The List 6007
Good Thursday Morning February 17
I hope that your week has been going well.
Regards,
Skip
This day in Naval and Marine Corps History
February 17
1942 - The first Construction Battalion (Seabees) arrives in the Pacific during World War II at Bora Bora, Society Islands.
On This Day in Naval History
1864
While at anchor off Charleston, S.C., the Steam Sloop of War USS Housatonic is attacked by the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley using a spar torpedo. USS Housatonic is recorded as the first warship to be sunk by a submarine.
1942
The first Construction Battalion (Seabees) arrives in the Pacific during World War II at Bora Bora, Society Islands.
1944
USS Nicholas (DD 449) sinks the Japanese submarine I-11 in the Marshall Islands.
1944
During Operation Hailstone, aircraft from the nine aircraft carriers of Task Force 58 attack the Japanese fleet at Truk. During the 2-day strike, 33 Japanese vessels are destroyed and nine more damaged.
1945
While wounded and gravely weakened, Medal of Honor Recipient Lt Rufus G. Herring takes the helm of the Landing Craft Infantry Gunboat (LCI(G)-449), which was heavily hit by Japanese counter-fire, rallies his men, and keeps the ship in action protecting UDT swimmers.
THIS DAY IN WORLD HISTORY
February 17
1454 At a grand feast, Philip the Good of Burgundy takes the "vow of the pheasant," by which he swears to fight the Turks.
1598 Boris Godunov, the boyar of Tarar origin, is elected czar in succession to his brother-in-law Fydor.
1720 Spain signs the Treaty of the Hague with the Quadruple Alliance ending a war that was begun in 1718.
1801 The House of Representatives breaks an electoral college tie and chooses Thomas Jefferson over Aaron Burr.
1864 The Confederate submarine Hunley sinks the USS Housatonic in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina.
1865 The South Carolina capital city, Columbia, is destroyed by fire as Major General William Tecumseh Sherman marches through.
1909 Apache chief Geronimo dies of pneumonia at age 80, while still in captivity at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
1919 Germany signs an armistice giving up territory in Poland.
1925 The first issue of Harold Ross' magazine, The New Yorker, hits the stands, selling for 15 cents a copy.
1933 The League of Nations censures Japan in a worldwide broadcast.
1935 Thirty-one prisoners escape an Oklahoma prison after murdering a guard.
1938 The first color television is demonstrated at the Dominion Theatre in London.
1944 U.S forces land on Eniwetok atoll in the South Pacific.
1945 Gen. MacArthur's troops land on Corregidor in the Philippines.
1951 Packard introduces its "250" Chassis Convertible.
1955 Britain announces its ability to make hydrogen bombs.
1959 The United States launches its first weather station in space, Vanguard II.
1960 Martin Luther King Jr. is arrested in the Alabama bus boycott.
1963 Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev visits the Berlin Wall.
1969 Russia and Peru sign their first trade accord.
1973 President Richard Nixon names Patrick Gray director of the FBI.
1975 Art by Cezanne, Gauguin, Renoir, and van Gogh, valued at $5 million, is stolen from the Municipal Museum in Milan.
1979 China begins a "pedagogical" war against Vietnam. It will last until March.
1985 Murray Haydon becomes the third person to receive an artificial heart.
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From Yesterday
Coal-fired power plants item
Thanks to Dudley, Black and a couple of others
Today's item on coal-fired power plants begged for a validity check. I didn't bother to confirm any of the numbers except one – the USA – which according to Wikipedia has 241 coal-fired power plants, not 15.
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Thanks to Mike
Cheers
Butch the Rooster.....
Sarah was in the fertilized egg business. She had several hundred young pullets and ten roosters to fertilize the eggs.
She kept records and any rooster not performing went into the soup pot and was replaced.
This took a lot of time, so she bought some tiny bells and attached them to her roosters.
Each bell had a different tone, so she could tell from a distance if a rooster was performing and, more importantly, which were not.
Now, she could sit on the porch and fill out an efficiency report by just listening to the bells.
Sarah's favorite rooster, old Butch, was a very fine specimen but, this morning she noticed old Butch's bell hadn't rung at all!
When she went to investigate, she saw the other roosters were busy chasing pullets, bells-a-ringing, but the pullets hearing the roosters coming, would run for cover.
To Sarah's amazement, old Butch had his bell in his beak, so it couldn't ring.
He'd sneak up on a pullet, do his job, and walk on to the next one.
Sarah was so proud of old Butch, she entered him in a Show, and he became an overnight sensation among the judges.
The result was the judges not only awarded old Butch the "No Bell Peace Prize" they also awarded him the "Pullet Surprise" as well.
Clearly old Butch was a politician in the making. Who else but a politician could figure out how to win two of the most coveted awards on our planet by being the best at sneaking up on the unsuspecting populace and screwing them when they weren't paying attention?
Vote carefully in the next election. You can't always hear the bells.
If you don't send this on, you're a chicken...... and that's no yolk.
