How many times has U.S. led NATO sworn that it is not expanding towards Russia? The first ever permanent U.S. military base in NATO Poland now has an official name: Camp Kościuszko.
U.S. Army Photo by Specialist Garrison Waites, 30JUL2022.
U.S. Army video by Specialist Devin Klecan, official base naming ceremony:
On 30JUL2022, a ceremony was held in Poland, announcing a name for the new U.S. base, named after Tadeusz Kościuszko, a Polish-Lithuanian military officer who joined the American Revolution against the British Empire in June 1776. After the war that created the United States, General Kościuszko returned to Poland in August 1784.
U.S. Army video explainer, by Specialist Devin Klecan:
West Virginia Army National Guard photo by Sergeant Zoe Morris.
Residents of Kentucky reporting that this year’s flooding is the worst they’ve seen, with the Governor saying the death toll will hit double digits. State officials declared it to be catastrophic, and admitting they don’t have the labor to adequately respond to calls for rescues. Next door neighbor West Virginia is sending help.
West Virginia Army National Guard photo by Sergeant Zoe Morris.
The West Virginia National Guard is sending two UH-60M Blackhawks and two UH-72 Lakota rotary wing aircraft, and their crew. They are rom Company C, 2-104th General Support Aviation Battalion (MEDEVAC) and Company B, 1-224th Security and Support Aviation Battalion, based out of Williamstown.
West Virginia Army National Guard photo by Sergeant Zoe Morris.
In July 2020, the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) was undergoing $250-million in upgrades when it was set on fire and destroyed by a disgruntled Sailor (now awaiting Court Martial). In 2021, U.S. Navy (USN) investigators determined that pervasive lack of leadership onboard USS Bonhomme Richard created the environment that led to the sabotage. In July 2022, the USN announced punishments for at least 20 personnel in leadership positions, including the ship’s commanding officer. The disciplines range from letters of reprimand to loss of pay. A letter of censure has also been issued to the former commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet.
This year’s fire season doesn’t seem as profuse as previous years. Don’t tell that to people in Oklahoma, already more than 8-thousand acres (3237 hectares) have burned since 14JUL2022.
KOCO report from 15JUL2022, points out that the fire is negatively affecting a major food source:
Oklahoma Army National Guard photo by Sergeant Anthony Jones, 16JUL2022.
On 16JUL2022, Oklahoma Army National Guard UH-60 Black Hawks, and LUH-72 Lakotas, attacked what is called the 702-Fire, in Blaine County.
Oklahoma Army National Guard photo by Sergeant Anthony Jones, 16JUL2022.
The UH-60 can dump more than 6-hundred gallons of water, using its ‘Bambi bucket‘.
Oklahoma Army National Guard photo by Specialist Caleb Stone, 16JUL2022.
Don’t forget about the natural gas refinery in Medford, Oklahoma, that caught fire a week ago:
Arizona Army National Guard image by Major Kyle Key.
On 16JUL2022, more than 30 personnel from the 850th Military Police Battalion deployed to help fill more than 5-thousand sandbags. Then, the next day (17JUL2022), approximately 60 additional personnel of the Arizona National Guard deployed to the Coconino County Public Works Department, to help fill as many as 600-thousand sandbags before the end of the week.
“Summer is the time the program has given us to step outside our normal curriculum and experiment to try out new areas of STEM and develop new lessons we can then possibly submit to our national program for youth and other Starbase programs across the nation. Our Starbase staff were really excited about developing this new program and we hope to continue the curriculum into future summer camps and possibly the normal academic year.”-Courtney Taylor, Idaho Starbase director
During the months of June and July, 2022, fewer than 2-hundred 5th grade students in Idaho took part in an Idaho National Guard STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) Summer Camp program, called Starbase (STARBASE A Department of Defense Youth Program). It is not the first time, but this year demand for such a program was high enough that the normal one camp was expanded into eight separate camps, and three new unique/specialized programs were tried-out.
The Starbase camp is for children of members of the Idaho state militia. Military based STEM camps began in 2018, under the federal Department of Education’s (DoE) Title 1, however, according to the Idaho National Guard the federal Department of Defense (DoD) is actually providing the funding for the state militia operated STEM camps and after-school programs.
