The List 5263
To All,
A lot is going on and another list is needed for today 6 April
Regards,
skip
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Thanks to DUTCH and his Naval Academy buds
USNA-At-Large:
Some Isolation Observations
(A little humor for those penned up and pent up)
Half of us are going to come out of this quarantine as amazing cooks.
The other half will come out with a drinking problem.
I need to practice social-distancing from the refrigerator.
Still haven't decided where to go for Easter ----- The Living Room or
The Bedroom
PSA: every few days try your jeans on just to make sure they fit.
Pajamas will have you believe all is well in the kingdom.
Homeschooling is going well. 2 students suspended for fighting and 1
teacher fired for drinking on the job.
This morning I saw a neighbor talking to her cat. It was obvious she
thought her cat understood her. I came into my house, told my dog.....
we laughed a lot.
So, after this quarantine.....will the producers of "My 600 Pound Life"
just find me or do I find them?
Quarantine Day 5: Went to this restaurant called THE KITCHEN. You have
to gather all the ingredients and make your own meal. I have no clue how
this place is still in business.
My body has absorbed so much soap and disinfectant lately that when I
pee it cleans the toilet.
Day 5 of Homeschooling: One of these little monsters called in a bomb
threat.
I'm so excited --- it's time to take out the garbage. What should I wear?
I hope the weather is good tomorrow for my trip to Puerto Backyarda. I'm
getting tired of Los Livingroom.
Classified Ad: Single man with toilet paper seeks woman with hand
sanitizer for good clean fun.
Day 6 of Homeschooling: My child just said "I hope I don't have the same
teacher next year".... I'm offended.
Better 6 feet apart than 6 feet under.
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Thanks to Hank
Skip, thought you might like this about one of our own. I am sure Hot
Dog would be proud to know how wide this beauty has been circulated!
Best
Drifty under Dusty Rhodes
Tank under James Patrick O'Neil
These types are being eliminated from the military by the PC Police and
replaced by soy boys like the Navy Commander who wanted to publicly
share his pain with 20 people on his mailing list. Instead of privately
dealing with the virus crippling his carrier's capabilities, he
broadcast its vulnerability to the Chinese and Russians.
God help us if we ever have to fight a real enemy with people like these
in the future.
As an F-8 driver myself I can relate to this. We recently had to cancel
our 31st reunion that was to be held in Pensacola Fla in May. We are all
in our 70s and 80s and beyond and a great group. We flew a fantastic
airplane for its day that was fun to fly and good in a fight. We were
going to have 105 drivers to the reunion plus wives, girlfriends and
family or friends. The good news is we are already in work for the
follow on In Pensacola for this time next year. If you know an F-8
driver that does not know about the reunions tell him…..Skip
Subject: Fighter pilots back in the day
This is pretty funny and apocryphal (I am sure). Our hottest
carrier-based fighter planes back then (1960's) were F4s and F8s. My
carrier flew F4 Phantoms, fearsome beasts. The guy who wrote this, Dick
Nelson, is about 77 years old, a retired lawyer. He flew F8 Crusaders.
While I was not a pilot, I guarantee that this is representative of the
swagger and good humor of courageous, even crazy, carrier fighter
pilots. I don't know how they did it.
Glossary for civilians:
LTJG; a very junior officer who has been in the Navy maybe two years.
Olongapo (or Olongapo City); a notorious port town in the Philippines,
famous for its 'night life'. Booze and women. (I was never a Pacific
sailor, so I have never been there.)
Blackshoes (black shoes): Navy surface line officers who manage and
command ships (as opposed to pilots, who wear brown shoes with their
khaki uniforms).
CONUS: Continental United States
Sidewinder: a wing mounted missile for air-to-air combat
CO: Commanding Officer
wardroom: the dining room for officers
g-suit: the one piece outfit pilots wear to help then cope with gravity
forces while they fly
O Club: the Officers' Club at a Navy base
Steve Wilson
My psychology exam from back in the day
In a lighter note, given all of these serious subjects of late, it
might be helpful to some of my friends to read what the Navy thought of
me. I had to take a special psych test to fly F-8s, and those results
were finally released through my Freedom of Information Act request:
"Summary of test results for Nelson, Richard J.L., LTJG USN:
1. Inclined to take excessive risks, even where none exist.
2. Appears to be chronically narcissistic, and has high opinion of
himself---for no apparent reason. One instructor's comment: "Thinks he
is God's gift to Naval Aviation."
