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Ask a Vet
Author: TriSec    Date: 09/18/2018 10:05:17

Good Morning.

It's a quiet day on the veteran's front. We can, however, take a look at the United States Air Force today. Apparently, they're not feeling the love of late, so the powers that be have come up with a 'nightmare scenario' and are calling for an expansion of approximately 25%.




Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson on Monday called for growing the Air Force from its current size of 312 operational squadrons to 386 by 2030, as it prepares for a possible conflict against a major nation such as China or Russia.

This 24 percent increase in squadrons is the centerpiece of the service’s “Air Force We Need” proposal, which has been in the works for six months. This proposal seeks to lay out what it would take for the Air Force to fight a peer adversary and win, as well as defend the homeland, provide a credible nuclear deterrent, counter a medium-sized rogue nation that might try to take advantage of the Air Force’s focus on the major adversary, and fight violent extremists such as the Taliban and the Islamic State.

This follows the National Defense Strategy that the Pentagon unveiled earlier this year, which is structured around the need to shift away from the violent extremist fight and instead focus on deterring or fighting nations with significant, well-developed militaries.

In her keynote address at the Air Force Association’s Air, Space, Cyber Conference, Wilson referenced the massive Russian military exercises launched last week, involving more than 300,000 of their troops, and China’s unveiling of its first aircraft carrier and its ongoing militarization of islands in the South China Sea to extend its long-range bombers' reach.

“We must see the world as it is,” Wilson said. “That was why the National Defense Strategy explicitly recognizes that we have returned to an era of great power competition.”


It seems to me that the USAF has been planning to fight 'multiple adversaries' since about 1947 or so. This has yet to come to pass. I think I might be OK if they used proven technology, but these will be squadrons of F-22s, F-35s, or even worse, some yet to be developed flying money-suck.

At least we still have the resources to work on hurricane relief in the continental United States. Unlike certain territorial islands, Florence had the good sense to go ashore in a place where there are many thousands of active-duty personnel. They too had to dodge the weather, but at least they are in a position to quickly recover and render aid.


More than 13,000 soldiers are on call to provide search and rescue, temporary shelter and supplies to residents of North and South Carolina affected by Hurricane Florence, according to a Sunday release.

Active duty, National Guard and Reserve units activated over the weekend as the storm slammed into the East Coast, bringing days of high winds and rains that left roads and neighborhoods flooded and without power or access to transportation.

“All roads in [North Carolina] are at risk of floods and can be washed away in a matter of minutes,” the release said.

Along with personnel, the Army committed about 300 helicopters and other aircraft for search and rescue efforts, along with about 30 watercraft and a few thousand high-water vehicles.

For those who have evacuated, 4,500 cots and 200 medical beds were available. Along with 18 water purification systems, the Army Corps of Engineers had more than 200 generators ready.


Of course I shudder to think about what the response would be if the storm was somewhere less militarily dense.

Wrapping up this morning - this news is coming in as I write. A Russian military plane disappeared in the Med overnight, and it's just coming out that it's a friendly-fire incident. Our adversaries at the moment, it's easy to point and snicker....but I will remind you they were some mother's sons.


(CNN)Syria inadvertently shot down a Russian military plane after an Israeli attack on Syrian positions, killing 15 people on board, Moscow said.

The Russian military said Tuesday that the Russian maritime patrol aircraft was shot by by Syrian regime anti-aircraft artillery amid the Israeli attack on Monday, state news agency RIA-Novosti reported.

Moscow blamed Israel for putting its aircraft in the line of fire, Russian state news agency RIA-Novosti reported.

"As a result of the irresponsible actions of the Israeli military, 15 Russian servicemen were killed, which is absolutely not in keeping with the spirit of Russian-Israeli partnership," said Russian Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, spokesperson for the Russian military, according to RIA-Novosti.

A US official with knowledge of the incident said Monday that the Syrians were trying to stop a barrage of Israeli missiles when the Russian aircraft was hit. A second official confirmed that Israel was responsible for the missile strikes on Syria.

An official in Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman's office told CNN there had been a conversation between Liberman and his Russian counterpart. The official would make no further comment.

 
 

20 comments (Latest Comment: 09/18/2018 19:08:40 by Raine)
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Comment by Scoopster on 09/18/2018 12:48:00
Mornin' all!

Welp I guess it's our turn for some wet & wild stuff up here in New England. I get my umbrella out just in time for the random downpour to stop.

Comment by wickedpam on 09/18/2018 13:10:13
Morning

Comment by Scoopster on 09/18/2018 13:53:18
New fights in FFXIV today.. I'm nerding out hardcore

Comment by livingonli on 09/18/2018 13:56:23
What Stormy has revealed can't be unseen.

Comment by Scoopster on 09/18/2018 14:04:11





Comment by Raine on 09/18/2018 14:30:01
good morning?!

Comment by Raine on 09/18/2018 14:30:24
Quote by Scoopster:




A lot of people are reporting him for that stunt.

Comment by Raine on 09/18/2018 14:30:54
Quote by Scoopster:
Mornin' all!

Welp I guess it's our turn for some wet & wild stuff up here in New England. I get my umbrella out just in time for the random downpour to stop.

It's been nasty here.

Comment by Raine on 09/18/2018 14:32:57
Quote by livingonli:
What Stormy has revealed can't be unseen.

and, ICK.

Comment by livingonli on 09/18/2018 14:42:19
Quote by Raine:
Quote by livingonli:
What Stormy has revealed can't be unseen.

and, ICK.

Should be a lot of jokes and penis drops tonight on the show.

Comment by Scoopster on 09/18/2018 14:45:44
Quote by livingonli:
Quote by Raine:
Quote by livingonli:
What Stormy has revealed can't be unseen.

and, ICK.

Should be a lot of jokes and penis drops tonight on the show.

I'm guessing someone isn't a 12 inch pianist?

Comment by Scoopster on 09/18/2018 15:12:13
please... no...



Comment by Raine on 09/18/2018 15:32:09
Quote by Scoopster:
please... no...


It could happen, that's the messed up part about all of this.

Comment by Raine on 09/18/2018 16:17:59




Comment by wickedpam on 09/18/2018 16:28:35
Well played Nintendo, well played.

Comment by Scoopster on 09/18/2018 17:35:00
Everyone's phone in the entire building just went blooey with a flash flood warning.

I swear I thought for a moment "oh yay, here comes a weiner to rival RI's finest gaggiz!"

Comment by TriSec on 09/18/2018 18:08:55
Well, all hell just broke loose in Waltham.

Kennedy Middle School is being evacuated due to flooding.

Not the school, mind you - it's on high ground. But the access road is currently under 3 feet of water. There's no way in or out of the school right now, so everybody is being trucked out somehow.



Comment by Raine on 09/18/2018 19:08:07
Quote by TriSec:
Well, all hell just broke loose in Waltham.

Kennedy Middle School is being evacuated due to flooding.

Not the school, mind you - it's on high ground. But the access road is currently under 3 feet of water. There's no way in or out of the school right now, so everybody is being trucked out somehow.

Holy moly!


Comment by Raine on 09/18/2018 19:08:40
Quote by wickedpam:
Well played Nintendo, well played.