Category: Military

US military grounds entire fleet of Osprey aircraft following a deadly crash off the coast of Japan.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The military announced late Wednesday it was grounding all of its Osprey V-22 helicopters, one week after eight Air Force Special Operations Command service members died in a crash off the coast of Japan.

The Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps took the extraordinary step of grounding hundreds of aircraft after a preliminary investigation of last week’s crash indicated that a materiel failure — that something went wrong with the aircraft — and not a mistake by the crew led to the deaths.

The crash raised new questions about the safety of the Osprey, which has been involved in multiple fatal accidents over its relatively short time in service. Japan grounded its fleet of 14 Ospreys after the crash.

Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind, head of Air Force Special Operations Command, directed the standdown “to mitigate risk while the investigation continues,” the command said in a statement. “Preliminary investigation information indicates a potential materiel failure caused the mishap, but the underlying cause of the failure is unknown at this time.”

In a separate notice, Naval Air Systems Command said it was grounding all Ospreys. The command is responsible for the Marine Corps and Navy variants of the aircraft.

Continue reading “”

This isn’t IronMan, or even Starship Troopers, but it is a nice thing that I wish I had available.

Back-saving exosuits may someday be standard-issue gear for troops.

Army exosuit SABERThe Army’s Pathfinder program, led by a collaborative team of Soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and engineers at Vanderbilt University, brought about exoskeleton prototypes that augment lifting capabilities and reduce back strain for sustainment and logistics operations. (U.S. Army photo by Larry McCormack)

For years, military trade shows have featured intimidating “Iron Man” exosuit prototypes that would seem right at home in a Marvel movie. But the US military is now showing interest in a different kind of exosuit: one that won’t incorporate blast armor or a third machine-gun holding arm, but will save troops’ backs when they are loading artillery rounds. In an Army wear test of a back-worn exosuit about 90% of troops reported being able to do their lifting-intensive jobs better while wearing the three-pound suit; and all said they’d wear an improved version of the suit if it was made available to them.
The test was conducted with 101st Airborne Division soldiers at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.As the Army and Air Force move further with the Soldier Assistive Bionic Exosuit for Resupply, or SABER, as the exosuit is called, Karl Zelik, its lead researcher, says the concept and testing success illustrates how exosuits may soon be as commonplace as combat boots and covers.

Continue reading “”

Skynet smiles

Cyborg Dynamics Engineering’s WARFIGHTER UGV

120454339_1741496722670877_8803368625644869127_n.jpg

Add unto that:

In 2020 Cyborgs Dynamics Engineering with its Joint Venture partners Skyborne technologies spun out Athena Artificial Intelligence.
The company is a world first capability, providing AI decision support to military and first responder applications. The capability fuses multilayered neural networks, algorithmic decision support and optimized UX /UI design into a single package.
Athena now employs over 25 staff and has exports into the USA.

BLUF
Was that an intentional campaign to rid the military of critical thinkers?

The U.S. Army is ‘Begging’ Unvaccinated Soldiers to Return
Army forced to reverse course, as people refuse to enlist

Oh, how much the times have changed!

The United States Army is now begging COVID unvaccinated soldiers, who underwent involuntary discharge for their refusal to take the vaccine, to return to service and also permits them to correct their military records!

Just two years ago, in a shameful campaign, the Pentagon was gleefully discharging soldiers who refused to take Covid vaccines:

https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2021/12/14/air-force-discharges-27-for-refusal-to-get-covid-vaccine/

We were assured that these discharges would “not affect military readiness.”

“I can tell you there are no operational impacts across the force for readiness,” Marine Corps Lt. Gen. David Ottignon told lawmakers. “There’s no one community that has signaled an instance where a [leader], an NCO or another enlisted Marine is not present because of that.”

The Marine Corps has, by far, kicked out the most service members: 1,968 total, 20% of whom received an honorable discharge. That amounts to just under 1% of the total force, which stands at about 215,000.

However, the readiness suffered: thousands of service members were dismissed, and potential recruits declined to enlist in the Armed Services, because, guess what, young healthy men loath COVID vaccines.

More than 17,000 service members balked at taking the shots, citing safety fears linked to the vaccine’s speedy development and spurred by misinformation about messenger ribonucleic acid technology, as well as concern over fetal cell lines used in formulation and testing. The more the controversy raged in the news, the more troops asked to skip the shots, Military Times reporting found.

