To All
Good Friday Morning January 8
I hope that your week has been going well
Regards,
Skip
This Day In Naval History
Jan. 8
1863—During the Civil War, the screw steam gunboats Sagamore and Tahoma capture blockade running ships with cargo of salt and cotton in Florida.
1945—Task Group 17.21, led by Cmdr. Charles E. Loughlin coordinates a submarine attack against a Japanese convoy off northwest coast of Formosa, sinking two freighters and a tanker and damaging three other ships.
1945—During the continuing Japanese aerial kamikaze attacks on the Lingayen Gulf invasion force, escort carriers Kitkun Bay (CVE 71) and Kadashan Bay (CVE 76) are damaged, as well as USS Callaway (APA-35).
1963—Destroyer Benjamin Stoddert (DDG 22) is launched. A veteran of the Vietnam War, she is decommissioned in Dec. 1991.
1983—Fast Attack Submarine USS City of Corpus Christi (SSN 705) is commissioned.
1994—Fast Attack Submarine USS Santa Fe (SSN 763) is commissioned.
Thanks to CHINFO
Executive Summary:
• Proceedings published an article by VADM Kitchener, RADM Cooper and RDML Schlise about deterring great power adversaries by demonstrating the ability to win the high-end fight.
• Trade and regional press coverage of the Department of the Navy's Arctic Blueprint continued.
• National and international media coverage continued to report on the violent breach of the U.S. Capitol building.
Today in History January 8
1681 | The Treaty of Radzin ends a five year war between the Turks and the allied countries of Russia and Poland. | |
1745 | England, Austria, Saxony and the Netherlands form an alliance against Russia. | |
1815 | A rag-tag army under Andrew Jackson defeats the British on the fields of Chalmette in the Battle of New Orleans. | |
1871 | Prussian troops begin to bombard Paris during the Franco-Prussian War. | |
1892 | A coal mine explosion kills 100 in McAlister, Oklahoma. | |
1900 | The Boers attack the British in Ladysmith, South Africa, but are turned back. | |
1908 | A subway line opens linking the New York boroughs of Brooklyn and Manhattan. | |
1940 | Great Britain begins rationing sugar, meat and butter. | |
1946 | President Harry S. Truman vows to stand by the Yalta accord on self-determination for the Balkans. | |
1954 | President Dwight Eisenhower proposes stripping convicted Communists of their U.S. citizenship. | |
1963 | President John F. Kennedy attends the unveiling of the Mona Lisa. | |
1975 | Ella T. Grasso becomes Governor of Connecticut, the first female governor in the US who did not come into office by succeeding her husband. | |
1979 | The United States advises the Shah to leave Iran. | |
1982 | AT&T agrees to divest 22 subdivisions as part of an antitrust agreement. | |
1994 | Valeri Polyakov, a Russian cosmonaut leaves earth, bound for the Mir space station; he will spend a record 437 days in space. | |
2002 | US President George W. Bush signs into law the No Child Left Behind Act, intended to improve America's educational system. | |
2004 | The largest passenger ship in history, the RMS Queen Mary 2, is christened by Queen Elizabeth II, granddaughter of Queen Mary. | |
2011 | An attempted assassination of Arizona Representative Gabrielle Giffords is part of a shooting spree in which Jared Lee Loughner kills 6 and wounds 13. |
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Thanks to Clint and Bob
TWO OLD GUYS DANCING....
A nice break from today's current events. These guys were great all the time!!! scroll to the bottom to get the video.
Subject: FW: TWO OLD GUYS DANCING....
A long time ago, Hollywood entertainers really had talent and could actually entertain. I think all most of that was lost somewhere in the last 6 or 7 decades and replaced with some deep faux artistic desire to see how many times in the course of a minute they can spew forth the "F" Bomb and just how radically left they can position themselves.
Ahhhhh … those were the days when entertainers could entertain and Americans got along with one another.
Thanks to Bob Cloyes for the "memories".
R, Duck
From: Robert Cloyes
Subject: FW: TWO OLD GUYS DANCING....
TWO OLD GUYS DANCING....
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Thanks to Mud
Considerations Having Closed the Door
Here are 12 things to consider having just closed the door on one of the most horrible years of our lifetime:
1. The dumbest thing I ever bought was a 2020 planner.
2. I was so bored I called Jake from State Farm just to talk to someone. He asked me what I was wearing.
3. 2019: Stay away from negative people. 2020: Stay away from positive people.
4. The world has turned upside down. Old folks are sneaking out of the house & their kids are yelling at them to stay indoors!
5. This morning I saw a neighbor talking to her dog. It was obvious she thought her dog understood her. I came into my house & told my cat. We laughed a lot.
6. Every few days try your jeans on just to make sure they fit. Pajamas will have you believe all is well in the kingdom.
