During May 2016, the Oregon Air National Guard spread their F-15C Eagle (Kotkat) wings all the way to Finland (Suomi), for NATO’s Operation Atlantic Resolve.
Oregon Air National Guard photo by Technical Sergeant Jefferson Thompson, 10MAY2016.
One of the 173rd’s Eagles was decked-out with a special one year only paint scheme in commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the Oregon Air National Guard.
Oregon Air National Guard photo by Technical Sergeant Jefferson Thompson, 10MAY2016.
Oregon’s 173rd Fighter Wing operated out of Finland’s Rissala Air Base, aka Kuopio Airport.
Finnish Defense Forces video of Oregon’s visit:
Kuopio Airport/Rissala Air Base is home to Finland’s Karelia Air Command. This is the flag of Karelia Air Command.
Oregon Air National Guard explainer video report:
Oregon Air National Guard photo by Technical Sergeant Jefferson Thompson, 10MAY2016.
Oregon’s F-15Cs flew alongside Finland’s F/A-18s, fighting against Swedish Saab aircraft during the NATO wargame.
Photo by Petty Officer Third Class John Hightower.
On 09JAN2021, the USCGC Stone found itself off the coast of South American country Guyana. The U.S. Coast Guard is now working with the Guyana Coast Guard to fight ‘illegal activities’, as per a September 2020 agreement.
Puerto Rico:On 07JAN2021, the U.S. Coast Guard transfers custody of a fugitive, with a standing warrant for an alleged murder, to U.S. Marshals agents in Mayaguez.
The primary identifying feature between Mil 8 and 17 versions is; the Mil 8 has the tail rotor on the pilot’s right side, the Mil 17 has the tail rotor on the pilot’s left side. All other details are subject to change.
Video by Bob Ditchey, Hip door gunner live-fire, 13MAY2018:
2014 video, Mil 17B(V)-5 helicopters inflight over Afghanistan:
2014 video, by Senior Airman Brandi Hansen, of NATO member Czech Republic advisers on a training flight, with live-fire door gunning, in an Afghan Mil 17B(V)-5 helicopter. Czech Republic has a long history of using Mil helicopters and was sent to help train Afghans:
2013 NATO video report; Uruzgan based 4th Brigade of the Afghan National Army conducted resupply and casualty evacuations:
Forward Operating Base Shank in Logar province, 04AUG2012. U.S. Army photo by Specialist Austin Berner.
Photo by Technical Sergeant Dennis Henry.
In 2012, NATO member Czech Republic deployed air-crews to Afghanistan. They got acquainted with the terrain by taking rides in Afghan Mil 17B(V)-5.
Photo by Technical Sergeant Dennis Henry.
Photo by Technical Sergeant Dennis Henry.
Photo by Technical Sergeant Dennis Henry
U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer Second Class Jonathan David Chandler. Sun rises on a Mil-8 helicopter on Camp Bastion, Helmand province, 23OCT2011.
Video by Sergeant Bryan Spradlin, October 2010, showing U.S. and Afghan forces refueling and rearming a Hip:
During Afghan national elections Hip helicopters are used to deliver empty ballot boxes, and then retrieve full ballot boxes after voting. These pics are from September 2010.
Maybe it’s time the United States use its military to control ballots during national level elections?
Photo by Petty Officer Second Class Ernesto Hernandez Fonte.
August 2010, U.S. advisers fire the rockets of a Mil 17. U.S. advisers were prepping to train-up Afghan aircrews in using the Hip as a gunship.
Photo by Staff Sergeant Teddy Wade. Contracted Mil Mi-8 helicopter lands at FOB Airborne, 25NOV2009.
Hip door gunners, 03OCT2009. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sergeant Angelita Lawrence.
By November 2008, Afghanistan had received three new U.S. taxpayer funded Mi-17 Hips. U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sergeant Keith Brown, 25NOV2008.
NATO Romania’s armored river gunboats are operated by a unit called Division 88. Romania has been operating river gunboats on the Danube River since 1860, making Romania the oldest ‘modern’ navy to do so.
Photo via Naval Forces Romania, October 2021.
This Shield of Dobrogea video, posted in March 2021, shows gunboat ops during exercise Danube Protector:
Arizona Army National Guard photo by Staff Sergeant Adrian Borunda, 15JUL2017.
Romanian armored gunboat F-178 Smârdan in action on the Danube (Dunăre), during NATO’s Saber Guardian 2017.
NATO video, quad 23mm anti-aircraft guns blazing on the Smârdan during Saber Guardian 2017:
Mihail Kogălniceanu class F-47 gunboat, U.S. Army photo by Private First Class Nicholas Vidro, 16JUL2017.
Romanian river monitor F-47 Lascăr Catargiu, Saber Guardian 2017.
NATO video of river patrol boat, armored gunboats, and larger monitors, supporting Danube river crossing operations, big guns firing (wait for it):
Smârdan class F-176 Rohave, USA photo by Specialist Christopher Estrada, 22JUN2019.
Armored gunboat F-176 Rahova provides cover for Danube river crossing, Saber Guardian June 2019.
NATO video of Danube river crossing, armored gunboats and a monitor, Saber Guardian 2019:
Romania has three Mihail Kogălniceanu class river monitors, beginning operations in the 1990s:
F-45 Mihail Kogălniceanu, photo via Naval Forces Romania, February 2022.
Photo via Naval Forces Romania, October 2021.
Photo via Naval Forces Romania, October 2021.
F-47 Lascăr Catargiu.
F-47 on public display, photo via Naval Forces Romania, August 2021.
Photo via Naval Forces Romania, August 2020.
Photo via Naval Forces Romania, August 2020.
F-46 Ion C. Brătianu.
