To All
Good Saturday Morning June 24, 2023.
I hope that you are all having a great weekend
Regards,
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On This Day in Naval and Marine Corps History
June 24
1833 The frigate Constitution is the first vessel to enter the newly-built dry dock at the Charlestown Navy Yard, Boston, Mass. for overhaul. A false rumor circulates in Boston in 1830 that the U.S. Navy intends to scrap the ship; young Oliver Wendell Holmes pens his poem "Old Ironsides", becoming a rallying cry to save the ship.
1944 Torpedo bomber TBM aircraft (VC 69) from USS Bogue (CVE 9) sink Japanese submarine (I 52), 800 miles southwest of Fayal, Azores.
1944 Navy submarines USS Grouper (SS 214), USS Redfin (SS 272) and USS Tang (SS 306) attack Japanese convoys off the coast of Japan, sinking seven enemy vessels.
1948 The Berlin airlift Operation Vittles is initiated to offset the Soviet Union's blockade access of the U.S., France, and Great Britain to their sectors of Berlin.
1952 During the Korean War, aircraft from USS Philippine Sea (CV 47), USS Bon Homme Richard (CV 31), USS Princeton (CV 37), and USS Boxer (CV 21) continue attacks on hydroelectric plants in North Korea from the previous day
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Today in World History JUNE 24
0217 Carthaginian forces led by Hannibal destroy a Roman army under consul Gaius Flaminius in a battle at Lake Trasimene in central Italy.
1314 Scottish forces, led by Robert the Bruce, win an overwhelming victory against English King Edward II at the Battle of Bannockburn.
1340 The English fleet defeats the French fleet at Sluys, off the Flemish coast.
1497 Explorer John Cabot lands in North America in present-day Canada.
1509 Henry VIII is crowned King of England.
1647 Margaret Brent, demands a voice and a vote for herself in the Maryland colonial assembly.
1664 The colony of New Jersey, named after the Isle of Jersey, is founded.
1675 King Philip's War begins.
1812 Napoleon crosses the Neman River and invades Russia.
1859 At the Battle of Solferino, also known as the Battle of the Three Sovereigns, the French army, led by Napoleon III, defeats the Austrian army under Franz Joseph I.
1861 Federal gunboats attack Confederate batteries at Mathias Point, Virginia.
1862 U.S. intervention saves the British and French at the Dagu Forts in China.
1896 Booker T. Washington becomes the first African American to receive an honorary MA degree from Harvard University.
1910 The Japanese army invades Korea.
1913 Greece and Serbia annul their alliance with Bulgaria following border disputes over Macedonia and Thrace.
1931 The Soviet Union and Afghanistan sign a treaty of neutrality.
1940 France signs an armistice with Italy.
1941 President Franklin Roosevelt pledges all possible support to the Soviet Union.
1943 Royal Air Force Bombers hammer Muelheim, Germany, in a drive to cripple the Ruhr industrial base.
1948 The Soviet Union begins the Berlin Blockade, America responds with the Berlin Airlift.
1953 John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier announce their engagement.
1955Soviet MIGs down a U.S. Navy patrol plane over the Bering Strait.
1964 The Federal Trade Commission announces that, starting in 1965, cigarette makers must include warning labels about the harmful effects of smoking.
1970 The U.S. Senate votes overwhelmingly to repeal the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
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ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED Thanks to the Bear … Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post
Skip… For The List for Saturday, 24 June 2023… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 24 June 1968… "A round of enemy flak burst in the cockpit."…
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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From the archives in case you missed it
Thanks to Shadow
FYI... From the lovely Tricia... Shadow
Don't try at home …
AA lithium battery
AND, make sure your lithium batteries are not exposed to damage, esp. when wet!!
https://youtube.com/shorts/yGDkiUAwxRs?feature=share
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To all my Aviator brothers…skip-
Two weeks from yesterday on the first Friday of July a number of ( I hope a big number ) us will join together for a Bubba Breakfast like we have continued to do for about 35 years on the first Friday of every month. The article below perfectly relates why we continue to do this.
Thanks to Dutch and JJ
It's a good time to recycle this one! Cheers, JJ
DEAD BUG! - A Tribute to Military Aviators
(In Victory, you deserve champagne. In Defeat, you need it!)
