waveshaper

Relax, the only thing getting Nuked by the President are the transgender folks and probably a few flag officers.

It might be worth "attempting" to start a new topic on these evolving DoD "T" policies/implications.

I know this transgender stuff is relatively new in the military. I have a few questions about transgender and PRP positions. - Is there any data that shows how many transgender folks are holding PRP positions, particularly critical PRP positions? - Is there any established guidance on how Commanders (PRP certifying officials) and medical (particularly mental health folks) handle the PRP certification process for individuals that initiates/request a gender transition? - Should Commanders of transgender PRP certified individuals temporarily decertify (immediately) these folks based on the Presidents (CiC) tweet on this subject or should Commanders wait for further guidance before initiating the PRP decertification process?

USMC Press Release (July / 11 / 2017); https://www.marines.mil/News/Press-Releases/Press-Release-Display/Article/1242769/marine-corps-aircraft-crashes-killing-16/

The climatic lab seems to be ground zero for this explosion and fire. I'm not sure if any aircraft were in the barn at the time of this explosion/fire? No casualty reports at this point. https://weartv.com/news/local/fire-at-eglin-air-force-base

Does the US Navy count as "Ground Troops"? The 1972 Battle of Dong Hoi. One MiG-17F scored a direct hit on the destroyer USS Higbee with a BETAB-250 (250 kg/551 lb) bomb, after failing to hit its target twice on two previous attack runs. The explosion destroyed the aft 5-inch (127 mm) gun mount. Another MiG-17 simultaneously aimed its bombs at the cruiser USS Oklahoma City but it was a near miss and only caused minor damage to the ships stern. Total US casualties = 4. Also, Turkey has made a few attempts recently to bomb/shell/attack US backed SDF troops (with US forces in close proximity to these attacks) in Syria. It might be time to update Article 5 to cover how NATO will respond when one NATO country attacks forces from another NATO country.

One more to add to the "does this count" list? Five A-37's, flown by a RVNAF defector and some VPAF pilots, bombed/strafed Tan Son Nhut Air Base? On the afternoon of April 28, 1975, Trung (RVNAF defector) led a flight of five A-37 fighter-bombers against Tan Son Nhut Air Base, which temporarily stopped U.S. and South Vietnamese evacuation efforts. Luckily only 3 AC-119s and several C-47s were destroyed. Also, defector Trung preferred to use the F-5 for Presidential Palace bombing missions.

Back in the good ole days (30/40 years ago) these type things would've been handled by my unit bar/kangaroo court (all enlisted/no females). Charges would've been levied and you would've had a chance to plead your case before being judged/convicted/fined or cleared of all charges. Examples; - Enlisted banging enlisted: Back in my day this was frowned upon (at least in my AFSC) and you would've been convicted and fined 5 to 10 rounds of cheer. - Enlisted banging officer: If you were charged with this crime you would not be convicted "ever". Whoever brought these charges against you for this crime would've been convicted for being a clueless dumb ass and fined at least 10 rounds of cheer and placed on standby (No Drinking) for a minimum of two weeks.

F-15E Shoots Down Another Armed Drone in Syria; "The armed pro-regime Shaheed-129 [unmanned aerial vehicle] was shot down by a U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle at approximately 12:30 a.m. after it displayed hostile intent and advanced on Coalition forces," the command said in a release. Officials said coalition forces were patrolling an established combat outpost to the northeast of At Tanf, where they're training and advising partner ground forces in the fight against ISIS. https://www.military.com/daily-news/2017/06/20/f-15e-shoots-down-another-armed-drone-in-syria.html

"Turkey to fast-track draft bill approving troop deployment in Qatar (7 June):" Hopefully these 3,000 Turks wont be bedding down on Al-Udeid. https://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/07/turkey-to-fast-track-draft-bill-approving-troop-deployment-in-qatar-officials.html Additional info; "Revealed: Secret details of Turkey's new military pact with Qatar;" https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/turkey-qatar-military-agreement-940298365

Watergate Special Prosecutor Cox? - ROE's; Investigate/prosecute all offenses arising out of the 1972 election involving the president, the White House staff, presidential appointments, etc. It was not limited to Watergate. The assumption of responsibility for a case was left to the discretion of the Special Prosecutor. - Results/final tally; The indictment of 69 people, with trials or pleas resulting in 48 being found guilty, many of whom were Nixon’s top administration officials. The grand jury also named Nixon an unindicted conspirator. This indictment marked the first time in U.S. history that a president was so named. President Ford gave Nixon a pardon but everyone else was left to fend for themselves.

