Security

On Friday, a crazed 20-year old shot up a school. Defenseless teachers, students (20, under the age of 10), school administrators. This brings up the question of security and the ever-persistent argument for disarming the civilian populace. How secure are our loved ones? What's the solution to this all? Will keeping guns out of the hands of the people make sure another attack like this would never occur?

SOFREP.com posted an article on lessons learned from this tragedy. I wholeheartedly agree with it. You can never put a price on the safety of those you love (yes, I know that sounds like an ad slogan for ADT), and there are means out there that don't violate constitutional rights, but ensure an increased level of safety for the public, especially our younger ones. Full body scanners, enhanced metal detectors, immediate response teams, uniformed guards, increased surveillance... all of these are ways to equip our schools with a much more comprehensive security barrier. Some might argue arming teachers would solve this problem, and the example of Israel pops up. I disagree with this. Different circumstances. Israelis live under the constant threat of attack from terrorists and Palestinian-sponsored belligerents. Here, on our continent, let alone the country, we don't exactly exist in the same situation. If I was a father, I would never allow my children to attend schools with firearms so easily within reach in every single classroom, especially with teachers who may or may not be appropriately qualified to use these guns. I'm sure many would agree with me.

Going over to the whole gun control debate, I'm not gonna get into that, as y'all already know my political leanings. Just keep in mind that you may make things illegal, like drugs, but that doesn't stop people from getting their hands on them, does it?

Keep in your thoughts and prayers the victims and families of those affected at Newtown. May those taken from the world so early, rest in peace.

Great pic from MAA. Berthed are four aircraft carriers, the Coral Sea, the Hancock, Oriskany and the Big E to the far right. Notice the differences in design, deck structure and size?

Ice's take on the Petraeus scandal

Let's start off by saying, extra-marital affairs in the political world aren't exactly something new. Some of the most revered governmental figures (e.g. Lyndon B. Johnson, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Bill Clinton, etc) have engaged in such acts and they're still viewed by the general public as successful, even beloved. I'm not condoning such behavior, however.

I find the fact that this is all coming up, right out in the open, after the election and before the Benghazi hearings very interesting. I'm not going to call it a conspiracy, but it seems that people in the current administration do not want to hear Petraeus's take on what went on at the US consulate on 9/11/12. 

The fact of the matter is, there's no man as qualified for the job as the director of the Central Intelligence Agency as him. His success in the Global War on Terrorism proves that. The problem here, is that lawyers and sponsored attorneys can, in fact, prove that his testimony is worthless on the grounds that his judgement might have been impaired or otherwise affected. That's when things get sticky. 

I, for one, would very much appreciate the opportunity to hear what he has to say about the CIA's involvement, especially considering the fact that most mainstream news outlets claim that they played a major part in what went on that fateful day. 

As for the affair part... well, as I said, I'm not condoning it in any way, but this was a sign of weakness in an otherwise perfect and stellar career. Cut him some slack folks, LBJ had his way with dozens of women, even with his wife fully knowledgeable of his affairs, and people still celebrate him as a hardworking, trustworthy man.

Iceman out.

Heroes of the Week

I'd like to give a shout-out to Team Rubicon and the awesome work they've done, helping the victims of Hurricane Sandy especially in New York and New Jersey.

Largely composed of veterans and reservists, TR has done an amazing job helping those in need when disaster strikes. 

You can check out their updates from Operation Greased Lightning, their Sandy relief efforts here:

http://teamrubiconusa.org/category/photos/

Mav out.

Fast and the Furious: Pacific Drift

In the last post, Ice gave you a size comparison of an aircraft carrier to a B-52 Stratofortress. Pretty big, right?

Now, imagine this: a high speed bank.

Typically, these awe-inspiring turns are performed as "rudder checks" during post-refit sea trials/shakedown cruises. Imagine a mass, longer than the Empire State building's height, doing a bank like that, at sea, at such an angle. The above pictures are of the USS Nimitz and the USS Harry S. Truman conducting those maneuvers. 

Awesome, isn't it?

Mav out.

Woah that's big.

That's what she said! Haha, sorry, couldn't resist.

For those of you who've never been near a supercarrier before, you're probably wondering... is it really that big? Or are the pictures taken at angles or from a crazy perspective to make them look that way? 

Well, the above is a pretty cool picture I found a while ago of a B-52 Stratofortress doing a low pass near the USS Ranger, circa 1990. There were 2 B-52s in the vicinity of the carrier, during a military exercise. The pilots asked the carrier air boss if they could perform a fly-by and were granted the approval. When the BUFFs were 9 km out, the observers on the carrier's island still couldn't see the big grey birds. Till they got closer. Then only were they able to make out the shape of these massive planes, right above the water; their engines kicking back a spray from the ocean. 

If you've ever been up close to a B-52 at an air show, you'll know it's a pretty big plane. Now, look at the picture. Woah. Right? 

Happened upon this gem. Funny stuff!

Better than Top Gun?

Check out this mega-ultra super awesome video of flight deck ops aboard the supercarriers of the US Navy!

Mav, out.

They Came in Peace.

It happened on this day, 29 years ago.

At 0620, a truck loaded with 12,000 lbs of TNT smashed through fences and a gate outside the US Marine barracks at the Beirut Airport. The truck bomb detonated at the BLT headquarters, literally lifting the entire building from its foundations. As the building settled back into the cavity where the concrete support pillars once were, it collapsed, killing scores of Marines, sailors and soldiers almost instantly. Entire platoons wiped out while they were resting in the relative comfort of the BLT HQ. Officers and enlisted alike, killed, as they went about their daily duties. In all, 241, dead, many more injured.

The last survivor was pulled from the rubble, 52 hours later.


Rest in peace, gentlemen.

Iceman out.

I'm... bach.

