Archive for June, 2007
June 29th, 2007 -- Posted in Uncategorized |
When someone mentions the use of an aircraft to intentionally fly into an enemy target, most will think of September 11th. But I think about an attack that occurred on November 12th 1944. My father’s troop transport was at anchor in Dulag Harbor, Philippine Islands when it was hit by a Japanese Kamikaze.
The attack killed and wounded 189 men in his group. These were men of the U.S. 5th Air Force, 345th Bomb Group and they were being transported by the Navy to the Philippines. Fortunately for my Dad’s sake, he was assigned to help unload Army Air Force equipment and was sent ashore just days prior. The Kamikaze was one of the most feared and effective weapons used during World War II against the U.S. Navy. So, when someone mentions the word Kamikaze or suicide attack, it means something close and personal to me.
On September 11th 2001, I was driving towards downtown Los Angeles very early in the morning when the local radio station reports began to trickle in. After the second plane hit, it was clear to me that the USA was under attack. At that time, I called my wife and woke her up to let her know what was happening.
When I arrived in downtown Los Angeles, all of my coworkers were watching live CNN video feeds as both WTC towers were ablaze. At that time, I thought, this is like something out of the Tom Clancy novel, “Debt of Honor”. For anyone who has not read it, I would highly recommend it. The story has an airliner crashing into Washington D.C. The book was written in 1994 and describes how such an attack would be almost unpreventable if properly planned.
Today, the thought of someone hijacking an airliner and taking over the crew is not very likely because the crew and passengers will fight back. The passenger and crew now have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain if they resist. A recent example of this occurred when a terrorist was attempting to set off a shoe bomb onboard an American Airlines flight in December 2001. The terrorist was confronted by a female flight attendant who fought him as hard as she could before being assisted by another female flight attendant and fellow passengers.
The United States Navy has a history of trying to protect their ships from Kamikaze attacks. When the attacks became common place in late 1944, they put a high priority of destroying Japanese land based aircraft that could stage attacks on their fleet. They also beefed up their air defenses on all of their combat vessels. This action reduced the devastating effect of future attacks.
In 1981 the Navy installed a CIWS (Close In Weapon System) on the ship I was assigned to, the USS Enterprise. The CIWS was sometimes referred to as “Sea Whiz” and it was designed as a last ditch, close in weapon to fend off low flying cruise missiles / aircraft aimed at attacking the ship. It deploys radar controlled 20mm Gatling guns that fire at a high rate of fire. In fleet tests it was very effective at downing any known airborne threat. I witnessed a Navy live fire test once and it is an incredible sight to see, hear, and you can feel it even from a good distance away when the weapon is firing.
The CIWS and other systems were deployed to counter missile attacks similar to the 1987 Iraqi missile attack. The USS Stark had the CIWS, but it was not operational when they were attacked. The attack occurred during the Iran / Iraq war and it was another wake up call to the Navy, they put forth plans to prevent it from happening again. I know this technology and others can be very effective protecting the fleet at sea.
So, as you can see, the military has learned some important lessons from history. They have taken these lessons and deployed weapons that are designed to destroy or limit the effectiveness of an actual attack. The Navy has learned from their mistakes.
In the fall of 2000, over Afghanistan, an interesting event occurred. An unmanned Predator spy plane detected its target. The aircraft was tasked to fly recon flights to locate Osama Bin Laden who was based in Afghanistan. Specifically, over a placed called Tarnak Farm which was a walled Al Qaeda compound being used by Osama Bin Laden. The video recorded terrorists firing at targets and conducting military drills. The live video feed showed a tall man who was surrounded by armed guards. The intelligence officers had enemy number one in their sights and it was in “Real Time”. They knew at the time they hit the jackpot, but nothing was done other than reporting the incident.
You can’t rewrite history books on something that happened in the year 2000. But I wonder what could have happened if the person who was in command of that unmanned Predator would have had the authority and or ingenuity to actually act. The cost of a Predator at the time was less than 5 million. I wonder what would of happened if? Hmmmm…
When I read the “911 Commission Report”, some of the people interviewed made statements on moving up the upgrade date for the Predator to carry air to ground missiles. In the year 2000, it was still unarmed. But not once did anyone suggest using the machine itself as a weapon. It’s really true, “those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.”
Richard Sizemore resides in Los Angeles California and enjoys writing articles for this website. My wife, Cynthia also writes articles on her website, http://www.cyndall.com Her “Self Improvement” articles are outstanding and I highly recommend them.
June 25th, 2007 -- Posted in Uncategorized |
There was quite a commotion going on in the street today outside our house. As it is normally so quiet you can hear an Ant’s footsteps I thought perhaps it would be a good idea to see what all the fuss was about, just in case there was some kind of apocalyptic alien invasion or such like. Nope, it was just the bin men who had decided to turn up early and surprise everybody; well I guess they have to amuse themselves somehow. I read the other day that refuse collectors had been told that they were no longer allowed to tie cuddly toys to the front of their lorries (a quaint British tradition) due to some crazy interpretation of health and safety regulations.
