In a crash at NAS Fallon yesterday morning, one of my favorite bloggers and writers in general was killed doing what he loved: flying high performance fighter aircraft, in this case a F21 Kfir. When I went to Neptunus Lex as I customarily do at lunch everyday, I noticed that he had not posted anything new. I figured it was just because he must have had multiple hops in the morning and had not had a chance to post. But in the back of my mind, I had a not-good feeling that something was wrong, given that his aircraft had [...]
Bin Laden is Dead
‘Bout fuckin’ time. In Pakistan, no less. Our friends…
Air Power Won’t Win A War
It hasn’t and it won’t. Yes, this is a war. You need a combined forces operation in order to take and hold ground, and that is not what we have here. Air power is a convenient way for politicians to kind of start a war and kind of support folks on the ground, but if we don’t provide combat forces on the ground to direct and fight, it will be for a losing cause (I won’t get into what the as-yet undefined cause might be). I sincerely hope NATO can figure out what it wants to do in Libya, because [...]
OPERATION ODYSSEY DAWN
We have commenced combat operations against Libya. US Submarines and surface ships launched 110 Tomhawk cruise missiles against various targets, apparently SEAD missions.
Somewhere in the Med, the STOUT CO and CMC are fired
Yesterday, the USS STOUT (DDG55) CO and CMC were relieved for cause, while one other officer, 5 chiefs, and 1 petty officer were also removed from the ship following NJP. Apparently, there was a bad command climate. I just wonder if this was hastened by possible action in the Med off Libya. STOUT is one of two DDG’s in the Med now, and until the KEARSARGE and PONCE get there, one of only two ships in the Med. It is not the best time for an unannounced COC (one without a band), but I can’t help but think that C6F [...]
MARSOC won’t be using a Kimber for their next .45
Well it looks like Kimber won’t be getting the business. They did not even submit a sample. Colt tweaked its 01070RG rail gun pistol and sent 10 prototypes to Quantico in the fall, said Greg Rozon, a product development engineering manager at Colt. Springfield Armory sent the Corps six copies of its PX9105ML pistol for evaluation, said Larry Collinson, a production manager with the company. The company calls it the Full-Sized MC Operator, with the “MC” standing for Marine Corps. The pistol has a black slide with a green chassis. It also includes tritium night sights and has been sold [...]
S/V QUEST Piracy Ends Badly
So, for whatever reason, the pirates aboard the QUEST decided to shoot an RPG at the STERETT and then kill the four Americans who they were holding hostage. Thirteen pirates are in custody, while two decided to resist and were killed, one with a handgun and the other in “…a close combat knife fight.” I don’t think this event is going to deter anything like this from happening again. I do think there is one thing that would, but I don’t think anyone has the will to execute the remaining pirates today…
A weekend of remembrance
I have always thought how odd and coincidental it is that two significant events separated by 63 years occurred on consecutive days. On this day 47 years ago, the USS THRESHER (SSN593), the lead ship of a new class of fast attack submarines, was lost with all hands while conducting sea trials off of Portsmouth, NH. In addition to the crew, there were a number of civilian shipyard personnel on board as they tested out the ship after a period in the yards. Tomorrow marks 110 years since the founding of the US Submarine Force. The force that, in Nimitz’s [...]
The first of the 41 for freedom
Today marks a significant event in the history of this great nation. One that, unfortunately, far too few know about or even care about (I know Richard does). From the commander of US Subvets Groton Base: Before I get into this broadcast I want to take you back 50 years to 29 Dec 1959. We were already at war in a place that we would be hearing a lot about, a place called Viet Nam. The Cold War between the US, and the USSR was really hot. The next day would be a momentous day for the U.S., for the [...]
Remember the COLE
Nine years ago yesterday. From the commemoration at NOB: “The families of the USS Cole have waited nine years for justice to be served to those who attacked USS Cole. And although their wait continues, today’s anniversary honors the 17 sailors who were the first casualties in the War on Terror. They will forever be remembered for their sacrifice in service to their country on a ship far from its homeport.” It seems folks forget about the USS COLE (DDG67) and the sacrifices her sailors made that day. Look at the pictures of the damage, read the reports of what [...]