The COVID vaccine mandate removed three times as many servicemembers (8,339, see above) compared to the 2,402 soldiers tragically killed in Afghanistan. The involuntarily terminated soldiers were, of course, the best, the brightest, the healthiest, and most conscientious, who cared the most about their health.

Thousands were given career-destroying reprimands:

Lt. Col. Terry Kelley, a spokesman for the Army, said that 2,767 soldiers have received “general officer written reprimands” — killing their opportunities for promotions or transfers within the military — and that two battalion commanders as well as four other officers have been relieved of their duties but remain enlisted in the military.

The leadership, sadly, stayed silent. (pictured here is Lloyd Austin)

As a result, the military is missing its recruitment goals by 25%:

Continue reading “”

The Laws of War
Critics of Israel’s actions in Gaza should keep in mind the principles of international humanitarian law–and hold Hamas to those same standards.

Each day brings new accounts of tragedy from Israel and Gaza. Reasonable people agree that the atrocities Hamas committed on October 7—deliberate, videotaped killings of innocent civilians; maiming in the most gruesome fashion of Israeli women and children; and taking Israelis as hostages into its warren of tunnels—stand as deeply disturbing violations of human rights and the laws of armed conflict. As President Joe Biden made clear, Israel possesses a right of self-defense that legally justifies the use of force against Hamas to prevent further atrocities and missile launches against its civilians. Those who argue Israel does not have a right of self defense make two claims: First, they argue that Israel’s “inherent right” is nullified because it is the “occupying power” of the Gaza Strip; and, second, they argue that the right of self-defense in Article 51 of the UN Charter applies only to force against other states, not non-state actors like Hamas.

Both arguments are unavailing. It is highly doubtful that Israel qualifies as an “occupying” power of the Gaza Strip because once it withdrew all military forces from Gaza in 2005, it has exercised no authority over the territory, which is a requirement under international law before assuming the responsibility of an occupying power. UN groups like the Human Rights Council counter that the status of “occupier” still applies because Israel has imposed stringent limits on travel to and trade with Gaza. And yet Egypt has (mostly) sealed off Gaza’s other border without being termed an occupying power.

In any event, even if Israel were an occupying power, that status would not justify Hamas’ intentional attacks on civilian targets in Israel or prevent Israel from using force to protect itself. For example, it was not considered illegal for the United States, as the occupying power of Iraq in the immediate aftermath of the 2003 Iraq War, to use force against Iraqis who were attacking U.S. forces within Iraq.

The second argument against Israel’s right of self-defense—that it cannot invoke this right against non-state actors like Hamas—is equally untenable. Article 51 of the UN Charter states that nothing shall “impair the inherent right” of self-defense possessed by all member states. In recent years, many governments, including the United States, have adopted the view that this right of self-defense applies against non-state actors like al-Qaeda and ISIS in situations where the government of the state in which the non-state actors are operating is “unwilling or unable” to prevent attacks by the non-state actor. The case of the Gaza conflict is much stronger for Israel than the “unwilling or unable” rationale; Israel is protecting against Hamas’ direct, indiscriminate killing, beheading, torture and hostage-taking of Israeli civilians. 

Of course, Israel must exercise its right of self-defense in conformity with international humanitarian law (IHL), also known as the laws of war or armed conflict. This body of customary international law, which was codified in the 1949 Geneva Conventions and their subsequent protocols, limits the use of force to the following situations: military necessity; where a distinction is made between combatants and non-combatants; and where the use of force is proportionate to the concrete military objective sought to be achieved.

Continue reading “”

Five US Service Members Dead After Military Aircraft Crash Over Mediterranean Sea

Although the United States has not formally entered the Israel-Hamas war, America nevertheless suffered our first casualties related to the conflict Saturday when five servicemembers perished in an aircraft crash over the eastern Mediterranean Sea during a routine training mission.

All five are presumed dead:

U.S. European Command (EUCOM) said the aircraft “suffered a mishap” and crashed into the sea during a routine air refueling mission. Search and rescue efforts began immediately, including nearby U.S. military aircraft and ships. All five service members on board the aircraft were determined to have died.

An investigation into the crash is underway, though military officials have said that there are no indications of any hostile activity involved.

The president weighed in:

“Our nation shares their grief,” Biden said of the family members of the fallen. “Our service members put their lives on the line for our country every day. They willingly take risks to keep the American people safe and secure. And their daily bravery and selflessness is an enduring testament to what is best in our nation.”

