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

Author: Hondo

  • Military Training Dangerous? Yeah.

    Unfortunately, we’ve lost another three.   They were lost in incidents involving military aircraft yesterday.

    One member of the USAF was lost from Tyndall AFB, FL, yesterday when his F-16 crashed during a training mission over the Gulf of Mexico. His remains were recovered; the investigation into the cause of the loss continues.

    Later the same day, two Army National Guard aviators out of Gowen Field near Boise International Airport, ID, were lost in the nighttime crash of an Army AH-64 aircraft.

    Names of all three lost are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

    Yeah, military training can certainly be an adrenalin rush at times. But it’s often also deadly serious business – literally.

    Rest in peace, my brothers-in-arms. May God comfort your surviving family and friends.

  • Two More Afghans Vote With Their Feet

    Well, it looks as if a couple of other Afghan officials training in the USA have voted with their feet. Two others have now been reported to have walked away from training and disappeared.

    The two were attending prison-reform training in Colorado, apparently conducted by the Colorado Department of Corrections. One of the individuals disappeared in September 2013; the other, in February.

    One of the two individuals was later apprehended while attempting to cross into Canada. It’s unclear which of the two – the one who disappeared in September, or the one who disappeared in February – was apprehended.

    Identities of the two individuals have not been released due to concern for the safety of their families’ remaining in Afghanistan. The individual at large is not thought to pose a threat.

    I guess these guys decided they really don’t want to see how things work out in their homeland after we leave. Why? My guess is because they want to stay alive.

    I suppose I can’t blame them for that.

  • Yeah, That Could Explain It

    Perhaps you’ve noticed a certain news story has been missing in the news for the past few days.  I’m talking about the Ebola epidemic and stories about possible cases turning up in the US.

    At first, I thought it had simply been displaced by election news.  After all, the election was big news.  But it’s still missing.

    I think I know why now.  And I think I was wrong.

    Check out the dates on the first of these stories – and then think about when the Ebola stories disappeared (a couple of days before the election, as I recall):

    HERE’S Why Ebola Is No Longer In the News

    Report: Obama Administration Pressured News
    Outlets to Not Report Suspected Ebola Cases

    Oh, and it looks like it’s not just the media that’s subscribing to treating the US public like mushrooms:

    Md. to stop providing updates on Ebola
    investigations, unless cases confirmed

    Yeah, that’s REALLY the way to ensure public trust in government – feed the public bullsh!t, then pressure the media to hide the ugly truth.  Well, I’ve seen that movie once before – around 1967-1968.  I was just a kid at the time, but as I recall it pretty much sucked then.  It sucks just as bad now.

    Sheesh.  What’s next – are we going to see the Surgeon General (or maybe the POTUS) come to a news conference and channel Admiral Felt, yelling at nosy reporters to “Get on the team!”?

     

  • Nice Sidestep, Mr. SECNAV. Nice Backbone, Mr. SECDEF.

    Remember those recent allegations that the military records of the outgoing Commandant of the Marine Corps – Gen James Amos – were not exactly 100% “kosher”? You know, that little “oopsie” where somehow a signed official bio submitted for Senate confirmation seemed to claim that Gen Amos went to USMC’s “The Basic School” in 1972 when in truth he actually received credit for completing it via correspondence in 1977?

    Well, you’ll be pleased to hear that – in the words of Gertrude Stein – “there is no there there”. The SECDEF has determined that the error in Gen Amos’ bio was due to a “data entry error” on the part of the person preparing the resume, and that claims Gen Amos padded his resume were “not . . . credible.” He also further determined that Gen Amos did not engage in misconduct in terms of unlawful command influence two other matters – the famous “urination video” and “Heritage Brief” incidents.

    Bottom line:  “Nothing to see here, folks; move along.”  Gen Amos will retire with 4 stars.

    Well – isn’t that special. “Surprise, surprise, surprise!”

    Frankly, the fact that Gen Amos will retire as a 4-star isn’t the part that bothers me the most. I indeed have a hard time believing that Gen Amos didn’t adequately and thoroughly review the bio submitted to Congress over his signature.  However, since someone else actually prepared the bio that claim is at least plausible (if IMO pretty damned unlikely).

    And while I have my own personal opinions about the other two incidents, I wasn’t there – so I don’t really know the “real deal” on those, either. The DoD IG apparently did clear him of outright misconduct in the “urination video” case.  Regarding the “Heritage Brief” issue, precisely when a public statement does and does not constitute improper command influence in a Court-Martial is IMO a fairly murky area.  And besides, even if Gen Amos “fornicated Fido”* in one or both of those cases I’m not sure that rises to the level of misconduct invalidating “successful service”.

