Proactively “From the Sea”; an agent of change leveraging the littoral best practices for a paradigm breaking six-sigma best business case to synergize a consistent design in the global commons, rightsizing the core values supporting our mission statement via the 5-vector model through cultural diversity.
Simple; the fundamental facts of warfare don't go away just because they don't fit your cute little theories.
Canada's Defence Department is planning to buy a lot of big guns, ...
The army is interested in acquiring as many as 34 new 155-200-millimetre towed howitzers to add to its existing stock of 12 M-777 guns, most of which are in Afghanistan.The program to re-equip gunners with state-of-the-art artillery began in 2005 under the former Liberal government when the army warned its stock of old 105-millimetre howitzers wasn't up to the demands of Afghanistan.
Under an urgent government-to-government procurement, the Defence Department bought six M-777 guns from the U.S. Marine Corps and later purchased six more from the British manufacturer, BAE Systems Inc.
In addition to going "oops, we need arty.." they also stopped sniffing the transformational glue about tanks when, yikes, combat got in the way.
The Canadian Army is acquiring 100 Leopard II tanks, to be delivered from Dutch and Dutch army surplus. The purchase is a change of direction for the army and in particular for Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Rick Hillier, who only a few years ago described the Leopard tanks as "millstone around the neck" of the Canadian forces. The Canadians realized the importance of main battle tanks in recent months, as tanks were rushed in to Afghanistan to support the Canadian contingent stationed at Kandahar. As the new tanks are inducted by the Army, the Leopard 1C2 tanks currently deployed in Afghanistan are expected to be retired from service. ... Yet, the intensity of recent conflicts, in Afghanistan, Iraq and Lebanon reestablished the validity of the tank as a highly protected, powerful and effective operational asset, which, at certain high threat scenarios, cannot be matched by more lightly armored wheeled vehicles. When employed in the proper manner, heavily protected tanks can survive most types of anti-armor and anti-material improvised explosive devices (IEDs), including shaped charge IEDs and landmines. They also offer unique capabilities of cross country mobility and counter-obstacle capability that cannot be matched by lighter armored vehicles. The Leopard 2 tanks will provide better protection against IEDs and landmines, compared to the currently deployed Leopard 1C2.
UPDATE: Embedded trailer link fixed.Well goodness! What is all this about?
The Dutch Muslim Council has attacked far-right Dutch MP Geert Wilders' politics as "racist and fascist".
The council, which includes 200 organisations, appealed for calm ahead of the planned release by the MP of a controversial film.
Mr Wilders says his film will show the Koran as an inspiration for murder.
The Dutch Muslim Council said its members' message to the Muslim and non-Muslim world was that conflict would do no-one any good.
At a packed news conference, the council attacked Geert Wilders' right-wing politics as "racist, fascist and authoritarian" and a threat to Dutch society.
The council appealed to Mr Wilders' supporters to consider the consequences of his film after it was released.
Mr Wilders said the Dutch authorities had let him know that he may have to leave the country for his own safety.
The government is preparing for possible reactions to the film in the Netherlands and overseas, but it is adamant that freedom of expression at the heart of the Dutch constitution must be guaranteed.
Funny, only the Brits seem to be following this in any detail. Here is more.
A politician has warned that a "fear of Islam" is governing Holland after he delayed the release of a short film attacking the Koran.
Geert Wilders, 44, the leader of the Dutch Freedom Party, who compares the Muslim holy book to Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf, sparked government panic after saying the anti-Islam film would be released tomorrow.
As Dutch police prepared for a weekend of riots and Mr Wilders was told by the authorities that he would have to leave country, he launched a new attack on "intolerant" Islam while announcing that his 10-minute film attacking the Muslim faith would be postponed for two weeks.
"If I had announced that I was going to make a film about the fascist character of the Bible would there have been a crisis meeting of Holland's security forces?" he wrote to the Volkskrant newspaper.
"Would I have received as many death threats as I have done since announcing I was making a film about the Koran? Of course not."
Iran's parliament, the Majlis, this week warned of "extensive repercussions from Muslims throughout the globe" if the film was broadcast.
In an attempt to defuse tensions, the Dutch government will tomorrow announce that it will not implement a ban on the Islamic burqa dress.