3. Frequently displays lack of respect and deference to authority figures.
4. Believes that any landing approach he can walk away from is a good one.
5. Has a false and unsupported feeling of superiority, especially after
consumption of alcohol.
6. Apparently has political ambitions, and states that he aspires to be
the Mayor of Olongapo.
7. Not well suited for any other career path, after F-8 squadron
assignment; does not get along well with superiors, Black Shoes,
Submariners, and shows only grudging respect for U.S.
Marines---especially those who are Naval Aviators.
8. Overly aggressive---states he wants to have a full ordnance load,
even while flying in CONUS on training missions. He once zoomed to
50,000 ft. and fired a Sidewinder at the sun, to see if he could hit it.
9. Resists complying with established Naval protocols and
etiquette---once left a calling card in the tray at an admiral's home
that said: 'Hot Dog Nelson----have parachute, will travel.'
10. After receiving a poor Fitness Report, instead of promising to
correct his deficiencies, pointed out to his CO several misspelled words
in the report.
11. Fails to use proper decorum in wardroom or officers' mess. Instead
of politely asking the senior officer at a table if he could be seated
there, he grabbed a spoon and simulated a ship's bell on the Commander's
water glass, saying, "Fighter pilot---arriving!"
12. When invited to join a senior officer's family for breakfast, he
replied, "I've already had a Fighter Pilot's Breakfast---a puke, two
aspirin, and a cigarette. Thanks anyway."
13. When the interviewer inquired what he usually wore to bed, he
replied, "Nothing but my g-suit and flight boots. You never know when
you have to launch."
14. When asked what approach speed should be used in the F-8E, he
replied, "Whatever is necessary."
15. According to his statements, he thinks night refueling is asking the
O Club bartender for another round.
BOARD CONCLUSION: This man is expendable, and doesn't play well with
others, but is well-suited for a fleet F-8 squadron."
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Thanks to Barrett
Skip, thanks for the Bert Morris piece. I knew "Dashing Dave" pretty
well and he introduced me to Patty during an impromptu event hosted by
SUndowner ace Charlie Stimpson at The Inn at RSF.
One thing to add about Morris: he joined VF-15 as a bull LT with a JG's
flight time but he gladly made up the deficit.
OK, one other thing: among his later movies was Task Force (1949)
opposite Gary Cooper and Walter Brennan. Played a TBD pilot who
survived Midway!
Barrett
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Thanks to Jim
Might be interesting for the list.
A bird's eye view of border wall construction. Impressive. Not chicken
wire.
It's about 9 min long. Very well done visual of progress on the
southern border.
This is a should-see video that you will want to pass on. Construction
of our Southern Border "Wall" has been almost forgotten in this time of
Pandemic. But I have noted how many Governors want to prevent entry to
their States from epicenters like NY and NJ...can't have THOSE folks in
"their" States! Meanwhile Construction goes on.
This is an amazing video filmed from a drone [quad copter] of the
building of "the wall"….the web site is down at the bottom of this
article and is well worth the time to watch….an amazing experience!
The coronavirus has caused countries around the globe, and especially in
Europe, to rethink the open borders polices they have been allowing for
years. Things became bad enough with the migrant flows across border
lines in recent years but this virus has resulted in sweeping shutdowns
of international travel – but in many countries it was too late.
All of a sudden, the pressure to close countries off from the virus has
been fierce. Problem is, most borders are porous and there are no walls
to prevent illegal crossings, that is except for the US of A. We only
have two borders to worry about and the Northern border has not been a
problem. But Trump has been working hard on the southern border to
replace existing fencing that is inadequate and building new high-tech
walls that work. But up until now, he has been opposed by the dems and
the media (who have been calling for open borders) – but maybe not so
much over the past few weeks. As we all know, before this virus reared
its ugly head, the opposition was relentless and the media kept
reporting that the wall building plan was not working, that very little
wall was being built and that the walls that were being put in place
were inadequate. Well, that was just not the case.
The below wall-construction video was filmed by a drone that was
controlled by a man sitting in a lawn chair. He would move his location
to different sections along the border where wall construction was
taking place. Music and titles work were then added to the film and . .
. VOILA! . . . the resultant video. The filming was done in
January-February 2020.
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Thanks to Carl
Killing the Yamato
Robert Gandt
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Thanks to Mud
I think all hands might want to hear the queen's speech. Click
below if you haven't already heard it.
