TheList 5269

The List 5269 TGB


Some more items for your reading and viewing

Well the rain has not stopped and I have about an inch before the pool over flows. Looks like I am going to get wet.

Regards

Skip





Tribute to YP ... PS thanks to Doctor Rich and Dutch

Thanks to Todd S. ...

Loved to read the "Youthly Puresome" stories through the years as a member of Tailhook—Here's one ..

Keeper of the Flame



It was a boondoggle — the Mighty U.S. Government had some extra money, and some of it had trickled down to the Naval Air Reserves. Lt. Youthly Puresome, part-time fighter pilot, had wrangled his piece of the pie by bagging a week's active duty to attend an Electronics Counter-Measures school at NAS Lemoore, California.

Puresome had always had a creepy fascination with the gawps and gleeps generated by his ECM gear that came over his headset back when the bad guys in Veet Nam used to paint him with their radars. The warbles of SAM launches fascinated him almost to the point of soiling his already green flight suit. "Anyhow, a couple of bucks, a couple of yucks, maybe some decent Mexican food," he thought.

The flight out West was not as placid as Puresome's usual civilian DC-9 trip. Since the weather was supposed to be hot and dusty, and he hated chatting with the ATC folks if it wasn't absolutely necessary; he had filed an easy Visual Flight Rules flight plan. But the cirrus layer he found to hinder his view of the desert unfortunately extended way above 41,000 feet, which was where he finally gave up trying to find blue sky. Then there was a silly business with the roll stabilization of his single-seat supersonic transport not working. When Puresome finally reached the land where the skies are not cloudy all day, he was happy to leave his quietly leaking F-8 Crusader on the transient line.



NAS Lemoore seemed semi-deserted. Puresome remembered days before the Big War when swarms of A-4 Skyhawks peopled the ramps, crowded the taxiways, and the skies overhead. But with Lemoore air wings on aircraft carriers at Yankee Station in the Tonkin Gulf, and with others in transit to and from WESTPAC, the western Pacific, things now seemed kinda...empty.

"'Course, it's Sunday afternoon, too," he thought on the way over to the BOQ, rubbing his face where his oxygen mask had deeply creased it. Slumped against the pickup door as the duty driver jolted along, Puresome fantasized a moaning wind driving a scrap of newspaper along a deserted street, a screen door with a busted latch somewhere monotonously banging against the frame.

Since Puresome had honest-to-goodness orders, checking in the Bachelor Officer's Quarters was no sweat. He had always felt that a BOQ was, like the interior of an aircraft carrier, one of life's generic experiences — in one, in all — the same smells, colors, and jolly utilitarian construction. The only thing that brought a BOQ to life was being in one with your pals on the brink of some hairy adventure.

Puresome considered himself a loner in the great, self-reliant cowboy tradition. But there was something about watching strangers passing through a BOQ lobby in flight gear that made him feel that they had just done or were just going to do something really dangerous and righteous, and not being a part of that had always made him feel lonely. He felt that they were doing something he ought to be doing.

"Time to kick the situation in the canugies and get out of this place," he thought as he dug his swim trunks, flip flops and a ratty T-shirt out of his parachute bag. "Lets go see if there are any winsom ladies toasting their parts out by the pool."

The pool experience was another biggie for Puresome — no svelte nymphets simmering in coconut oil — just a few people. He drank some beer, ended up watching a shy mommy and two quiet little girls, and wondered where the old man was...a temporarily safe-at-home Shore Duty Puke; plowing around Yankee Station on a big iron boat; maybe enjoying the Hanoi Hilton; perhaps MIA or just plain KIA. "At least, my wife knows where I am...still out playing part-time fighter pilot," he thought.

The Electronic Counter-Measures course was jolly good. There was a day of classroom instruction in new equipment and techniques. Puresome put considerable heat on a technician to design something to put on his Porsche that would melt police radar guns, but to no avail.

Another day was spent flying up to the Fallon ECM range in the station S2F and actually working Bad Guy gun-tracking and SAM radar against a chap in an A-7 Corsair, who was doing his best to keep from getting zapped. Even as he cranked the tracking wheels trying to nail the airplane, Puresome was rooting for the A-7 driver.

