Navy FY14 Highlights Book

A little light reading for you. Plenty of pictures Byron.

Sorry URR, not scratch and sniff.

Highlights Book

Hat tip V2.

Fullbore Friday

Via NPR,

Two years ago on Memorial Day, Nashville songwriter Connie Harrington was driving in her car, listening to a story on the public radio program Here & Now. And she heard — a soldier who was killed in Afghanistan.

"He mentioned that he drove his son's truck," Harrington says. "And he went on to describe the truck."

... In the radio broadcast, his father, Paul, said his reasons for driving the truck Jared left behind were simple: "What can I tell you? It's him. It's got his DNA all over it. I love driving it because it reminds me of him, though I don't need the truck to remind me of him. I think about him every hour of every day."

Harrington was moved by what she heard and scribbled down everything she could remember, all while fighting tears. A few days later, Harrington started turning those thoughts into a song, with two co-writers. Singer Lee Brice recorded "I Drive Your Truck," and last month, it vaulted to No. 1 on Billboard's Country Airplay chart.

Now, for the rest of the story.

One of the most remarkable things about Jared isn't even in the song. The sergeant was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for trying to rescue a badly wounded comrade in Afghanistan in 2006. His patrol had come under a fierce attack, and Jared ran out three times into a wall of bullets and grenades. On his last attempt to save the private, he was killed.

"That's something I have to live with every day. ... [He] never gave up on anything, no matter what it was," Paul says of his son.

"Your child is your future, and when you've lost your child, you've lost your future. And I think one of the reasons so many Gold Star parents drive their children's trucks is 'cuz they have to hold on. They just have to hold on."

CITATION:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.

Sergeant First Class Monti distinguished himself at the cost of his life while serving as a team leader with the Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3d Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment in Nuristan Province, Afghanistan on 21 June 2006. On that day, Sergeant First Class Monti was leading a mission to gather intelligence and to direct fires against the enemy in support of a squadron-size interdiction mission. While at an observation position on top of a mountain ridge, Sergeant First Class Monti’s sixteen-man patrol came under attack by a superior force consisting of as many as 50 enemy fighters. On the verge of being overrun, Sergeant First Class Monti directed his patrol to set up a hasty defensive position behind a collection of rocks. He then began to call for indirect fire from a nearby support base; accurately bringing the rounds upon the enemy who had closed to within 50 meters of his position. While still calling for fire, Sergeant First Class Monti personally engaged the enemy with his rifle and a grenade, successfully disrupting an attempt to flank the patrol. Sergeant First Class Monti then realized that one of his Soldiers was lying wounded and exposed in the open ground between the advancing enemy and the patrol’s position. With complete disregard for his own safety, Sergeant First Class Monti moved from behind the cover of the rocks into the face of withering enemy fire. After closing within meters of his wounded Soldier, the heavy volume of fire forced Sergeant First Class Monti to seek cover. Sergeant First Class Monti then gathered himself and rose again to maneuver through a barrage of enemy fire to save his wounded Soldier. Again, Sergeant First Class Monti was driven back by relentless enemy fire. Unwilling to leave his Soldier wounded and exposed, Sergeant First Class Monti made another attempt to move across open terrain and through the enemy fire to the aide of his wounded Soldier. On his third attempt, Sergeant First Class Monti was mortally wounded, sacrificing his own life in an effort to save his Soldier. Sergeant First Class Monti’s acts of heroism inspired the patrol to fight off the larger enemy force. Sergeant First Class Monti’s immeasurable courage and uncommon valor were in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, 3d Squadron 71st Cavalry Regiment, the 3d Brigade Combat Team, the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), and the United States Army.

Hat tip RA.

Kevin Williamson, Theater Hero

You should buy his book just for his actions against phone-lady.

See the clip from MorningJoe below ... and listen as well about his new book, The End Is Near and It's Going to Be Awesome: How Going Broke Will Leave America Richer, Happier, and More Secure.

Diversity Thursday

A mash-up of a couple of recent emails.

You know one thing sequestor cannot stop? That is right ... the days and days of work that must be done in order to support ....

Subject: AWARDS - DUE IN APRIL AND MAY

Leadership,

The following award submissions are due during the months of April and May. [redacted]

Short-fused:

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Roy Wilkins Renown Service Award (Due to [redacted] Admin NLT 22 Apr 2013)

May Awards are listed below:

Federally Employed Women (FEW) Recognition Award (Due to [redacted] Admin NLT 1 May 2013)

Outstanding Department of Defense (DOD) Employee with a Disability Award (Due to [redacted] Admin NLT 14 May 2013)

Blacks in Government (BIG) Meritorious Service Award (Due to [redacted] Admin NLT 31 May 2013)

National Organization for Mexican American Rights (NOMAR) Meritorious Award (Due to [redacted] Admin NLT 31 May 2013)

Reminder:
- League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Excellence Award (Due to NOSC Admin NLT 15 Apr 2013)

- Society of American Indian Government Employees (SAIGE) - nomination deadline: April 29th, 2013

- League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) - nomination deadline: April 29th, 2013

- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) - nomination deadline: May 13th, 2013

Nomination format and award criteria are located at http://www.public.navy.mil/BUPERS-NPC/SUPPORT/DIVERSITY/AWARDS/Pages/default2.aspx; click on the "Sample ODMEO Awards Package " and "2013 Awards Memo" in the upper right corner.

