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

Author: Ex-PH2

  • ‘Terp arrives here at last

    A soldier welcomed his Afghan interpreter to the United States on Wednesday, Feb. 8, after buying him a plane ticket to ensure his quick arrival amid concerns the Trump administration might try to expand its travel ban to Afghanistan.

    http://www.militarytimes.com/articles/soldier-welcomes-afghan-translator-to-us-with-bear-hug

    Okay, Quismat, make the most of it. Start a new life and be productive. That’s all I’m asking of you, as an American born in this country who hasn’t missed opportunities that were offered.  My skating coach came here from Poland. Her husband came here from Chile. They both have wonderful lives and a family, and they’re happy to be Americans.

    They made the most of it.  Let’s see you do that, too.

  • Compass Call

    There’s some good news in this article, as well as some disturbing stuff.

    https://www.airforcetimes.com/articles/target-isis-ec-130h-compass-call

    The real issue is this: short-staffed, losing techs to advancements that take them out of skilled maintenance positions, or to civilian jobs: so what happens if a real crisis arises, and things ramp up with Daesh? This loss of people experienced in their fields is really more important than anything else. Without a strong base layer of hands-on wrench-cranking techs, the entire project goes right down the toilet. This is disturbing, because the war in the Middle East is not dying down. It is increasing in volume. Those drips and drabs that come in on the news feeds, if any come at all, are only a smattering of what is really going on there, and we all know it. The recent attack on a Saudi warship by rebel Houthis from Yemen is the tip of the iceberg.

    Warfare is and always has been a game of cat and mouse, and ditto modern electronic warfare.  In World War II, coded messages were frequently sent from the field to a military base by homing pigeon. Now it’s ISIS using off-the-shelf quadcopters and RC model planes to spy on their enemy’s troops and equipment.

    While the use of small drones carrying cameras is not new, being used as spies by ISIS is quite deadly. They could be visible on radar, but you can’t just drag a radar setup into the field with you, hence these Hercs jammed full of electronic gear for detection and jamming ISIS’s toys, as well as interpreters to decipher their chatter.

    While the drones can be shot out of the air, it requires not only being aware of them, but also being able to spot them. If they’re several hundred feet up, bringing them down from ground level requires a trained spotter as well as a good marksman. The Daesh videos using drones to follow truck bombers appear to be from a substantial height, maybe 1,000 feet.  If they’re being used for recording truck and car bombings, they’re also being used to spy on troops on the ground.  It’s back to WWII and camouflage netting to hide things. Maybe the troops should use inflatable decoy tanks and cardboard planes, too.

    As the article says, it’s easy enough to shoot them down. Spotting them is the more difficult part. It’s also easy enough to spot and jam their signals and contacts.

    So I’m going to ask the dumbest question of the year: where in the Seven Hells are they getting these things? Is there a Toys R Us franchise over there somewhere?

    There’s a nice shot of a Herc in the article.

  • Bound to happen…?

    Normally, I try to ignore these things, because at some point, they become ridiculous.  However, with the fussing and foot-stamping from the all-inclusive PC crowd coddling the LGBTPs&Qs, and keeping in mind that the military now has a ‘no bar to enlistment’ ruling, when someone (P) sent this news to me, I thought it was a joke.  Then I did a little digging, got a ‘403’ error message, and found another source, and it is true.  Paris Green is not a chick.

    http://metro.co.uk/2017/02/05/transgender-murderer-moved-from-womens-prison-after-having-sex-with-female-inmates-6429321/

    Unfortunately, Paris Green gave in to more base instincts when s/he was incarcerated, and accommodated willing [fellow] women prisoners, and was subsequently separated from them.

    http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/02/06/biologically-male-transgendered-killer-moved-female-prison-sex-inmates/

    Since this is a bone of contention with some people, when it applies to the closed type of environment commonly found in the military, I have a few things to say.

    1 – It’s not my business whether you stand or sit. It is my business if you are claiming TG under false pretenses just to get into the women’s restrooms, and that includes the very real lack of privacy on board ships and in the field in a combat zone.  In plain English, you are not a chick with a dick. You are either an adult male or female human, and if you’re a guy and there’s no emergency you don’t belong there, any more than I belong in the men’s room.  And I almost went there once at work, because someone borrowed my restroom key and forgot to return it.

    2 – Yes, the Manning nonsense does raise its shaggy head. S/he expected to get the freebies medical treatment and that is just wrong. I do not think the already over-burdened taxpayer should be expected to pay for your choices.  It should never have been brought up in the first place.

    3 – Since there are currently active duty men and women who made the decision and took care of it themselves before signing up or after leaving the service, I have no issue with them. It is those who expect the military to treat them with kid gloves that are the issue, in my view. Either be a part of it as you are, if you want my respect, or don’t sign up.