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Like many of you out there I spent many years on the flight deck of a number of aircraft carriers and saw many small and large accidents. The deck handlers were quite a group and they paid the price of a second of inattention. The F-8 Crusader was a dangerous one on the deck and I almost swallowed my plane captain one day on the USS Hancock. He was giving me my control checks and was in front of the nose and as I saw him start moving from my left to my right I heard something rattle down the intake under my seat and immediately shut off the engine as other flight deck folks started running toward my aircraft. He had been sucked into the intake and managed to get a hand on each side of the intake and held himself out for the fraction of time it took me to shut the engine down. What I heard was his helmet and gear being sucked off him and clatter down the intake. He was ok skip
Thanks to Billy … Including F-35 ops ... via Dr. Rich
One of most hazardous jobs on the planet - the carrier deck hands! — — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0N4TUN_WijI
Want a lesson on the hand signals? - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=As7zQPkkv8c
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ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED Thanks to the Bear … Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post
… For The List for Thursday, 17 February 2022…. Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 17 February 1967… State Dept document details a White House discussion of Rolling Thunder targets…
This following work accounts for every fixed wing loss of the Vietnam War and you can use it to read more about the losses in The Bear's Daily account. Even better it allows you to add your updated information to the work to update for history…skip
Vietnam Air Losses
Access Chris Hobson and Dave Lovelady's work at: https://www.VietnamAirLosses.com.
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Thanks to Robert
Nolte: Truck Drivers Are the Atlas that Finally Shrugged
7,042 Photo by JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images
JOHN NOLTE
11 Feb 20224,016
4:57
Anyone familiar with my scribbling knows that I separate modern society into two categories: World Turners and The Useless.
Me? I'm no World Turner. I'm one of The Useless. What I mean is this: If everyone who does what I do for a living stopped doing it today, the world would keep right on turning. Society would roll along just fine without me and mine — maybe better. Sure, a few people might miss my musings, but only for a little while. And the same is true for anyone who makes a living spewing their half-assed opinions (especially Jonah Goldberg).
In fact, you could wipe society's table clear of every writer, artist, actor, musician, professor, dancer, reporter, tastemaker, producer, influencer, teacher, lobbyist, politician, everyone on TV, everyone who doesn't get their hands dirty, and our world would keep turning just fine. Would we miss things like the newest Marvel movie? Sure. Those things are the spice of a life as bountiful as ours. But that doesn't change the fact that our world would keep right on turning.
Now try to live without the World Turners, those sneered at by America's left-wing elite, by the CNNs and Morning Joes and NPR — the working class. Try to imagine your life without mechanics, farmers, coal miners, oil drillers, plumbers, roofers, electricians, pest control, the people who stock the shelves, who make our steel, police our streets, put out our fires, pave our roads, dig our ditches, haul our garbage, and plow the snow. Within a month, our world stops turning. Within six months, welcome to dystopia. Within a year, we're eating one another.
But if you really want to know who keeps our world turning, it's the truck drivers. Nothing moves without truck drivers, and I do mean nothing. Without truck drivers, it all goes to shit in about a week. No gasoline, no heating oil, empty store shelves, empty pharmacies, no seeds to grow your own food. It all grinds to a halt.
And still, despite their necessity and the value they add to our lives, everything our useless elites despise can be found in the person of a truck driver, for they are the modern-day cowboy: the rugged and resourceful individualists doing the dangerous, difficult, skilled, and tedious work of keeping us fed and absurdly comfortable.
Thanks primarily to truck drivers, modern societies' poor live a life of luxury no Pharaoh could have imagined: central heat, air conditioning, microwaves, plasma TVs, cheap food, clothes, and furniture, cheap everything…
You don't have to thank these guys. In fact, they're perfectly content living in a world where no one gives them a thought. That's how they're built. If one quality defines most truck drivers, it's that they just want to be left alone. They're loners comfortable in their own company and eager to escape into the cab of their rig where the world makes sense, where the complications and unnecessary dramas that define modern life don't exist. All that exists is hot coffee, a loyal dog, the radio, the companionship of the like-minded at the next stop, and the road.
We need truck drivers a whole lot more than they need us, and they know it. The leverage they hold over our society has always been there, but because truck drivers are men and not babies, they don't use it. Instead, they just go about the business of going about their business. But if you don't allow them to go about their business…
Guys like this, guys who just want to be left alone, those are the last guys you want to push around to the point where they push back.
And now the world's truck drivers, especially in fascist Canada, have had enough, and now they're shrugging. Brother, are they shrugging.
And can you blame them?
You don't need a vaccine passport to attend the Oscars, but you do need one to be a truck driver.
On what planet is that okay?
Only silver-spooned bullies like Justin Trudeau and Joe Biden live on that planet.
And never forget that unlike the Brownshirts in Black Lives Matter and Antifa, these men are laying something on the line, something real. These are working people, not professional activists, criminals, and students. These men have families, mortgages, a nut to crack every month. But they're still out there without the burning and looting that define the modern left. The risks are also real — crippling fines, imprisonment, truck confiscation, a fascist state eager for violence — but their cause is the most righteous of causes in the history of man: the right to be left alone.
Who is John Galt?
Now we know.
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Thanks to Micro
CLEVER WORDS FOR CLEVER PEOPLE
1. ARBITRAITOR
A cook that leaves Arby's to work at McDonald's.
2. BERNADETTE
The act of torching a mortgage.
3. BURGLARIZE
What a crook sees through.
