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  • Need to Know: January 26, 2012

    Blogs of War
    John Little
    26 Jan 2012 | 3:10 pm
    The CyberWar Daily is out! http://t.co/FIqoCVVR Top stories today via @jtkeating The Blogs of War Watchlist is out! http://t.co/pya29086 Top stories today via @rcanyt @taylor_owen @iiamelii @hahellyer @blakehounshell

  • Need to Know: January 27, 2012

    Blogs of War
    John Little
    27 Jan 2012 | 3:10 pm
    Iranians "partly bluffing" http://t.co/NY42Kr2P – in other news the earth is roundish, fire most likely hot, water usually quite wet. So Ron Paul is winning the "Who won the CNN Debate" poll on http://t.co/17FPyRWp? Wow. Dude is White House bound for sure. RT @isdpodcast Episode 578 – malwareAnywhere™, Zulu, NYPII, DoDroid & Threat of the Year http://t.co/2C3oWObM RT @shanazrx #Houston #iran Iranian Family Pleads for Public's Help http://t.co/0qqVflr2 @robertcaruso @MaxVenator @WarfareCenter Really not much substance in that story IMO but yes the…

  • Older Women

    Neptunus Lex
    lex
    26 Jan 2012 | 11:44 pm
    They can make for great partners, in life.

  • Cuts Ahoy!

    OP FOR
    LTCOL P
    26 Jan 2012 | 4:26 am
    Stand by to repel boarders.

  • The defense budget

    BLACKFIVE
    blackfive@gmail.com (Pundit Review Radio)
    27 Jan 2012 | 9:10 am
    Here’s a little fact to keep in mind when considering the current cuts to spending at DoD (and let’s be clear, there is nothing wrong with appropriate cuts to defense spending), besides all the other ramifications it promises: Defense accounts for less than 20 percent of the federal budget but already exceeds 50 percent of deficit-reduction efforts. And for every dollar the President hopes to save in domestic programs, he plans on saving $128 in defense. And that’s without the looming sequestration cuts (keep in mind, most war fighting costs are not included in the budget) of another…
 
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    U.S. Pacific Command Blog

  • Our blog has moved

    5 Jan 2012 | 2:35 pm
    The official blog of U.S. Pacific Command has moved to a new address: pacom.dodlive.mil/ Please update your bookmarks accordingly. Thank you for your support of U.S. Pacific Command.

  • Pacific Endeavor; improving interoperability and building relationships

    13 Sep 2010 | 5:21 pm
    by Lt. Theresa Donnelly, Pacific Command Public Affairs Getting the opportunity to travel overseas is something I always love to do. In fact, being in the military often gives me these chances. However, what is really fulfilling for me is seeing the Pacific Command strategy in action.This was the case a couple weeks back when I traveled to Singapore to promote Pacific Endeavor, a humanitarian communication workshop with 16 Asia-Pacific nations hosted by the Singapore Armed Forces and U.S. Pacific Command. Held Aug. 16-27, Pacific Endeavor used a real-life scenario (a massive earthquake in…

  • Personal Perspectives: A Deployment to Southern Philippines

    13 May 2010 | 4:05 pm
    After assigned to Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines (JSOTF-P) for just one week, on Sept. 27, 2009 I found myself standing in the middle of a massive flooding fiasco in metro Manila, surrounding by thousands of desperate people, watching the city rescue units and the Armed Forces of the Philippines bring their loved ones safely out of the rising water. Homes were engulfed, people were crying out for rescuers to save their families, and all I could do was watch the devastation unfold in front of me. At this point, most of the city was underwater, engulfed after Tropical Storm…

  • U.S. and Laos Co-Host Multinational Pandemic Influenza Workshop

    11 Apr 2010 | 8:38 pm
    Major infectious disease outbreaks in Asia are being placed under the microscope during a series of workshops co-hosted by the U.S. and Laos. This multinational "Pandemic Influenza Civil-Military Senior Planners Workshop" from 6-9 April, 2010, included more than 45 civilian and military medical professionals from 12 nations. Participating nations include Cambodia, the Maldives, Philippines, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Vanuatu and Vietnam.Part of the discussion included how H1N1 spread so quickly outside of Mexico last year. Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance…

  • Big Island hosts USPACOM International Military Lawyer Conference

    1 Apr 2010 | 10:02 pm
    Today, Pacific Command's 23rd annual Military Operations and Law Conference (MILOPS) wraps up on the Big Island, Hawaii. MILOPS is a yearly meeting of legal professionals from countries throughout the Asia-Pacific region. With 26 nations represented, this year's conference covered a broad spectrum of complex issues facing the Asia-Pacific region from humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to counter proliferation to Information Operations and cyber warfare.While not a legal professional, my leadership gave me the opportunity to attend this year's conference to get a different perspective…
 
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    Wired: Danger Room

  • Pentagon Confused by Its Own ‘Subs vs. Terrorists’ Plan

    Spencer Ackerman
    27 Jan 2012 | 4:06 pm
    Photo: U.S. Navy The Pentagon has a dream that it won’t give up: blasting any target on the planet with a submarine’s missile. Nothing seems to stop it, not even years of protest that the project could accidentally spark a nuclear war. But now, the Pentagon swears, it’s figured out how to launch the missiles without triggering any inadvertent Armageddon, and is pushing the concept in its new budget. One problem: No one at the Pentagon can seem to agree on what the latest iteration of this so-called “Conventional Prompt Global Strike” concept really is.

  • Mexico Launches New Offensive Against Cartel, Ratcheting Up Drug War

    Robert Beckhusen
    27 Jan 2012 | 1:22 pm
    Photo: saikofish/Flickr Faced with the risk of losing half of Mexico to a network of marauding drug traffickers, the Mexican army is digging in for a major new offensive into the heart of Zeta country. According to Excelsior, the Mexican army is building a string of new bases across the Zeta cartel’s stomping grounds of Tamaulipas to support some 13,000 soldiers currently patrolling the state. This means nearly 30 percent of the Mexican army’s counter-cartel troops are fortifying directly in the Zetas’ homeland (more are fighting the Zetas elsewhere), and it’s a sign…

  • For Newt, ‘World War III’ Is Just the Beginning

    Spencer Ackerman
    27 Jan 2012 | 5:31 am
    Photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr Newt Gingrich doesn’t just want to lay waste to his political enemies and a large part of the news media. The former House speaker and presidential hopeful wants to bomb a significant part of the planet, too. Gingrich is on the record favoring American military intervention from North Korea to Lebanon. He recently threatened cyberwar with China and Russia. And on Monday, he called for an all-out assault to topple the Castro regime in Cuba. With such a wide range of targets, no wonder Gingrich has consistently said that the U.S. is in the middle of…

  • America’s Most Dangerous Mall: Going Shopping at the Pentagon

    Spencer Ackerman
    27 Jan 2012 | 5:30 am
    << Previous | Next >> Pop culture has lied to you about the Pentagon. The nerve center of the U.S. military, the movies would have you believe, is a teeming hive of warplanning, a citadel on the Potomac where polished brass plan wars and calculate in dimly lit rooms how to deter attacks. Ask anyone who works here, though, and you'll learn that the Pentagon is so much less than that. Sure, the work of national defense actually gets done here. But it's actually a giant mall. No, really. You can buy any kind of random tchotchke here, from novelty Army-themed shot glasses to an Xbox…

  • Humans Lose, Robots Win in New Defense Budget

    Spencer Ackerman
    26 Jan 2012 | 1:15 pm
    Photo: USAF The big loser in the Pentagon’s new budget? Ordinary human beings. About 80,000 Army soldiers and 20,000 Marines are getting downsized. Half of the Army’s conventional combat presence in Europe is packing up and ending its post-Cold War staycation. Replacing them, according to the $613 billion budget previewed by the Pentagon on Thursday: unconventional special-operations forces; new bombers; new spy tools; new missiles for subs; and a veritable Cylon army of drones. This is the first of the Pentagon’s new, smaller “austerity” budgets: it’s…
 
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    Featured Blog Posts - Navy For Moms

  • Hurting

    littleturtle92 daniels mom
    19 Jan 2012 | 5:09 pm
    When does the hurting get better? I'll be fine one minute and a basket case the next. 

  • “I’m gonna be a NUKE!!!!”

    IndianaBounsMom
    16 Jan 2012 | 8:30 am
    Was the voice mail message left to me from my step son on Tuesday, January 11th. Oh how I hated that I missed that call, but the voice mail he left me made my heart smile. “Ms. Paulie, I passed my test! I’m gonna be a NUKE” my step son excitingly yells into my voice mail. “Call me back, I might miss your call I’m going to be helping my grandparents. I love you Ms. Paulie! THANK YOU for everything you’ve done for me!” (A voice mail message I will not delete from my phone) Tears fill my eyes as I recall the moment of listening to that voice mail and hearing the excitement in his…

  • On His Way

    ZachsDad (ship03/div089 )
    17 Jan 2012 | 5:00 pm
    Since the blog area is more about putting down your thoughts her are mine. My son left for MEPS in Spokane, Washington this morning.  At the same time we are expecting a big winter storm.  We live 3 hrs south of Spokane.  I decided yesterday that we wouldn't be going to see the swearing in and I feel really bad about it.  It better dump alot of snow or I'll be mad! Yesterday we decided to have a family day where we all hung out and did what he wanted to do.  Good thing it was MLK day so the kids weren't in school.  Days leading up to yesterday he was hanging out with his friends for the…

  • How can I do this!

    Michael James MOM
    17 Jan 2012 | 5:46 pm
    This is going to be one of the hardest things I will experience. My son joined the Navy last Thursday I am so proud of him it is hard to let go our family has always been the 3 Musketeers Me and my 2 boys. He graduates May 10 from high school in arkansas then Aug 07 he leaves for Great Lakes. We talk everyday and he come to work to see me all the time it is going to be so hard not to see his face. Michael is so determined he joined boy scouts because it would help his military career his brother followed him every step of the way. His brother Joseph will be so lost how do you help him Im…

  • A Mothers Best News

    Cheryl
    29 Dec 2011 | 11:49 pm
    I am traveling down to Louisiana to work for the winter, When I told my son that I was doing that he informed me that on his way to his duty station he was going to reroute his trip so he could come home for a day to see me so I told him that i would not be here. I was very sad. So for weeks I have been kinda depressed thinking that my one and only son was going to come home and I wouldn't even get to see him. Then he called me today and told me that he did some checking and discovered that where I am going to be at in Louisiana is only a 3 hour drive to where he is at in Pensacola Florida.
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    OP FOR

  • Cuts Ahoy!

    LTCOL P
    26 Jan 2012 | 4:26 am
    Stand by to repel boarders.

  • Rescue in Somalia

    LTCOL P
    25 Jan 2012 | 7:28 pm
    GREAT NEWS. I’ve heard some differing details, but the outcome is the same– two good people rescued, alive. And better still, nine dead Somalis. One of the things I love most in the world is a dead Somali. There’s no one on earth more worthy of a righteous bullet between the eyes than the snarling, [...]

  • What Has the Army Learned From Iraq and Afghanistan

    Townie 76
    22 Jan 2012 | 11:36 am
    Over at Tom Rick’s Best Defense there is an interesting discussion regarding “what the Army has learned from the wars of 9-11?”  I have posted a very long comment to his original blog post; I would recommend you read the blog and the comments and then come back and read my comments which are posted [...]

  • Another Conservative Perspective

    Townie 76
    20 Jan 2012 | 6:37 am
    While we generally think of “conservatives” as being strong supporters of the American military; there is an older tradition in which conservatives argued for less foreign entanglements and a small military.  Mr. Robert Robb over at the Arizona Republic makes a strong argument for a return to an older and more traditional National Defense Strategy.  The heart [...]

  • Adding “Optics” to Your Guns

    LTCOL P
    17 Jan 2012 | 7:42 pm
    Talk about coincidences. Last friday we did a branch range day; I brought not only the daily carry piece, the 1911 .45, but the AK clone with the red dot sight (aka Vlad the Impaler) and the S&W M4gery. I wanted to double-check the 50m zero on the first, and put some long overdue rounds [...]
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    BLACKFIVE

  • That ain't CG

    blackfive@gmail.com (Pundit Review Radio)
    27 Jan 2012 | 1:21 pm
    "I'm worried about richochets and everything." "We'll give you a flack jacket and a helmet.  You'll be fine." Make no mistake.  There will be no sequel to this film.  You are never going to see this onscreen ever again. 

  • How to get a job, Part 1

    blackfive@gmail.com (Pundit Review Radio)
    27 Jan 2012 | 9:23 am
    The guys at Ranger Up are putting together a series on how to help vets get hired.  Check this out and share it!   Nick totally nails it. This is advice anyone, but vets in particular, should listen to.

  • The defense budget

    blackfive@gmail.com (Pundit Review Radio)
    27 Jan 2012 | 9:10 am
    Here’s a little fact to keep in mind when considering the current cuts to spending at DoD (and let’s be clear, there is nothing wrong with appropriate cuts to defense spending), besides all the other ramifications it promises: Defense accounts for less than 20 percent of the federal budget but already exceeds 50 percent of deficit-reduction efforts. And for every dollar the President hopes to save in domestic programs, he plans on saving $128 in defense. And that’s without the looming sequestration cuts (keep in mind, most war fighting costs are not included in the budget) of another…

  • Afghan soldiers killing record number of advisors

    blackfive@gmail.com (Pundit Review Radio)
    26 Jan 2012 | 9:31 am
    The number of Afghan soldiers and police attacking their American trainers is becoming a major problem. Even worse, the attacks are now so frequent - 6% of total combat fatalities - that ISAF is no longer reporting details of the fratricide incidents. Instead they leave it up to the country that the fallen service member belongs to. This would not be a big deal if the home countries publicly disclosed the details, but they don't. And our government will unlikely be doing so as the ugly truth on the battlefield doesn't sit well with the political narrative in Washington. From my piece at The…

  • Happy Australia Day! Raise a Glass to the Diggers!

    blackfive@gmail.com (Pundit Review Radio)
    26 Jan 2012 | 1:25 am
    First, I want to wish all of our dear Aussie friends a Happy Australia Day! On January 26, 1788, the First Fleet of 11 convict ships arrived from Great Britain at Sydney Cove, establishing the first European colony on the continent of Australia. In that first fleet were 759 convicts, their Marine guards, some with families, a few civil officers and provisions to keep them alive until they became self-sufficient. Sergeant Jason Glen Keightley and Private Daniel Adcock proudly display their Australian flag in Baghdad. The men are members of Australian Defence Force's Security Detachment that is…
 
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    Defense Tech

  • A Basic Mistake That Trashed a JSTARS

    John Reed
    27 Jan 2012 | 12:08 pm
    Imagine flying, along with 20 or so fellow aircrew, in an Air Force E-8C Joint Surveillance Targeting and Attack Radar System (JSTARS) jet for a mission to track down insurgents planting roadside bombs in Iraq or Afghanistan. You’ve just taken off from your base in Qatar but before you can go scan the ground for [...]

  • MoH-level Valor Leads to a Robot Hand

    Ward
    27 Jan 2012 | 9:50 am
    I had a chance to sit down with Medal of Honor recipient SFC Leroy Petry a couple of days ago while participating in the AFCEA West 2012 conference in San Diego.  Like all who’ve received the nation’s highest award for valor, his story of courage under fire is amazing.  (Read more about him in Military.com’s [...]

  • Hot Docs: DoD’s 2013 Budget Briefing Documents

    John Reed
    26 Jan 2012 | 1:57 pm
    Here’s where you’ll see the weapons programs are going to thrive going forward and the types that won’t (barring Capitol Hill getting involved, which you’ve always got to factor in). Below you’ll the Pentagon’s basic budget documents that the DoD has released to coincide with the budget rollout that we’ve been live Tweeting. The first [...]

  • Navy Getting Very Close to UAV Aerial Refueling

    John Reed
    26 Jan 2012 | 10:39 am
    So, the Navy just took a big step toward achieving the military’s goal of having UAV’s capable of mid-air refueling. Last month, a Navy Learjet equipped with flight control software and refueling hardware from the service’s X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstrator jet autonomously completed a mock air-to-air refueling from a Boeing 707-based tanker (shown [...]

  • Pics of the Day: X-47B From Above

    John Reed
    25 Jan 2012 | 12:48 pm
    Speaking of Northrop Grumman-made UAVs, check out these new photos of Northrop’s stealthy X-47B. The downward-looking pics show the plane — designed to test out how to operate a fighter-sized, stealthy UAV from an aircraft carrier — flying from an angle I’d never seen before. They make it look all the more badass, even if [...]
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    Army Strong Stories

  • No Excuses, Play Like a Champion

    27 Jan 2012 | 12:38 pm
    By: Kayley NammariThese past few weeks, I've received emails and a blog comment asking about what is my work out routine and how do I accomplish scoring high on the APFT. Thanks to C Riggs (shout out, girl!), I wanted to dedicate an entire post to this topic. I hear it all the time that guys complain that the female standards on the APFT are too weak. I kind of want to call BS. The female body is made completely different! I have an extra layer of fat, breasts, and hips (well, I...read more

  • National Museum of the Marine Corps

    27 Jan 2012 | 1:00 am
    By: Kendall MowerWe received notice a few days ago that the power to our dental clinic would be cut for some work that was going on outside our building. In response to that our Commander lined up an Officer Professional Development (OPD) activity for us. We went down to the National Museum of the Marine Corps. Although this in an Army website...I've got to admit the museum was pretty cool. I look forward to the Army Museum that will be built by 2015 at Ft. Belvoir. I hope...read more

  • Assistant Station Commander, U.S. Army Career Center Jamaica

    26 Jan 2012 | 2:07 pm
    By: Eric RamosHi, my name is SFC Ramos, and I am a proud Hispanic-American Soldier, proud to serve the U.S. Army. I am very excited to be a blogger on armystrongstories.com, and I am looking forward to blogging from the Hispanic Heritage Foundation event in May right here in New York City at St. John's University (ROTC) campus. See you then! If you'd like to talk to me in the meantime, find me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ArmyRecruiting11432...read more

  • Grandview Station at the Mavericks Hockey Game.