7. Does anyone know if we can take showers yet or should we just keep washing our hands?
8. This virus has done what no woman has been able to do. Cancel sports, shut down all bars & keep men at home!
9. I never thought the comment, "I wouldn't touch him/her with a 6-foot pole" would become a national policy, but here we are!
10. I need to practice social-distancing from the refrigerator.
11. I hope the weather is good tomorrow for my trip to the Backyard. I'm getting tired of the Living Room.
12. Never in a million years could I have imagined I would go up to a bank teller wearing a mask & ask for money. here's hoping for a Happier New Year! Feel free to copy and paste. I did!
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Thanks to Micro
Skip:
As always, Shadow has important things to say. When I started reading his note, I was spring-loaded to pile on, but he didn't take it where I thought he was headed, so I won't. I'll instead write a cautionary note to all those that are having the wrong thoughts today.
For some time one of my concerns has been the short attention span and lack of depth of thought in today's "instant" age. All too often, folks jump to conclusions, sometimes those they are predisposed toward, without waiting for facts to appear.
We former military folks should know better than most that the first reports of any critical situation are wrong. We know about the fog of war because it's famous, but civilians think it doesn't apply to them. So, when ALL the so-called "news" organizations jump to the conclusion that Trump supporters have rioted, before a single rioter has been identified, let alone investigated, they just might get it wrong. Of course, getting it completely wrong hurts their "reputations" so they won't completely back off if the facts don't support their first reports. Accuracy and integrity are not exactly their strong suits.
Let me throw in one more preamble: to me, friends are hard to come by because I hold them to a very high standard. One test they have to pass is when some gossiper whispers that I've done something horrendous, they must respond, "That doesn't sound like Micro! I'll wait until the facts come in, and I recommend you do, too, because that's just not the Micro I know."
Now, let's assume that Antifa is smart, and they have a strategy. Let's say that one part of that strategy is to hijack every "peaceful protest" and turn it into a riot. They certainly did that in all the BLM-related protests that were reported by "journalists" as "mostly peaceful." They wanted to appear bigger than they were, so they wore the clothing and carried the banners and marched along with the good people that were trying to just protest. On cue, they went bonkers and got away with it. Law enforcement was reluctant to confront them because they were indistinguishable from the peaceful folks that were just trying to show their support for a cause.
Let's assume that Antifa did the same with the Trump supporters in DC yesterday. There is a great deal of "evidence" on social media, but it's not solid enough yet in my view to make a real case. However, we should take a deep breath and say, "Look, we know what kind of people have been supporting Trump. We've seen them at rallies for years. Yes, there's the occasional good ol' boy that fights back against some heckler, but many hundreds of thousands of God-fearing, hard-working, conservative citizens have shown up over and over and been completely peaceful. So, when all these Fake Media clowns jump on their case for this 'riot,' perhaps we should say, 'Wait, that doesn't sound like the Trump supporters I know. Let's wait for the facts to emerge before we jump to conclusions.'"
In fact, let's ask why Trump supporters would leave bombs at both RNC and DNC headquarters in DC. We know Antifa would do that, though, don't we?
I say all this because I'm significantly pissed off at the Republicans (in name only) like Loeffler and Graham who have not only condemned the Trump supporters but the President, as well. Without knowing the facts. I expect that of the Dems because they've been doing that for years while overlooking the rabble-rousers on their side of the aisle. But I didn't expect that from those that have been begging Trump supporters for money for their election campaigns for the past year. These are the folks (Loeffler and Graham, among others) that begged Trump to come to their States, and they stood on the podium in front of crowds far larger than they could have commanded on their own claiming, "I'm one of you. Donate to me and vote for me because I'm your friend."
But they flunked that Friend Test. They didn't say, "These aren't the Trump supporters that donated to my campaign and showed up at those rallies. They wouldn't do something like this. Let's wait for the facts before we condemn them."
So, I'm with Shadow on cleaning house. It's not just weak-kneed politicians that can't tell a fact from an opinion. It's all their enablers, like the RNC and all those PAC's that made a significant amount of money claiming close races, like the one in Maine and the one in South Carolina that weren't close at all. And the others that didn't see all the election fraud coming, at least not enough to stop it or even record it in a form that any court, anywhere in the country, would accept as evidence. We've been lied to and let down by all of them.
The frustration looms large when we will no longer have a Champion. We won't have a single person in a position of power/influence that knows what it's like to have ALL these "news" organizations and social media moguls and judges and governors and election officials and the FBI and the CIA and NIH and CDC and a host of others tell us that we're wrong and their version of reality is right. We will be forced to swallow massive tax increases to fund the non-existent anthropogenic Global Warming Charade, loss of all private health insurance, "free" college education for a bunch of people that shouldn't have been allowed out of junior high school, guaranteed income for lazy people, legalizing almost all crimes, and removing our ability to defend ourselves, while keeping us all at home under lock and key under penalty of jail time for violating a mask rule or trying to save a business (and releasing real criminals from jail because it's "dangerous" to stay there). All of that won't go down easy, so that's where socialism becomes communism.
