Looks like the assault phase of Bold Alligator has begun...

Amphibious assault vehicles from the USS Oak Hill (LSD 51) make their way toward the shore during an amphibious assault exercise as part of Bold Alligator 2012. Exercise Bold Alligator 2012, the largest naval amphibious exercise in the past 10 years, represents the Navy and Marine Corps' revitalization of the full range of amphibious operations. The exercise focuses on today's fight with today's forces, while showcasing the advantages of seabasing. This exercise will take place Jan. 30 - Feb. 12, 2012 afloat and ashore in and around Virginia and North Carolina. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Gregory N. Juday)

Amphibious assault vehicles from the USS Oak Hill (LSD 51) make their way toward the shore during an amphibious assault exercise as part of Bold Alligator 2012. Exercise Bold Alligator 2012, the largest naval amphibious exercise in the past 10 years, represents the Navy and Marine Corps' revitalization of the full range of amphibious operations. The exercise focuses on today's fight with today's forces, while showcasing the advantages of seabasing. This exercise will take place Jan. 30 - Feb. 12, 2012 afloat and ashore in and around Virginia and North Carolina. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Gregory N. Juday)

A landing craft air cushioned from USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) comes ashore during and amphibious assault exercise as part of Bold Alligator 2012. Exercise Bold Alligator 2012, the largest naval amphibious exercise in the past 10 years, represents the Navy and Marine Corps' revitalization of the full range of amphibious operations. The exercise focuses on today's fight with today's forces, while showcasing the advantages of seabasing. This exercise will take place Jan. 30 - Feb. 12, 2012 afloat and ashore in and around Virginia and North Carolina. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Gregory N. Juday

Dutch Marines drop in on Bold Alligator.

A Royal Dutch Marine with the 32nd Infantry Company runs out from underneath a U.S. Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion from Heavy Marine Helicopter Squadron 461 after fast-roping aboard Camp Lejeune, N.C., Feb. 4. The bilateral training allows coalition partners to increase interoperability for seabased operations as a part of Exercise Bold Alligator 2012. This exercise, the largest naval amphibious exercise in the past 10 years, represents the Navy and Marine Corps', revitalization of the full range of amphibious operations.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Jessica DeRose)

F-35B fly-by...

F-35B test aircraft BF-2 flies by the tower at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., in short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) mode during a test flight Jan. 31, 2012.

I go outside the wire...Big Army can kiss my ass....

I imagine the CAPT photographed here says ....I go outside the wire...Big Army can kiss my ass... now lets test your knowledge.  What "rule" or "uniform code" (not sure exactly how the Army lists this)  is the good CAPT breaking.

Capt. Joe Pazcoguin, commander of Company B, 1st Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, talks with 1st Lt. Austin Cattle of Company B and 1st Lt. Mitchell Creel of the 530th Engineer Company during a clearance operation in western Kandahar City, Feb. 1.

F-35 back in the air.

Long story short.  The F-35's got there parachutes fixed.  Awesome, now knock out those test points.

AF-1, a F-35 Lightning II, resumed flying Friday, Feb. 3, at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., after the Integrated Test Force Team there received and installed the first properly packed parachute head box assembly for its ejection seat from the Martin Baker Aircraft Corporation. The F-35 head box assembly was installed in AF-1 early Friday morning and the aircraft flew later that day. Three more head box assemblies containing properly packed parachutes are expected to be received and installed during the weekend allowing additional aircraft to return to flight at Edwards early next week. More head boxes should be received in the coming days for installation in the remaining jets at Edwards, nine jets at Eglin AFB, Fla., and jets in assembly at the F-35 production plant at Ft. Worth, Texas.
Friday’s flight at Edwards was the first since 26 January when high speed ground and flight operations were temporarily suspended at Edwards AFB, Calif., Eglin AFB, Fla. and Lockheed Martin’s F-35 production facility in Fort Worth, Texas after discovering improperly packed parachutes in affected production and test aircraft. The apparent cause was due to improperly drafted packing procedures in the -21 and -23 ejection seats. The parachutes packed in the head boxes of these seats were reversed 180 degrees from design during installation. Although the improperly packed parachutes would have still deployed as designed to provide a safe landing, it would have made it more difficult for the pilot to steer the canopy during the parachute descent. The temporary suspension of flight test did not apply to the 8 F-35 test aircraft at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., which have an earlier version of the ejection seat with the properly packed parachutes head box assembly.

HMLA-167 refuels on the USS San Antonio

By Lance Cpl. Kyle Runnels  , Marine Corps Air Station New River 

USS SAN ANTONIO, At Sea  — 

A UH-1Y Huey from Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 167 conducts a refueling mission aboard the landing dock platform USS San Antonio during Exercise Bold Alligator 2012, Feb. 2. This exercise, the largest naval amphibious exercise in the past 10 years, represents the Navy and Marine Corps’ revitalization of the full range of amphibious operations. Bold Alligator is scheduled to run through Feb. 12 afloat and ashore in and around Virginia and North Carolina. 

 

Acts of Valor. Another page in the playbook

I finally took the time to actually watch the preview of the movie Acts of Valor.

Impressive.

A must see.

The enemy must be saying that too.

Check out this review by Brandon Webb (Author of KitUp! and former Navy SEAL)

I mentioned last week that I was invited up to LA to see a private screening of Act of Valor and had to sign a non-disclosure agreement.  What I can say, is that this is the most technically and tactically accurate Special Operations movie ever made in my opinion. Enough said.

Maybe it has to do with the 50th Anniversary of the Navy SEALs, but I am becoming a bit alarmed.  As I said in a previous post these quiet professionals aren't so quiet anymore.

I know Rangers are running ops and I'm not hearing about it.  Same with Special Forces, 160th Night Stalkers, Marine Special Operations and Air Force Special Ops.

But the problem is that these guys (SOCOM) all operate from the same playbook.  They have unique specializations, but have generally become raiders.  And yes I'm repeating myself but between the publicized raid on Bin Laden, the hostage rescue in Africa and even before that the rescue of the ships captain off the coast of Africa, I can put together a pretty good defense plan for anything less than a company sized assault....and thats based off publicly available information on actual operations.

After this movie runs its course lets hope that the quiet professionals get quiet again.