4. AVOIDABLE
What a bullfighter tries to do.
5. COUNTERFEITER
Workers who put together kitchen cabinets.
6. LEFT BANK
What the bank robbers did when their bag was full of money.
7. HEROES
What a man in a boat does.
8. PARASITES
What you see from the Eiffel Tower.
9. PARADOX
Two physicians.
10. PHARMACIST
A helper on a farm.
11. RELIEF
What trees do in the spring.
12. RUBBERNECK
What you do to relax your wife.
13. SELFISH
What the owner of a seafood store does.
14. SUDAFED
Brought litigation against a government official.
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This Day in U S Military History….17 February
1900 – In response to an ambush that has killed two Philippine based Marines the day before, the gunboat USS Manileno was present and willing to help but broken down, so Captain Draper, the local commander, prevailed upon the master of a native steamer to tow the gunboat with himself and a force of 107 men aboard to the village of Moron a little after midnight on the morning of 17 February. Surprising the defenders, he took the town without much resistance, destroyed a store of ammunition, and burned the blockhouse. On the afternoon of the same day he ordered the inhabitants of Benictican and Baton to move into Olongapo, where the Marines were based, within three days or be declared outlaws. All obeyed his order except six families, who, according to his information, moved to another town.
1909 – Apache chief Geronimo dies of pneumonia at age 80, while still in captivity at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. The slaughter of Geronimo's family when he was a young man turned him from a peaceful Indian into a bold warrior. Originally Goyathlay ("One Who Yawns") joined a fierce band of Apaches known as Chiricahuas and with them took part in raids in northern Mexico and across the border into U.S. territory which are now known as the states of New Mexico and Arizona. Geronimo was the last Apache fighting force. He became the most famous Apache of all for standing against the U.S. government and for holding out the longest. He was a great Apache medicine man, a great spiritual leader. Geronimo was highly sought by Apache chiefs for his wisdom. He is said to have had magical powers. He could see into the future and walk without creating footprints. He could even prevent dawn from rising to protect his people. In 1876, Federal authorities captured and forced Geronimo and his band onto a U.S. reservation at San Carlos, Arizona. It was described as "Hell's Forty Acres." He soon escaped and fled to Mexico to resume the life that he loved. Geronimo roamed Arizona and New Mexico and was persued relentlessly by more than five-thousand U.S. troops. Exhausted and hopelessly out numbered, Geronimo surrendered in 1886. His band consisted of a handful of warriors, women, and children. Geronimo, along with a few hundred of his fellow Apaches, were shipped by box-car to Florida for imprisonment. Geronimo was relocated to Fort Sill, Oklahoma and, as a prisoner of war, unable to return to his much loved homeland, died of pneumonia. He is buried in the Apache cemetery at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
1944 – Operation Catchpole is launched as American troops devastate the Japanese defenders of Eniwetok and take control of the atoll in the northwestern part of the Marshall Islands. The U.S. Central Pacific Campaign was formulated during the August 1943 Quebec Conference. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill agreed on, among other things, a new blueprint for fighting in the Pacific: an island-hopping strategy; the establishment of bases from which to launch B-29s for a final assault on Japan; and a new Southeast Asia command for British Adm. Louis Mountbatten. The success of the island-hopping strategy brought Guadalcanal and New Guinea under Allied control. Though those areas were important, the Allies also still needed to capture the Mariana Islands, the Marshall Islands, and the Gilbert Islands, which had comprised an inner defensive perimeter for the Japanese. Each was a group of atolls, with between 20 to 50 islets, islands, and coral reefs surrounding a lagoon. The Allies planned an amphibious landing on the islands–all the more difficult because of this unusual terrain. On February 17, a combined U.S. Marine and Army force under Adm. Richmond Kelly Turner made its move against Eniwetok. Air strikes, artillery and naval gunfire, and battleship fire 1,500 yards from the beach gave cover to the troops moving ashore and did serious damage to the Japanese defenses. Six days after the American landing, the atoll was secured. The loss for the Japanese was significant: only 64 of the 2,677 defenders who met the Marine and Army force survived the fighting. The Americans lost only 195. The position on Eniwetok gave U.S. forces a base of operations to finally capture the entirety of the Marianas. Eniwetok was also useful to the United States after the war–in 1952 it became the testing ground for the first hydrogen bomb.
1944 – American forces attack the Japanese base at Truk and nearby shipping. Three groups of Task Force 58 (Admiral Mitscher) and one group of Task Forces 50 (Admiral Spruance) engage. The operation is under the command of Spruance. In total 9 carriers and 6 battleships as well as cruisers, destroyers and submarines are involved.
1968 – American officials in Saigon report an all-time high weekly rate of U.S. casualties–543 killed in action and 2,547 wounded in the previous seven days. These losses were a result of the heavy fighting during the communist Tet Offensive.1972 – President Nixon departed on his historic 10-day trip to China.