And our new American Role Model is the Biden Family. They make the Clintons look like saints. Thank God Joe is as dumb as a brick. Unfortunately, that's why he was elected—so a bunch of others could manipulate him. My hope is they kill each other off because they can't get along. I dream big.
I strongly recommend re-reading "Atlas Shrugged." She was right.
Micro
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This Day in U.S. Military History
A day-by-day digest of events regarding all services of the U.S. military. Click HOME from any page to use the Quick Navigation Calendar.
This Day in U S Military History
1815 – U.S. forces led by Gen. Andrew Jackson and French pirate Jean Lafitte led 4,000 backwoodsmen to victory, defending against 8,000 British veterans on the fields of Chalmette in the Battle of New Orleans – the closing engagement of the War of 1812. Two weeks after the War of 1812 officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Ghent, U.S. General Andrew Jackson achieves the greatest American victory of the war at the Battle of New Orleans. In September 1814, an impressive American naval victory on Lake Champlain forced invading British forces back into Canada and led to the conclusion of peace negotiations in Ghent, Belgium. Although the peace agreement was signed on December 24, word did not reach the British forces assailing the Gulf coast in time to halt a major attack. On January 8, 1815, the British marched against New Orleans, hoping that by capturing the city they could separate Louisiana from the rest of the United States. Pirate Jean Lafitte, however, had warned the Americans of the attack, and the arriving British found militiamen under General Andrew Jackson strongly entrenched at the Rodriquez Canal. In two separate assaults, the 7,500 British soldiers under Sir Edward Pakenham were unable to penetrate the U.S. defenses, and Jackson's 4,500 troops, many of them expert marksmen from Kentucky and Tennessee, decimated the British lines. In half an hour, the British had retreated, General Pakenham was dead, and nearly 2,000 of his men were killed, wounded, or missing. U.S. forces suffered only eight killed and 13 wounded. Although the battle had no bearing on the outcome of the war, Jackson's overwhelming victory elevated national pride, which had suffered a number of setbacks during the War of 1812. The Battle of New Orleans was also the last armed engagement between the United States and Britain.
1835 – The United States national debt is zero for the only time. Except for about a year during 1835–1836, the United States has continuously held a public debt since the US Constitution legally went into effect on March 4, 1789. The payments of the debt were accomplished by the sale of federally owned land in the West by the Jackson administration.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
WALLACE, WILLIAM
Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company C, 5th U.S. Infantry. Place and date: At Cedar Creek, etc., Mont., 21 October 1876 to 8 January 1877. Entered service at: – – – . Birth: Ireland. Date of issue: 27 April 1877. Citation: Gallantry in action.
WHITEHEAD, PATTON G.
Rank and organization: Private, Company C, 5th U.S. Infantry. Place and date: At Cedar Creek, etc., Mont., 21 October 1876 to 8 January 1877. Entered service at: – – – . Birth: Russell County, Va. Date of issue: 27 April 1877. Citation: Gallantry in action.
WILSON, CHARLES
Rank and organization: Corporal, Company H, 5th U.S. Infantry. Place and date: At Cedar Creek, etc., Mont., 21 October 1876 to 8 January 1877. Entered service at: Beardstown, Ill. Birth: Petersburg, Ill Date of issue: 27 April 1877. Citation: Gallantry in action.
SCHILT, CHRISTIAN FRANK
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps. Place and date: Quilali, Nicaragua, 6, 7 and 8 January 1928. Entered service at: Illinois. Born: 1 March 1895, Richland County, Ill. Other Navy awards: Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Distinguished FlyingCross with 1 gold star. Citation: During the progress of an insurrection at Quilali, Nicaragua, 6, 7, and 8 January 1928, 1st Lt. Schilt, then a member of a marine expedition which had suffered severe losses in killed and wounded, volunteered under almost impossible conditions to evacuate the wounded by air and transport a relief commanding officer to assume charge of a very serious situation. 1st Lt. Schilt bravely undertook this dangerous and important task and, by taking off a total of 10 times in the rough, rolling street of a partially burning village, under hostile infantry fire on each occasion, succeeded in accomplishing his mission, thereby actually saving 3 lives and bringing supplies and aid to others in desperate need.
DUNHAM, RUSSELL E.
