To All,
Good Friday morning January 3. The weather is cloudy and cooler than yesterday and only forecast to reach 69.
Today is the Bubba Breakfast Friday here in San Diego.
Warm Regards,
Skip
Make it a GREAT Day
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This day in Naval and Marine Corps History (thanks to NHHC)
Go here to see the director's corner for all 85 H-Grams
This day in Naval and Marine Corps History
Here is a link to the NHHC website: https://www.history.navy.mil/
January. 3
1904 - Marines from USS Dixie arrive in Panama.
1909—USS Scorpion arrives to help the survivors of the Messina, Sicily earthquake. With the Great White Fleet making its way through the Suez Canal, President T. Roosevelt orders the U.S. Navy to assist.
1943—USS Humboldt (AVP 21) rescues 10 survivors from the Philippines motor-ship Dona Aurora, which was sunk by Italian submarine Enrico Tazzol on Dec. 25, 1942.
1944—Marine Maj. Gregory Boyington is shot down by Japanese and taken prison of war.
1945—Task Force 38, under Vice Adm. John S. McCain, begins operations against Japanese airfields and shipping in the Formosa area, with aircraft sinking six enemy ships.
1945—USS Kingfish (SS 234) attacks a Japanese convoy in the Bonin Islands sinking a Japanese army cargo ship and two freighters 200 miles north of Chichi Jima.
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Today in World History January 3
1521 Martin Luther is excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church.
1777 General George Washington defeats the British led by British General Lord Charles Cornwallis, at Princeton, New Jersey.
1861 Delaware rejects a proposal that it join the South in seceding from the Union.
1903 The Bulgarian government renounces the Treaty of Commerce tying it to the Austro-Hungarian empire.
1910 The Social Democratic Congress in Germany demands universal suffrage.
1912 Plans are announced for a new $150,000 Brooklyn stadium for the Trolley Dodgers baseball team.
1916 Three armored Japanese cruisers are ordered to guard the Suez Canal.
1920 The last of the U.S. troops depart France.
1921 Italy halts the issuing of passports to those emigrating to the United States.
1924 King Tutankhamen's sarcophagus is uncovered near Luxor, Egypt.
1930 The second conference on Germany's war reparations begins at the Hague, in the Netherlands.
1931 Hundreds of farmers storm a small town in depression-plagued Arkansas demanding food.
1933 The Japanese take Shuangyashan, China, killing 500 Chinese.
1946 President Harry S. Truman calls on Americans to spur Congress to act on the on-going labor crisis.
1958 The British create the West Indies Federation with Lord Hailes as governor general.
1959 Alaska is admitted into the Union as the 49th and largest state.
1959 Fidel Castro takes command of the Cuban army.
1961 The United States breaks diplomatic relations with Cuba.
1966 Cambodia warns the United Nations of retaliation unless the United States and South Vietnam end intrusions.
1977 Apple Computers incorporates.
1978 North Vietnamese troops reportedly occupy 400 square miles in Cambodia. North Vietnamese Army (NVA) troops were using Laos and Cambodia as staging areas for attacks against allied forces.
1985 President Ronald Reagan condemns a rash of arson attacks on abortion clinics.
1990 Manuel Noriega, former leader of Panama, surrenders to US forces.
1993 George H. W. Bush and Boris Yeltsin sign the second Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START).
1994 More than 7 million people receive South African citizenship that had previously been denied under Apartheid policies.
1996 The first mobile flip phone, the Motorola StarTAC, goes on sale.
1999 Mars Polar Lander launched.
2000 The last original weekday Peanuts comic strip is published after a 50-year run, following the death of the strip's creator, Charles Schultz.
1924 King Tut's sarcophagus uncovered »
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Thanks to the Bear. .
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER ….
. rollingthunderremembered.com .
Thanks to Micro
To remind folks that these are from the Vietnam Air Losses site that Micro put together. You click on the url below and get what happened each day to the crew of the aircraft. ……Skip
From Vietnam Air Losses site for "Friday 3 January
January 3: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=398
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.
Vietnam Air Losses
Access Chris Hobson and Dave Lovelady's work at: https://www.VietnamAirLosses.com.
This is a list of all Helicopter Pilots Who Died in the Vietnam War . Listed by last name and has other info https://www.vhpa.org/KIA/KIAINDEX.HTM
MOAA - Wall of Faces Now Includes Photos of All Servicemembers Killed in the Vietnam War
(This site was sent by a friend last week and I forgot to forward. The site works, find anyone you knew in "search" feature. https://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/ )
Wall of Faces Now Includes Photos of All Service members Killed in the Vietnam War
By: Kipp Hanley
AUGUST 15, 2022
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Thanks to Dr.Rich…I had an article in the List about this a while back but this adds a whole lot of information to this national tragedy. I would have thought that he would have had much better care and someone following his every step even if he just had a cold….skip
Sad end for the first man to land on the Moon
Thanks to Ed ...
