Free Republic

"Combat Effectiveness" Being Degraded by Obama's Military Policies By evaluating an overwhelming amount of evidence that has been building for 6 ½ years, the obvious conclusion personnel with extensive military experience will come to, is that Obama’s military policies have been degrading the finest US military fighting force in history. Over the last 6 ½ years, the US Armed Forces has been hollowed out by Obama, his Social Experiment On Diversity has severely fractured unit cohesiveness, his “Politically Correct Policies” have negatively affected unit morale, and the “Combat Effectiveness” of the US military is being degraded. Tip of the spear...

The Royal Navy looks set to have two new carriers capable of supporting planes as well as helicopters, Ministry of Defence sources have confirmed. There had been speculation the second of the two carriers ordered by the Navy - the HMS Prince of Wales, due to enter service in 2018 - would be either be scrapped, downgraded, or moth-balled following the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR). Originally conceived as a Queen Elizabeth class carrier capable of supporting the American-built F35 Joint Strike Fighter, it had been rumoured the MoD would alter its specifications to that of a helicopter carrier....

A Marine is facing disciplinary action after smuggling a woman into the home of Britain's Trident submarine fleet in the boot of his car. It is understood that he was caught with the woman as he escorted her out of the high-security base at Faslane. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the Marine had been interviewed following "a potential breach of security" at HM Naval Base Clyde on 12 March. A spokesman said the matter was now subject to an internal investigation. "We can confirm a member of the naval service was interviewed by MoD police following a report of...

Defence officials' insulting remarks about the public had to be blanked out of government UFO files before they were made public, a memo has revealed. The Ministry of Defence had agreed to publish its full archive of reported sightings in response to a deluge of Freedom of Information Act requests. But the once-secret memo, published on its website, reveals "uncomplimentary comments" were edited out. Comments on international relations and defence technology were also deleted. Thousands of pages from the department's UFO files have been released through the National Archives since 2008, revealing details of reported flying objects and encounters with...

The first stage of the onslaught against the Taliban in southern Afghanistan has "gone according to plan", the Ministry of Defence said Sunday. More than 1,000 British troops are taking part in Operation Mushtarak in Helmand province, a major assault designed to return the Taliban-held town of Marjah and surrounding areas to the control of the Afghan government. British forces supported by Afghan troops are holding the Nad Ali area north of Marjah, Major General Gordon Messenger told journalists in London, while thousands of US troops are focusing on Marjah itself. A total of 15,000 US, NATO and Afghan forces...

British soldiers seriously injured in Iraq and Afghanistan are being denied government compensation because they were wounded by the 'wrong type of bomb'. The Ministry of Defence has refused payouts for injuries under its criminal injuries scheme that may have been caused by landmines left by the Soviet army in Afghanistan or other discarded ordnance. Under the MoD's criminal injuries compensation overseas scheme, frontline troops can claim for an injury or death not caused by military operations against the Taliban or Iraqi militia. Alternatively, troops injured after April 2005 can also apply for financial support under the armed forces compensation...

Terrorism has been defined throughout the international community as a crime against humanity. As such, the State of Israel not only has the right but also the obligation to do everything in its power to lessen the impact and scope of terrorism on the citizens of Israel. The Security Fence is an operational concept conceived by the Israeli Defense Establishment in order to reduce the number of terrorist attacks whether in the form of explosive- rigged vehicles or in the form of suicide bombers who enter into Israel with the intention of murdering innocent babies, children, women and men. Sadly,...