Rank and organization: Technical Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company I, 30th Infantry, 3d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Kayserberg, France, 8 January 1945. Entered service at: Brighton Ill. Born: 23 February 1920, East Carondelet, Ill. G.O. No.: 37, 11 May 1945. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. At about 1430 hours on 8 January 1945, during an attack on Hill 616, near Kayserberg, France, T/Sgt. Dunham single-handedly assaulted 3 enemy machineguns. Wearing a white robe made of a mattress cover, carrying 12 carbine magazines and with a dozen hand grenades snagged in his belt, suspenders, and buttonholes, T/Sgt. Dunham advanced in the attack up a snow-covered hill under fire from 2 machineguns and supporting riflemen. His platoon 35 yards behind him, T/Sgt. Dunham crawled 75 yards under heavy direct fire toward the timbered emplacement shielding the left machinegun. As he jumped to his feet 10 yards from the gun and charged forward, machinegun fire tore through his camouflage robe and a rifle bllet seared a 10-inch gash across his back sending him spinning 15 yards down hill into the snow. When the indomitable sergeant sprang to his feet to renew his 1-man assault, a German egg grenade landed beside him. He kicked it aside, and as it exploded 5 yards away, shot and killed the German machinegunner and assistant gunner. His carbine empty, he jumped into the emplacement and hauled out the third member of the gun crew by the collar. Although his back wound was causing him excruciating pain and blood was seeping through his white coat, T/Sgt. Dunham proceeded 50 yards through a storm of automatic and rifle fire to attack the second machinegun. Twenty-five yards from the emplacement he hurled 2 grenades, destroying the gun and its crew; then fired down into the supporting foxholes with his carbine dispatching and dispersing the enemy riflemen. Although his coat was so thoroughly blood-soaked that he was a conspicuous target against the white landscape, T/Sgt. Dunham again advanced ahead of his platoon in an assault on enemy positions farther up the hill. Coming under machinegun fire from 65 yards to his front, while rifle grenades exploded 10 yards from his position, he hit the ground and crawled forward. At 15 yards range, he jumped to his feet, staggered a few paces toward the timbered machinegun emplacement and killed the crew with hand grenades. An enemy rifleman fired at pointblank range, but missed him. After killing the rifleman, T/Sgt. Dunham drove others from their foxholes with grenades and carbine fire. Killing 9 Germans – wounding 7 and capturing 2 – firing about 175 rounds of carbine ammunition, and expending 11 grenades, T/Sgt. Dunham, despite a painful wound, spearheaded a spectacular and successful diversionary attack.
*TURNER, DAY G.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company B, 319th Infantry, 80th Infantry Division. Place and date: At Dahl, Luxembourg, 8 January 1945. Entered service at. Nescopek, Pa. Birth: Berwick, Pa. G.O. No.: 49, 28 June 1945. Citation: He commanded a 9-man squad with the mission of holding a critical flank position. When overwhelming numbers of the enemy attacked under cover of withering artillery, mortar, and rocket fire, he withdrew his squad into a nearby house, determined to defend it to the last man. The enemy attacked again and again and were repulsed with heavy losses. Supported by direct tank fire, they finally gained entrance, but the intrepid sergeant refused to surrender although 5 of his men were wounded and 1 was killed. He boldly flung a can of flaming oil at the first wave of attackers, dispersing them, and fought doggedly from room to room, closing with the enemy in fierce hand-to-hand encounters. He hurled handgrenade for handgrenade, bayoneted 2 fanatical Germans who rushed a doorway he was defending and fought on with the enemy's weapons when his own ammunition was expended. The savage fight raged for 4 hours, and finally, when only 3 men of the defending squad were left unwounded, the enemy surrendered. Twenty-five prisoners were taken, 11 enemy dead and a great number of wounded were counted. Sgt. Turner's valiant stand will live on as a constant inspiration to his comrades His heroic, inspiring leadership, his determination and courageous devotion to duty exemplify the highest tradition of the military service .