I never knew this -- incredibly sad story… Malpractice insurance and the hospital hid the story for 11 years … Accountability is disappearing from healthcare...
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From the archives 11 years ago
Thanks to Clyde For all the Bubbas. Our memories of those days is still strong and the Bubba breakfast keeps our friends alive in our hearts.
Happy 2014 -A Vietnam Navy carrier pilot sends his best wishes for 2014. A beautifully written letter.
As we face a new year, I recall visiting with three old friends, a few years back, at a park in the nation's capital. It seems like only yesterday that we were all together, but actually it has been 42 years. There was a crowd at the park that day, and it took us a while to connect, but with the aid of a book we made it. I found Harry, Bruce and Paul. In 1970-72 we were gung-ho young fighter pilots on America and Constellation off Vietnam, the cream of the crop of the U.S. Navy, flying F-4J Phantoms. Now their names are on that 500-foot-long Vietnam War Memorial. I am hesitant to visit the wall when I'm in Washington DC because I don't trust myself to keep my composure. Standing in front of that somber wall, I tried to keep it light, reminiscing about how things were back then. We used to joke about our passionate love affair with an inanimate flying object-we flew. We marveled at the thought that we actually got paid to do it. We were not draftees but college graduates in Vietnam by choice, opting for the cramped confines of a jet fighter cockpit over the comfort of corporate America. In all my life I've not been so passionate about any other work. If that sounds like an exaggeration, then you've never danced the wild blue with a supersonic angel. To fight for your country is an honor. I vividly remember leaving my family and friends in San Diego headed for Vietnam. I wondered if I would live to see them again. For reasons I still don't understand, I was fortunate to return while others did not. Once in Vietnam, we passed the long, lonely hours in Alert 5, the ready room, our staterooms or the Cubi O'Club. The complaint heard most often, in the standard gallows humor of a combat squadron, was, "It's a lousy war, but it's the only one we have." (I've cleaned up the language a bit.) We sang mostly raunchy songs that never seemed to end-someone was always writing new verses-and, as an antidote to loneliness, fear in the night and the sadness over dead friends, we often drank too much. At the wall, I told the guys only about the good parts of the years since we've been apart. I talked of those who went on to command squadrons. Those who made Captain and flag rank. I asked them if they've seen some other squadronmates who have joined them. I didn't tell them about how ostracized Vietnam vets still are. I didn't relate how the media had implied we Vietnam vets were, to quote one syndicated columnist, "either suckers or psychos, victims or monsters." I didn't tell them that Hanoi Jane, who shot at us and helped torture our POWs, had married one of the richest guys in the United States. I didn't tell them that the secretary of defense they fought for back then has now declared that he was not a believer in the cause for which he assigned them all to their destiny. I didn't tell them that our commander-in-chief avoided serving while they were fighting and dying. And I didn't tell them we "lost" that lousy war. I gave them the same story I've used for years: We were winning when I left. I relived that final day as I stared at the black onyx wall. After 297 combat missions, we were leaving the South China Sea…heading east. The excitement of that day was only exceeded by coming into the break at Miramar, knowing that my wife, my two boys, my parents and other friends and family were waiting to welcome me home. I was not the only one talking to the wall through tears. Folks in fatigues, leather vests, motorcycle jackets, flight jackets lined the wall talking to friends. I backed about 25 yards away from the wall and sat down on the grass under a clear blue sky and midday sun that perfectly matched the tropical weather of the war zone. The wall, with all 58,200 names, consumed my field of vision. I tried to wrap my mind around the violence, carnage and ruined lives that it represented. Then I thought of how Vietnam was only one small war in the history of the human race. I was overwhelmed with a sense of mankind's wickedness balanced against some men and women's willingness to serve. Before becoming a spectacle in the park, I got up and walked back up to the wall to say goodbye and ran my fingers over the engraved names of my friends as if I could communicate with them through some kind of spiritual touch. I wanted them to know that God, duty, honor and country will always remain the noblest calling. Revisionist history from elite draft dodgers trying to justify and rationalize their own actions will never change that. I believe I have been a productive member of society since the day I left Vietnam. I am honored to have served there, and I am especially proud of my friends-heroes who voluntarily, enthusiastically gave their all. They demonstrated no greater love to a nation whose highbrow opinion makers are still trying to disavow them. May their names, indelibly engraved on that memorial wall, likewise be found in the Book of Life. Remember that throughout the new year.
As an afterthought, I find it funny how simple it is for people to trash different ways of living and believing and then wonder why the world is going to hell. Funny how you can send a thousand 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding life choices, people think twice about sharing. Funny how the lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but the public discussion of morality is suppressed in the school and workplace. Funny isn't it? Funny how when you go to forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it to them. Funny how I can be more worried about what other people think of me than what I think of me.
I wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous 2025,
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From the archives
Thanks to Laurel This is one I never heard of before. Two related articles
Here's a story for you, Skip:
WWII fighter pilot who flew THROUGH the Eiffel Tower to take down a German plane dies in Virginia aged 92
http://jalopnik.com/this-man-chased-a-nazi-fighter-plane-under-the-eiffel-t-1494007692
William Overstreet Jr., a former captain in the U.S. Air Corps, passed away on Sunday at a hospital in Roanoke
He famously flew his plane beneath the Eiffel Tower in Nazi-occupied Paris in 1944, lifting the spirits of French troops on the ground
In 2009, he was presented France's Legion of Honor
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From the archives
72 Killed Resisting Gun Confiscation in Boston
Boston – National Guard units seeking to confiscate a cache of recently banned assault weapons were ambushed by elements of a Para-military extremist faction. Military and law enforcement sources estimate that 72 were killed and more than 200 injured before government forces were compelled to withdraw.
Speaking after the clash, Massachusetts Governor Thomas Gage declared that the extremist faction, which was made up of local citizens, has links to the radical right-wing tax protest movement.
Gage blamed the extremists for recent incidents of vandalism directed against internal revenue offices. The governor, who described the group's organizers as "criminals," issued an executive order authorizing the summary arrest of any individual who has interfered with the government's efforts to secure law and order.
The military raid on the extremist arsenal followed wide-spread refusal by the local citizenry to turn over recently outlawed assault weapons.
Gage issued a ban on military-style assault weapons and ammunition earlier in the week. This decision followed a meeting in early this month between government and military leaders at which the governor authorized the forcible confiscation of illegal arms.
One government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, pointed out that "none of these people would have been killed had the extremists obeyed the law and turned over their weapons voluntarily."
Government troops initially succeeded in confiscating a large supply of outlawed weapons and ammunition. However, troops attempting to seize arms and ammunition in Lexington met with resistance from heavily-armed extremists who had been tipped off regarding the government's plans.
During a tense standoff in the Lexington town park, National Guard Colonel Francis Smith, commander of the government operation, ordered the armed group to surrender and return to their homes. The impasse was broken by a single shot, which was reportedly fired by one of the right-wing extremists.
Eight civilians were killed in the ensuing exchange.
Ironically, the local citizenry blamed government forces rather than the extremists for the civilian deaths. Before order could be restored, armed citizens from surrounding areas had descended upon the guard units. Colonel Smith, finding his forces over matched by the armed mob, ordered a retreat.
Governor Gage has called upon citizens to support the state/national joint task force in its effort to restore law and order. The governor also demanded the surrender of those responsible for planning and leading the attack against the government troops.
Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, and John Hancock, who have been identified as "ringleaders" of the extremist faction, remain at large.
And this fellow Americans, is how the American Revolution began, April 20, 1775.
On July 4th, 1776 these same extremists signed the Declaration of Independence, pledging to each other and their countrymen their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor. Many of them lost everything, including their families and their lives over the course of the next few years.
Lest we forget…
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Thanks to 1440
New Orleans Probe Continues
Bourbon Street in New Orleans opened to the public yesterday amid a heavy police presence, as details continued to emerge about the terrorist attack there early Wednesday. Several of the 14 victims have been informally identified by friends and families (see list), with official identification expected within days.
The FBI clarified earlier reports the US Army veteran potentially had help, instead claiming he acted alone. The 42-year-old rented the Ford F-150 in Houston Monday before traveling to New Orleans late Tuesday. Between 1 and 3 am Wednesday, he posted five videos on Facebook proclaiming support for ISIS and claiming he had originally planned to kill his family but opted for a more public attack. Surveillance footage shows him placing two coolers containing explosives in the area of Bourbon Street—both were later disarmed. See a timeline here.
Investigators denied any clear link between the New Orleans rampage and the Cybertruck explosion in Las Vegas later that day, though both men served portions of their US Army careers at North Carolina's Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg); they also both used peer-to-peer car rental app Turo.
'Dinosaur Highway' Discovered
Workers in a limestone quarry in southern England have uncovered almost 200 dinosaur footprints dating to roughly 166 million years ago, researchers revealed yesterday. The tracks are in the vicinity of a similar, previously discovered—but now inaccessible—site found in 1997, leading paleontologists to describe the area as a "Dinosaur Highway."
The recent find includes imprints from at least five different animals, believed to be four large sauropods and one Megalosaurus. The latter, a nearly 30-foot-long carnivore, was the first dinosaur fossil ever to be formally described in 1824. The new discovery sheds light on the behavior of dinosaurs in the region dating to the Middle Jurassic period—at a time when what is now England had a tropical climate and was covered in warm, shallow seas in many areas.
Unlike the previous 1997 discovery, researchers were able to extensively image and create 3D reconstructions of the prints, potentially providing insight into how the animals walked and interacted. Learn about the three epochs of dinosaurs here.
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Thanks to Mugs
Clearly the Chicoms are building up for something; this is a threat we should not take lightly. The people in power in China are ruthless and dangerous. Just matching their buildup will be difficult and expensive, particularly in view of the federal budget's debt service requirements in addition to social security and medicare. DJT's people have a huge challenge before them.
