Question 1: What happened to the ships of the disestablished MPSRON 1? Question 2: Thinking of Desert Shield, do we still have anything that resembles a reserve fleet?
It will take over 20 years to reverse the decline. Replace vodka with fentanyl, the US is not that different from Russia after their Cold War collapse.
Twenty years and a whole different mindset; the change in thinking will likely require a series of unfortunate events. Because we are always that slow to catch on.
...and different political party foundations, though the names have remained the same. The Democrat Party has become Neo-Gramscist and the Republican Party has become conservative-in-name-only. The Democrat Party platform of 1940 is now far to the right of today's Republican Party. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/1940-democratic-party-platform
"Experience of other nations gives warning that total defense is necessary to repel attack, and that partial defense is no defense."
Both parties now fully embrace partial defense.
"The production of coal is one of our most important basic industries. "
Coal is evil and miners are demon minions.
"That the power of falling water is a gift from God, and consequently belongs not to a privileged few, but to all the people, who are entitled to enjoy its benefits;"
God is dead. Dams block endangered fishes. Reservoirs produce methane which causes climate change.
"Radio has become an integral part of the democratically accepted doctrine of freedom of speech, press, assembly and religion. We urge such legislative steps as may be required to afford the same protection from censorship that is now afforded the press under the Constitution of the United States."
Censorship must be allowed in social media to meet the needs of the state. Freedom of speech in public discourse is dangerous.
True, in almost every way. Politics, culture, central government debt and power, industrial base; civic-minded population; I can't think of an advantage we had in the late 30's that we still have.
D.C. has squandered far too many promises. I intentionally don’t call our capital city “Washington” because the General was far too honorable to connect him with that cesspool.
I understand the intent of redistricting. I'm good with that as a principle. It's the execution that is usually sketchy. A map of which states lose/gain congressional districts is at https://thearp.org/blog/apportionment/2030-forecasted-apportionment/ The problem comes, of course, with how redistricting is carried out.
My own solution would be to count the number of seats a given state has. Divide the state's population of legal residents by that number. Starting at the state's western-most boundary, draw a series of lines running strictly north-south without deviation to define the districts. That would be one good way of avoiding the silly/stupid districts found at one time like these https://www.maproomblog.com/2016/11/gerrymandered-congressional-districts/ and these https://www.politusic.com/politics/dysfunction/why-wont-tea-party-cooperate-with-republicans/attachment/gerrymandered-districts-maps/ The one in Georgia is the only one I have any real knowledge about. You will see that it goes from Atlanta to Savannah (sometimes being defined by the banks of various rivers and grab pockets of people) so as to guarantee a certain civil rights activist a safe district.
Another approach would be that suggested by Robert Heinlein in "Double Star". In that novel, the legislative body is made up of people who represent "X" number of constituents that define themselves as being represented by a given member of the legislature. How they defined themselves as a group is immaterial. Let's pick the number 10,000. If you and 9,999 other people decide that John Jones would be a blockbuster representative for you, then he is your rep. And NO ONE gets to complain that their so-called representative doesn't REALLY represent them. Just a thought.
16,17,and18 destroyed the founder's vision and legacy. I know we repealed 18, but the federal government law enforcement security state has only expanded since.
Navy Ampib states they don't have the ability to rotate an MEU SOC due to not having ships capable due to repairs to sail. Apparently Bataan is damaged or in need of repair.
When Desert Shield began, there were approximately 574 oceangoing vessels of 1000 tons or more in the U.S. flag merchant fleet. The maritime logistics element during Operation Desert Shield (and later Storm) required 338 vessels to suppport.
Based on dereliction of duty, who would you nominate for firing? For the record, in asking this question, I do not believe in having a statute of limitations for crimes of this nature.
And Saudi had some of the world's best port facilities and supplied us with tons of free fuel, which meant we didn't have to worry about tanking it in. It was a logistical unicorn that we won't see again.
Gone. Marines no longer deploy and the HQ has been long been disbanded.
It’s interesting to me, that people still think we possess the capability we had 30 years ago. The ugly truth is we don’t.