So another good deal came to an end. Puresome stuffed his old skivvies, civvies and shaving gear into his parachute bag, put on his flight suit and caught a ride to base operations to file his flight plan for home.

Puresome did all the usual stuff — figured out a navigation card, anticipated the customary radio and/or navigation equipment failure, talked to the weather guys and turned in his DD-175 flight plan to the Operations guys.

Then, as he was leaving for the transient line, he noticed the plaques. There, on the wall, were posted the names of all the guys from Lemoore who had been bagged in the War. There were lots of names.

Time stopped in Puresome's universe as he read the names. Some he knew, most he didn't. Puresome felt them, what they had done and what he had not. He felt the honor in them and the sadness of a lost and trampled cause.

"Don't forget us, don't forget us," the wall whispered. "We gave and we're gone and nobody gives a damn, so don't forget us..."

Puresome started as two loudly talking sailors came around the corner. He walked out of operations toward his plane.

On the flight home and on other flights through the years, Puresome could hear the ghosts. They joined his friends on another Wall. The bright fire in him burned, and he did not forget them.



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Thanks to Harold see the attachment

Plinky Topperwein

Skip: here is a story that appeared in this months magazine "Texas Parks and Wildlife". It is about Plinky Topperwein, Ad Topperwein's wife. You have put a couple of stories about Mr. Topperwein into the List, and this is a well written follow-up. The story about her shooting the rat in the hotel is true. She used a Smith and Wesson Model 3 revolver using the Russian .44 cartridge. This was the same pistol she used to shoot the objects off her husband's fingers in their show. The hotel manager wouldn't believe them when they reported the rat running along the baseboard in their room. So Plinky shot him. They said it didn't take very long for the manager to knock on their door after the shot. There wasn't much doubt about it when they presented him with the carcass. I believe the room was free that night. Thought you may enjoy the story.



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Thanks to Carl who found the URL

The Great Pyramid

It really is a fascinating subject! The precision/alignment alone is UFB, even with today's technology! Then there is the construction mass! Next is the Maya connection??

Damn, I am good—think I found it on Youtube! Knew he was Graham Hancock, a leading authority on the pyramids. Try this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3TQbV6cfQM



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Thanks to Kit

If you have not seen this, I am passing along this email I received this morning and a link to a fascinating documentary.

Keep the knots up!

Kit



A little long but VERY interesting and well done. Kick back and watch it you've got no where to go anyway.

From:
Sent: Friday, April 10, 2020 5:51 AM
Subject: TDC Alert: One of the most important videos of your life/Origin of Wuhan Virus

From a Special Forces friend, with vast experience in this crazy world we live in. Like Schultz.

Epoch Times has done a phenomenal job reporting from China. Their reporters and facilities have been threatened and attacked.

Indicates they are doing the right thing

https://www.theepochtimes.com/coronavirusfilm

It's 55 minutes, and worth watching down to the very last minute.

PLEASE view this, and then circulate it to your family and friends.

Thank you.

Always remember: No Easter without a Good Friday.





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Some more Military History for 10 April

1942 – The day after the surrender of the main Philippine island of Luzon to the Japanese, the 75,000 Filipino and American troops captured on the Bataan Peninsula begin a forced march to a prison camp near Cabanatuan. During this infamous trek, known as the "Bataan Death March," the prisoners were forced to march 85 miles in six days, with only one meal of rice during the entire journey. By the end of the march, which was punctuated with atrocities committed by the Japanese guards, hundreds of Americans and many more Filipinos had died. The day after Japan bombed the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, the Japanese invasion of the Philippines began. Within a month, the Japanese had captured Manila, the capital of the Philippines, and the U.S. and Filipino defenders of Luzon were forced to retreat to the Bataan Peninsula. For the next three months, the combined U.S.-Filipino army, under the command of U.S. General Jonathan Wainwright, held out impressively despite a lack of naval and air support. Finally, on April 7, with his army crippled by starvation and disease, Wainwright began withdrawing as many troops as possible to the island fortress of Corregidor in Manila Bay. However, two days later, 75,000 Allied troops were trapped by the Japanese and forced to surrender. The next day, the Bataan Death March began. Of those who survived to reach the Japanese prison camp near Cabanatuan, few lived to celebrate U.S. General Douglas MacArthur's liberation of Luzon in 1945. In the Philippines, homage is paid to the victims of the Bataan Death March every April on Bataan Day, a national holiday that sees large groups of Filipinos solemnly rewalking parts of the death route.