I think you're right; A Special Council is basically an Independent Investigator/Prosecutor (I could be wrong/any lawyers on this site?). I'm sure in the next year or two we will all be receiving a nauseatingly detailed education on the powers of a Special Council. Excerpt; - The jurisdiction of a Special Counsel shall be established by the Attorney General. The Special Counsel will be provided with a specific factual statement of the matter to be investigated. The jurisdiction of a Special Counsel shall also include the authority to investigate and prosecute federal crimes. This includes crimes committed in the course of, and with intent to interfere with, the Special Counsel's investigation, such as; perjury, obstruction of justice, destruction of evidence, and intimidation of witnesses; and to conduct appeals arising out of the matter being investigated and/or prosecuted. - The terms "special prosecutor", "independent counsel" and "special counsel" have the same fundamental meaning, and their use (at least at the federal level in the U.S.) is generally differentiated by the time period to which they are being applied. The term "special prosecutor" was used throughout the Watergate era, but was replaced by the less confrontational "independent counsel" in the 1983 reauthorization of the Ethics in Government Act. Those appointed under that act after 1983 are generally referred to as independent counsels. Since the independent counsel law expired in 1999, the term "SPECIAL COUNSEL" has generally been used. This is the term used in the current U.S. government regulations concerning the appointment of special counsels. While the term special prosecutor is sometimes used in historical discussions of all such figures before 1983, the term special counsel appears to have been frequently used as well, including, for example, in contemporary newspaper accounts describing the first presidentially appointed special counsel in 1875.

This is nothing new and not the first time a Russian Ambassador has seen the "Big Board".

The "F" Word; There are only 11 times in history where the "F" word has been considered acceptable for use. They are as follows: 11. "What the @#$% do you mean, we are sinking?" -- Capt. E.J. Smith of RMS Titanic, 1912 10. "What the @#$% was that?" -- Mayor Of Hiroshima, 1945 9. "Where did all those @#$%ing Indians come from?" -- George Custer, 1877 8. "Any @#$%ing idiot could understand that." -- Albert Einstein, 1938 7. "It does so @#$%ing look like her!" -- Picasso, 1926 6. "How the @#$% did you work that out?" -- Pythagoras, 126 BC 5. "You want WHAT on the @#$%ing ceiling?" -- Michelangelo, 1566 4. "Where the @#$% are we?" -- Amelia Earhart, 1937 3. "Scattered @#$%ing showers, my ***!" -- Noah, 4314 BC 2. "Aw c'mon Monica. Who the @#$% is going to find out?" -- Bill Clinton, 1998 1. "There is no @#$%ing way Trump will ever become President" -- HilaryClinton 2016

We are slow learners compared to the USSR. - 5 Years 3 months into the Soviet - Afghan War; When Mikhail Gorbachev became Soviet leader in March 1985 he called Afghanistan “our bleeding wound.” He declared that ending the war was his top priority. - 6 Years 4 months into the Soviet - Afghan War; Mr. Gorbachev complained in the spring of 1986, according to Politburo minutes. “We have been fighting there for six years. If we don’t start changing our approach we’ll be there another 20 or 30 years. - 9 years, 1 month, 3 weeks and 1 day into the Soviet - Afghan War; By February 15, 1989 the Soviets had completely withdrawn from Afghanistan.

Hopefully President Trumps NSC team (State Department/Intel Community/Sec Def/ and "Generals") read the tea leaves/play their cards better then Truman's bumbling NSC crew did back in 1950. Maybe China will let the US/ROK wrap-up that slightly delayed, Korean War ending, grand finale/cake walk to the Yalu push A.K.A. "Home-by-Christmas Offensive" that General Walker of the Eighth Army started at 10 a.m. on November 24, 1950. Better late then never. :<)

We chatted for about five minutes (they spoke decent English) and they identified themselves as North Korean businessmen. They were very interested in Americans (we were in uniform). They also wanted to know if we had ever been to South Korea but I said no (even though by 1991 I had already completed 3 tours in the ROK). We did our best to end the conversation pronto and skedaddled. Note; This was on the military side of Tabuk Airfield A.K.A King Faisal Air Base (deployed location of the 58 Fighter Squadron/Brit GR-1's/and other folks). We mentioned this encounter to the boss (Base Commander) but nothing earthshattering happen that I'm aware of.

Me and a couple of my teammates "once" crossed paths with two (adult male) North Koreans. It was late Feb 1991 in the same AO and was a very WTF/awkward - moment/situation.

Sounds like another epic NK Ballistic Missile failure. What's the Vegas over-under on when they nuke themselves?

That's why we have things like the GBU-57A/B (MOP) and B-2 Bombers.

- MOAB/GBU-43 (Blast Warhead); Total Weight - 22,600lbs; NEW -18,700lbs; - MOP/GBU-57 (Hard Target/Earth Penetrator Warhead); Total Weight - 30,000 lbs; NEW - 5,300lbs; - T-12 Earth Penetrator Bomb (Status/USAF inventory; 1 dud buried deep on EAFB Range 52 and a couple in museums); Total Weight - 44,000lbs; NEW; ?.

