9/11 Preparation and a new Army Chief of Staff

Posted on September 8, 2011 by admin

September is here and everyone in America remembers the tragic event that occurred on its 9th day. Today we feature the latest military news hounding the online military sphere – starting with the 9/11 preparation of the US Military.

Source: military.com

Pentagon Beefs Up Base for Base Security for 9/11 Anniversary

WASHINGTON — Effective Wednesday, force-protection levels at military bases in the continental United States are being raised in advance of the 9/11 anniversary, the Pentagon announced.

“This is not in response to any specific or credible threat surrounding the 10th anniversary of 9-11, but we believe it is prudent and precautionary to take such a step,” said DOD spokesman George Little.

Al-Qaida has shown it regards anniversaries as important dates, Little said.

“The 10th anniversary of 9/11 was mentioned in the documents seized at the Abbottabad compound” in Pakistan where al-Qaida leader Osama bin Ladin was killed in May, he said.

The order remains in effect through September 11.

Source: armytimes.com

Odierno Sworn in as Army Chief of Staff

JOINT BASE MYER-HENDERSON HALL, Va. — The U.S. must avoid rash decisions to slash the size of the Army in order to rein in the defense budget, the new chief of the Army said Wednesday.

Army Gen. Ray Odierno, who was sworn in during a ceremony here, told a packed auditorium of family, friends and fellow soldiers that policymakers must be thoughtful and understand the national security risks as they make difficult fiscal decisions.

“We must avoid our historical pattern of drawing down too fast and getting too small, especially since our record of predicting the future frankly has not been very good,” said Odierno, who has served in the Army for 34 years.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta noted Odierno’s repeated deployments to Iraq, which totaled 50 months, calling him the architect of the so-called surge.

Odierno was second in command to retired Army Gen. David Petraeus from late 2006 to early 2008, as U.S. troops poured into Iraq to tamp down the escalating violence. He took over as the top commander in September 2008 and was responsible for the start of the U.S. withdrawal and transfer of security to the Iraqis.

Source: bangordailynews.com

Snowmobile Club Urges People to Stop Vandalizing  B-52 Crash Site

GREENVILLE, Maine — The Moosehead Riders Snowmobile Club is pleading with the public to stop vandalizing and plundering the remains of a U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress that crashed on Elephant Mountain in January 1963.

The crash site and the plane’s wreckage are part of a memorial established several years ago by the snowmobile club in recognition of all the servicemen and women who serve and protect the country. In particular, they wanted to honor the nine crew members of the plane that crashed near Greenville, seven of whom died.

“Anything removed from this site shows a total disrespect for those committed to protecting all of us,” Pete Pratt, Moosehead Riders Snowmobile Club B-52 coordinator, said Friday. “I consider it equal to an Indian burial ground.”

Pratt encouraged anyone who may have taken parts of the plane to return them to the snowmobile clubhouse on the Scammon Road. No questions will be asked, he said. Pratt explained that it’s small pieces and parts that have been removed, not large sections of the plane.

That’s all folks, and God bless the souls of the departed from the 9/11.

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Gaddafi, Russia, and the US Military

Posted on August 25, 2011 by admin

Today we deliver the best, most interesting military news around the planet. Check out our round of the latest military scoops about Gaddafi, Russia, and the US Military.

Gaddafi’s Military Chief Fights with the Rebels

Libyan rebels fought a fierce battle with Muammar Gaddafi’s top military commander at his farm in Tripoli on Wednesday, a rebel spokesman said in comments broadcast on Al Arabiya TV.

Abdel Salam Abu Zaakouk said that heavy fighting was under way in a farm belonging to the chief of staff of the Libyan armed forces, Abdul Rahman Al Sayd.

“He (Sayd) is leading the battle with the rebels and he is still inside the farm,” Abu Zaakouk told the Dubai-based channel without giving further details.

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In a separate incident, Abu Zaakouk said that rebels have also found Gaddafi’s office director, Bashir Saleh, and his four children, at a family farm in Tripoli where he was disguised in Sudanese garb.

Rebels sacked Gaddafi’s headquarters at Bab al-Aziziya in Tripoli on Tuesday, one day after they first entered the Libyan capital following a six-month insurgency.

Gaddafi has fled and Libyan rebels are offering a $1.3 million bounty for his capture alive or dead.

(Reporting by Ali Abdelatti, Writing by Sami Aboudi)

Nuclear Explosions Hit US Tunnel Network According to Russia

A frightening foreign military intelligence directorate (GRU) report circulating in the Kremlin states that over the past nearly 48 hours the vast intercontinental military tunnel complex constructed by the United States Air force over the past nearly 45 years was hit with two powerful nuclear explosions at its main terminuses in Colorado and Virginia used nearly exclusively by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

According to this report, this unprecedented nuclear attack began on the evening of 22 August when one of the main air pressure relief tunnels for this CIA tunnel, located at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa Florida, was forced open allowing millions of cubic feet of air to rush suddenly into the atmosphere. The unique sound of this event was captured by video during a baseball game being played at Tropicana Field near MacDill, though US officials blamed the “mystery noise” on a faulty sound system.