As we get older and we experience the loss of old friends, we begin to realize that maybe we bullet-proof aviators won't live forever. We aren't so bullet-proof anymore. We ponder...if we're gone tomorrow, "Did I say what I wanted to my Brothers?" The answer is "No!" Hence, the following random thoughts:
When people ask me if I miss flying, I always say something like, "Yes, I miss the flying because when you are flying, you are totally focused on the task at hand. It's like nothing else you will ever do (almost). " But then I always say, "However, I miss the squadron and the guys even more than I miss the flying."
Why, you might ask? They were a bunch of aggressive, wise ass, cocky, insulting, sarcastic bastards in smelly flight suits who thought a funny thing to do was to fart and see if they could clear a room. They drank too much, they chased women, they flew when they shouldn't, they laughed too loud and thought they owned the sky, the bar, and generally thought they could do everything better than the next guy. They flew planes that leaked, that smoked, that broke, that couldn't turn, that burned fuel too fast, that never had working autopilots or radars, and with systems that were archaic next to today's new generation aircraft.
But a little closer look might show that every guy in the room was sneaky smart and damn competent and brutally handsome in their own way! They hated to lose or fail to accomplish the mission and seldom did. They were the laziest guys on the planet until challenged and then they would do anything to win. They would fly with wing tips overlapped at night through the worst weather with only a little 'Form' light to hold on to, knowing their flight lead would get them on the ground safely. They would fight in the air knowing the greatest risk and fear was that another fighter would arrive at the same six o'clock at the same time they did. They would fly in harm's way and act nonchalant as if to challenge the grim reaper.
When we flew to another base we proclaimed that we're the best squadron on the base as soon as we landed. Often we were not invited back. When we went into an O' Club, we owned the bar. We were lucky to be the Best of the Best in the military. We knew it and so did others. We found jobs, lost jobs, got married, got divorced, moved, went broke, got rich, broke some things, and knew the only thing you could count -- really count on -- was if you needed help, a fellow aviator would have your back.
I miss the call signs, nicknames, and the stories behind them. I miss getting lit up in an O' Club full of my buddies and watching the incredible, unbelievable things that were happening. I miss the crew chiefs saluting as you taxied out of the flight line. I miss lighting the afterburners, if you had them, especially at night. I miss going straight up and straight down. I miss the cross countries. I miss the dice games at the bar for drinks. I miss listening to BS stories while drinking and laughing until my eyes watered.. I miss flying below the rim of the Grand Canyon and hearing about flying so low that boats were blown over. I miss coming into the break hot and looking over and seeing three wingmen tucked in tight ready to make the troops on the ground proud. I miss belches that could be heard in neighboring states. I miss putting on ad hoc Air Shows that might be over someone's home or farm in faraway towns.
Finally, I miss hearing DEAD BUG! called out at the bar and seeing and hearing a room full of men hit the deck with drinks spilling and chairs being knocked over as they rolled in the beer and kicked their legs in the air—followed closely by a Not Politically Correct Tap Dancing and Singing spectacle that couldn't help but make you grin and order another round.
I am a lucky guy and have lived a great life! One thing I know is that I was part of a special, really talented bunch of guys doing something dangerous and doing it better than most. Flying the most beautiful, ugly, noisy, solid aircraft ever built ... an aircraft that talked to you and warned you before she spanked you! Supported by ground troops committed to making sure we came home! Being prepared to fly and fight and die for America. Having a clear mission. Having fun.
We box out bad memories from various operations most of the time but never the hallowed memories of our fallen comrades. We are often amazed at how good war stories never let the truth interfere and how they get better with age. We are lucky bastards to be able to walk into a Squadron or a bar and have men we respect and love shout our names, our call signs, and know that this is truly where we belong.
We are Carrier AVIATORS. We are Few and we are Proud.
I am Privileged and Proud to call you Brothers
Push it Up & Check SIX!
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Thanks to Dr. Rich
We CARRIER aviators all knew how even a short "Combat Nap" could give you the energy you needed to get you through a regular cycle or a noon to midnight or Midnight to noon Fright Schedule... skip
Previous studies have suggested that napping can boost cognitive performance, with a brief, five-to-15-minute nap providing a benefit that can last for between one and three hours. Aging reduces reaction times and memory and often sees an increase in the prevalence of cognitive impairment. With the world's population aging, it's important that modifiable risk factors associated with cognitive performance, such as sleep habits, are identified.