1974 – Private First Class Robert K. Preston, US Army, a helicopter pilot who had washed out of training, crept across the tarmac at Fort Meade, Maryland, and boarded a UH-1 Iroquois helicopter. The aircraft was unarmed and, as was usual, was kept fueled on the flight line. With the practiced hand of his training, he quickly went through the start up sequence. Without clearance, he pushed in the power, pulled up on the controls and took off into the night. For a time, he orbited the base at night, enjoying the view and hovering over base housing. Finally, bored with this, he set out for a new destination — the White House. When PFC Preston arrived in Washington, he took a flight down the Anacostia River, turned north at the Capitol Street Bridge and then flew directly to the White House. It was about 1:00 am. At first the Secret Service was somewhat miffed. He buzzed the White House itself and then hovered overhead for six long minutes. At the time, policy was that they would not fire on a helicopter or other aerial intruder if it might endanger innocent bystanders, and so they waited. Finally, he flew down the South Lawn and landed about 100 yards toward the south fence. The Washington Monument towered in the background and he remained there on the ground for a minute. Two Maryland Police helicopters that had flown down from around Baltimore hovered nearby. Suddenly, PFC Preston took back off into the night skies and the police gave close pursuit. An extended tail chase ensued at low level. In fact, it turned out that PFC Preston was indeed quite an expert pilot after all, as he managed to not only outmaneuver the two helicopters at ever turn but even managed to drive one down in the process. The second helicopter broke off but stayed nearby after what officials called, "a modern day dogfight". PFC Preston returned to the White House once more. It was nearly 2:00 am and he had led the officials on a prolonged chase — certainly, his fuel was running low. This time he flew up to the Washington Monument, hovering at seven feet of altitude along the base for a bit before flying back straight north onto the White House's South Lawn. There too he hovered just a few feet over the grass and it seemed to officials that this time he might be preparing to make a dash to crash into the building. The second Maryland Police helicopter set down quickly between him and the White House as Secret Service agents moved toward the helicopter. Then, without warning, they opened fire with handguns and shotguns hoping to cripple the helicopter. They also fired and hit PFC Preston with a shotgun blast, injuring slightly. He landed the damaged helicopter at once — though it seemed also that the damage from the gunfire had knocked the aircraft out of the sky, leaving the Secret Service to conclude that it had downed the helicopter. Once on the ground, the Secret Service and Maryland Police rushed in. PFC Preston jumped clear and fought them hand to hand, though he was badly outnumbered. It wasn't long before he was subdued, however. Handcuffed, he was taken into the White House for questioning before being transferred to Walter Reed hospital for treatment for his light injuries — mainly shotgun pellets. The following day, when being escorted into a police car, he was smiling. When asked why he had flown back to the White House a second time, he said that he knew it was wrong to fly over the White House so he had flown back "to turn himself in". The Secret Service ordered psychological testing. Ultimately, all civil charges were dropped and he was left to the military court system. In the end, PFC Preston had proven two things — first, he was a pretty darn good helicopter pilot after all; and second, that he was certainly not up to the moral and ethical standards of the US Army. He was sentenced to a year in prison.
1988 – Marine Lt. Col. William Higgins, an American officer, and veteran of Vietnam, serving with a United Nations truce monitoring group, was kidnapped in southern Lebanon by pro-Iranian terrorists. He was later slain by his captors. His remains were recovers and interred at Arlington National Cemetery. In 1999, the Navy named an Arleigh-Burke class destroyer for him.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
*HAMMERBERG, OWEN FRANCIS PATRICK
Rank and organization: Boatswain's Mate Second Class, U.S. Navy. Born: 31 May 1920, Daggett, Mich. Accredited to: Michigan. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a diver engaged in rescue operations at West Loch, Pearl Harbor, 17 February 1945. Aware of the danger when 2 fellow divers were hopelessly trapped in a cave-in of steel wreckage while tunneling with jet nozzles under an LST sunk in 40 feet of water and 20 feet of mud. Hammerberg unhesitatingly went overboard in a valiant attempt to effect their rescue despite the certain hazard of additional cave-ins and the risk of fouling his lifeline on jagged pieces of steel imbedded in the shifting mud. Washing a passage through the original excavation, he reached the first of the trapped men, freed him from the wreckage and, working desperately in pitch-black darkness, finally effected his release from fouled lines, thereby enabling him to reach the surface. Wearied but undaunted after several hours of arduous labor, Hammerberg resolved to continue his struggle to wash through the oozing submarine, subterranean mud in a determined effort to save the second diver. Venturing still farther under the buried hulk, he held tenaciously to his purpose, reaching a place immediately above the other man just as another cave-in occurred and a heavy piece of steel pinned him crosswise over his shipmate in a position which protected the man beneath from further injury while placing the full brunt of terrific pressure on himself. Although he succumbed in agony 18 hours after he had gone to the aid of his fellow divers, Hammerberg, by his cool judgment, unfaltering professional skill and consistent disregard of all personal danger in the face of tremendous odds, had contributed effectively to the saving of his 2 comrades. His heroic spirit of self-sacrifice throughout enhanced and sustained the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life in the service of his country.
HERRING, RUFUS G.
