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

Category: Military issues

  • Be Careful What You Ask For . . .

    . . . you just might get it.

    House committee votes to require women to register for draft

    About damn time. This should have been law years ago.

    No, this doesn’t mean that women should be drafted into the combat arms. Just because someone gets drafted doesn’t automatically mean they end up Infantry (or in one of the other combat arms branches).

    The military should still assign specialties based on known physical norms and needs of the service. If a given group in general cannot meet the qualifications of a specific specialty, they can – and should – be excluded from assignment to that specialty. It’s the same rationale that generally excludes those requiring corrective lenses (or not meeting other seemingly-irrelevant physical requirements) from flight school: the impact of such a physical shortcoming is deemed significant enough to preclude such an assignment to members of that group, even though certain individuals within that group may well make excellent pilots. The courts have recognized the military’s need to do this; the fact that gender may be such a factor for a select few specialties is irrelevant.

    However, if passed this will correct a significant injustice. If passed, both males and females will now be subject to draft registration requirements – and, if a draft is required, to being drafted.

    Enjoy, SJWs. You’re largely responsible for this.

  • Russia’s Military Gets “Frisky”, Part 3

    I’m sure that everyone’s heard that earlier this week, the POTUS called Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin.  While he did not address the recent incidents where Russian military aircraft “buzzed” US ships and aircraft during the call, the POTUS apparently did ask Putin to “maintain the cease fire in Syria”.

    Well, it appears the POTUS now has his answer.

    Per a US defense official, Russia has moved the bulk of its forces in Syria to the vicinity of Aleppo.  Why?  The official further indicated an offensive to retake Aleppo from Syrian rebels “is poised to take place soon”.  Local fighting has apparently already resumed in the Aleppo area, and Russian bombing in support of Assad’s forces has been occurring since November – cease-fire or no cease-fire.

    I don’t think it’s exactly rocket science to figure out why Russian forces in Syria just relocated.

    US officials also report that “hundreds” of new Iranian troops are also now in Syria.  Given Iran’s past support for Assad’s regime, I’m guessing they’re probably not there to support the Syrian rebels.

    Now, about those “buzzing” incidents: while the POTUS and Putin didn’t discuss them during their PHONECON, they’ve also returned to the news this week. The Russian Ambassador to NATO, Alexander Grushko, met with the NATO-Russia council yesterday – for the first time in 2 years. Afterwards, Grushko publicly accused the US of trying to “intimidate” Russia by conducting naval operations with our allies in international waters in the Baltic. He then went on to say that Russia would take “all necessary measures” in response to future such encounters.

    Yep. Looks to me like Putin has once again given the POTUS the finger – with both hands – followed shortly afterwards by mooning.  But this time, I believe Putin shouted something in Russian just before “shooting the moon”.  The first two parts sounded something like “yob” and “ti-voy-you”, respectively.  Not sure I caught the last part correctly, but I think it sounded something like “Matt”.

    Your move again, Mr. President.

    My prediction:  look for yet another ineffectual but “strongly worded” diplomatic protest by the State Department after the Syrian-Russian offensive near Aleppo begins – and that’s it.  I’ll frankly be shocked if we do anything more than that.

    I wonder if Putin – or anyone else in his inner circle – has pulled a muscle or otherwise injured himself from laughing at us. I know their sides must ache terribly by now.

  • Russia’s Military Gets “Frisky”, Part 2

    We’ve now seen what the current         group of spineless, fearful naifs screwing up by-the-numbers in DC        Administration elected to do regarding the recent buzzing of a US warship in international waters by Russian military aircraft.  Specifically, they told Russia, “That wasn’t very nice!” – by sending a diplomatic protest – along with publicly saying, in effect, “Please don’t do it again. That could have ended badly.”

    Well, it appears Russia has given us their reply.  Last Thursday, a Russian SU-27 “barrel-rolled” a US RC-135 operating in international airspace over the Baltic Sea.  The Russian aircraft reportedly came within 50 feet of the US aircraft while doing so.

    OK, Mr. President – this time, Putin has not only given the US the finger with both hands.  He’s also mooned the Statue of Liberty, too.  And he did both while shouting Russian insults.  Your move.

    Here’s my prediction, based on past examples of “leadership” from this       gaggle of feckless fools      Administration.  Look for another “strongly worded diplomatic protest” tomorrow or the next day, along with another meaningless public platitude or two from the SECSTATE.

    Sheesh.  Putin and his cronies must be about to p!ss their pants from laughing at us so hard.  And from my perspective, that’s not terribly funny at all.

     

  • “Today, the vast majority of Marine Corps aircraft can’t fly.”

    Fox News today has an article discussing USMC aviation readiness.  Bottom line:  not so good.  The article’s “money quote”:

    Out of 276 F/A-18 Hornet strike fighters in the Marine Corps inventory, only about 30% are ready to fly, according to statistics provided by the Corps. Similarly, only 42 of 147 heavy-lift CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters are airworthy.

    No, that’s not 100% of USMC aviation assets.  But it’s a big portion of them.  And if the article is accurate, well, . . . .

    Why?  Well, for pretty much the same reason as during the Carter Administration.  Then, we were just a few years post-Vietnam – and Carter cut the defense budget radically.  (To be fair, that began under Nixon and Ford – but continued bigtime under Carter).  Regarding similarities to the last 5 years or so . . . well, you do the math.

