Category Archives: Technology

Idaho, Technology

Idaho’s heritage A-10C ‘8N’

Video

Idaho Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sergeant Joshua C. Allmaras.

P-47D Thunderbolt bubble-top 8N-X.

“It’s more than just history, it’s our heritage, it’s who we are.”-Major Tom Silkowski, Idaho’s 190th Fighter Squadron

P-47D Thunderbolt ‘Black Jack’ code 8N-O, 371st FG-405th FS.

Towards the end of May 2021, the Idaho Air National Guard unveiled their heritage ‘8N’ A-10C Thunderbolt-2.  8N is the squadron code for the U.S. Army 9th Air Force-371st Fighter Group’s 405th Fighter Squadron.

Idaho Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sergeant Joshua C. Allmaras.

It was part of 75th anniversary celebrations for the 190th Fighter Squadron’s(FS) birthday, 24MAY1946.  The old 405th FS logo was added to the nacelles after returning from its heritage paint job in Iowa.

Idaho Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sergeant Joshua C. Allmaras.

Idaho Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sergeant Joshua C. Allmaras.

The 190th FS evolved out of the 405th FS, which flew P-47 Thunderbolts during World War Two (hence the false tail number 405190). In 1944, P-47s of the 405th carried the code 8N on their fuselages: “Every aspect of that paint job, down to the smallest detail, is deliberate and faithful to how our P-47’s looked in the summer of 1944. We weren’t going for glitz and a superficial ‘wow factor.’ This isn’t a toy airplane; it’s one of our beautiful A-10 Thunderbolt-2s dressed in the same scheme worn by our P-47 Thunderbolts in World War Two. It’s like a little boy wearing his dad’s military uniform. I think that’s what makes it so special.”-Major Tom Silkowski, Idaho’s 190th FS

An ‘8N’ P-47D somewhere in France, 1944.

Idaho Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sergeant Joshua C. Allmaras.

On 07JUL2021, 8N took part in refuel training over Mountain Home Air Force Base (AFB), Idaho.

Idaho Air National Guard photo by Staff Sergeant Mercedee Wilds.

The refueling was done by a KC-135 Stratotanker from the 507th Air Refueling Wing (ARW), Tinker AFB, out of Oklahoma.

Idaho Air National Guard photo by Staff Sergeant Mercedee Wilds.

Idaho Air National Guard photo by Staff Sergeant Mercedee Wilds.

But it is not the first time 8N got refueled mid-flight.  On its way home from the heritage paint job (done at the Air National Guard Paint Facility in Sioux City), the Iowa Air National Guard’s 185th ARW provided fuel for the flight back to Idaho.

Idaho Air National Guard photo by Staff Sergeant Mercedee Wilds.

Idaho Air National Guard photo by Staff Sergeant Mercedee Wilds.

Idaho Air National Guard photo by Staff Sergeant Mercedee Wilds.

Idaho Air National Guard photo by Staff Sergeant Mercedee Wilds.

Iowa Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sergeant Vincent De Groot.

Iowa Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sergeant Vincent De Groot.

Iowa Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sergeant Vincent De Groot.

Iowa Air National Guard video, by Senior Master Sergeant Vincent De Groot, of 8N (sans 405th FS logo) being pull from the paint shop, 05MAY2021:

Iowa Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sergeant Vincent De Groot.

1944(?) France, P-47 ‘Mumbling Joe’ 8N-H, 371st FG-405th FS.

March 2021: MORALE BOOSTER A-10C GUN-RUN IN IDAHO!

2012 Pocatello Airport:

The awesome A-10 is the last of Idaho’s Air National Guard air assets. Photo by AAron B. Hutchins.

IDAHO NATIONAL GUARD A-10C THUNDERBOLT 2 ‘walkaround’

Technology

NATO Weapons: Apaches & Hinds, for the first time?

Image

U.S. Army (USA) photo by Major Robert Fellingham.