Edited: Marines no longer have a permanent presence and no longer rotate as a matter of policy. They are currently deployed for training in Norway with II MEF deployed for training. But standing USMC is over.
“If we are going to be the force of first, middle, and last resort - which everyone including ourselves seems content to be - then shouldn’t we make an effort to at least be smart about it?
WHY!!? Why is it our responsibility any longer? Where is our interest to be the worlds policeman? Being the guardian of the “rules based order” is a fool’s errand. Cui Bono? I’m done supporting the WEF and the European cucks that are allowing their children and women to be raped while committing cultural suicide.
We are bailing our own ship of state full of water and we are giving our seawater pumps to others who are incapable or unwilling to bail themselves.
China is coming for us. We simply need to focus like a laser and specifically on that threat.
Yes they indeed “keep lying to us”. So why would we continue to carry their water!?
I wish I could say “thank you”, but without an immediate course correction we are going to feel pain and very very soon.
The old “we gotta stop them over there before we have to deal with at home” doesn’t work anymore. They are ALREADY here and we are about to get the “Sweden/European treatment” x 100 and the Marxists want this. They will blame rural white Americana and will come for our rights, our guns, and what is left of our liberty. Our Navy won’t mean much when we are fighting them ala Oct 7th on our front yards
Perhaps... However, lesser mortals (in the smug and condescending eyes of the "the people who know stuff") tend to learn a few "things" when our livelihoods are built on having to use both our minds and our hands to work through and actually solve the problem at hand. Lots and lots of lessons learned as well as taking "notice of things." A fairly resourceful bunch when the circumstances warrant...
You pose an interesting question but I'm not so sure that we're all in one accord on the whole "...first, middle and last resort" thingy. My perspective rests solely on the welfare of 10's of thousands of sailors who stand to lose their lives if this mess lights up in the strait. And I suspect recruitment numbers reflect, at least in part, a perspective amongst many of our military age youth who are no longer buying the image of our country as it's being portrayed to them. As a business acquaintenance of mine (a major in the army reserves) noted to me after two tours in Iraq; being used as cannon fodder is not a compelling reason to join up for "be all you can be." As to carrying their water? I think those water pots have sprung far too many leaks to be of much value.
It is possible these young men are buying exactly the image of our country that has been sold to them by the NEA, other teacher's unions, Hollywood, and the main stream media for decades, that of a bigoted, toxically masculine terminally racism colonizer that needs to be destroyed. If they don't actually believe it, it doesn't matter because they see the military and political leadership does.
I'm sure they are getting exposed to that but I would also submit a 20 year record of an open-ended conflict that didn't have a definitive "close the deal" strategy probably didn't help matters either. And then there is my perception that our foreign/military adventures just have the taint of serving the narrow interests of those who are content to let the status quo prevailed because it was in their own self-interest. That's a jaundiced perspective to be sure but it is one that I cannot escape.
Couldn't agree more. My concern is that THIS TIME AROUND the navy (and not the army) will be facing consequences far more dire and devastating than the Navy's experienced longer than 80 years ago. It is one thing to pivot to face a greater threat, it's another matter entirely to pivot to that threat and to be more occupied by what you can achieve far down the road vs. dealing with what is most urgently needed in the now. The USN strategy for force projection is centered on a carrier and her strike group. Has that strategy been subjected to anything closely resemble the actual physical environment presented by repeated, massive swarms of long-range, high mach PGMs, hypersonics and ASBMs? Is there a reasonable probability that a CSG will be able to lurk silently without her presence being known or likely knowable? If the answer to those questions are realistically "no" & "no" then "...And don't waste me or my shipmates" leaves me with a very unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach. I pray that the answer to those 2 questions are "yes" and "yes."
There are about 18 million veterans living in the US and a total of about 330 million citizens. Veterans can imagine caskets returning from foreign shores. The vast majority of Americans cannot identify with that and, for the most part, most think that is somebody else's problem. It doing to take a hard knock to get the population to wake up. Experience is the hardest teacher but some can learn from no other.
As someone who once witnessed my ships helo hanger with flag draped caskets in it, and, the father of someone leaving for the Navy next Tuesday and another for the Army next month, I can appreciate that truth more than most...