    I wasn’t USAF, nor was I in Army aviation.  However, I seem to remember folks in the late 1970s and 1980/81 making similar statements about USAF and Army aircraft readiness then.  And “hanger queens” weren’t exactly unknown among other types of military vehicles and/or weapons systems during that time frame, either.

    Looks like it’s, “Welcome back, my friends” – to the Carter Administration. But anyone with 3 or more working brain cells who isn’t a libidiot political apologist (and who hasn’t been living in a cave or on the moon) already knew that.

    A second quote from the linked Fox News article provided the title above.  That linked article is IMO definitely worth a read.

    Just maybe wait to read it if your blood pressure is high today.

     

  • Russia’s Military Gets “Frisky”

    Well, it appears as if the Russian military is getting a bit more “frisky” these days.

    On 11 and 12 April, Russian aircraft reportedly performed aggressive maneuvers near the USS Donald Cook.  At the time, the US warship – an Arleigh Burke-Class guided-missile destroyer – was operating in international waters in the Baltic Sea.

    In one incident, a Russian SU-24 aircraft made numerous close approaches and low-level passes IVO the ship.  In a second incident the following day, a Russian KA-27 helicopter circled the ship multiple times; the ship was afterwards again “buzzed” multiple times by a pair of Russian SU-24s.  At least one of the passes in the latter incident was what appeared to be a “simulated attack profile”.

    The US Navy has released a press release about the incident.  It can be found here.

    OK, Mr. President – a guy named Vlad has just very publicly given the US the finger.  Now, what are you going to do about it?

  • UK Commander: Putting women on the front line is dangerous PC meddling. We will pay for it in blood

    Colonel Richard Kemp, a former commander of British troops in Afghanistan took to the pages of the UK’s Telegraph to warn about the plan to put females in the frontlines of that nation’s wars. He seems to have picked up some of thoughts expressed here;

    The people who have demanded this change – politicians desperate to be seen as “progressive”, feminist zealots and ideologues hell-bent on equality of opportunity without exception – would never dream of volunteering. Indeed only a very small number of women will want to join the infantry and of those only a fraction will have the physical capability. Hence the need to lower the bar.

    […]

    The damage will be budgetary as well as tactical. Even in the tranquillity of a peacetime barracks, three RAF women sustained spinal and pelvic injuries due to over-striding to keep pace with the men on parade.

    They were awarded £100,000 each. The RAF’s remedy was to shorten stride-length and place women at the front of the squad to set a reduced pace for the men – an ominous indication of things to come for the infantry.

    Since the Ellen Harings and Ray Mabus of the world are the ones who want to inflict this plan on our fighting men and women, the folks who will bear the burden and bleed for the social justice warriors’ rhetoric, maybe we should put the SJWs in the front ranks and they can lead the way for us and show us how it’s done – because they’re certainly not listening to the experts.

  • “Get On Board!”

    Well, it seems a couple of CENTCOM employees found out the hard way that telling the Emperor the truth as they saw it can be hazardous.

    Recently, a couple of CENTCOM intel analysists were shuttled aside. They may or may not have been forced out of their positions, but if not they definitely appear to have been marginalized.

    Their “crime”? Telling the CENTCOM CG that the US program supporting “moderate” Syrian rebels simply wasn’t working.

    One of the analysts alleging reprisals is the top analyst in charge of Syria issues at CENTCOM. He and a colleague doubted rebels’ capabilities and their commitment to U.S. objectives in the region. The analysts have been effectively sidelined from their positions and will no longer be working at CENTCOM, according to two individuals familiar with the dispute, and who spoke on condition of anonymity.

    Anyone who’s studied military history should find this unsurprising. USMAC-V famously ignored all but but rosiest intel analysis/reports concerning the situation in Vietnam prior to Tet 1968. And check out the scene described (in an account apparently based on the recollections of an eyewitness) on pages 3-5 of this document.

    The Daily Beast today has a longer article on the subject. IMO it’s worth reading – and it also says that CENTCOM is currently being investigated by the DoD IG for what appears to be a pattern of having deliberately skewed ISIS-related intel analysis and reports to present a rosier-than-real picture.

    “Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.” Or, if you prefer Yogi Berra’s version: “It’s déjà vu all over again.”

  • Brit Army to rewrite physical standards to accommodate more females

    Brit Army to rewrite physical standards to accommodate more females

    Andy 11M sends a link to the UK’s Daily Mail which reports that the British Army intends to write new physical standards that discriminate between male and female soldiers so that more women can qualify for more rigorous occupational specialties, specifically, combat arms;

    Physical differences between men and women will be recognised in the tests as Defence Secretary Michael Fallon prepares to sign off on plans to allow women into the most dangerous roles for the first time.

    Female soldiers are expected to be allowed to join close combat units, including the infantry and armoured regiments, for the first time from this summer.

    The reforms will come alongside changes to the Army’s physical training which is currently ‘optimised for male physiology’, the Sunday Times reported.

    […]

    And analysis of recent Army recruits suggests only 30 women a year would pass the current physical standards for joining the front line units.

    The study found: ‘We know that women are built differently to men — higher fat mass, less muscle mass, less cardio output, which leads to greater/quicker energy deficit than men and they have to work harder to achieve the same output.’

    The excuse is that the lower standards will result in fewer injuries among the female candidates for those jobs. In short – most women can’t compete directly with men. No surprises here, it’s called nature.

    The Pentagon’s social justice warriors are probably salivating at the thought of an opportunity to use this as an excuse to lower physical standards for our own military. “Well, the British did it”.