Archive for May, 2011

MV-22B Ospreys Land During Bright Star

MV-22B Ospreys assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 (Reinforced) from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, land at a bivouac site during Exercise Bright Star 2009 in Egypt. Bright Star is a biennial, multinational exercise designed to improve readiness, interoperability, and strengthen the military and professional relationships among U.S., Egyptian and participating forces. Bright Star is conducted by U.S. Central Command.Photo by Cpl. Theodore Ritchie

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Visegrad: A New European Military Force

Visegrad: A New European Military Force is republished with permission of STRATFOR.

By George Friedman

With the Palestinians demonstrating and the International Monetary Fund in turmoil, it would seem odd to focus this week on something called the Visegrad Group. But this is not a frivolous choice. What the Visegrad Group decided to do last week will, I think, resonate for years, long after the alleged attempted rape by Dominique Strauss-Kahn is forgotten and long before the Israeli-Palestinian issue is resolved. The obscurity of the decision to most people outside the region should not be allowed to obscure its importance.

The region is Europe — more precisely, the states that had been dominated by the Soviet Union. The Visegrad Group, or V4, consists of four countries — Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary — and is named after two 14th century meetings held in Visegrad Castle in present-day Hungary of leaders of the medieval kingdoms of Poland, Hungary and Bohemia. The group was reconstituted in 1991 in post-Cold War Europe as the Visegrad Three (at that time, Slovakia and the Czech Republic were one). The goal was to create a regional framework after the fall of Communism. This week the group took an interesting new turn.

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Tips From a Marine Wife

Family members say goodbye as the guided-missile destroyer USS Russell (DDG 59) departs to join the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 9. The strike group is deploying to support the Global War on Terrorism as part of a regular deployment rotation. Photo by David Rush

“I keep resilient by staying focused on the bigger picture and what it means for us all. I surround myself with people who support that same cause, and it is not about political party lines. The bottom line is, they are fighting and we are left behind–what can we do about it now? Move forward, don’t look back.

The advice comes from one who knows whereof she speaks. Aime Fountain, 32, is the wife of Marine Corps 1st Sgt. Kevin Fountain, who recently deployed to Afghanistan on his third combat tour. It’s his fifth deployment in total, and Aime has been through them all.

During the first three, the couple did not have children. Now they have two, a boy, 4, and a 2-year-old daughter, and a third child is due before Kevin returns home.

The deployments never get easier, Aime says, but her job as a nurse and a solid network of friends “have helped me keep my sanity.”

Read the rest of this entry »

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Cpl. Miriam M. Alvarez, motor transport mechanic, helps get damaged vehicles back on the road

Cpl. Miriam M. Alvarez, a motor transport mechanic with Maintenance Company, Combat Logistics Regiment 15 (Forward), 1st Marine Logistics Group (Forward), works on the step of a Mine-Resistant, Ambush Protected, Vehicle at Camp Leatherneck, Oct. 9. The Marines of Maintenance Company work long hours in order to get damaged vehicles back on the road in the shortest amount of time possible.

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Drug gangs in remote Guatemala kill 27, beheading 25

By Tim Johnson

MEXICO CITY — “In the worst drug-related violence in modern times in Guatemala, assailants stormed a remote jungle ranch and killed 27 people, beheading 25 of them, an army spokesman said Sunday.

A national civil police spokesman in nearby Santa Elena, Moises Ical, said the killings were related to drug trafficking, and possibly carried out by Los Zetas, a brutal drug gang comprising former enforcers for Mexico’s Gulf Cartel. Los Zetas are known to operate freely in much of the Peten region, often in large convoys equipped with heavy weaponry.”

http://www.sacbee.com/2011/05/15/3628857/drug-gangs-in-remote-guatemala.html#ixzz1MTuYNMsU

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Pfc. James Walkingstick patrols mountains near Sar Howza, Paktika province, Afghanistan

U.S. Army Pfc. James Walkingstick, from Talequah, Ok., patrols in the mountains near Sar Howza, Paktika province, Afghanistan, Sept. 2. Walkingstick is deployed with Bulldog Troop, 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment. Photo by Staff Sgt. Andrew Smith

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Confidential U.N. report: North Korea, Iran violate U.N. sanctions, trade missile technology

NEW YORK (Reuters) – “North Korea and Iran appear to have been regularly exchanging ballistic missile technology in violation of U.N. sanctions, according to a confidential U.N. report obtained by Reuters on Saturday.