Rank and organization: Lieutenant, U.S. Naval Reserve, LCI (G) 449. Place and date: Iwo Jima, 17 February 1945. Entered service at: North Carolina. Born: 11 June 1921, Roseboro, N.C. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer of LCI (G) 449 operating as a unit of LCI (G) Group 8, during the preinvasion attack on Iwo Jima on 17 February 1945. Boldly closing the strongly fortified shores under the devastating fire of Japanese coastal defense guns, Lt. (then Lt. (j.g.)) Herring directed shattering barrages of 40mm. and 20mm. gunfire against hostile beaches until struck down by the enemy's savage counterfire which blasted the 449's heavy guns and whipped her decks into sheets of flame. Regaining consciousness despite profuse bleeding he was again critically wounded when a Japanese mortar crashed the conning station, instantly killing or fatally wounding most of the officers and leaving the ship wallowing without navigational control. Upon recovering the second time, Lt. Herring resolutely climbed down to the pilothouse and, fighting against his rapidly waning strength, took over the helm, established communication with the engineroom, and carried on valiantly until relief could be obtained. When no longer able to stand, he propped himself against empty shell cases and rallied his men to the aid of the wounded; he maintained position in the firing line with his 20mm. guns in action in the face of sustained enemy fire, and conned his crippled ship to safety. His unwavering fortitude, aggressive perseverance, and indomitable spirit against terrific odds reflect the highest credit upon Lt. Herring and uphold the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
JOHNSTON, WILLIAM J.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company G, 180th Infantry, 45th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Padiglione, Italy, 1719 February 1944. Entered service at: Colchester, Conn. Birth: Trenton, N.J. G.O. No.: 73, 6 September 1944. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. On 17 February 1944, near Padiglione, Italy, he observed and fired upon an attacking force of approximately 80 Germans, causing at least 25 casualties and forcing withdrawal of the remainder. All that day he manned his gun without relief, subject to mortar, artillery, and sniper fire. Two Germans individually worked so close to his position that his machinegun was ineffective, whereupon he killed 1 with his pistol, the second with a rifle taken from another soldier. When a rifleman protecting his gun position was killed by a sniper, he immediately moved the body and relocated the machinegun in that spot in order to obtain a better field of fire. He volunteered to cover the platoon's withdrawal and was the last man to leave that night. In his new position he maintained an all-night vigil, the next day causing 7 German casualties. On the afternoon of the 18th, the organization on the left flank having been forced to withdraw, he again covered the withdrawal of his own organization. Shortly thereafter, he was seriously wounded over the heart, and a passing soldier saw him trying to crawl up the embankment. The soldier aided him to resume his position behind the machinegun which was soon heard in action for about 10 minutes. Though reported killed, Pfc. Johnston was seen returning to the American lines on the morning of 19 February slowly and painfully working his way back from his overrun position through enemy lines. He gave valuable information of new enemy dispositions. His heroic determination to destroy the enemy and his disregard of his own safety aided immeasurably in halting a strong enemy attack, caused an enormous amount of enemy casualties, and so inspired his fellow soldiers that they fought for and held a vitally important position against greatly superior forces.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for February 17 2021 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
17 February
1911: In a Navy first, Glenn H. Curtiss flew a Curtiss seaplane from North Island to land alongside the armored cruiser, the USS Pennsylvania (ACR-4), in the harbor at San Diego, Calif. The ship then hoisted the aircraft aboard by a launch crane. Later Curtiss took off from the water and flew back to North Island. (24)
1912: The Army published its first pilot physical exam requirements. (4) SECOND CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT. Robert G. Fowler flew the second cross county trip in a Wright biplane, flying 2,520 miles from Los Angeles to Pasadena, Yuma, Tucson, Douglas, El Paso, Sweetwater, Fort Worth, Houston, Orange, New Iberia, New Orleans, Biloxi, Flomstom, Evergreen, Troy, Bainbridge, Quitman, and Pablo Beach. (9)
1913: The Army tested Lawrence Sperry's Gyrostabilizer, or automatic pilot, for the first time. (21) 1938: Through 27 February, Lt Col Robert D. Olds completed a round-trip goodwill flight with six B-17s between Langley Field, Va., and Buenos Aires, Argentina. The trip to Buenos Aires took 33 hours 30 minutes, while the return flight took 33 hours 35 minutes for the longest nonstop flight in Air Corps history to date. (24)
1944: The USS Enterprise launched 12 TBF-1Cs to attack Truk, in the first night bombing attack in carrier aviation history. (24)
1952: KOREAN WAR. Fifth Air Force flew 695 sorties, cratering rail tracks in over 50 locations, damaging a train and 15 rail cars near Huichon, strafing a convoy of trucks near Sinanju, and destroying supply buildings and dumps between Kumsong and Sibyon-ni. (28)
1956: Lockheed's first production F-104 Starfighter made its first flight at Edwards AFB, Calif. (12)
1958: From a DB-47, a 445th Bombardment Squadron crew from Pinecastle AFB, Fla., launched the prototype Rascal missile over the Atlantic Missile Range for the first time. (The DB-47 was a drone director.) (6)
1959: The US Navy launched its Vanguard II weather-reporting satellite into an earth orbit. (16) A one-third scale Minuteman missile fired for the first time at Edwards AFB, Calif. (3)
1965: The last operational KB-50 retired from the Tactical Air Command to the Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson AFB. (5) The largest balloon ever constructed by the Air Force, 450 feet in height, completed a 26-hour flight with a 450-pound payload of instruments to a record 142,000 feet. At that height, the balloon's dimensions were 270 feet high and 330 feet in diameter. (5)
1972: Air Force One, a VC-137 aircraft assigned to the 89th Military Airlift Wing at Andrews AFB, Md., carried President Nixon on his historic trip to China to meet Chinese Premier Chou En-Lai. (2)
1978: The 64th Flying Training Wing, Reese AFB, Tex., became the first Air Training Command command pilot training base with a fully operational instrument flight simulator program. That capability allowed training for both the T-37 and T-38. (16)
1999: Lockheed's first C-130J transport arrived at Keesler AFB, Miss., for assignment with the 403d Wing. (21) With the expiration of US treaty rights in the Canal Zone, the Air National Guard held closing ceremonies for Operation Coronet Oak at Howard AFB, Panama. The Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve had conducted the Coronet Oak (originally Operation Volant Oak) C-130 airlift operation in Panama since October 1977. Operations transferred to Puerto Rico. (32) Air National Guard KC-135s began air refueling support for fighter movements to Europe and air cargo missions to position people and supplies for a possible war with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia over the latter's actions in Kosovo. (32)
2007: The 45th Space Wing supported the launch of a Delta II booster from Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla., carrying five National Air and Space Administration 'THEMIS" probes to study auroral substorms, an avalanche of solar wind powered magnetic energy that intensifies the northern and southern lights. This was the largest number of National Air and Space Administration scientific satellites launched on a single booster. THEMIS stands for Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions in Substorms. (AFNEWS, "Air Force Supports NASA Mission to Study Auroras," 18 Feb 2007.)
