Free Republic

“Navy SEAL officers are expected to lead from the front in all categories, especially in physical fitness.” Official Naval Special Warfare Website On Wednesday, August 2nd, 2017 the first female to gain entry to the SEAL Officer Assessment & Selection (SOAS) program voluntarily quit. The three-week course began Monday, July 24th, 2017 in San Diego, California home of the Navy SEAL training base, and by Wednesday it was all over for this candidate. Making history, in the summer of 2017 the US Navy accepted its first female officer candidate into the Naval Special Warfare officer screening pipeline called the SEAL...

An unarmed Russian Air Force reconnaissance jet flew over several government buildings and landmarks in the nation's capital Wednesday, including the Pentagon, U.S. Capitol, National Mall and the White House, ABC News has confirmed. The flight over what is normally some of the most secure airspace in the nation was allowed under the Treaty of Open Skies that allows ....

With the seventh season of HBO's Game of Thrones at its halfway point, Westeros is at war yet again. In the last two episodes (episodes 3 and 4), the forces aligned with Daenerys Targaryen and Cersei Lannister have met upon the fields (and seas) of battle at last. Things have not gone entirely according to plan for either side. In fact things have gone so wrong, so fast that I thought it might be time to convene the Ars Technica Board of Fictional Military Historic Analysis—with its charter members, Jon Nichols and Steve Skaggs, two special operations professionals now in...

The world has watched, seemingly without recourse, as North Korea continues to rapidly develop intercontinental nuclear missile capabilities. After two recent tests, experts now believe North Korea could strike as far as Chicago or London. Those favoring diplomacy above all else—which has utterly failed over the past 25 years—must realize that North Korea is on the cusp of being able to threaten every US citizen on a whim. Now, according to a report released by the Defense Intelligence Agency, North Korea has successfully produced a miniaturized nuclear warhead that will fit its ballistic missiles. While North Korea may not yet...

Smitty just had Clinton's Secretary of Defense on to critique President Trump's reaction to North Korea. Wasn't he involved in insuring that the Norks would not attain nuclear weapons?

The Norks announcement of a Guam-area nuclear strike might not be a foolish, or even un-reasoned move on their part. Stop and think for a moment, and then game it. Remember, they did not say "Guam", as in that specific island with multiple US bases. It's been missed in many stories, but the DPRK's NCNA specifically said "near Guam" For example, this is from the BBC story: "North Korea says it is considering missile strikes NEAR the US Pacific territory of Guam, just hours after President Donald Trump threatened Pyongyang with "fire and fury". More: "The North's official news agency...

Femal Marine battles a Male Marine in Pugile sticks. She gets more than she can bargain for.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1jCOkyuzCs  

US Marines Test All-Male Squads Against Mixed-Gender Ones – And The Results Are Bleak August 6, 2017 By Brittany Soares In 2013, the US military lifted its ban on women serving in combat. Shortly after, the Marine Corps began what it calls an “unprecedented research effort” to understand the impact of gender integration on its combat forces. That took the form of a year-long experiment called the Ground Combat Element Integrated Task Force, in which 400 Marines — 100 of them female — trained for combat together and then undertook a simulated deployment, with every aspect of their experience measured...

Family members have identified one of the Marines missing following a U.S. military aircraft crash off the coast of Australia as Ruben Velasco of Southern California. Velasco’s parents said uniformed officers came to their home over the weekend to inform them the search for their son was being called off and was now considered a recovery. ... Velasco had celebrated his 19th birthday only a few days before the crash, according to the post. The wreckage of the MV-22 aircraft, which crashed off Australia’s east coast on Saturday, was located Monday, CNN reported. “The aircraft involved in the mishap had...

U.S. Army weapon officials just opened a competition for a new 7.62mm Interim Service Combat Rifle to arm infantry units with a weapon potent enough to penetrate enemy body armor. "The Army has identified a potential gap in the capability of ground forces and infantry to penetrate body armor using existing ammunition. To address this operational need, the Army is looking for an Interim Combat Service Rifle (ICSR) that is capable of defeating emerging threats," according to an Aug. 4 solicitation posted on FedBizOpps.gov. The service plans to initially award up to eight contracts, procuring seven types of weapons from...

Pigboats, dreadnoughts, and a presidential yacht. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8i2xJA_b2k

https://vimeo.com/73759775">Like A Rolling Stone (in Monterey) Air Force veteran, Jimi Hendrix.

For those who enjoy laughing at everything. With all the Desert Storm news videos I've been putting up, this just seemed appropriate.

The 50th Anniversary documentary of Pearl Harbor is hosted by Edward Woodward. The Desert Storm documentary was an A&E production. Both are from 1991.

This is the Soviet soldier found alive 30 years after dying in Afghanistan By Blake Stilwell Aug. 03, 11:08 AM Shortly after the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, the Russian 101st Motorized Rifles were caught in a firefight with the Mujahideen near the city of Herat. A young soldier, 20-year-old Bakhretdin Khakimov, was wounded in the fighting, lost on the battlefield, and presumed dead. Until now. Bakhretdin Khakimov in 1980 and now. Khakimov was a draftee from Samarkand who had only been in the Red Army a short time when he was injured in Herat Province, near Shindand. Some 30 years...

Check out @maxseddon's Tweet: https://twitter.com/maxseddon/status/892706233937010688?s=09

President Trump unveils the new VA Telehealth system to allow Vets to get help from anywhere at anytime using their phones and computers. Includes portable medical units like what is used by government NP's can take to the vets' homes.

Gettysburg might well be a movie that couldn't be made today. It tells an emotional story of the toll on both sides and lets each side explain their position without prejudice. This music video summarizes the movie, while a webpage gives an in-depth description of what is happening during the scenes. http://www.iment.com/maida/tv/misc/gettysburg.htm#details

Day 5 afternoon (July 13, 1987) of the Oliver North Hearings, edited to questions and answers and minimal senatorial statements.

If history has taught us anything, it has taught us that failure to deal with dictators early in their existence only ensures that we must deal with them later, at a much higher price. For example, Hitler’s orders to his troops during what amounted to Germany’s invasion of Austria was that they were to retreat and return to Germany at the slightest effective resistance. However, Austria (and the rest of Europe) tried to appease Hitler, and the 10 years was a glaring example of the history referenced above. This is the situation we are currently facing regarding North Korea and...