This ain't Hell, but you can see it from here

Author: AW1Ed

  • New Navy Slogan

    Forged

    The Navy Times is reporting the Navy has announced its newest recruiting slogan, “Forged by the Sea,” the result of over 18 months of research, development, and focus group testing. The new slogan will be introduced as part of a public relations campaign and aired during Saturday’s Army-Navy football game.

    “For more than 200 years our Sailors have been tested and shaped by the sea,” Navy Recruiting Command leader Rear Adm. Pete Garvin said in a release. “Our new tagline perfectly captures the transformative impact the Navy and the sea has on our Sailors.”

    The Navy contracted with marketing and communications agency Young & Rubicam, “to create an enduring and authentic brand identity, tagline and unified marketing strategy to inspire and motivate potential recruits to join,” according to the release. The new campaign’s commercials and other work cost about $10 million.

    “FBTS” was unanimously selected by focus groups consisting of Centennials, the intended audience, but also included current enlisted and officer personnel, Navy veterans and others. This is the 10th slogan adopted by the Navy in the past 45 years, and replaced “A Global Force for Good.”

    Watch for it during the second quarter of the Army-Navy game. I’ll keep my opinion to myself, but it certainly is an improvement over the last slogan.

  • Have That Removed

    BUFF

    The Drive is reporting that while recently reported strikes against Taliban drug labs in A-Stan (what a great idea, Barry!) intended to defeat and defund terrorists in country, the Air Force has been using B-52’s, among other aircraft, to redecorate the place. Literally reshaping the terrain via loads of dumb bombs to blast away mountain passes, areas that may provide concealment and cover, and to channel militant forces into specific areas.

    “Area denial missions can range from shaping enemy force maneuvers to denying key terrain to the enemy,” the public affairs officer said. “These terrain denial strikes are useful in enabling freedom of maneuver for our forces, elimination of cover and concealment by enemy forces, an [sic; and] affecting enemy pattern of life in such a way that allows us to gain invaluable intelligence on their networks.”

    In short, the sorties are a deliberate and coordinated effort to strip away actual terrain features – narrow mountainous paths, rock-topped ridgelines, and even buildings and other man-made structures – that militants might use to move without being seen or ambush friendly troops on the ground in the future. It also attempts to funnel the insurgents and terrorists into particular areas or operating habits, which might make them easier to observe, isolate, and neutralize.

    F-16s, B-52s, and even MQ-9 drones have been used, with the Mk-82 the weapon of choice. The BUFFs have the advantage with their enormous payload capability, and have flown in excess of 225 strike missions over A-Stan since July 2016, dropping over 1,000 munitions of various types.

    These missions are not indiscriminate “carpet bombing” as the objective is area denial, where collateral damage and civilian casualties are avoided as much as possible. “Factoring in release angle, aircraft speed, winds and other variables, our aircrew are expertly trained to deliver unguided munitions in such a manner that they often hit a target with nearly the same degree of accuracy as a guided munition.”

    Say what you may about the Air Force, with them it’s Go Big or Go Home.

  • Surplus 1911s at the Civilian Marksmanship Program?

    1911

    Awr Hawkins at Breitbart is reporting the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act contains an amendment approving the sales of military surplus 1911 pistols through the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP).

    The move will defray storage costs of some 100,000 pistols, and perhaps recoup a profit by selling the firearms via the CMP, a program that has sold surplus firearms to the public for over 100 years.

    The 1911 is one of the most popular handguns ever developed, was used as a military and law enforcement sidearm, and is found in the civilian world as a personal and home defense weapon. These are available to the public from several manufacturers and range from basic 1911s to custom firearms costing serious money for competitive shooting.

    Sales have yet to be announced, but if the CMP follows past practices, pistols will be priced according to condition and availability. Latest from the CMP:

    “Because of the limited number and the exceedingly high demand for the pistol, and the great level of Congressional scrutiny, the Board of Directors will make a decision regarding how sales will be handled. We have no further information at this time. – Mrs. Judith Legerski, Chairman, CMP Board of Directors”

    I have room in my safe for a piece of American history, and I’m sure I’m not alone.

  • Biden Chimes In

    AR-15

    Loopy Uncle Joe takes this special moment to beclown himself. Again. During a Q&A session on the “Today” show, Biden opined the citizen who stopped the Texas church shooter last week should not have been legally allowed to possess an AR-15.

    “With the tragedy that just happened in Texas, how do you justify the Democratic view on gun control when the shooter was stopped by a man who was legally licensed to carry a gun?” a young woman in the audience asked Biden.

    “Well first of all, the kind of gun being carried he shouldn’t be carrying,” Biden said. “I wrote the last serious gun control law . . and it outlawed assault weapons and outlawed weapons with magazines that held a whole lotta bullets so you could kill a lot of people a whole lot more quickly.”

    Left unmentioned was the fact the shooter, in addition to being armed with an AR-15, was also wearing a ballistic vest. Fortunately the local hero wasn’t limited to Uncle Joe’s shotgun to engage the shooter.

  • CIA Document Dump: Hundreds of Thousands of OBL Docs Released!

