Agiel's all things military

obyknven · February 3, 2016

Syrian army modernize armor by active defense against anti-tank missiles

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obyknven · February 3, 2016

Syrian army begin grand assault of Aleppo - they throw even a few of t-90 in battle.

Actually supply lines of terrorists to Turkish borders are cut now and insurgents in the city have no chances to survive.

http://southfront.org/map-the-battle-for-aleppo-the-mother-of-all-battles/

Zoraptor · February 3, 2016

1) It's certainly not an active anti ATGM system, it is at best a passive one like Shtora which spoofs the guidance system and may only be launch detection or situational awareness.
2) The rebels in Aleppo aren't cut off, there's a crossing to Turkey just off the left side of that map above at Bab-al-Hawa, the Azaz crossing (off north of map) is just more direct.

Updated map direct from PetoLucem, because why not.

Edited February 3, 2016 by Zoraptor

Raithe · February 5, 2016

Well maybe this will fit in here.. <whistles innocently>

Kickstarter - Fubar : Bringing out the worst in America's best

A military themed party game. Compatible with Cards Against Humanity. Unofficially endorsed by the US Military. Maybe. Probably not.

F.U.B.A.R is a military themed Cards Against Humanity-style game, played as an expansion to the original game or by itself.

Despite the stunning success of the CaH project and various 3rd party expansions, no one has attempted to make a military-specific deck. Until now!Created by veterans from all branches of the military, and tested by service-members and civilians alike, we’re confident everyone will love this latest twist on the classic party card game.

In order to make this thing work we’re asking for $10,800.00.

We know that seems like a lot, but unlike many other 3rd party expansions, F.U.B.A.R. is a 385 card deck, with 100 black prompt cards and 285 white answer cards, large enough to be played on its own.

Due to the size, the minimum printer order of 500 units will cost approximately $9,850.00. The additional $950.00 will cover Kickstarter’s mandatory 5% fee and the warehouse shipping and fulfillment costs.

If the campaign really takes off (and we believe it will) we can up the size of our order and offer the games at a lower cost once the campaign is over. Everybody wins!

We’re already preparing additional expansion packs specifically for the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. Following the success of the Kickstarter we plan to offer those for sale in the early spring.

The guys (and gal) at War Games LLC are also working on "America's Favorite Drinking Game", an expansion pack designed to completely change the way you play F.U.B.A.R. and get you pretty loaded in the process.

While obviously being directed toward a military audience, we deliberately designed the game to appeal to everyone (assuming they're also terrible people). After playtesting by civilians, cards that were deemed “too inside” or “too specific” were moved into the service expansion packs, so you can tailor the game to fit your audience.

....

obyknven · February 7, 2016

Just Imperial Stormtrooper.

Raithe · February 10, 2016

Epic Times - The US Military's Biggest Problem

Recently, the Military Times published an article about the declining morale in our armed forces. It did and should have hit a big nerve.

A military with poor morale is a military that fights poorly, takes more casualties, and fails to achieve a lasting peace. I hope this turns out to be a huge wake-up call to our at-fault senior uniformed and civilian military leadership.

I fear that the wrong fixes will be applied to this problem. The monetary concerns are actually the easiest to address. Budget priorities can be shifted to reduce the hit on service members’ pocketbooks–but it’s not primarily the pay and benefit issues that are exacerbating the downturn in morale.

According to the Military Times, satisfaction with pay and allowances declined from 87% in 2009 to 44% in 2014. Yet military pay has more than kept up with inflation for the past several years, and compares favorably with the civilian sector. That said, 2015’s pay increase fell slightly below inflation and the housing allowance has been amended. But overall pay and allowances are still pretty good.

The non-money military benefits, like health care, commissaries, exchanges, and recreation facilities, may have seen some small changes. Some for the worse, like commissary surcharges; others are better. These things are a minor impact on morale, at best.

In general deployment schedules are also having little effect on morale, at least not any more. Yes, some units still have intensive periods of deployment with little down time. And on an individual basis, some service members also have very high operational tempos. But on the whole, the pace of deployments has declined significantly since the days of the Iraq surge.

Just a few years ago, leaders were properly worried that the pace of deployments would seriously damage morale. Now that deployments have decreased, the worry is that morale is suffering for, yes, lack of a mission. Service members complains, but they also complain when they don’t see active duty. Deployments are a factor in poor morale, but they aren’t key in today’s military morale challenge, either.