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said officials were still investigating the cause of the crash:

“While we continue to gather more information about this deadly crash, it is another stark reminder that the brave men and women who defend our great nation put their lives on the line each and every day to keep our country safe,” the statement said. “They represent the best of America. We will remember their service and their sacrifice.”

Although it’s unclear which military service the aircraft belonged to, the U.S. recently sent two aircraft carriers, the USS Gerald R. Ford and the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, to the region as the war in the Middle East intensifies.

The identities of the five have not yet been released:

European Command said that out of respect for the families of the service members and in line with Department of Defense policy, the identities of the crew members are being withheld for 24 hours until the families of those killed have been notified.

EUCOM is responsible for U.S. military operations across Europe, portions of Asia and the Middle East, the Arctic, and the Atlantic Ocean:

The United States European Command is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the United States military, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. Its area of focus covers 21,000,000 square miles and 51 countries and territories, including Europe, The Caucasus, Russia and Greenland.

Happy Veterans Day.

38 U.S. Code § 101

(2)The term “veteran” means a person who served in the active military, naval, air, or space service, and who was discharged or released therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable.

US military strikes Iranian weapons facility in Syria following attacks against troops

The U.S. military conducted an airstrike against what it described as a weapons storage facility used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in eastern Syria.

Two U.S. F-15 aircraft carried out the “precision self-defense strike” on Wednesday, as Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin described it in a statement, though he did not comment on whether the strike was successful or if there were any casualties. This is the second time the United States has conducted this type of strike in recent weeks.

U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria that are there to counter ISIS have been attacked via one-way attack drones or rockets about 40 times by Iranian proxies in the region since Oct. 7, the day of the terrorist attacks in Israel that erupted Middle Eastern tension.

Forty-five U.S. troops reported injuries in attacks at al Asad Air Base in Iraq and at al Tanf garrison in Syria on Oct. 17 and 18, Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said on Monday. One other person was injured in an attack at Erbil Air Base in Iraq. 25 of those troops reported traumatic brain injuries, while 21 reported nonserious nonhead injuries.

Two troops returned to duty only to be taken later to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, the largest American military hospital outside the United States, for additional care. Both are in stable condition.

The U.S. military conducted airstrikes against an IRGC weapons storage facility and an ammunition storage area in Syria on Oct. 26.

“Let’s be clear: Iran is responsible,” a senior military official told reporters at the time. “I want to emphasize that the United States does not seek conflict, nor do we desire further hostilities; however, the Iran-backed attacks against U.S. forces are unacceptable and must cease. We are prepared to take further measures to protect our people if necessary.”

The U.S. has surged personnel and equipment to the Middle East following the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks in Israel and the subsequent war between Israel and Hamas. U.S. defense officials have said the intent is to deter Israel’s adversaries in the region, mainly Iran, from getting directly involved in and expanding the conflict.

I think it more means the recruiting numbers suck and someone high enough at the Pentagon decided for better theatrics.

The Army’s New Recruitment Video Means Only One Thing

The U.S. Army on Monday released a recruitment ad that critics argue is a sure sign the military is gearing up for war.

There are no signs of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the 30-second spot, which features white males jumping out of a plane.

“Your greatest victories are never achieved alone,” text in the ad reads. “Be all you can be.”

It comes two years after the Army pushed an animated video series, “The Calling,” that checked all the woke boxes.

 

Is Joe Biden Planning To Bring Back The Draft?

Let’s hope that Joe Biden has some sense and that all of this talk about bringing back the draft turns out to be nothing at all.  Because bringing back the draft would tear our nation apart.  Most young Americans definitely do not want to go to war, and I believe that resistance to a draft would far exceed anything that we witnessed during the 1960s and 1970s.  But our politicians have been talking about implementing a draft anyway, because we could soon find ourselves fighting multiple wars simultaneously.

A few days ago, I was stunned when I learned that hundreds of noncommissioned officers have suddenly been “ordered via email to report to the recruiting school at Fort Knox, Kentucky”…

Without warning, hundreds of noncommissioned officers were ordered via email to report to the recruiting school at Fort Knox, Kentucky, in less than a week, with hundreds more set to start at the school in December — a sudden unexpected move by the Army as the service scrambles to boost its recruiting force by 800 by the end of the year.

Could this have anything to do with the fact that a major war has erupted in the Middle East?

Those being ordered to report to Fort Knox were given such short notice that they had “zero time to plan child care”…

“Given the six-day heads up, we have zero time to plan child care,” one noncommissioned officer told Military.com on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media. “We can barely find and afford child care during the week as it is, so now my wife may end up having to quit her job entirely because it is impossible to find on the weekend.”