1963 – The USS Thresher nuclear-powered submarine failed to surface 220 miles east of Boston, Mass., in a disaster that claimed 129 lives. The second USS Thresher (SSN-593) was the lead boat of her class of nuclear-powered attack submarines in the United States Navy. Her loss at sea in the North Atlantic during deep-diving tests approximately 220 miles east of Boston, Massachusetts was a watershed event for the U.S. Navy, leading to the implementation of a rigorous submarine safety program known as SUBSAFE. Judging by the 129 crew members and shipyard personnel who were killed in the incident, historic context and significance, the sinking of Thresher was then, and remains today, the world's worst submarine disaster. As the first nuclear submarine lost at sea, its disappearance generated international shock and sympathy.



1972 – Although the U.S. command refuses to confirm publicly the location of targets, U.S. B-52 bombers reportedly begin bombing North Vietnam for the first time since November 1967. The bombers struck in the vicinity of Vinh, 145 miles north of the Demilitarized Zone. It was later acknowledged publicly that target priority during these attacks had been given to SAM-2 missile sites, which had made raids over North Vietnam increasingly hazardous. U.S. officials called Hanoi's SAM-2 defenses "the most sophisticated air defenses in the history of air warfare." These defenses consisted of advanced radar and lethally accurate air defense missiles.



1972 – US aircraft carriers Midway and Saratoga are ordered form Florida and California to join the other four carriers and warships already engaged in the bombardment of Vietnam.



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Congressional Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day

BULKELEY, JOHN DUNCAN
Rank and organization: Lieutenant Commander, Commander of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 3, U.S. Navy. Place and date: Philippine waters, 7 December 1941 to 10 April 1942. Entered service at: Texas. Born: 19 August 1911, New York, N.Y. Other awards: Navy Cross, Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, Legion of Merit. Citation: For extraordinary heroism, distinguished service, and conspicuous gallantry above and beyond the call of duty as commander of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 3, in Philippine waters during the period 7 December 1941 to 10 April 1942. The remarkable achievement of Lt. Comdr. Bulkeley's command in damaging or destroying a notable number of Japanese enemy planes, surface combatant and merchant ships, and in dispersing landing parties and land-based enemy forces during the 4 months and 8 days of operation without benefit of repairs, overhaul, or maintenance facilities for his squadron, is believed to be without precedent in this type of warfare. His dynamic forcefulness and daring in offensive action, his brilliantly planned and skillfully executed attacks, supplemented by a unique resourcefulness and ingenuity, characterize him as an outstanding leader of men and a gallant and intrepid seaman. These qualities coupled with a complete disregard for his own personal safety reflect great credit upon him and the Naval Service .



He was the one who got General Macarthur from Corregidor and on his way to Australia to escape the Japanese.

I met him when I was at CNAP and he was head of the INSURV Board. He was an interesting man. When he and his crew were done looking at an Aircraft Carrier he did NOT sugar coat the final report at all. He had a pair of coveralls and had been as far down in depth of the ship and climbed as high as you could go and every place in between. And he was an older guy in 1984. He was a rear admiral. skip

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World News from Military Periscope for 10 April



International—G20 Group of 20 (G20) nations are set to hold a meeting to help stabilize the global oil market, reports BBC News. On Thursday, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies, including Russia, reached a tentative agreement to cut production by about 10 million barrels per day, or about 10 percent of global supply. Other nations are expected to cut production by about 5 percent. These reductions would be gradually rolled back until April 2022. The cuts are intended to compensate for reduced demand due to lockdowns implemented to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). However, the deal was thrown into question when Mexico refused to sign on to the pledged cuts, reported Bloomberg News. Mexican Energy Secretary Rocio Nahle Garcia said that her country was willing to cut production by about 100,000 barrels per day, about a quarter of the requested amount. The G20 is scheduled to hold a conference call among energy ministers on Friday, which is expected to review the proposed cuts and bring in other nations, such as the U.S. and Canada.