Mihail Kogălniceanu class and Smârdan class launching rockets. Photo via Naval Forces Romania, October 2021.
Five Smârdan class armored river gunboats, beginning operations in the late 1980s-early 1990s:
F-176 Rohave, photo via Naval Forces Romania, June 2021.
F-177 Opanez, photo via Naval Forces Romania, May 2021.
F-177 Opanez, photo via Naval Forces Romania, May 2021.
Rocket launchers are optional, photo via Naval Forces Romania, April 2021.
F-178 Smârdan, photo via Naval Forces Romania, June 2021.
Photo via Naval Forces Romania, September 2021.
Photo via Naval Forces Romania, July 2021.
F-179 Posada, photo via Naval Forces Romania, May 2021.
F-179 Posada, photo via Naval Forces Romania, May 2021.
F-179 equipped with two optional rocket launchers, photo via Naval Forces Romania, October 2021.
Photo via Naval Forces Romania, August 2020.
F-180 Rovine, photo via Naval Forces Romania, July 2021.
Photo via Naval Forces Romania, October 2021.
F-180 with one optional rocket launcher, photo via Naval Forces Romania, October 2021.
Photo via Naval Forces Romania, October 2020.
Division 88 operates about a dozen of these non-named VD-141 river patrol boats. The VD-141 class began operations in the 1980s:
Patrol boat F-147, February 2022, photo via Naval Forces Romania.
Shield of Dobrogea video posted in January 2020, Division 88’s smaller river patrol boats:
Guns of a VD-141 class, photo via Naval Forces Romania, June 2021.
Shield of Dobrogea video of Division 88 river gunboats in action, posted November 2019 (although a lot of the video is actually from 2017):
Official Romanian Navy promotional video about Division 88 river gunboat operations, posted April 2019:
River gunboat ops, posted by Shield of Dobrogea, May 2018:
More gunboat action, posted April 2018:
River gunboat report posted April 2017:
A long video about Romania’s river gunboats, from 2015:
Former Soviet Bloc member Romania became a member of NATO in 2004.
One of the first operations as a member of NATO was to deploy troops to Iraq in 2007. Video of Romanian TAB-B33 Zimbru (Romanian built BTR-80) heading out for patrol in Iraq, April 2007:
U.S. Army photo by Staff Sergeant Brendan Stephens, 15OCT2008.
In 2008, Romanian troops operated U.S. made armored HMMWV (High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle), as well as their BTR-80s (aka TAB-B33 Zimbru [Aurochs, or wild cattle]) while patrolling outside the city of Nasariyah, Iraq.
Camp Dracula, Dhi Qar, Iraq, 01DEC2008. USA photo by Specialist Donte Baltimore.
Since July 2006, Romanian troops have also been working alongside U.S. troops in Afghanistan. U.S. Army video from 16OCT2010, showing Romanians training for deployment to Afghanistan:
U.S. Army (USA) video report from 2009, revealing that the U.S. Army has expanded into Romania:
The UROVESAVAMTac (Vehículo de Alta Movilidad Táctico) looks like a U.S. HMMWV, but it is actually made in NATO-Spain.
Tennessee Army National Guard learns to shoot the Cold War era Soviet 12.7mm heavy machine gun on the Babadag Training Area, Romania, 13AUG2009. Photo by Sergeant Marla Keown.
Live prep & fire video, by Sergeant Ellis McDaniels, TR-85M1Bizonul (The Bison) invade Grafenwoehr, Germany, June 2014:
TR-85M1 blasting away on Grafenwoehr, Germany, 13JUN2014. USA photo by Captain Sandra Stover.
Romanian Armed Forces video of tank live-fire, from point of view of the top of the turret: https://fb.watch/3b_7nPPEy8/
Romanian MLI-84M on Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, 27JUN2014. USA photo by Gertrud Zach.
A modified BMP, the Romanian MLI-84M Jder (Marten), in Germany, 2014.
In 2015, the U.S. issued MRAPs to Romanian troops operating in Kandahar, Afghanistan. USA photo, 02MAR2015.
There’s an old saying; as California goes, so goes the rest of the nation. I hope not. List of links to news reports showing the vaccination campaign in leftist-liberal democrat controlled California is a failure, as of 20JAN2021:
California Air National Guard deployed a Disaster Relief Beddown System (DRBS) outside of the emergency department of PIH Health Downey Hospital. The medical tent is equipped with electrical and HVAC.
In October 2019, on Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, the 916th Maintenance Squadron (of the 916th Air Refueling Wing) completed their last isochronal (ISO) inspection of a KC-135 Stratotanker.
The KC-135 has been replaced by the KC-46 Pegasus.
The last ISO on the 916th KC-135 was started in August, but took longer than expected due to delays caused by severe weather: “The ISO (isochronal) aircraft was placed on the flightline as a precaution to protect it from possible damage. The hangar it was in leaves the empennage exposed to high winds which could cause more damage because of the close tolerance to the hangar doors.”-Senior Master Sergeant Karl Rehkamp, 916th Maintenance Squadron maintenance flight chief
Explainer video report, by Technical Sergeant Michael McGhee:
Kuopio Airport/Rissala Air Base is home to Finland’s Karelia Air Command. This is the flag of Karelia Air Command.
NEW TAIL FEATHERS FOR OREGON EAGLE
On 07JAN2021, the U.S. Coast Guard transfers custody of a fugitive, with a standing warrant for an alleged murder, to U.S. Marshals agents in Mayaguez.
During Afghan national elections Hip helicopters are used to deliver empty ballot boxes, and then retrieve full ballot boxes after voting. These pics are from September 2010.
Maybe it’s time the United States use its military to control ballots during national level elections?
Fellow NATO member 