To that end, researchers from University College London have led a study looking at whether there is a causal link between daytime napping and brain health.
The researchers recruited 378,932 participants of European ancestry aged between 40 and 69, drawn from the UK Biobank. Using a technique called Mendelian randomization, they looked at snippets of DNA to determine people's likelihood of habitual napping. Mendelian randomization is a method of using measured variation in genes of known function to examine the causal effects of modifiable risk factors.
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Partner with Mid-Michigan's highly skilled cardiology team.
Cognitive tests of visual memory and reaction time were administered to all participants, and the researchers viewed some participants' magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans for structural brain changes. The participants were also asked to self-report their napping habits.
The researchers compared the brain health and cognitive functioning of people genetically 'programmed' to nap to those who weren't and found that, overall, people programmed to nap had a larger total brain volume, a marker of brain health, especially in older adults. A reduction in brain volume, also called atrophy, is associated with cognition-related diseases such as mild cognitive impairment and dementia.
The researchers estimated that the average difference in total brain volume between predisposed and non-predisposed nappers was equal to 2.6 to 6.5 years of aging. But in other measures – hippocampal volume, reaction time, and visual processing – there was no difference in performance between the two groups. The hippocampus is a complex structure buried deep in the brain with a major role in memory and learning. Hippocampal volume, in particular, has been linked to a decline in cognitive function.
Based on their findings, the researchers say there is a "modest causal association" between habitual daytime napping and larger total brain volume.
"This is the first study to attempt to untangle the causal relationship between habitual daytime napping and cognitive and structural brain outcomes," said Valentina Paz, the lead author of the study. "By looking at genes set at birth, Mendelian randomization avoids confounding factors occurring throughout life that may influence associations between napping and health outcomes. Our study points to a causal link between habitual napping and larger total brain volume."
While the current study didn't specify the duration of naps taken by participants, previous studies suggest that naps of 30 minutes or less provide the best short-term cognitive benefits, with napping early in the day less likely to disrupt nighttime sleep.
The researchers note a particular limitation of their study, namely that all participants were of white European ancestry, meaning the results may not be generalizable to other ethnicities. Nonetheless, they say their study's findings demonstrate the benefits that can be gained from taking short naps.
"I hope studies such as this one showing the health benefits of short naps can help to reduce the stigma that still exists around daytime napping," said Victoria Garfield, one of the study's co-authors.
The study was published in the journal Sleep Health.
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1997: U.S. Air Force reports on Roswell
On June 24, 1997, U.S. Air Force officials release a 231-page report dismissing long-standing claims of an alien spacecraft crash in Roswell, New Mexico, almost exactly 50 years earlier.
Public interest in Unidentified Flying Objects, or UFOs, began to flourish in the 1940s, when developments in space travel and the dawn of the atomic age caused many Americans to turn their attention to the skies. The town of Roswell, located near the Pecos River in southeastern New Mexico, became a magnet for UFO believers due to the strange events of early July 1947, when ranch foreman W.W. Brazel found a strange, shiny material scattered over some of his land. He turned the material over to the sheriff, who passed it on to authorities at the nearby Air Force base. On July 8, Air Force officials announced they had recovered the wreckage of a "flying disk." A local newspaper put the story on its front page, launching Roswell into the spotlight of the public's UFO fascination.
The Air Force soon took back their story, however, saying the debris had been merely a downed weather balloon. Aside from die-hard UFO believers, or "ufologists," public interest in the so-called "Roswell Incident" faded until the late 1970s, when claims surfaced that the military had invented the weather balloon story as a cover-up. Believers in this theory argued that officials had in fact retrieved several alien bodies from the crashed spacecraft, which were now stored in the mysterious Area 51 installation in Nevada. Seeking to dispel these suspicions, the Air Force issued a 1,000-page report in 1994 stating that the crashed object was actually a high-altitude weather balloon launched from a nearby missile test-site as part of a classified experiment aimed at monitoring the atmosphere in order to detect Soviet nuclear tests.