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World News from Military Periscope for 6 April
USA—Inspector General Slams Handling Of Air Base Project In Niger Air
Force Magazine | 04/06/2020 A new report from the Pentagon inspector
general says the U.S. Air Force and Africa Command skirted congressional
oversight and failed to meet safety requirements while building an air
base in central Niger, reports Air Force magazine. The April 2 report
focuses on issues with the construction of Niger Air Base 201 in Agadez.
The base was intended as a hub for transport aircraft and uncrewed
aerial vehicles supporting operations against militants in the region,
reported the Air Force Times. The facility was finished in May 2019 at a
cost of approximately US$100 million. Construction began in 2013 and was
scheduled to conclude in October 2017. Multiple issues delayed the
project and resulted in cost overruns, according to the report. The
inspector general said the Air Force included runway shoulders that had
not been authorized by Congress; split intelligence, surveillance and
reconnaissance (ISR) construction requirements into six separate
projects in order to use operations and maintenance funding instead of
construction funding; and made obligations in excess of appropriated
funds by purchasing permanent guard towers using procurement funds
instead of military construction funding. Prior to starting
construction, the Air Force and AFRICOM failed to perform adequate site
surveys, which led to compaction and drainage issues, says the report
Several guard towers were also built on foundations intended for
temporary structures, creating a safety issue. Finally, the base does
not meet safety, security and other technical requirements, including a
substandard perimeter fence and non-conforming solar airfield lighting.
The Air Force and AFRICOM pushed back against the report, arguing that
there were challenges due to the remote location of the base and that
operational requirements changed several times during construction.
USA—Trump Employs Defense Production Act To Increase Production Of
Ventilators, Masks Cable News Network | 04/06/2020 President Trump has
signed two orders invoking the Defense Production Act to support the
production of ventilators and N95 face masks, reports CNN. A
presidential memorandum on April 1 directed the supply of materials for
the production of ventilators to six companies: General Electric;
Hill-Rom Holdings; Medtronic Public; Resmed; Royal Philipps N.V.; and
Vyaire Medical. A second order authorized the head of the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to undertake any and all authorities
under the DPA to acquire N95 face masks from manufacturer 3M. Last
month, Trump authorized the use of the DPA, but held back from using it
against specific firms. The president previously used the DPA to order
General Motors to produce additional ventilators.
USA—Boeing Receives Financial Assistance From Air Force, Navy Due To
COVID-19 Air Force News Service | 04/06/2020 As part of efforts to
soften the effect of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak on defense
industry, the U.S. Air Force is transferring funds it withheld from
Boeing over issues with the KC-46 Pegasus aerial refueler, reports the
Air Force News Service. On April 2, the service announced that it had
reached an agreement with Boeing to release $882 million in funding
withheld from the KC-46 program. Beginning in January 2019, the Air
Force withheld up to $28 million, or about 20 percent of the cost, for
every KC-46 delivered with technical deficiencies, reported Defense
News. Boeing has delivered 33 of the tankers so far. Separately, also on
April 2, the Navy awarded Boeing an $84.7 million contract modification
to build three MQ-25 Stingray uncrewed tanker system demonstration test
articles, reported the Dept. of Defense. The Pentagon has been
accelerating contract awards to help companies stay solvent during the
COVID-19 crisis. Boeing, as a major producer of commercial aircraft, has
been hard hit by the pandemic.
France—3 Arrested After Deadly Attack In Southeast British Broadcasting
Corp. | 04/06/2020 Police have arrested three people after a deadly
attack in the France's southeastern Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes region, reports
BBC News. On Saturday, a man entered a shop selling tobacco in
Romans-sur-Isere and stabbed the owner and a customer. He then attacked
two other shops. Two people were killed and five injured in the
assaults. Two of the wounded were said to be in critical condition. On
Sunday, police arrested the suspect, a Sudanese refugee in his 30s, and
two others in connection with the attack. The man is believed to have
acted alone but the investigation is still in its early stages, two
sources told Agence France-Presse. He was not previously known to
police. The attack was similar to other Islamist-inspired attacks in
Europe. A search of the suspect's belongings did not reveal any
connections to known terrorist groups.