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This GRU report, however, points out that Russian engineers are well acquainted with this unique sound as they work feverishly to prepare an additional 5,000 bomb shelters ordered by Prime Minister Putin this past spring to be completed by the end of 2012.

Source: nation.com.pk

Good news for the honorable military man: Panetta Claims Changes in Military Retirement Policies won’t affect Serving Military Men.

In his clearest statement on the subject to date, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said Friday that if the military retirement system changes, it will not affect serving service members.

“I will not break faith,” the secretary said during a roundtable meeting with military media representatives in the Pentagon.

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Panetta’s predecessor, Robert M. Gates, asked the Defense Business Board to look at the military retirement system and make recommendations.

The final report is due later this month, but Panetta said he is familiar with the outlines of the proposal.

“I certainly haven’t made any decisions” on retirement, he said.

“People who have come into the service, who have put their lives on the line, who have been deployed to the war zones, who fought for this country, who have been promised certain benefits for that — I’m not going to break faith with what’s been promised to them,” Panetta said.

People in the service today will come under the current retirement system, which gives retirees 50 percent of their base pay after 20 years of service.

“Does that stop you from making changes?” Panetta asked. “No, because obviously you can ‘grandfather’ people in terms of their benefits and then look at what changes you want to put in place for people who become members of the all-volunteer force in the future.”

Source: mysanantonio.com

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Military News on Wednesday

Posted on August 17, 2011 by admin

A round up of all military news in the US and all over the globe this Wednesday.

US Military suspects Pakistan of showing the crashed Osama helicopter to China.

Black Hawk Stealth Military Model AirplaneThe international business newspaper Financial Times quoted unnamed U.S. officials saying Chinese engineers photographed and took samples of the wreckage from the Black Hawk stealth helicopter that crashed at bin Laden’s compound in the May raid.

The US Military suspects that Pakistan wanted to show the Chinese the US Intelligence’s new aircraft technology in pinning down high-end fugitive like the former Osama Bin Laden.

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Russia shows off its aviation prowess at an international air show.

Soviet Air Force Military ModelsLines of sleek combat jets and gleaming airliners filled an air base outside Moscow on Tuesday for Russia’s top air show, as the country aimed to burnish the image of its aviation industries and secure new export contracts.

Boeing, Airbus and other international aircraft makers have sent their latest products to Moscow’s International Aviation and Space Show at Zhukovsky air base, the Russian air force’s top flight test center since Soviet times.

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The Air Force also displayed a batch of planes, including a B-52 strategic bomber. A steady stream of visitors approached the planes, eager to take pictures and speak to their crews.

“We are very excited to be here to help to foster relations with the Russian and U.S governments and for us to meet our Russian counterparts in the air force and to see how everybody does business,” said Capt. T.J. May, a B-52 radar navigator with the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota.

Organizers hope the show will help Russian aircraft makers sign billions of dollars’ worth of new deals, including contracts for Sukhoi’s Superjet.

Boeing Co. and Airbus used the show to display their latest designs — Dreamliner and A380 — as they wrangle for new orders from Russia’s flag-carrier Aeroflot and other airlines.

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For more good news, US Aviators Volunteer to build a home for their colleague.

Every day for a week, around 400 people volunteered to build a home for Kansas National Guardsman Staff Sgt. Allen Hill, who was injured by a roadside bomb in 2007. Although he has recovered from his physical wounds, Hill has developed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

A small army of Aviators volunteered to turn a pile of wood, stone and paint into a home ” and that is exactly what descended on Ottawa, Kan., the second week of August for an “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”

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US Stealth Fighters Fleet Prohibited to Fly

Posted on August 11, 2011 by admin

Even the most powerful warplanes in the world can be prohibited to fly due to glitches. The entire fleet of the US Air Force Stealth Fighters are grounded due to problems with oxygen and power systems.

The report quoted Air Force sources as saying that they have linked the fault with a fatal crash last November.

Last week, test flights for the newer F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, which are made by Lockheed Martin, were suspended because of a valve problem in the plane’s integrated power system.

Test flights for F-22 Raptors have been suspended since May, and production has been put on hold because of a suspected problem with oxygen, Daily Mail said.

“It is third time this year the aircraft have been grounded, and there is no indication as to when tests will resume,” the report said adding that pilots have been told to return to their home stations until the jets are allowed to fly again.