Wow... I honestly didn't expect to be so tied up with work and all. I got three emails asking about what the project Mav and I had planned...

Well, right now, ZD30 runs on Blogger. Not necessarily a bad thing, but, we'd be able to make it even better and reach a wider audience if we went independent and formed an actual website. We're still thinking this through, so there's a possibility that such a thing might occur and there's also the possibility that such a thing won't.

You'll just have to wait and see!



Iceman out.

2-week Hiatus

Folks, once again I need to apologize. I realize that some of you are waiting around for the other 2 parts of the Aardvark series, but currently Mav and I are in the middle of a project, possibly one that could affect the future of ZD30 and maybe bring our content to an even larger audience.

Thanks for the concern voiced in some of your emails, we really appreciate you guys tuning in!


Iceman out.

Never Forget

When those towers fell, when the plane hit the Pentagon, and when those brave passengers rose up to fight the hijackers on United 93, Islamic fundamentalists struck not only at a country, but at hearts and injected fear into those who'd never felt it before on such a level.

2996 innocent men and women dead at the hands of these creatures we so generously award the title of man, though we know them to be no better than animals.

Too often, the peace and relative tranquility we assume to be an everyday part of our lives is ignored and left to the presumption that it will never be challenged and that our days will go on as usual. When these challenges come, we are devastated but imbued with the realization and knowledge that such peace is always threatened at the hands of those who live their lives along a very distorted code, preaching a gospel of violence, hatred and authoritarianism.

A new generation of Americans rose up to the challenge. As one author put it, they were essentially condemned to the dregs of society, the ones who'd go nowhere with the advent of the internet, computer boom, etc. But, these young men and women stood up and proved everyone wrong, immediately taking the burden of national defense upon their young shoulders, striving to give their everything for their country in it's time of need. 

Thank God that such men and women lived. Pray for the eternal rest of those who died on this day, especially those first-responders who rushed through the dust and charred metal to help, too many of whom gave their lives to save others, while everyone else fled the fiery fate their fellow citizen had met moments earlier.

Pray that such an attack never occurs again, and that those responsible in any way shape or form for this and any related violence carried out upon the innocent are stopped by whatever means necessary.

Iceman's Answers: Special Operations and Timepieces

This is another question I see floating around every now and then. Not something pressing, but still interesting nevertheless.

"What kind of watch does a spec ops guy use and where can I get it?"
-Harrison

Well, the popular ones out there seem to be the Luminox brand which claims to be built for SEALs. According to a few SEALs who I have the pleasure of knowing, Luminox doesn't really live up to their hype. Their watches fall apart, break, or just flat-out stop working especially in stressful environments. They preferred inexpensive Timex or Casio wristwatches, reliable and easy to replace if ever broken.

Aside from the current Timex/Casio favorites, there are costlier alternatives that have a few more bells and whistles added on, a few of which were praised by a couple other friends of mine who've served time in the special operations community. Suunto, Resco Instruments and MTM are three recommended brands that offer incredibly reliable timepieces. Quite a few of Suunto's mid-range/higher-end watches come with a digital compass, altimeter, barometer, etc. Very cool and useful. Having owned a Suunto Core, I can definitely vouch for their reliability. Another friend used a Rolex. Not exactly something too affordable for the average camper or hiker interested in a durable timepiece, but nevertheless, it worked.

Resco Instruments is actually owned and run by a former Navy SEAL, so if you want something that's tailored for "high performance and high class", I'd definitely suggest you check them out.

Luminox

MTM

Suunto

Check these out!

Resco Instruments

Timex

MTM 

Suunto

Iceman out.

The Grunt Padre

Being a practicing Catholic, I often look for notable Catholic military figures as a source of inspiration. There are actually quite a few, including Dan Daly and Peter Pace. But, there's one who passed away on this day in 1967 during Operation Swift in Thang Binh, Vietnam, who I consider a very personal hero and who's story is an amazing example of love.

Fr. Vincent Robert Capodanno was ordained a priest in the Roman Catholic Church in 1957, and was commissioned a Lieutenant in the Navy Chaplain Corps in 1966 assigned to 1st Marine Division in Vietnam. He was known by those Marines and sailors he served, as the Grunt Padre, for his willingness to endure the same conditions in the unforgiving climate and terrain they fought in.

On the 4th of September, 1967, approximately 500 Marines of 1st Battalion, 5th Marines were engaged by over 2500 VC. After a little over four hours of fighting, where the volume of fire was described by one Marine as a roar, 26 Marines had made the ultimate sacrifice and many more were severely wounded. Fr. Capodanno asked to go with another company that was committed to the battle shortly after reinforcements were called for.

Minutes after he entered the area of operations, he was shot through his right hand and was patched up by a corpsman right away, but refused to be evacuated. He said that he had work to do.  He moved around those wounded and fallen, administering aid or giving Last Rites and absolution, comforting those mortally wounded. A few hours later a mortar impacted near him and, according to Lt. Joe E. Pilon, it "left his right arm in shreds hanging from his side. Once again, he was patched up and once again he refused evacuation. There he was, moving slowly from wounded to dead to wounded using his left arm to support his right as he gave absolution or Last Rites".

In Vietnam, there was apparently a written policy stating that if you get 3 Purple Hearts, you'd be sent home within 48 hours.

Fr. Capodanno then spotted a corpsman who was shot in the leg multiple times.
"Fr. C. ran out to him and positioned himself between the injured boy and the automatic weapon. Suddenly, the weapon opened up again and this time riddled Father C. from the back of his head to the base of his spine- and with his third Purple Heart of the day- Father C. went home."

The Grunt Padre was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1969, and his cause for canonization is proceeding forward.

May you rest in God's eternal peace, Father.

WOOOO!