    4 – Above all, don’t get in my face about it, because I don’t care. It’s your problem, not mine. The lack of common decency and common sense is so rampant now, it’s disgusting.  I’m not referring to strangers who stop to help someone at an accident. I’m speaking to this desperate need to shock people by saying and doing things that draw attention to what should be a private matter.  You aren’t happy being you? It’s your problem. You’re supposed to be a grown-up. Take care of it yourself.

     

  • Another Warrior Passes

    Richard Lyon, the first SEAL to become a Navy Admiral has passed away.

    https://www.navytimes.com/articles/first-navy-seal-to-become-admiral-dies-at-93

    He started his service during World War II and was among the first troops to enter Japan after the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki had been destroyed by those two atomic bombs.

    The AP story relayed by Military Times barely does him justice.

  • When Pigs Fly

    They’ve been flying for some time now and people seem to like them a lot. The concern for some time has been whether or not the A-10 a/k/a the Warthog will be mothballed or kept in service.

    For anyone who has heard that rapid-fire ‘brrrrrrrrrtttt!’ from a Gatling gun, you’ll be relieved to know that your beloved tank-bustin’ Warthog gets to stick around for a few more years.

    http://www.defensenews.com/a10%20retirement%202021

    If the discussion revolves around whether to mothball the flying shark, or replace it with a different form of close air support (CAS), the general tendency seems to be moving in the direction of a family of air support for ground forces, which has already been found to be effective.

    In my view, as a taxpayer, I’d question the need to move away from something that works, especially since money is limited at this point. Remember, the CiC has to persuade Congress that his programs are more important than funding some daydreams.

    Meantime, USAF Chief of Staff GEN Goldfein wants off-the-shelf stuff, not experimental airframes.  He sounds like a practical sort.

  • Tuesday Open Thread (Temp)

    Since someone is impersonating Hondo, I’m including one of the real Hondo’s photos in this Open Thread.  It’s gray, foggy and chilly,  a perfect day to curl up with a good book, beverages and food within easy reach, and get lost in an adventure.  ‘Treasure Island’ – remember that one?  Reading keeps your mind in the expansion mode.  I’m making a shopping list for Saturday.  You all take care.

  • This one just pisses me off no end

    Roger Curry, an Air Force veteran who worked as a nurse for Kaiser Permanente following his service with USAF, was found sitting at a bus station in Hereford, 150 miles north of London, England.

    According to this story, he had no idea how he’d gotten there, as he is suffering from Alzheimer’s.

    http://www.stripes.com/news/europe/abandoned-in-britain-alzheimer-s-patient-found-to-be-us-air-force-vet-1.452636

    In Japan, they call it ‘granny-dumping’.

     

     

  • Three More Warriors Passing to Valhalla….

    Leonard D. Fisher enlisted in the US Army in 1942, and was assigned to the 9th Army Air Force in December 1942, as part of the 453rd Air Service Group, which was stationed at the RAF Old Buckenham Airfield. Some rare photos of that base can be seen here: https://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/rare-photos-wwii-old-buckenham-airfield-discovered.html

    He assisted in preparing gliders for Operation Overlord, which took place in Normandy, and Operation Market Garden, which occurred in the Netherlands. He also played in the dance bands that formed at the airfield, entertaining US airmen and their guests. He achieved the rank of Staff Sergeant by the end of the war and returned home to start a new career.

    Old Buckenham is still an active airfield with a flying club, and now has a WWII museum on the property.

    George Rennwanz joined the US Navy shortly after graduating from high school in 1943. He served on a troop transport ship, USS General John Pope AP-110. I don’t have any information on Mr. Rennwanz’s rate, but since the ship was in dangerous waters at any time during the war, I don’t think it matters.

    http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/22/22110.htm

    This ship, along with many others, delivered troops to the Europe-Africa-Middle East and Asiatic-Pacific Theaters during WWII, as well as being assigned to Occupation Service following WWII. A little about the ship before she was sent to Corpus Christi for scrapping is here. http://maritimematters.com/2010/05/passage-on-the-u-s-n-s-general-john-pope/

    Carlton Buerger joined the US Marine Corps in 1942. He was trained as a fighter pilot and sent to the Pacific theater. He was assigned to Fighter Squadron VMF-441, also known as the ‘Blackjacks’, participating in operations against the Japanese on Okinawa Shima, Nansei Soto, completing 40 missions in that combat theater.  He received two Distinguished Flying Crosses for those missions. http://valor.militarytimes.com/recipient.php?recipientid=200511

    Some information on VMF-441 is here: https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC4F50B_usmc-406-vmf-441

    and  http://acepilots.com/usmc_sqns.html#VMF-441

    Okinawa was the last and fiercest battle of World War II.  The US military wanted it because it was a little over 250 miles from the main islands of Japan.  The Marines have a good history on the battle here.

    https://www.mca-marines.org/gazette/2012/11/okinawa-final-great-battle-world-war-ii

    Fair winds, til the morning meets you.