Say what you want about Wilders and his party, but he is correct.
Let's go back to the top of the post though; I want to do a little mini-Fisking.
At a packed news conference, the council attacked Geert Wilders' right-wing politics as "racist, fascist and authoritarian" and a threat to Dutch society.
First things first; contrary to the DMC (no run there), Islam/Muslims are not a race.
The council appealed to Mr Wilders' supporters to consider the consequences of his film after it was released.
Second; do "Fascists" or opponents of "Fascists" have to leave their home country under a death threat from a violent retrograde minority of a minority that opposes free speech?
Third; who is authoritarian, he who threatens or he who questions? Fun times. Here is the trailer.
You can see an extended interview of Wilders here and here. Outlaw Mike; you live next door to the Dutch - what are your thoughts?UPDATE II - Electric Boogaloo:Ayaan on Laura Ingraham on Wilders; can be seen via HotAir here.
Fleet Reserve? IRR? Do you really understand the responsibilities of a "Retired Officer" is?
What more can you say? This is from Time in 1944. Yes, 1944.
In 1893, when Adolf Hitler was four, 17-year-old Lionel Cohen, son of a Newcastle shipping merchant, was fighting his first campaign, with British forces against the Matabele tribe in South Africa.
Then Cohen tried gold mining, fought again, in the Boer War, turned to ranching and later worked as a reporter for the Rand Daily Mail. In World War I Cohen was at it again, this time as an intelligence officer with the South Africa Light Horse. He served in the East Africa operations, won the Military Cross and D.S.O. After that Cohen moved to London, became a stockbroker and raised dairy cattle.
When Britain went to war again, in 1939, Lionel Cohen was qualified as an observer with the R.A.F.V.R., was assigned as Air Liaison Officer with the Navy. Now 68, Wing Commander Cohen is the R.A.F.'s oldest flying officer. He has made 45 operational flights, totaling 500 air hours. Last week he got another ribbon, added another item to his record: he is the oldest recipient of the coveted, candy-striped Distinguished Flying Cross.
So, tell me again how much you have served your country?A great opportunity for you, thanks to reader Steve, we have Wg Cdr Cohen's own voice in a FEB 1944 interview.Amazing, at a time when many volunteers "of age" are doing desk jobs, look at what he did.
...as RAF Coastal Command Liaison Officer with the Admiralty, volunteering to take part in 70 operational flights as Observer and Air Gunner (always carrying his lucky gold sovreign with him!), in over 500 hours flying in the Atlantic (convoy escorts); Iceland (ice reconnaissance – where on one Liberator sortie, when the heating failed, he insisted on doing his stint in the turret round Bear Island, and on landing at Reykjavik, it took two crew members to prise him out of his seat!) [11]; North Africa and Spain (anti-submarine patrol), Bay of Biscay (light aircraft patrol) and over North West Europe, including a stint with the RAAF (Australians). Promoted Wing Commander, he took part in the attacks on the German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau over the port of Brest on April 23rd 1941. In the same year, during a shipping attack off Norway, his aircraft was chased by three Me 110's and a Ju 88 and on another occasion, his Sunderland aircraft took part in a 4 strike attack on U Boat over the Atlantic, and claimed it sunk. Over the North Sea on May 19th 1942 he was wounded in the head by anti-aircraft fire in the attack on the German pocket battleship 'Lutzov'. [12] His longest patrol was in a Catalina – 21.5 hours over the Atlantic in July 1941. His penultimate sortie in a Halifax , hit by flak, resulted in a crash landing from which he walked away unscathed.
Fullbore Wg Cdr Cohen; wish I had a picture, but your story is more than enough.
The Library of Congress has just disgorged a national treasure; a collection of color photos from the 1930s and 1940s. Take some time to see it all.
Lots of stuff for you militaria buffs - but this one caught my eye as the boys in this picture were born about the same year my parents were.
Photographers working for the U.S. government's Farm Security Administration (FSA) and later the Office of War Information (OWI) between 1939 and 1944 made approximately 1,600 color photographs that depict life in the United States, including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The pictures focus on rural areas and farm labor, as well as aspects of World War II mobilization, including factories, railroads, aviation training, and women working.
Also notice the poster on the wall - anything like this in the gov'munt school near you? More here.