For more information, please contact LT [redacted]

Oh no, we must expend every precious man-hour (can we say that) in order to feed the beast.

FRI & MON Tee Times Until OCT Will be Hard to Get

Critical reading hats on folks.

-----Original Message-----
From: NAVAIR Commander
Sent: Wednesday, May 15, 2013 13:48
Subject: SECDEF Announces Furlough Decision

Teammates,

Yesterday, Defense Secretary Hagel announced the difficult decision to furlough most DoD civilians for up to 11 days (or 88 hours), by the end of this fiscal year.

Despite efforts to address the significant budget shortfall created by a year-long continuing resolution and sequestration, as well as high wartime operating costs, DoD is still short more than $30 billion in its operation and maintenance (O&M) accounts, which are used to fund civilian payroll and maintain military readiness.

According to the DoD timeline, employees will be notified starting 28 May and the furloughs will begin the week of 8 July. Specific NAVAIR guidance on furlough implementation/schedule will be released in the coming days.

Navy leadership is extremely disappointed over the need to furlough most of our civilian employees. We understand the significant financial hardship furloughs will create for you and your families. You have dedicated your careers to the Navy and to our nation, and frankly, you deserve better.

That said, we must move forward and deal with the realities of this historic budget shortfall. Our Navy leaders are obligated to keep our Navy and Marine Corps team operating forward to protect America's interests around the world.

As we work through the details of this decision, we will continue to provide you with resources and information to help you through this difficult time.

VR, VADM David Dunaway
Commander, NAVAIR

Read it again.

Let me boil it down to essentials.

...up to 11 days (or 88 hours), by the end of this fiscal year.

Math time.

4.5 months. 11/4.5=2.44 a month.

But ... being that it will take them until after, ahem, the July 4th paid holiday to kick it in, we are looking at 11/3=3.67. 3.67/4=.92 .92x8=7.34

So, between 08JUL13 and the end of SEP the world's largest Navy will have to live without GS12 Chop-the-Chop one day a week.

Yes, this will hit people's paychecks - but they should not yell too loud at civilians who are half a decade in to a horrible jobs market where millions don't even have a job. Others have taken significant pay cuts ... or have their kids coming home from college with a degree, huge piles of debt and now working at the same jobs they had in high school.

Civilian employees - many military retirees - still have a job AND a pension. Be thankful for your burdens.

Please open the Transformationalist Hymnal Number 5013

Yes, of course. The key to our future Fleet success will be a fully integrated celestial network, satellite voice and data worldwide at the speed of light, fleets of drones uplinking and downlinking ... all fully integrated in to a Common Operational Picture ... yea; that's the ticket.

China’s military on Monday conducted the first test of a new ground-launched anti-satellite missile that was fired into space and disguised as a space-exploration rocket, according to U.S. officials.

The test was carried out early Monday from the Xichang Space Launch center and was identified by officials as the new Dong Ning-2 ASAT missile.

The ASAT test comes a week after China protested the release of the Pentagon’s annual report on the Chinese military buildup that mentioned Beijing’s development of anti-satellite weapons.

Well ... at least we have an adult and serious-minded mitigation plan in place? Right?

Defense officials have said China’s ASAT weapons, including missile interceptors, lasers, and electronic jammers, are designed to disrupt satellite communications and navigation systems used extensively by the U.S. military in conducting joint warfare.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel stated in written answers to questions during his confirmation hearing in January that the United States would seek to avoid engaging in hostilities in space.

Oh good grief.

... and Poland sought to avoid engaging in a two front war against Germany and the Soviet Union. Tibet sought to avoid engaging in hostilities with Red China. I sought to avoid engaging in hostilities with my date's ex-boyfriend while she was sitting on my lap in Hooters at 1am ....

Really?

Let's not be alarmist though. This is just a one off test that I am sure has much more work to do to be operational. Discount the article accordingly ... and there is always a lot more out there tha thank goodness never makes it open source ... but ...

OK. So, let's say they need another decade. That brings us to 2023, not that far away.

By then, what if they have a dozen ready to go with another dozen a year later? Will we be more or less vulnerable to losing satellites in 2023 vice 2013? How are we structuring our Fleet? Constraints & Restraints to operations? Planning assumptions?

From a VOX & DATA perspective, in a fashion; in WESTPAC the Chinese are running on interior lines; we have to run exterior lines. 

Ponder.

---

UPDATE: Speaking of transformationalism, I haven't blogg'd much about throwing a drone off the front of a ship, again ... the reason is that SJS has said it all.

"Five Short! Let's go!"

Via NavyTimes, the bridge audio from the USS Porter (DDG-78) at the time of her AUG 12 collision with a Mitsui OSK Lines’ supertanker M/T OTOWASAN near the Strait of Hormuz.

What happens when your OODA Loop shrinks.



Speaking of shrinks ... I would really like to have a psychologist who specializes in voices to do some forensics on the tone, amplitude, and assertiveness of the non-CO voices I hear. Video would be better ... but an objective professional's evaluation would be very interesting to hear. 

 Hat tip gCaptain.