Maybe as a protest they thought right we’ll turn up early and laugh as half naked people with towels around their heads clutching bin bags and half eaten slices of toast pursue us down the street. Just to add to the chaos today is a new collection day as it is normally done a Thursday. Will our lives ever be the same again I wonder?
Actually joking apart the whole refuse and recycling system is in disarray in our area at present because the District Council are under pressure from the County Council, who in turn are under pressure from the Government who are under pressure from the European Union to improve Britain’s awful reputation when it comes to recycling.
We are now going to have an attractive collection of no less than three large wheelie bins outside the house to carefully sort and deposit all our rubbish into. Although I did notice this morning that after all our forensic sifting the guys just chucked the whole lot into the back of their lorry and drove off at high speed!
All this reminds me of just how far we are lagging behind our European neighbours when it comes to addressing environmental issues. Take the Germans for instance who are renowned for their efficiency, they are streets ahead when it comes to dealing with their waste. They have recycling centres in their underground railway system and I read that even German troops currently deployed in Afghanistan are required to sort their rubbish imagine doing that whilst dodging bullets!
It probably won’t come as a surprise then that the German car industry is leading the way when it comes to addressing the challenges that our worldwide reliance on the internal combustion engine has created with regards to climate change and pollution.
Volkswagen has risen to become the third largest car manufacturer in the world by sales and although Porsche seems to have some kind of intentions towards VW the full story is unclear as to why, this hasn’t distracted VW. The humble Polo rolls on and is still in the current top ten best sellers list, due largely to a loyal home market. It has been overtaken by some of its rivals in recent years but the Polo’s reputation of rock solid construction and enduring reliability means that you are likely to see them around for many years to come.
The Polo BlueMotion is the first model to be exempt from British road tax and although it has not won praise from all sections of the motoring press who just can’t seem to shake off their obsession with performance figures. The owners I have spoken to are really pleased with the low running costs. Small efficient diesel powered cars look set to take over especially in our towns and cities. The curious thing about all of this however is that VW owes its very existence since the second world war to a British Army Major who saved the VW plant from demolition after it was heavily bombed. Now there’s irony for you!
Jon Barlow assesses the current move towards recycling and saving resources and how VW are addressing the issue with the VW Polo http://www.alandayvw.co.uk/default.aspx
June 20th, 2007 -- Posted in Uncategorized |
Rulers are predominant men. We like to cheer for the underdogs. When a woman would rule the kingdom or civilization, we like to embrace the heroic feat. Their names become famous baby names. Here are some more great women rulers.
Victoria
Being the longest Queen in English history, the name became most popular English baby name. Victoria is an English baby name which means conqueror.
She was a symbol of the British colonial power, because she was the Queen in the era. As a matter of fact, her reign was called Victorian age. She was married to Prince Albert. After Prince Albert deceased, she went into great depression. Nobody saw her in two years.
Tzu-hsi
She was an Empress from 1835 to 1908. She rises in influence when his only son past away. All the decree must be approved by her. After his son deceased, she refused to give up her power. Using the state funds, she build palace and sold promotions. It is untimely expenditure as the Japanese beats them in 1890. Under her reigned, she dealt the rising western influence.
Liliuokalani
She took control on the Hawaiian throne. After taking control, she tried to amend the current constitution and fixed the economic depression. Since the constitution held the monarchy ineffective, she pushes to reform the constitution. Later, she was held liable for uprising. So, she was the last Queen of the Hawaiian Monarchy. With her unpopularity, Liliuokalani did not become a popular Hawaiian baby name.
Gold Meir
She was originally born on Ukraine, but she lived a little bit in United States. After she moved to Israel, she started to get involve in labor movement. Later, Israel became a state. Elected in parliament, she became the Minister of Labor and Minister of Foreign Affairs. The events lead to becoming the Prime Minister in 1969. Due to Yom Kippur War, she was forced to retire.
Indira Gandhi
Her father was Jawarhalal Nehru who is the first Prime Minister of India. Coming from a politician family, she was always passionate on politics. After she lead a campaign to separate from Great Britain, she was put into jailed. In 1966, she was elected as Prime Minister. In spite of her push to land reform and nationalization of banks, India suffered economic depression. Riots were rampant which lead to emergency rule. In the process, the left leaning politics was jailed and the press was censored. In 1977, she lost to election and faced corruption charges. In 1980, she was re-elected Prime Minister. However, Sikh assassins assassinated her in 1984. That is to revenge the actions on Sikh temple.
Indira is a Sanskrit baby name which means splendid. Indeera is the only variant to Indira. The baby name reaches the peak of popularity in 1990.
Margaret Thatcher
Being a lawyer, she entered into politics 1959. She handled various ministerial posts. In 1979, she finally won an election for Prime Minister. In her reign, she cuts the public spending, limits the money supply, and raises the interest rates. With her opinions on USSR invasion on Afghanistan, and Falkland Islands War over control, she was called the Iron Lady. In 1990, she retired as Prime Minister of England.
Margaret is a Greek baby name which means pearl. In Ireland, Margaret is a name of a saint. It is so popular that Margaret serves as name of nine Queens on England, Scotland, France, and Austria.
