Thursday, June 28, 2012

Kitty GITMO!

A kitten is nestled in the trouser pocket of a U.S. soldier during a Pacific Partnership 2012 veterinary project in the town of San Juan in Samar province, Philippines, June 21, 2012. Pacific Partnership is an annual deployment of forces designed to strengthen maritime and humanitarian partnerships during disaster relief operations, while providing humanitarian, medical, dental and engineering assistance to nations of the Pacific. (Photo by Camelia Montoy)

M27 IAR employment confusion?

Pfc. Kevin Irving, a point man with, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, lays in the prone and shoots down range at targets a part of his evaluation. Marines with the unit were evaluated for their offensive and defensive fundamentals during a training exercise aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune June 18-22.

Hmmm.  When I first saw this I was rather jazzed at seeing one of the few clear pics of a Marine using the M27 IAR.  But the caption left me cold.  Are we seeing confusion regarding the employment of the M27 in line companies?  It could be wrong.  The Marine might be boasting a bit, but the idea that your Machinegunner is used as your point man seems off.  I remember writing the 24th MEU asking how they planned on using the M27.  The Public Affairs Officer wrote me back stating that (I'm paraphrasing) they would employ it  as needed in roles that they deemed fit.  I'm good with that.

The M27 was brand new to the fleet, and the book hadn't been written yet.

But getting back to the photo.  You're going to have one of your machine gunners as point man on patrols?

Definitely time for the Infantry School House to start writing up some type of manual on the employment of this weapon.  Its really starting to look like its just being used as another M-16A4 in the field.  If that's' the case then I say again....redesignate it as the M-16A5 and get them in the hands of all Marines.

'Nuff said!

Guarani Amphibious Personnel Carrier and Astros III MLRS accelerated by Brazil.

Astros III

Astros III

Astros III

Astros III

Astros III Command Vehicle

Guarani Amphibious Personnel Carrier
Interesting news from Brazil.  They have fully reinvigorated the once dead AVIBRAS and are accelerating development (with assistance from IVECO) of the GUARANI APC and ASTROS III MLRS.  via Defense Aerospace.
The Ministry of Defence will receive 1.527 billion reals (USD 733 million) from the Accelerated Growth Program (AGP) for defense equipment. The funds will allow the purchase of 4,170 trucks, 40 Guarani armored vehicles and 30 Astros 2020 missile launcher vehicles. The transfer of the funds was approved today (June 27), through a Provisional Measure signed by President Rousseff during a ceremony held at the Presidential Palace.

Overall, this program will allocate 8.43 billion reals (USD 4,046 million) in 2012, and aims to stimulate the Brazilian economy to expand investment and to generate employment and income.

The Provisional Measure referred to the National Congress frees up a budget of 6.611 billion reals that were contingent. The details of the PAC equipment were disclosed by the Minister of Finance, Guido Mantega, to justify the measures taken by the federal government to stimulate the national economy.

To cope with present economic difficulties, the government is taking steps to foster the internal market. In her speech, Rousseff also highlighted the importance of the resource allocation program to the Ministry of Defence for the purchase of equipment for the Armed Forces.
Read the whole thing but check out the last paragraph...they're going to increase domestic buying to prime the pump for export orders (at least that's how I read it).  Brazil obviously has plans on becoming a major player on the market.  The Israel of South America when it comes to arms production must have a nice ring to them.

Additionally South American countries have been in an arms race of sort with many of them buying advanced weapons from the US, Europe and Russia.  A domestic builder that can provide good equipment at great prices would be hard to resist.  Wrap it all up in a few mutual defense treaties and you can see that this is some far reaching thinking.

Check out the AVIBRAS website here.

Final Goodbye

Lance Cpl. Isaac Ramirez, Marine Wing Support Squadron 471, stands guard over Pfc. Nicolai 'Cola' Jensen at the Church of St. Patrick June 24 while his girlfriend, Abby Cuttell, says goodbye. Jensen passed away recently while attending the School of Infantry. He enlisted out of Recruiting Station Twin Cities' Woodbury, Minn., office.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Clinton Firstbrook)
I usually avoid posting pics of Marines that have lost their lives.

Celebrate in public.

Morn in private has always been my view of things.

But the above pic is particularly moving...

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

No Knock Raids at the wrong location. What would you do?

You're a law abiding citizen.

You mind your business, do your best to not to break the law and you pay your taxes.

What do you do when the Police make a mistake and raid your house --- its their mistake, they've simply jumbled the address but what are you to do?  What about the real possibility that its just gang bangers that are simulated the police?

What do you do?

Lets let that hang for a minute.  Gabe over at Warrior Talk had an article up that addressed this issue.  I invite you to read it for yourself but check out this tidbit.
A SWAT team is like a military unit. You can moan all you want about the militarization of the police and all of that but your tears will not change a thing. Get used to that theme, BTW. When I was on SWAT our view is that "We will always win....even if we have to burn down your entire house by bombing it....we will win". Losing is not an option.  That again is reality....to expect less once the event kicks off is simply stupid.  Period. 
I can see Mr. Bubba Bumpfire now, beating his chest and grabbing his Tapcoe'd SKS, and snarling that he has rights and no SWATdogs are gonna take him down.  Good luck Bubba....Indy law or no Indy law...with that attitude I see you on the deck hog tied...or with a chest full of bullets. Your choice.
Not fair? Get over fair...I deal in reality friend. The reality is that you and your M4 or Custom AK are no match for ten trained guys, working in unison, and coming at a time of their choosing, to take you down. Notice that I have not even gotten into the "right or wrong" discussion.  Why not? Because at that moment in time, it is not relevant.  
Like I said.  Read the whole thing.  But while you're reading it, I want to point out a couple of things.