Report: China Rapidly Builds Up Weapons And Psychological Warfare Operations
By: Chuck DeVore
December 27, 2024
Image Credit Defense Intelligence Agency/Public Domain
China's military buildup and cognitive warfare strategy are clear indications of its intent to defeat the U.S. and its allies by any means necessary.
Chuck DeVore
Visit on Twitter @ChuckDeVore
The People's Republic of China (PRC) is undertaking an unprecedented military buildup aimed at challenging America and its allies, particularly in the Indo-Pacific. And, like Nazi Germany's buildup in the 1930s, the militarization program ordered by the Chinese Communist Party isn't simply a great power buildup — it's a weapon in service of a deadly ideology.
The 2024 Department of Defense China Military Power Report and recent analysis by Bill Gertz in the Washington Times reveal this buildup as part of a broader strategy by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to position itself as a global superpower. Meanwhile, the U.S., having spent $5.4 trillion on the global war on terror and attendant, futile nation-building, has left itself strategically vulnerable by diverting critical resources while underestimating the threat from China.
Missile Expansion and Strategic Modernization
China has rapidly expanded the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF) arsenal, adding, that we know of, some:
• 50 new intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of striking the continental U.S., for a cumulative total of 400.
• 300 medium-range ballistic missiles and 100 long-range cruise missiles.
• More than 600 operational nuclear warheads, projected to surpass 1,000 by 2030.
• Hypersonic missiles like the DF-27, capable of evading U.S. missile defenses and targeting Guam, Hawaii, and Alaska.
• China's navy, already the largest in the world with 370 ships and submarines, is expected to grow to 435 by 2030.
Cognitive Warfare and Psychological Operations
Beyond its conventional forces, China's adoption of "cognitive warfare" poses a significant threat. This doctrine focuses on manipulating information to undermine adversaries' decision-making processes. Cognitive warfare features tactics right out of a sci-fi film, all enabled by powerful AI tools. For instance, deepfakes to mislead military and political leaders during crises and psychological warfare to demoralize U.S. troops and polarize society — the latter including efforts to erode trust in U.S. leadership among regional allies via tool such as TikTok.
PLA researchers are also developing advanced voice synthesis tools for low-cost, high-impact disinformation campaigns. These operations reflect a strategy designed to win conflicts without direct confrontation, targeting the minds of adversaries rather than their forces — Sun Tzu would approve.
Questionable Timelines and Strategic Deception
The CCP's stated military objectives include readiness for action against Taiwan by 2027, achieving strategic dominance by 2035, and fielding a world-class military by 2049, the 100th anniversary of the CCP's victory over the Nationalists in China's civil war. However, these timelines should be treated with skepticism. They are likely deliberate deceptions aimed at lulling adversaries into complacency or disguising China's actual state of readiness. The pace of China's missile expansion and cognitive warfare preparations suggests that Beijing's capabilities likely exceed what is required for these projected milestones.
Unfortunately, the DOD's China report featured a special section on corruption in China's military that was seized upon by those who have consistently downplayed the China threat.
America's Fiscal Crisis and the Need for Budget Reform
While China accelerates its military growth, even as it faces what appears to be a weakening economy, the dire state of American finances threatens our national security. The federal deficit and ballooning national debt place immense pressure on defense spending. To effectively counter China's ambitions, the U.S. must rebuild its fleet, modernize its nuclear arsenal, expand missile defenses, and restore maritime lift capability. However, this cannot be achieved without serious budget reform and strategic cuts within the Pentagon itself. These necessary actions will likely face strong opposition from some in Congress who seek to defend the status quo.
In short order, President-elect Donald Trump's national security team must start to rebuild the Navy with more surface combatants, submarines, and support vessels to counter China's maritime dominance. America's aging nuclear arsenal requires upgrades to ensure credible deterrence against China's rapidly growing stockpile of advanced warheads and delivery systems.
Lessons learned from Israel and Ukraine show that we must also invest in next-generation missile defense systems to protect the homeland and key assets in the Indo-Pacific. And, lastly, we must invest in strategic sealift capacity to ensure rapid deployment and sustainment of forces during a conflict. This will require a decade of focused effort to rebuild America's shipbuilding industry, including training tens of thousands of highly skilled workers.
Finding Savings Within the Pentagon
Despite the need for increased capability, the solution is not simply more spending. The Pentagon's budget, currently burdened by inefficiencies, mismanagement, and bloated bureaucracy, must be scrutinized. It will be difficult, as every dollar cut will have an advocate as well as friends in Congress, but support for the needed investments will be hard to come by without serious savings in the Pentagon.
Savings can be found in cutting redundant programs and eliminating outdated or overlapping initiatives. Reforming the acquisition process will likely be a big lift as Congress will need to approve enabling legislation, but a proper streamlining of procurement can prevent cost overruns and delays and, if done right, can greatly accelerate weapons acquisition and innovation. And lastly, reducing the DOD's bureaucracy, including the massive bloat in generals and admirals, will not only save money but also speed up decision-making.