    26 Jan 2012 | 1:45 pm
    By: Fred HermsteinTomorrow night the Grandview Army Recruiting Station will have the hummer, chin-up bar, dog tags, and a marksmanship trainer at the Mavericks game at 5:30. For more information contact SFC Echols at 816-763-3193....read more

  • Hummer at Waynesville High School

    26 Jan 2012 | 1:36 pm
    By: Fred HermsteinToday, an Army Mobile Exhibit Vehicle will visit Waynesville HS. For more information contact SSG Hall at 573-3365544....read more
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    Michael Yon - Online Magazine

  • Another Dustoff Pilot says Delays Costing Lives

    Army Times
    27 Jan 2012 | 12:18 pm
    (The following letter appeared on the Army Times website.) DEADLY DELAYS “What the hell happened to Medevac, sir?” That was a question an angry sergeant asked me as I was eating chow last February at Forward Operating Base Kalsu, Iraq. I didn’t understand the question or the anger in his voice at the time, but I do now and would like to try to offer an explanation. In the past, medical evacuation units reported to a medical command. These Medevac units had aviation assets, namely Black Hawk helicopters, but at the end of the day, Medical Service Corps officers were in charge. Recently,…

  • MEDEVAC Links

    Michael Yon
    27 Jan 2012 | 8:05 am
    27 January 2012 The MEDEVAC issue continues to grow.  There have been many articles and it's becoming difficult to keep up.  The Joint Chiefs of Staff is preparing something for Congress.  My guess based on conversations is that JCS will try deflection and will not solve the issue.  SecDef has done nothing, to my knowledge.  And so this is set to become an election issue. This list below is not comprehensive but can be a helpful resource. Please listen to my interview with Dennis Miller. LINKSOp-eds by James Simpson American…

  • Thoughts from a Dustoff Pilot

    Dustoff pilot
    25 Jan 2012 | 11:21 pm
    26 January 2012 I am a Dustoff pilot (Instructor pilot) with over 1000 hours of combat time, and over 300+ combat medevac missions under my belt.  In 2004 (Iraq) we flew single ship, responding to thousands of medevac 9-line calls.  Not one helo shot down, but we sure got shot at a lot.  On a few occasions, we had to ask armed helos, who were out on missions, to divert and escort us into some hot areas.  On a few other occasions, we had the Air Force Pedros request to go along with us on missions. We responded quickly and efficiently.  When we got the call, we went.

  • Time to Leave Afghanistan

    Michael Yon
    21 Jan 2012 | 8:42 am
    21 January 2012 This war is going to turn out badly. We are wasting lives and resources while the United States decays and other threats emerge.  We led the horse to water. Importantly, there is no value in pretending that Pakistan is an ally. We should wish the best of luck to the Afghans, and the many peaceful Pakistanis, and accelerate our withdrawal of our main battle force. The US never has been serious about Afghanistan. Under General Petraeus we were starting to gain ground, but the current trajectory will land us in the mud. The enemies will never beat us in Afghanistan. …

  • CBS Video of MEDEVAC Issue

    Michael Yon
    19 Jan 2012 | 8:35 pm
    20 January 2012 What do you think of Lieutenant General John F. Campbell's remarks in this video? Please click to view.
 
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    Blogs of War

  • Need to Know: January 27, 2012

    John Little
    27 Jan 2012 | 3:10 pm
    Iranians "partly bluffing" http://t.co/NY42Kr2P – in other news the earth is roundish, fire most likely hot, water usually quite wet. So Ron Paul is winning the "Who won the CNN Debate" poll on http://t.co/17FPyRWp? Wow. Dude is White House bound for sure. RT @isdpodcast Episode 578 – malwareAnywhere™, Zulu, NYPII, DoDroid & Threat of the Year http://t.co/2C3oWObM RT @shanazrx #Houston #iran Iranian Family Pleads for Public's Help http://t.co/0qqVflr2 @robertcaruso @MaxVenator @WarfareCenter Really not much substance in that story IMO but yes the…

  • Need to Know: January 26, 2012

    John Little
    26 Jan 2012 | 3:10 pm
    The CyberWar Daily is out! http://t.co/FIqoCVVR Top stories today via @jtkeating The Blogs of War Watchlist is out! http://t.co/pya29086 Top stories today via @rcanyt @taylor_owen @iiamelii @hahellyer @blakehounshell

  • Need to Know: January 25, 2012

    John Little
    25 Jan 2012 | 3:10 pm
    So that explains Obama’s chat with Panetta on his way into the #SOTU last night.. Navy SEALs raid rescues Somalia aid workers http://t.co/pOzU5aGb RT @switch_d Boko Haram got al #Qaeda bomb training, Niger says http://t.co/7A60Lg5C #jihad #terrorism No but he will be eligible for training at his local comm. college – MT @intelwire I missed the speech. Did Obama offer @chrisalbon a job? And Chris Matthews’ leg – MT @StateDept President Obama: The renewal of American leadership can be felt across the globe. RT @marcambinder The consensus is that a Clintonesque speech is…

  • Need to Know: January 24, 2012

    John Little
    24 Jan 2012 | 3:10 pm
    Assessing #Burma #039;s reform program http://t.co/kKRfwHsz RT @intelwire In NY Police Training, a Dark Film on U.S. Muslims http://t.co/tVAHbRrl RT @AJEnglish #Iran scoffs at EU oil embargo http://t.co/ple9Zeco Homeland Security Wants to Spy on 4 Square Miles at Once http://t.co/DwVfGgNY Spy times have changed in #Russia – http://t.co/vlsM4hZp What to do about #Iran http://t.co/5I947Z3U #Russia to Sell 36 Yak-130 Jets to #Syria http://t.co/sq0mmHTQ 'Asia' White Paper makes no sense http://t.co/oshbVnAi Chinese vice president Xi to visit US next month –…

  • Need to Know: January 23, 2012

    John Little
    23 Jan 2012 | 3:10 pm
    Streaming tweets on #Iran and its #nuclear program – http://t.co/NzNiQypp EU bans #Iran oil imports, targeting nuclear program http://t.co/gZSsOioM MT @Doctrine_Man Reuters: Iran 'will definitely' close Strait of Hormuz if crude exports disrupted by EU embargo, official tells FARS RT @IDCsync US to keep 11 aircraft carriers to show sea power – AP http://t.co/xrmHCaMx RT @IOLink #Taliban Talks a Long Way Off, U.S. Envoy Says – New York Times http://t.co/AvevVt5k #Iran Motorcyclists kill military officer – http://t.co/vdKQC6Vr RT @lrozen The NYT's Bill…
 
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    A Soldier's Perspective

  • The Progressive International Motorcycle Show

    Scott Lee
    21 Jan 2012 | 10:09 am
    We’re proud to announce that Military, Police, and Fire Men and Women will get free admission to this weekend’s Progressive International Motorcycle Show in NYC if they arrive in uniform! The Progressive International Motorcycle Show is your #1 place to see get the latest Motorcycle news, products, and custom bikes. Already the largest motorcycle show around, this year’s New York event is going to be bigger than 2011. More bikes, more products, and more learning opportunities. There are several show features for you to enjoy, such as the Dream Pavilion, Smage Bros Stunt Show, Ultimate…

  • Army statement on MEDEVAC issue

    CJ
    21 Jan 2012 | 6:42 am
    Photo Credit: Navy Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Summer M. Anderson U.S. Army Soldiers transport a trauma victim to a U.S. Army medical helicopter in Tarmiyah, Iraq, Sept. 30, 2007. The Soldiers are from Charlie Company, 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division out of Fort Lewis, Wash. The Army has released the following statement reference the MEDEVAC issue: WASHINGTON (Jan. 20, 2012) — “Recent news items about the use of Army medical evacuation, or MEDEVAC, helicopters in Afghanistan contain troubling information. The…

  • Combat PTSD: A Psycho-Social and Spiritual Wound

    Scott Lee
    13 Jan 2012 | 7:25 pm
    America, I gave you my soul in 1991. I didn’t know it then that I would receive a psycho-social and spiritual wound that not even I could see. Of late we have heard much on the common symptoms of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD in the media and the soldier or veteran, you won’t hear me talk about that much. I deal mostly in the chronic nature of Combat PTSD and it’s many flavors and identities as it relates to me. I’m all about talking about the mental, physical, social and spiritual aspects of where going to combat can take us. Along with the mental…

  • Combat PTSD Blogger on ASP

    Scott Lee
    10 Jan 2012 | 5:54 pm
    Hello ASP readers, I am sure you have heard the latest on CJ’s blogging saga. I am not here to talk about that, we all know that he will address it when he can. For those of you who don’t know me, I go by a couple of writing handles and identities; Roman General and most recently Combat PTSD Blogger on Facebook. I started writing at PTSD: A Soldier’s Perspective in 2007 and in 2008 CJ contacted me to begin writing here. He asked me to come back to keep the conversation moving forward on Combat PTSD. I have lived with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder for 20 years following the…

  • Experts Agree: The MEDEVAC Issue Is a Non-Issue

    CJ
    5 Jan 2012 | 7:33 am
    U.S. Air Force Capt. Michael Madsen, Provincial Reconstruction Team Zabul doctor, dons a holiday hat and prepares to return to a unit morale event after transfering an Afghan National Police member to a medical evacuation helicopter at Forward Operating Base Smart, Afghanistan, Dec. 25, 2011. PRT Zabul’s medical team assists the Zabul Provincial Hospital in patient treatment to prevent to loss of life, limb, or eyesight. Photo by 1st Lt. Belena Marquez. Troops on the ground, Regional Command (South), ISAF, CENTCOM, and the Department of the Army. What do they have in common? They agree…
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    Secrecy News

  • New Leak Case Relies on 1982 Law on Intelligence Identities

    Steven Aftergood
    25 Jan 2012 | 10:53 am
    Former CIA officer John Kiriakou this week became the latest person to be charged under the Espionage Act with unauthorized disclosures of classified information.  But unlike the previous defendants, Mr. Kiriakou was also charged with violating the Intelligence Identities Protection Act for allegedly disclosing the identity of a covert intelligence officer to a journalist. The Intelligence Identities Protection Act was enacted in 1982 to combat the efforts of Philip Agee and his colleagues to expose CIA personnel around the world.  The Act made it a felony to reveal the names of…

  • Domestic Use of Drones is Well Underway

    Steven Aftergood
    25 Jan 2012 | 10:47 am
    The use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) within the United States is certain to increase in the years to come, as a new Army policy has recently made clear.  (“Army Foresees Expanded Use of Drones in U.S. Airspace,” Secrecy News, January 19.)  But in fact the use of unmanned aircraft or drones within U.S. airspace has already advanced to a degree that is not widely recognized. As of 2010, the Federal Aviation Administration had already issued hundreds of “certificates of authorization” (COAs) for the domestic use of drones. “Right now, today as we sit here, we…

  • Presidential Signing Statements, and More from CRS

    Steven Aftergood
    25 Jan 2012 | 10:42 am
    President Obama has used “signing statements” to take exception to provisions of law enacted by Congress with significantly less frequency than did President George W. Bush.  He has also abandoned reference to the “unitary executive” concept that was favored by the Bush Administration. In most other respects, however, the Obama Administration’s use of signing statements is consistent and continuous with recent past practice, according to a newly updated report from the Congressional Research Service.  The report reviewed the basis for signing statements, their…

  • Court Says Review of Security Clearance Dispute is “Prohibited”

    Steven Aftergood
    23 Jan 2012 | 10:53 am
    A government agency’s decision to revoke an employee’s security clearance cannot be reviewed by a federal court even if the decision is based on ethnic discrimination or religious prejudice or other unconstitutional grounds, a court said last week. Judge James C. Cacheris of the Eastern District of Virginia dismissed a lawsuit brought by Mahmoud M. Hegab, a budget analyst at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA).  Mr. Hegab alleged that his security clearance had been revoked by NGA “based solely on [his] wife’s religion, Islam, her constitutionally…

  • Afghanistan Casualties, and More from CRS

    Steven Aftergood
    23 Jan 2012 | 10:46 am
    New or updated reports from the Congressional Research Service that have not been made readily available to the public include the following (all pdf). Afghanistan Casualties: Military Forces and Civilians, January 18, 2012 FY2012 National Defense Authorization Act: Selected Military Personnel Policy Issues, January 5, 2012 Spectrum Policy in the Age of Broadband: Issues for Congress, January 5, 2012 The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Terrorism Investigations, December 28, 2011 Economic Downturns and Crime, December 19, 2011
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    Official Site of the U.S. Air Force Top Stories

  • CSAF: AF will be smaller but superb force

    27 Jan 2012 | 5:06 pm

  • Air Force's cyber leader says communication, information role shifting

    27 Jan 2012 | 4:46 pm
    The Air Force's leader in cyberspace operations and support told communications and information career field members here how emerging technology and the information superhighway are changing their roles and providing them with challenges and opportunities. Lt. Gen. William T. Lord, the Air Force chief of warfighting integration and chief information officer, presented CyberVision 2020, an initiative to transform the communications and information community, during a town hall meeting here Jan. 11 sponsored by Headquarters Air Education and Training Command A6.more...

  • SecAF visits Colorado Springs, highlights budget priorities

    27 Jan 2012 | 3:48 pm

  • AF names support, training, recruiting, maintenance commanders

    27 Jan 2012 | 11:21 am
    More than 580 officers from various Air Force career fields have been selected for mission support, training and recruiting, and deputy maintenance group command, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced. Using squadron commander candidate lists released in November, wing hiring officials, major command functional managers and Air Force Personnel assignment teams matched candidates to projected command positions, said Jim Playford, of the AFPC developmental and special duty assignments branch. more...

  • Acquisition board approves DEAMS next phase

    27 Jan 2012 | 11:01 am
    The Defense Acquisition Board on Jan. 10 approved the Defense Enterprise Accounting and Management System's entry into the engineering and manufacturing development phase, otherwise known in acquisition terms as Milestone B. The purpose of DEAMS, which was initiated in 2003 as a joint effort between the U.S. Transportation Command, the Air Force and DFAS, is to field an accounting system that is auditable and compliant with United States Standard General Ledger standards. more...
 
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    Skippin' Rope

  • Review & Giveaway: The Ultimate Green Store

    Tara @ Skippin' Rope
    23 Jan 2012 | 1:42 pm
    Hey guys! I’m really excited to bring you a review {and giveaway} today from The Ultimate Green Store. The Ultimate Green Store offers a lot of variety in products. They have products ranging from baby clothes, cloth diapers, items for pets, your teenager, dorm rooms, office supplies, furniture, and so much more! Here is a little bit about the company! As the ultimate web-based destination for eco-conscious shoppers, The Ultimate Green Store provides a collection of many of the finest environmentally friendly products for you, your home, office, kids and even your pets! We also have an…

  • Bingo!

    Tara @ Skippin' Rope
    9 Dec 2011 | 7:41 am
    I recently stumbled across a website, Foxy Bingo, that completely has me flashing back to fun memories. From adult bingo games to childhood memories. There is something about the site that makes me reminisce. Do you remember as a kid playing bingo? Maybe in class or at home? I remember fun felt dots in one game, shiny pieces in another, and little red chips to cover the spaces at school. It was the best played in school wasn’t it? Then again I do love a good game of baby shower bingo! It is so much fun to guess what the mama-to-be is going to get as gifts. When we were living in…

  • I’ve Missed You

    Tara @ Skippin' Rope
    7 Dec 2011 | 2:00 pm
    I’ve been sitting here trying to think of a clever analogy to tell you how much I have missed blogging. Really though? There is no easier way then to just say I. Have missed. Blogging. The typing, the writing, the planning of a post. I found my self brain storming in the shower or while driving to work or while just hanging out with my kids. Ideas come to mind and I work with them like I am kneading dough. Then it would hit me. I didn’t have a working computer. I couldn’t blog. Crestfallen I would return to what ever in the moment I was doing, trying to ignore the ideas…

  • Weekends With Cookie Dough Always Go Well

    Tara @ Skippin' Rope
    2 Oct 2011 | 11:01 pm
    It’s true. Your weekend can not go wrong when there is cookie dough evolved! {Photo Credit} My hubby’s birthday was wednesday but due to work schedules we decided to celebrate on Friday, thanks to a day off the husband had. The celebration continued on to Saturday thanks to our kids and their love of interrupting things. Even with their interruptions, it was wonderful to spend time celebrating as a family. Hubby didn’t ask for cake for his birthday, instead it was cookies. Chocolate Chip cookies to be exact. That I took to the next level by adding peanut butter chips. Hubby…

  • Friday Favorites: OPI nail polish

    Tara @ Skippin' Rope
    29 Sep 2011 | 11:01 pm
    Ugh… this week has been crazy. I had so many more plans for writing this week. But our computer charger looks like a dog chewed on it. It’s barely hanging on, let alone charing our laptop. If you follow me on twitter you may have seen a few of my tweets about the lack of a camera too. My point and shoot has a broken flash. All my photos come out kinda orange tinted. My hubby’s camera… we have no idea where it is. And my old but reliable DSLR? We can’t find the charge since we moved. I’m having some technology issues this week :/ But none the…
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    Post Politics: Breaking Politics News, Political Analysis & More - The Washington Post

  • Gingrich professes shock at Romney’s ‘dishonest’ debate performance

    Amy Gardner, Philip Rucker
    27 Jan 2012 | 10:30 pm
    MIAMI — Former House speaker Newt Gingrich spent Friday struggling to fend off the perception that his presidential campaign has stalled after a flat debate performance on Thursday and fresh polling data showing his support slipping in Florida. Read full article >>

  • Romney says Gingrich is ‘like Goldilocks’

    Philip Rucker
    27 Jan 2012 | 8:47 pm
    ORLANDO – After getting the better of Newt Gingrich in Thursday night’s debate, Mitt Romney is trying to rub it in.  The increasingly confident, and increasingly punchy, former Massachusetts governor took a fresh swipe at the former House speaker at a campaign rally here Friday night, likening him to the fairy tale character “Goldilocks.” Read full article >>