During NATO wargame Saber Guardian-21/DEFENDER-Europe 21, Hungarian Mil 24s and U.S. AH-64s conducted live fire training, together for the first time.

U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Cole can’t help but grin from ear to ear, getting a ride in the gunner’s seat of a Hungarian Hind. USA photo by Major Robert Fellingham, 03JUN2021.

USA photo by Major Robert Fellingham, 03JUN2021.

Hungarian Defense Force Brigadier General József Koller gets situated in the gunner’s seat of an AH-64D. USA photo by Major Robert Fellingham, 03JUN2021.

USA photo by Major Robert Fellingham, 09JUN2021.

It’s not the first time NATO Hinds and Apaches worked together, but apparently (according to U.S. Army, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade’s Major Robert Fellingham) it is the first time they’ve exchanged crews and taken part in ‘live fire’ wargames together.

USA photo by Major Robert Fellingham.

USA photo by Major Robert Fellingham.

USA photo by Major Robert Fellingham, 09JUN2021.

Near Szolnok, Hungary, June 2019. USA photo by Sergeant Brandon Brashere.

In 2019, U.S. Apache crews got to look over Hungarian Hinds during Saber Guardian-19, and vice versa.

Near Szolnok, Hungary, June 2019. USA photo by Sergeant Brandon Brashere.

Iraq, May 2006, USA photo.

In May 2006, a Polish Mil 24 and U.S. AH-64D Apache shared a forward refueling/arming point somewhere in Iraq.

Zombie ‘Copter:  HOW THE HIND RETURNED TO AFGHANISTAN, AND WHY IT WON’T DIE

May 2020:  APACHE FIGHTS THROUGH PANDEMIC

Technology, U.S.

Hurricane 2021: WC-130J WX hunters deploy

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U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sergeant Kristen Pittman.

On 17JUN2021, the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron (U.S. Air Force Reserve) began launching their WC-130J hurricane hunters from Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, for the 2021 Atlantic Hurricane season.

Planning an ‘LLI’ mission. USAF photo by Staff Sergeant Kristen Pittman, 17JUN2021.

The first WC-130J mission of the 2021 Hurricane season was a ‘lower level invest’ (LLI) over The Gulf of Mexico.

USAF photo by Staff Sergeant Kristen Pittman, 17JUN2021.

LLIs are flown by WC-130Js at a lower altitude than regular storm missions, whenever weather satellites are having a hard time finding the center of a tropical system.

Hurricane History: AIRBORNE HURRICANE HUNTERS, WHEN DID IT ALL START?

Hurricane 2021: U.S. ARMY DEPLOYS EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION VEHICLES!

Technology, U.S.

Hurricane 2021: U.S. Army deploys emergency communication vehicles!

On 21JUN2021, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) deployed a Engineer Command and Control Vehicle-7 (ECCV-7) to Puerto Rico, for the 2021 Atlantic Hurricane season.

USACE photo by Mark Rankin.

It is also called Deployable Tactical Operating System (DTOS).  It allows USACE personnel to integrate with local, federal and state authorities.  The DTOS/ECCV-7 was one of many USACE vehicles being deployed from Florida to Puerto Rico.

USACE photo by Mark Rankin.

Failed State 2020: OHIO JOINS NEW YORK IN DEPLOYING National Guard TO PUERTO RICO

ARMY RESERVE DEPLOYS FOR PUERTO RICO QUAKE RECOVERY

Maria, 2017: ARMY RESERVE RESPONDE AL LLAMADO DE AYUDA EN PUERTO RICO!

Hurricane 2021: USMC PREPS FOR DESTRUCTIVE WX EVENT IN NORTH CAROLINA!

Technology

Solar flares to sink U.S. Navy?

“I study solar flares and I spent my career modeling them. We generally think of flares in terms of their size or their brightness, but we often ignore the part about their duration.”-Jeff Reep, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory

On 15JUN2021, the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory published a story concerning the expected increase in duration of solar flares, and the possibility that entire U.S. Navy (USN) fleets could be affected.