United Nations—Secretary-General Suspends Peacekeeper Rotations Through June Xinhua | 04/10/2020 U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has extended a freeze on peacekeeper rotations and deployments through the end of June, reports Xinhua, China's state-run news agency. The order halts the deployment of individual personnel and new police and military units on peacekeeping missions and maintains deployed units in place as part of efforts to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), said a spokesman for the secretary-general on Tuesday. Limited exceptions are possible, but only in extenuating circumstances and under strict conditions designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, said the spokesman.



USA—28,400 Guardsmen Deployed For COVID-19 Response Missions Military Times | 04/10/2020 At least 28,400 Air and Army National Guard personnel have been activated to support the response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, reports the Military Times. The number of guardsmen supporting the COVID-19 response at the direction of their state governors was expected to reach 30,000 by the end of the week, said Gen. Joseph Lengyel, the National Guard Bureau chief. Around 75 percent of the military personnel deployed to assist in combating the outbreak are members of the National Guard. The federal government is assisting by funding the state activations of personnel through Title 32, which maintains guardsmen under state control while being paid by the federal government. Guard personnel have been activated under Title 32 in 21 states, two territories and the District of Columbia. Another 20 states have requested such funding and are moving through the approval process. President Trump has signed an executive order authorizing the activation of up to 44,000 Guard members under Title 32 and last week signed an order extending such mobilizations to 31 days. The extension means activated personnel will have full access to Tricare healthcare and increased basic allowance for housing benefits. A total of 349 Guard personnel had tested positive for COVID-19 as of April 8.



USA—Space Force Postpones GPS III Satellite Launch Over COVID-19 Concerns Space News | 04/10/2020 The U.S. Space Force has decided to reschedule the launch of a GPS III satellite due to concerns about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, reports Space News. SpaceX had been scheduled to put the third GPS III satellite in orbit in late April on a Falcon 9 launch vehicle from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The Space and Missile Systems Center has since decided to postpone the launch to minimize the opportunity for personnel to be exposed to COVID-19. A new launch date is anticipated no earlier than June 30. Contributing to the decision was the fact that the GPS constellation remains healthy with 31 satellites in operation, including two GPS III spacecraft. The second GPS III satellite was declared ready for military use on March 24. In a first for a national security mission, SpaceX plans to attempt to recover the first-stage booster of the Falcon 9 rocket following the GPS III satellite launch. It has already demonstrated this capability for its commercial and NASA launches.



Canada—Revised Armored Vehicle Deal Reached With Riyadh Canadian Broadcasting Corporation | 04/10/2020 Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne says that Canada has amended its contract with Saudi Arabia for light armored vehicles (LAVs), reports the CBC News. On Thursday, Champagne said that the revised deal would enable exports of the vehicles to resume. The government was able to make significant improvements to the Can$14 billion (US$10 billion) contract, which previously included terms that prevented public discussion of its basic details. However, large elements of the sale remain secret, including the number of vehicles involved, their armament, how many have already been delivered and in-service support arrangements. Export permits for the vehicles will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, the foreign minister said, as reported by the Globe and Mail (Toronto). The LAVs are being supplied to Saudi Arabia's internal security force responsible for the protection of the royal family, said Champagne. Weapons exports to the kingdom have been suspended since the fall of 2018, when a Saudi dissident journalist was killed by Saudi operatives in the country's consulate in Istanbul.



Lithuania—Afghanistan Contingent Reduced Due To COVID-19 Lithuanian Ministry Of Defense | 04/10/2020 Lithuania has withdrawn some of its troops deployed with the NATO-led Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan, reports the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense The personnel were flown from Afghanistan to Riga, the Latvian capital, on a Norwegian air force transport aircraft on April 7, the ministry said on Wednesday. The troops were then bused to a location in Lithuania for a mandatory 14-day quarantine to ensure they do not spread the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The Resolute Support mission has suspended much of its activities due to the COVID-19 outbreak, enabling some of its troops to return home.