    OBL

    The folks from The Long War Journal, as reported at The Weekly Standard have the first analysis of a huge cache of data recovered from Bin Laden’s Abbottabad compound. These files, documents, and images were amassed after the raid which claimed Bin Laden’s life.
    Per Thomas Joscelyn and Bill Roggio, the stockpile contains:
    * For the first time, there’s a picture of Hamza bin Laden, Osama’s secretive son, who’s never before been photographed.
    * There’s a file with bin Laden’s hand-written, 228-page private journal.
    * There’s a good deal of evidence that at the time of his death, bin Laden was still actively leading al Qaeda.
    * Also, there’s a great deal of information on bin Laden’s ties to Iran and Iraq.
    Here’s Joscelyn and Roggio on al Qaeda and Iran:

    One never-before-seen 19-page document contains a senior jihadist’s assessment of the group’s relationship with Iran. The author explains that Iran offered some “Saudi brothers” in al Qaeda “everything they needed,” including “money, arms” and “training in Hezbollah camps in Lebanon, in exchange for striking American interests in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf.” Iranian intelligence facilitated the travel of some operatives with visas, while sheltering others. Abu Hafs al-Mauritani, an influential ideologue prior to 9/11, helped negotiate a safe haven for his jihadi comrades inside Iran. But the author of the file, who is clearly well-connected, indicates that al Qaeda’s men violated the terms of the agreement and Iran eventually cracked down on the Sunni jihadists’ network, detaining some personnel. Still, the author explains that al Qaeda is not at war with Iran and some of their “interests intersect,” especially when it comes to being an “enemy of America.”
    Bin Laden’s files show the two sides have had heated disagreements. There has been hostility between the two. Al Qaeda even penned a letter to Ayatollah Khamenei demanding the release of family members held in Iranian custody. Other files show that al Qaeda kidnapped an Iranian diplomat to exchange for its men and women. Bin Laden himself considered plans to counter Iran’s influence throughout the Middle East, which he viewed as pernicious.
    However, bin Laden urged caution when it came to threatening Iran. In a previously released letter, bin Laden described Iran as al Qaeda’s “main artery for funds, personnel, and communication.” And despite their differences, Iran continued to provide crucial support for al Qaeda’s operations.

    Iran supporting al Qaeda? Here’s my surprised look. It’s pretty clear why this document dump did not occur during the one-sided Iran nuclear negotiation conducted by the past administration.

  • Freedom of the Seas- USS Chafee in the South China Sea

    uss chafee
    Reuters is reporting USS Chafee, a US Navy guided missile destroyer, sailed near islands claimed by China in the South China Sea on Tuesday, prompting anger in Beijing. The operation is the latest attempt to counter what Washington sees as Beijing’s efforts to limit freedom of navigation in the strategic waters.

    Officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Chafee, conducted normal operations that challenged “excessive maritime claims” near the Paracel Islands, over which China has territorial disputes with its neighbors.

    “China’s Defense Ministry said on Wednesday that a warship, two fighter jets and a helicopter had scrambled to warn the U.S. ship away, adding it had infringed upon China’s sovereignty and security with its “provocation”. China would further strengthen its naval and air defenses, the ministry said.

    “We demand the U.S. side earnestly take steps to correct its mistakes,” it added.

    China’s bluster is just writing checks they can’t afford to cash, and they know it.

  • US stops issuing visas in Cuba, cuts embassy staff, urges no travel to island

    Cuba

    Fox News is reporting the US State Department is recalling staff from the embassy, warning against travel to the island nation, and taking additional measures due to the unexplained attacks on American diplomats.

    SecState Rex Tillerson has ordered the departure of all non-essential employees and family members, as well as warning Americans against visiting there. Because the State Department is removing staff, it must also issue the travel warning.

    Almost a year after diplomats began describing unexplained health problems, U.S investigators still don’t know what or who is behind the attacks, which have harmed at least 21 diplomats and their families, some with injuries as serious as traumatic brain injury and permanent hearing loss. Although the State Department has called them “incidents” and generally avoided deeming them attacks, officials said Friday the U.S. now has determined there were “specific attacks” on American personnel in Cuba.

    The US will halt all official delegations to Cuba, although diplomatic discussions will continue in Washington, DC. The Trump administration has deliberately not blamed Cuba for the attacks, but is seeking the best way to minimize potential harm to US citizens in Cuba, while emphasizing Cuba’s responsibility to ensure the safety of diplomats on its soil.

    Now would be a very good time to revisit Barry’s ridiculously one-sided treaty with Cuba, and get some real concessions from Raul and company.

  • Happy Birthday TAH!

    Birthday

    Eleven years young, Congrats! Jonn, modest as ever, tried to low-key the fact in the WOT, but fortunately I have no such scruples. So happy birthday to TAH and may there be many more years of it’s good works.
    *Ahem* In order so help celebrate, may I direct your attention to the Donate button in the upper right of the page. Jonn won’t ask, and this place won’t run itself.
    Thanks to Jonn and the usual suspects who run the joint, and to you, fellow ladies and gents of TAH, for making this place happen.
    R/
    AW1Ed