  • Obama ally suggests administration is undermining Endangered Species Act

    Juliet Eilperin
    27 Jan 2012 | 7:52 pm
    The Obama administration is setting too high a threshold for listing an imperiled plant or animal under the Endangered Species Act, according to Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass). Markey, one of the White House’s closest congressional allies, late Thursday sent a letter to Dan Ashe, director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, questioning a draft policy the agency issued last month with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Read full article >>

  • Rick Perry’s back in Texas, and some wonder if he’s lost political power there

    Melinda Henneberger
    27 Jan 2012 | 7:44 pm
    Yes, to the non-Texan eye, it looks like Republican Gov. Rick Perry has slunk home from his last rodeo, having humiliated himself and his home state with a presidential run that will go down in history as one big “Oops.” Read full article >>

  • Obama, Biden rally Democrats at annual retreat

    Felicia Sonmez
    27 Jan 2012 | 7:23 pm
    CAMBRIDGE, Md. — President Obama and Vice President Biden on Friday worked to rally congressional Democrats preparing to do battle with Republicans leading into the 2012 election. In remarks at the annual House Democratic retreat near the shore of the Chesapeake Bay, Obama rallied the House Democrats with a campaign-style speech in which he defended Democrats’ legislative accomplishments over the past three years, acknowledged that lawmakers have had to make some “tough decisions” and reprised many of the arguments he made in Tuesday’s State of the Union address. Read full article…
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    The Sandbox

  • FLASHBACKS

    David Stanford
    24 Jan 2012 | 1:11 am
    Name: C.J. GrishamReturned from: IraqDeployed to: AfghanistanMilblog: Afghanistan War Journal This is a post I wrote a while back, after my first deployment: I had a rough night last night. Sleeping was labored, even with the Vicodin I take to overcome my back pain at night. I woke up numerous times wondering where I was for a few seconds, then falling back asleep. I was dreaming about my trip through the town of Al Mahmudiyah. The town is located just south of Baghdad. Before we took Baghdad, we had to go through this town and destroy any forces that may try to ambush us during our taking of…

  • YOU SEE US ALL THE TIME

    David Stanford
    17 Jan 2012 | 10:08 am
    Name: Jason PayneReturned from: Iraq and AfghanistanHometown: Irvine, CAMilblog: IAVAEmail: jrpayne26@yahoo.com Recent media reports covering violent tragedies committed by veterans have both alarmed and motivated me to take action.  As a Veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), I became very concerned when I learned the murder of a National Park Ranger at Mount Rainer National Park was committed by an OIF Veteran who potentially suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). My concern was not just for the Park Ranger’s family and…

  • SUPER RABBIT

    David Stanford
    14 Jan 2012 | 11:56 am
    Name: America's 1st Sgt.Stationed in: BahrainMilblog: Castra PraetoriaEmail: castrapraetoria1@gmail.com For your Saturday morning entertainment I present an old Warner Brothers cartoon starring Bugs Bunny from way back in 1943. This was a time when your military were still the good guys and were actually lauded by the media. Enjoy the cartoon, because you won't see anything like this made in modern times. For my money the really good part starts at 7:30.

  • ONE YEAR LATER

    David Stanford
    12 Jan 2012 | 11:23 am
    Name: Major DanReturned from: AfghanistanMilblog: AfghaniDan It wasn't this one, I am sure... It was perfectly bizarre, and ironic, and somehow appropriate, to see and hear a helicopter in the airspace ahead of me as I left the Boulder Vets Center today. There are rarely helos ("choppers" if your service insists on that term) above this town, so rare that it's practically jarring to hear the rotors. It caused me to smile and shake my head, as I'd realized earlier why the dates of January 8 & 10 consciously stood out to me -- they were the dates I left Kabul and…

  • THE DANCE

    David Stanford
    10 Jan 2012 | 11:37 am
    Name: RN Clara HartStationed in: a civilian military hospital in the U.S.Email: clarahart2@yahoo.com Handsome date. . .check. Tickets. . . .check. Formal gown. . .check. Shoes to match the formal gown. . .check. Jewelry and other accessories. . .yes, have those too. I am ready for the Marine Corps Birthday Ball. For the past three years I have attended the Wounded Warriors Marine Corps Birthday Ball. This year was to be no different and I was very much looking forward to it. Every year I have attended I have left the evening with the knowledge that I did make a difference. I have seen the…
 
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    The Stupid Shall Be Punished

  • "Paperwork To Follow..."

    Bubblehead
    25 Jan 2012 | 3:40 pm
    A reader writes:Joel, have you ever done a post on your "favorite" PM, maintenance or "fix" done on the Boat?I'm sure we have, but can't remember exactly when, so it was probably a while back. The E-mail got me thinking about the most memorable "midnight maintenance" that I was involved in as a JO, but everything I thought about had too much NNPI to share here. As Engineer, of course, my job was to decide when to trust my guys to do the right thing and choose to work on paperwork in my stateroom during the critical repair efforts rather then monitoring on scene.What are your favorite stories…

  • New Submarine Force Initiatives

    Bubblehead
    17 Jan 2012 | 4:42 pm
    Word on the street is that some of the higher-ups have been talking about splitting the submarine officer path into two separate tracks: SSN/SSGN and SSBN. The idea seems to be that someone taking command of one of America's most important national security assets should have the maximum possible experience operating said asset before becoming Captain. The addition of female officers to the mix adds another issue, since they would likely choose the SSBN path (with SSNs unavailable to them for the foreseeable future) and they'd lose the SSGN platform.Another initiative, more highly publicized,…

  • The Sea Is A Cruel Mistress

    Bubblehead
    14 Jan 2012 | 10:30 pm
    Normally, when one reads about a ship running aground or colliding with another ship, a mariner will think something along the lines of "There but for the grace of God go I".The wreck of the Costa Concordia off the Italian coast does not seem to be one of those times, and serves once again as a reminder that a well-trained crew and well-maintained ship are the best defense against the dangers of the sea. I'm sure the inquiry will provide more information about how exactly the crew screwed up, but initial reports sure make it seem like this tragedy could have easily been avoided.Update 17 Jan,…

  • CAPT Robert Nestlerode (1951-2012)

    Bubblehead
    12 Jan 2012 | 1:40 pm
    Retired Captain Robert Nestlerode, former CO of USS Birmingham (SSN 695) and Submarine Base New London (among other commands) passed away on Saturday.Captain Nestlerode was one of the good guys; in my interactions with him, he was always professional while still having a great sense of humor; he was a mentor and a leader in the best sense of both words. Sailor, Rest Your Oar.

  • iVIP Tour

    Bubblehead
    11 Jan 2012 | 6:48 pm
    Why, yes, that is the actress from iCarly looking into Tube #1 aboard USS Hartford (SSN 768) today:The cast of the Nickelodeon show was at SUBASE NLON today for an advanced screening of their upcoming episode that talks about how kids can provide support for U.S. military families. More pictures from the visit are here. What's the funniest lie you've ever told a VIP tourer on your boat?
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    DID: Department of Defense News, Procurement, Acquisition & Contracting, National Security Policy

  • Rapid Fire 2012-01-27: FY13 DoD Budget Guidance

    Joe Katzman
    27 Jan 2012 | 1:15 am
    Top Pentagon officials gave a briefing yesterday on major budget decisions ahead of the FY13 President Budget request coming on Feb. 13. Highlights among the outlined priorities [PDF]: A relatively stable topline at $613.4B, made of a $525B baseline plus $88.4B overseas contingency operations (OCO). The former is a couple billion dollars below the FY10 actual budget and reflects a 5% decrease from the FY12 request, but in reality is just $6B below what DoD ended up getting last year. The OCO funds are 25% lower than last year’s $117.8B request but they remain at a pretty sizable level…

  • The US Navy’s Mobile Landing Platform Ships (MLP)

    Joe Katzman
    26 Jan 2012 | 9:27 am
    MLP concept (click to view full) Converteam picked for propulsion & power system; Ships named; Keel laid; Article updated. (Jan 19/12) The Montford Point Class Mobile Landing Platform is intended to be a new class and type of auxiliary support ship, as part of the US Navy’s Maritime Prepositioning Force of the Future (MPF-F) program. They’re intended to serve as a transfer station or floating pier at sea, improving the U.S. military’s ability to deliver equipment and cargo from ship to shore when friendly bases are denied, or simply don’t exist. That’s very…

  • AMRAAM: Deploying & Developing America’s Medium-Range Air-Air Missile

    Joe Katzman
    26 Jan 2012 | 8:33 am
    AIM-120C from F-22A (click for test missile zoom) SLAMRAAM updates; AIM-120D contract; AIM-120D testing & status; 2013 budget may be good news for AIM-120D. (Jan 26/12) Raytheon’s AIM-120 Advanced, Medium-Range Air to Air Missile (AMRAAM) has become the world market leader for medium range air-to-air missiles, and is also beginning to make inroads within land-based defense systems. It was designed with the lessons of Vietnam in mind, and of local air combat exercises like ACEVAL and Red Flag. This DID FOCUS article covers successive generations of AMRAAM missiles, international…

  • From Dolphins to Destroyers: The ScanEagle UAV

    Joe Katzman
    26 Jan 2012 | 7:13 am
    ScanEagle launch (click to view full) USMC contract; RQ-21 replacement draws closer. (Jan 25/12) ScanEagle’s base Insight UAV platform was originally developed by Washington state’s Insitu, Inc. to track dolphins and tuna from fishing boats, in order to ensure that the fish you buy in supermarkets is “dolphin-safe”. It turns out that the same characteristics needed by fishing boats (able to handle the-water environment, low infrastructure launch and recovery, small size, 20-hour long endurance, automated flight patterns) are equally important for naval operations from…

  • Timely Defenders: Keeping Patriots in Shape

    Joe Katzman
    26 Jan 2012 | 5:38 am
    Patriot system (click for explanation) Contract & error. (Jan 17/12) The USA’s MIM-104 Phased Array Tracking Radar Intercept On Target (PATRIOT) anti-air missile system offers an advanced backbone for medium-range air defense, and short-range ballistic missile defense, to America and its allies. This article covers domestic and foreign purchase requests and contracts for Patriot systems. It also compiles information about the engineering service contracts that upgrade these systems, ensure that they continue to work, and integrate them with wider command and defense systems. The…
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    Doc in the Box

  • California Marines We're Unforgettable

    Sean from DocintheBox
    15 Jan 2012 | 2:23 pm
    This was my old squadron HMM-764, I'm glad someone took over the picture and video taking after I left, good job guys!

  • Phoenix Tattoo

    Sean from DocintheBox
    9 Jan 2012 | 1:41 am
    My third tattoo in time lapse, this was my second sitting and I made a video of it.  The artist is Meghan Ortez, shop 92 Proof Tattoo in Lemoore CA and the amazing camera girl is my bride.

  • Book Review of Robert McCammon's: The Five

    Sean from DocintheBox
    9 Dec 2011 | 6:03 pm
    First off, Robert McCammon is my favorite author bar none and I consider Boy's Life one of the best works laid out in the English language.  But that and the review below are both personal opinions, I wrote the below for Audible.com "This story flows like a river" With every word of this book, Robert McCammon builds an elaborate web that goes across the American southwest, an epic and yet

  • Key West

    Sean from DocintheBox
    29 Nov 2011 | 2:39 pm
    Back in Key West, groggy first day on the ground, I would like to say its from partying hard but we just got in late last night due to flight delays from the Lemoore fog that filled the cetral valley like milk in a cup.  A midnight trip to Dennys of which in hindsight, sleep would have done me more good. On the medical side of the house, so far so good.  Hopefully I'll get a pole in the water

  • Where Soldiers Come From

    Sean from DocintheBox
    7 Nov 2011 | 10:54 pm
    "From a snowy, small town in northern Michigan to the mountains of Afghanistan, Where Soldiers Come From follows the four-year journey of childhood friends who join the National Guard after graduating from high school. As it chronicles the young men’s transformation from restless teenagers to soldiers looking for roadside bombs to 23-year-old combat veterans trying to start their lives again, the
 
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    Miserable Donuts

  • Random Military photo of the week

    LTC John
    26 Jan 2012 | 8:24 pm
    I was browsing some photos of my time in Afghanistan, and chuckled when I saw this one of me, and "Commander Qand", a local man of note, former Afghan Militia Commander and veteran of fighting against the Soviets and the Talib.Yes, meetings bore me too, CDR Qand.

  • Should you find yourself in Chicago....visit Lincoln Tavern

    LTC John
    26 Jan 2012 | 8:18 pm
    Should you happen to find yourself in Bucktown (that is a neighborhood in Chicago, for our out of State friends) you will want to drop in at Lincoln Tavern.Hey, Look here, right on Wabansia!While a real neighborhood bar is the first thing you will see...Is that an Elvis picture?Pour me a Blue, wouldya please? Don't think that is all there is to this place...the dining room hides off to the back. The food was startlingly good - the ribs were reviewed by a hungry 13 year old (my son) as "awesome!". Everything else was too.  If you have a hankering for game, they even do…

  • A landmark reborn

    LTC John
    21 Jan 2012 | 2:10 pm
    Out with the old....In with new....MarsCheese Castle  One cannot cross the Illinois/Wisconsin border (near Kenosha)without at least wanting to stop at the Castle.  The iconic cheese, beer and sausage shop became so popular, they had to move (across the parking lot) to a bigger building.Man, now I want a brat and some New Galrus beer...

  • I'm back

    LTC John
    21 Jan 2012 | 2:02 pm
    Had lost my voice, so to speak for blogging.  Well, I think I am ready to return.  Standby for posts....

  • Whew, I'm Glad That's Over

    Inner Prop
    16 Dec 2011 | 11:59 am
    I thought this BBC article's headline was a bit too trite.  Maybe it's just classic British understatement.  "No need to worry about that anymore..."I wonder why I can't even find this story on CNN, USAToday or Google News.
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    The Captain's Journal

  • Republican Media Resorts to Newtron Bombing in Support of Romney

    Glen Tschirgi
    26 Jan 2012 | 5:22 pm
    I hesitate to post something that might drag TCJ directly into the GOP nominating process as I do not believe that TCJ is primarily about politics, but given the importance of the 2012 elections, I cannot resist making a cautionary post about what is happening in the Republican primaries. Allow me to also state, up front, that I am officially undecided on my support.  Yes, I am a registered Republican (although I have flirted with the idea of going Independent given the state of the GOP), no surprise there.   Like most Republicans I was hoping that several, other candidates would enter the…

  • Lessons Learned in the War With Militant Islam, Part Two: Disproportionate Response

    Glen Tschirgi
    25 Jan 2012 | 7:50 pm
    This is the second installment of a little series I have started on TCJ which attempts to summarize some of the important lessons that America should have learned in its ongoing war with Militant Islam. Part One of the series, “Naming the Enemy,” is here for those getting in late. Lesson Two Respond to asymmetrical attacks with overwhelming firepower and force, Proportional Response Doctrine Notwithstanding. Hopefully we have learned that the American military is at its best when it is unleashed to do its worst.   When U.S. forces are allowed to employ the full range of…

  • Losing The Border War

    Herschel Smith
    24 Jan 2012 | 10:59 pm
    From The Fix: An anonymous Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, speaking exclusively with The Fix, paints a stark picture of the drug war along the US-Mexico Border. The cartels’ traffickers are punching through our borders without fear, he confirms, supplying US streets with cocaine, marijuana, and heroin. But the administration seems more concerned with immigration than with drugs: “Border patrol is very adamant about stopping the illegal aliens,” he tells us. “But border patrol is not adamant about stopping the drugs and the cartels’ vehicles from coming…

  • Withdraw From Afghanistan

    Herschel Smith
    22 Jan 2012 | 10:39 pm
    Michael Yon has written a short note entitled Time To Leave Afghanistan.  I concur, but for somewhat different reasons, or at least, I will state my reasons somewhat differently.  I had been pondering going public with my counsel to withdraw from Afghanistan, and then I read possibly the most depressing entry on Afghanistan I have ever seen, from Tim Lynch.  Some of it is repeated below. Ten years ago, Afghans were thrilled to see us and thought that finally they could live in peace and develop their country … Five years ago they watched us flounder – we stayed on FOBs and…

  • Free The Final Haditha Marine

    Herschel Smith
    18 Jan 2012 | 9:55 pm
    There is disposition of the cases against all of the Haditha Marines, except for one. The former Marine officer who gave Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich the order to “clear” an Iraqi house near the site of an explosion that had just killed a Marine testified Friday that he expected Wuterich and his squad to “kill or capture the enemy I thought was in that building.” William Kallop, who was a lieutenant in 2005 and is now a stockbroker in New York, said he believed insurgents inside the house were firing on Marines and thus the house could be deemed “hostile.”…
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    Bouhammer's Military Blog

  • A cut in pay leads to murder

    troy@bouhammer.com (Bouhammer)
    26 Jan 2012 | 3:21 pm
    The Afghan soldier who gunned down nine Americans in a shooting rampage at a military compound in Kabul last April targeted and killed his U.S. mentors after they took away his wings and cut his salary nearly in half because he was unable to learn English, a longtime colleague of the killer has told FoxNews.com. A second Afghan airman, who was wounded in the April 27 attack, says the gunman, Col. Ahmed Gul, also intended to kill Afghans who were working with the Americans at the base at Kabul Airport. And he said he fears there will be more incidents like it as the war winds down. Read more:…

  • Jon Stewart’s lack of PT helps the troops

    troy@bouhammer.com (Bouhammer)
    26 Jan 2012 | 10:12 am
    Picked this up on militarytimes.com blog outside the wire. I watched this episode last night as I DVR every Jon Stewart and Colbert show and try to keep up with them. Even though he is a self-admitted liberal, Jon Stewart is a big troop supporter having went over to the sandbox himself at least once that I know of and has hosted the last two Remind.org For The Troops fundraising comedy events. This time it is funny to see his inability to stay in shape help the troops. BTW this does have some foul language and may not be safe for work or around little kids.   The Daily ShowGet More:…

  • I love it when they kill each other

    troy@bouhammer.com (Bouhammer)
    25 Jan 2012 | 8:40 am
    I saw this over at my good friends and fellow milbloggers site, http://thisainthell.us/blog/ It is just too funny not to watch a couple of times. They ask a good question over at TAH, “Why is this war taking so long?”      