Absolutely it is. We are aborting our offspring, encouraging our elders to take a shit ton of unnecessary vaccines to hurry their demise and are encouraging the already born to castrate themselves and stop reproducing. The intent is obvious, the results are to end our civilization and the ignorance is unforgivable. Stevie fucking Wonder can see it.
Im not a fan of forward deployments, but forward-prepositioned material is another matter! Seems like Souda Bay couldve/wouldve been a decent place to park a few ships full of worthwhile items. Theres room. Last time I pulled in, there were not-so long ago retired Fletcher-class ships in the bay doing reserve or pre-scrapping duty...
Where is Herr Neuhardt today one might ask. Why (of course) he would seem to be providing pro bono legal services to immigrants, er... downtrodden asylee wannabees. https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-neuhardt-79414258
The writers words have never been more pertinent. Its just comon sense that putting your heavy gear close to the action in peacetime bests doing it stalked by the "silent service" when the shoooting starts is good. America IS a maritime nation...you would think two world wars and the Gulf War would make that clear. Sending M1 Abrams two at a time on C-5 seems rather inefficient...
I remember regularly chugging past one of the huge MPS vessels in 1994-96 as she sat at anchor off the west side of Saipan (or was it Aguihan?), completely defenseless and presumably loaded to the gunwales with tanks and humvees and such. We took CGC BASSWOOD up to Saipan & Tinian at least every six months to work buoys, and an MPS ship was always around.
It struck me as an odd way to "protect" so much critical materiel, since those eggs were all in one very vulnerable and very stationary basket.
I'd wager that China knows exactly what we have and where we have it from the Mariana's and all points west, from Japan to Australia. Hopefully not our subs though that is a hope only.
When I plan (either side) of a War In The Pacific Campaign (in any variant), I do precisely what the Commander advocates. I set up a network of supply depots and I sent fuel and supplies of every kind as often as 80% of the available shipping will allow. The other 20% is held in reserve for use because of an unanticipated demand in some particular direction. So not only are things arriving at intermediate and forward destinations regularly, the capacity to send significantly more if needs be is built in.
Perhaps it is just not possible for a nation of 350 million people - 30 million of whom are here illegally - to impose its will and way of life on eight billion people even if its military were not rundown and riddled with a woke marxist ideology.
Bush, Sr. should have said that America has fulfilled its historic mission and brought the troops home. Instead, we got the New World Order. Too bad bin Laden didn’t read The End of History. Nor did Xi or the mullahs. We really need to rethink our role in the world instead of just tinkering with number of frigates or supply ships.
25 years ago at one of the "big 5" consulting firms we had a woman, app. 35 years old, competent, heavily groomed for the Partner role. Clock kicked in, quit to have kids, office gets dinged for another 3 years for not having a female partner.
She would have been pulling down a couple mil a year in '98 at least. If we couldn't keep her., the Navy isn't keeping a first class or chief who sees another path to parenthood.
Well, it used to be failing an important inspection or running aground, then it morphed into porking the troops or doing drugs or a DUI. Nowadays its probably being heard using the wrong pronouns.
The Navy has pulled the Bataan MEU SOC out of the arena and doesn't plan on sending another there.
The Ships the Army are sending are not Blue water sailing ships, They are flat bottom, shallow draft, low freeboard vessels.
In a sea state from 5 to 9 they will be in danger the entire voyage across the Atlantic, the circle route I believe takes them into the North Atlantic. One of the most dangerous areas there.
At best they will have a run on saltine crackers and Dramamine at worst they will founder.
The EU GDP is around $20 trillion compared to our $26 trillion - and compared to the $1.8 trillion of the chief European problem, Russia. Time to wash our hands of Europe's problems and let them step up. Especially, because we are woefully unprepared for war in the Pacific, as you noted yesterday.
Question 1: What happened to the ships of the disestablished MPSRON 1? Question 2: Thinking of Desert Shield, do we still have anything that resembles a reserve fleet?
No. We don’t. We are shell of what we were during DESERT STORM/SHIELD.
Our promise has been squandered. If we don’t make a course correction immediately, it won’t matter.
It will take over 20 years to reverse the decline. Replace vodka with fentanyl, the US is not that different from Russia after their Cold War collapse.