On July 24, 1997, barely a week before the extravagant 50th anniversary celebration of the incident, the Air Force released yet another report on the controversial subject. Titled "The Roswell Report, Case Closed," the document stated definitively that there was no Pentagon evidence that any kind of life form was found in the Roswell area in connection with the reported UFO sightings, and that the "bodies" recovered were not aliens but dummies used in parachute tests conducted in the region. Any hopes that this would put an end to the cover-up debate were in vain, as furious ufologists rushed to point out the report's inconsistencies. With conspiracy theories still alive and well on the Internet, Roswell continues to thrive as a tourist destination for UFO enthusiasts far and wide, hosting the annual UFO Encounter Festival each July and welcoming visitors year-round to its International UFO Museum and Research Center.
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This Day in Aviation History" brought to you by the Daedalians Airpower Blog Update. To subscribe to this weekly email, go to https://daedalians.org/airpower-blog/.
June 23, 1961
Maj. Robert M. White became the first person to exceed Mach 5 when he flew the X-15 to a speed of Mach 5.27 (3,603 mph) at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Flights during this phase incrementally increased the speed and altitude of the X-15 up to its design limits of Mach 6 and 250,000 feet. The second North American Aviation X-15A, 56-6671, was air-dropped from the NB-52A Stratofortress mothership, 52-003, over Mud Lake, Nev. White fired the Reaction Motors XLR99-RM-1 engine for 78.7 seconds, reaching Mach 5.27 (3,603 miles per hour) and climbed to 107,700 feet. Ten minutes, 5.7 seconds after being dropped from the B-52, White touched down on Rogers Dry Lake at Edwards. White was the first pilot to exceed Mach 4, Mach 5 and Mach 6. He also flew an X-15 to an altitude of 314,750 feet, qualifying for U.S. Air Force astronaut wings. Maj. Gen. White was Daedalian Member Number 1332.
June 24, 1989
The Air Materiel Command commander at Wright Field, Ohio, was officially directed by HQ U.S. Army Air Forces to take over responsibility for conduct of the X-1 transonic flight research program. This meant that, instead of a Bell test pilot, it would be an AMC test pilot who would make the initial assault on Mach 1. Capt. Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager had already been selected as project officer for this effort.
June 25, 1928
The Boeing P-12 made its maiden flight. Developed as a private venture to replace the Boeing F2B and F3B with the United States Navy, the Boeing Model 99 first flew on this date. The new aircraft was smaller, lighter and more agile than the ones it replaced, but still used the Wasp engine of the F3B. This resulted in a higher top speed and overall better performance. As a result of Navy evaluation, 27 were ordered as the F4B-1; later evaluation by the United States Army Air Corps resulted in orders with the designation P-12. Boeing supplied the USAAC with 366 P-12s between 1929 and 1932. Production of all variants totaled 586.
June 26, 1909
The first commercial sale of an airplane in the United States is made as Glenn H. Curtiss sells one of his planes to the Aeronautic Society of New York for $7,500. This action spurs the Wright brothers to begin a patent suit to prevent him from selling airplanes without a license.
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This day in US Military History
1664 – New Jersey, named after the Isle of Jersey, was founded.
1675 – In colonial New England, King Philip's War begins when a band of Wampanoag warriors raid the border settlement of Swansee, Massachusetts, and massacre the English colonists there. In the early 1670s, 50 years of peace between the Plymouth colony and the local Wampanoag Indians began to deteriorate when the rapidly expanding settlement forced land sales on the tribe. Reacting to increasing Native American hostility, the English met with King Philip, chief of the Wampanoag, and demanded that his forces surrender their arms. The Wampanoag did so, but in 1675 a Christian Native American who had been acting as an informer to the English was murdered, and three Wampanoag were tried and executed for the crime. King Philip responded by ordering the attack on Swansee on June 24, which set off a series of Wampanoag raids in which several settlements were destroyed and scores of colonists massacred. The colonists retaliated by destroying a number of Indian villages. The destruction of a Narragansett village by the English brought the Narragansett into the conflict on the side of King Philip, and within a few months several other tribes and all the New England colonies were involved. In early 1676, the Narragansett were defeated and their chief killed, while the Wampanoag and their other allies were gradually subdued. King Philip's wife and son were captured, and on August 12, 1676, after his secret headquarters in Mount Hope, Rhode Island, was discovered, Philip was assassinated by a Native American in the service of the English. The English drew and quartered Philip's body and publicly displayed his head on a stake in Plymouth. King Philip's War, which was extremely costly to the colonists of southern New England, ended the Native American presence in the region and inaugurated a period of unimpeded colonial expansion.