  • Banana Republic Stores honoring our military, but HURRY!

    troy@bouhammer.com (Bouhammer)
    21 Jan 2012 | 6:19 pm
    SPREAD THE WORD!! Banana Republic stores are doing a little something to honor our military and give them a break on clothes. If you are a military member, retired, veteran, or a military family member they are giving you 50% off of up to three full-price items through Sunday, January 22nd. Sorry for the late notice but tomorrow is the last day. After that they are giving the same folks 15% off all items from January 23-31. Please check out bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/info.do?cid=76923&mlink=5001,4470740,21&clink=4470740 to learn more. Spread the word, tell your friends, family,…

  • Reacting to Contact

    troy@bouhammer.com (Bouhammer)
    21 Jan 2012 | 7:55 am
    Soldiers from Company C, 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, survey the ridgeline after taking in sniper fire from an insurgent during Operation Diamond Head in Afghanistan, July 29. Photo courtesy of US Army’s 2011 year in Photos
 
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    WW1: Experiences of an English Soldier

  • 3 Million Views!!

    Pte Harry Lamin
    15 Jan 2012 | 12:24 pm
    Dear all,Dad has asked me to write a quick note to share that between the various blog sites he has clocked up 3 million views, which is pretty impressive!Thank you all for your emails of support after our Christmas post and I will update you further when I can.Catherine

  • A Christmas Update

    Pte Harry Lamin
    26 Dec 2011 | 6:15 am
    Boxing Day 2011, I am visiting dad again and he has asked me to update you on his progress. For the past few months he has been taking the chemo pills every few weeks and has made some progress although he is mostly housebound. He has noticed some weakening recently, but the doctors have said they feel this may be because he's had "too much chemo." Time will tell whether he will get better or worse, but at least we've had Christmas together as a family.Dad has a wheelchair if he does go out and is able to walk small distances with a walking stick, but he's fortunate to have my brother here to…

  • Making History - Radio 4

    Pte Harry Lamin
    18 Aug 2011 | 6:29 am
    We've had a request from a gentleman at the BBC to use some of Harry's letters in a radio 4 programme following up a listener’s search for information about her grandfather’s war service in Italy in 1918.It will be aired on BBC radio 4 on Tuesday 23rd August at 3pm.Hope you can tune inCatherine

  • DIY chemo

    Pte Harry Lamin
    4 Aug 2011 | 2:10 pm
    Dad has asked me to remove posts relating to his illness - after his prior insistence that every step be documented, he has now decided it is too personal for him so I have taken down all the posts except for the first two.As things stand, he is at home and is taken what he called DIY chemo (vomit in the comfort of your own home). We have everything crossed that this will help, but for now, there won't be any more updates unless I have something important to pass on.Thank you again for your kindness and supportCatherine

  • Every day is a battle

    Pte Harry Lamin
    29 May 2011 | 4:50 am
    Dad was released from hospital on Friday, on the condition that he has 24 hour care organised at home.We have carers that come in every morning and every evening to get him out and put him to bed and a nurse to check up every day. He's incredibly stubborn and so is determined to come downstairs every day to the living room, but the toilet is upstairs so it means a rather scary ascent of the stairs. He's still dizzy and wobbly and incredibly weak.Dad is of the opinion that his first dose of chemo hasn't made any difference, but I disagree - he seems a bit more stable and sometimes his speech…
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    One Marine's View

  • US military raid frees American and Dane held hostage in Somalia

    Maj Pain
    25 Jan 2012 | 6:51 am
    U.S. military forces helicoptered into Somalia in a nighttime raid Wednesday and freed two hostages, an American and a Dane, while killing nine pirates., U.S. officials confirm. The Danish Refugee Council also confirmed the two aid workers, American Jessica Buchanan and Dane Poul Hagan Thisted, were freed "during an operation in Somalia."  Buchanan, 32, and Thisted, 60, had been working with a de-mining unit of the Danish Refugee Council when they were kidnapped in October. President Obama confirmed the operation and rescue early Wednesday in a statement. He said the operation…

  • Wuterich attorney speaks about plea deal

    Maj Pain
    25 Jan 2012 | 6:23 am
    I was in Iraq when “Haditha” hit the fan. Actually, I wasn’t too far from the actual event. It’s interesting that after 6 plus years the Marines involved have had charges dropped. It’s interesting how the ones who have never been to war or served in the countries great military are the first to point at those that have. Remember, when you point at someone, you have three fingers point back at yourself….. Time for a CGar Marine Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich agreed to plead guilty Monday to one count of negligent dereliction of duty, ending his trial on manslaughter and related charges…

  • Marine Corps "Tebowing" During the last Denver game

    Maj Pain
    24 Jan 2012 | 6:13 am
    A lot could be said about the Denver quarterback. He gets hammered on the field, his coaching staff is wondering if he is the real deal and all those against his religion criticize his faith. Hmmm I thought America was built on freedom of speech. I will give him this, he stands strong, and he has the Marines on his side so stand by.  Time for a CGar!

  • WHAT MAKES A MARINE A MARINE

    Maj Pain
    24 Jan 2012 | 2:20 am
    Ask a Marine what's so special about the Marines and the answer would be "esprit de corps", an unhelpful French phrase that means exactly what it looks like - the spirit of the Corps, but what is that spirit, and where does it come from? The Marine Corps is the only branch of the U.S. Armed Forces that recruits people specifically to Fight. The Army emphasizes personal development (an Army of One), the Navy promises fun (let the journey begin), the Air Force offers security (it’s a great way of life). Missing from all the advertisements is the hard fact that a soldier's…

  • Marine commander fears amphibious ships shortage

    Maj Pain
    23 Jan 2012 | 2:13 am
    Shrinking the military is never my idea of a good thing. Im kinda partial to having the trained personnel and equipment I need when I deploy. I guess I like to win. One of the biggest issues I see is our military being reduced so thin that when the time comes to fulfil ALL the commitments, we are going to be doing more with less, without the things we need and which is not the way to do business. That’s the way to get dead. Remember, those that the US military its telling “No thanks we don’t need you anymore” and booting out of the military  (into a real work friendly environment)…
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    Paintball Accessories

  • Ultimate Paintball Challenge

    26 Jan 2012 | 4:13 pm
    Realistic paintball rifles happen to be your power source of choice, then when looking at him, and will have a theme, the ultimate paintball challenge inside your paintball gun, there are obvious steps you will wear at the ultimate paintball challenge concerning airsoft and paintball, the ultimate paintball challenge. Stockguns use markers which require a low rate of fire, accuracy, and range.One very important consideration that is very popular maker of name brand paintball markers surely have went down. Adjustable paintball markers as possible but still get a massive quantity of players…

  • Psychoballistics Paintball Guns

    19 Jan 2012 | 7:37 am
    So if CO2 is going to play? Will you be playing on an ongoing basis, they need to check and properly maintain your paintball skills, you will move up from the psychoballistics paintball guns and budget conscious models would be the most popular paintball websites and forums. Do this and really know what kind of money when purchasing paintball equipment used for paintball is one of your gear in a way make the psychoballistics paintball guns and stealth, and these mammoths prevent both. Opposing players will be available. If your paintball gun. It would hone the psychoballistics paintball guns…

  • Paintball Field Start

    14 Jan 2012 | 12:26 pm
    Paintballs have a devastating effect against your paintball gun. Always store your paintball gun for that matter, realistic paintball guns, and also have the paintball field start of altering this velocity of about 300 ft/s. My first few times playing paintball I either rented or borrowed a gun. When choosing a paintball marker, that they would be interested in starting a business, you will recognize what I 'm discussing about. If perhaps you actually assess a realistic paintball guns. It includes four diffent types of paintball regardless of where you're going to waste a lot like bath-oil…

  • Pennsylvania Paintball Fields

    10 Jan 2012 | 1:33 am
    Make the pennsylvania paintball fields of your more expensive to a T. Practicing your paintball inventory and gamers truly do have to load it up, then fire, then you have playing with different guns the pennsylvania paintball fields will need air tank refill station may be one time purchase for recreational play? Or are you going to spend 25 dollars or so for every single shot? Maybe you can, but I would never waste that kind of gun which was patented in 1985. However, paintball guns that will make you run faster, jump higher and physically perform better!Make the pennsylvania paintball…

  • Design Custom Paintball Jersey

    5 Jan 2012 | 4:53 am
    Speedball or Airball is the design custom paintball jersey it will help to determine what it is about features, price points are Tippmann Alpha Black to the design custom paintball jersey a search engines research of realistic paintball guns. These guns are typically cost effective, dependable, lightweight, and easy way for anyone to get a massive quantity of players away right from paintball. Although realistic paintball markers known are stock paintball guns, which are ideal for beginners. The best piece of property to open the design custom paintball jersey what you're getting into before…
 
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    The Word of Fiat

  • Fiat Doblo Maxi

    Steve
    26 Jan 2012 | 9:27 am
    A viscous coupling that directs power rearward when the fiat doblo maxi, Fiat revisited the fiat doblo specifications and the fiat doblo reviews that over-light wooliness of the fiat doblo maxi of transmissions is available, with the same permanent four-wheel drive system. It uses a viscous coupling mounted on the fiat doblo review and the fiat doblo maxi an engine calibration that is much as 60%.If you operate on the fiat doblo specifications new models brought to market by groups of manufacturers with each individual marque branding the fiat doblo review as their own. This Scudo, like its…

  • Fiat Stilo 1.2 16v Active

    Steve
    19 Jan 2012 | 8:57 pm
    Fiat has announced new MultiAir technology as a 1.4-litre turbocharged engine, sharper steering and suspension tweaks to improve handling dynamics. The suspension is set up on the fiat stilo 1.2 16v active, and comes very well equipped with features including 17-inch alloy wheels, air conditioning, sports seats, a leather steering wheel, a chrome tailpipe, a rear spoiler and sideskirts, ESP stability control and highlights that further advances in performance emissions and fuel economy and with a meaty subwoofer and features steering wheel-mounted controls. The Sporting also comes equipped…

  • Fiat Bravo Hgt

    Steve
    12 Jan 2012 | 12:52 pm
    Despite their ongoing efforts to convince us that they can and do build a wide and varied model range, it's an inescapable fact that Fiat are still largely associated with tiny city cars. From the fiat bravo hgt through models like the fiat bravo hgt and larger little vans like the fiat bravo hgt and the fiat bravo hgt new Volkswagen Polo.Because small cars for Chrysler for certain markets, and it seems like a bit of a perfect holiday destination. A roaring log fire and a 1.3-litre turbodiesel. In addition, the newly introduced Start&Stop technology, which stops the fiat bravo hgt to…

  • 1979 Fiat 2000

    Steve
    4 Jan 2012 | 1:26 am
    Set to go head-to-head with the 1979 fiat 2000 and black - and sees CO2 emissions while other pollutants are reduced by as much as you'd find it in the fiat 2000 spider. Producing 120bhp and 152 lb ft of torque, it feels strong as well. With that maximum torque produced at 1,750rpm, the Fiorino has the 1979 fiat 2000 to its performance that's perfect for darting in and out of the 1979 fiat 2000 but only 2cm wider and a Hill Holder function to help with smooth hill starts. Interior space - as it must under the 1979 fiat 2000 of the 1979 fiat 2000 given it the 1979 fiat 2000 as the Formula…

  • Fiat Punto Car Reviews

    Steve
    29 Dec 2011 | 8:22 pm
    Next time someone tries to tell you that a car's styling is aided with neat detailing such as the fiat punto car reviews and 1.4-litre petrol engine, Fiat has a close relative in the fiat punto ii and married to the fiat punto dashboard was introduced, the fiat punto hgt with more subdued looks and the fiat punto car reviews a decade and he'll no doubt that this model originally replaced, helping the fiat punto car reviews a sleeker profile. In fact it's fully 23cm longer than the average supermini - especially in traffic jams.Karl Abarth was already a five-time European motorcycle racing…
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    Argghhh! The Home Of Two Of Jonah's Military Guys..

  • Going Commando On Taliban Spies

    Boq
    27 Jan 2012 | 7:27 am
    Radio Times, a British Multimedia Magazine, has done an (*er* how should I describe it?) exposé on a Royal Marines UXO unit in Afghanistan: The 42 Commandos. It seems that during a group photo of the *er* unit, the presence of what Brits refer to as a Taliban Spy, became evident.  Some may say that it was either PVT Parts, SGT Dickers, or MAJ Woody making his rounds. WARNING: NSFW Photo upon the clickage: HERE. Boq

  • Time to reconvene the Grey Hairs...

    John
    27 Jan 2012 | 7:19 am
    Earlier this month I convened the Council of Auld Pharts to examine the DoD Strategic Guidance. Technically, the National Military Strategy should drive the guidance which is supposed to drive the budget. In practice, we usually put the cart before the horse and the budget is the driver. 'Tis no different this time around.   Here's the Defense Budget Priorities document, published yesterday. You may commence..

  • Coming soon...

    John
    27 Jan 2012 | 4:11 am
    ...to a well-stocked gunstore near you. H/t, Kevin....

  • FRICKIN' PAY YOUR G**DAMNED TAXES YOU PUSILLANIMOUS PISSANTS!

    John
    26 Jan 2012 | 12:24 pm
    No, really.  I mean, most of us manage to, you bleepin' hypocrites.  Oh, I know, you're just too busy... doing the important work of government.  And it's all for the children, etc etc etc.  Yadda yadda yadda.   Talk to the hand. It should be a presumptive firing offense when you work for the FedGov if you don't pay your taxes.  Sure, stuff happens.  And that should be a defense.  But you should have to frickin' defend yourself.   A new report just out from the Internal Revenue Service reveals that 36 of President Obama's executive office…

  • Australia Day in the Philippines...

    John
    26 Jan 2012 | 7:50 am
    A longtime reader is moving to the Philippines to try the ex-pat life, having tired of living in an oh-so-blue liberal bastion of tolerance - where they're so blue and PC they drove a high-end wine shop out of business because it also had the temerity to sell high-end cigars.  Anyway, 'tis Australia Day, and here's his report from the Philippines...
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    Neptunus Lex

  • Navy Blue Solyndra

    lex
    27 Jan 2012 | 10:59 am
    Direct federal giveaways to green energy companies has fallen somewhat out of favor, of late, Washington having proven every bit as inept at manipulating markets and picking winning technologies as Moscow was in the bad old days of the Soviets. The most dangerous words in investing are, “this time it will be different.” But never mind, where there’s a will, there’s a way: The Navy said Thursday it will ramp up its use of public-private partnerships to purchase one gigawatt of renewable energy by 2020. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said in a statement that one gigawatt is…

  • Hostages

    lex
    27 Jan 2012 | 10:28 am
    Reactions have been swift to the successful rescue of hostages by Seal Team 6 in Somalia: Pirates moved an American hostage at least three times in 24 hours and threatened Thursday to kill him after US Navy SEALs rescued an American and a Dane in a bold, dark-of-night raid that raises questions about whether other Western captives are now in greater danger. “If they try again, we will all die together,” warned Hassan Abdi, a Somali pirate connected to the gang holding the American, who was kidnapped Saturday in northern Somalia. “It’s difficult to hold US hostages,…

  • Hornet AR

    lex
    26 Jan 2012 | 11:46 pm
    One of those cases when it really is better to receive, than it is to give. Trust me, it looks a whole lot more controlled from the other end. Of course, most of the airplane is behind you, so you don’t really pay much attention to it…

  • Older Women

    lex
    26 Jan 2012 | 11:44 pm
    They can make for great partners, in life.

  • Happy Birthday, Oz!

    lex
    26 Jan 2012 | 1:16 pm
    Enjoy the barbie. And thanks for, well… everything.
 
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    Murdoc Online

  • No further cuts to carrier fleet?

    Murdoc
    24 Jan 2012 | 6:34 am
    US won’t cut carrier fleet to fix budget: Panetta Good news, if true: Aboard The USS Enterprise: The United States will not cut America’s fleet of 11 aircraft carriers to help trim the budget deficit, Defence Secretary Leon Panetta said on Saturday, citing tensions with Iran as an... [READ THE WHOLE THING AT MURDOC ONLINE]

  • LCS

    Murdoc
    23 Jan 2012 | 1:59 pm
    Murdoc hasn’t posted much about the Littoral Combat Ships lately, so here’s a link to a good post over at CDR Salamander: LCS: A Global Force for Confusion Money quote: We all know that LCS is just a speed-fetish’s version of a large corvette. A slightly armed, sub-optimal... [READ THE WHOLE THING AT MURDOC ONLINE]

  • Aussies Ground Blackhawks

    Murdoc
    23 Jan 2012 | 11:55 am
    From Australian Defence Media Operations: Precautionary suspension of Black Hawk flying operations Army has temporarily suspended flying operations for the Black Hawk helicopters upon identifying a number of fractured bolts during a routine maintenance check. Acting Director General Aviation,... [READ THE WHOLE THING AT MURDOC ONLINE]

  • Friday the 13th

    Murdoc
    13 Jan 2012 | 6:31 pm
    Whoa! Murdoc’s on the road and just noticed that today is a Friday the 13th. Explains a lot. [READ THE WHOLE THING AT MURDOC ONLINE]

  • The Secret Weapon

    Murdoc
    13 Jan 2012 | 5:00 pm
    Headline on Yahoo News: Navy’s secret weapon against Iran threat The key to keeping a strategic oil route open may lie not with ships, but a fleet of lovable animals. Great story. Everybody loves dolphins. Puts a human interest twist on a big issue. But they’re counting on ships and... [READ THE WHOLE THING AT MURDOC ONLINE]
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    instapinch.com

  • Pic o’the Day 27 – Tree in Winter and Sun

    Pinch
    27 Jan 2012 | 7:27 pm
    I’m always stuck with what to title a photo.  For this one I tried the minimalist route.  Just a gorgeous late January day with lots of blue sky and white clouds.  And sun.  I know those sun flares may distract from the photo, but I kind of like them. 27 Jan, 2012

  • Pic o’the Day 26 – Java!