Twenty years and a whole different mindset; the change in thinking will likely require a series of unfortunate events. Because we are always that slow to catch on.
The bitter pill of the decisive strategic defeat in Ukraine will be one of these events.
We did it once in five years with British and French money between 1938 and 1943.
But, we were a different country with different politics.
...and different political party foundations, though the names have remained the same. The Democrat Party has become Neo-Gramscist and the Republican Party has become conservative-in-name-only. The Democrat Party platform of 1940 is now far to the right of today's Republican Party. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/1940-democratic-party-platform
"Experience of other nations gives warning that total defense is necessary to repel attack, and that partial defense is no defense."
Both parties now fully embrace partial defense.
"The production of coal is one of our most important basic industries. "
Coal is evil and miners are demon minions.
"That the power of falling water is a gift from God, and consequently belongs not to a privileged few, but to all the people, who are entitled to enjoy its benefits;"
God is dead. Dams block endangered fishes. Reservoirs produce methane which causes climate change.
"Radio has become an integral part of the democratically accepted doctrine of freedom of speech, press, assembly and religion. We urge such legislative steps as may be required to afford the same protection from censorship that is now afforded the press under the Constitution of the United States."
Censorship must be allowed in social media to meet the needs of the state. Freedom of speech in public discourse is dangerous.
Etc.
True, in almost every way. Politics, culture, central government debt and power, industrial base; civic-minded population; I can't think of an advantage we had in the late 30's that we still have.
D.C. has squandered far too many promises. I intentionally don’t call our capital city “Washington” because the General was far too honorable to connect him with that cesspool.
True. The political class are the same corrupt body the Roman Senate was in the last days of the reign of Licinius.
My own opinion is that the slide began with direct election of U.S. senators, pushed by Wilson.
(Baker v. Carr and Reynolds v. Sims)
I understand the intent of redistricting. I'm good with that as a principle. It's the execution that is usually sketchy. A map of which states lose/gain congressional districts is at https://thearp.org/blog/apportionment/2030-forecasted-apportionment/ The problem comes, of course, with how redistricting is carried out.
My own solution would be to count the number of seats a given state has. Divide the state's population of legal residents by that number. Starting at the state's western-most boundary, draw a series of lines running strictly north-south without deviation to define the districts. That would be one good way of avoiding the silly/stupid districts found at one time like these https://www.maproomblog.com/2016/11/gerrymandered-congressional-districts/ and these https://www.politusic.com/politics/dysfunction/why-wont-tea-party-cooperate-with-republicans/attachment/gerrymandered-districts-maps/ The one in Georgia is the only one I have any real knowledge about. You will see that it goes from Atlanta to Savannah (sometimes being defined by the banks of various rivers and grab pockets of people) so as to guarantee a certain civil rights activist a safe district.
Another approach would be that suggested by Robert Heinlein in "Double Star". In that novel, the legislative body is made up of people who represent "X" number of constituents that define themselves as being represented by a given member of the legislature. How they defined themselves as a group is immaterial. Let's pick the number 10,000. If you and 9,999 other people decide that John Jones would be a blockbuster representative for you, then he is your rep. And NO ONE gets to complain that their so-called representative doesn't REALLY represent them. Just a thought.
16,17,and18 destroyed the founder's vision and legacy. I know we repealed 18, but the federal government law enforcement security state has only expanded since.
Navy Ampib states they don't have the ability to rotate an MEU SOC due to not having ships capable due to repairs to sail. Apparently Bataan is damaged or in need of repair.
When Desert Shield began, there were approximately 574 oceangoing vessels of 1000 tons or more in the U.S. flag merchant fleet. The maritime logistics element during Operation Desert Shield (and later Storm) required 338 vessels to suppport.
We are sitting at around 180 vessels today.
We. Are. Not. Prepared.
Based on dereliction of duty, who would you nominate for firing? For the record, in asking this question, I do not believe in having a statute of limitations for crimes of this nature.
Unfortunately, we can't fire those responsible because they are on Capitol Hill, sitting in board rooms and union halls, or have since retired.
