-Caveat Lector- <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/"> </A> -Cui Bono?- WJPBR Email News List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peace at any cost is a prelude to war! DEFENDING AMERICA Newsletter, 2000-03-01-C ========================================================= ARTICLE 6 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ USMC -- Osprey or Albatross? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The V-22 Osprey, the Corps' latest answer for aerial expeditionary tasks. Expensive and highly complex, will it be able to perform as advertised, or become the Albatross around the Corps' neck. If the Corps gets the numbers they want, will there be enough $ for bullets or toilet paper? A mechanic's perspective. ************************************************************************ By a former Air Force Mechanic (name withheld) I was wondering if you have any recent information concerning the development and procurement of the V-22 tilt rotor aircraft. I spent 10 good years in the air force as a helicopter mechanic working on MH-53J's at Hurlburt Field, H-3's in Okinawa in a rescue squadron, and I taught helicopter maintenance at Shepard AFB in Texas. I was a good mechanic and knew how labor intensive these big helicopters can be. While in Texas I had the opportunity to visit the Bell helicopter facility in Fort Worth. While there I got to see inside and out the V-22 and discuss these aircraft with the technicians and the air force liaison. Bottom line: I was not impressed. Fact is I could not understand why we would be spending so much money on a hanger queen. The only way the V-22 will fly much is if we spend big money on spare parts and Bell and Boeing V-22 civilian technicians. The V-22 is a mechanics nightmare. It has so many limit switches, micro-switches, servo valves and other finicky parts on critical flight and engine components that the only thing I could think of is number one: I hope I don't have to fly on it and two: the average mechanic could never work on this aircraft out in the field. You need a toolbox the size of a truck and enough highly expensive spare parts to fill a hanger for even a short duration mission away from home station. We have been developing this aircraft for over 20 years. Sure they have probably worked some bugs out of it since I saw the aircraft in 1995, but at what cost. We will still buy this very expensive aircraft to replace our aging H-53 fleet and that is just the beginning of the cost. The aircraft is a serious money pit and has/had a tendency to crash if something as small as a gyroscopic stabilizer quits working. The V-22 is totally dependent on a flight assist computer to fly in certain aspects of its tilt rotor flight from hover. More wonder gear from our friends in the defense industry. The V-22 is an engineering marvel and impressive, but giving our troops the best equipment doesn't have to mean the most complicated and highly technical. ========================================================= ARTICLE 7 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Army - More on the Decline of the Warrior Ethic… ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If the 82d Airborne Division is marked with leadership problems, what does the rest of the Army look like? ************************************************************************ BY a concerned Paratroop Officer I left the 82nd Airborne Division several months ago. I served in key leadership positions and saw every day how the warrior ethic is declining. Now stationed in Alaska, I see it even more, not only with soldiers, but with senior leadership. We have generals, colonels, and command sergeant majors who are more concerned with public opinion then are concerned about training soldiers. More concerned about rumor control then fixing problems. More concerned about politics and ceremonies then using common sense. There are "one-sies" and "two-sies" who still have the warrior ethics you wrote about, but those are far and few in between. Our annual major exercise is coming up soon and in preparation for the "VIP Day," we have a dedicated infantry company that will "perform" a demonstration of what the Arctic Warrior can do. I realize it is important to let our politicians know what we do, but where do we draw the line? This infantry company will not be conducting soldier training, but will be preparing for four days prior to the VIPs arrival for this demonstration. I can imagine that the only training they will get is how to conduct this performance in accordance with the script, not necessarily in accordance with doctrine. Almost feels like we are training actors instead of soldiers. I applaud your efforts to tell it like it is and am glad that there are some people out there who report and write about it -- the TRUTH! ========================================================== ARTICLE 8 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Army - Nightmare "Kosovo" Part II ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Last week -- of filth, Alley McBeal, and contractors. Today - about lawyers, three stooges, and how rank determines credibility. More grass roots reflections. ************************************************************************ By a Nameless Army Grunt What you need for 21st century combat -- smart bombs, cruise missiles, computers on rifles, thermal sights, and the terror of the battlefield, lawyers. Lawyers? Yes, Lawyers. All of SFOR has been raiding radio/TV sites for various violation issues. On each site, in the forefront, before the soldiers carrying fixed bayonets, was our LAWYER! (Ok, he was in the rear; give me some artistic license.) Seems, we had to have a lawyer present to ensure when, in future if the station owners sue SFOR we could have an expert witness testify that we did everything all legal. Look, I know now you are asking, if the lawyers are effective why do we still need cruise missiles? Easy answer, you ever see how much a lawyer costs? The missiles are cheaper. I did tell you I eat lunch with the three stooges? Actually, that's not true. I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner with the three stooges. If you recall, I have described that we eat in a big cafeteria-style setting. Being the old codger that I am, it's a mess hall to me, to everyone else it's the dining facility (this whole title thing is your typical Political Correctness item. It used to be called a mess hall because of the 100+ year tradition of having a Mess, an organized eating arrangement for soldiers). Then with all the intelligence of those who became upset with the word "niggardly," the Army decreed that there is no mess (meaning dirt) where soldiers eat, and viola the Dining Facility was born.) Anyhow, I eat my meals in the mess hall with the three