U.S. Air Force Airmen recently rescued a five-person Navy crew following what officials described as an “aircraft mishap.” The incident occurred Aug. 10 and involved the deployment of two HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopters to rescue five Navy personnel near Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, Calif., according to a release issued Aug. 14. The deployment involved airmen from the 355th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (AMXS), assigned to the 355th Wing but geographically located at Nellis Air Force Base, and the 88th Test and Evaluation Squadron (88 TES). U.S. Navy MH-60S Seahawk helicopter, assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 8,…
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday downplayed the toll on American sailors enduring a record-setting deployment of nearly nine months on the USS Abraham Lincoln as concerns escalated about mental health and supply issues aboard the aircraft carrier supporting U.S. operations against Iran. In a brief exchange with reporters before flying to New York for an event to highlight falling violent crime rates across the U.S., Trump refuted that family members have raised concerns about the deployment’s length and even said that the more than 260-day deployment is “not nearly long enough.” “That ship is moving right now,…
I get that Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson isn’t really that concerned with public safety. He’s more likely to blame Indiana for all of his city’s problems, just like his predecessors have done. However, his latest effort has me shaking my head. See, his approach to public safety is, like so many others, really about making it look like he’s taking the gun industry to task without having to do anything about the actual source of crime in a city that had more murders than all three major cities in relatively pro-gun Florida.Let’s look at how…
Preparing for any special operations program requires developing yourself into a “jack of all trades and master of none.” Simply put, the tactical athlete needs to be good at everything, including strength, power, speed, agility, endurance — run, ruck, swim — muscle stamina, flexibility, mobility and grip. All these need to find their way into your preparation programming. Here is a question from an Air Force Special Warfare (AFSW) candidate who may have just discovered the complexities of putting it all together: Stew, I have been overthinking my AFSW prep training for too long and just wanted to reach out.…
When I still think of the branches of military service, my brain plays a Department of Defense recruiting commercial from the early ’80s: “Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines — It’s a Great Place to Start!” After recruiting efforts like these, I always knew my first job out of high school or college would be in the military. I think it is because of this that I leave out the Coast Guard (even though they are part of the Department of Homeland Security) and now the Space Force from my thought process. Here is a question from an active-duty Air Force…
I had sort of a sideways introduction to Skallywag Tactical. While checking on new offerings from its partner brand, Toor Knives, I was offered the Scallywag Iron Jaw as a ready-to-go tester. While I waited for it to arrive, I did a little digging. Skallywag Tactical was founded by folks with real-world experience in the military, law enforcement, and skilled trades. As such, Skallywag’s knives are designed for abuse in conditions where failure isn’t an option. Actual experience informs the work it’s doing. In short: The Iron Jaw from Skallywag Tactical is a flipper-style folder that opens nearly as fast…
As of Thursday, certain people could buy suppressors and short-barreled long guns without a Form 1 from the ATF. While the tax stamp died, we still had to have those products registered with the feds to avoid breaking out in handcuffs. However, a federal court ruled that with the tax gone, the registration is unconstitutional, and a temporary stay in that ruling’s impact expired at midnight Wednesday. Thursday was a brand new world. At least, it’s one on paper.Right now, no one seems to know precisely what the hell any of it means. The people…
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is ordering the U.S. Navy to remove the advanced system used to launch fighter jets from its newest type of aircraft carrier and return to using older steam catapults that he has long said he prefers, according to a directive issued Thursday. The new mandate would likely cost billions of dollars and revert the Navy’s most advanced ships to a system that takes more sailors to operate and is more difficult to maintain. The memo directs the Pentagon and the Navy to present Trump with plans to remove the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, also…
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Friday threatened unspecified stern steps against the United States and South Korea ahead of their upcoming military drills, which Pyongyang called a war rehearsal that would be more provocative than last year. The warning is typical of the harsh rhetoric that North Korea often deploys ahead of major U.S.-South Korean military exercises and suggests the country could conduct more missile tests in coming days. Experts say North Korea has often used its rivals’ drills as a pretext to ramp up its testing activities to expand its weapons arsenals and promote public support…
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Jefferson Kelley wants his son home and is willing to trade places with the Navy sailor. Kelley, of Cincinatti, Ohio, wrote a letter Aug. 13 addressed to Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) that includes a rather unique proposal: He wants to switch spots with his son, Jackson, 20, due to ongoing reported conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln that has exceeded 250 days of deployment. He calls it a “parent swap.” The vessel has drawn widespread attention in recent days due to various reports regarding limited food rations, safety concerns, water contamination and poor mental health, which has purportedly led to…
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The Air Force has a vision for the future of aerial warfare. Instead of flying solo, pilots could enter combat accompanied by several drone partners, carrying a variety of weapons, sensors, and electronic systems. Turning these aircraft into effective wingmen goes beyond reliable autonomy. The Air Force must first determine how pilots can use these effectively in battle, and how costly mistakes can be. From Test Range to Realistic Operations A recent exercise at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada, offered the service another opportunity to work through these challenges. The service’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft Experimental Operations Unit operated semiautonomous aircraft…
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In the spring of 1968, six young Black soldiers were preparing to go to Vietnam when the country seemed to be coming apart around them. Ed Emanuel, Thad Givens, Lawton Mackey Jr., Willie Brown, John Willis and Norman Reid were in basic training when Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. Two months later, while flying to Vietnam, they learned that Robert F. Kennedy had been killed. Soon they would become Team 2/6 of Company F, 51st Infantry, a six-man Army long-range reconnaissance patrol that became known as the “Soul Patrol.” Nearly six decades later, their story is headed to movie…
For some surviving military spouses, getting married again can come with a price few Americans likely realize exists: losing benefits tied to the service and death of their first spouse. A proposal before Congress could change that for tens of thousands of military survivors. Approximately 50,000 surviving spouses under age 55 currently receive Department of Veterans Affairs Dependency and Indemnity Compensation and could retain those benefits if they remarry under the Love Lives On Act, according to the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, or TAPS. And the legislation wouldn’t only protect benefits going forward. The Congressional Budget Office estimates 4,750…
Toyota Land Cruisers are awesome. Every generation dating back to the FJ40 has something unique to offer off-roaders, but no generation inspires as much love or as many legends about reliability (at least in the U.S.) as the 80-series. This mythos has helped to keep prices high in the past few years, and now, with the Mecum auctions in Monterey, Calif., set to kick off on Saturday, we may see the highest sale price for an 80-series yet. Why? Because a very special — if unassuming — 80-series is going up for auction. Dressed in Super White (aka appliance white),…
Guns.com has a lot of news on it, but it’s really a firearm sales platform, which is great. More places to find more guns for you to buy, even if you have to transfer them through your local FFL. But what if you want to sell a gun? For common ones, your local dealer probably knows the value, but what if it’s something that’s a little oddball for your neck of the woods? They might be a little stumped. Which is why I started off by talking about Guns.com.See, while you could theoretically look at…
In the wake of January 6, hundreds of American citizens, many either conservative, religious, or COVID-skeptics, found themselves targeted by financial technology (“fintech”) firms. These politically charged account restrictions have turned into a worrying, and underreported, trend where the victims have no recourse or insight into their exile from the U.S. financial system. I’m sure that you can all remember examples that were at once said to be just “conspiracy theories.” But like most things during the Biden era, the examples are numerous and easy to verify. The Trump campaign, for instance, was deplatformed by…