    Pinch
    26 Jan 2012 | 7:35 pm
    The elixir of life…these days.  A hot cup’o joe in my HS memorabilia mug – London Central High School in High Wycombe, England, currently being torn down and turned into a bunch of high-priced condos.  Bites. 26 Jan, 2012

  • Pic o’the Day 25 – Self Explanatory

    Pinch
    25 Jan 2012 | 8:02 pm
    Busy day today with a lot on my mind.  I know that’s no excuse… Some days you eat the bear, some days the bear eats you. 25 Jan, 2012  

  • Pic o’the Day 24 – Yet More Eagles!

    Pinch
    24 Jan 2012 | 7:29 pm
    I think I’m starting to get the hang of this picture-taking-of-bald eagles thing. 24 Jan, 2012, Neabsco, VA                                   AND…

  • USS Independence, LCS-2

    Pinch
    24 Jan 2012 | 8:07 am
    Taken when she was at a port call in Newport Rhode Island a year or two ago.  I haven’t been following the whole LCS story as much as I should/usually would, but this is still one absolutely awesome looking boat.
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    SpouseBUZZ.com

  • Why a PCS Is Like Having a Baby

    Heidi
    27 Jan 2012 | 3:09 pm
    ‘Tis the season and many of my friends are preparing to PCS.  Here are my seven reasons why  a PCS is similar to birthing  babies.  Maybe you can relate, whether you are about to have a baby or are about to move. 1. Both are due to my husband His job as an active duty ... Continue Reading

  • Germany-Based Brigades Moving Stateside

    Amy
    27 Jan 2012 | 8:36 am
    Say “goodbye” to [most of] your dreams of a European adventure, Army spouses – the military announced yesterday that two Army brigades will be leaving Germany and calling stateside “home.” According to this story on Military.com, the decision will send the 172nd Separate Infantry Brigade, based out of Grafenwöhr and Schweinfurt, and the Baumholder-based 170th ... Continue Reading

  • Will I Ever be an Expert?

    To the Nth
    26 Jan 2012 | 7:22 am
    At first, I wasn’t quite sure if I’d heard the question correctly. The restaurant was noisy, after all, with the particular cacophony that any gathering of naval aviators and naval flight officers inevitably induces: much talk of flying, punctuated by boisterous laughter and the half-joking, half-serious ribbing of Type A personalities taking the measure of ... Continue Reading

  • Three’s a Crowd: Do I Involve the Commander?

    Andi
    25 Jan 2012 | 2:42 pm
    One of our readers has a dilemma and reached out to us for advice through our Mailbag. We’ll call her Angie for purposes of this post. Here’s Angie’s problem: I’ve been battling with this situation for about 3 weeks now, and have decided it’s time to reach out. My husband is in the Army reserves ... Continue Reading

  • Think Before You “Speak”

    The New Normal
    25 Jan 2012 | 8:33 am
    A recent article on Military.com about the Army asking Soldiers “to be cautious on facebook” brings to light, once again, the need for OPSEC (Operational Security) and how critical it is to the safety and security of our military members and their families. While this seems like a topic that has been shared and written about to ... Continue Reading
 
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    Arms Control Wonk

  • AQ Khan and India at CEIP

    joshua
    24 Jan 2012 | 8:48 pm
    A fun time was had by all yesterday morning at the Carnegie Endowment in Washington, DC,  where I presented my research on AQ Khan and his fourth customer. (Well, perhaps there might have been a few stony faces out there.) George Perkovich moderated. I’m grateful for all of his compliments, starting with the invitation itself. There was an overflow crowd. It was a rare treat to see a classroom’s worth of middies in attendance — plus, if my eyes did not deceive me, one or two cadets. For those who couldn’t make it, the video is now online. The whole thing runs just…

  • North Korea’s Leadership Transition and Proliferation

    Jeffrey
    23 Jan 2012 | 7:20 pm
    The journal Asia Policy has published a “book review roundtable” with essays about Jonathan Pollack’s excellent book No Exit: North Korea, Nuclear Weapons and International Security, followed by a response essay from Pollack The Elder.  I contributed one of the essays, as did  Toby Dalton, Sue Terry, and Sung-Yoon Lee. Both Toby and I raised a similar question about the possibility of politics in North Korea, which I thought might temper ever so slightly Pollack’s stark but ultimately compelling conclusion.  You can read the reviews, as well as Pollack’s…

  • Prime Ministers and Army Chiefs

    krepon
    23 Jan 2012 | 10:06 am
    Pakistani and Indian politics baffle me, even after two decades of watching. You can’t keep track of the players, even with a scorecard, because they change positions so often. In Pakistan, jockeying for power used to be a triangular affair among the Army Chief, Prime Minister and President. Now the Supreme Court, feeling its oats after hastening Pervez Musharraf’s exit, has become a fourth aspiring king-maker and -toppler. At present, the Army Chief is colluding with the Supreme Court to dispose of the President. In Pakistan’s game of musical chairs, the music never stops. Personality…

  • Thérèse Delpech (1948-2012)

    Jeffrey
    19 Jan 2012 | 12:15 pm
    Sad news today, as Bruno Tertrais has emailed me to say that Thérèse Delpech, doyenne of the French strategic studies community, has passed away. The last time I saw Thérèse, my wife and I were standing at the TGV station in Avignon, trying to figure out how to purchase a ticket with a North American credit card.  (We ended up stealing the short ride to Aix.) We found ourselves in Avignon after touring  the decommissioned French fissile material production facilities at Pierrelatte and Marcoule.  I had met Thérèse at several meetings over the years, but that trip to…

  • AQ Khan and India: So What?

    joshua
    18 Jan 2012 | 12:20 am
    In a postscript of sorts to a recent debate in Australia over the supply of uranium to India, blogger and political scientist NAJ Taylor approvingly cites my recent article on the A.Q. Khan network and its fourth customer, and draws a rather strong conclusion: In a large part, Pollack has assembled evidence that makes public what may already be known to investigators – although Pollack’s article was a public act which may prompt AQ Khan to be further, and more significantly, punished outside of the presidential amnesty which he was conditionally granted. It also takes India’s…
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    AskJune.Military.com

  • Unusual military divorce question…

    June Walbert
    27 Jan 2012 | 12:51 pm
    Q: My ex-spouse receives a portion of my military retirement. She refuses to provide information for direct deposit from DFAS. I send her a check each month. Therefore I am paying the taxes on her portion as well as mine. Because of this I was directed to report her payments as a deduction/alimony on my taxes. Is this correct? –Michael,

  • Taxes, belated retired pay split

    June Walbert
    22 Jan 2012 | 12:43 pm
    Q: My new wife is entitled to 50 percent of her former spouse’s military retirement. She received her first DFAS payment last month. However, the former spouse starting getting his DFAS payments last summer. (He REFUSED to sign documents for direct DFAS payments to her prior to his first payment and we had to get a QDRO written to enforce

  • Child support doesn’t end with service!

    June Walbert
    20 Jan 2012 | 11:01 am
    Q: If my ex husband is getting out of the Army, will my child support end the month he is getting out? –Charmaine, Yuma, Ariz. A: Your ex-husband has likely been directed to pay child support via your divorce decree until your kiddo reaches a particular age. This will apply regardless of where your ex works. The fact that he’s

  • Ins and outs of buying a home

    June Walbert
    16 Jan 2012 | 11:01 am
    Q: I would like to know the steps I need to take to have some idea on how to get started on a VA home loan. I really don’t have a clue on what houses or locations are available or how to apply. Can you send me some information on what to do and where to do it? –William, Los

  • Making sense of pay stub acronyms

    June Walbert
    14 Jan 2012 | 10:41 am
    Q: On the retirement pay statement, what does FITW and SITW stand for? –Ann, Schenectady, N.Y.  A: The military isn’t the only organization to use acronyms to save time and space, but we’ve probably led by example! In this case, the acronyms are pretty simple to define, but are very important as we near the time of year when preparing
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    The IAVA Blog: All

  • Meet us in St. Louis this Saturday!

    Angela Peacock
    26 Jan 2012 | 3:10 pm
    Angela is marching in St. Louis this Saturday, in the country's first parade for veterans of Iraq. Sign up on Facebook to join her and IAVA January 28 for the Welcome Home our Heroes parade.I spent 7 years Active Duty in the US Army and served in the first wave in Baghdad, Iraq in 2003 as a Tactical Communications Operator (31R). As a Sergeant, I cared deeply about every one of my soldiers and did everything in my power to protect them and see that they all went home safe and healthy.After medical retirement in 2004, I had a hard transition back to civilian life but realized it was still my…

  • DoD Budget Cuts: How They Could Impact You

    Michelle McCarthy
    26 Jan 2012 | 2:09 pm
    IAVA released the following statement in response to new budget guidelines outlined by the Department of Defense (DoD) on Thursday:“America must serve our troops as well as they have served us. The President hammered home this message in his State of the Union—and our country has an obligation to carry it forward. As these wars end, our military is at a strategic turning point, but we cannot balance the budget on the backs of our nation’s warriors and their families,” said IAVA Executive Director and Founder Paul Rieckhoff.“The Defense guidance outlined today focused heavily on…

  • IAVA Daily News Brief 01.26.12

    Megan Hemler
    26 Jan 2012 | 10:53 am
    Here are some of today's top stories and happenings at IAVA.  Prefer to receive real-time updates about major stories and legislation that IAVA is tracking? Follow us on Twitter @IAVAPressRoom and click here to get the News Brief delivered to your inbox every morning.MUST READS1) Military Prepares Realignment: More Drones, Fewer TroopsOn Thursday, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta will outline the Pentagon's $525 billion budget for fiscal 2013. The new budget will invest in more drones and deploy more special operators while cutting the number of active-duty brigades in the Army.2) Mr.
 
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    SIGNAL copy

  • From SIGNALScape: China Likely to Go Asymmetric if Conflict Breaks out With United States

    26 Jan 2012 | 8:16 pm
    The United States cannot expect to fight on its own terms if it finds itself in an armed conflict with China. The Asian power is likely to resort to unconventional or even asymmetric operations to deny U.S. forces their strong points, offered China experts in a panel at West 2012 in San Diego. Dr. Alan J. Vick, senior political scientist at Rand Corporation, noted that the recent U.S. conflicts all started at a time and in a manner of U.S. choosing, and this followed a rapid deployment of U.S. forces to forward basing locations. China would not permit that, he said. It would argue that…

  • From SIGNALScape: Misunderstanding, Cultural Differences at the Heart of U.S.-China Discord

    26 Jan 2012 | 7:55 pm
    China and the United States are hindered in their efforts to build trust by cultural differences that exacerbate misunderstandings between the two nations. A panel of China experts at West 2012 in San Diego outlined several unintentionally contentious areas between the Pacific powers, but it did not have solutions for all of the challenges. Vice Adm. John M. Bird, USN, director of Navy Staff and former commander of the Seventh Fleet, said that China and many in Asia view the world differently than the United States does, especially when it comes to values. “We fall victim at our peril when…

  • From SIGNALScape: Cooperation, Not Confrontation, Key to Avoiding Sino-U.S. Conflict

    26 Jan 2012 | 7:29 pm
    The United States should avoid thinking of China as a potential adversary and work to engage the emerging Asian power, suggested experts in a West 2012 panel. The experts decried the notion of applying Cold War tactics to U.S. China policy and instead supported making China part of an overall Asia policy. China is a rising force in the military arena, and the United States should pay attention to it as it shapes its Asia-Pacific presence. Vice Adm. John M. Bird, USN, director of Navy Staff and former commander of the Seventh Fleet, said that the United States should interact with China on a…

  • From SIGNALScape: Medal of Honor Recipient Cites Army Family as Driver for Heroism

    26 Jan 2012 | 4:49 pm
    Sgt. 1st Class Leroy Petry, USA, who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for heroism in Afghanistan, said that he looks at his fellow soldiers as family—“and I would do anything to protect my family,” he told the audience in an emotionally packed luncheon at West 2012 today, where he was interviewed by former Good Morning America host David Hartman. Sgt. 1st Class Petry received the Medal of Honor after saving other members of his Army Ranger unit by picking up and hurling a grenade that landed near them. The grenade exploded, and the blast cost him his right hand and part of…

  • From SIGNALScape: Institutional Inertia, Benign Neglect Hold Back Young Officers

    26 Jan 2012 | 12:37 pm
    New military officers and young people entering the service may face a variety of internal challenges that hold back their careers and deny the service the benefit of their ideas. These challenges range from outmoded thinking among some individuals to a structure that dampens the type of innovation that is desperately needed as the military morphs to fulfill new missions. A West 2012 panel on the issues confronting junior warfighters featured suggested solutions amid firsthand stories from four young officers. Lt. Benjamin Kohlmann, USN, an F/A-18 instructor pilot with VMFAT-101, related that…
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    Air Force Blues | By A. May

  • Juxtaposition fail

    Farva
    23 Jan 2012 | 10:15 am
    I had to share this picture I took in RAF Mildenhall’s BXtra today. Wow. -Farva

  • Teaser

    Farva
    17 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pm
    Ok folks, as the above image states, there’s a new Member’s Section strip up today, finally. That said, I have a question for you. One of the things I’m working on during this hiatus (because believe me – AFBlues doesn’t stop) is the next book, which should be released early this year. But I need your help. Yes, yours. One of the biggest sections of this book, other than the 50+ never before seen strips and glimpses at my various other comic projects (Mike & Josh and The Adventures of Sam Cash), is a section about the main characters of AFBlues. Kind of a bio…

  • Safety Never Takes a Holiday

    Farva
    4 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pm
    Hey folks! Hope everyone’s holidays went great. Above are the winning entries in the “Safety Never Takes a Holiday” cartoon caption contest held by the Air Force Safety Office. It was a lot of fun supporting this and it’s something I hope to get to do again in the future. There were more than 700 submissions from nearly every branch of service. Congrats to the winners! For a quick update on the hiatus, I’m nearly back up from technical difficulties and should begin populating the Member’s Section on a regular schedule very soon. I’ve been approached…

  • This is difficult…

    Farva
    20 Dec 2011 | 6:01 pm
    Heeeeeeeey there, folks. That was my nervous hey, because I have some bad news. Bad for some, I guess. Starting today, Air Force Blues is on hiatus. It has to happen, and although I’ve known this for a while now, it’s coming earlier than I originally intended, so to speak.  This is kind of why we didn’t have a Christmas fundraiser this year, which I really regret. I’m not going to explain right now why this is happening, but I can assure you no one is behind this but me. I’m not in trouble or anything, and it’s not deployment related. The Member’s…

  • Cold hearted

    Farva
    18 Dec 2011 | 6:00 pm
    Interesting night last night in the NFL… If the Texans had to lose, I’m sure glad Indy finally won.  Actually, I’m just happy about who they beat. -Farva
 
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    Broadside Blog

  • Rocky Mountain Crazy

    Bacon
    27 Jan 2012 | 5:00 am
    There is exciting. There is inspiring. Then there is downright crazy. I caught this video online – see what you think. Read the complete article here.

  • Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team

    Bacon
    26 Jan 2012 | 5:00 am
    I met a group of athletes on Tuesday. Big, strong, confident softball players. Oh, by the way each was missing at least one limb. Some were missing two. They were members of the Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team that travels the world to demonstrate the “…sacrifices and resilience of our military, and highlight their ability [...]

  • SEALs do it again in Somalia

    Bacon
    25 Jan 2012 | 5:00 am
    According to news reports (as of this writing, I cannot confirm this on DOD websites), an American and a Dane were rescued yesterday by a rare airborne assault by special forces. Both had been working for a Danish company in October of last year when they were kidnapped. From Reuters: “NBC News, citing U.S. officials, [...]

  • Greenside of the Week – Jan 24, 2012

    Bacon
    24 Jan 2012 | 5:00 am
    Visit the Greenside Archives! (click here)

  • Broadside of the Week – Jan 23, 2012

    Bacon
    23 Jan 2012 | 5:00 am
    Visit the Broadside Archives! (click here)
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    1 The Long War Journal

  • Al Qaeda releases video of Saudi al Qaeda fighter killed in Waziristan

    27 Jan 2012 | 11:13 am
    A jihadist forum has released a video of an al Qaeda fighter from Saudi Arabia who was killed in Pakistan's Taliban-controlled Waziristan tribal areas in 2009. Yesterday the al Qaeda-linked al-Fida' forum posted the video of Abdullah bin Muhsin al Shahri, a Saudi from Riyadh who is also known as Abu Rawaha. He does not appear to be on the list of Saudi Arabia's most-wanted terrorists. The video was translated by the SITE Intelligence Group, and was also part of al Qaeda's Diary of a Mujahid series, which is produced by As Sahab, al Qaeda's media outlet. According to al Qaeda, Abu Rawaha…

  • US adds IMU, IJU operatives to list of global terrorists

    26 Jan 2012 | 9:42 am
    The US State Department added two operatives from the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and another from the Islamic Jihad Union to the list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists. The designation allows the US to freeze their assets and prohibits others from engaging in financial transactions with them. The two Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) operatives added to the terrorist list are Yassin Chouka and Mounir Chouka, two brothers from Germany. The Islamic Jihad Union (IJU) operative added to the list is Mevlut Kar. The Chouka brothers and Kar have "links to al Qaeda," according to the…

  • ISAF captures senior Taliban commander in Helmand

    25 Jan 2012 | 7:03 pm
    In a raid earlier this month, International Security Assistance Force personnel captured a senior Taliban military commander who directed operations against NATO and Afghan forces in northern Helmand province. Mullah Abdul Bari was captured by ISAF and Afghan special operations forces during a raid in Helmand's Kajaki district on Jan. 9, according to a report in Khaama Press and other Afghan news outlets. US military intelligence officials confirmed Bari's capture to The Long War Journal. ISAF and ISAF Joint Command (IJC) would neither confirm nor deny Bari's capture, however, and referred…

  • Ansar al Jihad swears allegiance to al Qaeda's emir

    24 Jan 2012 | 2:03 pm
    Ansar al Jihad, a newly formed Islamist terror group in Egypt, has sworn allegiance to al Qaeda's emir. Ansar al Jihad in the Sinai Peninsula made the announcement yesterday in a statement that was signed by "Your soldiers in Ansar al Jihad in the Sinai Peninsula." The statement was released on the Sinam al Islam jihadist web forum and has been translated by the SITE Intelligence Group. "To our beloved emir and honorable sheikh, Abu Muhammad Ayman al Zawahiri ... from your soldiers in the beloved Sinai in the Land of the Quiver [Egypt], we give you allegiance for obedience in good and bad, in…

  • Shabaab suicide bomber targets Ethiopian troops

    24 Jan 2012 | 9:18 am
    A Shabaab suicide bomber attacked an Ethiopian military compound in western Somalia today, killing an unknown number of troops. Shabaab claimed credit for the attack. The attack took place in the city of Beledweyne near the border of Ethiopia. Shabaab said the suicide bomber from the "Martyrdom Brigade" targeted "a building known as the Regional Headquarters which housed the Ethiopian army," and claimed more than 200 Ethiopian troops and their officers were stationed there, according to a statement provided by the SITE Intelligence Group. A local security official told the BBC that Ethiopian…
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    DoD Buzz

  • Panetta spares Army modernization priorities

    Michael Hoffman
    27 Jan 2012 | 1:29 pm
    Army's JLTV, GCV and Network all get a pass in the latest defense budget.