If the shoe is on the other foot (down the road), hopefully Russia/Assad/Turks will return the courtesy and give us a heads-up.

The target of tonight's attack is Shayrat air base; Something to think about/there might still be Russians at this location; excerpts; - On 1 December 2015, Russia was preparing to expand its military operations in Syria by opening the al-Shayrat air base near the city of Homs, already home to Russian attack helicopters and a team that had arrived about a month prior. - 11 April 2016 (source; IHS Jane's); Russia has forward deployed its new attack helicopters in Syria to bring them closer to one of the main fronts in the current offensive against Islamic State militants. Airbus Defence & Space satellite imagery shows that there were four Ka-52 Alligator and three Mi-28N Night Hunter helicopters deployed to Al-Shayrat Air Base, 30 km southeast of Homs city, on 31 March. Al-Shayrat has previously been used as a forward base for Russian Mi-24 and Mi-35 helicopters, four of which could be seen at the base on 31 March.

A little known secret. Navarre Beach also has this GEM, rated the 43rd top Nude Beach on planet earth. When you cross the Navarre bridge go east toward Eglin AFB property. https://books.google.com/books?id=ZZq5AQAAQBAJ&pg=PT8&lpg=PT8&dq=navarre+nude+beach&source=bl&ots=Oso2krnZSW&sig=xsoadY76lhUXZeNozJWyXtm4H3Y&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiOm_zI1Y3TAhXKwFQKHaV5A9Q4HhDoAQgsMAM#v=onepage&q=navarre nude beach&f=false Top 10 Nude Beaches For Swingers In Florida (Navarre Beach is #8) as of 2015; 8. The Navarre Beach The Navarre Beach is by far one of the most popular nudist beaches in Florida. However, the daily security patrol sets the disrobing rules, so they vary day to day, this is why caution is advised. Keep your clothes next to you if you plan on sunbathing naked on Navarre Beach, just in case the patrol comes! https://www.swingers.org/top-10-nude-beaches-for-swingers-in-florida/

Homeowners insurance rates are very high in Florida, particularly if you live in a hurricane storm surge/flood zone. Property elevation/location/type construction is critical in reducing insurance costs. Note; A Cat 3 hurricanes will flood portions of HWY 98 (expect large sections of HWY 98 and other costal roads to be washed out), all of Okaloosa Island and Navarre Beach will be underwater, expect some of the bridges to be taken out and even areas way back in the bayous will get about 15 feet of tidal surge. https://www.floridadisaster.org/publicmapping/ A wind mitigation Inspection will save you big bucks on insurance. Look for these construction features (Hip roof and roof covering are the biggest money savers). Note; Two story houses will suffer significantly more wind damage on the second floor (more exposure to the wind) then a single story house, particularly if the second story house is surrounded by single story homes. Trees; you don't want any large trees within striking distance on the east side of your home. https://www.floridacentralhomeinspections.com/content/how-can-wind-mitigation-inspection-save-you-insurance Roof Covering: inspectors want to know when the roof was installed and does if it meets building codes. In Florida, the code standard was updated in 2001. Roof Deck Attachment: inspectors will determine what type of roof decking is used and how it’s attached to the underlying structure, like if it’s nailed or stapled down. If nails are used, nail length and spacing between each will also be noted. Roof to Wall Attachment: the roof attachments become the focus here: are trusses attached with nails or hurricane clips? Are the wraps single or double? The more secure your roof, the better impact on your wallet! Roof Geometry: is your roof hip or not? Nope, the inspector won’t care how cool it is, just how it’s shaped - a hip roof resembles that of a pyramid, and is a definite qualifier for a discount. Gable End Bracing: if the roof is a gable style, an inspector will review if the gable ends are braced to Florida Building Code standards. Gable ends measuring more than 48 inches tall should be braced for reinforcement, and inspectors will be checking for this qualification for discount. Wall Construction Type: Inspectors will review the construction materials used on your home for framing, reinforcement, and outer fascia, and at what percentages. Steel reinforced concrete block homes may yield a better discount than one with a plywood-only frame and plastic siding. Secondary Water Barrier: This is a newer item for roofs. If your roof was installed or upgraded before 2008, it’s fairly unlikely you’ll have this sort of barrier. As with most newer features, photo documentation, at a minimum, will be required for a discount in this area. Opening Protection: Here, inspectors are looking for shutters and installed-protection devices from wind-born debris for doors and windows. They will also be checking the rating of the devices, if you have them (as in- are they hurricane-rated?). 100% of all openings need to be covered with Hurricane rated protection to qualify for this discount.