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World News for 17 February thanks to Military Periscope
USA—Army G-4 Suspended Over Toxic Command Climate Task and Purpose | 02/17/2022 The Army has suspended its deputy chief of staff for logistics amid an investigation into accusations that he cultivated a toxic command environment, reports Task and Purpose. Lt. Gen. Duane Gamble, the head of the office commonly known as the G-4, was reported to the Army's Office of the Inspector General in September 2020. The office launched an official probe two months later. The investigation found that Gamble created a toxic climate, regularly degrading others in public forums, went out of his way to criticize Black officers and made racist remarks. Individuals with knowledge of Gamble's behavior said the racist behavior included insensitive and inappropriate remarks following the death of George Floyd in May 2020, which set off protests around the country and forced difficult conversations about race within the Army. On Feb. 11, the Defense Dept. Inspector General completed its review of the Army's investigation. An Army spokeswoman confirmed on Tuesday that Gamble had been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation. Former Army officers expressed concerns that Gamble would not be held accountable for his actions and behavior, noting that senior leadership frequently failed to confront problems among their peers.
USA—Cost May Limit Air Force's Hypersonic Weapon Buys Air Force Magazine | 02/17/2022 The high cost of hypersonic weapons will likely force the Air Force to buy smaller numbers of such systems, reports Air Force magazine. On Tuesday, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said that hypersonic weapons would not be cheap anytime soon, likely limiting the service to a small stockpile during a broadcast with the Air Force Association's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. Should the Air Force be able to drive down the cost, it could then consider whether to buy more of the systems. In the meantime, the service will pair the small numbers of hypersonic missiles with a larger inventory of cheaper, lower-speed cruise missiles. Kendall also questioned whether the time-sensitive target mission could be achieved as well with conventional cruise missiles and a combination of tactics, such as stealth and electronic countermeasures. Accordingly, the service needs to evaluate its options across the spectrum of capabilities to make smart decisions about its munitions procurements, he said.
USA—Carl Vinson Carrier Ready To Fight An Hour After F-35 Crash Defense News | 02/17/2022 The aircraft carrier Carl Vinson quickly recovered from a fighter crash on its flight deck last month and was ready to resume operations within an hour, reports Defense News. On Jan. 24, an F-35C fighter struck the aft part of the carrier while landing before careening across the deck and crashing into the water. All four arresting wires were ripped out during the crash and had to be replaced. The crew of the Carl Vinson replaced all four wires and cleaned up debris across the flight deck, including in the catapult tracks, and was ready to resume flight operations within 45 minutes, said a defense official cited by USNI News. USS Abraham Lincoln was operating nearby and recovered and refueled aircraft that had been waiting to land on the Carl Vinson. Those aircraft returned to the Carl Vinson within hours of the accident, the official said.
France—Macron Details Withdrawal From Mali France 24 | 02/17/2022 French President Emmanuel Macron has formally announced that French and other European forces will pull out of Mali, reports France 24. On Wednesday night, Macron met with West African and European leaders to discuss how to continue the fight against Islamist militants in the Sahel. The president announced on Thursday that due to a break down in relations with the military junta in Bamako, France would withdraw its forces from
Mali. "We cannot remain militarily engaged alongside de-facto authorities whose strategy and hidden aims we do not share," he said. The withdrawal could take four to six months, including the closure of the French bases in Gossi, Menaka and Gao. France will subsequently base its counterterror operations in the region in Niger, said Macron. A spokesman for the U.N. mission in Mali (MINUSMA) said that the effect of the French pullout was being evaluated and the mission would take any "necessary steps to adapt."