The Strategic Realignment Imperative
China's military buildup and cognitive warfare strategy are clear indications of its intent to defeat the U.S. and its allies by any means necessary. Ignoring this threat or trusting Beijing's stated timelines risks leaving the U.S. unprepared for a conflict that may arise sooner than anticipated.
To safeguard national security, the U.S. must adopt a strategy of fiscal discipline and targeted investment. Reallocating resources within the Pentagon to prioritize naval strength, nuclear deterrence, missile defense, and logistics will ensure the United States remains ready to meet the challenge posed by China.
Strategic competition demands both financial responsibility and military readiness — two imperatives that cannot be delayed.
Fortunately, President-elect Trump has assembled a team that understands this threat. With Pete Hegseth at the helm of the Pentagon, and other key positions filled by people who understand the danger and the urgency of the situation, it comes down to whether Congress will join in the effort to preserve peace through strength.
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Thanks to Jim
TARGET DRONES
This looks like a hoot!
https://www.dropbox.com/s/no8zlkltuct0l5x/Gnat%20Warfare%202-HD%201080p.mov?dl=0
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Thanks to Brett
Geopolitical Futures:
Keeping the future in focus
https://geopoliticalfutures.com
Daily Memo: Trust Issues in China's Military
The removal of ideological stewards raises some serious questions.
By Victoria Herczegh
Jan 3, 2025
There's been another shakeup in China's People's Liberation Army. Beijing recently revoked the membership of two high-ranking military officials, You Haitao and Li Pengcheng, for "violation of law and discipline," while PLA Commissar Qin Shutong was abruptly replaced by air force officer Chen Hui. The reshuffling comes just a month after Central Military Commission member Miao Hua was suspended for "violations of law and discipline" – a thinly veiled catchall for corrupt activities within the PLA.
It's not that corruption is unusual, or even much of a secret. It's rampant in China's entire defense sector, and purges happen all the time. Typically, most crimes take the form of the misallocation of funds (frequently without the approval of the central leadership), illegal outsourcing, the purchase and use of low-quality components, and so on. Hu Wenming, the leading architect of China's aircraft carrier program, was recently arrested for bribery and violation of party discipline. Liu Shiquan, head of North China Industry Corp., was also detained, as was Wu Yansheng and Wang Changqing, leaders of China's two largest missile manufacturers. There have been reports of allegations on the misuse of $16 billion in research and development funds for fighter jet engines. (Though the investigation into Miao was originally due to generic "corrupt activities," authorities have since leveled allegations that he was responsible for dozens of appointments and promotions of junior officials who continue his "unlawful" practices.)
It's the profile of officials removed – and the removal of so many of them at once – that makes this episode interesting. All of the alleged perpetrators had a lot of influence over ideology and political education within the military, and as such were handpicked by President Xi Jinping. In the PLA, ideological education and morale is as important as developing new capabilities. A political commissar (heretofore held by Qin) is in charge of exactly that – making the position one of the most indispensable in the PLA. The post's appointment, moreover, requires approval of the president himself after years of close monitoring and evaluation for party loyalty. The CMC post previously held by Miao is similar: As the director of the commission's political work department, he held a lot of influence over ideology, defense education and even the appointment of top officials. Qin and Miao's respective appointments were meant to improve the ideological environment of the military. Xi explicitly said as much, writing in state media of how important it is for the military to stay loyal and for cadres to always be prepared to "face their own shortcomings deeply rooted in their thinking."
Operationally, the vacancies themselves won't create a military crisis. The seats won't remain open for long, and in the worst-case scenario, the CMC may be unable to finalize certain decisions on personnel and development before they're filled. The bigger issue is that until now, Xi's closest proteges did not seem to be in danger of falling out of favor. Their removal suggests Xi believes morale and corruption are so bad that he cannot trust even his closest allies in the military. To be sure, he would not make the decision to remove them lightly. Removing personally appointed proteges in such a short period of time is widely considered to be a failure, and it raises serious questions about Xi's decision-making. It can therefore be assumed either that Xi believed the two officials could pose a direct threat to his power and to the PLA, or that he is removing anyone with even a whiff of suspicion.
It may be that any or all of those removed were guilty, to some degree or another, of violating party discipline. Still, it's hard to believe ideological purity is the only thing animating Xi's decisions. Beijing has made every effort to allocate as much of its vast resources as it can to rapidly modernize the military, so the president likely believes that rampant corruption and the misuse of funds will undermine arms procurement and high-quality modernization. Already there are criticisms of inadequate logistics and subpar performance of some new capabilities, raising questions about the reliability of the country's missiles, naval platforms, aviation programs and land warfare weapons. The fact that the PLA has been openly flaunting its new capabilities and increasing its provocative military presence in the South China Sea and around Taiwan also suggests a desperate need to project power at a time when the extent and quality of that strength is doubted both inside and outside of the nation.