We are being told that this is simply an effort to maintain an appropriate number of recruiters.

But why is there such urgency? Something is not adding up.

Meanwhile, in recent months the idea of bringing back the draft has been floated again and again in the mainstream media.

The most recent trial balloon was authored by Myra Adams…

Is the U.S. on the cusp of a three-front world war against Russia, Iran, and China? If such a seismic event were to occur, would our nation’s 50-year-old all-volunteer force require a boost from — dare I even say it? — a reinstatement of the draft?

These articles are being put out there to see how the public will react.

Continue reading “”

Al Jazeera may be a moslem propaganda organ, but I remember what Mazer Rackham said:
No one but the enemy will tell you what the enemy is going to do.
Necessity being the mother of invention, the Ukrainians have developed the art of small drone warfare to a razor’s edge, using their experience as the best teacher, you can be sure that the jihadis will use the tech against our troops if we go kinetic again in the middle east

Squad of female IDF combat troops eliminated nearly 100 Hamas terrorists.

Only a few have had the chance to witness the extraordinary actions of the Caracal Battalion during their battle against Hamas terrorists.

Lt.-Col. Or Ben-Yehuda, the commander of this unit, now recounts her experiences in the southern Gaza Strip, where her battalion eliminated approximately 100 terrorists. She also has a clear message for those who question the capabilities of female fighters in the Caracal (Desert Lynx) and Tank Battalion.

As the assault on the Gaza border area began, Ben-Yehuda swiftly moved from the battalion headquarters in Nahal Raviv to a post on the Egyptian border with armored personnel carriers. Rockets were raining down, and warnings arrived regarding potential terrorist infiltration in the Shlomit and Bnei Netzer towns.

In the midst of this chaos, she received a message from Lt.-Col. Yonatan Tzur, the commander of the Nahal Brigade’s patrol battalion, who was later tragically killed in an encounter with terrorists. He reported an infiltration near Sufa and Nirim, saying, “There are several terrorists there… They’re heavily armed!”

Ben-Yehuda summoned troops from the mixed-gender, infantry combat Caracal Battalion and made her intentions clear: “We are going out to eliminate terrorists. Infiltration into Israel is happening, and it’s spreading. Stay alert. We might cross paths. We are a strong squad.”

During the fast-paced journey, Ben-Yehuda began to understand the scale of the terrorist incidents in the region. Arriving at Sufa, she received a report from a sergeant from the guards at the entrance to the military base, indicating that terrorists were inside with at least three wounded.

Information revealed that the military post contained around 40 combat soldiers from the Nahal patrol, a mix of Nahal, mortar soldiers from the 50th battalion, other soldiers, military drivers operating in high-risk areas, and numerous terrorists. It was apparent that most of the combatants were in the dining room, armed with anti-tank missiles. It became clear that this was not a typical terrorist infiltration.

Approaching the base from all angles, they identified at least seven terrorists, and more from the nearby dirt embankment were starting to climb up. Suddenly, a convoy with almost 50 terrorists and snipers charged toward the squad of 12 at breakneck speed. They responded with gunfire. Terrorists were eliminated, and the others dispersed.

In a harrowing moment, a terrorist advanced on Ben-Yehuda at point-blank range, but her quick reaction saved her from harm.

Lt.-Col. A from the Magic Touch Squadron (190) arrived and identified the terrorists inside the base. He suggested taking action but Ben-Yehuda insisted on avoiding harm to the soldiers inside. Instead, bursts of fire were directed at the surrounding earthen embankments, killing terrorists and preventing further attacks on the squad.

For nearly four hours, terrorists attempted to outflank Ben-Yehuda and her team, engaging them in firefights. More vans arrived, but the Caracal Battalion commander effectively thwarted them. Additional Light Anti-Armor Weapon (LAW) missiles were launched, further eliminating terrorists: Some were killed, and others retreated.

Despite wounds to some of her soldiers, they persevered.

After hours of intense combat, soldiers from the Shayetet (flotilla) 13 Navy Special Forces unit arrived to clear the base of terrorists. Drones were launched to assist them. The firefights continued, and wounded soldiers were evacuated. They remained at the base for a total of 14 hours until it was fully secured.

Ben-Yehuda emphasized the significant contributions of the female soldiers under her command, who saved many lives through medical care and even daring helicopter landings under fire. Their remarkable performance under the extreme pressure of war highlighted their capabilities.

