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Post by deadwoodgultch on Feb 19, 2019 12:26:14 GMT
Chuck is also dead on and I was going to say that he was in on the beginning of this transition to up grade our reserve forces.
This is not a slap to the Guard previous to this time but in some ways we were like F Troop. F Troop was a 1960's TV sitcom. In 1971 I did an annual deployment at Andrews AFB, at that time SAC, and comparing my unit readiness we were lacking. I was two years out of Basic Training at that time and ok with what was required but was glad to get back to Baltimore for weekends, and my Summer Camps in Savannah GA for the next 3 years, Please note that I said Summer Camp! Because, in 1975 they began becoming more of what one would call Annual Deployments and more mission oriented, even by section. Don't get me wrong there was always training. !975 In Delaware supporting and integrating with the Army. 1976 Combined with the Oklahoma and Nebraska Air Guard units, much pride taken in unit performance even kicking ass in inter unit softball tournament. I began getting training on equipment that I had not seen since 1969 at Ft. Lee VA, and I was damn good at it. Yes Ian, the Air Force had me pitching tents, operating MKT's, Harvest Bear, and Harvest Eagle. These tools came into good use in Bosnia and Desert Storm and beyond. Training sites changed every few years to include Hurlbert Field at Eglin AFB, FL. HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- the location where Air Commando training takes place. The nature of Air Force Special Operations Command’s mission sometimes requires Air Commandos to operate outside of typical military installations downrange. Working in these conditions, aircrews may be in greater danger of kidnapping or worse.
For the Airmen progressing through the Air Commando Development Course, there is a class specifically structured to train and prepare them for the chaos of the Special Operations battlespace.
The Air Commando Field Skills Course, open to all AFSOC Airmen, takes students out of their comfort zone and the classroom for a 13-day crash course in everything from moving through hostile urban environments on foot to fighting from a moving vehicle.
(MKT) Mobile Kitchen Tent/Trailer
(Harvest BEAR and Eagle) The purpose of the Basic Expeditionary Airfield Resources (BEAR) Program is to give the Combat Air Forces increased mobility and strike capability. Management intended to preposition program assets in, or close, to the area of intended use. The BEAR equipment was designated as War Reserve Material (WRM). Air Force (AF) BEAR Mobility Equipment, better known as Harvest Falcon (HF) and Harvest Eagle (HE), is designed and sized to support simultaneous Major Theater Wars (MTW) and the equipment provides theater war fighters billeting, industrial, and air field capability to support a total of 68,200 combat troops and 822 aircraft at austere locations, building complete bases from the ground up.
Regards, Tom
PS I am not an Air Commando, before you ask.
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Post by deadwoodgultch on Feb 19, 2019 14:22:34 GMT
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Post by quincannon on Feb 19, 2019 16:25:06 GMT
Ian: Tom is being a bit modest. He did not mention that the Air Guard unit that was stationed on the other side of the airfield from him, the 104th Fighter Squadron was rated the top fighter squadron in the entire air force, either two or three years running.
What I failed to mention is that nearly every deployment package for Iraq or Afghanistan, usually headed up by either a Regular or Guard division headquarters, contained some Guard units. Usually that was a least of brigade size, sometimes only a few battalions. The take away you should get from that is that when these deployment packages are being set up, the Army looks at what is necessary for the mission, and what is available from the Total Army, not just from active duty regulars. The transition to Brigade Combat Teams has helped that greatly, and makes tailoring the deployment packages much easier. When my son in law was in Iraq for his first tour, everything we had in country was under control of the 36th "Texas" Division, and while there were some regular units under their command, the Guard units deployed were from 12 different states.
This is a great departure from what used to be as Tom put it "F" Troop, which was an apt description of the Guard in peacetime for sixty years. The reason for this is that we went away from a mobilization based army, where we would keep Guard and Army Reserve at a low state of readiness, and presume that we would have enough time to activate them, fill them to full strength, train, and deploy them. That process would take about a year for a division sized unit. Today we consider the Guard and Army Reserve to be operational reserves, where a unit can be at home eating pizza tonight, and on their way to battle tomorrow morning. Huge difference. Our total readiness standard today meets or beats that of the Israeli Army, that I am sure you have read about.
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Post by deadwoodgultch on Feb 19, 2019 17:34:15 GMT
Back in the day we may backfill for active units that were deployed, we may be among the first deployed. In the early years many state staffs worked with the Pentagon to get this up and running. Our ORI's and ORE's ramped up. This I believe worked in conjunction with the all Vol. Force concept. I may be explaining wrong or only giving my interpretation. I am sure Chuck can give you the correct concept.