1930 – The 1st radar detection of planes was made at Anacostia, DC.
1941 – President Franklin Roosevelt pledged all possible support to the Soviet Union.
1943 – Allies began a 10-day fire bombing of Hamburg.
1944 – The battle for Cherbourg continues. American forces of US 7th Corps (part of 1st Army) continue to make progress. The German garrison commander, General Schlieben, refuses to surrender.
1944 – The battle for Saipan continues as US 5th Amphibious Corps makes progress. The 27th Division clears the southern part of the island and most of the division moves northward. The 2nd Marine Division continues to battle for Mount Tapotchau.
1944 – Japanese bases on Iwo Jima and Chichi Jima are raided by American carrier aircraft. The planes are from Hornet, Yorktown, Bataan and Belleau Wood (a force commanded by Admiral Clark). Japanese losses are 66 aircraft.
1948 – One of the most dramatic standoffs in the history of the Cold War begins as the Soviet Union blocks all road and rail traffic to and from West Berlin. The blockade turned out to be a terrible diplomatic move by the Soviets, while the United States emerged from the confrontation with renewed purpose and confidence. Following World War II, Germany was divided into occupation zones. The United States, Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and, eventually, France, were given specific zones to occupy in which they were to accept the surrender of Nazi forces and restore order. The Soviet Union occupied most of eastern Germany, while the other Allied nations occupied western Germany. The German capital of Berlin was similarly divided into four zones of occupation. Almost immediately, differences between the United States and the Soviet Union surfaced. The Soviets sought huge reparations from Germany in the form of money, industrial equipment, and resources. The Russians also made it clear that they desired a neutral and disarmed Germany. The United States saw things in quite a different way. American officials believed that the economic recovery of Western Europe was dependent on a strong, reunified Germany. They also felt that only a rearmed Germany could stand as a bulwark against Soviet expansion into Western Europe. In May 1946, the Americans stopped reparations shipments from their zone to the Soviets. In December, the British and Americans combined their zones; the French joined some months later. The Soviets viewed these actions as a threat and issued more demands for a say in the economic future of Germany. On June 22, 1948, negotiations between the Soviets, Americans, and British broke down. On June 24, Soviet forces blocked the roads and railroad lines into West Berlin. American officials were furious, and some in the administration of President Harry S. Truman argued that the time for diplomacy with the Soviets was over. For a few tense days, the world waited to see whether the United States and Soviet Union would come to blows. In West Berlin, panic began to set in as its population worried about shortages of food, water, and medical aid. The United States response came just two days after the Soviets began their blockade. A massive airlift of supplies into West Berlin was undertaken in what was to become one of the greatest logistical efforts in history. For the Soviets, the escapade quickly became a diplomatic embarrassment. Russia looked like an international bully that was trying to starve men, women, and children into submission. And the successful American airlift merely served to accentuate the technological superiority of the United States over the Soviet Union. On May 12, 1949, the Soviets officially ended the blockade.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
HUGHES, OLIVER
Rank and organization: Corporal, Company C, 12th Kentucky Infantry. Place and date: At Weldon Railroad, Va., 24 June 1864. Entered service at: Albany, Ky. Born: 21 January 1841, Fentress County, Tenn. Date of issue: 1 August 1865. Citation: Capture of flag of 11th South Carolina (C.S.A.).
SMITH, CHARLES H.
Rank and organization: Colonel, 1st Maine Cavalry. Place and date: At St. Mary's Church, Va., 24 June 1864. Entered service at: Maine. Birth: Hollis, Maine. Date of issue: 11 April 1895. Citation: Remained in the fight to the close, although severely wounded.
WEIR, HENRY C.