Within 5 months of our revamp, we just reached 5,033 views! This is so much more than I expected for a part-time amateur milblog! Thanks for all the views ladies and gents, please keep spreading Zero Dark Thirty with anyone you feel would be interested in our content!

One giant loss for mankind

The world has lost yet another hero today.

In 1958, he was selected to be a part of NASA's ultra-elite Astronaut Corps, the original space cowboys. He spent a total of 8 days, 14 hours, 12 minutes and 31 seconds in space on two separate missions, Gemini 8 and Apollo 11, in which he became the first man to ever set foot on an extraterrestrial body, the moon.

Fair winds and following seas LTJG Armstrong.

The following is a statement from NASA Administrator Charles Bolden regarding the death of former test pilot and NASA astronaut Neil Armstrong. He was 82.

"On behalf of the entire NASA family, I would like to express my deepest condolences

 to Carol and the rest of Armstrong family on the passing of Neil Armstrong. As long as there are history books, Neil Armstrong will be included in them, remembered for taking humankind's first small step on a world beyond our own.

"Besides being one of America's greatest explorers, Neil carried himself with a grace and humility that was an example to us all. When President Kennedy challenged the nation to send a human to the moon, Neil Armstrong accepted without reservation.

"As we enter this next era of space exploration, we do so standing on the shoulders of Neil Armstrong. We mourn the passing of a friend, fellow astronaut and true American hero."

Iceman's Answers: Should I learn to shoot before I join?

Haven't done one of these in a while, so let's start with a question I see popping up somewhat frequently.

Will learning to shoot before I join give me an edge over fellow recruits, and possibly help me get through the advanced marksmanship schools?

Short answer: No.
This time round, I've actually got the input of two different people who've served in the military, and with their kind permission, I've posted it below:

Daniel (US Army, Infantry)- My dad taught me to hunt when I was really young. I developed habits with positioning of the rifle, my stance, and such, eventually all of which were broken and redeveloped on the range during Basic for me. The drill sgts have their own method of teaching you and they want you to perform a certain way. They expect you to be ready to fire your weapon in combat if the need arises. It isn't the same as carrying an old .30-06 with your pops and brothers around the woods looking for buck. So no, learning to shoot beforehand won't really give you any advantage. It might actually impede you a little. As for getting to SS school, that's all you. Learning to shoot a long gun before signing up may give you less of a hard time than others because if you look at it, the rifles our snipers use are pretty much hunting rifles except.. for hunting people lol. 

Len (Canadian Army, Infantry, sniper)- In all honesty it really doesn't make sense to learn something like that before you get over to BMQ. You'll learn the basics eventually, and it's not something that's overly difficult to grasp. I hadn't even seen a gun up close let alone touched one when I joined up in 05. My advice is to focus more on getting yourself physically prepared. For someone who's out of shape, that's going to be your worst enemy. It's very physically-demanding and your instructors aren't going to let up on you.

Ice on opinions and the internet.

Politics is a subject that isn't really something I'm too fond of talking about in person. It's not the job of the warfighter to get involved in politics. A lot of people don't really agree with my views, and I definitely don't agree with the views of a lot of others. But, there's a first for everything. So let's talk.

Well, recently, I've heard stories circulating around about a certain former Marine named Brandon Raub, who was detained by a combination of local police officers, FBI and Secret Service agents, due to the fact that his Facebook page contained suspicious material. That seemed to have taken off, and it's grown into a whole "NDAA/police-state" panic, mostly around the libertarian/Ron Paul support crowd. 

First off, I don't really agree with libertarians or Ron Paul... at all... mostly since I'm a strong conservative. I don't agree with their fear about the government turning into a Big Brother-esque police state where everything is controlled and regulated by the government, and those who voice their dissent are thrown in a dark hole. I don't agree with their opinion on the current Republican presidential nominee and his running mate. In fact, I have great respect for both those men. I don't agree with their views on foreign policy, which, let's face it, are absolutely positively messed  up. I'd honestly rather have a liberal Democratic president in office than a centrist who plays to both sides. If you take a look at it, the Ron Paul movement currently borders on anarchy.

That ties in to what I wanted to talk about today. 

Brandon Raub, a Marine with multiple deployments under his belt was supposedly arrested without his rights read to him, and is being held indefinitely for "voicing his opinion" on the current government. The libertarian crowd calls him a patriot. 

Well, that's where views take a change. I've seen far too many people post threatening, radical comments, statuses, messages, etc., calling for a revolution, violence against the government and such. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion on the matter, but when you get to the point where you're put on a district watch list by a federal agency or two, and they come knocking on your door to take you in for assessment, then you know you went way too far on what you were saying. Posting messages and statuses like that isn't patriotism at all, it's anarchy. It's a warning light that goes off on the boards of federal agencies that are established to protect the American people, not harass them as Ron Paul's fans would have you believe. 

In Raub's case, something that got especially highlighted, was that the USSS was in on the "arrest". That should tell you a few things. If the Secret Service got involved, then he was either doing something extremely dirty with money or he was making credible threats of violence against protectees of the USSS. If the Secret Service got involved, then it's nothing new. It's part of their SOP concerning protectees. They get tons of threats every day but there are few that stand out enough to get them concerned to check out the guy to make sure if he's mentally stable or completely serious. Not to mention, with the FBI itself, it takes A LOT of paperwork and going through channels before any special agent gets the authorization to step out on official business. So there's a good chance that what this guy posted online be it on Facebook or whatever website it was, was heavy enough to turn a few higher ups' heads. Waaaaaaait a second, the FBI were the ones leading the detainment, right? What does that tell us? If Raub was only about politics, then he might've presented himself as a domestic terror threat. That's reason enough for just the FBI and local LEO to get involved. Then the Secret Service steps in, so that means he was actually threatening someone of governmental importance.