The report said the illicit technology transfers had “trans-shipment through a neighboring third country.” That country was China, several diplomats told Reuters on condition of anonymity.”

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110514/wl_nm/us_korea_north_iran_un

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Disney tries to Trademark ‘Seal Team 6’

“The Walt Disney Company is attempting to trademark the name “Seal Team 6, the counter-terrorism unit responsible for killing Osama Bin Laden.

Filed May 3 (days after news of bin Laden’s death broke), Disney’s application covers clothing, footwear, headwear, toys, games and “entertainment and education services,” among other things, according to MediaBistro.”

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/disney-seeks-trademark-seal-team-188394

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Georgia Governor Signs Immigration Bill Into Law

“Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal has signed a bill that cracks down on illegal immigration by increasing some enforcement powers and requiring many employers to check the immigration status of new hires.

A requirement for private employers to use a federal database to check the immigration status of new hires is set to be phased in.

The new law also authorizes law enforcement officers to check the immigration status of certain suspects and to detain those who are in the country illegally.”

http://www.npr.org/2011/05/13/136280045/georgia-governor-signs-immigration-bill-into-law

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Al-Qaeda’s “Chip-Away” strategy: smaller scale attacks

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Knoxx Recoil Stock Assessment (Part 2)

The Knoxx Recoil Stock Assessment has received mixed reviews (Nutnfancy hated it, others say they love it) here is another review of the stock, the review seems objective and helpful.

One option for addressing recoil that has gotten consistently positive reviews is the Remington Supercell recoil pad, which easily installs on the standard 870 stock. Check it out here:

http://www.remington.com/product-families/accessories/gun-parts-families/supercell-recoil-pad.aspx

 

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Killspencer Special Ops Backpack

Wired.com has a quick review of this rugged, made to order backpack from Killspencer.

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PMT (police mentoring team) Patrols Through Now Zad

Marines with the police mentoring team, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 2, walk on patrol, May 24. The Marines patrol the local area daily to ensure the safety of the village and nearby combat outpost. Official U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Ned Johnson

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Sun Tzu, the first rule of war: “Know your enemy”.

“I have sat face to face with Islamic terrorists, like I’m sitting with you now, who have told me, ‘What we are doing is mandated in the Koran’.”

– Investigative journalist Erick Stackelbeck

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said:

“The mosques are our barracks, the domes our helmets, the minarets our bayonets and the faithful our soldiers…”

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Sheriff on illegal immigrants: “It doesn’t do any good to arrest people if all you’re going to do is kick them back.”

“Referring to “roadblocks” Eric Holder has been erecting against Arizona’s attempts to deal with the immigration problem, [Arizona Sheriff Larry Dever] says: “He’s the guy who sued us, sued the state of Arizona, holding hands with the ACLU. It doesn’t do any good to arrest people if all you’re going to do is kick them back. If they’re not going to be prosecuted and held accountable, where’s the teeth in the enforcement effort?”

When Arizona passed its tough anti-illegal immigration legislation last year, the ACLU “sued every Arizona sheriff and every Arizona county attorney independently to enjoin us from enforcing the law should it pass constitutional muster,” Dever adds.

“Then the Department of Justice sued the state of Arizona. Here’s what’s absolutely bizarre and hypocritical: The Department of Homeland Security since Sept. 11, 2001, has been on an outreach effort to empower and partner with state and local law enforcement to help defend and protect our homeland.

“When it comes to gun-running, money-laundering, kidnapping, murder, all those border-related crimes that we have, they wrap their arms around us and say let’s go get these guys. When it comes to illegal immigration, they sue us. They say back off, that is our sole responsibility. And I say balderdash.”

Dever encourages Americans to “keep pressure on your congressional representatives” to deal effectively with illegal immigration. “It’s beginning to work. It’s beginning to take hold.”

http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/LarryDever-BorderPatrol-Immigration-Arizona/2011/05/06/id/395500?s=al&promo_code=C3A5-1

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