Dennis Estrada is a webmaster of unique baby names, ruler baby names, and Hawaiian baby name website.
June 15th, 2007 -- Posted in Uncategorized |
Do you think that you’re to old to work in a War Zone? Perhaps a place for young people?
Don’t worry, plenty of contracting jobs exist for young and old alike. Depending on your skill set, you may find the perfect job to enhance that badly needed retirement fund or even jump start your retirement by several years. Working a year or more in Afghanistan or Iraq could certainly help you do that.
With the lucrative salaries that can be made, people of all ages are accepting positions in the Mideast, (okay War Zones) for the big bucks. Numerous positions still exist and many skill sets are needed from entry level clerks to highly skilled engineers.
I’ve traveled throughout the MidEast over the past several years and have met many people, middle aged and up working in a variety of positions. People in their 50’s, 60’s and 70’s working in a War Zone.
Contract positions are available throughout the MidEast, but the most lucrative by far, are located in a War Zone such as Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition to your base salary and overtime, you may be authorized hazard duty pay, post differential and foreign service pay. These allowances add up and are often calculated on your base salary. Thus, the higher your base salary, the higher all your other entitlements will be. Many people often exceed $10,458 every two weeks. This makes for a very lucrative year.
The majority of these positions are located within the secure perimeters of military installations. One time I met an elderly woman who worked in the vehicle dispatch office at Camp Liberty in Baghdad. One of the nicest and happy go lucky people I’ve ever met. Her goal was to complete two years and then retire.
The primary requirements to work in one of these positions, is to be able to pass a basic fitness examination and able to carry your own personal protective gear when needed. This refers to the typical flak vest and combat helmet which is required to be worn at times on site and when traveling between locations.
The method of travel between military sites is by helicoptor or convoy, riding in armored vehicles or a “Rhino” which looks like a big armored RV. In either case you would be expected to travel wearing your vest and helmet.
Other than the inconvenience of the travel, most people get accustomed to the environment and try and limit travel to as little as necessary. With thousands of other contractors in the region, most quickly adapt.
Regardless of your skill set, numerous opportunities exist for people of all ages. If you are considering such an endeavor, you’ll find jobs throughout the region and will work with dedicated professionals in both the military and civilian fields.
Alan Nelson is publisher of the Mideast Contracting Newsletter. To learn about the many lucrative opportunities in the Mideast, visit: http://www.mideastcontracting.com
June 10th, 2007 -- Posted in Uncategorized |
US and coalition military forces in Iraq and Afghanistan are employing high power laser pointers as means of non lethal deterrent and saving lives. High power laser pointers though are a new form of technology and are not yet standard military issue. Due to their immense value in combat situations, military personnel and their families are regularly buying high power laser pointers at their own expense.
Sergeant Maiolo of the OIF 3 is one of many military personal who privately purchased a high power laser pointer.
“I am deployed at Baghdad in OIF 3. I recently showed this laser product to the platoon leader and both of us came up with many possible uses for this military device…. This is a great alternative to tracer fire to direct troops or a great way to paint a target; also a great intimidation to our enemies overseas…We were thinking of ordering one for each platoon in our company. ” Sgt. David Maiolo
In a recent response to the value of laser pointers as means of non lethal deterrent and saving lives, the US army Rapid Equipping Force (REF) at Fort Belvoir Va has expedited the shipment of 2000 laser pointers to soldiers in Baghdad, Iraq.
In terms of their use, a common dilemma often faced by soldiers deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan is how to warn/deter suspicious or aggressively driven vehicles that are approaching their checkpoint or convoy operations with out using potentially lethal force. This is particularly a problem during night operations when identification is more difficult. Laser pointers have been especially useful in this regard as a means of non lethal deterrent.
“The system was very effective in stopping oncoming traffic and personnel,” - Spec. Loren active duty Iraq
The use of laser pointers in combat zones is not just limited to fixed positions and vehicles. Military personnel out on patrol or in the field have also used laser pointers as a non lethal means of deterrent. This use is clearly illustrated from a soldiers records of a Baghdad night patrol on Route Michigan.
“Hey!” the lieutenant shouted, shining a green laser pointer at a group of men, walking into the road from an alley 50-75 yards away. They scattered.”
The importance of laser pointers in saving lives is also acknowledged by the Department of Defence (DOF). “When you consider the alternative which is a bullet, I honestly believe we can use [lasers]; we can use them effectively. We can use them in ways that don’t necessarily even, quote, unquote, “light up” the individual, but provide a marker so individuals realize they are approaching a danger point. And we will do everything possible to inform the Iraqi people of their use, so when they see them, they react appropriately.” - Lieutenant General (LTG) Pete Chiarelli
These high powered laser pointers are commercially available and are normally purchased by military personnel and their families online. In situations when lives are at stake, it is essential for the laser pointer to be effective. An effective laser pointer should be high power (at least 75mW), high quality components and have out standing beam specifications. Lives could easily be lost if poor quality, low power shoddy laser pointers were used.
Article is courtesy of Dragonlasers - No 1 lasers, laser pointer and green laser online store
Frank is from Dragonlasers at http://www.dragonlasers.com