stooges. Ok, the stooges have all passed on, but it must be their children, and they had a LOT of children. Everybody has to carry their weapon on them at all times. This is due to the need to make the public think it! It is very dangerous here and it's a war zone, so, don't cut our imminent danger pay. (It is dangerous here, but from land mines, there is no serious armed threat to US troops. Let alone a threat to individual soldiers that are walking behind three strands of barbed wire, behind a fortified wall, and further still behind armored guard towers.) Like I was trying to say, I eat my meals with the three stooges. For folks wearing pistols (oh, and the way they wear pistols), this is no big deal. However, for those poor guys with rifles or squad automatic weapons (The SAW, your basic replacement for the BAR), they become the three stooges. You see, to go through the chow line you need both hands. That means the rifle or SAW must be placed across your back via its carrying strap. This further means that the barrel sticks past your head by about 6 inches and the butt sticks out from your side about a foot. Remember its strapped to the back no matter! Every time the soldier turns, the barrel and butt swing in a wide arc with him. The mess hall is very crowded. The soldiers have to maker their way through the hall, not in a straight line, but rather all twisting and turning and weaving in and out between people. Getting the three stooges image yet? I sit at my table and watch. The soldiers hit the man in front of them with the barrel of the rifle and the guy behind them with the butt of the rifle simultaneously. So, both guys that are hit scream at the soldier. About the time the guy in front pulls back to slug the soldier, the soldier turns and apologizes to the guy behind him. That swings the butt around and hits the guy in front of the soldier that was ready to hit him. So, the guy in front screams in pain. The soldier now rapidly turns to see what the yelling is about, thereby whacking the guy behind him once again. If per chance he has knocked one of the guys to the ground, he will hit them in the head again with the barrel of the rifle if he bends over to help the hurt guy up. All that we are missing is a few "Nyuk, nyuks," "Wise guys," and sound effects to make the scene perfect. I find meals the most humorous time of day! Military Intelligence, its an oxymoron. You ever wonder why it's an oxymoron? I guess you have never been in the military. Then again, I am sure you have heard of the stereotype of the non-thinking monolith that allegedly makes up the military. The thing about stereotypes is there is always that one part of them that holds true. One of the things I get to do is write reports, oh, lucky me. I thought at the end of my reports I got to place my comments in the section marked, "my comments." I found out today that my comments don't belong on the report in the "my comments" box. It happened like this, I made my report up all pretty and pointed out how things in my opinion needed to be fixed. I duly place that part of my report into the comments section of the report. I prefaced my opinion with the startling and surprising words, "In my opinion." This generated a friendly call from Higher. Seems my opinion wasn't Higher's opinion, so my opinion was not needed. I was then counseled not to place my opinion in my comments section of my report. When I asked, "If I can't place my comments in the "My Comments" box, who's comments are my comments?" They said, "Don't get smart." Getting a clue about oxymoron? Its not over, yet. Seems my "facts" were wrong too. I had stated some facts that Higher heretofore had stated not true. I, on the other hand, had solicited my information directly from some, well let's call them reliable US military sources, involved in direct collection of the information. They presented me with a listing of facts that were contrary to my "Higher's" line. When challenged about my facts, I pointed out very directly my source and his impeccable reliability. To which the response was, "What rank is that guy?" This truly perplexed me, his rank was immaterial, he had directly collected the information, he was reliable, and the information was true. With a puzzled quiver to my voice I answered. To which came a rapid retort, "Well, I am a Colonel, I have studied the issue for seven months, and I say the he's wrong." Huh? You can change facts by pulling rank? Well, yes boys and girls, you can change facts by pulling rank in the Army. All those facts are now untrue and you also know why military intelligence is an oxymoron. You also get out of all of this the same doublespeak that the U.S. Armed Forces were famous for in Vietnam. So, ending this month's chronicles on a "high" body count, evidenced by many blood trails, and burning a village to the ground in order to save it, let me say, "good-bye" (or would that be "Glad to Meet You" in Army talk?) ========================================================== ARTICLE 9 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Veterans' Issues -- Hepatitis C and Vietnam Vets ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ An important health reminder for our NAM Vets. You survived the war, now survive the peace -- we still need you! If you haven't tested, get checked out! ********************************************************************** By G. King I was a medic and about a year ago was diagnosed with Hepatitis C. It is a long hard journey for both the disease and the cure. I was always taught to bring in the troops, so I will give you some facts. 1. Between 16 to 24% of Viet Nam vets test positive for "Hep C." 2. They cross all class boundaries. 3. The disease comes only from blood contact (My Wife of 22 years doesn't have it). 4. Risk factors were as follows: a. Unprotected sex b. IV drug use c. Blood Contact (Having been a Combat Medic is a real risk factor) 5. The disease is "indolent" symptoms don't occur for years and years, but when they do, they are really nasty. My point is to all Viet Vets, Get Yourself Tested!!!! If you don't want anyone to know, give blood to the Red Cross. They will screen your blood and let you know if you are positive in complete confidentiality (and if you aren't, then you'll be helping someone else). Vets who want encouragement can contact me at [EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. ========================================================= **COPYRIGHT NOTICE** In accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for nonprofit research and educational purposes only.[Ref. http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ] <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soap-boxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. 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