Germany—Mk 41 VLS Ordered For F126 Frigates Damen Shipyards Group | 02/17/2022 Damen has signed a contract with Lockheed Martin for the delivery of vertical launch systems (VLS) for the German navy's planned F126 frigates, reports the Dutch Shipbuilder. On Jan. 31, Damen Naval and Lockheed Martin signed a direct commercial sale contract for the Mk 41 VLS, Damen said in a press release on Wednesday. The award covers the production and delivery of two eight-cell strike length Mk 41 VLS for all four F126 frigates as well as associated engineering work and ancillary hardware. The VLS modules will be capable of carrying the Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile Block 2 air defense interceptor. Damen, in cooperation with Blohm+Voss and Thales, is building four F126 frigates for the German navy at shipyards in Kiel, Hamburg and Wolgast. The first ship is scheduled for delivery in 2028.
Poland—Frigate Competition Down To 2 Defence24 | 02/17/2022 The Polish Ministry of Defense has narrowed its competition for a new frigate to two contractors, reports Defence24 (Warsaw). On Wednesday, the Armament Agency announced that the Babcock Arrowhead 140PL and Thysenkrupp Marine Systems MEKO A-300PL designs had qualified for the next stage of the Miecznik (Swordfish) frigate program. Three designs were initially assessed, with the Spanish F100PL design from Navantia failing to qualify for the shortlist. The assessment looked at the tactical and technical parameters of the warships; their combat potential; potential alignment of the acquired equipment with the military's existing inventory; lifecycle costs; and modernization potential. The difference in the assessed attractiveness between the Babcock and TKMS designs was less than 5 percent, according to the Armament Agency. Under the Swordfish program, the Polish navy plans to acquire three coastal defense frigates at a cost of around US$2 billion to replace the service's General Kazimirez Pulaski-class frigates, reported Defense News. Under the next phase of the program, the two bidders will negotiate with a consortium between state-run Polish Defence Group (PGZ) and local shipyards Remontowa Shipbuilding and PGZ Shipyards. The consortium will ensure shipbuilding capacities for the programs while the technology on the frigates will be supplied by a selected foreign firm. The first frigate is scheduled to start construction in 2023 in order to be ready for service by June 2028. The final frigate is expected to enter service by 2034.
European Union—Court Of Justice Rules In Favor Of Commission On Rule-Of-Law Concerns Politico Europe | 02/17/2022 The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has ruled in favor of the European Commission in a case challenging its ability to cut funding to member states experiencing rule-of-law issues, reports Politico Europe (Brussels). On Wednesday, the court rejected a legal challenge from Hungary and Poland, which was brought after Brussels approved a mechanism in 2020 that would enable it to reduce E.U. funding to countries where rule-of-law breaches were found to negatively affect European taxpayers' money. The rule was seen as most likely to target Hungary and Poland whose governments have taken actions undermining the independence of their judicial systems, media and nongovernmental organizations, noted BBC News. The European Commission agreed to wait for the CJEU's ruling before making a decision on whether to cut payments to Poland and Hungary. Following the ruling, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the E.U. executive would adopt guidelines on its next steps in the next few weeks. A majority of the E.U.'s 27 member states would have to approve the decision to trigger the mechanism to cut payments, reported the Washington Post.
Russia—Western Officials Reject Russian Pullback Claims Washington Post | 02/17/2022 U.S. and Western officials say that Russia has increased its military forces around Ukraine's borders despite its claims of troop withdrawals, reports the Washington Post. An unnamed U.S. official said that an additional 7,000 Russia personnel had recently deployed near the Ukrainian border. British Chief of Defense Intelligence Lt. Gen. Jim Hockenhull said that additional armored vehicles, helicopters and a field hospital had been spotted moving toward the border, reported the Independent (London). On Wednesday, the Russian Defense Ministry said that it was pulling troops out of Crimea following exercises, publishing images purporting to show trains carrying military equipment crossing a bridge into Russia that was constructed by Moscow following its illegal annexation of the peninsula in 2014. NATO defense ministers met in Brussels on Wednesday and expressed concern over the ongoing buildup of Russia troops. Mikk Marran, the director-general of the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service, told Reuters on Wednesday that he expected that Russia would launch a limited operation against Ukraine. Such an operation would involve a significant missile bombardment, followed by an invasion that avoided major cities, since these would require too many troops to control, he said.
Japan—Defense Minister Says Pre-Emptive Strikes Remain Option Nikkei Asia | 02/17/2022 Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi says Japan reserves the right to conduct pre-emptive strikes to prevent hostile missile attacks, reports the Nikkei Asia. On Wednesday, Kishi told the budget panel of the House of Representatives that airstrikes could be a last resort in the case of an imminent missile attack. The minister assured lawmakers that several prerequisites would need to be in place for such a mission, including using as little force as possible to prevent an attack. He emphasized that such operations would not violate Japan's strict policy on using force only for self-defense. Kishi said that Japan would not acquire purely offensive military capabilities, such as intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), "attack" aircraft carriers or long-range strategic bombers. His remarks are seen as referring to a possible North Korean missile attack. Previous efforts have focused on intercepting North Korean missiles, but more recent assessments suggests that such capabilities may not be sufficient. Tokyo plans to release a revised National Security Strategy and other related security documents by the end of the year.