WETZEL, GARY GEORGE
Rank and organization: Specialist Fourth Class (then Pfc.), U.S. Army, 173d Assault Helicopter Company. Place and date: Near Ap Dong An, Republic of Vietnam, 8 January 1968. Entered service at: Milwaukee, Wis. Born: 29 September 1947, South Milwaukee, Wis. Citation. Sp4c. Wetzel, 173d Assault Helicopter Company, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life. Above and beyond the call of duty. Sp4c. Wetzel was serving as door gunner aboard a helicopter which was part of an insertion force trapped in a landing zone by intense and deadly hostile fire. Sp4c. Wetzel was going to the aid of his aircraft commander when he was blown into a rice paddy and critically wounded by 2 enemy rockets that exploded just inches from his location. Although bleeding profusely due to the loss of his left arm and severe wounds in his right arm, chest, and left leg, Sp4c. Wetzel staggered back to his original position in his gun-well and took the enemy forces under fire. His machinegun was the only weapon placing effective fire on the enemy at that time. Through a resolve that overcame the shock and intolerable pain of his injuries, Sp4c. Wetzel remained at his position until he had eliminated the automatic weapons emplacement that had been inflicting heavy casualties on the American troops and preventing them from moving against this strong enemy force. Refusing to attend his own extensive wounds, he attempted to return to the aid of his aircraft commander but passed out from loss of blood. Regaining consciousness, he persisted in his efforts to drag himself to the aid of his fellow crewman. After an agonizing effort, he came to the side of the crew chief who was attempting to drag the wounded aircraft commander to the safety of a nearby dike. Unswerving in his devotion to his fellow man, Sp4c. Wetzel assisted his crew chief even though he lost consciousness once again during this action. Sp4c. Wetzel displayed extraordinary heroism in his efforts to aid his fellow crewmen. His gallant actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army and reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for January 8, 2021 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
8 January
1944: Milo Burcham flew the Bell/Lockheed XP-80 Shooting Star, named the "Lulu Belle," for the first time at Muroc Field, Calif. This field became Edwards AFB on 5 December 1949. (12)
1951: KOREAN WAR. Fifth Air Force flew more missions when blizzards forced U. S. Navy Task Force 77 carriers to stop close air support missions for X Corps. B-29 Superfortresses cratered Kimpo Airfield to prevent its use by enemy aircraft. (28)
1952: EXERCISE SNOWFALL: Through 13 January, the 516th Troop Carrier Wing used nearly 100 planes to move 8,623 11th Airborne Division troops from Fort Campbell, Ky., to WheelerSack Army Air Field, N.Y. This exercise tested military capabilities using winter tactics, techniques, and doctrines. Some 10,000 Army personnel were airlifted and 6,400 paratroops were dropped. The exercise saw the first use of Sikorsky H-19 helicopter in tactical air maneuvers. (11) (24)
1959: Through 16 January, two ski-equipped C-130s from the Tactical Air Command recovered equipment and people from Ice Island Charlie, after it began to break up 450 miles northwest of Point Barrow, Alaska. (11) The National Air and Space Administration asked the Army for eight Redstone-type launch vehicles for the Project Mercury development flights. (20)
1964: The USAF received its last F-105D aircraft. (5) 1965: The Strategic Air Command's last test Atlas F launched from Vandenberg AFB, Calif. (6)
1970: Col Douglas H. Frost set flight endurance record for A-7D Corsair IIs. He made a 10-hour flight from Edwards AFB, Calif., with two round trips to New Mexico and covered 5,000 miles with one air refueling. (5) A Space and Missile Systems Organization crew from Air Force Systems Command launched and inserted the Skynet communications satellite into orbit. (26)
1971: The Strategic Air Command completed the first Minuteman III squadron at Minot AFB, N. Dak. (12)
1973: The Tactical Air Command flew its first Weapon System Evaluation Program mission under the program name Combat Echo. (Msg, ACC/DO to AWFC/CC, R081245Z JAN 98) LAST AERIAL VICTORY. In their F-4D Phantom, Capt Paul D. Howman and 1Lt Lawrence W. Kullman shot down a MiG southwest of Hanoi with a radar-guided AIM-7 missile. This shootdown was the last aerial victory before the North Vietnamese signed the ceasefire agreement, which went into effect on 29 January. (16) (21)
1977: First YC-141B, a C-141A Starlifter stretched 23.3 feet and equipped for inflight refueling, rolled out at Lockheed's plant in Marietta, Ga. (2)
1986: The Military Airlift Command accepted its first C-5B Galaxy for the 443rd Military Airlift Wing at Altus AFB, Okla. (16) (18)
1988: The USAF let a $4.9 million contract to develop a new close air support and interdiction plane to replace the A-10. (5)
1998: After originating Combat Echo in 1973, the Tactical Air Command combined this program in July 1984 with the Air Defense Command's Combat Pike to form the Combat Archer Weapon System Evaluation Program. This program reached its 25th anniversary in a continuing effort to develop and validate USAF weapons systems. (Msg, ACC/DO to AWFC/CC, R081245Z JAN 98)
2001: At Plant 42 in Palmdale, Calif., Boeing's X-32B Joint Strike Fighter concept demonstrator completed its initial low- and medium-speed taxi tests at 30 and 60 knots, respectively, to verify function and integration of crucial aircraft systems. It was the short-takeoff and vertical-landing (STOVL) version of the Joint Strike Fighter. (3)
2007: Air Force AC-130 gunships attacked a terror training base in a heavily forested area called Ras Kamboni in Somalia near the Kenyan border. The gunships targeted al Qaeda terrorists who planned the 1998 attacks against the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. (AFNEWS, "Aircraft Attack Al Queda Haven in Somalia," 9 Jan 2007.)
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World News for 8 January thanks to Military Periscope
USA—3rd Active-Duty Soldier Dies From COVID-19 Military Times | 01/08/2021 A senior Army non-commissioned officer has become the third active-duty servicemember to die from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), reports the Military Times. On Jan. 2, Sgt. 1st Class Lisa Maria Soto died at a civilian hospital near Fort Lee, Va., where she was stationed, said a service spokesman on Wednesday. Soto had served in the Army for more than 20 years and deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. She had served as an advanced individual training instructor with the 244th Quartermaster Battalion since 2017. Soto is the third active-duty service member to die from the virus and the 15th servicemember overall, the newspaper said.
