About Us
Mission Statement
Rules of Conduct
 
Name:
Pswd:
Remember Me
Register
 

Ask a Vet
Author: TriSec    Date: 06/29/2021 10:13:17

Good Morning.

Whelp, we're back to poking the bear.


This was a common occurrence during the Cold War. We'd send our ships to provoke the Soviets, and they'd send their bombers to provoke us. Usually nothing ever came of it except some dramatic video on the news.

There's some dispute about whether or not the Russian Navy fired warning shots across the bow of a British destroyer a few days back. But we're not helping matters any by staging a provocative exercise in the Black Sea.


Just days after Russia threatened to fire on “intruding” warships near the Crimean Peninsula in the Black Sea, the annual Sea Breeze exercise, which U.S. 6th Fleet is co-hosting with the Ukrainian Navy, kicked off Monday with the largest number ever of participating countries.

Sea Breeze 21, which continues through July 10 in the Black Sea region, focuses on amphibious warfare, land maneuver warfare, diving operations, maritime interdiction operations, air defense, special operations integration, anti-submarine warfare and search and rescue operations, according to a 6th Fleet news release.

Thirty-two countries from six continents are providing 5,000 troops, 32 ships, 40 aircraft, and 18 special operations and dive teams to the exercise.

“The United States is proud to partner with Ukraine in co-hosting the multinational maritime exercise Sea Breeze, which will help enhance interoperability and capabilities among participating nations,” said Chargé d’Affaires Kristina Kvien, U.S. Embassy in Ukraine. “We are committed to maintaining the safety and security of the Black Sea.”

The exercise gets underway just five days after Russia announced that one of its warships fired warning shots and a warplane dropped bombs in the path of British destroyer Defender to drive it away from waters near the Crimean city of Sevastopol, the main Russian naval base in Crimea. Britain denied that account, insisted there were no warning shots or bombs dropped near its ship and that it was sailing in Ukrainian waters.

The Russian Defense Ministry said June 23 a patrol ship fired warning shots because the HMS Defender ignored a notice against intrusion and sailed 1.6 nautical miles into Russia’s territorial waters. It claimed a Russian Su-24 bomber also dropped four bombs ahead of the vessel to persuade the Defender to change course. Minutes later, the Defender left Russian waters, the ministry said.

Britain insisted the ship was making a routine journey through an internationally recognized travel lane and remained in Ukrainian waters. The U.K., like most of the world, recognizes Crimea as part of Ukraine despite the peninsula’s 2014 annexation by Russia.


One would hope both sides are smart enough not to do anything stupid...but we've been here before. A celebrated headline of the Reagan Era in Boston's conservative rag once read "RED NUKE SUB RAMS US CARRIER". We'll see.

But speaking of carriers - as we near our "Afghanexit" later this year, we might actually see an increased military presence in the region. I'm sure the military has a long memory, and they'd like to avoid a repeat of the chaos seen during the Fall of Saigon. To that end - the USS Ronald Reagan has been dispatched, just in case.


The aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan and its carrier strike group are now operating in the 5th Fleet — a first for the carrier since 2012.

The Navy said that the Reagan carrier strike group will “operate and train alongside regional and coalition partners” and provide airpower to assist U.S. and coalition forces while the U.S. withdraws troops from Afghanistan.

“Ronald Reagan’s flexible presence is a key element in helping assure our regional partners that the United States remains committed to ensuring freedom of the seas,” Capt. Fred Goldhammer, Ronald Reagan’s commanding officer, said in a Navy news release. “The crew aboard Ronald Reagan seeks to preserve ‘peace through strength’ and remains ready to answer the call.”

The Wall Street Journal first reported in May that the Reagan was poised to head to CENTCOM’s area of operations to assist with the Afghanistan withdrawal, and that the aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower would depart the region in July to return to Norfolk, Virginia.

The report said that the carrier is unable to operate safely if it exceeds the July timeframe, given that the carrier was deployed in 2020 and subsequently deployed again in February 2021, according to unnamed defense officials.


And shifting gears, as we often do here at AAV. This coming weekend is Independence Day. Of course we'll celebrate by blowing stuff up. But please remember your pets, and maybe that quiet guy two doors down that served in Afghanistan but doesn't say much about it.


4th of July fireworks are the reason many look forward to the holiday. However, those fireworks are the same reason why Dawn Thomas says the Fourth of July, like New Year’s Eve, is a nightmare.

“I called my two worst times a year," said Thomas. "I actually did a Facebook post earlier Monday talking about how I’m not looking for to, and dreading, both those times of year because I don’t like the noises."

Thomas is a former combat medic who suffers from PTSD, and when hearing booms and bangs all he can think about is times on the battlefield.

“Some of the mortars going off are the same types that are used shoot off fireworks," said Thomas."It’s a great reminder and it causes great unease and stress."

Thankfully, the U.S. Veteran joined the Northwest Battle Buddies and now has a service dog to help him through tough times.

“He’s my battle buddy and he gets me through the noises in the tough times," said Thomas. "We stand firm and stand strong.”

While they support each other through the holiday, Thomas’s battle buddy also has a tough time with the loud celebration. Local experts say there are several ways to help vets and their animals, or other pets, get through these celebrations.

“As long as I think they are aware of what the possible triggers are and having an exit strategy, that could be very powerful," said Texas A&M University Central Texas Associate Professor of Social Work Col (ret) Jeff Yarvis. "For anybody there with they can sensitize them to the fact that that can be a problem for them."

And as for pets, Yarvis said there are ways to help your furry friends as well.

“Give them a quiet dark place they can go to in the house and when they get scared and want to go in there let them go," said Yarvis. "Don’t go in and try and cuddle them because you feed into their anxiety."








 
 

13 comments (Latest Comment: 06/29/2021 21:40:42 by TriSec)
   Perma Link

Share This!

Furl it!
Spurl
NewsVine
Reddit
Technorati