She also acknowledged the tank soldiers under her command, who played a vital role in defending towns and decisively impacting the battle in Holit, a kibbutz near the southwestern-most border of the Gaza Strip where at least 11 of its members were killed along with two migrant workers.

In total, her battalion eliminated around 100 terrorists. She hopes this serves as proof that there should be no more doubts about female combat soldiers. “Their training and performance on the battlefield have erased any doubts. They fought bravely, saved lives, and emerged as heroes,” she said.

Ben-Yehuda also highlighted the dedication of the commanders who rushed from home to join the fight.

She concluded: “There are no more doubts about female combat soldiers, who have triumphed in every encounter with terrorists. At present, we are responsible for 11 towns and are preparing for any potential ground maneuvers to ensure the safety of the southern Gaza border area and the Egyptian border.”

Obammy started a program where, if the VA decided vets had to have their financial matters handled by a ‘representative payee’ or conservator, the vet’s name was sent to the FBI to be put in NICS as a prohibited person for gun possession. There was no requirement for even a court decision or adjudication, just if the VA made a decision, on their own. Trump canned the program, but SloJoe reinstituted it.

Kennedy Says Deal Reached to Protect Veterans’ Gun Rights

There’s a joke about the VA: It gives veterans a second chance to die for their country.

We’re not big fans of how the VA does a lot of things. One of the things we’ve seen, though, is particularly alarming. That’s the idea of the VA having the authority to take action against their patients with regard to their gun rights.

Sure, I get the desire to do something for someone who is suicidal or whatnot, but this wasn’t limited to just that. It included people who simply needed some help with their finances or who were physically disabled.

Now, though, a deal has reportedly been reached that will put an end to that threat.

Sens. John Kennedy and Chuck Schumer have worked out a deal on a bill to protect veterans’ gun rights, according to the Hill.

At issue was an amendment proposed by Kennedy, R-La., that would allow military veterans, who have to enter a conservatorship, the ability to keep their firearms.

“I just left Chuck’s office. I think we got it worked out,” Kennedy told The Hill. “We’re going to hotline some new language. Frankly, I think it makes my amendment stronger. Now, not everyone’s going to be happy.”

Kennedy’s amendment was proposed as part of the Senate’s “minibus” appropriations bill that would fund the departments of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Veterans Affairs and Agriculture.

“The original position was they wanted me to pull my amendment down and I said ‘no,’” he said.

If this does go through, it promises to protect the gun rights of veterans throughout the nation.

The thing about a conservatorship is that it’s not always because someone is mentally incompetent. If they are, then they can be adjudicated as such and their gun rights can be revoked that way, but it’s not the VA’s place to determine if a veteran is incompetent or not.

Many people enter conservatorship because of various reasons, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re unable to responsibly exercise their gun rights.

Either way, veterans aren’t going to be interested in utilizing VA services if their gun rights are going to be in danger. It’s one of the issues with red flag laws with regard to therapists. If people think their rights are at risk, they simply won’t get the help they need.

Kennedy’s bill seeks to fix that, to keep the VA from screwing over veterans like that.

What we need to be careful about now is that the deal actually goes through. I know what Sen. Kennedy said, but this is Schumer we’re talking about here. He’s not exactly gun-friendly, now is he? Could there have been a miscommunication there? Maybe. Or maybe Schumer just wants to get this bill through and if it has to swallow something that protects gun rights for veterans, then so be it.

Either way, we need to wait and see how this actually plays out, but I’m hopeful that this will become law. Our veterans deserve it and so much more.

Benjamin Buzek MBA ‘22 Earns the 2023 Sergeant Major Larry L. Strickland Educational Leadership Award from AUSA

Sergeant Major Benjamin Buzek MBA ‘22, a dedicated special operations non-commissioned officer, has been honored with the prestigious 2023 Sergeant Major Larry L. Strickland Educational Leadership Award for his remarkable contributions in creating educational avenues for non-commissioned officers (NCOs) within the U.S. Army. Sergeant Major of the Army Michael R. Weimer presented this distinguished award to Buzek during the award ceremony held at the Association of the U.S. Army Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C. on October 9.

When SGM Buzek earned his bachelor’s degree, he did so while balancing the demands of active service and parenthood. As he explored options to further his education and pursue an MBA, he wanted to do so without compromising his role as an active-duty soldier. Recognizing the need to expand educational horizons for enlisted personnel, he took it upon himself to pave a groundbreaking path in collaboration with William & Mary’s Raymond A. Mason School of Business.

