboard available ships of various types) fit going into the future?  Will Combatant Commanders fight the move?  I also recall stories about how they were "valued" by CC's worldwide.

Another question I can't wait to get an answer to!

Tuesday Funny & Gross...Woman caught on tape urinating on potatoes in WalMart...

BREAKING: GRACE BROWN turned herself in to West Mifflin Police, after learning that she was wanted for URINATING ON POTATOES INSIDE WALMART, according to her attorney #WTAE pic.twitter.com/hDhKXuzi4u

— Marcie Cipriani (@MCipriani_WTAE) July 30, 2019

Funny cause its so batshit insane you almost have to laugh.  Gross because this type of behavior (well the behavior itself is gross beyond belief) has become a type of fad.

What's next?

Let's see.  We had a couple of clowns decide to lick ice cream and put it back on the shelves, now we have a woman urinating on produce...I guess the next step is someone defecating on beef.

WalMart is off the list of stores I buy food from.  Definitely time to go to upscale joints!

China massing forces on the border with Hong Kong!

Thanks to jokuvaan for the link!

via Bloomberg

The White House is monitoring what a senior administration official called a congregation of Chinese forces on Hong Kong’s border.

Weeks of unrest in the Chinese territory have begun to overwhelm Hong Kong’s police, who have found themselves in violent clashes with protesters. China warned Monday that the civil disorder had gone “far beyond” peaceful protest after police deployed tear gas over the weekend.

The nature of the Chinese buildup wasn’t clear; the official said that units of the Chinese military or armed police had gathered at the border with Hong Kong. The official briefed reporters on condition he not be identified.

Story here. 

The Chinese military don't take a dump without a plan...to paraphrase a Tom Clancy film...so action MUST BE imminent.

If this show of force does not quiet the situation then you can expect tanks to roll into the city poste haste.

What will be interesting isn't the reaction of Western Govts.  We know they will express outrage and protest the action.

What will be interesting is the reaction from Western Corporations that have sold their souls to the Red Chinese.  How will their workers react to the overt oppression of protesters?  How will those same workers that have protested against the US Dept Of Defense react to seeing Chinese troops crushing dissent?

I wish nothing but well to the protesters in Hong Kong, but if there is trouble, then I hope their sacrifice serves as a wake up call to the false equivalence mob that has sway in the US.

I stand corrected on my critique of the Planning Guidance...I'll stand pat and wait for more info...

A snippet of a note I received today...

There's no interest in this SOF support mission, seaborne 101st, or ranger/whatever.

The movement is now to focus on how to destroy the Chinese. If we can fight China, we can fight anyone smaller. Part of fighting China is seeing the sea as terrain to be dominated vice transmitted. With amphibious landed long range fires and effective AA, the Marine Corps can clear paths for the Navy and allow them to get nice and tight to China. Allowing the AF to handle the deep air fight. The CMC is against the light carrier concept (he is against building more CVLs). The America Class with no well deck is loathed in the fleet and amongst logisticians. It's a stupid ship and I can't find any navy officers that like it either. I doubt we build another.

Full naval integration hasn't been done since the 1986 Goldwater-Nichols act, the CMC wants to train us as naval personnel, not a second land army (remember the old FMF school!? That might come back). Berger took a shit on a bunch of sacred cows and I think it was for the better. It's time for the Marine Corps to go back to sea.

No.  I will not provide details of this Marine's personal bio/info. 

I will say this.

I HAPPILY stand corrected.  I laid out a few concerns with the Planning Guidance and where it was taking us.  It's addressed above and the reason for the concern was that I worried we were returning to some of the old concepts/ideas that have been floated over the past decade.

I DO remember the old FMF school.  I DO remember ship board detachments.  I DO like the idea of taking a huge/massive dump on sacred cows.

But I want to know more!