In a recent scenario a USN fleet was hit by a solar flare, destroying its electrical infrastructure and causing havoc to its electronic communications.  The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory is working on a way to allow fleet commanders to conduct real-time forecasting of such solar flares, and to determine how long they will last.  (Forecasting the Remaining Duration of an Ongoing Solar Flare)

21JUN2021, Indian Ocean. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer Third Class Jason Tarleton.

The USN scientists argue that how long a solar flare lasts is as important as how intense the flare is, yet we still can’t determine how long such solar events will last.  The research is part of a NASA program called Living With A Star.

U.S. MILITARY WARNS, SUN WILL INTERFERE WITH YOUR HI-DEF TV

Technology

U.S. military warns, Sun will interfere with your hi-def TV

Towards the end of February 2021, the U.S. Department of Defense’s American Forces Network (AFN) warned that this year’s solar activity will interfere with television signals.

Specifically; the solar phenomena known as Sun Fade, Sun Transit or Sun Outage, is expected to target signals from AFN’s Riverside, California, broadcast center at various times this year.

Misawa, Japan, AFN center. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sergeant Candace Williams.

AFN officials said, so far this year their satellite TV broadcasts to Europe were targeted from February to March, and Japan and Korea were targeted in March.  They advise there is nothing you can do to fix the reception on your expensive high-definition television, except wait until the solar phenomenon ends.

U.S. NAVY CORRECTLY PREDICTS RADIOLOGICAL CHANGES WITH THE SUN

Technology

U.S. Navy correctly predicts radiological changes with The Sun

“What happens on the Sun has significant effects on the Earth’s upper atmosphere, which is important for communication and radar technologies that rely on over-the-horizon or ground-to-space radio frequency propagation…”-Christoph Englert, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory’s Space Science Division

“They can cause damage to satellites and other space objects. The high energy particles themselves are microscopic, but it’s their speed that causes them to be dangerous to electronics, solar panels, and navigation equipment in space.”-J. Martin Laming, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory

In the mid-1990s, a scientist with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory postulated that outer layers of our star were different than first thought.  Since then, J. Martin Laming has jointly published many solar studies: “It’s satisfying to learn that the new observations demonstrate what happens ‘under the hood’ in the theory, and that it actually happens for real on the Sun.”-J. Martin Laming, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory

“We estimate that the Sun is 91% hydrogen but the small fraction accounted for by minor ions like iron, silicon, or magnesium dominates the radiative output in ultraviolet and X-rays from the corona. If the abundance of these ions is changing, the radiative output changes.”-Christoph Englert, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory

The Sun’s magnetic waves change the chemical compounds in each of its own layers.  The final result can be visually observed only during a solar eclipse.

Ozone Hole, 2003 NASA/PBS-Nova program warns the Earth’s magnetic field is flipping out! What is causing it?

Technology, U.S.

Rogue One ExEval: Oregon mass-casualty event!

Video

Oregon Air National Guard photo by First Lieutenant N. Daniel Delgado.

During the middle of June 2021, Oregon Air National Guard personnel responded to a mass-casualty CBRNE (Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear Explosive) event at a place called Camp Rilea.

Oregon ANG photo by First Lieutenant N. Daniel Delgado.

Thankfully it was a training event, known as ‘Rogue One’ ExEval (sometimes meaning Exploitation Evaluation, or Exercise Evaluation, or External Evaluation, they can’t seem to make up their minds as I’ve seen all these used in military press releases), which takes place every two years (biennial).

Oregon ANG photo by First Lieutenant N. Daniel Delgado.

Crews were sent out to look for ‘victims’ who needed decontamination.

Oregon ANG photo by Staff Sergeant Sean Campbell.

A victim is brought in for decontamination.

