Sunday Funnies

More Broadside here.

Sober up about the budget, on Midrats

Many are sobering up to the fact that the military is about to face a budget challenge not seen in a generation.

Especially from those who have seen this movie before; a number know that this one has the potential to be the most challenging seen in over half a century.

This Sunday from 5-6pm EST, EagleOne and I have a guest to give you plenty to ponder.

For the full hour, our guest will be Col. Robert Killebrew, USA (Ret.), using his article in the DEC Armed Forces Journal, Cutbacks & Crisis, as a starting point for the conversation.

In addition to being a contributing editor at AFJ, mong the many other things he has done since retirement he writes and consults on national defense issues as a Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security.

Prior to his retirement from active duty he served for thirty years in a variety of Special Forces, infantry and staff duties. His assignments ranged included duty in Vietnam with MACVSOG, the Vietnamese Airborne Division, command in mechanized, air assault and airborne units, and staff positions in the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force, as director of plans, XVIII Airborne Corps, special assistant to the Chief of Staff of the Army, command of a deployed joint task force and as an instructor in strategy and policy at the Army War College.

If you want to be ahead of the game in the growing budget battles, make sure and tune in this Sunday at 5pm EST or get the archive.

Join us live if you can and pile in with the usual suspects in the chat room where you can contribute your thoughts and observation. If you miss the show you can always listen to the archive at blogtalkradio - but the best way to get the show and download the archive to your audio player is to get a free account and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.

Listen to Midrats on Blog Talk Ra

Fullbore Friday

About a week late perhaps ... but I owe it to him.

When Mr Kyle finally pulled the trigger, the woman dropped the grenade. He shot her again as it exploded.

But after four deployments to Iraq, he learned to stop hesitating and start shooting straight.
With 255 kills, 160 of them officially confirmed by the Pentagon, the retired Navy Seal sniper is the deadliest marksman in US military history.

... and he has your back at home too.

... any yes; I'll believe Kyle's side of the story.

Pirates fail their RECCE quiz ... again

They are real lucky they didn't try this on a US, Chinese or Russian warship.

At first light on 12 January 2012, having just completed the escort of a World Food Programme ship carrying food-aid into Somalia and while operating close to the Somali port of Mogadishu, the EU NAVFOR Flagship, the ESPS PATINO, was approached by one skiff with a group of suspected pirates onboard.

The suspected pirates opened fire with light calibre weapons and tried to board the PATINO. The ship’s force-protection team returned fire in self-defense and the ship’s helicopter was launched.

The skiff broke off the attack and the men surrendered to the helicopter after throwing their weapons, ladder and fuel barrels overboard.Five of the six men who were in the skiff had received injuries, two of which required medical treatment onboard the SPS PATINO.

Diversity Thursday

It is time to bask in it again - naked in tooth and claw; the Diversity autogeneration machine, zombie like, exudes its annual display of what (D)iveristy is all about.

Simple cultural Marxist, sectarian, socio-political division. It is the Navy's ongoing disgrace that it has slathered its honor with such a patronizing, intellectually fetid, cheesy, sebaceous concept as this.

Behold the Navy's annual mal-translation of E Pluribus Unum; add up the manhours and TAD funds. Wallow in the hypocracy; cry the beloved country.

