tac airlifter

You’re probably right in that context, and I think they’re already making efforts towards assisting the refugee camps (despite knowing Hamas will be advantaged by such a move): https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2024/04/idfs-new-phase-of-operations-in-gaza-to-include-pinpoint-raids-increased-aid.php That said, I’m not sure Israel can disarm the existing narrative; the Palestinians have an incredible international propaganda machine hence all the “genocide” claims by students protesting in the US. I agree with you they should make an effort, but the truth is many people will criticize them no matter what.

Disagree, I think Israel is doing good WRT CDE considering they actually need to win. They haven't leveled Gaza which is exactly what we did in Kobani. what precisely should they do differently? "Do better" is feedback I've received alot in life and I must say, it's unhelpful. Again, can you give an example of a war won while respecting/protecting civilians against an enemy who does neither? And given our own track record, are we really in position to be giving advice of how to win?

And we lost. can you provide an example of a war that was won by the side that respected and protected civilians when the other side doesn’t? I think you’re expecting the impossible from Israel.

You can attempt a Trump deflection all day long, and I get it both sides have issues, but the Democrats have the preponderance of retards. There is no possible argument.

Gen Austin Miller made the call, although Biden & Blinken put him in a box: they imposed a troop cap which made staffing BAF along with the embassy/HKIA impossible. Then Blinken said we cannot withdraw from the embassy due to optics, ergo BAF must close. And because they were unimaginative and underestimated the enemy, they assumed GIRoA could hold out until 2022. Miller pushed back but ultimately saluted and executed. He should have resigned instead. McKenzie, the COCOM/CC, took command from Miller (meaning the COCOM absorbed what had been its own 4 star command, you can imagine how butter smooth that COMREL change was) in July of 21 I believe, after BAF was handed over and when the assault on the outskirts of Kabul began in earnest. He failed to take any bold action although several of us were sending very clear recommendations and security warnings. By early August it was an insane situation: the Taliban was moving openly in large formations massing artillery and supplies as close as Maiden Shar and all ANA checkpoints on Highway 1 had fallen. Camp Commando had fallen. We were going Winchester and not slowing them down; our own FIRES process was complicated by surrendering ANA personnel and enemy use of their (our) equipment /uniforms. The AAF ran out of munitions and ceased flight operations. I landed in HKIA after one sortie and stated clearly: we must initiate the NEO now. The front office for the 2 star in Kabul (senior US Officer in country) told me “not possible, the Turks won’t allow it.” The Turks were running HKIA at the time. 3 days later the Turks were burning all their papers and excess equipment as they ran to their own aircraft to escape the fall. A lot to digest from the experience. My biggest surprise has been that absolutely no one higher wants to hear about it. There was no AAR, no hot wash, no internal mil attempt to investigate and figure out where it broke down. Just sweep it all under the rug, too embarrassing. The AF history guys did a quick report, although it was mainly focused on the 2.5 week mobility surge and they didn’t even know my unit existed. My AAR is now in their secret addendum, but the document is shortsighted by exclusively focusing on the evacuation rather than how the hell we allowed July-Aug to ever occur. Without any accountability and with the same idiots in charge, we should unfortunately expect another epic strategic humiliation.

At some point I'll write out the utter shit show of DOS on 14-15 Aug during the embassy evac. And nothing improved for the remaining 16 days. As a commander on the ground, I felt sold out and abandoned by every level above 06. On the plus side, there was no one to stop me from doing what I thought best.

Spot on bro, the nerve of this Trump guy running against Biden! I'd guess he made a deal with Russia about something too; we should charge him with a crime, then RICO anyone who ever worked for him.

You misunderstand the difference between single family residential properties and large scale commercial properties. I'm not an expert but I had it explained to me by someone who was; basically there's a standard practice to increase property value based on zoning and permits for future planned development. And those things have real worth. The banks in question stated for the record they were not defrauded and wanted to continue business with the Trump organization. This is ops normal, everyone does it, no one else is prosecuted for it. This is absolutely a BS political prosecution.

100% right. Instructors who enable students to experience every edge of the flight envelope make them ready & confident when the unexpected happens in an adverse environment.

I upvoted both comments just to stir the pot.

Do any blue states have a castle doctrine? I’m ignorant of the law here and I only own one house I occupy.