Rank and organization: Captain and Assistant Adjutant General, U.S. Volunteers. Place and date: At St. Mary's Church, Va., 24 June 1864. Entered service at: ——. Birth: West Point, N.Y. Date of issue: 18 Nay 1899. Citation: The division being hard pressed and falling back, this officer dismounted, gave his horse to a wounded officer, and thus enabled him to escape. Afterwards, on foot, Captain Weir rallied and took command of some stragglers and helped to repel the last charge of the enemy.
CHURCH, JAMES ROBB
Rank and organization: Assistant Surgeon, 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry. Place and date: At Las Guasimas, Cuba, 24 June 1898. Entered service at: Washington, D.C. Birth: Chicago, Ill. Date of issue: 10 January 1906. Citation: In addition to performing gallantly the duties pertaining to his position, voluntarily and unaided carried several seriously wounded men from the firing line to a secure position in the rear, m each instance being subjected to a very heavy fire and great exposure and danger
*BENNETT, EMORY L.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company B, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Sobangsan, Korea, 24 June 1951. Entered service at: Cocoa, Fla. Born: 20 December 1929, New Smyrna Beach, Fla. G.O. No.: 11, 1 February 1952. Citation: Pfc. Bennett a member of Company B, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty in action against an armed enemy of the United Nations. At approximately 0200 hours, 2 enemy battalions swarmed up the ridge line in a ferocious banzai charge in an attempt to dislodge Pfc. Bennett's company from its defensive positions. Meeting the challenge, the gallant defenders delivered destructive retaliation, but the enemy pressed the assault with fanatical determination and the integrity of the perimeter was imperiled. Fully aware of the odds against him, Pfc. Bennett unhesitatingly left his foxhole, moved through withering fire, stood within full view of the enemy, and, employing his automatic rifle, poured crippling fire into the ranks of the onrushing assailants, inflicting numerous casualties. Although wounded, Pfc. Bennett gallantly maintained his l-man defense and the attack was momentarily halted. During this lull in battle, the company regrouped for counterattack, but the numerically superior foe soon infiltrated into the position. Upon orders to move back, Pfc. Bennett voluntarily remained to provide covering fire for the withdrawing elements, and, defying the enemy, continued to sweep the charging foe with devastating fire until mortally wounded. His willing self-sacrifice and intrepid actions saved the position from being overrun and enabled the company to effect an orderly withdrawal. Pfc. Bennett's unflinching courage and consummate devotion to duty reflect lasting glory on himself and the military service.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS
FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR June 24
THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
24 June
1914: The Signal Corps Aviation School at San Diego received its first Curtiss J tractor (Signal Corps No. 29). It was the forerunner of the "Jennies." (21)
1943: Near Ephrata, Wash., Lt Col William R. Lovelace made a record parachute jump of 40,200 feet. (24)
1952: KOREAN WAR. Far East Air Forces flew 1,043 sorties, the highest daily total for the month. Fifth Air Force fighter-bombers flew over 250 sorties against N. Korean hydroelectric power plants, four of them having been targets the previous day. (28) KOREAN WAR. Throug 25 June, 26 B-29s flew close air support sorties, one of the largest such medium bomber missions since the early days of the war. Fifth Air Force fighter-bombers rendered temporarily unserviceable the Samdong-ni rail complex, the choke point of the eastwest and north-south rail lines in North Korea. Night-flying B-26s seeded the area with delayedaction bombs to hamper repair efforts. (28)
1963: SAC accepted the first flight of 10 Minuteman I (Model B) missiles at Ellsworth AFB with the 66 SMS. (6)
1978: The Sea Satellite (SEASAT), with remote sensing and monitoring of the world's oceans, launched.