Thus there's no reason to believe the military purges will end anytime soon. In fact, reports suggest that the leadership has recently constructed more than 200 new sites of "liuzhi" detention facilities – part of a highly controversial prison system in which people of "public power" under investigation can be monitored, often having to endure abuse and coercion in order to reveal information. Xi seems to be prepared to sacrifice his respectability as a leader in order to secure his position of power and reform the military. So far, it's unclear whether the benefits justify the costs. While the military modernization is progressing, the quality, reliability and efficiency of the PLA's capabilities in an actual conflict is likewise unclear.
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More on China
Thanks to Brett
Geopolitical Futures:
Keeping the future in focus
https://geopoliticalfutures.com
Daily Memo: New Chapter in European-Russian Gas Trade
After half a century, Russian natural gas is no longer flowing to Europe through Ukraine.
By GPF Staff
Jan 2, 2025
Blame game. Russia's Gazprom ceased deliveries of natural gas to Europe via Ukraine on Jan. 1, citing Kyiv's refusal to extend transit agreements. Ukraine's Ministry of Energy confirmed the stoppage, calling it a "historic event" taken for national security reasons. Kyiv also said it was prepared to open its gas transportation network to any non-Russian gas. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted various proposals that would see Azerbaijani, Hungarian, Slovak or Turkish companies take ownership of gas transported through Ukraine.
Nation building. Syria's de facto leader, Abu Mohammed al-Golani, met with a delegation from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, according to Kurdish media outlet Rudaw. Discussions focused on military issues and were described as positive. In a Dec. 29 interview, al-Golani said Syria's Defense Ministry would accept Kurdish forces as part of the Syrian armed forces.
Withdrawals. The president of Ivory Coast, Alassane Ouattara, announced the withdrawal of French troops from their base in Abidjan, marking the latest reduction of France's military presence in Africa. Senegal plans to end its military partnership with France in 2025, leaving Gabon and Djibouti as the only African countries hosting French bases. France's retrenchment follows recent troops withdrawals from Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad.
Widening trade restrictions. China's Ministry of Commerce imposed export controls on 28 U.S. companies, restricting the export of dual-use items over national security concerns. The companies include defense contractors General Dynamics, Boeing Defense, Space and Security, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Missiles and Defense.
Silicon Valley in Taiwan. The Taiwanese government approved a plan to transform southern Taiwan into a technology hub. The plan involves creating an S-shaped semiconductor corridor across Tainan, Chiayi, Kaohsiung and Pingtung. Taipei hopes the initiative will attract talent, foster AI innovation and support small and medium-sized enterprises through public-private collaboration.
Robot army. China reportedly developed a 5G mobile base station tailored for military use and capable of supporting 10,000 users within a 3-kilometer (1.9-mile) radius. Tested under harsh conditions, including difficult terrain and electronic warfare, the station delivered 10 gigabits per second throughout with 15-millisecond latency. The technology could facilitate the integration of automated combat vehicles and robotic systems. It was described in a peer-reviewed paper appearing in the Chinese journal Telecommunications Science on Dec. 17.
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Thanks to Nice News
Health
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Teen Alcohol, Drug, and Tobacco Use Is Continuing to Decline
Goodboy Picture Company/ iStock
When U.S. teen alcohol and drug use dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic, many experts thought they'd see a rebound once lockdowns were over and school resumed as normal. But the effects of the health crisis seem to have had a more significant impact, as that rebound still hasn't come, four years later.
In the annual Monitoring the Future survey, published last month, around two-thirds of 12th graders reported that they hadn't used alcohol, marijuana, cigarettes, or e-cigarettes in the last 30 days — the largest proportion of abstainers since abstinence was first measured in 2017, per the Associated Press. There was also a record among 10th graders: 80% said they hadn't used those substances in that time period.
Richard Miech, who leads the federally funded survey, explained that these milestones might be the ripple effects of COVID school closures. Teens who started high school during the pandemic never picked up drug or alcohol habits, and therefore didn't become a negative influence to the teens who are currently starting their secondary education. "The pandemic stopped the cycle of new kids coming in and being recruited to drug use," he told the AP.
Culture
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The Pygmy Hippo Hype Continues in 2025 — Help Name Virginia Zoo's New Addition
Metro Richmond Zoo
If you thought you'd stop hearing about pygmy hippos in 2025, you'd be wrong. Capitalizing on the Moo Deng hype of 2024, the Metro Richmond Zoo in Moseley, Virginia, is looking to the public to help name its new addition: an impossibly adorable pygmy hippo born to mom Iris and dad Corwin in December.
It's easy to write off Moo Deng and the other recently viral hippos (Haggis and Toni) as social media fads, but pygmy hippos are an endangered species, with fewer than 2,500 mature individuals remaining in the wild. That means these stories are conservation wins, in addition to making for fun memes and Saturday Night Live content.
"This birth — like all of Iris' births — plays an important role in helping protect this rare and elusive species," the Metro Richmond noted in a press release.