USA—DoD To Begin Process Of Removing Names Of Confederate Figures Politico | 01/08/2021 The Dept. of Defense is set to begin work to remove the names of Confederate leaders from its property under a mandate included in the latest National Defense Authorization Act, reports Politico. The NDAA, which was passed last week over the veto of outgoing President Trump, requires the military to begin a process by March to remove names, symbols, monuments and other honors associated with the Confederacy from Defense Dept. property. Confederate graves are exempt from the mandate. Public scrutiny has focused on 10 Army bases named for Confederate leaders, but the review will assess other properties, including buildings at West Point and the U.S. Naval Academy and a pair of Navy ships. An eight-member panel will be formed to carry out the task. The Pentagon will appoint half its members, while the four leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees will select the remainder. Its responsibility will include developing criteria for identifying Confederate monuments, recommending procedures for renaming properties and gathering local input. The panel is not explicitly tasked with selecting new names but is expected to have the latitude to do so. The secretary of the army or secretary of defense also have the authority to rename such facilities. A written report detailing assets that are to be renamed or removed is due to Congress by Oct. 1, 2022. Work is scheduled to be completed three years after the NDAA's passage.
USA—Thousands Of Guard Personnel Activated After Capitol Hill Violence Politico | 01/08/2021 The Dept. of Defense has activated more 6,000 National Guard personnel to provide additional security in Washington, D.C., after a pro-Trump mob breached the Capitol building, reports Politico (Washington, D.C.). As many as 6,200 Guard personnel from six states have been approved for deployment by acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller under Title 32, Section 502F, which provides federal funding for the mission. The authorization also grants additional authority to assist law enforcement. The personnel began arriving in Washington on Monday night ahead of the planned Trump rally on Wednesday. Further forces are scheduled to deploy through Sunday. The deployment includes all 1,100 members of the D.C. National Guard. Five hundred personnel from Virginia arrived in the capital on Wednesday night, and an additional 1,500 were expected to arrive by Friday. Another 500 Guardsmen from Maryland were expected to arrive on Thursday. Pennsylvania and New York were each sending 1,000 Guard personnel, who are slated to arrive by Sunday. New Jersey and Delaware were sending 500 and 200 troops, respectively, who are to arrive on Friday. The National Guard personnel will be under the command of Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy and will be deployed across the city to maintain order. They will not be armed, said an unnamed defense official. The personnel are expected to be mobilized for up to 30 days.
Russia—Western Military District Units In Line For Koalitsiya-SV Howitzers Defence-Blog | 01/08/2021 A Russian army unit in the Western Military District is set to receive additional self-propelled howitzers, reports Defence Blog. Armored units of the Taman Motor Rifle Division of the Guards Tank Army will receive 18 152-mm 2S35 Koalitsiya-SV self-propelled howitzers, the Western Military District said in a statement. The delivery schedule was not disclosed. The howitzers, based on the T-90 tank platform, have a rate of fire of more than 10 rounds per minute due to an advanced automatic loading system.
China—Advanced J-20 Fighter To Get Domestic Engine South China Morning Post | 01/08/2021 China has decided to begin installing domestically designed engines in its stealthy J-20 fighter jets, reports the South China Morning Post. Military sources told the newspaper that the jets will be fitted with the upgraded WS-10C engine, after it was found to be as good as the Russian AL-31F powerplant that currently powers the J-20. The move is necessary because Russia wanted China to buy additional Su-35 fighters as part of any deal for additional AL-31F engines. Beijing does not want to buy more of the aircraft, arguing that its electronic systems are less advanced than those on China's J-16. Images circulating online in late 2020 showed a new J-20 prototype equipped with a Chinese powerplant. Sources said that the prototype was powered by the WS-10C, noting that the engine remained a stopgap choice. Modified J-20Bs, which entered serial production in June 2020, will continue to use Russian AL-31F engines because testing of the WS-10C would take at least a year, said the sources. The WS-10C was chosen only because the high-thrust WS-15 turbofan engine failed final evaluations in late 2019. Authorities have demanded that the powerplant match the performance of the U.S. F119 engine, which powers the F-22 Raptor.