Don't see any threats on his page? Well, you know... Facebook does have a "delete" option...

When you post anything about a revolution, add a few more words to that subject that hint at violence, etc, now you're getting those federal LEOs worried. For all they know, you could be a terror threat. What some people don't realize, is that EVERYTHING is monitored on the internet these days. It's been this way since 9/11.

And for good reason. I don't mind the alphabet soup agencies monitoring the airwaves at all, if it's to safeguard the nation and those the people elected to serve them in office. I would mind when it gets to personal harassment, just for the hell of it or on a whim, or whatever. That's when things get too far. But the fact is, things haven't gotten that way AT ALL. The FBI, DEA, NSA, CIA, ABC 123, whatever they are, are there for your protection. Seriously. They don't have it out for anyone but the bad guys, so try and remember that. 

Back to the point, anything you say can be misconstrued or taken out of context. But, if you keep posting that stuff, people are going to get more concerned. 

The point is, especially for ex-military and current active/reserve, don't go around voicing radical opinions on the internet, threaten anarchy veiled as a "revolution", then raise mass panic about getting taken in for questions because of the things you say. 

Alright, that's enough for now. Time for a few beers and a BBQ.

Iceman out.

Myths of the Arrow.

Just a day back, I took a trip over to the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum just on the outskirts of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. After a personal tour and a most exhilarating joy-ride in an older trainer, I noticed a group heading out onto the tarmac to see some of the static aircraft parked outside. As the outside tour was coming to a close, there were a few of us walking with the guide, listening in to what he had to say about the Avro Arrow. A gentleman piped up and seemed to be extremely supportive of the Arrow, sorrowful for its demise and adamant that it could "fly circles around ANYTHING the Americans have flying today" ('anything' is capitalized, as at that point in time, the guy got a little loud in support of his beloved aircraft).

This isn't the first time I've heard such support of the Arrow. I used to work at a museum that housed a full-size replica of the Arrow itself. In fact, just as a kind of a cool side note, one of the guides at that museum was one of the original engineers working on the Arrow's wing structures. It was a truly amazing opportunity to get to speak to such a man and learn what he had to say about his career and the various airframes he worked on.
I've seen words likes the ones the man at the CWHM voiced, in textbooks! No kidding! So, do they have any justification or backing behind them? I mean, was the Arrow such an advanced jet? Was there a conspiracy behind the program's shutdown?

Let's talk.

According to the website CanadianBullshit.com (aptly named, it seems), the CF-105 apparently was "the most advanced aircraft of it's type in the world". Granted, the Arrow was ahead of it's time in some aspects, most notably its employment of a fly-by-wire flight control system. First non-experimental aircraft to use it, actually. Pretty cool, considering the next airframe to incorporate FBW was Concorde, 11 years later in 1969. The Mk1 Arrow was equipped with twin Pratt&Whitney J75-P-3 turbojets, outputting 23,500 lbs of thrust with afterburners engaged. That'd be able to push it to around Mach 2+. In tests, the Arrow came to about Mach 1.98, but was built to go a little faster. Supposedly, the Orenda engines that were designed to be fitted into the later models could give the 105 a supercruise capability, but in the end, barely anything came from that. Not to mention, the Arrow was a seriously large aircraft... relatively gigantic compared to other fighter aircraft of the time, and onward. The Arrow would've been pretty outgunned in a dogfight, unable to maneuver tightly.

For its mission, it was pretty well-built. It needed to operate from remote northern bases, intercept Soviet strategic bombers and engage other fighter/interceptor aircraft escorting said bombers. It had the engines to reach the incoming attackers relatively fast, and it was capable of a sizable weapons payload. Not bad at all. It was Canadian-designed, manufactured and a source of national pride. I'd definitely agree with it being a pretty swell jet. But, there wasn't anything to show for all the millions of dollars poured into the Arrow program. The unit cost steadily rose to $3.5 million, and that's when the Canadian government decided to cut the program. Our "buddies" over at CanadianBullshit.com list the price of the 105 (in 1958 Canadian Dollars) and compare that to the current general cost of an F-35 Lightning II (according to them, it's around $115 mil US).

Really?

Taking into account, inflation, economic growth, etc, the Arrow would've cost more than $26,087,869 to build in 2010. Fair price... for an archaic, outclassed piece of machinery. I mean, how in the hell can you compare an F-35, the next generation of air-superiority fighters to something so outdated and obsolete? Is the Arrow a multi-role capable aircraft in the same manner an F-35 is? Is the Arrow built with advanced stealth technology? Is the Arrow built with ultra-sophisticated targeting and e-warfare systems? Not only no, but hell no!

At this point, you're comparing apples to refrigerators. Yeah. Refrigerators.

They go on to talk about how the 105 is bigger and faster than the F-35, voice an opinion on how the US bribes Canadians to buy their aircraft, and talk in a pretty uneducated way concerning the development and procurement of fighter aircraft.

Okay, let's get back on track.

Yeah, the Arrow was definitely worthy of the attention and Canadian pride it received. The sad reality, however, is that when they attempted to sell the Arrow to foreign buyers, nobody wanted it. Why? Cause the French, American and British were building aircraft that were slightly cheaper, a lot more agile, fuel-efficient, and equally (if not more) fast. There WERE worthy competitors to the 105.

As for the conspiracies... American bribery, jealousy, etc.... unfounded. Were other countries so jealous of a fighter that they'd pressure the Canadian government into closing the program down? Highly doubtful. As I said, other NATO countries were building highly-capable aircraft that could match and in some cases, exceed, what the Arrow could do. Reasons for fear? I can't really think of any good ones. Bribery? Doubtful. The Canadian government could have just as easily started a newer fighter design and procurement competition, then project, and have come up with another jet.