Source: indianexpress.com

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Tuesday Talks: Military News and Updates

Posted on August 9, 2011 by admin

US Military Air Force – for Tuesday’s Talks, we have a round up of military news and updates in the US and all over the globe.

First: the deadly crash of the CH-47 Chinook Helicopter in Afghanistan

Saturday’s crash of the CH-47 Chinook helicopter was deadliest single loss for U.S. forces in the war and raised anew questions in the United States about why U.S. troops are still fighting the unpopular conflict.

U.S. leaders vowed on Monday not to let the loss rewrite the war strategy.

“We will press on and we will succeed,” President Barack Obama said at the White House.

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said, “As heavy a loss as this was, it would even be more tragic if we allowed it to derail this country from our efforts to defeat al-Qaida and deny them a safe haven in Afghanistan.”

Now let’s get on with the good news: F-16 Jets now delivered to Morocco!

Morocco is the latest U.S. partner nation to receive the F-16 Fighting Falcon, a historic event marked by a ceremony here Aug. 4.

The new Block 52 aircraft will supplement the Royal Moroccan Air Force’s existing fleet of fighter aircraft and will contribute to the upgrade and modernization of the country’s military.

Senior U.S. military officials attended to mark the event and strengthen the relationship between the two countries’ air forces.

Last but not the least: Tuskegee Airmen received recognition this month with some awesome celebration!

More than 650 people gathered for the 40th annual Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. convention Aug. 3-7, with events happening throughout the National Capitol Region.

This year’s theme, “70 Years of Aviation Excellence: Then, Now, the Future,” celebrates the 70th anniversary of the Tuskegee Airmen legacy.

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US Military Planes Intercept Ex-Arizona Lawmaker’s Plane

Posted on August 5, 2011 by admin

TUCSON, Arizona – Former Arizona state lawmaker Peter Goudinoff flew his small plane without a flight plan near the Mexico border, forcing US military planes to intercept Goudinoff.

The former state lawmaker says he was looking at wildfire damage near Sierra Vista and may have entered into Mexican airspace by mistake. He claims he lost contact with radar personnel at Libby Army Airfield near Fort Huachuca.

Davis-Monthan Air Force Base’s two F-16 fighter jets were sent. These US military airplanes escorted Goudinoff’s plane out of the area until it landed at Tucson International Airport.

US Customs and Border Protection officials, Department of Homeland Security officials, and Federal Aviation Administration officials interviewed Goudinoff, but he wasn’t arrested.

Goudinoff is a retired University of Arizona professor and served in the state Legislature for 20 years.

Source: orovillemr.com

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Vietnam Veteran Pilot Retires for Good after Four Decades of Flight

Posted on August 3, 2011 by admin

Four decades after serving in Vietnam as a young helicopter pilot with the 1st Aviation Brigade, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Gary Tamietti made his final flight in support of Operation New Dawn, July 31, before hanging up his wings for retirement later this year.

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This is not the first time Tamietti made a “final flight,” however, nor is it his first experience with retirement.Top of Form

vietnam fighter jet pilotAfter his deployment to Vietnam and ensuing service in the Army National Guard, Tamietti said he left the military in the early 1980s to pursue a career as a commercial airline pilot.

“I just kind of closed that chapter in my life and I thought that was it, and never expected to get back in; not 25 years later,” he said.

After more than 20 years as a commercial pilot and several years on the Professional Golfers’ Association of America tour, Tamietti traded global travel for a relaxing retirement.

That all changed in 2003, he said, after listening to the Nevada Army National Guard advocate general speak about losing experienced soldiers to the competing demands of multiple deployments and life at home.

“I thought they could use my knowledge for something,” Tamietti said. “I never really expected to fly; I certainly never expected to do two tours in Iraq. It’s been an adventure, no question.”

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Shortly after re-entering the military, Tamietti found himself in Iraq serving with the 339th Military Intelligence Company, an Army Reserve unit attached to Task Force Odin.

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Source: dvidshub.net/news/74696/final-flight-vietnam-veteran-retires-second-time-after-return-cockpit

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US Warplanes Rescue F-15 Pilot in Libya

Posted on March 24, 2011 by admin

US Warplanes, namely Harriers went out to stop Libyan vehicles thought to threaten the downed pilot of the faulty F-15 Strike Eagle Jet that crashed in a farm field. The Harrier also din rounds of “strafing runs” to rescue the American pilot.

That may explain accounts given by villagers that when they went to help the pilot they came under fire, with an estimated eight people injured, according to eye-witnesses and medical hospital staff.

The cannon fire could explain the fact that several civilians were injured by bullets fired during the mission near the opposition stronghold of Benghazi.