South Korea—Court Orders Tokyo To Pay Reparations To Comfort Women Yonhap | 01/08/2021 A South Korean court has ordered Japan to pay reparations to survivors of sexual enslavement during World War II, reports the Yonhap news agency (Seoul). On Friday, the Seoul Central District Court said that Tokyo must pay 12 "comfort women" US$91,300 each for their suffering in Japanese-run brothels during the war. Only five of the women are still alive. The historic ruling is the first time that Japan has been ordered to directly compensate survivors of wartime sexual abuse, reported Bloomberg News. Japanese representatives argued that sovereign immunity shielded them from liability in the case. Tokyo argues that the issue of comfort women was settled in a 2015 agreement with the South Korean government. Victims have called that accord inadequate, because they were left out of the negotiations and it did not include a sincere Japanese apology. The court ruled that state-level agreements did not override the right of victims to seek reparations from Japan for their hardship. Japan protested the decision and summoned South Korean Amb. Nam Gwan Pyo to protest the decision, reported the Kyodo news agency (Tokyo). The Japanese government is not expected to abide by the ruling, reported the New York Times. Issues relating to the Japanese occupation, which ended in 1945, have become a major source of friction between Japan and South Korea in the last few years.
Burma—Military Backs Elections In Rakhine, Shan States Radio Free Asia | 01/08/2021 The Burmese military has called for elections to be held in the war-torn Rakhine and Shan states ahead of the seating of the new Parliament, reports Radio Free Asia. On Thursday, the military called for elections to take place by Feb. 1 in nine townships in Rakhine state and six townships in Shan state, where voting in the Nov. 8 election was canceled due to the conflict with the Arakan Army (AA) in Rakhine and Northern Alliance in Shan. About 1.2 million of the 1.6 million registered voters in Rakhine were unable to cast ballots. The Rakhine State Election Subcommission says that it is ready to hold the vote, but the Union Election Commission has not yet indicated whether the elections will be held. The AA and government have made several steps towards peace talks in recent months, including a truce that began in November and a renewed push for peace talks under the permanent Peace Talks Committee. The Rakhine-based militants have also begun releasing some captives in their custody, including members of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) and Burmese soldiers.
Thailand—Army Receives Spike Missiles From Israel Asian Military Review | 01/08/2021 The Royal Thai Army has taken delivery of anti-tank missiles from Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, reports the Asian Military Review. Rafael delivered an undisclosed number of Spike MR missiles, which were ordered earlier in 2020, the company said in a release on Dec. 28. The first lot of missiles and launchers will be fielded by the army's 6th Infantry Division, the company said.
India—Air Force Nears Orders For C-295 Transports, Tejas Mk 1A Fighters Hindustan Times | 01/08/2021 The Indian air force will soon finalize contracts for new transport and fighter aircraft, reports the Hindustan Times (New Delhi). In an end-of-year review, the Indian Defense Ministry indicated that it would sign a US$2.5 billion contract with a joint venture between Airbus Defense and Space and Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) for 56 C-295 medium transports. Airbus would build the first 16 aircraft at its production facilities, which would be delivered within two years of contract signature The remaining 40 aircraft would be locally assembled by TASL and delivered over the following eight years. The C-295s are intended to replace the air force's aging Avro-748 medium transport aircraft and take on some of the missions of its An-32 planes. The contract is in the financial approval stage and is expected to be signed in the near future, the ministry said. A US$5.1 billion contract for 83 indigenously developed Tejas Mk 1A fighters is also anticipated soon after the procurement was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security, said the ministry review. The Mk 1A has 43 improvements over the Tejas Mk 1, including improved maintainability, an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, aerial refueling, beyond-visual-range weapons and advanced electronic warfare systems, noted the Times of India. Finally, India is also expected to sign a deal for additional Harop loitering munitions in the first quarter of 2021, said the ministry.
Pakistan—Police Arrest 7 Members Of Prohibited Shi'ite Group In Punjab News International | 01/08/2021 Pakistani police have arrested seven members of a banned Shi'ite militant group in the eastern Punjab province, reports the News International (Pakistan). Agents from the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in Punjab arrested the members of Sipah-e-Muhammad Pakistan (SMP) in separate raids in the cities of Khusab, Sahiwal and Sargodha. The militant cell was actively planning to target "members of the opposite sect," said CTD Punjab. The operation was reportedly masterminded by Mehmood Iqbal, who is believed to be residing in an unnamed foreign country. The Shi'ite SMP militant group was believed to be targeting members of Sunni-aligned groups. Security forces recovered explosive materials, detonators, fuses, grenades, pistols, rifles, ammunition and money during the operations. The raids come at a time of heightened tensions between Shi'ite Pakistanis and the government following the killing of 11 Shi'ite coal miners in Balochistan province. ISIS claimed responsibility for that attack.
Afghanistan—Taliban Offensive In Kandahar Repelled, Government Says TOLONews | 01/08/2021 Officials in Afghanistan's southern Kandahar province say security forces have defeated a large-scale Taliban operation, reports the Tolo News (Kabul). Over the last few weeks, the militants launched an offensive against the Arghandab, Zherai, Panjwai and Dand districts, said a Kandahar police spokesman. The fighters aimed to take and hold city centers in those districts but were rebuffed, he said. At least 698 Taliban were killed in the last month of fighting, the spokesman said. This figures includes at least 53 militants who were killed in the Arghandab and Khakriz districts on Wednesday, according to Afghan Defense Ministry statements cited by the Khaama Press (Kabul). Troops have established outposts in Zherai and are continuing to push out the Taliban from Arghandab and Panjwai, said the Kandahar police spokesman.