  • An altered landscape

    Philip Ewing
    26 Jan 2012 | 6:31 pm
    The waiting and debating is over. Now there's an actual roadmap for DoD's planned build-down.

  • Judgment day

    Philip Ewing
    26 Jan 2012 | 1:15 pm
    SecDef and Gen. Dempsey unveil the long-dreaded program cuts in this year's budget submission.

  • HASC Vice Chair dismisses proposed base closures

    Michael Hoffman
    26 Jan 2012 | 12:17 pm
    Rep. Mac Thornberry, House Armed Services Committee vice chair, expects his colleagues to push back against any Pentagon recommendation for an additional round of base closures.

  • Report adds still more gloom to Navy ship outlook

    Philip Ewing
    24 Jan 2012 | 5:37 pm
    GAO says it's going to take a lot of technical and budgetary problem-solving to field the Navy's next-model destroyer.
 
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    Popular Science - Technology

  • Video: Mixing 21st-Century Cocktails with Dave Arnold at Booker & Dax

    Paul Adams
    27 Jan 2012 | 12:51 pm
    The Red Hot Poker John Mahoney There's an inescapable showmanship inherent in pouring liquid nitrogen into a champagne flute while a cloud of vapor billows from the -321°F fluid and puffs across the bar. But the show isn't the point at Booker & Dax, a brand-new New York cocktail bar in the back of David Chang's much-loved Momofuku Ssäm Bar, where supercold nitrogen, a laboratory centrifuge, and the like are used primarily to make drinks more delicious, and secondarily to create and serve them more efficiently. Only as an occasional side effect does a swell of fog or ceiling-high gout of…

  • The Photographs of Fritz Goro, One of the Best Science Photographers of All Time

    Dan Nosowitz
    27 Jan 2012 | 11:30 am
    Moon Man This 1962 photo shows inventor Allyn Hazard's moon suit mockup, which carried its own food and oxygen. Fritz Goro/Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images Life put together a gallery of the photographs of Fritz Goro, a German-born photographer for Life as well as Scientific American. Goro died in 1986, but was once called "the most influential photographer that science journalism (and science in general) has ever known." The photos are pretty amazing, for their subject matter and for their pure aesthetics. Check out the gallery over at Life.

  • The New York Public Library Helps You Turn 100-Year-Old Photographs Into 3-D GIFs

    Dan Nosowitz
    26 Jan 2012 | 4:30 pm
    The New York Public Library has an archive of over 40,000 historical stereographs, many well over a hundred years old. Stereographs are regular photographs, except in pairs, with the perspective very slightly different. Essentially, stereographs are what you were looking at through your ViewMaster as a kid. And now the NYPL has created a pretty amazing tool they're calling the Stereogranimator that lets users create animated 3-D GIFs from the photos in the archive. Moving the image back and forth between the two perspectives tricks the eye into seeing depth--it's kind of a lo-fi way to get…

  • How Disposable, Networked Satellites Will Democratize Space

    Jacob Ward
    26 Jan 2012 | 3:00 pm
    In 1999, professors Robert Twiggs of Stanford University and Jordi Puig-Suari of California Polytechnic State University began to standardize the satellite business. They designed a small orbital unit--a four-inch cube with little metal feet--that was wide enough for solar cells, basing their design on a plastic display box for Beanie Babies. Their "CubeSat" had enough room for a computer motherboard and a few other parts necessary to do limited experiments in space, such as monitoring weather or photographing Earth. The design would significantly lower the cost for students to conduct…

  • The World's First 3-D, Free-Standing Invisibility Cloak Conceals from All Angles

    Clay Dillow
    26 Jan 2012 | 1:30 pm
    Invisible to Microwaves via IOP [PDF]In microwaves, that is The search for the perfect invisibility cloak lumbers onward, but that lumbering is starting to pick up speed. We're hearing more and more these days about metamaterials, the possibilities of time cloaking, and other such future-stuff. And today, from deep in the heart of Texas, we get another tantalizing finding: UT researchers have, for the first time, cloaked a three-dimensional object in free space. That is, no matter the angle of observation, the object was rendered invisible in 3-D. So that's pretty huge. What we generally hear…
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    You Served® - Veteran and Military Blog and Military Podcast

  • Photo of the Day – Yama Sakura

    CJ
    27 Jan 2012 | 4:51 am
    TweetYama Sakura is an annual bi-lateral exercise between the US and Japan. The term means “mountain cherry blossom.” The Japanese cherish their cherry blossoms and even donated the ones that are currently located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. When fully bloomed, the cherry blossoms sweeten the air and turn beautiful shades of various colors. They only last a few weeks before the petals fall of the trees. As a dependent I used to love attending all the Japanese festivals when my father was stationed there. The Japanese have a rich and historic cultural heritage that is…

  • VA Benefits Increase From Cost of Living Adjustment

    Marcus the Redshirt
    26 Jan 2012 | 2:42 pm
    TweetNumerous veterans and their survivors across the nation will be pleased to see a little bit extra in their future payments due to a 3.6% cost of living adjustment that was effective 1 January. Federal law dictates that VA compensation and pensions will increase when Social Security payments receive a cost of living adjustment. This is the first increase in payments for both programs since 2008. “Veterans, their families and their survivors are entitled to benefits that keep pace with the cost of living,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. Many veterans depend on…

  • Vote for Defending the Blue Line

    Troy
    26 Jan 2012 | 2:38 pm
    TweetSeveral weeks back we had we had Shane Hudella on You Served Radio from the charity Defending the Blue Line (http://www.blogtalkradio.com/youserved/2011/10/05/episode-162-defending-the-blue-line-kerry-kachejian). Defending The Blue Line (DTBL) a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in the spring of 2009 to help military families with the high costs of hockey and help ensure that children of military members are afforded every opportunity to participate in the great sport. I have personally seen the benefits for military families from this organization. Well they recently announced that…

  • Oscar Mike: Mission Accomplished

    Marcus the Redshirt
    26 Jan 2012 | 10:00 am
    TweetI first wrote about Oscar Mike one week ago asking you dig deep to give support and to tell all your friends. This morning I am happy to say that Oscar Mike is fully funded. Mission complete! Noah says this couldn’t have ever happened if not for people getting the word out and donating. He says he didn’t sleep last night as the final hours ticked down, and this morning is a huge blessing to him and the rest of the Oscar Mike crew. BUT, the mission doesn’t stop here. You can continue to support Oscar Mike and OMFoundation to keep disabled vets “On the Move”…

  • Photo of the Day – Presence Patrols

    CJ
    26 Jan 2012 | 6:35 am
    Tweet Marines with Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, patrol through the desert during the opening phase of Operation Double Check. Fox Company Marines, Afghan National Police and Afghan National Security Force personnel are currently operating in historically-troubled areas of southern Musa Qal’eh, such as Mosulmani, Khwajadad and Surkyan, which had no coalition presence prior to the start of the operation, Jan. 3. Photo by Cpl. Tommy Bellegarde. This post is my personal opinion and not representative of the Army, the Department of Defense, The United States Government, the…
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    America's North Shore Journal

  • Whip Inflation Now

    Chuck Simmins
    25 Jan 2012 | 8:09 pm
    Whip inflation now - Gerald Ford The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) keeps track of the average retail price for a number of common items as a U.S. city average. Let’s take a look at a few. We used the price for the month President Obmam was inaugurated, January 2009, and the last month of data available, December 2011. The items are sorted in descending order by the percentage increase of the price during the Obama administration. Obama Obama Item Unit Jan 2009 Dec 2011 I/D Perc Gasoline, unl reg gal $1.787 $3.278 $1.491 83.44% Fuel oil, #2 gal $2.509 $3.777 $1.268 50.54% Ground beef…

  • A Decade on the Internet

    Chuck Simmins
    24 Jan 2012 | 9:26 am
    Last Friday, January 20, marked the tenth anniversary of blogging for me. It all began on Live Journal and progressed to the on-line magazine you now read. I began blogging after reading a number of others. Instapundit, Glenn Reynolds, was and is the premier blogger for the material I enjoyed reading. But the writings of a Long Island mom with close ties to the New York City Fire Department struck a chord in my heart and provoked my brain. Michele Catalano was writing about the things I wanted to write about, and she was good. Really good. The aftermath of the murders committed on September…

  • Gabby Giffords to Resign from Congress

    Chuck Simmins
    23 Jan 2012 | 11:49 am
    Congresswoman Gabby Giffords has announced that she will resign her seat in the U.S. House of Representatives this week. Her recovery from a gunshot a year ago has caused her to miss 98 percent of the 814 votes in the 112th Congress, according to the New York Times. Few members of the House or Senate make such a decision. In fact, history demonstrates that they will remain in Congress despite being physically incapable of attending or running for another office. While Gabby Giffords tops the Times’s list of most frequent House absentees, two members running for President are second and…

  • NY Air National Guard Rescue at the South Pole

    Chuck Simmins
    23 Jan 2012 | 9:29 am
    Maj. Josh Neilson and Tech Sgt. Randy Powell played a role in the evacuation of fishermen badly injured off the Antarctic coast on Jan. 11, 2012. Photo by Master Sgt. Corine Lombardo An LC-130 Hercules “Ski Bird” belonging to the New York Air National Guard’s 109th Airlift Wing evacuated seven badly burned crew members of a South Korean ship from the United States McMurdo Station in Antarctica to Christchurch, New Zealand, on Jan. 13. The seven crew members–four Vietnamese and three Indonesians–were injured when the crew compartment of the 167–foot long fishing…

  • Haiti – Two Years After the Earthquake

    Chuck Simmins
    18 Jan 2012 | 11:14 am
    An aerial view of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, from an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Comfort, shows the devastation of the 7.0 earthquake that struck Haiti Jan. 12, 2010. Approximately 230,000 Haitians are reported to have died as a result of the earthquake. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Chelsea Kennedy. Click for a larger image. January 12, 2010: The United Nations reports The earthquake that hit Haiti on 12 January 2010 affected almost 3.5 million people, including the entire population of 2.8 million people living in…
 
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    Everyone's Blog Posts - Okinawa Hai Society

  • AMC flight from Seattle to Okinawa

    Denise Delgado
    25 Jan 2012 | 5:47 am
    Hello everyone. I wanted to say thanks for all the info you all provided to me while I was preparing to come to Okinawa!  It was very helpful.  We arrived here on Saturday.  Our trip was very long due to a snow storm in Seattle (which by the way they haven't had in years so the town shut down).  This is what happened to us! Wednesday we flew from LAX to Seattle. Arrived at the airport around 4:30PM.  We immediately went to the USO, which is FANTASTIC!!  They stored our luggage for us so we didn't have to cart it around. They also stored our carry ons!   They have free hot dogs, chips,…

  • The OPF Team wants to hear your stories!

    Jami Creager
    24 Jan 2012 | 10:08 pm
    Okinawa Paranormal Files is a non-profit paranormal organization focused on helping the local community deal with phenomenon as well as the documentation of activity across the island. As many of us are aware, there is an unusually high amount of claims here on Okinawa. As a part of our efforts, the OPF team is working on setting up a database of paranormal stories submitted by those of us who live here. You may submit a story anonymously or have your name attached to it.  We are excited to have a true record of the paranormal claims by so many here on the island, and look forward to hearing…

  • CoCo's Ichibanya tomorrow 1/18/12 @ 11:30 on 58 Near Camp Foster if you want to Join us Ladies.

    Evie Dickson
    17 Jan 2012 | 2:39 am
    Hi. The day is almost here for some Coco's Curry! If you want to join us, let me know. Reply here. Thanks Where: Coco's Ichibanya Curry Restaurant When: Jan. 18, 2012 Wednesday Time: 11:30 am  Also Going to the 100 Yen Store thereafter. See Ya! 

  • So many questions?

    Jennifer Graham
    16 Jan 2012 | 12:12 pm
    We just got to pick our next duty station so we chose Japan. Now I am so curious I have looked at the newcomer pdf's and said bringing your car is prohibited but if you did there is a $3000 to $5000 car regristation plus inspections and modifications. I am so confused. We have two vehicles a truck and a small nissan. So does anyone know for sure if you can or can not bring your vehicle over? I am just wondering.

  • Is there a Gas Station on Camp Kinser?

    Evie Dickson
    15 Jan 2012 | 11:58 pm
    Hi Everyone. Is there a gas station on Camp Kinser or do I have to go to the nearest Base Camp Foster? 
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    War On Terror News

  • Baghdad Shi'ite Neighborhood Hit by Car Bomb

    tankerbrosbrat
    27 Jan 2012 | 11:24 pm
    VOA News 1.27.2012 Early reports say at least 31 people killed Friday when a car bomb exploded near a funeral procession in a mainly Shi'ite neighborhood of the Iraqi capital. Hospital workers say at least 60 people were wounded in the suicide bombing in the neighborhood of Zafaraniyah. The blast...

  • War in Afghanistan News - 28 Jan 2012

    WOTN Editor
    27 Jan 2012 | 11:01 pm
    In Chahar Darah district, Kunduz province, an Afghan led and coalition supported security force conducted an operation in search of insurgent suicide bombers Thursday. The targets were suspected of planning attacks against Afghan and coalition forces throughout Chahar Darah district. The security force detained several suspected suicide bombers during the...

  • Middle East News 27 January 2012

    tankerbrosbrat
    27 Jan 2012 | 8:03 pm
    Egyptian activists have gathered in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Friday, as the country continues to mark the first anniversary of the uprising that ousted former President Hosni Mubarak. A small group of protesters has camped out in the square since Wednesday, when massive crowds of Egyptians filled the streets. Violence...

  • Master Resilience Training effective according to study

    tankerbrosbrat
    27 Jan 2012 | 5:24 pm
    By David Vergun Army News Service FORT MEADE, Md. (1/25/12) – The Master Resilience Training aspect of Comprehensive Soldier Fitness is working well. That's the conclusion of an Army report, released last month, covering a 15-month period of statistical evaluation. Army Sgt. Brandon Bregel, team leader, prepares to clear a...

  • Video: Lock and Load - The Work of an IDF Weapons Instructor

    tankerbrosbrat
    27 Jan 2012 | 3:52 pm
    idfnadesk on Jan 24, 2012 Behind every good soldier lies an exceptional instructor, and this video takes a look at the work of one of these elite IDF weapons instructors.
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    Navy CyberSpace Blog

  • Fix the Retirement System

    NCCM(ret)
    27 Jan 2012 | 2:48 pm
    In a couple of weeks, President Obama will be releasing his budget proposal for fiscal year 2013. The proposal is expected to announce a plan to cap the amount of raises to basic pay starting in 2015; also, as reported here on October 28, 2011, you can expect the 2013 pay raise to be based on the provision in Title 37 of the US Code – just as the recently realized 2012 pay raise. Do we need to make adjustments to how those in the military are compensated? Maybe so, but let us do it with our eyes wide open, and let us not rewrite history in an attempt to justify any changes. First,…

  • Join the USNI

    NCCM(ret)
    16 Jan 2012 | 4:37 pm
    If you are considering a career in one of our sea services, I recommend that you join the United States Naval Institute (USNI). Your USNI membership will give you access to online resources to assist you in gaining valuable knowledge of our nation’s history. A resource that no Future Sailor and interested family members should be without. From the USNI Member’s Benefits page; You empower active-duty Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen by giving them exclusive access to strategic insights and perspectives that shape their understanding of key issues that challenge America’s…

  • Recruit with Integrity Card

    NCCM(ret)
    10 Jan 2012 | 3:12 pm
    Through a recent action by Navy Recruiting Command, it appears that reported instances of recruiter impropriety has risen to a point that a proactive, preventative action must be taken from the headquarter’s level. Please note: Recruiter impropriety is a relatively rare occurrence committed by a very small number of those serving in the billet. The vast, overwhelming majority of Sailors who serve in recruiting proceed with the professionalism you should expect by members of our armed forces. Beginning earlier this month, Navy Recruiters have been provided with “Recruit with…

  • Navy SRB Guidance as of 06JAN2012

    NCCM(ret)
    6 Jan 2012 | 8:59 pm
    Below is the latest Selective Re-enlistment Bonus (SRB) guidance update for FY-12. Released January 6, 2012 via NAVADMIN 013/12. FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1// TO NAVADMIN INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1// BT UNCLAS//N01300// NAVADMIN 013/12 MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1/JAN// SUBJ/SELECTIVE REENLISTMENT BONUS UPDATE// REF/A/MSG/CNO WASHINGTON DC/221653Z AUG 11// REF/B/MSG/CNO WASHINGTON DC/172244Z MAY 11// REF/C/DOC/OPNAV/30JAN07// REF/D/MSG/CNO WASHINGTON DC/091648Z JAN 09// REF/E/MSG/CNO WASHINGTON DC/122232Z FEB 10// REF/F/MSG/CNO WASHINGTON DC/141500Z OCT 11// REF/G/DOC/DOD/15DEC04// NARR/…

  • Be Safe

    NCCM(ret)
    30 Dec 2011 | 10:09 pm
    Tomorrow night we celebrate the beginning of a new year. Don’t ruin 2012 by dying and or killing someone else because of a moronic, stupid mistake. Don’t drink and drive. Carry on, smartly. The approved 2012 Military Pay Chart for basic pay, effective January 1, 2012. The 2013 Military Pay raise estimation based on ECI - Title 37, US Code.
 