The key factor is, duh, senior leadership that has not kept faith with its troops. Today’s troops feel abandoned by their senior leadership who seem to be primarily focused on looking good to their civilian leaders—not taking care of the troops. Our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines feel used and abused for no practical or tactical purpose.

Even though we’ve abandoned all of our successes in Iraq and Afghanistan, our military requirements to keep our nation safe are quite significant—the activities of Russia, Iran, China, and North Korea for example. The size of our current military is in reality inadequate to deal with these potential threats, and of all people, our troops know that.

Today our military is critically short in personnel, equipment, and training. Units have to swap equipment to train or deploy; new personnel go forward with inadequate training. Pilots don’t get enough flight time to maintain proficiency, the list goes on. The military is like a subsistence farmer who’s eating his seed corn — it works for a while, but not for long.

Service members aren’t blind to this. Those who’ve been around can sense that they are working harder, but accomplishing less. There’s more work, like political correctness classes, but somehow less mission training. And perhaps they could deal with the extra work. They did join to serve, after all. They just don’t feel as if their loyalty to our military and our nation is appreciated or recognized. They see clearly foolish decisions shaping their future.

From the Army giving pink slips to soldiers in Afghanistan, and the Marines kicking out sergeants after ten years of service, to the Air Force enticing airman to apply for voluntary separation incentives and then revoking the offer, senior leadership’s new mission has been focused on pleasing Washington at the expense of the troops who trust them.

The decision to force our military to place women in infantry, armor, and special ops forces has unfortunately also had a negative impact. Our most valuable warriors; our Navy SEALs, Army Rangers, infantrymen should not have to deal with issues of gender and examine their attitudes and feelings. This allows self-doubt to creep into their mind, making all of them more vulnerable to the enemy. Those warriors know a losing situation when they see it.

Bottom line, senior leaders are so cowed by civilian authority that they will throw anyone under a bus to preserve their image of the military. Guess what this does to the warrior spirit—the band-of-brothers syndrome that has made our military so effective over the years? Yeah, it goes in the trash.

Life in the military has a lot of rewards as well as a lot of sacrifices. What has made our troops withstand those hardships is a sense of belonging and the knowledge that someone has their backs. The source of the military’s morale issues is not money based. It’s because many troops believe that loyalty currently only travels up, not down–as it should.

The generals and admirals can complain about not having the money to fix the morale problem–but there’s not enough money in the world to fix it until, and unless, the leadership lack is resolved. If our brass doesn’t have its peoples’ backs, it will soon be looking at their backs as they walk out the door.

Agiel · February 11, 2016

Pop quiz: What is this aircraft?

Answers in haiku form (or in an otherwise cleverly roundabout fashion) only, please.

Edited February 11, 2016 by Agiel

kgambit · February 11, 2016

Pop quiz: What is this aircraft?

Answers in haiku form (or in an otherwise cleverly roundabout fashion) only, please.

Its "brother" is named after an insect with a stinger

This plane's name is a take off of its predecessor's

And the AN/ALQ-99s are a DEAD giveaway.

(Awesome pic by the way. Where was it taken? Over Afghanistan?)

(Not even attempting a haiku ... lol)

Edited February 11, 2016 by kgambit

Gfted1 · February 12, 2016

DARPA’s New Autonomous Submarine-Hunter Could Change Naval Combat Forever.

Raithe · February 13, 2016

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Raithe · February 15, 2016

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Agiel · February 15, 2016

As they say, the Air Force has the smartest enlisted of all the services:

Of all the Services, the Air Force has the most intelligent enlisted people. This is not just theory; it's provable fact.

Take the Army. When the stuff hits the fan, the young Army private wakes up to the bellowing of his First Sergeant. He grabs his BDUs out of his foot locker, dresses, runs to the chow-hall for breakfast on the fly, then jumps in his tank. Pretty soon, the company commander, a captain, arrives, gives him a big salute, and says, "Give 'em Hell, soldier!"

Now take the Navy. When the stuff hits the fan, the young Sailor is eating breakfast in the mess. He hustles the 20 feet to his battle station, stuffing extra pastries in his pocket as he goes. There he sits, in the middle of a big, steel target, with nowhere to run, when the Captain comes on the 1MC and says, "Give 'em Hell, Sailors! I salute you!"

Now take the Marines. When the stuff hits the fan, the young Marine is kicked out of bed by his First Sergeant and puts on the muddy set of BDUs he was wearing on the field exercise he was part of three hours earlier. He gets no breakfast, but is told to feel free to chew on his boots. He runs out and forms up with his rifle. Pretty soon, his company commander, a captain, comes out, gives the Marine a sharp salute, and says, "Give 'em Hell, Marine!"