Israel—Air Defenses Deployed To Eilat To Respond To Potential Iranian Threats Times of Israel | 01/08/2021 The Israeli military has moved air defense batteries to southern Israel over concerns about potential missile attacks by Iranian proxies, reports the Times of Israel. Iron Dome and Patriot batteries have been deployed near Eilat at the southern tip of Israel. The deployment is part of the Israeli military's response to a potential Iranian attack to coincide with the anniversary of the death of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Iranian Quds Force who was killed in a U.S. airstrike last year, as well as in retaliation for the assassination of the head of Iran's military nuclear program in November. The air defense batteries would provide coverage against potential missile attacks by Iranian proxy groups operating in Yemen, including the Houthis. There are also potential threats from Islamist militants in Sinai, reported the Jerusalem Post.
Egypt—1st Domestically Built El Fateh-Class Corvette Commissioned In Alexandria Naval News | 01/08/2021 The Egyptian navy has commissioned its first locally built El Fateh-class corvette, reports Naval News. On Wednesday, the Port Said was handed over and commissioned during a ceremony at the Alexandria Shipyard. The ship then sailed to her homeport in Alexandria. Egypt signed a 1 billion euro (US$1.4 billion) contract for four El Fateh-class corvettes in June 2014. The award did not include the weapons for the ships. The first-in-class El Fateh was built at Naval Group's Lorient Shipyard in France. The remaining vessels in the class are being assembled at Alexandria Shipyard. The third and fourth ships, El Moez and Luxor, were launched on May 12, 2019, and May 14, 2020, respectively, and are currently undergoing trials.
Niger—Former U.S. Air Force C-130 Arrives In Niamey U.S. Embassy in Niger | 01/08/2021 A C-130 Hercules transport aircraft donated to the Nigerien air force by the U.S. has been handed over, reports the U.S. Embassy in Niger. On Jan. 4, the C-130 was handed over in a ceremony at Air Base 101 in the capital of Niamey. U.S. Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett, U.S. Ambassador Eric Whitaker, Nigerien Minister of Defense Katambe and defense chief Gen. Salifou Mody attended the event, the embassy said in a release. The U.S. has invested over US$30 million since 2015 to develop the Nigerien air force C-130 program. The program included training, spare parts, infrastructure, fuel and support equipment, including the construction of a C-130 facility at Air Base 201 in Agadez and refurbishing a C-130 hangar at Air Base 101. Sixteen pilots, 19 maintainers, six crew chiefs, five loadmasters and one engineer have been trained so far. Following her visit to Niger, Barrett stopped in Nigeria for meetings on the U.S. Air Force's plans to deliver 12 A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft to the Nigerian air force starting this year, reported Air Force magazine.
Mali—Government Backs French Account Of Airstrikes Alleged To Have Killed Civilians Agence France-Presse | 01/08/2021 The Malian government has backed the French account of a controversial airstrike that some say killed civilians, reports Agence France-Presse. On Thursday, the Malian Defense Ministry published a statement saying that the Jan. 3 attack targeted a band of about 50 Katiba Serma militants. No evidence observed at the time indicated that there was a wedding in the area. A French MQ-9 Reaper drone monitored a group of about 40 men for about 90 minutes before the strike, which took place about 0.6 miles (1 km) from the nearest houses on the edge of the village of Bounti, said a French army statement quoted by Reuters. About 30 suspected terrorists were killed in the strikes by French Mirage 2000 jets, said the Malian Defense Ministry. An inquiry has been opened into the incident, said the ministry. Katiba Serma is an ally of Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), Al-Qaida's affiliate in Mali. Some witnesses said that the strike on Bounti, in the central Mopti region, struck a wedding attended by members of the Fulani community. Witnesses say at least 18 people were killed in the attack.
Uganda—Family Of Presidential Candidate Forced To Flee Daily Monitor | 01/08/2021 Ugandan presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, has been forced to send his family out of the country after threats were made against them, reports the Daily Monitor (Kampala). On Wednesday night, photos leaked on social media showing Kyagulanyi's children at Entebbe International Airport. On Thursday, Kyagulanyi released a statement that he had been forced to send his children out of the country after receiving information about a pending attack on him and his wife and plans to kidnap his children. He and his wife are remaining in Uganda. Several people close to the candidate have been arrested, injured or killed during the campaign. Kyagulanyi is running as a member of the National Unity Platform against incumbent President Yoweri Museveni, who has held the job since 1986. Voting is scheduled for Jan. 14.
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