As for the naming competition, the zoo has narrowed the hippo's moniker options down to Poppy (since her mother also has a flower name) and Hammie Mae ("a sweet and southern tie to Virginia ham"). You can cast your vote until tomorrow at 11:59 p.m. ET, and the winning name will be announced Monday.
Global Good
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🇮🇪 Conservationists are preserving historic Irish documents dating to the 14th and 15th centuries
🇰🇷 South Korean researchers developed an "Iron Man" robot to help paralyzed patients walk
🇰🇿 The snow leopard population in Kazakhstan has rebounded, reaching near-record levels
🇧🇪 Belgium became the first EU country to ban disposable e-cigarettes
🇧🇦 The "Balkan Blues," a form of love song from Bosnia and Herzegovina, was recognized by UNESCO
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January 3
This Day in U S Military History
1777 – General George Washington defeats the British led by British General Lord Charles Cornwallis, at Princeton, New Jersey. On the night of January 2, George Washington, Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, repulsed a British attack at the Battle of the Assunpink Creek in Trenton. That night, he evacuated his position, circled around General Lord Cornwallis' army, and went to attack the British garrison at Princeton. Brigadier General Hugh Mercer of the Continental Army, clashed with two regiments under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Charles Mawhood of the British Army. Mercer and his troops were overrun and Washington sent some militia under Brigadier General John Cadwalader to help him. The militia, on seeing the flight of Mercer's men, also began to flee. Washington rode up with reinforcements and rallied the fleeing militia. He then led the attack on Mawhood's troops, driving them back. Mawhood gave the order to retreat and most of the troops tried to flee to Cornwallis in Trenton. In Princeton itself, Brigadier General John Sullivan encouraged some British troops who had taken refuge in Nassau Hall to surrender, ending the battle. After the battle, Washington moved his army to Morristown, and with their third defeat in 10 days, the British evacuated southern New Jersey. With the victory at Princeton, morale rose in the ranks and more men began to enlist in the army. The battle (while considered minor by British standards) was the last major action of Washington's winter New Jersey campaign.
1945 – Third Fleet carriers begin a 2 day attack against Formosa destroying 100 aircraft with loss of only 22 aircraft. VMF-124 and VMF-213 from the USS Essex struck Formosa and the Ryukyu Islands in the first Marine land strike off a carrier.
1945 – In the Ardennes the fighting continues. There are desperate German attacks on the narrow corridor leading to Bastogne which manage to upset the timetable of the US attacks a little but achieve nothing else. Forces from the US Third and now also the First Armies are attacking toward Houffaliza from the south and north. In Alsace the German attacks and the American retreat continue. The US VI Corps is being pressed particularly hard around Bitche. Farther south there is also fighting near Strasbourg.
1951 – As massive numbers of Chinese troops crossed the frozen Han River east and west of Seoul, Eighth Army began evacuating the South Korean capital. The ROK government began moving to Pusan. In one of the largest FEAF Bomber Command air raids, more than sixty B-29s dropped 650 tons of incendiary bombs on Pyongyang. UN forces burned nearly 500,000 gallons of fuel and 23,000 gallons of napalm at Kimpo in preparation for abandoning the base to the advancing enemy. Far East Air Forces flew 958 combat sorties, a one-day record.1958 – The Air Force forms two squadrons of the Strategic Air Command (SAC) armed with medium-range ballistic missiles.
1959 – President Eisenhower signs a special proclamation admitting the territory of Alaska into the Union as the 49th and largest state. The European discovery of Alaska came in 1741, when a Russian expedition led by Danish navigator Vitus Bering sighted the Alaskan mainland. Russian hunters were soon making incursions into Alaska, and the native Aleut population suffered greatly after being exposed to foreign diseases. In 1784, Grigory Shelikhov established the first permanent Russian colony in Alaska on Kodiak Island. In the early 19th century, Russian settlements spread down the west coast of North America, with the southernmost fort located near Bodega Bay in California. Russian activity in the New World declined in the 1820s, and the British and Americans were granted trading rights in Alaska after a few minor diplomatic conflicts. In the 1860s, a nearly bankrupt Russia decided to offer Alaska for sale to the United States, which earlier had expressed interest in such a purchase. On March 30, 1867, Secretary of State William H. Seward signed a treaty with Russia for the purchase of Alaska for $7.2 million. Despite the bargain price of roughly two cents an acre, the Alaskan purchase was ridiculed in Congress and in the press as "Seward's folly," "Seward's icebox," and President Andrew Johnson's "polar bear garden." Nevertheless, the Senate ratified purchase of the tremendous landmass, one-fifth the size of the rest of the United States. Despite a slow start in settlement by Americans from the continental United States, the discovery of gold in 1898 brought a rapid influx of people to the territory. Alaska, rich in natural resources, has been contributing to American prosperity ever since.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