And then there's the Air Force. When the s*** hits the fan, the Airman receives a phone call at his off-base quarters. He gets up, showers,shaves, and puts on the fresh uniform he picked up from the BX cleaners the day before. He jumps in his car and cruises through the McDonalds drive-thru for an Egg McMuffin and Coca-Cola on his way into work. Once at work, he signs in on the duty roster. He proceeds to his F-15, spends 30 minutes pre-flighting it, and signs off the forms. Pretty soon the pilot, a young captain arrives, straps into the jet, and starts the engines. Our young Airman stands at attention, gives the aviator a sharp salute, and says, "Give 'em Hell, Captain!"

Raithe · February 15, 2016

MILITARY WISDOM

"A slipping gear could let your M203 grenade launcher fire when you least expect it. That would make you quite unpopular in what's left of your unit." - Army's magazine of preventive maintenance.

"Aim towards the Enemy." - Instruction printed on US Rocket Launcher

"When the pin is pulled, Mr. Grenade is not our friend. - U.S. Marine Corps

"Cluster bombing from B-52s are very, very accurate. The bombs are guaranteed to always hit the ground." - USAF Ammo Troop

"If the enemy is in range, so are you." - Infantry Journal

"It is generally inadvisable to eject directly over the area you just bombed." - U.S Air Force Manual

"Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never encountered automatic weapons." - General Macarthur

"Try to look unimportant; they may be low on ammo." - Infantry Journal

"You, you, and you .. Panic. The rest of you, come with me." - U.S. Marine Corp Gunnery Sgt.

"Tracers work both ways." - U.S. Army Ordnance

"Five second fuses only last three seconds." - Infantry Journal

"Don't ever be the first, don't ever be the last, and don't ever volunteer to do anything." - U.S. Navy Swabbie

"Bravery is being the only one who knows you're afraid." - David Hackworth

"If your attack is going too well, you're walking into an ambush." - Infantry Journal

"No combat-ready unit has ever passed inspection." - Joe Gay

"Any ship can be a minesweeper .. Once."

"Never tell the Platoon Sergeant you have nothing to do."
- Unknown Marine Recruit

"Don't draw fire; it irritates the people around you." - Your Buddies

"If you see a bomb technician running, follow him." - USAF Ammo Troop

"Though I Fly Through the Valley of Death, I Shall Fear No Evil. For I am at 80,000 Feet and Climbing." - At the entrance to the old SR-71 operating base Kadena, Japan

"You've never been lost until you've been lost at Mach 3." - Paul F. Crickmore (test pilot)

"The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire."

"Blue water Navy truism: There are more planes in the ocean than submarines in the sky." - From an old carrier sailor

"If the wings are traveling faster than the fuselage, it's probably a helicopter -- and therefore, unsafe."

"When one engine fails on a twin-engine airplane you always have enough power left to get you to the scene of the crash."

"Without ammunition, the USAF would be just another expensive flying club."

"What is the similarity between air traffic controllers and pilots? If a pilot screws up, the pilot dies; If ATC screws up, .... The pilot dies."

"Never trade luck for skill."

The three most common expressions (or famous last words) in aviation are: "Why is it doing that?", "Where are we?" And "Oh S...!"

"Weather forecasts are horoscopes with numbers."

"Progress in airline flying: now a flight attendant can get a pilot pregnant."

"Airspeed, altitude and brains. Two are always needed to successfully complete the flight."

"A smooth landing is mostly luck; two in a row is all luck; three in a row is prevarication."

"I remember when sex was safe and flying was dangerous."

"Mankind has a perfect record in aviation; we never left one up there!"

"Flashlights are tubular metal containers kept in a flight bag for the purpose of storing dead batteries."

"Flying the airplane is more important than radioing your plight to a person on the ground incapable of understanding or doing anything about it."

"The Piper Cub is the safest airplane in the world; it can just barely kill you." - Attributed to Max Stanley (Northrop test pilot)

"A pilot who doesn't have any fear probably isn't flying his plane to its maximum." - Jon McBride, astronaut

"If you're faced with a forced landing, fly the thing as far into the crash as possible." - Bob Hoover (renowned aerobatic and test pilot).

"Never fly in the same ****pit with someone braver than you."

"There is no reason to fly through a thunderstorm in peacetime." - Sign over squadron ops desk at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ, 1970

"If something hasn't broken on your helicopter, it's about to."