Oregon ANG photo by First Lieutenant N. Daniel Delgado.

Oregon Air National Guard video by Major Samuel Lee, showing what you can expect if you become a victim and need to be decontaminated:

Oregon ANG photo by Staff Sergeant Sean Campbell.

Even the rescuers/responders are checked for contamination.

Oregon ANG photo by Staff Sergeant Sean Campbell.

Pacific Ring of Fire, May 2021:

WARNINGS FOR ALASKA, HAWAII & WASHINGTON

May 2021:

U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer Second Class Brigitte Johnston.

FEMA REGIONS PREP FOR DISASTER & SPEND YOUR MONEY LIKE IT’S WATER

CBRNE, 2019:  FEMA REGION 4, FEMA REGION 6, CONTAMINATION EVENTS!

July 2019: ARKANSAS HIT BY UNKNOWN SUBSTANCE, USAF SCRAMBLED!

CBRNE, 2017: UTAH’S SECRET(?) WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION EVENT IN EAST IDAHO!

Technology, U.S.

U.S. Wildfire prep, 2021: Connecticut & New York join forces for coming disaster!

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In August 2019, the governors of New York and Connecticut made an agreement to join their respective National Guard forces in case of disasters.  This is called New Mutual Aid Emergency Management Inter-State Compact, and also involves state police.  No justification was given other than that the two states needed to “collaborate” for future cross-border emergencies.

2020’s pandemic-panic-attack delayed joint training for wildfires.

Army National Guard photo by Sergeant Andrew Valenza.

During the first week of May 2021, New York and Connecticut helicopter crews finally joined-up with the New York Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers, for training over the Mohawk River.

Army National Guard photo by Sergeant Andrew Valenza.

“Our procedures vary a little bit compared to what they’re used to, and there’s a lot of terminology they use we have to get used to. We have to get used to working them to develop that crew mix and synergy. One thing we learned is that our previous spot-drop techniques are often not a good course of action due to the way the rotor downwash can fan out the flames.”-Captain Forest Thrush, 3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation Regiment

Army National Guard photo by Sergeant Andrew Valenza.

The Bambi bucket used by the New York/Connecticut National Guard UH-60 Blackhawks can weigh 2.8-tons when full.

U.S. Wildfire prep, 2021: ALASKA AIRBORNE RED CARD

U.S. Wildfire, 2021: SIERRA FIRE

Technology, U.S.

U.S. Wildfire prep, 2021: Alaska airborne Red Card

Video

“If we didn’t do this training to get the federal Red Card certification, we wouldn’t be able to support the state in every possible scenario. This gives the state the full flexibility to use resources in the National Guard regardless of who’s managing the fire.”-Lieutenant Colonel Michele Edwards, Alaska Army National Guard

Alaska Army National Guard photo by Specialist Grace Nechanicky.

Red Card is also known as Incident Qualification Card, it is a type of fire fighting training that is accepted by various federal and state agencies.  Alaska Army National Guard CH-47 and UH-60 helicopter crews conducted Red Card training on 09JUN2021.

Alaska ANG photo by Specialist Grace Nechanicky.

1st Battalion, 207th Aviation Regiment, CH-47 Chinook dragging a 2-thousand-gallon Bambi bucket: “There are no civilian helicopters in state that provide the high-volume, heavy lifts that our CH-47s provide.”-Lieutenant Colonel Michele Edwards, Alaska ANG

Alaska Army National Guard Red Card promotional video by Victoria Granado:

Alaska ANG photo by Dana Rosso.

1st Battalion, 207th Aviation Regiment UH-60 Black Hawk hoisting a 550-gallon Bambi bucket over Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.

Video by Victoria Granado, Alaska ANG Bambi bucket ops:

U.S. Wildfire prep, 2021: CAL FIRE + CAL GUARD + PRISONERS

U.S. Wildfire prep, 2021: EVERGREEN STATE RED CARD