-----OFFICIAL INFORMATION DISPATCH FOLLOWS-----
R 031934Z JAN 12
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC
TO NAVADMIN
INFO RUENAAA/CNO WASHINGTON DC
BT
UNCLAS
QQQQ
SUBJ: 2012 NAVY MILITARY DIVERSITY AWARD NOMINATIONS (CORRECTED COPY)
UNCLASSIFIED/
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1//
TO NAVADMIN
INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1//
UNCLAS//N01650//
NAVADMIN 004/12
MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1/JAN//
SUBJ/2012 NAVY MILITARY DIVERSITY AWARD NOMINATIONS//
RMKS/1. NOMINATIONS ARE BEING COLLECTED FOR THE 2012 OFFICE OF DIVERSITY MANAGEMENT AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AWARDS (ODMEO). ODMEO ENGAGES WITH EXTERNAL AFFINITY GROUPS TO PARTICIPATE IN ANNUAL EVENTS TO RECOGNIZE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE MILITARY AND CIVILIAN PERSONNEL AT AWARD CEREMONIES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. THESE AWARDS HONOR MILITARY MEMBERS AND DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DOD) CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES, MEN AND WOMEN, WHO HAVE SUPPORTED THE DOD MISSION, OVERSEAS CONTINGENCY OPERATIONS, OR WHOSE ATTRIBUTES BEST EPITOMIZED THE QUALITIES AND CORE VALUES OF THEIR RESPECTIVE MILITARY SERVICE OR OTHER DOD COMPONENT. THE NAVY OFFICE OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION (N134) WILL BE COLLECTING NAVY MILITARY NOMINATIONS FOR 2012. MILITARY NOMINATIONS INCLUDE ACTIVE DUTY AND RESERVE SERVICE MEMBERS, BUT CRITERIA VARY FOR EACH AWARD. FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT (WWW.NPC.NAVY.MIL/COMMANDSUPPORT/DIVERSITY/AWARDS).
2. THE FOLLOWING ARE THE CURRENT DIVERSITY MILITARY AWARDS:
A. FEDERAL ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN COUNCIL (FAPAC) MILITARY
MERITORIOUS SERVICE AWARD
EVENT DATE: 30 APRIL - 4 MAY 2012
LOC: ATLANTA, GA
AWARD NOMINATIONS DUE: 1 MARCH 2012
B. SOCIETY OF AMERICAN INDIAN GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES (SAIGE)
MERITORIOUS SERVICE AWARD
EVENT DATE: 3-7 JUNE 2012
LOC: DENVER, CO
AWARD NOMINATIONS DUE: 16 APRIL 2012
C. LEAGUE OF UNITED LATIN AMERICAN CITIZENS (LULAC) EXCELLENCE AWARD
EVENT DATE: 25-30 JUNE 2012
LOC: ORLANDO, FL
AWARD NOMINATIONS DUE: 27 APRIL 2012
D. NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE (NAACP) ROY WILKINS RENOWN SERVICE AWARD
EVENT DATE: TBD JULY 2012
LOC: HOUSTON, TX
AWARD NOMINATIONS DUE: 10 MAY 2012
E. FEDERALLY EMPLOYED WOMEN (FEW) RECOGNITION AWARD
EVENT DATE: 16-20 JULY 2012
LOC: DETROIT, MI
AWARD NOMINATIONS DUE: 24 MAY 2012
F. BLACKS IN GOVERNMENT (BIG) MERITORIOUS SERVICE AWARD
EVENT DATE: TBD AUGUST 2012
LOC: TBD
AWARD NOMINATIONS DUE: 28 JUNE 2012
G. NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MEXICAN AMERICAN RIGHTS (NOMAR)
MERITORIOUS SERVICE AWARD
EVENT DATE: 27-31 SEPTEMBER 2012
LOC: TBD
AWARD NOMINATIONS DUE: 13 JULY 2012
H. NATIONAL IMAGE, INCORPORATED MERITORIOUS SERVICE AWARD
EVENT DATE: TBD SEPTEMBER 2012
LOC: LAS VEGAS, NV
AWARD NOMINATIONS DUE: 23 JULY 2012
I. HISPANIC ENGINEER NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD CORPORATION
(HENAAC) CADET ROLE MODEL AWARD
EVENT DATE: TBD OCTOBER 2012
LOC: TBD
AWARD NOMINATIONS DUE: 30 AUGUST 2012
J. OUTSTANDING DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DOD) EMPLOYEE WITH A DISABILITY AWARD
EVENT DATE: TBD DECEMBER 2012
LOC: BETHESDA, MD
AWARD NOMINATIONS DUE: 17 JULY 2012
3. CANDIDATES MUST BE NOMINATED BY THEIR COMMANDING OFFICER OR OFFICER-IN-CHARGE. THE NOMINATING COMMAND'S IMMEDIATE SUPERIOR IN COMMAND (ISIC) MUST PROVIDE AN ENDORSEMENT PRIOR TO PACKAGE SUBMISSION. IF AN ISIC RECEIVES MULTIPLE NOMINATION PACKAGES, THE ISIC SHOULD ENDORSE AND FORWARD ONLY ONE NOMINATION FOR EACH CATEGORY. NOMINATION PACKAGES MUST INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:
A. COVER OR TRANSMITTAL MEMORANDUM WITH ISIC, CO OR OIC ENDORSEMENT.
B. NOMINEE AND NOMINATING OFFICIAL CONTACT INFORMATION TO INCLUDE NAME, POSITION, ADDRESS, PHONE, AND E-MAIL.
C. A NARRATIVE DESCRIBING THE AWARD WINNERS ACCOMPLISHMENTS WARRANTING THE RECOGNITION SPECIFIC TO THE AWARD AS A MICROSOFT WORD DOCUMENT NOT TO EXCEED TWO PAGES (SINGLE-SPACED, 12-POINT FONT, WITH 1 INCH LEFT AND RIGHT MARGINS).
D. AN AWARD CITATION HIGHLIGHTING THE AWARD WINNER'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS A MICROSOFT WORD DOCUMENT (SINGLE-SPACED, NOT TO EXCEED TWELVE LINES OF NARRATIVE, 12-PITCH FONT, WITH 1 INCH LEFT AND RIGHT MARGINS). PLEASE DO NOT SEND A SCANNED OR PDF DOCUMENT.
E. A SINGLE-SPACED BIOGRAPHY OF THE AWARD WINNER NOT TO EXCEED ONE PAGE.
F. A DIGITAL HEAD AND SHOULDERS COLOR OR BLACK-AND-WHITE PHOTOGRAPH OF THE AWARD WINNER (.JPG FORMAT PREFERRED).
4. NOMINATIONS ARE DUE NLT 1700 (EST), ON THEIR RESPECTIVE DUE DATES. NOMINATIONS MISSING AN ISIC ENDORSEMENT WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. SUBMIT ELECTRONIC NOMINATION PACKAGES DIRECTLY TO LT JOSEPH [redacted] VIA E-MAIL AT JOSEPH.[redacted](AT)NAVY.MIL. DO NOT MAIL NOMINATION PACKAGES DIRECTLY TO THE APPLICABLE ORGANIZATION.
5. OPNAV N134 WILL HOST AN AWARDS BOARD COMPRISED OF OPNAV N1 STAFF AND FORWARD NOMINATIONS TO ODMEO. THE NAMES OF THE AWARD WINNERS WILL BE POSTED PUBLICLY ON THE DIVERSITY AWARD WEBPAGE AND COMMANDS WILL BE NOTIFIED VIA PERSONAL FOR MESSAGE.
6. AWARDS WILL BE PRESENTED AT THE APPLICABLE CONFERENCE LISTED ABOVE. THE AWARD RECIPIENT'S ORGANIZATION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR CERTIFYING THE NOMINATIONS AND FUNDING ANY TRAVEL AND PER DIEM COSTS FOR THE AWARDS PRESENTATION.
7. POINT OF CONTACT IS LT JOSEPH [redacted], NAVY (MILITARY) DIVERSITY AWARDS COORDINATOR, ENGAGEMENT, OPNAV N134, (703) 604-[redacted] OR E-MAIL AT JOSEPH.[redacted]AT)NAVY.MIL AND MS. SONYA TUCKER-LONG AT (202) 685-[redacted] OR E-MAIL AT SONYA.TUCKER-[redacted](AT)NAVY.MIL.
8. RELEASED BY VICE ADMIRAL S. R. VAN BUSKIRK, N1.//
BT
#1886
NNNN