Russia—Navy Expects To Sign Contract For Helicopter Carriers Soon Tass | 04/10/2020 Russia plans to sign a contract for two amphibious assault ships later this month, reports the Tass news agency (Moscow). The US$1.3 billion contract is scheduled to be signed later in April, with construction to begin at the Zaliv shipyard in Crimea in May. The first ship is slated for commissioning in 2026, with the second to enter service in 2027, said an industry source. According to a previously reported technical study, the ships will displace 25,000 tons and measure 720 feet (220 m) long with a maximum capacity of 20 heavy helicopters and 900 marines. This is the first time a Russian firm has built such ships, noted the news agency.



North Korea—Kim Attends Mortar Drill On Eve Of Rubber-Stamp Parliament Yonhap | 04/10/2020 North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has overseen a mortar-firing exercise ahead of an anticipated session of the rubber-stamp legislature, reports the Yonhap news agency (Seoul). On Friday, Kim attended mortar-firing drills at an undisclosed location, reported the state-run Korean Central News Agency. The timing of the exercise was not revealed, but Kim's activities are usually reported a day after they happen. This is the first time state media has reported Kim's attendance at a military exercise since March 21. Pyongyang has elected to go forward with the meeting of the Supreme People's Assembly despite the ongoing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. North Korea maintains that it has not recorded any cases of the virus, although analysts have speculated that it is covering up its outbreak.



Taiwan—Chinese, U.S. Military Aircraft Monitored Near Taiwanese Airspace Central News Agency | 04/10/2020 Chinese and U.S. military aircraft have conducted separate flights near Taiwanese airspace, south of the island nation reports the semi-official Central News Agency (Taiwan). On Friday, a U.S. RC-135U Combat Sent reconnaissance aircraft was operating in the South China Sea, reported the monitoring website Aircraft Spots. The flight may have been intended to monitor unusual Chinese military activity in the region, analysts said. This was the sixth such flight since March 26, noted the website. Separately, Chinese J-11 jet fighters, KJ-500 early warning aircraft and H-6 bombers flew south of the island, said the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense. The planes returned via the same route, said the ministry. China's official Global Times (Beijing) newspaper quoted analysts who called the flights "regular" and " part of military struggle preparations against the island."



Australia—Loyal Wingman Prototype Reaches News Milestones Boeing | 04/10/2020 The Royal Australian Air Force's Loyal Wingman advanced development program has achieved two new milestones, reports Boeing, which is building the uncrewed aircraft. The prototype has achieved weight on wheels, the first time an aircraft is supported solely by its landing gear, and activation of its main electrical power system, the company announced on April 8. The milestones come after Boeing reported the completion of the initial fuselage in February. Boeing Australia is leading the development of the drone for the Australian air force's Airpower Teaming System, which was unveiled in February 2019, noted the War Zone website. The project seeks to develop a drone to work with the air force's crewed fighter aircraft, including the F-35 Lightning II, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and E/A-18G Growler, as well as its E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft and P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. Boeing has partnered with 16 firms including BAE Systems Australia, RUAG Australia, Ferra Engineering and AME Systems to develop the system. First flight of the loyal wingman drone is anticipated later this year.



Indonesia—Trial Begins For Couple Accused Of Attempted Assassination Of Former Security Minister Antara News Agency | 04/10/2020 The trial has begun for an Indonesian couple accused of attempting to assassinate a senior government official, reports Antara News, Indonesia's national news agency. On Thursday, the trial of Syahril Alamsyah and Fitri Adriana began in a Jakarta court. The defendants participated in the proceedings virtually due to restrictions to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Alamsyah, 51, is accused of stabbing then-Security Minister Wiranto in October 2019 while the official was visiting the island of Java. Wiranto survived the attack. The couple decided that Alamsyah would stab the minister while Adriana, 21, would attack security personnel who responded, said the indictment, as cited by Agence France-Presse. Prosecutors believe the couple belonged to Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), an ISIS-linked group that has claimed attacks across Indonesia. The couple could face the death penalty if convicted.