And they all seem to think that aligning with PRC is the best route to personal prosperity.
And Desert Shield was against a regional opponent with essentially zero counter maritime capability…
And Saudi had some of the world's best port facilities and supplied us with tons of free fuel, which meant we didn't have to worry about tanking it in. It was a logistical unicorn that we won't see again.
We are adequately prepared for the future our ruling Party (but D and R branches) desires
CDR - you forget the MCPP-N gear in Norway. A MEB worth if I remember correctly.
Or is that gone to?
Gone. Marines no longer deploy and the HQ has been long been disbanded.
It’s interesting to me, that people still think we possess the capability we had 30 years ago. The ugly truth is we don’t.
Edited: Marines no longer have a permanent presence and no longer rotate as a matter of policy. They are currently deployed for training in Norway with II MEF deployed for training. But standing USMC is over.
The Marines are no longer interested in maintaining prepostioned assets.
They want to be all stealth and agile, with their agile logistics platforms "hiding in plain sight", to quote Generals Smith and Herckel.
Its not going to work, but that's where they are taking things.
Also...these folks are not the least bit interested in considering any challenges to their "Vision"...
Their 'Way' or the Highway on their march to FD 2030.
Checkout this twitter snippet to get an idea about how intellectually bigoted they are:
https://x.com/ian_tb03/status/1767707790967976026?s=20
The days of planning to base a CVN in the Vestfjord is long past.
MPSRON 2 was thinning out if I am not mistaken. Some of the ships are in ROS. They left DGAR. Not sure if they were replaced.
“If we are going to be the force of first, middle, and last resort - which everyone including ourselves seems content to be - then shouldn’t we make an effort to at least be smart about it?
WHY!!? Why is it our responsibility any longer? Where is our interest to be the worlds policeman? Being the guardian of the “rules based order” is a fool’s errand. Cui Bono? I’m done supporting the WEF and the European cucks that are allowing their children and women to be raped while committing cultural suicide.
We are bailing our own ship of state full of water and we are giving our seawater pumps to others who are incapable or unwilling to bail themselves.
China is coming for us. We simply need to focus like a laser and specifically on that threat.
Yes they indeed “keep lying to us”. So why would we continue to carry their water!?
There's a disconnect between the military these policy makers think we have and the military we actually have.
I’m not seeing policy makers. I’m seeing the last picked in dodgeball ruling over us and selling our republic out to European carnival workers.
That is probably the most accurate statement I have ever seen regarding our current position as a country....thank you!
I wish I could say “thank you”, but without an immediate course correction we are going to feel pain and very very soon.
The old “we gotta stop them over there before we have to deal with at home” doesn’t work anymore. They are ALREADY here and we are about to get the “Sweden/European treatment” x 100 and the Marxists want this. They will blame rural white Americana and will come for our rights, our guns, and what is left of our liberty. Our Navy won’t mean much when we are fighting them ala Oct 7th on our front yards
Perhaps... However, lesser mortals (in the smug and condescending eyes of the "the people who know stuff") tend to learn a few "things" when our livelihoods are built on having to use both our minds and our hands to work through and actually solve the problem at hand. Lots and lots of lessons learned as well as taking "notice of things." A fairly resourceful bunch when the circumstances warrant...
Right on!! Our current SECSTATE and National Security Advisor being perfect examples thereof.
oh snap... that one deserves Hall of Fame status.
You pose an interesting question but I'm not so sure that we're all in one accord on the whole "...first, middle and last resort" thingy. My perspective rests solely on the welfare of 10's of thousands of sailors who stand to lose their lives if this mess lights up in the strait. And I suspect recruitment numbers reflect, at least in part, a perspective amongst many of our military age youth who are no longer buying the image of our country as it's being portrayed to them. As a business acquaintenance of mine (a major in the army reserves) noted to me after two tours in Iraq; being used as cannon fodder is not a compelling reason to join up for "be all you can be." As to carrying their water? I think those water pots have sprung far too many leaks to be of much value.
That was Phib’s question. I answered by asking him “Why?”
arrgh... didn't see the formatting...