UNCLASSIFIED//

Getting Naykid With 'Ya Friends

If the USA deployed ~40,600 ground forces to combat, would you consider that a significant national contribution to an operation? A sign of national seriousness?

As I've mentioned a couple of times, one of our new nations who deserves a nod of the hat a lot more than it gets is Estonia. She contributed forces to Iraq and have been fighting relatively caveat free in AFG even longer. If you adjust for population size, that is her national contribution.

A great people the few I have had a chance to work with. There are though, some cultural habits that may require a little adjustment for your average American. Via the folks over at LimePhotographic;

Culturally closer to Scandinavia than Russia, they are a friendly bunch and have a mental toughness that is obvious. Most of its soldiers are physical giants.
...
As we all sat around in the evening waiting for their two chefs to rustle up a fine meal, we began to talk about the welfare facilities these guys had and the subject of saunas were raised. It turns out that they have a mobile sauna on the Patrol base ‘Wahid’………….. No really an actual sauna.

Suspiciously we enquired more to discover that in Estonian military law, every soldier must sauna at least once a week, so that although this was not possible on ‘Brekna’, an ops sauna on ‘Wahid’ was a sight to behold.

“And so it came to pass that on the last night, hosted by the Estonians, the Combat Camera Team were all sat (naked) in a fully functioning Sauna on the front line of the Helmand campaign”.

On average, mentally sharp and physically tough. A lot of their senior personnel, MAJ on up, were in the Red Army. Interesting stories from those guys. They like Russians even less that most; if you study their national history the reasons are clear.

So, look for the wee black-white-blue flag around the sauna and introduce yourself.

As a cultural side-note, their capital Tallinn is a must visit if you have a chance - and on a weird note, as one of the last European nations to convert to Christianity, they still retain some rather neat pagan traditions about such things as burials.

Strategery, smatergery

Want to talk some more about the President's "Sustaining U.S. Global Leadership: Priorities for 21st Century Defense?"

Well, I'm doing it over at USNIBlog. Come visit and ponder with me.