Singapore—COVID-19 Outbreak Forces Halt To Conscript Training Singapore Ministry Of Defense | 04/10/2020 Singapore has decided to suspend basic military training for new recruits as part of the city-state's efforts to halt the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), reports the Singapore Ministry of Defense. Basic military training will be suspended from April 7 until May 4, in line with a nationwide lockdown. The policy affects 3,400 national service recruits, who otherwise would have begun training for their mandatory military service under Singapore law. The national service recruits have been provided with instruction materials on basic skills and fitness development. This period will count toward their full-time national service requirement and will not affect their operationally ready date, the ministry said. Several military schools deemed necessary to maintain readiness will stay open with enhanced safety measures in place, including the Officer Cadet School and Specialist Cadet School.



Iraq—Intel Chief Tapped As Next Prime Minister Al Jazeera | 04/10/2020 President Barham Salih has nominated Mustafa al-Kadhimi, the head of Iraq's intelligence service, as his next candidate to serve as prime minister, reports Al Jazeera (Qatar). Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi resigned in November amid large-scale protests but has continued to serve in a caretaker role while Salih has tried to find a replacement that would be acceptable to the various factions in Parliament. Kadhimi was nominated on Thursday shortly after the previous nominee, Adnan al-Zurfi, withdrew after failing to form a Cabinet, reported Reuters. Kadhimi, a former journalist and exile, has held the position of intelligence chief since 2016 and is seen as a political independent. He is the third person nominated for the post in the last 10 weeks. Mohammed Allawi was initially nominated as prime minister but withdrew on March 1 after also failing to form a government.



Yemen—1st Coronavirus Case Reported In South Voice Of America News | 04/10/2020 Yemen has confirmed its first case of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the eastern Hadramaut province, reports the Voice of America News. On Friday, officials confirmed that a Yemeni national working in the port of Ash Shihr had tested positive for the virus, health officials told Reuters. They are stable and receiving medical attention, according to the government's supreme national emergency committee. Ash Shihr has been ordered to close for two weeks to disinfect the site and quarantine workers there. A province-wide curfew is also in effect. On Thursday, the Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi rebels in Yemen began a two-week cease-fire in support of efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The Iranian-supported rebels have yet to formally accept the truce. Health experts have warned that Yemen, wracked by years of war, is ill-prepared to deal with an outbreak. At least half of the population lacks access to adequate medical care.



Syria—ISIS Attacks Regime Positions In Homs Province Syrian Observatory for Human Rights | 04/10/2020 At least 60 militants and government troops have been killed in heavy fighting between ISIS and regime forces in Syria's central Homs province, reports the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (U.K.). On Thursday, ISIS fighters launched a surprise assault on Al-Sukhnah, a government-held position in eastern Homs. At least 32 Syrian troops and allied militia fighters 26 ISIS militants have been killed in the clashes. Regime forces regained most of the lost territory within 24 hours of the assault, sources on the ground told the monitoring group. Russian and Syrian jets have continued to strike ISIS positions in the region. The terrorist group renewed its offensive operations in the desert regions of Syria on March 24. At least 415 regime and allied personnel have been killed in attacks in Deir Ezzor, Homs, and Suwaidaa since March 2019. Around 150 ISIS fighters have died in fighting over the same period.



Nigeria—New Tanks And Artillery Arrive From China This Day | 04/10/2020 A shipment of tanks and self-propelled guns from China has arrived in Nigeria, reports This Day (Lagos). The equipment, ordered last year under a US$152 million contract, was unloaded in Lagos on April 8, reported Defence Web (South Africa). Photos showed VT-4 main battle tanks and SH5 self-propelled howitzers being unloaded, with at least 17 vehicles offloaded on Wednesday. Nigerian army officials said that the shipment also included a second, unidentified, artillery system and ST1 light tanks. Also on Wednesday, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, the Nigerian army chief, formally unveiled 55 Buffalo four-wheeled all-terrain vehicles for induction into service. All of the new equipment has been acquired to bolster the army in its fight against the Boko Haram terrorist group in northeastern Nigeria.