Author Archive

The Air Force doesn’t have specific details on numbers and locations of pilots who have refused to fly the F-22, said Maj. Brandon Lingle, an Air Force spokesman. “We are generally aware of a small number of pilots who have expressed reservations about flying the F-22, and each of those cases will be handled individually through established processes,” he said.

There are Air Force rules that say a fear of flying, “whether expressed in general terms or limited to a particular aircraft, is a professional dereliction that carries significant consequences,” Lingle said.

Ouch.

It’s important to note the anniversary of the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, and it’s important to give credit where credit is due. But this whole narrative about how President Obama somehow stood out from the pack by ordering the raid and that others, particularly Mitt Romney, would not have done the same mystifies Murdoc.

Osama bin Laden was a bad guy. One of the baddest of the bad. Nearly everyone everywhere agreed. He was held up as the poster boy of what the forces of freedom were fighting against. Regardless of their political persuasion or position on the War on Terror or opinion about regime change in Iraq, all US politicians supported the effort to defeat and capture or kill bin Laden.

When the Taliban was overthrown, opponents of President Bush criticized him for letting Osama bin Laden escape. When the campaign in Iraq was being launched and fought and wound down, opponents of President Bush criticized him for diverting resources from the “real war,” the one in Afghanistan against Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda. When the attempt to build a nation in Afghanistan began to degenerate into the quagmire that it was almost certainly destined to become, the fact that Osama bin Laden was still at large was held up as a symbol of the futility of the war against terror. When terror attacks continued, it was always noted that, while Al Qaeda had been scattered and weakened, they were still a troubling organization and that their spiritual leader was still out there somewhere, lurking in the shadows.

For ten years after 9/11, countless hours had been spent by countless people in countless organizations trying to track down Osama bin Laden and bring him to justice. The combined efforts of international military, intelligence, and law enforcement agencies had continuously struck out against the number one target in the world.

And when a solid lead was finally found, it was some sort of “gutsy call” for President Obama to order the raid.

As if anyone else would have made a different call.

Not looking quite right.

Army Announces Plans to Reactivate 7th Infantry Division

JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash., April 26, 2012 – The secretary of the Army announced plans today to reactivate the 7th Infantry Division and stand up its headquarters here.

The two-star headquarters, which will oversee the training and readiness of five of the installation’s 10 brigades, will fill an administrative layer between those units and I Corps. The division headquarters will not be deployable, John McHugh said during a press conference on the installation…

The soon-to-be reactivated division will encompass 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division; 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division; 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division; 17th Fires Brigade and 16th Combat Aviation Brigade, for a total of some 17,000 Soldiers. But as a nondeployable headquarters, the new division headquarters and its estimated 250 personnel will primarily focus on making sure soldiers are properly trained and equipped, and that order and discipline is maintained in its subordinate brigades.

The brigade combat teams are Stryker brigades based at Lewis with their HQ on the other side of the Pacific. This leaves the 2nd ID with its 1st Brigade and a combat aviation brigade and fires brigade in Korea. I’m not sure if there will be other brigades added to 2nd Division or not.

Another bad day for Bradley Manning

A motion to dismiss the charge of aiding the enemy was denied along with two other motions. There are a total of 22 charges against Manning. The court martial begins this fall.

Though this story has long since vanished from the public’s radar, it’s an important one to keep tabs on.

A few weeks ago in Linkzookery I pointed out a Japanese fishing boat that had drifted toward Alaska since the tsunami. A commenter later pointed out that the Coast Guard had sunk the thing.

Here’s a pic:

Crew members assigned to the USCGC Anacapa fire explosive ammunition at the Japanese fishing vessel Ryou-Un Maru April 5, 2012, 180-miles west of the Southeast Alaskan coast. The Coast Guard worked with federal, state and local agencies in Alaska to assess the immediate dangers the vessel presented and determined that sinking it would be the best course of action to minimize any environmental threats. The crewless vessel had drifted toward Alaska after the 2011 tsunami in Japan. (DoD photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Charly Hengen, U.S. Coast Guard/Released)

Anacapa (WPB-1335) is an Island-class patrol boat and is armed with a Mk 38 25mm gun.

Always fun to see the Coasties getting in on some action.

US Navy deploys 2nd aircraft carrier to Gulf

The U.S. Navy said Monday it has deployed a second aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf region amid rising tensions with Iran over its nuclear program.

The deployment of the nuclear-powered USS Enterprise along the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group marks only the fourth time in the past decade that the Navy has had two aircraft carriers operating at the same time in the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea, said Cmdr. Amy Derrick-Frost of the Bahrain-based 5th Fleet.

Murdoc’s not sure if this is just an overlap while the Enterprise replaces the Lincoln, or if they will really both remain deployed there.

Six Theories on the Loss of the Titanic
Besides the “iceberg theory.”

How the RAF drew up plans to attack Argentina over the Falklands in 1982
Vulcan crews trained to attack mainland Argentina to flatten its airfields in retaliation for any attempt to retake the Falklands.

CG monitors Japanese ship adrift near Alaska
Derelict fishing vessel Ryou-Un Maru has been adrift since the tsunami.

Kelly McParland: Canada has oil, the U.S. needs oil. You’d think it would be easy from there.
You’d think, but you’d have to be serious about really working the energy issue. It’s more about posturing, you know.

Air Force May Reopen Light Attack Contest
The contract battle is never over.

Fleet of Stryker vehicles marks new chapter at Fort Hood
3rd Cav gets wheels.

The Air Force’s newest B-52 turns 50
Wow.

SLUF Lovin’!
A-7 pics and stories from Instapinch.

The Insidious Nature of Student Loan Debt
In many (most?) cases, Murdoc thinks college these days is a scam as much as anything.

Canada Gets Rid Of Pennies
With video. Murdoc thinks ditching pennies and nickels would be a good move.

GAO calls tanker testing pace too aggressive
It’s like there’s any hurry. New tankers are ten years overdue. What’s another ten years?

USAF promotes 767-2C as civil freighter
FedEx 767-300F freighters will help mature the KC-46 production line.

Health department raids community picnic and destroys all food with bleach
Why on earth would people think they get to choose what they eat? Haven’t they been paying attention?

PETA kills more than 95 percent of pets in its care
$37 million annual budget but could only find homes for 24 cats and dogs. Killed 1,911.

Wyoming First, Pennsylvania Worst In Business Taxes
Shocking: IBD found that states imposing the lowest tax rates on both new and existing businesses produced more jobs during the economic recovery than those states with the highest tax burdens.

FAA Reconsiders Ban on Gadgets During Takeoff, Landing
Honest question: Is there ANY evidence that electronic gadgets might cause interference?

Olbermann Canned, Again
It’s almost like he’s an idiot, or something.