It is possible these young men are buying exactly the image of our country that has been sold to them by the NEA, other teacher's unions, Hollywood, and the main stream media for decades, that of a bigoted, toxically masculine terminally racism colonizer that needs to be destroyed. If they don't actually believe it, it doesn't matter because they see the military and political leadership does.
I'm sure they are getting exposed to that but I would also submit a 20 year record of an open-ended conflict that didn't have a definitive "close the deal" strategy probably didn't help matters either. And then there is my perception that our foreign/military adventures just have the taint of serving the narrow interests of those who are content to let the status quo prevailed because it was in their own self-interest. That's a jaundiced perspective to be sure but it is one that I cannot escape.
Our troops deserve better. I asked only one criteria when I served, “please don’t let my efforts be wasted. And don’t waste me or my shipmates”.
Couldn't agree more. My concern is that THIS TIME AROUND the navy (and not the army) will be facing consequences far more dire and devastating than the Navy's experienced longer than 80 years ago. It is one thing to pivot to face a greater threat, it's another matter entirely to pivot to that threat and to be more occupied by what you can achieve far down the road vs. dealing with what is most urgently needed in the now. The USN strategy for force projection is centered on a carrier and her strike group. Has that strategy been subjected to anything closely resemble the actual physical environment presented by repeated, massive swarms of long-range, high mach PGMs, hypersonics and ASBMs? Is there a reasonable probability that a CSG will be able to lurk silently without her presence being known or likely knowable? If the answer to those questions are realistically "no" & "no" then "...And don't waste me or my shipmates" leaves me with a very unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach. I pray that the answer to those 2 questions are "yes" and "yes."
No.
Maybe. Ace Lyons demonstrates it could be done with 2 CVBG/CSG.
There are about 18 million veterans living in the US and a total of about 330 million citizens. Veterans can imagine caskets returning from foreign shores. The vast majority of Americans cannot identify with that and, for the most part, most think that is somebody else's problem. It doing to take a hard knock to get the population to wake up. Experience is the hardest teacher but some can learn from no other.
The reckoning is coming. The public will be dragged into reality. Much like the picnic morons during the first Battle of Manassas .
Frankly? Most won't care, or will be too far gone like this;
rc4797 "What do you mean by "a Pier for Hamas"? What an asinine headline."
(Apparently he can't take what he serves up. I dun bin blocked 🚫!)
I saw that, well done sir.
It occurred to me today; what if this pier is going in to take people away, into Europe and the US, rather than to give Hamas supplies?
There's been some speculation in that as well.
The only questions remaining are "how long until it starts" and "will it look more like Stalingrad, or Haiti on Acid?"
The walking dead meets Haiti.
The population may be 330M but up to a third may not be citizens.
Let's not exaggerate. There are likely no more than 20% illegals, another 10% if you add their anchors.
Once "birthright citizenship" and other frauds are sorted, you'll see how big the iceberg really is.
As someone who once witnessed my ships helo hanger with flag draped caskets in it, and, the father of someone leaving for the Navy next Tuesday and another for the Army next month, I can appreciate that truth more than most...
Amen brother.
“ European cucks that are allowing their children and women to be raped while committing cultural suicide”
That’s us, too, though.
Absolutely it is. We are aborting our offspring, encouraging our elders to take a shit ton of unnecessary vaccines to hurry their demise and are encouraging the already born to castrate themselves and stop reproducing. The intent is obvious, the results are to end our civilization and the ignorance is unforgivable. Stevie fucking Wonder can see it.
Im not a fan of forward deployments, but forward-prepositioned material is another matter! Seems like Souda Bay couldve/wouldve been a decent place to park a few ships full of worthwhile items. Theres room. Last time I pulled in, there were not-so long ago retired Fletcher-class ships in the bay doing reserve or pre-scrapping duty...
Where is Herr Neuhardt today one might ask. Why (of course) he would seem to be providing pro bono legal services to immigrants, er... downtrodden asylee wannabees. https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-neuhardt-79414258
The writers words have never been more pertinent. Its just comon sense that putting your heavy gear close to the action in peacetime bests doing it stalked by the "silent service" when the shoooting starts is good. America IS a maritime nation...you would think two world wars and the Gulf War would make that clear. Sending M1 Abrams two at a time on C-5 seems rather inefficient...
