Free Republic

Then came the month of March, the harbinger of spring. For many in the world this is a month of joy, but for the Serbs it is a painful reminder. In March 1999, NATO's criminal snake unjustly attacked then Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The attack on Yugoslavia dealt a criminal blow to the Serbs and Serbia. The incessant genocide All the poison they had and the radioactive bombs NATO brought down on the Serbian villages and cities. They poisoned rivers, fields and meadows. The forests withered from the dumped poison. The number of cancer cases of women, children, men has...

A U.S. Navy warship made a “sudden turn,” colliding with a commercial vessel in Singapore territorial waters and resulting in the deaths of 10 U.S. sailors, Singapore's government said in a report Thursday. ... A review of deadly ship collisions in the Asia-Pacific showed sailors were undertrained and overworked, Reuters reported. The U.S. Navy subsequently announced a series of systemic reforms in hopes of restoring basic naval skills and “alertness at sea.” Just two days after the McCain crashed, Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin was relieved of his duty as commander of the U.S. 7th Fleet.  The sudden turn by the McCain...

FORT HUACHUCA — On a chilly Thursday afternoon recently, officers with the 304th Military Intelligence Battalion began taking their spots on an open field of astroturf in the middle of Fort Huachuca. Donning all-black warm-ups and beanies to match, the soldiers tossed their water bottles and bags to the side and lined up. It was time for an Army workout. Every Tuesday and Thursday, the battalion goes through an hour-long set of strength-and-conditioning exercises known as physical readiness training, or PRT. Soldiers do a cardio workout Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays that ranges from sprints to long, 6-mile runs. Whenever they...

FORT HUACHUCA — Fort Huachuca, in conjunction with the U.S. Forest Service and other local cooperative fire agencies, will conduct a prescribed burn on Wednesday, March 7, along Whitside and Irwin to support military training, reduce the risk of wildfires and maintain the ecological integrity of the fire-adapted ecosystems dependent on recurring fire that benefits forest health. Ignitions should start between 8:30 a.m. and 9 a.m., and will probably last an hour and a half to two hours. Prescribed fire activities are expected to continue throughout the year when weather permits. The natural fire regime — or the rate fire...

Claire adjusted the night vision goggles and again scanned the desert horizon carefully. Thus far it had been a very quiet night. Nothing but the desert wind continually stirred the silence.

Russia has announced the existence two new nuclear-tipped missiles, including a previously secret nuclear-powered cruise missile. Unlike regular cruise missiles, which are powered by liquid fuel and gasoline engines, this missile would be powered by a nuclear chain reaction. Another missile, Kinzhal, is a hypersonic weapon designed to attack aircraft carriers and other well-defended targets. Last week Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly announced the existence of several new nuclear weapons systems, including the RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, the Kanyon long-range nuclear torpedo, a nuclear-powered cruise missile, and the Kinzhal hypersonic missile. Although Sarmat and Kanyon were known weapons systems,...

FORT HUACHUCA — “Atta boy!” Must’ve been music to the ears of Jake Burwash, Cochise College rodeo team captain, after he was the first saddle bronc rider to complete a ride over the event’s two days. That whoop, from the announcer, was only the beginning. The feat earned Burwash’s ride 72 points and the first place prize in the saddle bronc competition Sunday afternoon. Levi Whitley of New Mexico State University (NMSU) finished in second place with 67 points. On March 3 and 4 Wren Arena on Fort Huachuca was host to the 11th annual Cochise College Rodeo. With the...

The wreckage of a United States aircraft carrier, named USS Lexington that was sunk by the Japanese during World War II, was found on the floor of the Coral Sea more than 500 miles off the eastern coast of Australia. The carrier was discovered by a team of explorers led by billionaire Paul Allen, the U.S. Navy confirmed Monday. The ship, which was part of the Battle of the Coral Sea from May 4-8, 1942, was found in a remarkably well-preserved condition. Microsoft co-founder Allen released a statement Monday along with photos and a video of the carrier. ​

FORT HUACHUCA — Parents skittish about letting their little buckaroos in an arena had nothing to worry about Sunday, when kiddos were able to experience being in a rodeo, but without animals The event, called the Exceptional Rodeo, was part of the annual Cochise College Rodeo held March 3 and 4 Fort Huachuca. Cochise College, the Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) Programs and the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) allowed kids to experience events they would see later in the day. “Not only is it something fun for the kids to do but it may pique their interest...

