Over a VIDEO???

Posted on by March 6, 2013
Chiming in a bit late on this one, but I can’t help but wonder…

“Indicators” say that AMEMB Libya was advised at LEAST three days (9/7 or 9/8) before the attack that there was a ‘security’ issue and problems were coming…

And why were the Marines disarmed???  Seems that now nobody is owning up to being the one that put THAT order on the street…

Another point to consider, if this was ‘really’ spontaneous, there must be a lot of folks walking around in the middle east with RPGs, hand grenades and full auto AKs in their backpacks…

AND they all happen to be in the same place at EXACTLY the same time, not once but a bunch of times world-wide???

This crap all came down on 9/11, and I’m betting it WAS orchestrated by either AQ or MB; but over a ‘video’?  I think not…

But it’s interesting to note that Obummer has all but apologized for the video (that no one has seen), and has been too busy campaigning to even put out at statement about the dead being transported home.  

And don’t get me started on Hillary’s comments…  This administration has got it’s ass backed in a corner and has absolutely NO idea how to get out…

November 6th can’t get here soon enough!!! 


 

Sequestration, it’s real and coming…

Posted on by March 6, 2013
Sadly, I don’t see any congresscritters actually working ‘productively’ to stop sequestration…

Here’s the lead from the Washington Times-

With excruciating detail, the White House’s budget office on Friday laid out exactly where it will have to cut $109 billion from federal spending in January, including $11.1 billion from Medicare and $54.7 billion from defense spending.

The defense cuts include $21.5 billion from operations and maintenance for the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines and the reserves and National Guard, and nearly $1.4 billion from military aide to Afghanistan, with tens of billions coming from procurement and other Pentagon accounts.

“The report leaves no question that the sequestration would be deeply destructive to national security, domestic investments, and core government functions,” the White House’s budget office said in the report.



Full article HERE.  

What many may not understand is what the terms operations and maintenance really mean in a military context…

Operations includes those little things, like buying gas, oil, etc…

Maintenance funds are those base dollars that allow the services to perform their normal functions, like maintaining the equipment when it breaks, performing preventive maintenance inspections e.g. 90 and 210 day inspections on acft,  inspecting/replacing safety/survival gear (including body armor).  OBTW, the Navy is ALREADY something like $450M behind…

And any continued ‘wars’ will no longer be funded by a separate appropriation… It’s now coming out of BASE budgets (e.g. about another 10% hit)…

You can read the whole 394 pages HERE.  But go to page 9 and look at the non-DOD cuts… Almost all are either Medicare or student loan increases (7.6% I believe), and not a SINGLE cut to an entitlement program!!!

As always, I just want to ask, if DOD is 20% of the Federal Budget, why is DOD taking 50% of the cuts???
  

It’s not JUST in the US and US Embassies…

Posted on by March 6, 2013
This picture was on the front page of the Sunday Telegraph in Sydney this morning…


Religion of peace my ass…

Give the Marines back their ammo, give them the ‘big’ guns, and break out the TACNUKES…

Just sayin…

And DOD/DOS have issued a world wide travel warning for Americans!  

Less than impressed…

Posted on by March 6, 2013
As a matter of fact, I’m pissed…  

Screwed by the Crowne Plaza in Perth to the tune of A$105 a night on the reservations was NOT the way to start this day…

The manager basically said they ‘reserve the right’ to change the amount charged at any time!  Asshole!!!

And I’m now sitting at Sydney airport in a hotel thanks to Qantas note being able to actually MAKE a scheduled takeoff time (again)… I missed my connection to LAX, thank you very much…

And trying to change an international flight is TRULY a PITA!!!  

Four flights on Qantas and only ONE was actually on time.  

I don’t EVEN want to think of how @#%^ much those phone calls cost…

And people think travel is “so” exciting…

Grumble…

Kilted to Kick Cancer Bleg…

Posted on by March 6, 2013
Thank you to those who’ve donated for me to the two organizations, it’s truly appreciated…  

And thanks to those bloggers who’ve done posts linking about KTKC.  

Having said that, we’re WELL short of our goal with two weeks of the month gone already…  

I don’t have any prizes or anything else to give away; all I’m asking is that if you have a few spare bucks, please donate to either LiveStrong or the Prostate Cancer Society through the links above…

It’s not anything we get out of this, other than possibly a cure to one of the cancers, which just might save either yourself or someone you love (unless you’re a pilot and then it’s one in the same)…

Please hit one of the links above if you can even for $10… Let’s pull together and help make that $50,000 mark by the end of the month!!!