Australia—Government To Extend Terrorist Designation To Hamas Political Wing Australian Broadcasting Corporation | 02/17/2022 The Australian government has decided to extend its terrorist designation to the entirety of the Hamas organization, reports the Australian Broadcasting Corp. The military wing of the militant group has been listed as a terrorist group since 2003. The latest move will add the designation to the organization's political side. Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said the group fostered "hateful ideologies." The designation prevents Australians from funding or supporting the group.
Thailand—F-35 Buy Dependent On U.S. Government Channel News Asia | 02/17/2022 Lockheed Martin officials say that Thailand's plans to buy advanced fighter jets will depend on a U.S. government decision, reports Channel News Asia (Singapore). On Wednesday at the Singapore Airshow, Lockheed Martin Senior Vice President for Global Business Tim Cahill confirmed that Bangkok had expressed interest in buying the F-35, reported Reuters. Last month, Royal Thai Air Force officials announced that the service had set aside funding for four jets, with plans to buy up to eight F-35s. Such a purchase would be a U.S. government policy decision, Cahill said. Thailand has yet to make an official request for an F-35 procurement, he said.
Pakistan—Troops Kill 6 Suspected Militants In Balochistan Express Tribune | 02/17/2022 Pakistani troops have killed six suspected militants in an operation in the western Balochistan province, reports the Express Tribune (Karachi). On Wednesday, security forces conducted an "intelligence-based operation" against a terrorist hideout in Buleda in the southwestern Kech district of Balochistan. The suspects attempted to flee when security forces approached, reported the Dawn (Karachi). Six militants were killed in the subsequent gun fight and a cache of arms and ammunition was recovered, reported the military-run Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR). The fighters were alleged to have been involved in a deadly attack on Pakistani security forces in Kech last month.
Kuwait—Military Reverses Course On Women In Combat Roles Agence France-Presse | 02/17/2022 The Kuwaiti military has announced new restrictions for women in service, reports Agence France-Presse. In October, the military decided to permit women in combat jobs but then added new restrictions following pushback from conservatives. In January, conservatives led a no-confidence vote against Defense Minister Sheikh Hamad Jaber Al Ali Al Sabah, noted the National (Abu Dhabi). The restrictions include mandatory head coverings, a ban on carrying firearms and requiring permission from a male relative to join. Women will also be restricted to support positions, primarily in the medical and administrative fields. Feminists and activists slammed the restrictions, noting the historic contributions of women to the defense of Kuwait, including during the fight against Saddam Hussein in 1990.
Burkina Faso—Coup Leader Sworn In As President Radio France Internationale | 02/17/2022 The leader of last month's coup in Burkina Faso has been formally sworn in as president, reports Radio France International. On Wednesday, Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba was sworn in during a ceremony broadcast on state television. Damiba vowed to "preserve, respect, uphold and defend the constitution", Burkinabe laws and a "fundamental act" of key decisions made by the junta shortly after taking power. No foreign representatives were present, noted Agence France-Presse. The coup leaders initially suspended the constitution before reversing the decision under international pressure. Damiba has said that he will rule for a "reasonable time" during a transitional period, assisted by two vice presidents. A court has ruled that Damiba will serve as president, head of state and supreme commander of the armed forces. No timeline has been made public for elections and return to constitutional order.
Honduras—Former President Arrested On Drug-Trafficking Charges Guardian | 02/17/2022 Ex-President Juan Orlando Hernandez has surrendered to Honduran authorities a day after the U.S. Justice Dept. issued an extradition warrant on drug-trafficking and weapon charges, reports the Guardian (U.K.). On Tuesday afternoon, Hernandez turned himself in to Honduran police outside his home in Tegucigalpa. He was taken to a special operations forces base and was scheduled to appear before a judge for an initial hearing within 24 hours. On Monday, the U.S. Justice Dept. asked Honduran authorities to extradite Hernandez, alleging that he was part of a violent drug-trafficking conspiracy that had been involved in the movement of around 1.1 million pounds (500,000 kg) of cocaine since 2004. Hernandez received millions of dollars in bribes to facilitate the cocaine shipments and protect the traffickers from being prosecuted, according to the extradition request, as quoted by the New York Times. The ex-president has denied the allegations. The charges were announced two weeks after Hernandez left office after eight years in the presidency. His brother, Juan Antonio Hernandez, is currently serving a life sentence in the U.S. for cocaine-trafficking. The former president was also implicated by another cocaine-trafficker who was sentenced to life in prison last week. The head of the Honduran National Anti-Corruption Council expressed concern that the Supreme Court judge assigned to Hernandez's case had a history of absolving suspects in corruption cases and was affiliated with his political party. The extradition process is expected to take several weeks to several months.
Venezuela—Maduro Says Military Cooperation With Russia To Expand Tass | 02/17/2022 Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has announced plans to expand military cooperation with Russia, reports the Tass news agency (Moscow). On Wednesday, Maduro said Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino had received "clear instructions" to deepen relations with Russia. No details of this cooperation were made public. Maduro also said his government fully supported Moscow amid its standoff with the West over Ukraine, saying Russia faced "threats from NATO and the Western world." The president made his remarks during a visit by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov. Borisov called Venezuela "a strategic partner" in the region following talks, reported Reuters.
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