Hello, all. I'm no stranger to shooting. I hunted for small game, growing up, I qualified, in the Army, as an "Expert" rifleman, and I occasionally take the family out shooting now. Though I was an Expert in the Army, that shooting was limited to 300 yards, and since I was in the Signal Corps, I really only shot once per year to retain my qualification. I've recently become interested in long range shooting. I've been looking at optics that would lend themselves to that pursuit. I know that brands like Leupold and Nightforce are the heavy-hitters in this arena,...

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is concerned enough about strengthening the lethality of U.S. forces that he broke with tradition last month to impose a first-ever “universal retention policy” across the four service branches. For decades the secretaries of the Army, Navy and Air Force have been responsible for retention rules that dictate whether individuals get to stay in, and for how long, based on needs of service branches including the Marine Corps. The Office of the Secretary of Defense oversees recruiting to ensure the quality of volunteers. And Congress imposes various officer management and promotion rules. But force retention remained...

FORT HUACHUCA — Ping. Ping. Ping. A blustery wind blows snow from the Huachuca Mountains into the faces of captains Bill Goldsworth and Rob Shalvoy on Range 6 at Fort Huachuca as they aim their pistols at metal targets. “If we’re shooting well in this (snow and windy) weather, we’ll do even better in the nice weather,” Goldsworth said. Shalvoy and Goldsworth, both part of the 304th Military Intelligence Battalion, are hoping to represent Fort Huachuca at the Best Ranger Competition at Fort Benning, Georgia. In its 35th year, the annual U.S. Army event, organized by the Ranger Training Brigade,...

Chain of Command begins with a look at the efforts of U.S. and Iraqi forces to regain control of eastern Mosul — the front lines of the war on extremism.

Many dogs revered on the battlefield for their work alongside U.S. Army personnel in Afghanistan -- searching for bombs and potentially saving human lives -- receive anything but a hero’s welcome when they return home, a report says. After serving overseas between 2010 and 2014, some canine companions were left in kennels up to 11 months, while others didn’t receive proper care and attention, or were put down after returning stateside, Reuters reported, citing a March 1 report from the Defense Department’s Inspector General’s Office.

FORT HUACHUCA — Family and MWR, the Sierra Vista Riding Club and Cochise College will host its annual rodeo competition at Wren Arena, on Fort Huachuca, on Saturday and Sunday. Spectators will witness National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association events, such as bareback riding, tie-down roping, breakaway roping, team roping, barrel racing, saddle bronc riding, goat-tying and steer wrestling. Last year, both the Cochise College women and men’s rodeo teams were first-place finishers, and had multiple competitors finish in the top five spots individually. The competition begins Saturday at 1 p.m., but the gates will open at noon. On Sunday, the championship...

In a bizarre incident a raft dropped from a Royal Canadian Air Force helicopter and smashed through the roof of a Miami house Wednesday, injuring a woman inside. The raft, which was not inflated at the time and instead was packaged in a square bundle, punched a hole in the roof a little more than a half a metre by half a metre. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Capt. W.A. McAllister said the incident was a close call for the woman who was sleeping in the house at the time. “Fortunately, the occupant narrowly escaped disaster and suffered minor injuries,” McAllister told...

TOMBSTONE — Two local Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps rifle teams have qualified for the National Junior Olympic Air Rifle Meet in Port Clinton, Ohio, this coming June. Buena High School JROTC and Tombstone High School JROTC sent rifle teams to the qualifying meet on Saturday at the Ben Avery Shooting facility in Phoenix. Both JROTC teams qualified for the national competition. Buena finished second overall with a score of 2104, while Tombstone finished fourth at 2096. To qualify for the national competition, a team must shoot a combined 2025 out of 2400. “Cochise County was well-represented, with two teams...

Couple of guys getting blasted at the end of the runway. Nice!

Leaked audio recordings said to be of Russian mercenaries in Syria capture expressions of lament and humiliation over a battle in early February involving US forces and Russian nationals. Published by Polygraph.info — a fact-checking website produced by Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, news organizations that receive funding from the US government — the audio recordings paint a picture of Russian mercenaries essentially sent to die in an ill-conceived advance on a US-held position in Syria. Polygraph says the audio recordings are from a source close to the Kremlin.

The U.S. Navy's newest vessel was christened at Austal's state-of-the-art shipbuilding facility in Mobile on Saturday morning. The future USNS Burlington is the 10th of the 12 Expeditionary Fast Transport vessels that Austal has under contract with the Navy. They have a combined value of more than $1.9 billion. "Austal is excited to get Burlington one step closer to joining the fleet" said Austal USA President Craig Perciavalle. "The efficiency at which this complex ship has come together is truly remarkable and a testament to the incredible talent of our shipbuilding professionals here at Austal USA."Nine Spearhead-class EPFs have been...