Air Assault Final.

Students rappell out of a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter from roughly 90 feet in the air during the final event of the rappelling portion of the Air Assault Course held at Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center, April 17-27, 2012.

"Victory" Day Practice.

via English Russia.

Afghan attacks on coalition forces without injuries. The unreported truth.

From Associated Press Via Fox News.

The military is under-reporting the number of times that Afghan soldiers and police open fire on American and other foreign troops. 
The U.S.-led coalition routinely reports each time an American or foreign solider is killed by an Afghan in uniform. But The Associated Press has learned it does not report insider attacks in which the Afghan wounds -- or misses -- his U.S. or allied target. It also does not report the wounding of troops who were attacked alongside those who were killed. 
Such attacks reveal a level of mistrust and ill will between the U.S.-led coalition and its Afghan counterparts in an increasingly unpopular war. The U.S. and its military partners are working more closely with Afghan troops in preparation for handing off security responsibility to them by the end of 2014.

Go to Fox News to read the whole thing...

Information operations are a part of war.  I realize that.


I don't know if this should be classified as operationally important information to withhold from the public, information that they determined would hurt the war effort if it was released or if they simply thought the public had no need to know.

I have no idea how they'll justify this, but I'm sure they will.  I also know that the outrage that should come from the American people will not materialize.

People seem to be more concerned with Kim Kardashians big ass than they do about men fighting and dying. 

LCS. Just nasty.

H/T to Cdr Salamander.

A couple of things.

First that is one NASTY looking ship.  I've seen grungy looking but that's beyond gungy.  That's filthy.  Second thing.  Is that a Mexican flag flying?

That has GOT to hurt!

Knockout blow: Boxer Lavarn Harvell (right) smashes a mashed up Tony Pietrantonio (left) to end their light heavyweight bout

Fluid shockwave baby!  Fluid shockwave!

Feds planning for rioting & evacuations during NATO summit.

Alternate media is buzzing with news that during the upcoming NATO summit plans are being made to evacuate Chicago and training is being conducted in case of rioting.

I don't ever recall (and I could easily be wrong) major trouble at a NATO summit.  At meetings of the World Trade Organization yes, but NATO?

And if you're like me and your first thoughts are...man...these guys are kinda blowing the bullshit trumpet kinda hard...then check out these links...

Link 1

Link 2

Link 3

Link 4

Being prepared is one thing but this seems over the top.  If the White House was aware of it being this disruptive then why hold this summit in a major American city?  Ft. Hood, Camp Lejuene, Barksdale AFB or any number of military facilities could have easily handled it and also provided all the needed security---in addition to having a ready supply of troops to beef it up in case of trouble.

This whole thing...including the setting seems wrong.  Something's going on here...I just can't put my finger on it.

The Vikings, 1st Bn Royal Anglian Regiment in Helmand.

UPDATE:

Thanks Mikey B. for the unit identification.  You did the job that a Combat Correspondent slipped on!

F-35B BF-14 First Flight

Lockheed Martin test pilot Bill Gigliotti flew F-35B BF-14 (Navy Bureau Number 168310), on its inaugural flight on 24 April 2012 from NAS Fort Worth JRB. The aircraft will be assigned to VMFAT-501 at Eglin AFB, Florida.