1987: President Ronald Reagan signed National Security Decision Directive No. 280, National Airlift Policy, to redefine the roles of military and commercial airlift. It made both "important and interdependent" for fulfilling national security mobility requirements. (18)
1993: The USAF authorized the destruction of B-52 Stratofortress bombers and LGM-30F Minuteman II silos. The Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center at Davis-Monthan AFB started destroying the 363 B-52s immediately. (16)
1996: Exercise MARCOT '96. On a global power mission, SECAF Sheila E. Widnall flew on one of three B-52s from the 5 BMW at Minot AFB. Widnall and her crew took off from Andrews AFB on an eight-hour mission for the exercise. The flight included anti-ship operations in the North Atlantic, live MK-82 bomb drops at Gagetown Range, Canada, aerial refueling over western New England and fighter intercepts. Lt Kelly Flinn, a co-pilot of the 23 BS at Minot, joined Widnall on the flight. Flinn was the first B-52 combat-qualified woman. (AFNEWS)
1997: Operation PROVIDE COMFORT/NORTHERN WATCH. EF-111A Ravens from the 429th Electronic Combat Squadron (ECS) at Cannon AFB left Turkey for home after nearly 2,100 days of deployment to support the two operations. (AFNEWS, 26 June 1997)
1998: AMC announced a modernization program to re-engine its entire C-5 fleet over 10- to 12-year period. Besides new engines, the modernization included a comprehensive avionics upgrade with the new All Weather Flight Control System and Global Air Traffic Management equipment. (22)
1999: Operation ALLIED FORCE. Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen authorized the redeployment of 315 aircraft, including the 18 A-10s from the 104th Expeditionary Operations Group (ANG), to their home stations. As of this date, the ANG activated 4,227 Guardsmen under the Presidential Selected Reserve Call-Up for Kosovo operations. Of those, the ANG deployed 2,976 people to support those operations and the activities of 73 KC-135s and 18 A-10s. (32)
2001: Lockheed Martin's X-35B (STOVL) concept demonstrator made its first vertical takeoff and landing, at the contractor's facility at Plant 42 in Palmdale. The event validated the aircraft's unusual shaft-driven lift fan propulsion system, marking the first time in aviation history that a shaft-driven lift fan propulsion system had lifted an aircraft off the ground. (3) During a flight at NAS Patuxent River, Boeing test pilot Dennis O'Donoghue flew the X-32B through its first successful transition from horizontal flight to a jetborne hover. Altogether, the plane hovered four times in five flights.
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This is the latest on what is happening
Thanks to Brett
Latest Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment
Wagner Group financier Yevgeny Prigozhin appears to have launched an armed rebellion on June 23 to force a leadership change within the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) which is unlikely to succeed. Prigozhin amplified a video from a Wagner-affiliated Telegram channel on June 23 which reportedly shows the aftermath of a missile strike on a rear-area Wagner camp and accused the Russian MoD of conducting that strike. ISW cannot independently verify the veracity of the video, and it may have been manufactured for informational purposes. Prigozhin used the video to then justify his most explicit rhetorical escalation against the Russian MoD to date and a call for action against the Russian MoD. Prigozhin claimed that the Wagner Commanders' Council made the decision to stop "the evil brought by the military leadership" who neglect and destroy the lives of tens of thousands of Russian soldiers. Prigozhin urged the Russian people not to resist, to remain calm, remain in their homes, and warned that Wagner will "deal" with those who destroyed Russian soldiers before returning to the frontlines in Ukraine after restoring justice for all. Prigozhin also notably accused Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu of personally planning an operation to destroy Wagner and claimed that 25,000 Wagner personnel are prepared to act. Prigozhin later posted an audio message qualifying his previous statements and claiming that there is no "coup," only a "march for justice."
Early reports following Prigozhin's statements suggest that Russian internal security forces are activating in response to Prigozhin's statements and possible Wagner moves, primarily in Moscow and Rostov, and the Kremlin appears opposed to Prigozhin's actions. Kremlin newswire TASS reported that security measures have been strengthened in Moscow and that Rosgvardia (Russian National Guard) special police (OMON) and special rapid response (SOBR) units have been alerted of the situation. Russian sources posted footage reportedly showing military equipment moving through the streets of Moscow. TASS also reported that Russian military personnel and law enforcement have set up military posts and checkpoints near the Southern Military District (SMD) headquarters in Rostov-on-Don, and BBC's Russia Service reported that Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) employees and SOBR units have set up roadblocks along the Moscow-Voronezh-Rostov highway. A Russian milblogger also claimed that the "Grom" special forces detachment of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) has additionally activated. The FSB and Russian Anti-Terrorism Committee have both opened cases against Prigozhin. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov notably stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been informed and is aware of the situation. The emergency activation of the domestic security forces and the Kremlin's direct response suggest that the Kremlin was very likely not aware of, and is explicitly opposed to, Prigozhin's actions.