    What bothers me more is the way this was handled by the SECNAV and SECDEF. The SECNAV could have handled this himself.  He didn’t; he punted it to the SECDEF.  And the SECDEF’s statement here IMO gives the distinct impression of obfuscating through dwelling on irrelevant trivia – perhaps in order to bolster a predetermined conclusion – vice making a decision based on his own evaluation of the pertinent facts.

    I mean really, Secretary Mabus:  you couldn’t review the facts and make the determination yourself whether Gen Amos was truthful when he submitted a signed bio to Congress that was incorrect? And really, Secretary Hagel:  blaming the submission of a clearly erroneous but signed document on a “data entry error”? Really?

    Bottom line: I’d expect a SECNAV to be more decisive than that.  And I’d expect both a SECNAV and SECDEF to actually, you know, face and make hard decisions head-on – particularly since the each is a member of the chain-of-command (administrative in the case of the SECNAV; both administrative and operational in the case of the SECDEF).

    One day, perhaps we’ll see that kind of decisive leadership again at senior levels.  But based on this, I guess we won’t see it any time soon.

     

    * – PC-speak for “screwed the pooch”.  Used here for the benefit of any of our sheltered-from-reality “liberal brethren” who might chance across this article and be offended by non-PC language.

  • Three More Nuke Commanders Get Nailed

    I swear, there must be something in the water out there in the northern Great Plains.

    The USAF has relieved two more key nuclear missile unit leaders.   One was a Wing Vice-Comander; the other, a Squadron Commander.  A third senior leader – a Colonel  – was investigated also, but managed to keep his command.  However, he has been given a formal reprimand which almost certainly will end his career.

    Relieved of duties were Col. Carl Jones, Vice-Commander of the 90th Missile Wing, FE Warren AFB, WY; and Lt. Col. Jimmy “Keith” Brown, a missile squadron commander with the 91st Missile Wing at Minot AFB, ND.

    The third individual, Col. Richard Pagliuco, is the Commander of the 91st Missile Operations Group at Minot.  He was allowed to continue in command after receiving his reprimand.

    Details are sketchy, but are found in this article from the Air Force Times.  Best I can tell, from article at least one of the two that were relieved – Col. Jones – appears certainly to have deserved to take a fall; Lt. Col. Brown appears likely to have deserved the same.  There isn’t as much info available about why Col. Pagliuco was reprimanded other than the rather nebulous statement that he had “failed to promote and safeguard the morale, well-being and welfare of the airmen under his command.”  Maybe he got nailed for not providing better supervision to Lt. Col. Brown; dunno.

    Yeah, it looks like there are still some issues out there in the USAF’s “Nuclear Kingdom”.  Let’s hope they can square those away posthaste.

  • Remembrance of Elections Past

    In “loving” memory of the Duke of Duval, Landslide Lyndon, Da Mayor and his Daley Machine, JFK/1960 – and with apologies to the late Warren Zevon:

     

    They Vote When They’re Dead

    There’s plenty to do after they buy the farm
    They vote when they’re dead
    Who says it’s wrong? This will protect our cause from harm
    They vote when they’re dead

    The election judges all are bombed on gin
    They vote when they’re dead
    Election results, they’re twisted again
    They vote when they’re dead

    Well, they “cast” their votes just as prescribed
    They vote when they’re dead
    And if that don’t work, then somebody gets bribed
    They vote when they’re dead

    I’ve got a .38 special up on the shelf
    They vote when they’re dead
    If our side don’t win, maybe I’ll shoot myself
    They vote when they’re dead

    There’s plenty to do after they buy the farm
    They vote when they’re dead
    Who says it’s wrong? This will protect our cause from harm
    They vote when they’re dead

     

    Remember that “progressive” mantra, everyone: Make sure you register to vote. Then vote early, vote often – vote forever!

    . . .

    PS: Just in case you’re having trouble recognizing the tune – here’s the original.

  • Some Commanders “Get It”

    No comment required.

    I’m glad mission allowed the commander here to do the right thing – and that the guy’s commander did exactly that.

    If you follow the link, I think it might be a good idea to have a tissue handy.

  • So, That “IRS Thing” Was Just a Rogue Operation, Eh?

    Well, then explain this:

    Sen. Shaheen briefed on IRS targeting plot in 2012, memo shows

    Sounds to me like someone in NH really needs to be sent packing.  And it also sounds to me like those claims that the scandal was due to a couple of folks gone rogue are, well, absolute bullsh!t.

    But we already knew that last point, didn’t we?