TURNER, GEORGE B.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Battery C, 499th Armored Field Artillery Battalion, 14th Armored Division. Place and date. Philippsbourg, France, 3 January 1945. Entered service at: Los Angeles, Calif. Born: 27 June 1899, Longview, Tex. G.O. No.: 79, 14 September 1945. Citation: At Phillippsbourg, France, he was cut off from his artillery unit by an enemy armored infantry attack. Coming upon a friendly infantry company withdrawing under the vicious onslaught, he noticed 2 German tanks and approximately 75 supporting foot soldiers advancing down the main street of the village. Seizing a rocket launcher, he advanced under intense small-arms and cannon fire to meet the tanks and, standing in the middle of the road, fired at them, destroying 1 and disabling the second. From a nearby half-track he then dismounted a machinegun, placed it in the open street and fired into the enemy infantrymen, killing or wounding a great number and breaking up the attack. In the American counterattack which followed, 2 supporting tanks were disabled by an enemy antitank gun. Firing a light machinegun from the hip, Pfc. Turner held off the enemy so that the crews of the disabled vehicles could extricate themselves. He ran through a hail of fire to one of the tanks which had burst into flames and attempted to rescue a man who had been unable to escape; but an explosion of the tank's ammunition frustrated his effort and wounded him painfully. Refusing to be evacuated, he remained with the infantry until the following day, driving off an enemy patrol with serious casualties, assisting in capturing a hostile strong point, and voluntarily and fearlessly driving a truck through heavy enemy fire to deliver wounded men to the rear aid station. The great courage displayed by Pfc. Turner and his magnificently heroic initiative contributed materially to the defense of the French town and inspired the troops about him.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for January 3, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
3 January
1933: General Douglas MacArthur ordered the Air Corps "to conduct the land-based air operations in defense of the US and its overseas possessions." (5)
1935: Lincoln Ellsworth and Herbert Hollick-Kenyon completed an Antarctic flight. (24)
1945: BATTLE OF THE BULGE: American and British forces counterattacked the Germans under the protection of American airpower. (4) TEST FIRE-BOMB RAID. In a test-bombing mission to determine the efficacy of fire bombing over conventional high-explosive bombing, 57 of 97 B-29s bombed Nagoya, Japan,. The results gave the Japanese the mistaken impression that their fire-prevention system was adequate. (17)
1949: Representative Carl Vinson of Georgia introduced a bill to speed guided missile research and to create a 70-group Air Force. (24)
1950 Jacqueline Cochran set a new Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) 500-kilometer close-course speed record of 444 miles per hour. This was only one of the many records established from 1947-1951 by Cochran for which she was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, "for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight from 1947 to 1951. During this period, Colonel Cochran piloted an F-51 aircraft in which she established six world speed records. At Coachella Valley, California, flying a closed-circuit 100-kilometer course, Colonel Cochran established a new speed record of 469.549 miles per hour. In other flights from Thermal, Indio, and Palm Springs, CA, Colonel Cochran established world speed records for the 3-, 15-, 500-, 1000-, and 2000-kilometer courses. The professional competence, aerial skill, and devotion to duty displayed by Colonel Cochran reflect great credit upon herself and the United States Air Force.1951: KOREAN WAR. In one of the largest Far East Air Forces Bomber Command air raids, more than 60 B-29s dropped 650 tons of incendiary bombs on Pyongyang, N. Korea. UN forces burned nearly 500,000 gallons of fuel and 23,000 gallons of napalm at Kimpo before abandoning the base. Altogether, Far East Air Forces flew 958 combat sorties, a one-day record. (28)
1960: American Airline Boeing 707s set records of 3 hours 39 minutes from Los Angeles, Calif., to Baltimore, Md., and 4 hours 24 minutes from Los Angeles to Boston, Mass. A Transworld Airlines 707 flew from Los Angeles to New York in 3 hours 57 minutes, while Eastern Airlines DC-8 completed a flight Long Beach, Calif., to Miami, Fla., in 3 hours 58 minutes (5)
1963: At Eglin AFB, Fla., a Boeing BOMARC-B missile successfully intercepted its first low-altitude aircraft. (5) PROJECT FARM GATE. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) augmented the Farm Gate detachment in Vietnam with an additional 10 B-26s, 5 T-28s, and 2 C-47s. (17)
1966: The No. 2 XB-70 flew for 3 minutes at 70,000 feet over Edwards AFB, Calif., for the first time. (16)
1978: Lockheed Missiles and Space Company received $34 million to build a spacecraft for the Satellite Infrared Experiment (SIRE) to measure long wave infrared signatures of objects against the stellar background. This craft also carried two secondary payloads, a space sextant and a sensor to measure the isotopic composition of solar flares. (5)
1993: President George Bush and Soviet President Boris Yeltsin signed the second Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) to reduce nuclear bombers, missiles, bombs, and warheads. (16) (26)
2007: Through 4 January, a Wyoming Air National Guard C-130 Hercules and 10 airmen assisted the Colorado National Guard with a cattle feeding operation near Lamar in southeast Colorado after huge snowstorm blanketed the area. Colorado National Guard helicopters and the C-130 dropped hay to cattle. (AFNEWS, "Air National Guard Dropping Hay for Colorado Cattle," 4 Jan 2007.) (32)
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