An armed Wagner attack against the Russian military leadership in Rostov-on-Don would have significant impacts on Russia's war effort in Ukraine. Rostov-on-Don houses both the headquarters of the SMD, whose 58th Combined Arms Army is currently decisively engaged in defensive operations against Ukrainian counteroffensives in southern Ukraine, and the command center for the Russian Joint Group of Forces in Ukraine as a whole. Rostov-on-Don is therefore a critical command and control membrane for the Russian army, and any threats to the MoD's presence are likely to have ramifications on some critical aspects of the war effort.
Key Takeaways:
• Wagner Group financier Yevgeny Prigozhin appears to have launched an armed rebellion on June 23 to force a leadership change within the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) which is unlikely to succeed.
• Early reports following Prigozhin's statements suggest that Russian internal security forces are activating in response to Prigozhin's statements and possible Wagner moves, primarily in Moscow and Rostov, and the Kremlin appears opposed to Prigozhin's actions.
• Prigozhin set informational conditions for this effort earlier in the day by accusing the Russian MoD and unnamed oligarchs of deceiving Putin and the Russian public in order to launch the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
• Prigozhin likely intends to truly conduct an armed rebellion against the Russian MoD, rather than expecting Kremlin support to compel MoD leadership changes or only escalating rhetorically.
• It is therefore most likely that Prigozhin fully intends for Wagner to move against the MoD leadership and forcibly remove them from power, more likely against the Southern Military District command in Rostov-on-Don but possibly also against Moscow.
• An armed Wagner attack against the Russian military leadership in Rostov-on-Don would have significant impacts on Russia's war effort in Ukraine.
• Prigozhin's apparent start of an armed rebellion is the culmination of his campaign to retain control over his military forces, and he likely views the rebellion as an existential survival effort.
• Prigozhin's likely intention was to gain the allegiance of senior Russian officers and military personnel, but he is unlikely to secure sufficient military support considering that Wagner-affiliated Army General Sergei Surovikin denounced Prigozhin's call for armed rebellion.
• Even if the Wagner Group can credibly threaten the MoD, Putin is incredibly unlikely to acquiesce to a successful effort by Prigozhin to topple the MoD.
• Ukrainian forces conducted counteroffensive operations on at least two sectors of the front on June 23.
• Russian forces conducted another series of missile and drone strikes against Ukraine on June 23, primarily targeting a Ukrainian airfield in Khmelnytskyi Oblast.
• Russian forces continued to conduct limited ground attacks in the Kupyansk area, and Russian and Ukrainian forces continued to skirmish south of Kreminna.
• Russian forces did not conduct any confirmed ground attacks in the Bakhmut area.
• Russian and Ukrainian forces continued limited offensive operations along the Avdiivka-Donetsk City front.
• Russian and Ukrainian forces continued ground attacks in the western Donetsk-eastern Zaporizhia Oblast border area.
• Ukrainian forces continued counteroffensive operations in western Zaporizhia Oblast.
• Russian federal subjects and the Wagner Group continue efforts to conceal the true scale of Russian and Wagner losses in Ukraine.
• Ukrainian officials reported that Russian and occupation administrations continue to disregard the lives of Ukrainian civilians in occupied territories.
Daily Memo: Update on Russia's Internal Conflict
Conflicting reports don't shed much light on the supposed coup underway.
By: GPF Staff
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Russia's private military firm known as the Wagner Group, has accused the Russian military of attacking his forces and said he would answer with attacks of his own. Conflicting reports on social media suggest Russian military vehicles are on the streets of major Russian cities in anticipation of what Russia's attorney general has called an "attempt to organize an armed rebellion." Some reports claim that a column of Wagner personnel has passed through the Novoshakhtinsk checkpoint. Another says that at the Voloshino checkpoint there is a column of Wagner forces some 80 kilometers long. It is believed that military police and border guards are not interfering with Wagner's forces. In the face of what may or may not be a coup attempt, the government's primary objectives are to increase security in Moscow proper. We cannot confirm at the moment what exactly is going on, but we know that this may be an inflection point in the conflict.
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