Check out the following link for an interesting comparison between the Arrow and other fighter jets of the era, and more modern ones.

Comparing the Arrow to other fighter jets.

CanadianBullshit.com's take on the Arrow

Ice Pilots NWT

I don't know why I haven't posted about this earlier, considering it's been on the channels since 2009... ICE PILOTS!

Following the day-to-day business of Buffalo Airways, an airline running cargo and passenger ops in the Canadian north, The show takes you into gritty, down and dirty details of life in the airline business, and you get to see a TON of WWII-era aircraft flying, being serviced, etc. The members of Buffalo give you, the viewer (and possibly future career pilot?), a hell of a lot of good advice, based on experience in the field.

One of my current favorite TV shows out there!

Be advised, there is a bit of mild language, but it's censored out. You can catch the show on History, National Geographic or Discovery.

Iceman out.

Rant time?

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand it's time for me to ramble on about something that's been poking at me like a thorn in my side for a while now.

Dreams.

I find it a weird combination of hilarious and pathetic at the same time, when people dream about doing one thing, but are too lazy and unmotivated to put themselves of the path to get there.

Take for example, the aviator.

I once heard that the vast majority of pilots today dreamed of flying when they were younger. True enough, right? Flying isn't exactly something that pops into your head all of a sudden. It isn't the kind of thought that gives you that spur-of-the-moment motivation, cementing itself firmly in your mind. Well, these pilots dreamed. And they DID.
What do I mean by that? I mean, they put their heart and soul into becoming pilot material. They put their nose in the books, figured out that awful flight computer (for some reason, I still have trouble with that stupid piece of plastic to this day, though I've had 4 years worth of practice. I guess I'm a slow learner in that respect haha), and disciplined themselves. These kind of men (and women) are DOERS.

They set their mind to something, then go about getting it done.

Then, you have the other extreme. The DREAMERS.

Don't get me wrong, dreaming is never a bad thing, just as long as you have your feet set firmly on the ground. Be realistic. Fantasies never got anyone far in life. The problem occurs when you just keep dreaming and you don't start doing.

Yeah, I know this all sounds like one of those self-help speeches that those motivational speakers give, but hell, I'm no Tony Robbins. I'm just speaking from logic and from the heart.

Dream. Dream about flying fighter jets for the military, while you slack off in school, don't maintain your grades, aren't physically fit, and consistently make excuses to "allow" you to continue in you patterns of laziness, negligence and indiscipline.

Do. Do the work, get active, stay at the top of your class, build a discipline that'll last you a lifetime, turn yourself into the ideal candidate.

Dreamers or Doers. Which one are you?

Iceman out.

MAA

Every so often, you stumble upon some really awesome stuff on the internet. I found Military Aviation Archives through a friend, earlier this month.

MAA is built to share the vast (and by vast, I mean... HUUUUUUUUUUUGE) collection of photographs taken by it's founders. This stuff is invaluable to aviation/military aviation enthusiasts and researchers from all over. 

So, from now on, Zero Dark Thirty will be featuring aviation photographs from MAA (with their permission, of course!), and we'll be introducing you to some of the finest, most revered aircraft to ever grace the skies, in the process.

I hope you guys enjoy their work as much as I do! Go check them out on their Facebook page, or their website (both links are listed below).

Check these out:

FACEBOOK PAGE

Military Aviation Archives 

Iceman out.

The Missile with a Man In It.

Took a brief hiatus, but now I'm back.

Let's talk older fighter jets. Specifically, the F-104 Starfighter.

To anyone taking their first look at it, they'd probably think it's some weird invention out of Star Wars. Sleek, lengthy design, short and stubby wings... But, still something very curiously interesting. 46 years after the USAF brought it into service, the last Starfighter was retired in 2004 from the Italian Air Force. That's one hell of a long life.

The history behind the jet is chock-full of ups and downs. It was the brainchild of renowned Lockheed engineer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson, who designed it as a jet tailored to pilots. He visited and interviewed a number of fighter pilots about what they'd prefer in their aircraft and found that they were of the opinion that the Air Force's mainstay at the time, the F-86, was outclassed by the Soviet MiG-15s flown by the North Koreans. They just wanted a smaller, nimbler and speedier airframe. Johnson immediately got to work.

Initially, the XF-104 (experimental prototype) was shrouded in secrecy. The new aircraft was supposedly revolutionary, with an all new, much more powerful engine. It lacked something that was thought of as the convention for supersonic-capable jets: swept wings. Instead, it used a trapezoidal shape, determined by engineers at Lockheed to be ultra-efficient for high-speed fight. The wings were shortened, and extremely thin. In fact, the leading edges were razor-sharp. Ground crews had to install protective coverings over the wings before they went to work on the aircraft, lest they injure themselves by accident! The J79 engine was built to push the jet past Mach 2, which, at the time, made the Starfighter one of the fastest service aircraft in the world. Earlier models had a downward firing ejection seat. As some of you might've concluded, that wasn't a good decision at all, and sadly it resulted in the deaths of 21 pilots, before it was replaced with a more conventional seat.

The F-104, for all its hype, had a large number of dark moments in its history. Of all the Century Series fighters in USAF service, it had the highest accident rate. In fact, the Canadian air forces lost over 50% of their Starfighter fleet and the Germans lost 30%. Oddly enough, the Spanish air force didn't lose a single one!  Pilots soon bestowed newer nicknames on it, like "Lawn Dart" or "Flying Coffin".

Still, the F-104 proved itself time and time again, by breaking and setting multiple records and holding open the door for newer, better fighters to take the skies.

Iceman out.

Happy Birthday America!

Something interesting and poignant I found: 


To our Founding Fathers who stood tall and answered the call, against all odds, 236 years ago today, thank you. 

"Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?

For the record, here's a portrait of the men who pledged "our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor" for liberty many years ago.