Children of migrant workers learn how to use computers to do facial reconstruction, on Idaho National Guard’s Gowen Field. Idaho Army National Guard photo by Crystal Farris, 15JUL2022.
Military based STEM camps are also for children of migrant farm workers, under the federal DoE’s Migrant Education Program. It appears that the DoD’s Starbase STEM camps are exclusively for children of National Guard personnel, and children of migrant workers!
Idaho Army National Guard photo by Crystal Farris, 28JUN2022.
For June 2022, Idaho’s Starbase introduced three new categories for its Summer camp; identifying weapons of mass destruction (WMD) under the guise of CSI (Crime Scene Investigation), Space-Force training under the guise of Mission to Mars, and survival training under the guise of search and rescue. Students were part of other programs such as the Caldwell Migrant Summer School Program, the Idaho Wing of the Civil Air Patrol, the Learning Garden Children’s Center in Meridian, and four different regions of the YMCA (Christian organization founded in the United Kingdom, based in Switzerland).
Idaho Army National Guard photo by Crystal Farris, 08JUL2022.
For July 2022, Starbase Idaho wrapped-up the season by introducing 3rd through 6th grade students to Idaho Army National Guard armored vehicles.
12 July 2022 (14:05-UTC-07 Tango 06) 21 Tir 1401/12 Dhu l-Hijja 1443/14 Ding-Wei 4720
M2HB heavy machine gun training,18JUN2022. Pennsylvania National Guard photo.
Pennsylvania Army National Guard’s 252nd Quartermaster Company has been on Fort Hood, Texas, training for their deployment to somewhere in The Middle East (South West Asia).
Forklift training, 11JUL2022. Pennsylvania National Guard photo.
Being a ‘Quartermaster’ unit, their main job is logistics, so that is what much of the training focused on. Don’t want any supply chain shortages for the troops in The Middle East.
On Fort Hood, 08JUL2022. Pennsylvania National Guard photo.
These Conex boxes contain the 252nd’s gear, for shipment to The Middle East.
Approximately 200 Soldiers got on the bus, 05JUN2022. Pennsylvania Army National Guard photo by Private First Class David Thomson.
Leaving for Texas, 05JUN2022. Pennsylvania Army National Guard video by Private First Class David Thomson:
The busses took them to the airport. Pennsylvania Army National Guard photo by Staff Sergeant Zane Craig, 05JUN2022.
11 July 2022 (18:11-UTC-07 Tango 06) 20 Tir 1401/11 Dhu l-Hijja 1443/13 Ding-Wei 4720
Kentucky Army National Guard photo by Sergeant First Class Benjamin Crane, 01JUL2022.
“We can live without electricity, we can live without the Internet. One thing you definitely can’t live without is water. And it becomes something that we sometimes take for granted.”-Adam Ledford, City of Marion
Beginning 24JUN2022, personnel with Kentucky Army National Guard’s 2061st Multi-Role Bridge Company, as well as the 206th Engineer Battalion, 201st Engineer Battalion, and 103rd Chemical Battalion, have been working to bring potable water to the town of Marion.
Kentucky Army National Guard photo by Sergeant First Class Benjamin Crane, 01JUL2022.
Side note: Despite what dictionaries/word-smiths say is the source of the word potable, people should pronounce potable as pot-able (or pot-a-bul), as in the water is able to be used in a pot for cooking/drinking. Non-potable, of course, is water that is not able to be used in a pot for cooking/drinking.
On 22JUN2022, it was reported that administrators in Crittenden County were scrambling to solve a water shortage problem caused by attempts by City of Marion administrators to drain Lake George.
Lake George was the primary water source for Marion, but in April erosion in the lake’s levee suddenly developed into a sink-hole. An attempt was made to drain the Lake George, to prevent total failure of the levee and a resulting massive flood of the town. At first the standard way of draining was not making good progress, so they decided to breech the levee on purpose.
Observing Old City Lake. Kentucky Army National Guard photo by Sergeant First Class Benjamin Crane, 01JUL2022.
There are several options for the City of Marion; rely on other cities and other counties for water, which will greatly jack-up water costs for Marion residents. Or, have the Governor call in the National Guard and make emergency taxpayer funded water deliveries until a long term solution proves viable.