Thanks in advance, 
Old NFO

Now THIS is some agressive flying…

Posted on by March 6, 2013
Watch them kicking rudders and sawing the yoke through the FULL range of motion, it will give you some idea of how rough it is flying into a fire…



Male, female, young, old, these folks ARE professionals!  And lots of folks truly appreciate what they do!!!

h/t JP

Worth the read…

Posted on by March 6, 2013
Don’s got a post up HERE that is worth the read, even if it IS a few days past 9/11… 2977…

Any body that is both a Gunnie AND a Chef has a bunch to offer!!!

A Twofer!!!

Posted on by March 6, 2013
Today was a ‘good’ day (not counting work)…

I got a chance to go shoot and get fed a home cooked meal!!!  Yea me!

Julie from Jigsaw Thoughts was good enough to invite me out to shoot at her range this evening, and then I got to meet her family, and have a real homecooked dinner!  

We played with her 22/45, her 9mm 1911 and a little (and I DO mean little) .410 single shot shotgun.  They’ve got a nice little range, 10 bays, and they are BIG into IPSC over here.  

My sight picture and hers are just ‘slightly’ different, as everything I shot was about three inches left, but I’ve got to say that a full size 1911, shooting minimum power 9mm was just plain FUN!!!  There was almost no recoil! 

Dinner was lots of fun (and GOOD) too; and Miss 11 and Miss 9 are truly nice kids, but American/Aussie ‘English’ doesn’t always translate well…LOL  A couple of times I said something, only to get blank stares back…

Boot=trunk
Jumper=sweater
etc… sigh…

And whomever on GBC said I liked my steak ‘rare’, we need to talk…

Just sayin…

Well THAT was embarrassing…

Posted on by March 6, 2013
As usual I ‘failed open’ about 0400 this morning…  Stumbled into the bathroom, got water for instant coffee and was getting ready to take a shower.  

Next thing I hear is-

tock…
shuffle, scrape…

TOCK…

tock…

shuffle, scrape, slap, slap

TOCK…

okaywhatinthehell???

Now I’m on the THIRD floor of the Hilton in Adelaide, right…


tock…

slap, slap

TOCK…


So I go look out the window, and I see nothing but street.  But I feel a cold draft.  


tock…

shuffle, scrape, slap, slap, slap

“Oh BUGGER”


So I pull the SIDE curtain, and there is a SECOND window!!!

And there is a woman in tennis shorts, with tennis racquet, picking up a tennis ball about three feet from me…

She looks me up and down, smiles, and says, “Sorry love, hope I didn’t wake you!”   And walks off…

And I realize I’m standing there butt naked with a towel over my shoulder… Sigh…

So pro-tip, if you ever stay in the Hilton Adelaide, and end up on the third floor in even numbered rooms, REMEMBER there is a tennis court out your ‘window’… 

9/11…

Posted on by March 6, 2013

Today marks the 11th anniversary of 9/11, and I ask you to join me in remembering the innocent lives lost and the inspiring efforts of heroes from all walks of life who acted selflessly to help others.

Nearly 3,000 people died that day and thousands were injured. Most of us remember vividly where we were and what we were doing that fateful day. It was a time of great cooperation, solidarity, resolve and renewed patriotism.

CAPT Larry Getsfred, CAPT Jack Punches (USN Ret), AW1 Joe Pycior…

All died in the Pentagon on 9/11.

As we reflect and remember, also take a moment to pay tribute to our fallen comrades who after 9/11, fought to make sure that history did not repeat itself. More than 5,100 Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines have paid the ultimate price defending our nation in Iraq, Afghanistan and in pursuit of terror networks around the world. Many thousands more have come home wounded, maimed by IEDs or scarred with the mental trauma of combat.


September 11th was designated as Patriot Day, and it reminds us that one thing we all share is that we are Americans. We are patriots and citizens first, with shared values of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” as our Declaration of Independence states.

In times of challenge we rise up, and these are challenging times. The world is still a dangerous place and there is tremendous uncertainty ahead.  Our commitment to one another, our families and the nation can never waiver…

Posted from my iPhone.