Serbia—Medical Aid Arrives From Russia Tass | 04/06/2020 Russia has
begun delivering medical aid to Serbia to help Belgrade combat the novel
coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic, reports Russia's Tass news agency. The
first flight of medical specialists and equipment left Russia on Friday
aboard an Il-76 transport aircraft from Chkalovsky aerodrome outside
Moscow, reported the Russian Ministry of Defense. Eleven aid flights are
planned, with the cargo to include special medical equipment, personal
protective equipment and 16 other items of military hardware. Military
medics and virologists are also being sent. Russia has provided similar
aid to the U.S. and Italy. An An-124 cargo aircraft delivered equipment
and protective gear to New York on April 1. Fifteen deliveries were made
to Italy between March 22 and March 25.
Finland—Spring Exercises To Go Forward Despite COVID-19 Outbreak YLE
News | 04/06/2020 The Finnish military will go ahead with several major
exercises this spring despite the ongoing outbreak of the novel
coronavirus (COVID-19), according to a defense spokesman cited by YLE,
the Finnish Broadcasting Corp. While Finland has canceled several
national exercises and halted refresher training for conscripts through
the end of April, it plans to hold 10 exercises involving a total of
15,000 to 18,000 conscripts. The exercises would not be held at the same
location or time, the spokesman emphasized. Helsinki previously pulled
its troops out of the multinational Cold Response drills in Norway last
month, noted Business Insider at the time. The decision to go ahead with
the training was made after the government decided in mid-March that the
military was required to maintain continuity and readiness, said the
spokesman. The military will work to prevent the spread of the virus
during the exercises.
Russia—Deliveries Begin For Upgraded T-90 Tanks, BMPT-72 Fire-Support
Vehicles Army Recognition | 04/06/2020 The Russian military has begun
taking delivery of upgraded main battle tanks and combat support
vehicles, report Russian media cited by Army Recognition. Deliveries of
the upgraded T-90M tank and BMPT-72 fire-support vehicle have started,
the Krasnaya Zvezda, the official newspaper of the Russian Defense
Ministry, reported on Friday. The number of vehicles that had been
handed over was not made public. The T-90M features improved protection,
mobility and firepower, including a 125-mm 2A46M-4 main gun. The BMPT-72
is equipped with an uncrewed turret armed with two 30-mm cannons and
anti-tank missile launchers.
China—Communist Party Gives Doctor Who Warned Of COVID-19 Highest Award
Business Insider | 04/06/2020 The Chinese Communist Party has bestowed
its highest honor on Dr. Li Wenliang, who died weeks after raising the
alarm about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), reports Business Insider.
The CCP announced on April 1 that Li, along with 11 other doctors who
died battling the virus, had been awarded the title of "martyr," the
highest title the party gives to civilians who die in service to China,
according to the state-run Global Times. In December, Li warned medical
colleagues about the appearance of a new virus similar to SARS. Police
in Wuhan forced the doctor to later sign a letter saying that he was
"spreading rumors" and "making false comments." Li was later diagnosed
with COVID-19 and died in early February. Following a public backlash,
the CCP launched an investigation that determined that Li's treatment by
local officials was irregular and improper. China was scheduled to hold
a national day of mourning on Saturday for those who have died in the
epidemic.
India—Security Forces Clash With Militants In Kashmir Economic Times |
04/06/2020 At least 14 people have been killed in clashes between Indian
troops and militants in India-administered Kashmir, reports the Economic
Times (Bombay). On Saturday, Indian police and soldiers conducted
cordon-and-search operations in the Kulgam district after receiving
intelligence about militants in the area who had killed two civilians
the previous week, reported India Today. Four militants, suspected
members of Hizbul Mujahedin (HuM), were killed in the subsequent gun
battle. On Sunday, an uncrewed aerial vehicle detected suspicious
movement in the Keran sector. Paratroopers were dropped in to intercept
the militants. Five militants and three soldiers were killed in
close-quarter fighting in heavy snow, the military said. Two other
soldiers died after being airlifted to a local hospital.
Afghanistan—Intelligence Service Captures Regional ISIS Leader Voice Of
America News | 04/06/2020 The National Directorate of Security (NDS),
Afghanistan's intelligence service, says it has arrested the leader of
the regional Islamic State affiliate, reports the Voice of America News.
On Saturday, the NDS announced the arrest of Abdullah Orakzai, also
known as Aslam Farooqi, and 19 other members of ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K).