This looks like ISIS to me. Hopefully it opens more authorities to kill them more aggressively. Regardless of how anyone feels about RUS government, who are awful, terrorist attacks on populations are abhorrent, unacceptable, and civilized nations should cooperate to utterly destroy them.

William Shakespeare in Henry VI: “The first thing we do is, let’s kill all the lawyers.”

That checks 🥃

Sounds like you want to drain the swamp and make America great again 🙂

NS, yes we were a great force for international good in the 40s & 50s and even beyond (sporadically). But something is obviously deeply wrong in our foreign policy now.

The Iranians are actively resupplying them. We simply don’t have the political balls to authorize ROE that would do what you propose. It’s similar to our Vietnam guys watching the USSR send in parts for SA sites, but not allowed to strike until operational. Our idiot generals have learned nothing & continue to fail the nation but see themselves promoted. Enemies are driving the fight, seizing the initiative, executing bold COAs; we just respond. So long as this paradigm continues our technological and tactical superiority will be neutered.

That waffle pullover is one of the few mil items that’ll stay in my wardrobe. A+

It’s called a speedball, and the Afghan AF nearly (probably) killed people like that. I watched them toss an A3 bag full of boots off DZ in Badakhshan into a house.

Stoker, I don't intend this in a mean way, but you sound like somebody talking about the idea of the border problem who hasn't been there since Biden took office. What is happening now is different than the border problem that has existed for several decades. When you go to the border right now, you will see 10,000 angry 20 year-old dudes. You will see them fighting, and you will see them interacting with each other, and eventually you'll realize that Venezuela and Haiti and Sierra Leone and Nicaragua have emptied their jails and sent them to us. I know there are still families and a draw for unskilled workers and all that stuff that has been going on for a long time. Congress is dysfunctional, got it. But there is a different thing happening right now on a scale we have not seen before and it is a serious threat to this nation. Millions of poor people in a three-year period looking for work would be bad enough, but mingled within that population group of illegal immigrants are hundreds of thousands of vicious gangsters. Are we so innocent and naïve that we cannot see what is obviously happening?

I frequently hear the migrant bussing effort is a “political stunt;” the implication being said effort can be dismissed as unserious. The Texas program is highly organized with a cleaner ends-ways-means briefing than anything I saw in the military. It is staying on budget, has broad public support in Texas, and is visibly meeting original objectives: evidenced by the developing public rift between D federal authorities facilitating the immigration crisis and D big city mayors feeling pressure by residents to restrict the flow of incoming illegals. Previous to this effort there was no disagreement internal to the D party, thus allowing them to ignore red border state concerns. Why do you malign this strategy as a “political stunt?”

You'll feel better once you realize they aren't flying for free... you're paying for it.

Not sure I agree with the first statement, although I probably do with the second. I'll have to give the situation with McCarthy some thought; in general I am a fan of accountability and holding people to their promises, although in that situation it did create a lot of turmoil. Was it worth it? I don't know. I know I do like the new speaker though. FWIW I recently had a one on one conversation with Gaetz during a ceremony. I'll take his brand of spear throwing aggressive showman over the weak sister cry baby frauds like Kinzinger. Neither are what I want as representatives, but we are in a place of voting for the least worst option and at least he tells Austin to fuck off regularly. It is a sad state of affairs in American politics, and one I don't know how to fix. My dad was one of the most honorable men I have ever met in my life. He twice ran for office and I worked his campaign; he lost both times in the primary. He was completely destroyed (>10%) by total scumbags with big outside funding sources. He ran a great campaign (considering our resources), handily won debates, was personable, worked the entire district, etc. But if somebody can afford $1 million for Robo calls, signs at every intersection, TV spots till you hate them & people to fake cheer in crowds (a real thing), they typically win a primary. Anyway, I wasn't trying to have a deep dive into Gaetz or the unpleasant realities of our current political process, I was really just dropping a dirty dozen reference.

He’s good at making comfortable bureaucrats uncomfortable, which is both useful and entertaining. We don’t have to like people to acknowledge they may have utility in certain environments; haven’t you seen the Dirty Dozen?

I live here & voted for him, let's fight! kidding of course. But I love moments like this, it's his speciality. Wouldn't support him for any other office but I do enjoy the rabble rousing and spear throws.