For years, the Major General James Wright MBA cohort at the Mason School of Business had been offered to active-duty officers through a partnership with the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC). However, a similar educational opportunity for active-duty NCOs was notably absent. Buzek worked through his chain of command to secure the necessary permissions, allowing him to enroll in the MBA program at the Mason School of Business, thereby setting a precedent for future NCOs.

SGM Buzek firmly believes that the ever-evolving nature of warfare demands a higher level of education for service members of all ranks, enabling them to make informed and strategic decisions in the heat of combat. He underscores the importance of having educated NCOs working alongside officers, as the modern battlefield operates at a rapid pace. “In today’s battlefield, the command team of officers and NCOs have to move at the speed of light because the enemy is moving that quickly,” emphasized Buzek. “So, I think it’s incredibly important that our force is educated, and our NCOs get the time to go to school.”

Since his graduation from William & Mary in August 2022, two other NCOs have successfully earned their MBA through Buzek’s innovative initiative. While the program presently has limited eligibility, SGM Buzek remains unwavering in his commitment to expand it further, ensuring this invaluable educational opportunity becomes accessible to more soldiers.

BLUF
In order to support Ukraine, the U.S. has expended its missile and artillery round stockpiles. The most optimistic estimates claim it will take six to eight months to replenish them.
In order to support Israel, the U.S. has moved naval assets to the Indian Ocean and eastern Mediterranean.
Does this expose the western Pacific to Chinese attack? In a U.S.-China war in the western Pacific, sea power will play the preeminent role. And right now, the U.S. Navy is short of warships.
If a TV admiral says otherwise, he’s lying.

On Point: Beijing, Pay Attention: Don’t Let Ukraine-Gaza Lead to WWIII Taiwan

FACT ONE: A major land war rages in Europe. Twenty months ago, Russia invaded Ukraine without provocation and the horror grinds on with mass casualties and World-War-I-like attrition.

FACT TWO: War in the Middle East. An Iranian proxy army, Hamas, launches a complex and well-planned attack on Israel. Mass atrocity by Islamist terrorists shocks the civilized world — at least what’s left of civilization.

OK, the Gaza Strip is a confined space.

FACT THREE: Iranian proxies have fired into northern Israel — from Syria and Lebanon. Israel could hit the proxies, then retaliate against Iran. Thus the Hamas War can quickly escalate to a regional conflict involving the Persian Gulf’s energy-exporting states. The global economic effects are dire.

Is war in Asia the next explosion igniting World War III?

To be accurate, several wars afflict Asia — and several of these wars involve powerful communist China.

China wages a frozen war with India in the Himalayas — the Sino-Indian War of 1962 is not over. Since the 1990s China has waged a slow but calculated war of territorial aggression in the South China Sea. In July 2016, The Hague’s international arbitral tribunal, relying on the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea treaty (UNCLOS), issued a ruling supporting the Philippines’ claims that China had violated Filipino territory in the South China Sea by seizing islets and “sea features.”

Despite having signed the U.N. treaty (and accepted the arbitration process), China’s communists disdained the court’s authority and ignored the verdict.

By ignoring the verdict, the Chinese Communist Party declared war on international order. Yes, that’s a world war of a subtle but dangerous sort.

Continue reading “”

Just what we need right now

Army Strongly Considering 10-20% Cut To Special Ops Forces.

The Army has a serious recruiting problem. One of their solutions? Hey! Let’s cut our Special Ops Forces by 10-20%! Yes folks, that’s really what they are considering.

The Army is cutting about 3,000 troops, or about 10% from its special-operations ranks, which could include so-called trigger-pullers from the Green Beret commando units who have conducted some of the nation’s most dangerous and sensitive missions around the world, from the jungles of Vietnam to the back alleys of Baghdad.

The reductions would enable the Army to rebalance toward the large conventional ground forces needed in a potential fight in Asia. The trims in the ranks of special forces would also help the Army cope with a recruiting shortfall in a strong labor market. But opponents of the cuts, notably senior special-operations officers, have argued they could hinder training of U.S. partners, including the Ukrainian and Taiwanese militaries, and limit the elite units’ ability to respond to crises.

This is an asinine idea that will blow a significant crater in our current war fighting capabilities. Yet doing this, according to the brilliantly idiotic minds at the Pentagon will “rebalance” our forces and magically ramp up recruitment? Are You Kidding Me? 

Continue reading “”