--Gangs and other crimminals have forced themselves into houses posing as law enforcement officers.  The results have been mixed but lets just say that it didn't end well for the homeowners.
--I laugh when the guy in the article talks about a SWAT team being like a military unit.  FAR FROM IT~!  They can wear the same gear, even drive MRAPs on US roads but they aren't trained to assault through to the objective even in the face of fire.  They aren't built that way.  Additionally, I've had the pleasure to train with several big city Police and Sheriff's depts in S. California and I can tell you this.  When faced with fire from crimminals, the first response is always to retreat and contain the situation.  Not to assault through.  That's why terrorist will cause much blood shed when they hit our shores one day.  Police are not trained to deal with even small numbers of infantry trained individuals.  Check Mumbai for a primer.

But let me climb off my soap box.  Check out this tidbit from Say Uncle's site about a police raid on the wrong house.
 A Minneapolis police SWAT team kicked in the wrong door yesterday during an early morning raid, prompting the man of the house to grab his gun and open fire on the officers who entered the house.“He took out his shotgun and he said if they are bad guys I’ll shoot, I’ll scare them away,” Dao Khang, the brother of the homeowner, Vang Khang, tells the Star Tribune. “He fired first, he told me it was two shots.”Dao Khang says his brother was trying to protect his wife and six children. No one from the family was hit during the exchange of gunfire. Vang hit two officers, but the Pioneer Press says they were protected by ballistic vests and helmets.“I must’ve heard over 20 or 30 shots, I swear, it was scary,” Ruth Hayes, the family’s next-door neighbor, tells WCCO-TV. “It was like 30 SWAT guys out here … it was crazy it was just like havoc.”
Again read the whole thing.  Quite honestly I put that their to confirm to the doubters police SWAT action upon resistance (if you provide them the means to retreat...important caveat!).

But one more story for your reading pleasure.
 Fred Skinner was eating a piece of toast when police from three different agencies burst through his front door with guns drawn, put the 76-year-old in handcuffs, and began ransacking his house in search of drugs. Minutes later, one of the officers noticed a piece of mail on Skinner’s table. The name on it didn’t match the name for the suspected drug dealer the officers were after. The officers asked Skinner if the name on the mail was his. When Skinner said yes, the officer shouted “Wrong house,” and the entire raid team headed out the way they’d come, without apologizing or explaining themselves. They were, according to a department spokesperson, in too much of a rush to get next door, where their suspect was supposedly located.
The Finger Lakes Drug Task Force that conducted the raid is made up of three different departments—The  Cayuga County Sheriff’s Office, the Auburn Police Department, and the Rochester Police Department—meaning the cops screwed up in triplicate. Yet nearly two weeks after the March 13 raid, when the Citizen Local News got wind of the story, the police were still refusing to admit they’d made a mistake:
Again.  Read it all.  But the question that is left unanswered is this.

What would you do?

NOTE:  This issue stems from the Indiana law that allows force against Police Officers.  Research it for yourself but I think that this law is a breath of fresh air.

UPDATE 1:  I'm sure I'll have to add more updates to this post.  But let me be clear.  I AM NOT ANTI- LAW ENFORCEMENT.   But I am a realist and I don't forget.  A Marine was killed in front of his wife in Arizona because the police raided his home.  Mistakes happen and people die.  Is it better to be a victim of that mistake and have the police apologize to your relatives or is it better to do what comes naturally and resist, have them reset and get it cleared up?  The choice is yours but because I have decided not to be a victim doesn't mean that I don't respect or worse that I hate law enforcement.

The "Total Recall" reset looks cool...

This looks like it might be better than the original.  Definitely on my must see summer movie list.

High Park Fire Bambi Bucket Drops From A Blackhawk Helicopter



Video by Senior Master Sgt. John Rohrer 140th Wing Public Affairs
This video is a unique angle of a Blackhawk helicopter delivering water to a fire using a bambi bucket. When the helicopter is in position, the crew releases the water to extinguish or suppress the fire below. The shots consist of a take off from the staging field, dips from a nearby pond to get water and several drops on two different fire locations. This action takes place in the High Park Fire to try to mitigate spot fires in the area west of Fort Collins, Colorado.


I hope someone can explain this to me.  And to be clear.

I'M NOT THERE SO I DON'T KNOW!

But it appears that they're dropping on fires in unpopulated areas instead of by houses.  Why?  People are losing homes.  Not throwing stones and I've never even had a real conversation with a fire fighter so what's the theory here. 

MBT-3000?

MBT-3000

MBT-3000

MBT-300

MBT-3000
Type 99A2
Type 99A2...that engine bay looks remarkably like an M1 Abrams doesn't it?

Its definitely time to brush up on Chinese armor.  To be quite honest I've personally been less than impressed with what I'm seeing out of their industry.  Obvious copies...obvious variations on Western themes has had me recoiling in disgust instead of being curious about that nations armor development.

Now we have the MBT-3000.  Strategypage has a story on it here.  Its worth a read, but I'm still left confused.  We have the Type 99, the Type ZTZ99G, the Type 99A2  (seen above) and now the Type 3000.

I'm still not impressed but I will keep a closer watch on their work.