Colonel Ripley's testimony on Women In Combat.

A response to Haynie's latest for USNI Blog.

                 

COLONEL RIPLEY: I, too, would like to begin with prepared remarks.

Ladies and gentlemen of the Commission, I’ll start with my background. Very briefly, my association with combat. I served my first combat tour as a young Marine captain company commander of a rifle company for a year in Vietnam, along the DMZ; from Khe Sanh, virtually all of the fire bases, over to the Tonkin Gulf, Con-Tien, Rockpile, Khe Sanh and the jungles in between.

My next tour was with the Vietnamese Marines four years later, where I served in virtually the same area. At the time, Khe Sanh was abandoned, and I had the distinction of being the last American there, having been shot down there twice on two consecutive days.

I also served a tour with the British Royal Marines, where I commanded a rifle company in 4/5 Commando, deployed with them to the Arctic for two years—correction, two winters—and during that same tour, I deployed to Malaya, where I served with the 1st of the 2nd Gurka Rifles and 40 Commando on a post-and-station tour that, to my surprise, in the jungles of northern Malaya, also included combat. I wasn’t supposed to know that.

I had been trained exceedingly well by the Marine Corps. I am one of two Marines who have completed all four schools preparatory to reconnaissance training; airborne, scuba, jump, trained with the Navy SEALs at the time they were not SEALs, they were UDT, and, finally, the British Royal Marine Commando Course. There are only two present active-duty Marines so designated.

Read the whole thing here, but I wanted to post this part because it gives a brief glimpse of Colonel Ripley's qualifications.

To say that he was hard as woodpecker lips is to understate just how hard he was.  The guy was granite.  If anyone has been there and done that then Ripley was that man.

I won't ruin it.  Read it for yourself and think hard on what he has to say.  I just wish he was here to be Commandant instead of what we have now.

I wouldn't have believed it if...

Honesty time.


I never would have believed this if I hadn't seen it.  I would have chalked it up to conspiracy theories...lunatics...EXTREME right thinking....but here's the video.  Amazing in a very disturbing way.

"America will never tap into educational innovation and ingenuity without looking at the model that we have in our Madrassas, in our schools where innovation is encouraged. Where the foundation is the Koran," Rep. Andre Carson (D-Indiana) said at the ICNA-MAS convention at the end of May.

RIMPAC 2012. Ground side training.

MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII (June 28, 2012) Soldiers from Alpha Company, New Zealand Army, run through procedures for clearing buildings as part of the Military Operations Urban Training (MOUT). Alpha Company is hosted by the 1st Battalion 3rd Marine Regiment during exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2012. (New Zealand Defence Force Photo by LAC Amanda McErlich, Photographer, Defence Communications Group)

MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII (July 1, 2012) Soldiers from Alpha Company, New Zealand Army, practice drills for urban clearing at the Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH) Military Armored Tactical Combat House while personnel from 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment watch. Twenty-two nations, more than 40 ships and submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC exercise from Jun. 29 to Aug. 3, in and around the Hawaiian Islands. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2012 is the 23rd exercise in the series that began in 1971. New Zealand Defence Force Photo by: LAC Amanda McErlich, Photographer, Defence Communications Group

MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII (July 2, 2012) A Republic of Korea Marine with 1st ROK Marine Division conducts a speed reload for his K2 assault rifle during a weapons training evolution as part of Rim of the Pacific 2012, July 2, 2012. Approximately 2,200 personnel from 9 nations are participating in RIMPAC 12 as part of Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force 3, Combined Force Land Component Command. The CFLCC is conducting amphibious and land-based operations in order to enhance multinational and joint interoperability. Twenty-two nations, more than 40 ships and submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in the biennial RIMPAC exercise from June 29 to Aug. 3, in and around the Hawaiian Islands. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Jerome Reed/RELEASED)

MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII Mexican Marine Corporal Sergio Deloya Chino fires at 25-yard targets
during weapons training as part of Rim of the Pacific 2012, July 2, 2012. Approximately 2,200 personnel
from 9 nations are participating in RIMPAC 12 as part of Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force
3, Combined Force Land Component Command. The CFLCC is conducting amphibious and land-based
operations in order to enhance multinational and joint interoperability. Twenty-two nations, more than
40 ships and submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in the biennial
RIMPAC exercise from June 29 to Aug. 3, in and around the Hawaiian Islands. (U.S. Marine Corps photo
by Cpl. Jerome Reed/RELEASED)

MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII (July 2, 2012) Members of the 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry from Shilo, Manitoba, and 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines from Hawaii, United-States, get on board a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter, at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, on July 2 2012. Twenty-two nations, more than 40 ships and submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise from June 29 to Aug. 3, in and around the Hawaiian Islands. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2012 is the 23rd exercise in the series that began in 1971. Canadian Forces photo by : MCpl Marc-Andre Gaudreault, Canadian Forces Combat Camera. RELEASED

MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII (July 2, 2012) Members of the 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry from Shilo, Manitoba, and 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines from Hawaii, United-States, get on board a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter, at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, on July 2 2012. Twenty-two nations, more than 40 ships and submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise from June 29 to Aug. 3, in and around the Hawaiian Islands. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2012 is the 23rd exercise in the series that began in 1971. Canadian Forces photo by : MCpl Marc-Andre Gaudreault, Canadian Forces Combat Camera. RELEASED

MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII (July 2, 2012) - Members of the 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry from Shilo, Manitoba, and 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines from Hawaii, United-States, practice the Fast Rope Insertion Extraction System with a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter, at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, on July 2 2012. Twenty-two nations, more than 40 ships and submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise from June 29 to Aug. 3, in and around the Hawaiian Islands. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2012 is the 23rd exercise in the series that began in 1971. Canadian Forces photo by : MCpl Marc-Andre Gaudreault, Canadian Forces Combat Camera. RELEASED

ANGLICO Jumps With British Commandos

I don't know but I've been told that jumping out a CH-46 is a bit more unpleasant than out of C-130. Why? Never told but I'm curious.

Infauna electronic warfare vehicle

Interesting concept.

Read about it here and here.

Royal Marines in Helmand.

A member of the Brigade Reconnaissance Force consults his map during Operation Pot Khanger, a sweep by 30 Commando last summer. Picture: LA(Phot) Hamish Burke, 3 Cdo Bde

Juliet Company, 42 Commando, move through a wheat field between compounds on a patrol of Helmand in May 2011. Picture: LA(Phot) Dave Hillhouse, 42 Cdo

45 Commando head out on Jackal armoured vehicles on a dusk patrol. Picture: LA(Phot) Andy Laidlaw, 45 Cdo

Hearts and minds… A Royal Marine of Yankee Company, 45 Commando, chats with local youngsters during a patrol outside Patrol Base Shamal Storrai. Picture: LA(Phot) Andy Laidlaw, 45 Cdo

1st MarDiv is now larger than the British Army and Royal Marines combined.

Wow.  The 1st MarDiv is now larger than the British Army and Royal Marines combined.  The 1st Marine Air Wing is larger than the British Air Force and Naval Air Arm combined.

Quite honestly the US Marine Corps by itself is larger than several European countries Army and Air Force's combined.

In light of the economic crisis its somewhat understandable...somewhat.  But the question must be asked.  What unique capabilities do our allies bring to the fight that we don't have organically?

Are partnership missions even valid?  Is the work done to have other forces attend Red Flag or to go out to 29 Palms or the NTC worth it when if combat came the US would make up the bulk of the forces?

With the reduction in forces that the Brits are carrying out could they maintain tempo of operations if another war broke out?  With so many forces now in the TA could they arrive with enough men to make a difference?

I don't know but this will bite and it will change perceptions and relations.

Its a beautiful thing!

The F-35 is just a beautiful thing....


Like an old girlfriend that doesn't want anything to do with you but sex...


Like Ford Pickup Trucks with suspension lifts...


Like a personally customized AR-15.


Yeah the F-35, even during pit tests is a beautiful thing!