Fifty-six men from each of the original 13 colonies signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Nine of the signers were immigrants, two were brothers and two were cousins. One was an orphan. The average age of a signer was 45. Benjamin Franklin was the oldest delegate at 70. The youngest was Thomas Lynch Jr. of South Carolina at 27.

Eighteen of the signers were merchants or businessmen, 14 were farmers, and four were doctors. Twenty-two were lawyers - although William Hooper of North Carolina was "disbarred" when he spoke out against the king - and nine were judges. Stephen Hopkins had been governor of Rhode Island. Forty-two signers had served in their colonial legislatures.

John Witherspoon of New Jersey was the only active clergyman to attend. (Indeed, he wore his pontificals to the sessions.) Almost all were Protestants. Charles Carroll of Maryland was the lone Roman Catholic.

Seven of the signers were educated at Harvard, four at Yale, four at William & Mary, and three at Princeton. Witherspoon was the president of Princeton, and George Wythe was a professor at William & Mary. His students included Declaration scribe Thomas Jefferson.

Seventeen signers fought in the American Revolution. Thomas Nelson was a colonel in the Second Virginia Regiment and then commanded Virginia military forces at the Battle of Yorktown. William Whipple served with the New Hampshire militia and was a commanding officer in the decisive Saratoga campaign. Oliver Wolcott led the Connecticut regiments sent for the defense of New York and commanded a brigade of militia that took part in the defeat of General Burgoyne. Caesar Rodney was a major general in the Delaware militia; John Hancock held the same rank in the Massachusetts militia.

The British captured five signers during the war. Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, and Arthur Middleton were captured at the Battle of Charleston in 1780. George Walton was wounded and captured at the Battle of Savannah. Richard Stockton of New Jersey never recovered from his incarceration at the hands of British Loyalists. He died in 1781.

Thomas McKean of Delaware wrote John Adams that he was "hunted like a fox by the enemy - compelled to remove my family five times in a few months." Abraham Clark of New Jersey had two of his sons captured by the British during the war.

Eleven signers had their homes and property destroyed. Francis Lewis's New York home was razed and his wife taken prisoner. John Hart's farm and mills were destroyed when the British invaded New Jersey, and he died while fleeing capture. Carter Braxton and Nelson, both of Virginia, lent large sums of their personal fortunes to support the war effort but were never repaid.

Fifteen of the signers participated in their states' constitutional conventions, and six - Roger Sherman, Robert Morris, Franklin, George Clymer, James Wilson, and George Reed - signed the U.S. Constitution.

After the Revolution, 13 signers went on to become governors. Eighteen served in their state legislatures. Sixteen became state and federal judges. Seven became members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Six became U.S. senators. James Wilson and Samuel Chase became Supreme Court justices. Jefferson, Adams, and Elbridge Gerry each became vice president. Adams and Jefferson later became president.

Five signers played major roles in the establishment of colleges and universities: Franklin and the University of Pennsylvania; Jefferson and the University of Virginia; Benjamin Rush and Dickinson College; Lewis Morris and New York University; and George Walton and the University of Georgia.

Adams, Jefferson, and Carroll were the longest surviving signers. Adams and Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Carroll was the last signer to die in 1832 at the age of 95."

Sources: Robert Lincoln, Lives of the Presidents of the United States, with Biographical Notices of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence (Brattleboro Typographical Company, 1839); John and Katherine Bakeless, Signers of the Declaration (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1969); Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-1989 (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1989).

Operation Red WIngs

Today, we remember the valor and sacrifice of those brave Navy SEALs and Army aviators who lost their lives during Operation Red Wings, in 2005, Afghanistan. The night of the 27th of June, 4 Navy SEALs were inserted via Night Stalker helos between Sawtalo Sar and Gatigal Sar. Soon after, the mission was compromised when a group of locals inadvertently stumbled upon the SEALs' position. After determining that the locals were civilians and not combatants, the goatherders were allowed to live and the SEALs moved onward to their primary surveillance position. After close to an hour, the operators were surrounded and ambushed by their original target (Ahmad Shah) and a large group of his men. As the fire increased in volume and intensity, the operators were forced to continually fall back. Eventually, every single one of the men had been either shot, or injured terribly, but they still kept fighting on. Danny Dietz was shot multiple times in the torso area and once in the neck, Matt Axelson was also wounded similarly, but took a round to the side of his head as well, Marcus Luttrell had broken a number of bones and Mike Murphy had taken a bullet to the stomach. Nevertheless, they fought back with the ferocity expected of these elite warriors.

Outgunned and surrounded, with one operator succumbing to his injuries, Lt. Murphy made a heroic decision to use his last-resort Iridium sat-phone to attempt to place a call to base, alerting the QRF. He moved onto higher ground, so as to get a signal for the phone and exposed himself to enemy fire from all sides. He was able to get through to his CO and quickly explain the situation, then sign off. During all of this, Murphy was shot a few more times, but finally managed to drag himself back to a covered position. He was later surrounded and brutally executed by Taliban fighters in the area, and the remaining two members of the reconnaissance team, Luttrell and Axelson, both seriously wounded were hit by an RPG. Luttrell was flung out of the covered spot where he and Axe were pinned down, and tossed into a gully. He later extracted himself and was eventually recovered by locals, tortured by the Taliban, then rescued. Axe's fate was unknown till after the operation ended and recovery efforts were fully underway. Luttrell had notified the recovery team that Axe had around 3 full magazines remaining when they were separated by the RPG blast, but when the team found him, he had a single magazine left and his body was a few hundred yards away from where the RPG hit, indicating that the man continued to fight back, even after all his injuries.

Sadly, the loss of life wasn't limited to these 3 brave SEALs of the SRT. The QRF lead by LCDR Erik Kristensen, flown by Army Night Stalkers was shot down, all hands lost, when an RPG hit their Chinook.