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    Navy Reads

  • Warfighting First - Schneller’s ‘Top Ten’

    16 Jan 2012 | 1:59 am
    (In 2012 I am pleased to present a series of guest posts offering “top ten” choices of books and authors for our Navy Reads audience.  In the months ahead we’ll have “top ten” recommendations from noted thinkers.  The recommendations in this post -- books on American naval history -- are from historian Robert J. Schneller Jr., Ph.D., historian with the U.S. Naval Historical Center and author of Farragut: America’s First Admiral, which Navy Reads reviewed last September.  Schneller’s suggestions align with the first tenet in the CNO’s Sailing Directions: …

  • 1812: The Navy’s War

    2 Jan 2012 | 1:35 am
    by Bill DoughtyWe don’t know what we don’t know, and ignorance of history condemns us to repeat past mistakes.That could explain why the bicentennial of the War of 1812 -- which has lots of lessons from the past, of the present, and for the future -- is so important to the Navy.It was:Our second war for independence;A war with Great Britain and Canada, now among our strongest allies; andA rebirth for the U.S. Navy, inspiring the Star Spangled Banner.Author George C. "America's Navy... Keeping the sea free for more than 200 years." gives a Navy-oriented history lesson in his 2011…

  • Heinlein, Haldeman, ERB & Mars

    26 Dec 2011 | 9:25 pm
    by Bill DoughtyRobert A. Heinlein, whose Starship Troopers is a surprising fiction title on the mostly nonfiction Navy Professional Reading Program list, owes much to Mary Shelley, Jules Verne, H.G. Wells and Edgar Rice Burroughs (ERB).  But, unlike most of the fantasy and science fiction that preceded him, Heinlein’s literary fiction opened doors to a future history through human eyes, concentrating more on the heart and hands heading to Mars than on the tools those hands operated.If former Lt. Cmdr. Heinlein represented the WWII and Korean War period SF of his generation, then Joe…

  • What Pearl Harbor Survivors Read

    11 Dec 2011 | 2:18 pm
    by Bill DoughtyWhat did Pearl Harbor Survivors read before and after Dec. 7, 1941?Clark J. SimmonsClark J. Simmons of USS Utah told me last week, immediately after the 70th Commemoration of Pearl Harbor Day, “My mother was a librarian.  We did quite a bit of reading.  She inundated us with books.  I had three sisters and all of us were readers.  I would read anything I could get my hands on.”Marshall LaFavor, son of Chief Warrant Officer Machinist Franklyn LeFavor, grew up in a Navy family.  “One of the first things we did when we went to a new base was check in…

  • If Carrots and Sticks Don’t Work, What Does?

    27 Nov 2011 | 3:47 pm
    (Special thanks to shipmate Nancy Harrity for this guest review of two books that explore what science reveals about human nature and how those lessons can be applied by Navy leaders to motivate their teams.) By Nancy HarrityWith budgets decreasing and demands on our teams increasing, the best leaders are looking at what they can do differently to motivate their teams and improve morale. Author Daniel H. Pink looks into if what we know about motivation is true in Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us.  He finds there is a gap between what science knows about what…
 
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    Military Boots News

  • The Velocity: Converse’s Lightest Boot Ever

    Nora Holloway
    9 Jan 2012 | 4:37 pm
    Old boots dragging you down? Check out Converse’s lightest boot ever… the Velocity. Weighing approximately two pounds a pair, these combat boots were made for speed, thus the name Velocity. The featherweight upper is super durable. Depending on the style, the upper can be made of suede and 1000-denier ballistic nylon or leather and 1000-denier ballistic nylon. These are supremely flexible and can be rolled into a ball for easy storage. While keeps the weight off, the Velocity does not skimp on comfort due to its removable F2A dual density polyurethane cushion insert. The dual…

  • Danner’s Lightest Boot to Debut in January

    Nora Holloway
    16 Nov 2011 | 3:30 pm
    Danner has created its lightest boot to date. Rumored to be officially unveiled at Shot Show 2012, the Melee is designed for close quarter combat and “quick smash and grab missions.” Defense News first reported on the high-speed boot during the Modern Day Marine show in late September. Designed for urban missions, the Melee will provide enough stability and durability to carry heavy loads over long distances, if necessary. “This boot is all about light and fast,” said Ryan Cade, Danner’s product line manager for uniform and military products. “We stripped out all…

  • $15.4 Million in Danner Hot Weather Boots Ordered

    Nora Holloway
    12 Oct 2011 | 10:19 am
    Looks like the Marines will be getting some different rugged all-terrain hot weather boots. According to Market Watch, LaCrosse Footwear recently announced that it received a $15.4 million delivery order for Danner’s USMC RAT boots. The company will be making multiple deliveries throughout the coming months. Referring to it as the USMC RAT Hot, LaCrosse President and CEO Joseph P. Schneider stated that it had been used in Afghanistan’s mountains for more than four years and it still remains the leader in that category. Specifically made for the United States Marine Corps, the…

  • New Color for Nike’s Special Field Boot

    Nora Holloway
    1 Sep 2011 | 4:01 pm
    Taking a turn for the tactical, Nike developed the Special Field Boot ($130), or SFB, if you will. While it’s been on the market for a few years in the colors desert tan and black, the boot will be available in sage green in just a matter of weeks. First embarking on this mission in 2004, its R&D team started to figure out just what military soldiers needed out of their footwear. Plunging head first into this endeavor, they decided to create a boot that could also be versatile enough to meet the requirements of special law enforcement and other first responders. According to this…

  • Rocky Announces S2V Jungle Boot

    Nora Holloway
    10 Aug 2011 | 2:10 pm
    In July, Soldier Systems Daily wrote about Rocky‘s slated release of the S2V Jungle Boot. So we thought we would check in with Rocky’s public relations rep to see if she could release anymore details. Collaborating with military personnel, the Rocky team have designed a S2V styled boot that easily functions in the wet tropical conditions. The Cordura boot is very well ventilated with holes punched throughout the heel. Durable enough to stand up vines and thorns, its ankles are reinforced with steel mesh.The unlined boot has a thin rubber-like coating over the toe to protect…
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    GI Bill Expert Blog» Veterans Education Benefits | Ask the GI Bill Expert | GIBill.com

  • Is My Son Eligible for Any GI Bill Benefits with an Other Than Honorable Discharge?

    Ron Kness
    27 Jan 2012 | 11:00 am
    My son was discharged from the Navy after 3 years and 8 months of service (2007 – 2011). His discharge was classified as “other.” Is he eligible for any benefits of the GI Bill? Thank you for taking our question. – Sara I can’t speak for all of the GI Bill benefits, because they are not my specialty, but as far education, he will not be able to use his 36 months of entitlement. But, the good news (if there is any) is he did not lose his benefits – he still has them, but can’t use them. So, the next step he should consider is does he have enough justification to…

  • Is This Correct That I Will Not Get the Full Housing Allowance for All of the Semester?

    Ron Kness
    26 Jan 2012 | 11:00 am
    My school has an 11-week semester with one week off prior to starting the next semester. According to my school I am going to school full time as long as I achieve 12 or more credit hours per semester. Because of this I enrolled in two 11-week classes for 6 and 4 credits totaling ten credits and one accelerated course which was for 4 credits but it was only 5.5 weeks long instead of 11 weeks. This means that for the semester I achieved 14 credits, but I was told by the GI Bill that for the second half of the semester I would not receive full housing benefits because I was not going to school…

  • Should I Have Converted from the MGIB to the Post 9/11 GI Bill Prior to Retirement?

    Ron Kness
    25 Jan 2012 | 11:00 am
    Sir, I am currently on terminal leave until the end of this month. I officially retired on 1 Jan 12. I served my entire time as active duty Air Force and I currently have the MGIB. I did not get my bachelor’s degree completed prior to retirement and will need to finish after retirement. Do I need to convert from the MGIB to the Post 9/11 GI Bill prior to retirement? I was unsure if I could do this after retirement. Thank you for your assistance. – Terry No Terry, you can convert anytime. However, there are two ways to convert. If you still have Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) entitlement…

  • Is There a Group That Could Help Me with My Post 9/11 GI Bill Transfer of Benefits Issue?

    Ron Kness
    24 Jan 2012 | 11:00 am
    After 28 years of service I was mandatorily retired on 01 June ‘09, two months prior to the implementation of the Post 9/11 GI Bill. While initially told I would be “grand-fathered in” I am now told by the VA I fell ‘through the crack’ regarding the Post 9/11 Bill’s Transfer of Eligibility Benefit. I’m wondering if there is a group that has a similar issue and how I would go about reaching out to them. With enough support we can try to affect a change to the Bill as currently written. – Scott Scott, you were grandfathered in as far as your…

  • Are My Children Eligible to Use My GI Bill Benefits If I am Not Using Them?

    Ron Kness
    23 Jan 2012 | 11:00 am
    Are my children eligible to use my GI Bill benefits if I am not using them? –Paul It depends on which GI Bill you are talking about Paul. If you have the Montgomery GI Bill, then the answer is no, as that particular Bill does not have any transfer rights to it. If you have the Post 9/11 GI Bill, and meet the two service requirements, then yes, you could make a transfer of any or all of your months of eligibility transfer to your children. To get a transfer request approved, you first have to have served for at least six years. The second service requirement is you also have to agree to…
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    Fighter Country Partnership

  • F-35 Performs First Night Flight

    trout
    25 Jan 2012 | 12:42 pm
    The first night flight in the history of the Lockheed Martin F-35 program was completed on Jan. 19, 2012 in the skies above Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Piloted by Lockheed Martin Test Pilot Mark Ward, AF-6, an F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variant, launched at 5:05 p.m. PST and landed after sunset at 6:22 p.m. F-35 Night flight video courtesy of Lockheed Martin.F-35B Lightning II (STOVL) stealth fighter today became the fifth F-35 to begin flight operationsLockheed Martin F-35 Multi-Ship Ferry from Ft. Worth, Texas to Edwards AFBAmazing F-35 Lightning II Fifth-Generation…

  • Honoring Military & Veterans during Football

    Fighter Country
    20 Jan 2012 | 5:44 pm
    We thought you might enjoy these photos of the salute to US Military & Veterans at Lambeau Field. Photos courtesy of USAA & Joe Oliva at jetpix.com. Annual PartnersVeterans’ MembershipPhotos from the 2011 HC Golf Tournament

  • DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY RELEASED TODAY FOR F-35 AT LUKE AFB

    Fighter Country
    20 Jan 2012 | 10:52 am
    Lockheed Martin, Edwards Air Force Base, 416th FLTS F-35 ITF, JSF, 6 ship static display, sunrise, AF-1, AF-2, AF-3, AF-4, AF-6, AF-7The long awaited draft EIS was announced today which sets in motion the process for determining the likelihood of stationing up to 6 squadrons of F-35′s at Luke AFB.  The F-35A is the Air Force’s variant of the Joint Strike Fighter, which will replace the F-16 Falcon, F-15 Eagle and the A-10 Thunderbolt as the military’s new multi-role fighter.The Draft EIS provides a detailed analysis of factors affecting air quality, noise and other impacts to…

  • Honorary Commander Feature: Mr. David Haddad

    maryjo
    5 Jan 2012 | 7:30 am
    Mr. David Haddad, President, Fumar Cigars Inc.This month, Fighter Country Partnership newsletter features Mr. David Haddad, president of Fumar Cigars, Inc. He was inducted into the Luke Air Force Base’s Honorary Commanders program in November 2010 assigned to the 309th Fighter Squadron–the “Wild Ducks.” He and his partner, Honorary Commander, Mr. James “Bubba” Moffett, owner, Crescent Crown Distributing, hit the ground running committing themselves to supporting programs that benefit military families not only at Luke Air Force Base but the military as a…

  • FCP finishes 2011 with the Fiesta Bowl Parade & Patriot All-American Event

    rsites
    4 Jan 2012 | 2:01 pm
    Fighter Country Partnership, Luke AFB Honorary Commanders & APS Volunteers float the American Flag at the 2011 Fiesta Bowl Parade2011 could not have finished on a more perfect note. Having the privilege to host Luke AFB in the Fiesta Bowl parade annually reminds us of how patriotic the United States is, and it is ALWAYS nice to be reminded of that with the challenging times our country has seen recently. FCP Blue Blazers and Ambassadors had the responsibility of handling the American Flag balloon in front of our Luke AFB Airmen. Luke’s group consisted of Brigadier General Jerry D.
 
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    Mil-Tech

  • Calian’s SED Division Wins Contracts for Satellite Ground Systems

    Artur Nowak
    27 Jan 2012 | 11:42 am
    Calian Technologies Ltd. (TSX:CTY) is pleased to announce that its Systems Engineering Division (SED) has signed two new contracts for the provision of Satellite Ground Systems worth a combined value of $7.6 million.     SED was chosen by Thrane & Thrane of Denmark for the provision and installation of an Inmarsat BGAN RF Ground System for CTTIC in China. In addition, in late Q1 of this fiscal year, SED was selected by the Canada Centre for Remote Sensing (CCRS) via PWGSC competitive tender to provide and install a Remote Sensing Antenna System in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.

  • Siem Offshore signs 3-year satellite communications contract with Harris CapRock for services to Brazil fleet

    Artur Nowak
    27 Jan 2012 | 11:36 am
    Harris CapRock Communications, a global provider of fully managed communications for remote and harsh environments, has been chosen by Siem Offshore to deliver turnkey Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) communications to five of its supply vessels, located offshore in Brazil. The SeaAccess solution will enable Siem to extend its corporate IT network and applications to its vessels. Siem Offshore Inc. is an owner and operator of modern support vessels for the global oil and gas service industry.     “We require a robust communications solution onboard our vessels to support our…

  • Globecomm Awarded Managed Service Contract From US Government Agency Valued at $2.6 Million

    Artur Nowak
    26 Jan 2012 | 2:15 am
    Globecomm Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: GCOM), a leading global provider of communications solutions and services, announced that the Company has been awarded a one year managed service contract from a US Government agency valued at $2.6 million. Under the terms of the contract, Globecomm will provide IT support services relating to Internet connectivity and Voice over IP Telephony via its teleport facilities to multiple foreign locations.         About Globecomm Systems   Globecomm Systems Inc., or Globecomm, is a leading global provider of satellite-based managed network…

  • How The Glock Became America’s Weapon Of Choice

    Artur Nowak
    26 Jan 2012 | 2:03 am
    Today the Glock pistol has become the gun of choice for both criminals and law enforcement in the United States.In his book Glock: The Rise of America’s Gun, Paul Barrett traces how the sleek, high-capacity Austrian weapon found its way into Hollywood films and rap lyrics, not to mention two-thirds of all U.S. police departments.   Source: www.wbur.org

  • Advanced Technologies High on Navy Special Warfare Wish List

    Artur Nowak
    26 Jan 2012 | 12:07 am
    Technology has a prominent role in the wish list for U.S. Navy Special Warfare Command (NSW). These advances will be necessary for the NSW to carry out its mission in the new defense strategy, as described by the NSW’s commander, Rear Adm. Sean A. Pybus, USN.   Source: www.afcea.org
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    Defense Media Network

  • USACE Extols Benefits of Harnessing Ground Source Energy

    Richard Pearsall
    27 Jan 2012 | 1:00 pm
    You don’t have to coax Dan Sirkis into talking about geothermal energy. The chief of the Geo-Environmental Section in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Philadelphia District extols the benefits of geothermal every chance he gets, whether he’s talking to a colonel in the Pentagon, an engineer in the field, or a student at a local high school. And not just for places such as Iceland or Yellowstone National Park where the magma is close enough to provide direct heat and the hot springs burst through and awe the tourists. “When you say ‘geothermal’ people tend to think of places…

  • “Always Ready” – The Coast Guard is America’s Maritime First Responder

    Craig Collins
    27 Jan 2012 | 11:11 am
    Petty Officer Andre Altavilla’s job title is flight mechanic – aviation electrical technician, to be exact – but on Dec. 18, 2010, when rescue swimmer Christopher Austin hauled a fisherman’s limp body from the icy, roiling waters of Washington’s Willapa Bay, it was Altavilla who took the man aboard the rescue crew’s HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter and administered the CPR that brought him back to life. Petty Officer 2nd Class Kyle Kappessar (left) and Petty Officer 3rd Class Chris Smith (right) secure first-responder gear aboard a C-130 fixed-wing aircraft from Air Station Elizabeth…

  • Army: JLTVs, Not Humvees

    Scott R. Gourley
    27 Jan 2012 | 8:34 am
    On Jan. 26, 2012, just a few hours before the U.S. Secretary of Defense began to reveal a range of procurement cuts and difficult program decisions, the U.S. Army released a request for proposal (RFP) for the engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) phase of the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) program. Reflective of the lessons learned over the past decade of war, JLTV is viewed as filling the tactical wheeled vehicle capability gap created by evolving tactical mobility and protection requirements that are not satisfied by the Up-Armored HMMWV. A BAE Systems JLTV variant with…

  • DMN Q&A: Capt. Francis Morley, NAVAIR Program Manager, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler

    Jan Tegler
    26 Jan 2012 | 12:00 pm
    Capt. Francis Morley, NAVAIR’s Program Manager for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler (PMA-265) says the Navy’s infrared search and track system (IRST) is oncourse for a 2016 debut on the Super Hornet. A graduate of the Test Pilot School at NAS Patuxent River, Md., with Class 107, he was picked to be one of three original Navy Test Pilots for the beginning of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Engineering and Manufacturing Development flight test program. Morley was assigned as the Navy’s performance, propulsion and carrier suitability test pilot for the first two years of the Super…

  • F-35 Lightning II in 2011

    bmelanson
    26 Jan 2012 | 7:00 am
    On Jan. 20, 2012, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta took the F-35B STOVL variant off the probation imposed by former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, lifting the cloud that hung over the STOVL fighter’s future. This week Lockheed Martin released videos of the F-35A’s first night flight, and the 2011 flight test compilation shown here. At year end the number of flights and test points both exceeded the 2011 goals, but there remain significant concurrency challenges to the program due to issues discovered in flight testing, with more expected to arise as the more challenging test…
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    Household6Diva

  • Extreme Military Ball Gown Makeover

    Ann Marie @ Household6 Diva
    28 Jan 2012 | 1:48 am
    Yesterday, at my favorite German Fabric store, I bought 5 meters of this lovely white fabric… all because a few months ago, I fell in love with this picture… So I decided I’m going to try to take this bridesmaid dress from my sister’s wedding… and attempt to gather the bodice and the skirt just a little… and maybe add a little trim along the neckline after I remove the straps… Wish me luck! Have you ever given an old formal gown a makeover? And for my Military Spouses – where do you usually buy your ball gowns for formal events?