Kentucky Army National Guard photo by Sergeant First Class Benjamin Crane, 01JUL2022.
Governor Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency and initially deployed approximately 20 Army National Guard Combat Engineers.
WSIL video report, three days of potable water left as of 06JUL2022, multiple new leaks:
On 07JUL2022, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet announced it will attempt to connect Marion with water from the Crittenden-Livingston Water District. Also, Webster County Water has been suppling water, and, Marion officials approved a plan to build a three miles long system to connect to the Caldwell County Water District in Princeton. However, all these expensive water connections to other systems will supply only half of the City of Marion’s water needs. Additional efforts are being attempted.
The City of Marion is a rural city with a population of about 3-thousand.
Incomplete (tip-o-the iceberg) list of main stream news links announcing United States food supply shutdowns, emergencies, outbreaks and recalls for June 2022:
Long explanation how food crisis is second biggest factor behind price inflation (housing is number one). Food price inflation directly linked to fertilizer shortage caused by sanctions and war, yet as a result fertilizer is being stockpiled (farming ops are buying more than what they need out of fear) which will have a long term effect of fertilizer price drops, reducing food prices:
International food analysts (this leftist-liberal report loves to call them ‘experts’) say the food crisis is actually about “…access to food, that people don’t have money to pay for food, that people are jobless.” It is not about a lack of food (I’ve already posted about migrant farm workers in Idaho that say the same thing):
Indiana National Guard photo by Staff Sergeant Tackora Farrington, 15JUN2022.
On 15JUN2022, Walmart conducted their yearly Feed ’em for Freedom food fest, on Camp Atterbury, for state National Guard personnel, and their families. Never mind that taxpayers already pay for the meals of military personnel, Walmart probably gets a tax write-off for providing a free BBQ for them. Is this a covert way for the Department of Defense to save money, by preparing state militia to rely on private sector donations for their meals?
NORTH CAROLINA:
U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sergeant Isaiah Campbell, 29JUN2022.
On 29JUN2022, U.S. Marines with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) volunteered to help operate the Unite Way’s Children Healthy Eating on Weekends (CHEW) Center, in Jacksonville.
VIRGINIA: On Fort Lee, the USDA kicked off its 13th annual Feds Feed Families (FFF) campaign. This means that for the past 13 years federal employees are being encouraged to donate food to silly-vilians, I mean civilians who are going hungry. Isn’t that a sign the country’s economy sucks? After all, a federal job is considered the best paying entry level job now, and I remember when being a federal employee meant you got less than private sector minimum wage (because I was one)! The FFF program will be collecting food until September 30th. This year U.S. military officials are blaming the food crisis on The Pandemic, as well as domestic and foreign political intrigues: “The annual Feds Feed Families food drive is one of the best ways for commissaries and military families to give back to the communities which host us around the nation. Unfortunately, with the pandemic and related issues of the last few years, the need is as great as it has been in a long time. The good news is that a little goes a long way.”-Sergeant Major Michael R. Saucedo, U.S. Marine Corps, Director of Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA)
Once again, the U.S. Coast Guard captured illegal drugs in the Gulf of Oman, on 31MAY2022 (not reported until 02JUN2022). This time 310 kilograms of heroin.
FLORIDA: On 17JUN2022, the USCG off-loaded 5-thousand-237 pounds of illegal drugs, onto Coast Guard Base Miami Beach. Video by Petty Officer Third Class Vincent Moreno:
Nearing the end of a 55 day patrol. USCG photo by Seaman Brad O’Brien, 30MAY2022.
On 24JUN2022, the USCG Cutter Steadfast (WMEC 623) returned to homeport in Astoria. While out patrolling the Eastern Pacific for the past 55 days, the crew of Steadfast helped Mexican law enforcement, on two occasions, to interdict drug smuggling boats, resulting in the seizure of 2-thousand-747 kilograms of cocaine.
PENNSYLVANIA MILITIA TRAINS IN TEXAS, ON WAY TO MIDDLE EAST.
U.S./NATO “NO SIGNIFICANT EFFECT” IN UKRAINE!