• LT Michael P. Murphy
• STG2 (SEAL) Matthew Axelson
• GM2 (SEAL) Danny Dietz
• FCC (SEAL/SW) Jacques J. Fontan
• ITCS (SEAL) Daniel R. Healy
• LCDR Erik S. Kristensen
• ET1 (SEAL) Jeffery A. Lucas
• LT Michael M. McGreevy Jr.
• QM2 (SEAL) James E. Suh
• HM1 (SEAL) Jeffrey S. Taylor
• MM2 (SEAL) Shane E. Patton
• SSG Shamus O. Goare
• CWO3 Corey J. Goodnature
• SGT Kip A. Jacoby
• SFC Marcus V. Muralles
• MSG James W. Ponder III
• MAJ Stephen C. Reich
• SFC Michael L. Russell
• CWO4 Chris J. Scherkenbach

Gentlemen, your sacrifice will live on forever. 

Thank you. 

Iceman out. 

Happy Birthday Chesty!

Undoubtedly the most badass Marine to have ever lived, Lewis Burwell "Chesty" Puller earned 5 Navy Crosses in engagements spanning from Haiti to the Korean War.

Happy birthday Chesty, wherever you are!

The Forgotten War

On a dreary Sunday at 0430 hours, 1950, the Korean War began when Northern troops began firing on ROK posts after crossing the 38th parallel. 3 years later, a stalemate had been reached and the war was put into what was effectively a limbo that lasts to this day. The world saw a massive peace-keeping operation, called a police-action by some political figures, run by the fledgling United Nations, and arguably, one of the first major engagements of the Cold War. The war in the air was fought between a mix of jet aircraft and high-powered propeller jobs. Amazing acts of heroism and valor were prevalent in the cold, desolate climate. 

Never forget. 

Iceman out.

Rangers Lead the Way!

On this day in history, June 19th, 1942, 1st Ranger Battalion was officially activated under the command of the legendary William O. Darby. 50 men selected from thousands of applicants were awarded their tabs. I remember watching an interview of one of Darby's Rangers, and he recalls his personal interview with Darby before he was accepted to commando training. According to him, he was asked to be seated at a table in a room. Darby walked in, asked him if he trusted him, then asked him to put his hand on the table if the candidate responded affirmatively. He drew a knife and slammed it down, burying it into the table millimeters from the future Ranger's hand. That was highly indicative of the qualities Darby looked for in his men. He wanted soldiers who would be cool under fire, less prone to "heroic" antics and men who'd be willing to trust their fellow Rangers completely. The Rangers have gone on since then to become on of the most capable and well-known SOF units in the world.

Truly legendary.

D-Day

Utah-Omaha-Gold-Juno-Sword

On this day, 68 years ago, Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy in an assault of epic proportions, effectively tearing a gaping hole in Nazi German defenses and beginning the final push to the end of the war in Europe.

Remember those brave souls who gave their lives for a free world.

Iceman out.

Midway

"The most stunning and decisive blow in the history of naval warfare."

Arguably the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War Two, 70 years ago on this day, the Battle of Midway began when US naval forces ambushed Japan's attacking fleet steaming for Midway Atoll. Japanese flag officers believed the American forces would react poorly to an attack on Midway and would be defeated easily, considering Midway came a mere 6 months after the devastating blow at Pearl Harbor. Little did the Japanese admirals realize that the US had gathered enough intelligence and anticipated such a surprise attack and had set up their own counter-ambush.

In the ensuing battle, 4 IJN aircraft carriers and a cruiser were sunk. Among the list of ships destroyed was the Akagi, one of the carriers that participated in the attack on Pearl Harbor. The battle raged on fiercely for 3 days, and the prowess of US naval aviators proved too much for the Japanese.

A stunning loss for the Japanese, it turned the tide of war and the US was able to gain supremacy on the seas and obliterate IJN ships at an awe-inspiring rate.

Remember those who perished.

Lone Survivor

About a week ago, I saw the SEAL Trident on a the face of a book at one of the book stores in the mall. As it turns out, it was the cover of Lone Survivor, the account of Operation Red Wings from the only surviving SEAL involved, Marcus Luttrell. I didn't have the chance to start it till a couple days ago, but ever since I picked it up, I couldn't put it down.

Marcus starts off with a brief explanation of his early life, BUD/S (for any of us SEAL hopefuls out there, any information you can get from a guy who's been through the ordeal is invaluable) and his initial experience of life as a SEAL when he joined the teams.

Then, comes the story of Operation Red Wings. From insertion, to where it all when wrong. It's the gripping account of true heroism in the face of death. The love of one brother warrior for another. The desire of patriots, and the ferocity of the warrior elite. The struggle to stay alive, for the single surviving member of the mission. 

The more I read about Mikey, Danny and Axe, the more my hands started to shake in awe of these great men. Meet any one of their SEAL brothers on the streets today, and they'd doubtlessly give the same response as those fallen heroes: "Just doing my job, no recognition required". Truly amazing.

This is a MUST READ.




Iceman out.

Memorial Day 2012

"But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

-Abraham Lincoln (16th President of The United States of America). 

What do we think of when Memorial Day Weekend comes to mind? Family and friends over for a barbecue for sure, right? Fireworks, a parade, the Indy 500 and television marathons?

Sadly, for a very large number of Americans, that would be their definition of the day. Memorial Day is when we come together to remember those who've paid the ultimate sacrifice in support of their country, throughout the years.

From the Revolutionary War to the current conflict in Afghanistan, so many Americans have given their lives in the name of freedom, liberty and justice, and in defense of the United States against those who seek to tear it apart.

God bless those who've passed in service of the United States. As Abraham Lincoln put it so well, it is up to us to ensure that these brave men and women did not die in vain, and to preserve their memory for future generations.