The suspects were arrested by Afghan special operations forces in a
"complex operation," the agency said. Local media cited by the Anadolu
Agency (Ankara) said the operation took place in the southern Kandahar
province. During a preliminary interrogation, Farooqi confessed to links
with a regional intelligence agency, said the NDS. Farooqi is a former
commander of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyiba terrorist group, which
is accused of having links with Pakistani intelligence, reported the
Hindustan Times. Farooqi replaced Abu Omar Khorasani at the helm of
ISIS-K in April 2019, according to a U.N. report cited by the Stars and
Stripes.
Iran—Navy Set To Launch Construction Of New Destroyer Mehr News Agency |
04/06/2020 The Iranian navy will soon begin construction of a new
6,000-ton destroyer, reports the semi-official Mehr news agency
(Tehran). In an interview, Rear Adm. Amir Rastegari, who oversees naval
programs at the ministry of defense, said that construction of the new
warship would start in the current Iranian year, which began in March.
The destroyer will have a trimaran hull with defensive and offensive
capabilities and an endurance of at least two months, the admiral told
the state-run Press TV (Tehran). Analysts questioned such reports, given
the size of the projected vessel, noted Forbes. The admiral was believed
to be referring to the reported Loghman class. Iran will also pursue
"giant submarines," Rastegari said. These would likely be standard-sized
conventional submarines, said experts.
Iraq—U.S. Transfers Another Base To Government Stars And Stripes |
04/06/2020 The U.S. military has transferred another facility in Iraq to
the Iraq armed forces, reports the Stars and Stripes. On Saturday, the
U.S.-led coalition formally transferred its compound at Taqaddum Air
Base in Anbar province to Iraqi control, according to a release from
Operation Inherent Resolve. About 500 troops have started to withdraw
from the facility, the mission said. The coalition also transferred an
estimated US$3.5 million in materiel, including tents, blast walls, gym
equipment and a mess hall. The U.S. began pulling out of several
facilities in Iraq last month, including those in Qaim, Qayara Airfield
West, K1 and in Mosul. The transfers were previously planned and are
unrelated to the ongoing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and
attacks on U.S. personnel in the region, U.S. officials said.
Algeria—Su-24s In Russia For Modernization Defence Web | 04/06/2020
Algeria is modernizing its fleet of Russian-built Su-24 strike aircraft,
reports Defence Web (South Africa). An initial batch of six aircraft has
been spotted at the 514th Aviation Repair Plant outside Rzhev, Russia,
according to Scramble (Netherlands) magazine. The jets are being
upgraded to the Su-24M2 standard, which is currently in service with the
Russian air force. The modernization includes the SVP-24 Gefest
navigation and attack system featuring new sensors, the GLONASS global
positioning system, a trajectory computer, atmospheric and inertia
sensors, encrypted data link and a head-up display. The new systems
significantly increase the aircraft's accuracy when delivering unguided
munitions. Algeria reportedly plans to upgrade all 35 of its Su-24s to
the Su-24M2 configuration.
Nigeria—Multinational Op Targets Boko Haram The Nation | 04/06/2020 The
Nigerian military has launched a joint operation with forces from Chad
and Niger to remove Boko Haram and Islamic State-West Africa Province
(ISWAP) insurgents from islands on Lake Chad, reports the Nation
(Lagos). Troops from the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) will
seek to flush out insurgents currently operating from the Tumbun islands
in Lake Chad, the Nigerian military said on April 2. Boko Haram and
ISWAP militants have been using the islands as a base to launch attacks
against all three countries. A recent attack in Chad killed 98 Chadian
soldiers, noted Agence France-Presse. The number of troops involved and
the anticipated duration of the operation were not disclosed.
Democratic Republic of the Congo—3 Chinese Nationals Die In Ituri Attack
Reuters | 04/06/2020 Three Chinese citizens have been killed in an
attack in the Ituri province in the northeastern Democratic Republic of
Congo, reports Reuters. On Saturday, unknown gunmen attacked a mining
area in the province, reported Xinhua, China's state-run news agency. A
Congolese soldier protecting the miners was also killed in the attack,
reported the 7Sur7 news site in the DRC. The report did not disclose the
mine or the company operating it. There were no immediate claims of
responsibility. Canadian firm Banro suspended operations at its mines in
the Maniema province, south of Ituri, last year after repeated attacks
against its facilities. The Chinese Embassy in Kinshasa called on the
Congolese government to take appropriate action to protect Chinese
citizens within its borders and investigate the attack.
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