Basic Flying Rules: "Try to stay in the middle of the air. Do not go near the edges of it. The edges of the air can be recognized by the appearance of ground, buildings, sea, trees and outer space. It is much more difficult to fly there."

"You know that your landing gear is up and locked when it takes full power to taxi to the terminal."

As the test pilot climbs out of the experimental aircraft, having torn off the wings and tail in the crash landing, the crash truck arrives, the rescuer sees a bloodied pilot and asks "What happened?". The pilot's reply: "I don't know, I just got here myself!" - Attributed to Ray Crandell (Lockheed test pilot)

ManifestedISO · February 16, 2016

can we get what

the answer posed

in quiz form

because I have no idea honestly it looks like a hornet made babies with an eagle

Gromnir · February 16, 2016

As they say, the Air Force has the smartest enlisted of all the services:

Of all the Services, the Air Force has the most intelligent enlisted people. This is not just theory; it's provable fact.

Take the Army. When the stuff hits the fan, the young Army private wakes up to the bellowing of his First Sergeant. He grabs his BDUs out of his foot locker, dresses, runs to the chow-hall for breakfast on the fly, then jumps in his tank. Pretty soon, the company commander, a captain, arrives, gives him a big salute, and says, "Give 'em Hell, soldier!"

Now take the Navy. When the stuff hits the fan, the young Sailor is eating breakfast in the mess. He hustles the 20 feet to his battle station, stuffing extra pastries in his pocket as he goes. There he sits, in the middle of a big, steel target, with nowhere to run, when the Captain comes on the 1MC and says, "Give 'em Hell, Sailors! I salute you!"

Now take the Marines. When the stuff hits the fan, the young Marine is kicked out of bed by his First Sergeant and puts on the muddy set of BDUs he was wearing on the field exercise he was part of three hours earlier. He gets no breakfast, but is told to feel free to chew on his boots. He runs out and forms up with his rifle. Pretty soon, his company commander, a captain, comes out, gives the Marine a sharp salute, and says, "Give 'em Hell, Marine!"

And then there's the Air Force. When the s*** hits the fan, the Airman receives a phone call at his off-base quarters. He gets up, showers,shaves, and puts on the fresh uniform he picked up from the BX cleaners the day before. He jumps in his car and cruises through the McDonalds drive-thru for an Egg McMuffin and Coca-Cola on his way into work. Once at work, he signs in on the duty roster. He proceeds to his F-15, spends 30 minutes pre-flighting it, and signs off the forms. Pretty soon the pilot, a young captain arrives, straps into the jet, and starts the engines. Our young Airman stands at attention, gives the aviator a sharp salute, and says, "Give 'em Hell, Captain!"

we knew our sense o' deja vu were weren't just the result o' that recent concussion we suffered.

http://forums.obsidian.net/topic/81056-agiels-all-things-military/?p=1722200

even so, is still funny.

HA! Good Fun!

Zoraptor · February 16, 2016

can we get what

the answer posed

in quiz form

because I have no idea honestly it looks like a hornet made babies with an eagle

EA18G Growler

kgambit gave enough info to find the answer, there are only two planes with AN/ALQ99s in service.

Agiel · February 16, 2016

I can also name one other spot kgambit was being clever, and it relates to one of its other roles it serves in preparing the battlespace.

Also, a London Blitz throwback:

Edited February 16, 2016 by Agiel

ManifestedISO · February 16, 2016

EA18G Growler

Carrier-based ... the Carl Vinson ports here, but I never get time to plane-watch NAS North Island.

More often I'm sighting aircraft from MCAS Miramar during rush hour. It's pretty exciting. And loud.

kgambit · February 16, 2016

can we get what

the answer posed

in quiz form

because I have no idea honestly it looks like a hornet made babies with an eagle

Zo is right, it is an EA-18G Growler

The Growler shares the same basic airframe as its "brother" the FA-18F Hornet (the two seated version)

The Growler's "predecessor" is the EA-6B Prowler (although the prowler still remains in service)

And the Growler's primary missions are Destruction of Enemy Air Defense (DEAD) and Suppression of Enemy Air Defense (SEAD) - both of which utilize the AN/ALQ-99 jamming pods and the AGM-88E AARGMs (which are visible on the under wing rails).

The pictured Growler is also carrying two AMRAAM missiles along the fuselage and (I think) a pair of AN/ALQ-218 wideband receivers on the wingtips.

I think the picture was likely from the test range at NAWS China Lake, California - that's where VX-31 squadron (The Dust Devil's) is based. It's still one of the coolest pictures I've seen of a Growler.