Let us never forget.

100 years of Marine Corps Aviation

More like 100 years of kicking ass and taking names in the skies above some of the largest battles to every take place on the face of the earth.

100 years ago on the 22nd of May, 1912, a Marine 1st Lieutenant by the name of Alfred Austell Cunningham reported for flight-training to the Naval Academy where a training facility for aviators was set up. Thus, May 22nd was recognized as the birthday of Marine aviation.

In naval aviation, you'll hear of the exploits of Navy pilots and their daredevil stunts in the face of death. Lesser known are the accomplishments of their counterpart Marine pilots. Take for example Lt. Col. "Pappy" Boyington. That man had balls of steel. On one occasion, he and 24 fighters flew over a Japanese-occupied airfield (Kahili airdrome), during the Pacific campaign of WWII, taunting the guys on the ground into sending up a few planes. Turns out, the Japs weren't too happy with the sudden appearance of these Marines and sent up more fighters than the Black Sheep (Pappy's squadron) bargained for. In the ensuing battle, 20 Japanese pilots were shot down, forcing back their defensive force, while the Black Sheep returned home with not a single aircraft lost.

How about John Glenn... Marine fighter ace, first American to orbit the earth in 1962, US senator and the oldest human to fly into space in 1998? Or John Bolt, double-ace? Or, get this... TED WILLIAMS! Hell yeah, the legendary left-fielder for the Boston Red Sox was a decorated Marine fighter bomber in WWII and the Korean War!

Iceman and Maverick don't have s**t on the "Duke of Mukden"

Today, the Corps still flies their older F/A-18s, which will be replaced with the F-35s later on. They still fly their AV-8s (to be replaced by the STOVL F-35 variants) and their Sea Knights and Super Stallions. But the Air Wing's going through a major overhaul. Enter, the UH-1Y Venoms and the AH-1Z Vipers. Oh, and the super-awesome tiltrotor MV-22 Ospreys. This massive update will ensure that years from now, Marine aviation elements will still be relevant to America's war-fighting capabilities and will still be one of the leading forces at the tip of America's military spear.

The Canucks

Everyone makes fun of Canada's military. I'll admit, even Canadians make fun of them too. Does it consist of hockey players trained in the art of slapshotting explosive pucks at enemy combatants? Are its submarines really canoes with holes in them? Does it even exist?

Haha, well yeah. It exists. They're only hockey players in their spare time, and their submarines are real, modern diesel-electrics. Actually they don't get as much credit as they deserve. Though it's a small fighting defense force, Canada's military is among the most modern in the world, and its intense recruit training churns out highly-trained and qualified soldiers, airmen and sailors fit for service in their respective branch. Granted, there are a few things I'd personally like to see changed (along with a good number of others who'd support my notions, I'm sure), and yeah, it's definitely not comparable in terms of size, strength and technology that you'd find in the US or British armed forces, it can hold it's own for a while. 

Did you know that the Canadian Forces pioneered the use of digital camouflage patterning? Yep! In fact, the United States Marines wear a derivative of CADPAT.

Did you know that a Canadian Forces sniper broke the record for the longest kill in the world, in 2002? 2657 yards! It was later surpassed by a British sniper in 2009, however. 

“It is not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the strong man stumbled or how the doer of deeds might have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred with sweat and dust and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes up short time and time again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself a worthy cause; who if he wins knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.”

-Teddy Roosevelt.

The Red Circle

Have you ever wondered what life as a SEAL is really like? You can find the sensationalized version in movies where the "SEALs" run around with shiny, futuristic weaponry, make things go boom and never have to reload once (Tears of the Sun, anybody? I don't think Bruce Willis and his platoon ever had to jack a new mag in, they just went cyclic with those poor guns).

You can find the real, gritty details of life in the Teams here. Brandon Webb was a former Navy SEAL sniper with service overseas, especially in the Middle East. Later on in his career in the Navy, he went on to become an instructor at the SEAL's elite sniper school. As you'll find out in the book, the SEAL sniper school is no joke. Compared to the other sniper schools around the world, it is one of the toughest, most grueling courses, designed to teach special warfare operators advanced sniping techniques, stalking, etc. in a variety of settings. Brandon Webb was not only a graduate of the course, but he went on to become an instructor later on, and was instrumental in reforming the school to adapt to 21st Century warfare.

His book is nothing short of inspirational. The lessons he has to offer us are invaluable, and throughout, you can learn the value of perseverance and dedication, traits of a true leader, and the importance of keeping your cool under fire.

It is a must read!

BUY IT HERE!

For God and country—Geronimo, Geronimo, Geronimo.

A year ago, on the 2nd of May, just after 0100 hrs in the morning, two teams of Navy SEALs from the elite and secretive US Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU) were inserted by US Army Night Stalkers into a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Within that compound, was the world's most wanted man, his thugs and some of his family. Within minutes, the operators covered ground, methodically engaged and took out the armed hostiles and entered the private room of the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks. The SEAL who pumped the rounds into the man's chest and head with his suppressed H&K 416 immediately radioed in, "For God and country- Geronimo, Geronimo, Geronimo" then confirmed "Geronimo E.K.I.A".

Within 38 minutes, Osama bin Laden was dead, and those who he brutally murdered in his attacks on the innocent were avenged.

38 minutes. Months of planning, and within a half hour, the operation was over and the teams were extracted.

Multiple units were involved, including Air Force CSAR helos and personnel, Army SOAR Chinooks loaded with SEALs and refueling bladders for the other helos involved in the raid, fighter jets and drones providing cover and aerial surveillance and a QRF (Quick Reaction Force) consisting of Army Rangers. All, loaded for bear, with the intent to take out the man who had cause the world so much grief.