Regards, Tom
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Post by yanmacca on Feb 19, 2019 19:51:06 GMT
<iframe style="position: absolute; width: 22.660000000000082px; height: 4.180000000000007px; z-index: -9999; border-style: none;left: 15px; top: -5px;" id="MoatPxIOPT0_94349712" scrolling="no" width="22.660000000000082" height="4.180000000000007"></iframe> <iframe style="position: absolute; width: 22.66px; height: 4.18px; z-index: -9999; border-style: none; left: 1074px; top: -5px;" id="MoatPxIOPT0_60621325" scrolling="no" width="22.660000000000082" height="4.180000000000007"></iframe> <iframe style="position: absolute; width: 22.66px; height: 4.18px; z-index: -9999; border-style: none; left: 15px; top: 148px;" id="MoatPxIOPT0_15314981" scrolling="no" width="22.660000000000082" height="4.180000000000007"></iframe> <iframe style="position: absolute; width: 22.66px; height: 4.18px; z-index: -9999; border-style: none; left: 1074px; top: 148px;" id="MoatPxIOPT0_69867261" scrolling="no" width="22.660000000000082" height="4.180000000000007"></iframe> Where did you find it Tom, did you see a sign saying ''Is This The Way To Amadillo"!
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Post by deadwoodgultch on Feb 19, 2019 20:03:45 GMT
Ian, the little shelled critters run all over the Gulf coast area, pretty much shelled rats. You need to be careful when you catch them as they will bite. Not a gastronomic delight, but showing you don't have to starve. Maybe I should teach street people how to prepare. Ask Colt he has seen slaughtered on the Texas highways.
Regards, Tom
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Post by yanmacca on Feb 19, 2019 20:15:56 GMT
Once Germany had invaded Poland [1st Sept. 1939], the British army began to get the Territorials ready for war and this started on the 3rd September 1939. So what had previously been an army of volunteers, began compulsory army service. Between September and January, 1.5 million men were drafted into the army.
The Danish army also mobilized its reserve after the invasion of Poland, they mobilized 30.000 reservists. They kept this force in service until the winter of 1940, when they sent most of them home, then the Germans invaded Denmark in April 1940. If the Germans would have invaded earlier, they would have been met by an army of 85.000, but in April this total was down to 15.000 troops. Not that this would have made any difference, but they did give the lead German elements a bloody nose by knocking out or damaging 16 AFVs.
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Post by Beth on Feb 19, 2019 20:25:15 GMT
Very interesting discussion. My knowledge of the Korean War is more based on MASH than anything else. History stopped with WWII in high school. Korea and Vietnam just got a lit brushing on a day or two, besides Vietnam was a current event back then.
Speaking of armadillos, I have been in Texas 6 years and I have yet to see one of the buggers alive and the only dead ones I have seen have been on the highway closer to Dallas.
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Post by deadwoodgultch on Feb 19, 2019 21:34:16 GMT
They are opossums, they seem to enjoy play Dodge Ball with speeding vehicles. I seen them splattered as far north as western TN.
Regards, Tom
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Post by yanmacca on Feb 19, 2019 23:36:42 GMT
We unfortunaly have the same problem with Hedgehogs, 'poor buggers', but I don't think that you have them over there.
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Post by yanmacca on Mar 3, 2019 20:17:32 GMT
It is amazing that the four iconic US AFVs that saw action during WW2, were all given their baptism of fire in British service and glad we were to have them.
M3 Light [Stuart/Honey] First used in action by the British – November 1941 First used in action by the US Army – December 1941
M3 Medium [Grant] First used in action by the British – May 1942 First used in action by the US Army – November 1942
M4 Medium [Sherman] First used in action by the British – October 1942 First used in action by the US Army – November 1942
M7 HMC [Priest] First used in action by the British – October 1942 First used in action by the US Army – November 1942
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Post by deadwoodgultch on Sept 27, 2019 12:56:49 GMT
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Post by yanmacca on Sept 27, 2019 15:52:26 GMT
That also brings back memories for me too Tom, I had to learn to strip one of those down blindfolded to earn my army cadet uniform, I recall it stripped into five main parts and was quite easy without the blind fold. The Czechs were superb weapon designers, their artillery was pretty good and the Germans soon put it in to use once they took over the country. The Bren was a great weapon, but so was the other types of machine guns designed by Czechoslovakia firms. We also adopted two more MGs from Czech designs, the 7.92mm Besa MMG and 15mm Besa HMG, which we used in nearly all our tanks. The Czech army used the TK Vz.37, which was an excellent MMG and sadly over looked by many, as one of the best machine guns of its type. All this stuff is on the Czech army page on my site, but here is a link to the Bren;
Here is the late great gunnery sergeant R. Lee Ermey, testing out the Bren against the BAR;
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Post by yanmacca on Jan 5, 2020 20:08:28 GMT
Have we discussed this before Chuck? I saw this in a book search for you, concering the British ‘Experimental Mechanized Force’; 1927 secretary for war Dwight Davis was in England, where he saw a demonstration of the combined arms, the British ‘Experimental Mechanized Force’ at Aldershot. Davis was apparently impressed by the British unit, because he ordered General Charles P. Summerall, the chief of staff, to assemble a similar force for the US Army. linkIf I have posted this before then we don't need to back track.
Ian
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Post by quincannon on Jan 5, 2020 20:48:51 GMT
I added the site to my favorites, and will check it out later. Right now I am up to mu eyeballs in Hotnet, hoping to get the hull done before days end.
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