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Wednesday shorts – Brandon act, A-anniversary, Kim spying, Fusion test

by David••32

Seems I see lots of partial articles this week – ah well, that’s the way it goes.

First up – Air/Space Force folks can now self-submit and get a mental health evaluation within a day, under the provisions of the Brandon Act.

“Service members may request a referral for any reason, including, but not limited to, personal distress, personal concerns or trouble performing their duties,” the Air Force said in a Monday press release. “They are not required to provide a reason or basis for the referral.”

Once notified, superiors will “contact the mental health clinic and request an appointment for the member the same or next day,” the release said. That follow-up will be a face-to-face, telephone or telehealth appointment.  Military.com

The act was named for Brandon Caserta, who committed suicide in 2018. (Not to belittle his memory, but it’s a bit unfortunately named given Biden’s ‘Brandon’ nickname.)

Atomic Bomb 2.jpg

H/t to Jeff LPH for indirectly reminding me that Sunday marked the anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing, and Tuesday marked the anniversary of Nagasaki’s. Sad that so many civilians had to die to stop that war.

According to Reuters, the Norks haven’t just been busy developing their own missiles.

An elite group of North Korean hackers secretly breached computer networks at a major Russian missile developer for at least five months last year, according to technical evidence reviewed by Reuters and analysis by security researchers.

Reuters found cyber-espionage teams linked to the North Korean government, which security researchers call ScarCruft and Lazarus, secretly installed stealthy digital backdoors into systems at NPO Mashinostroyeniya, a rocket design bureau based in Reutov, a small town on the outskirts of Moscow.  Reuters

NPO Mashinostroyeniya is the concern that developed the Mach 9 (claimed) hypersonic missile and has significant expertise in solid fueling. Not necessarily instantly achievable tech but certainly highly significant long-term goals.

Bet the next North Korea-Russia discussions will be interesting.

Remember when you were taught about the conservation of energy? You can’t get out more than you put in?  Seems contradictory, but Livermore Labs has for the second time created a hydrogen-helium fusion reaction which seemingly puts out more energy than goes in.

During December’s experiment, the lab used 192 ultra-powerful lasers to deliver 2.05 megajoules of energy to a tiny capsule smaller than a pea containing isotopes of hydrogen. It produced 3.15 megajoules of fusion energy output.  While the result was a net energy gain, 300 megajoules of energy was needed from the electrical grid to power the lasers. AFP

So using 300 megajoules to produce 2.05 megajoules from the lasers they produced 3.15 megajoules output, right? The math doesn’t seem to work for me, but that may be attributable to a dropped decimal point somewhere. Note too, it is a fusion reaction, so you have to add in the available energy from the hydrogen getting combined to make the helium, which is significant. The big question is containment – fusion reactions have been around for decades – that’s what a hydrogen bomb makes, which we can all agree is messy. However, if they can keep this at a scale where it is manageable, sustainable, and controllable – that’s significant. Seeing as how hydrogen is the most common element on the planet, we would hardly be likely to run out anytime soon.

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32 thoughts on “Wednesday shorts – Brandon act, A-anniversary, Kim spying, Fusion test”

  1. Looks like the US isn’t the only country having to deal with cyber security issues.
    How to deal with it?
    Well, besides strengthening ones cyber systems, opening a can of “instant sunshine” over the capital of the offending country would be a good deterrent.

    1. Added her site to my “must read” list.

    2. This is why “we” need to remove all those of Chinese ancestry within the US from positions of responsibility; military, civil, and scholastic.
      It’s the same problem the US Army and the South Korean gooberment had (and probably still has)…..how to tell who’s loyal to whom, and who has “undue influence” (i.e., mom) on the person in question.

      1. Sure. It’s not like German- or Japanese-Americans ever contributed to US hegemony after the iron grew cold.

  5. Maybe we all need to self report for mental help because we are crazy for putting up with what is happening these days.

    Made in America…tested in Japan…twice. How many millions of lives were saved by dropping those two bombs?

    Kim Cheese best watch himself. Be a shame if he were to fall out of a high rise building’s window.

    Good to know that real scientists are working on things besides gender identity and flu bugs.

    1. Operation Downfall would have been a nightmare in terms of casualties. There is also a strong possibility that we would have ended up sharing Japan with the Soviets.

    1. While our service men & women’s mental health is very important, I can see the E4 Mafia exploiting the lack of “a reason”.
      There’s an evolution Airman Jabroni wants to miss…
      Just tell your NCO you need a MH Evaluation tomorrow
      No more long lines at sick call.
      La Cosa Nostra de E4 will be at the head shrinker getting some light-duty profiles…

  7. I’d hate to see a bunch of troops getting mental health evals…..during a time of war. Not to mention what having someone in Section Eight does to the TO&E.

    1. He “won several awards” during his 21 year climb to E6. I am guessing 3 NDSMs and maybe 1 good cookie. Something tells me he may have ended his career at a rank lower than what he had previously served.

        1. Dang, didn’t work it out on paper… so, now, 10 years after 10 years’ service, he has a case of the ass with 3rd ID. What gives, why? Beef with VA because 3rd ID didn’t document something years ago?

    1. Painting rocks, my ass! They should be out the gate on their asses after they stand before the assembled barracks occupants and apologize for their stupidity and failure as leaders. Where were the NCO’s? There is no greater sin as a leader.

      “Competence is my watch-word. My two basic responsibilities will always be uppermost in my mind – accomplishment of my mission and the welfare of my Soldiers.”

      “ I know my Soldiers, and I will always place their needs above my own.”

      “I will not compromise my integrity, nor my moral courage.”

      Heads need to roll on this.

    2. JMFC!

      A lack of cooks has been blamed. Army cooks have been deployed elsewhere in other states, leaving no one to man the kitchens [at Hood].

      …..

      The Pentagon can send billions of dollars—and billions of dollars’ worth of equipment—to Ukraine but it can’t staff its own kitchens in the middle of Texas.

      And they scratch their heads (and asses, co-located apparently) why recruiting is down…

      Glad I read this before Bed Ops. /s

      1. Third and seventh circle of the place, if Dante is any guide. (East Texas for the non-spiritual folk.)

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