It was originally claimed in British media reports that the gunfire must have come from Marines on board the Osprey helicopter that rescued the pilot but US officials have categorically denied that, saying the Marines did not fire any rounds.

Capt Becky Massey, 31, one of the four Osprey pilots, said it was a straightforward operation and that none of the 15 Marines on board her aircraft fired any shots.

“We had had comms with the pilot. When we found him he was in pretty good shape,” said Capt Massey, who has flown Ospreys – a hybrid aircraft that can convert from a plane to a helicopter and back again – for four years.

A male pilot who asked not to be named said: “We didn’t take any fire and we didn’t put down any fire. The only living things we saw in the area (apart from the pilot) were farm animals.” The second F-15E crew member, a weapons officer, also ejected and parachuted to the ground but was recovered by Libyan rebels, who later passed him onto the Americans.

The question on how the F-15 Strike Eagle pilot was handed from Libyan rebels to American soldiers remains unclear. As of the moment, the pilot is reported to be recovering from the crash at the Aviano Air Base in Italy.

Source: telegraph.co.uk

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F-35’s Declared Good for Test Flights

Posted on March 15, 2011 by admin

Seven out of 10 F-35’s have been declared to be viable for test flight by the Pentagon, Monday night in Washington.

The joint strike fighter planes are set to resume test flights after an incident that resulted in the grounding of all the planes.

The grounding was ordered after one plane experienced an in-flight failure of two electrical generators and an oil leak Wednesday.

The suspension was lifted on seven aircraft with older-model generators. The three using a newer version remained grounded, said Joe DellaVedova, spokesman for the F-35 program office.

An analysis of incident data showed that the problem was with the newer design.

Also Monday, the Navy detailed its plans to buy 680 F-35s, half suited for aircraft carrier landings and half short-takeoff and vertical-landing versions for the Marines.

Navy Secretary Ray Mabus; Adm. Gary Roughead, naval operations chief; and Gen. James Amos, the Marine Corps commandant, updated a 2002 agreement between the services.

It outlines the number of Marine fighter squadrons to operate off Navy carriers, steps to improve training, and production schedules.

The update reaffirms the number of planes and for the first time specifies that the Navy will buy 340 of the more complex F-35B short-takeoff, vertical-landing model for the Marines.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has put the F-35B version on “probation,” giving contractor Lockheed Martin and the Marines two years to fix development problems and show that the aircraft can complete testing and meet performance and reliability specifications.

If the F-35B can’t be fixed during the probation period, he said, it should be canceled.

The F-35 is the Pentagon’s most expensive weapons program. It was launched in October 2001 with a goal of producing 2,866 aircraft for the Air Force, Navy and Marines for a little more than $200 billion, or around $50 million per aircraft.

But the Pentagon’s cost estimates have soared, because of technical and production problems, cost growth and schedule delays, to an estimated $382 billion for 2,457 aircraft, and more than $100 million per aircraft.

Lockheed is assembling the aircraft and managing the program at its west Fort Worth plant and has about half its 14,000-person workforce on the program.

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star-telegram.com

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Bell 407 Helicopter Models to be Released

Posted on March 10, 2011 by admin

At the most awaited Heli-Expo show in Orlando, Florida, the latest line of Bell 407 Helicopters will be unveiled this week! Bell Helicopter has introduced two new variants of its light single-turbine Model 407—the armed 407AH for export parapublic customers and commercial 407GX with Garmin G1000 glass cockpit.

Development of new variants of the best-selling 407 is part of recent efforts by Bell to revitalize its commercial helicopter business, which suffered a lack of investment while the company struggled to turn around major military rotorcraft programs. “The V-22 and H-1 programs required significant investment and attention, and Bell did not pay as much attention as it should have [to the civil helicopter market],” says Larry Roberts, senior vice president of commercial business.

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The Garmin glass cockpit in the new 407GX has a pair of 10.4-in. liquid-crystal displays and such standard equipment as synthetic vision, terrain awareness warning and traffic information systems. The avionics can measure engine, system and performance parameters, which can be downloaded for flight operations quality assurance.

A camera system, activated by a switch on the collective control lever, allows the pilot to ensure the tailrotor is clear in tight landing zones and in flight. The 407GX was to be certified by Heli-Expo, with deliveries to begin in the third quarter. At $2.65 million, the GX comes in at $125,000 more than a standard 407.

Commercial 407GX’s dual large Garmin liquid-crystal displays include synthetic vision.

The 407AH, to be qualified and available for sale at Heli-Expo, is aimed at parapublic missions such as border patrol. The aircraft can carry a 7.62-mm minigun and 2.75-in. rockets. The cockpit is equipped with Garmin G500H flight displays and a monitor for the forward-looking infrared sensor. Countermeasures are optional.

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