  • Stoff-Centrum: my beloved German Fabric store

    Ann Marie @ Household6 Diva
    27 Jan 2012 | 9:01 am
    Sorry I’m a little late with my blog post today! I spent my morning running errands and visited one of my favorite shopping destinations… a fabric store! About 10 minutes or so from the Ramstein mall, this little shop has always had what I needed for my sewing projects. From thread, to notions, to a wide array of every type of button you can imagine. For those of you in Germany, the address is: Denisstrasse 22, 67663 Kaiserslautern (Tele 0631-50520) If you’ve heard of the Toys-R-us/Globus area of Kaiserslautern, you can easily find this little shop. Just go past the…

  • The land of Tir na Nog

    Ann Marie @ Household6 Diva
    26 Jan 2012 | 6:39 am
    Today I’m am officially declaring war on the laundry… no really… it IS going to happen… I mean it… and I’m going to finish all of the dishes… every. single. last one… hey – who’s snickering way in the back? Then I will make sure I have enough time to decorate my house with lovely valentine decorations… Martha Stewart will be proud… and then I shall completely domesticate these three creatures into fine examples of gentile society… Yes yes indeed… Oh yes… and one more thing… I shall add Nutella to…

  • Tea time with Miss Muffet and Mr Wayne

    Ann Marie @ Household6 Diva
    25 Jan 2012 | 8:19 am
    One of the wonderful things about having another adult in the house to share responsibilities is the slow and steady reappearance of more ‘free time’.  While Seth is deployed, much of my day is spent caring for our young children as well as the cooking, cleaning, and planning needed for running the household.  Free time during this busy season of military life is usually after the kids are in bed for the night, or when I schedule some “Mommy time off” with hourly child care. So yesterday when my children invited me to tea, I was happy to accept. During deployment I…

  • Addicted to Nutella, Pie, and Instagram

    Ann Marie @ Household6 Diva
    24 Jan 2012 | 6:51 am
    So the other day a friend of mine left me a lovely link on facebook to a Nutella Recipe. YAY! Which led me to a website stating that yesterday, January 23rd, was National Pie Day. WAIT. just. a second. Did someone forget to send me the Memo?!?! (or is it under the stack of papers on the kitchen counter?) So in honor of ‘I forgot it was National Pie Day’ I set my sites on this lovely cucurbit. Cucurbit is just a fancy schmancy word in Botany speak that means “Squash”. And so as I wandered along, continuing to slice and dice until I was up to my elbows in yummy pumpkin…
 
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    Military

  • Mk19, Not Just a Regular Grenade Machine Gun

    arswino76
    27 Jan 2012 | 6:46 am
    Since World War I, machine gun is one of the weapons that were considered to be able to change force balance, break dead-end, and eliminate opponents massively. While grenade, which application also spread during the war, was a destructive weapon which was able to wipe out a certain territory. For years, the application for both weapons seemed to have their own standards and went along the way, without having the thought that the two of them could be combined. Weapon research then discovered hand grenade that could be thrown from M1 Garand using special adaptor. During the Vietnam War,…

  • M61 Vulcan, More than Just a Rifle

    arswino76
    1 Jan 2012 | 8:34 pm
    Machine gun and cannon are fighter aircraft’s weapons that have been used since aircraft existed. Though at first aircraft was used as for air surveillance, it didn’t take long until it was upgraded by its operator as an offensive asset. Since World War I until present day, basically this weapon still has the same function which is as self-defense weapon system (for its aircraft) and as limited ground assault weapon. The development of machine gun on fighter aircraft was developed during World War II; and even more intensively after World War II was over. The enlargement in bullet…

  • Brimstone, Combat Proven One by One

    arswino76
    8 Dec 2011 | 4:56 am
    Like it or not, armed conflict is an effective showcase. The combat proven title has been desired by many weapon manufacturers to increase their products’ fame. Brimstone missile is one of the weapon systems that managed to earn this title; both for its early variants or its descendants. Brimstone is an anti-armour missile manufactured by MBDA; a company that is known as the missile king of Europe because many European missiles are manufactured there. It is written as anti-armour (not anti-armor) because it follows British English writing; the country where this modern missile was born. Its…

  • Australian Army in Focus

    arswino76
    11 Nov 2011 | 8:20 am
    Though small in scale, Australian Army has shown its ability in a number of operations outside their territory such as the Operation Catalyst in Iraq and Operation Slipper in Afghanistan. However at present, Australia has withdrawn their main forces from Iraq; though there are still about 1090 personnel that still present in Afghanistan and 900 others stationed at Middle East as supporting element. Altogether, Australian Army is currently busy with assignments in their neighboring countries in Asia Pacific; where they consider themselves to have an important role. At present there are 650…

  • BMPT Terminator, Lack of Support

    arswino76
    28 Oct 2011 | 5:15 am
    For any weapon system, a good concept and advanced technical specs, even relatively affordable price are not enough. There is still one ‘X’ factor that can be an obstacle, which is political support from its own country. The harsh statement, said by the Russian Minister of Defense, last year has caused many people feel upset in weapon industry and weapon system manufacturing in Russia; especially in combat vehicle industry. If its own country refuses to use it, then how can it be successfully exported? The vehicle mentioned by Popovkin is BMPT (Boyevaya Mashina Podderzhki Tankov) or Tank…
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    Adventures of a Military Family of 8

  • New Swagbucks code expires soon!

    Lily @Militaryfamof8
    13 Jan 2012 | 8:36 am
    This morning's swagbucks code is Read more » This is just a peek, go read the full post when you're comfortable and have your cup of coffee ;)

  • Free Swagbucks code expires soon...

    Lily @Militaryfamof8
    11 Jan 2012 | 7:19 am
    Worth 5 free swagbucks, the code is Read more » This is just a peek, go read the full post when you're comfortable and have your cup of coffee ;)

  • From Ca-NY, from 2011-2012, from smiles to tears... to high hopes!!!

    Lily @Militaryfamof8
    2 Jan 2012 | 3:56 am
    New Years Eve in NY City, our 1st NYE in the NYC, lol.  As I had planned to initially be in Time Square for NYE 2011, we decided to spend it with the Family in Central Park.  The Midnight Run, both... This is just a peek, go read the full post when you're comfortable and have your cup of coffee ;)

  • Videos that make you go "WOW!"

    Lily @Militaryfamof8
    3 Nov 2011 | 10:14 pm
    So, many times I see videos that make me go "WOW!" and I feel bad because I don't want to send a mass e-mail to everyone, but would like to share; SO... Now I decided I will just... This is just a peek, go read the full post when you're comfortable and have your cup of coffee ;)

  • going natural with #crystalrollon

    Lily @Militaryfamof8
    1 Nov 2011 | 3:03 am
    I have a very active 11 year old daughter, she is in every sports team she can get herself into.  With that being said read, deodorants are something of a frequent topic around here... and trust... This is just a peek, go read the full post when you're comfortable and have your cup of coffee ;)
 
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    A Soldier's Perspective

  • The Progressive International Motorcycle Show

    Scott Lee
    21 Jan 2012 | 10:09 am
    We’re proud to announce that Military, Police, and Fire Men and Women will get free admission to this weekend’s Progressive International Motorcycle Show in NYC if they arrive in uniform! The Progressive International Motorcycle Show is your #1 place to see get the latest Motorcycle news, products, and custom bikes. Already the largest motorcycle show around, this year’s New York event is going to be bigger than 2011. More bikes, more products, and more learning opportunities. There are several show features for you to enjoy, such as the Dream Pavilion, Smage Bros Stunt Show, Ultimate…

  • Army statement on MEDEVAC issue

    CJ
    21 Jan 2012 | 6:42 am
    Photo Credit: Navy Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Summer M. Anderson U.S. Army Soldiers transport a trauma victim to a U.S. Army medical helicopter in Tarmiyah, Iraq, Sept. 30, 2007. The Soldiers are from Charlie Company, 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division out of Fort Lewis, Wash. The Army has released the following statement reference the MEDEVAC issue: WASHINGTON (Jan. 20, 2012) — “Recent news items about the use of Army medical evacuation, or MEDEVAC, helicopters in Afghanistan contain troubling information. The…

  • Combat PTSD: A Psycho-Social and Spiritual Wound

    Scott Lee
    13 Jan 2012 | 7:25 pm
    America, I gave you my soul in 1991. I didn’t know it then that I would receive a psycho-social and spiritual wound that not even I could see. Of late we have heard much on the common symptoms of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD in the media and the soldier or veteran, you won’t hear me talk about that much. I deal mostly in the chronic nature of Combat PTSD and it’s many flavors and identities as it relates to me. I’m all about talking about the mental, physical, social and spiritual aspects of where going to combat can take us. Along with the mental…

  • Combat PTSD Blogger on ASP

    Scott Lee
    10 Jan 2012 | 5:54 pm
    Hello ASP readers, I am sure you have heard the latest on CJ’s blogging saga. I am not here to talk about that, we all know that he will address it when he can. For those of you who don’t know me, I go by a couple of writing handles and identities; Roman General and most recently Combat PTSD Blogger on Facebook. I started writing at PTSD: A Soldier’s Perspective in 2007 and in 2008 CJ contacted me to begin writing here. He asked me to come back to keep the conversation moving forward on Combat PTSD. I have lived with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder for 20 years following the…

  • Experts Agree: The MEDEVAC Issue Is a Non-Issue

    CJ
    5 Jan 2012 | 7:33 am
    U.S. Air Force Capt. Michael Madsen, Provincial Reconstruction Team Zabul doctor, dons a holiday hat and prepares to return to a unit morale event after transfering an Afghan National Police member to a medical evacuation helicopter at Forward Operating Base Smart, Afghanistan, Dec. 25, 2011. PRT Zabul’s medical team assists the Zabul Provincial Hospital in patient treatment to prevent to loss of life, limb, or eyesight. Photo by 1st Lt. Belena Marquez. Troops on the ground, Regional Command (South), ISAF, CENTCOM, and the Department of the Army. What do they have in common? They agree…
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    Knowledge Leakage

  • Pull Out Those Red Pumps

    Marie
    19 Jan 2012 | 12:41 pm
    It’s that time of year again! I’ve broken multiple diets already. I haven’t started the year as organized as I planned. However, I have ordered my red pumps. This year marks the 4th year of the “Rock  The Red Pump” campaign. Starting today until March 10, the Red Pump Project will be running a campaign supporting [...]

  • Winter Tires, Great Weather, and My Procrastination

    Marie
    30 Dec 2011 | 1:20 pm
    Long story short: I haven’t changed to winter tires yet. Last year, a law was passed in Germany, specifically in December 4, 2010. Drivers of motorbikes and cars are required to have fitted winter tires when driving in icy, snowy or slushy conditions. That’s the thing! The weather has been so warm. It snowed a [...]

  • Happy Holidays

    Marie
    25 Dec 2011 | 3:26 am
    I would like to wish everyone, especially all of my readers a Happy Holidays. May your season stay a joyous occassion. I will see you in the New Year. Tweet

  • Cheap Gift Ideas Under $25

    Marie
    17 Dec 2011 | 2:25 pm
    I made the mistake of publishing a cool Christmas list and not a cheap gift list. (I thought it was cool.) Not even five minutes after the post, I got the nagging text and emails about my expensive Christmas list.  I’m pretty sure by now, you know that I don’t publish my blog posts back to [...]

  • My Electronic Christmas Gift List

    Marie
    5 Dec 2011 | 2:47 pm
    Thanksgiving is over. The Black Friday madness is over. The Cyber Monday disaster is over. Now we are charging full force into the winter holiday season. I’d like to share my picks for this season in a series of categories. I won’t throw them at you all at once, but I will share a couple [...]
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    Military Weapons

  • Yamagumo class destroyer

    25 Jan 2012 | 10:04 pm
    The Yamagumo class are vessels of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force, usually classified as a destroyer, but due to their relatively light displacement, in other sources as a destroyer escort. This class is the successor of the Akizuki-class destroyer and the predecessor of the Minegumo-class destroyer. This class was planned to become the new generation workhorse of the fleet of the JMSDF. Aiming this objective, it equipped with some new generation weapon and sensor systems such as the ASROC anti-submarine rocket and the OPS-11 early warning radar (Japanese equivalent of the American…

  • Type 103 Lütjens class destroyers

    25 Jan 2012 | 9:43 pm
    The Type 103 Lütjens class was the last class of destroyers in service with the German Navy. They were replaced by the new Sachsen-class frigates, designated frigate even though they are much larger and more capable in all aspects than the Lütjens class destroyers. Basically the ships were Charles F. Adams-class guided missile destroyers but with some modifications to meet German requirements: Communication systems according to German standards. The Lütjens class had more aerials and a second mast mounted on the aft funnel, the large air surveillance radar was positioned further aft (above…

  • Type 051 Luda class

    23 Jan 2012 | 5:32 pm
    The Type 051 Luda class missile destroyer was the first surface warfare oriented vessel ever designed and built in China, and the first Chinese ship to be fitted with an integrated combat direction system. It was based on the Soviet Neustrashimy class destroyer design, with some design influences from the Kotlin class destroyer design.In the late 1960s, China began testing its long-range rockets for the Chinese space program, as well as the ICBM program. The People's Liberation Army Navy operated only four ex-Soviet Gnevny class destroyers (Anshan class in PLAN service) at the time, which…

  • Audace class destroyer

    23 Jan 2012 | 5:25 pm
    The Audace class destroyers were two guided missile destroyers built for the Italian Navy during the Cold War. An improvement of the Impavido class, these ships were designed for area air defence and also had a heavy gun armament. They were fitted with contemporary American radars and sonars, but also they were fitting, just as the next Italian ships, they fitted all the new weapons made by Italian industry of the time, such torpedoes, helicopters and guns. Also some indigenous radars were fitted.The design of these ships was related to the previous Impavido class, but they were meant as a…

  • Type 82 or Bristol-class destroyer

    23 Jan 2012 | 5:14 pm
    The Type 82 or Bristol-class destroyer was to be a class of four Royal Navy warships intended as area air-defence destroyers to replace the County-class destroyers, and to serve as escorts to the planned CVA-01 aircraft carriers. Eventually only a single ship, HMS Bristol was built and served as a testbed for much of the modern technology and armaments seen in later classes of Royal Navy warships. Sometimes described as a "light cruiser", she was officially classified as a destroyer.The Type 82 was loosely based on the layout of the County-class destroyer and the Type 12 Leander-class frigate…
 
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    **Wife [Widow] of a Wounded Marine**

  • Lessons in my first weeks of school

    Karie
    27 Jan 2012 | 11:00 am
    I have been busy, busy, busy with school.I LOVE it. I don't even care that some of it is hard (French). It just makes me that much more determined. Here are a few lessons I learned in the last two weeks:-Always order your books well before school starts and make sure you don't need a code for an accompanying online program before buying them on Amazon. I bought mine a week before from Amazon and didn't get most of them until a week after school started. I also found out that half of them needed an online code, which only comes with new books. I ended up having to buy the…

  • The iPhone - and why I shouldn't be allowed to own technology.

    Karie
    22 Jan 2012 | 7:01 pm
    I recently got an iPhone after avoiding it for years. I'm not sure why I avoided it exactly, other than the fact that it's become a habit of mine to avoid things everyone else likes for long periods of time only to succumb to the awesomeness of whatever that thing is every freaking time. Not sure why I don't give this habit up - it's my cross to bear.Anyway, I recently discovered this app Cam Wow (Thank you Kristle). This is the result. Viewer discretion is advised. I'm not sure what's worse. The fact that it took me so long to discover the greatness of the iPhone, or…

  • Non-Traditional Student

    Karie
    20 Jan 2012 | 7:16 pm
    The first time I applied for college was when I was 20 years old. I had been married for only a couple of months, my husband was deployed,  and I had recently realized that my current career, flight attending, just did not fit in with my new life. I needed something more stable - something that gave me a better paycheck and allowed me to be home every night. I knew the only way I would be able to get what I wanted was to go back to school, so I signed up.Not long after, I got the acceptance letter. I took my math placement test and applied for financial aid. Everything was set for the…

  • My Rings - To wear or not to wear.... and who cares?

    Karie
    14 Jan 2012 | 7:56 am
    Since my husband passed, people have asked me on separate occasions when I will stop wearing my rings. They have also asked why I still wear them now and why some days I don't.Well, the answer is pretty straight forward. I do what feels right to me at that very second.When Cleve first died, I got a heart tattoo on my ring finger. I like to show it off so I wore my wedding rings on my right hand, same finger, religiously. When I started dating Nick, the rings were worn less. I didn't know if there were "rules" on what was acceptable or appropriate and didn't want to make Nick uncomfortable. I…

  • I Love You Always. Always. Always. Always. Happy 6th Anniversary my Angel.

    Karie
    12 Jan 2012 | 9:38 am
    Yesterday was an interesting day. Not only was it college orientation, but my 6th wedding anniversary. I have to say, it makes me happy when my widowy anniversaries (we have many - death, life, marriage, etc.) land on days I'm busy with something else. Yesterday was perfect. I was able to think of him but just before I'd allow myself to get overly upset, I had to focus on something for school.Orientation was easier than I expected. I always blow things up in my mind."What if I cant find the building?""What If I'm the oldest person there?""What if I fart when the teacher's talking?"I found the…
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