Putting it all neatly arranged in one place for easy destruction while at anchor has certain drawbacks too.
I remember regularly chugging past one of the huge MPS vessels in 1994-96 as she sat at anchor off the west side of Saipan (or was it Aguihan?), completely defenseless and presumably loaded to the gunwales with tanks and humvees and such. We took CGC BASSWOOD up to Saipan & Tinian at least every six months to work buoys, and an MPS ship was always around.
It struck me as an odd way to "protect" so much critical materiel, since those eggs were all in one very vulnerable and very stationary basket.
I hope they move them frequently now.
I'd wager that China knows exactly what we have and where we have it from the Mariana's and all points west, from Japan to Australia. Hopefully not our subs though that is a hope only.
When you want to drop nukes, pull out the Alexander Solzhenitsyn card... he just manages to cut through the haze.
When I plan (either side) of a War In The Pacific Campaign (in any variant), I do precisely what the Commander advocates. I set up a network of supply depots and I sent fuel and supplies of every kind as often as 80% of the available shipping will allow. The other 20% is held in reserve for use because of an unanticipated demand in some particular direction. So not only are things arriving at intermediate and forward destinations regularly, the capacity to send significantly more if needs be is built in.
Perhaps it is just not possible for a nation of 350 million people - 30 million of whom are here illegally - to impose its will and way of life on eight billion people even if its military were not rundown and riddled with a woke marxist ideology.
Bush, Sr. should have said that America has fulfilled its historic mission and brought the troops home. Instead, we got the New World Order. Too bad bin Laden didn’t read The End of History. Nor did Xi or the mullahs. We really need to rethink our role in the world instead of just tinkering with number of frigates or supply ships.
Yet another reason for my "buy at least 2 American-made freighters and tankers each year" proposal.
I think the only Politically Reliable location to base a MPS in Europe is the UK. Gibraltar has some space to float and does have a shipyard.
Priorities People!
https://x.com/NavyTimes/status/1768202417332535730?s=20
Navy launches Women’s Initiatives Team to aid retention, recruitment
Great! Isn't it usually for more money, extended separations and that biological imperative that shall not be mentioned?
25 years ago at one of the "big 5" consulting firms we had a woman, app. 35 years old, competent, heavily groomed for the Partner role. Clock kicked in, quit to have kids, office gets dinged for another 3 years for not having a female partner.
She would have been pulling down a couple mil a year in '98 at least. If we couldn't keep her., the Navy isn't keeping a first class or chief who sees another path to parenthood.
Or officers.
We could just conscript them like Denmark just decided to do and avoid all this fancy initiative stuff.
Hi Cmdr, thanks for the post. QQ--what is with all the CO reliefs this year? They just relieved the Gold crew CO of USS Ohio.
Well, it used to be failing an important inspection or running aground, then it morphed into porking the troops or doing drugs or a DUI. Nowadays its probably being heard using the wrong pronouns.
lol, my first thought was sampling the chief's mess or wardroom, but I forgot about the Pronouns of Death.
The Navy has pulled the Bataan MEU SOC out of the arena and doesn't plan on sending another there.
The Ships the Army are sending are not Blue water sailing ships, They are flat bottom, shallow draft, low freeboard vessels.
In a sea state from 5 to 9 they will be in danger the entire voyage across the Atlantic, the circle route I believe takes them into the North Atlantic. One of the most dangerous areas there.
At best they will have a run on saltine crackers and Dramamine at worst they will founder.
Would think that's why they will take a southern rhumb line over...
But don't forget, literally 100s of LCI's transited the Atlantic...and Pacific...in WW II.
That's true, but southernly sails against the gulf stream and into storms.
During a world war there were casualties and loss of life to storms is expected and we are talking at best two to three boats in peace time.
When was the last time the Armies Navy did such?
"Europe and her problems aren’t going anywhere."
The EU GDP is around $20 trillion compared to our $26 trillion - and compared to the $1.8 trillion of the chief European problem, Russia. Time to wash our hands of Europe's problems and let them step up. Especially, because we are woefully unprepared for war in the Pacific, as you noted yesterday.