U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Christopher Quail, 22JAN2021.
U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Christopher Quail, 22JAN2021.
On 22JAN2021, a Kuwaiti C-17 Globmaster-3 landed on Dover Air Force Base (AFB) in Delaware, United States.
USAF photo by Senior Airman Christopher Quail, 22JAN2021.
According to the U.S. Department of Defense, the Kuwaiti C-17 was visiting Dover AFB as part of a completion of a military sales deal. Dover AFB is directly involved in $3.5-billion worth of yearly U.S. military sales to other countries.
USAF photo by Senior Airman Christopher Quail, 22JAN2021.
2021 is also the 30th Anniversary of the U.S. liberation of Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm.
USAF photo by Senior Airman Christopher Quail, 22JAN2021.
USAF photo by Senior Airman Christopher Quail, 22JAN2021.
Since the presidency of Barack Obama, the U.S. Department of Defense is steadily shifting focus towards the Asia/Pacific region. Sometimes known as Pivot to Asia, Pivot to Pacific, Total Force training for Near Peer Threats, maybe they should just bring back the phrase Cold War.
All photos by Petty Officer Second Class Michael Schutt.
It will be interesting to see how the new U.S. president, Joe ‘flip-flop’ Biden, handles the Department of Defense. This month, the U.S. Navy SeaBees (construction engineers) and U.S. Marine Corps engineers have begun training to quickly build Expeditionary Advanced Bases (EAB) and Advanced Naval Bases (ANB), in case a major war in the Pacific breaks out. (The U.S. Navy also just completed multinational Pacific region wargame Sea Dragon 2021)
On-loading of personnel and equipment, USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52), 04FEB2021. The training is called Exercise Turning Point, and is held every year by the Pacific Naval Construction Force (PacNCF).
Photo by Petty Officer Second Class Michael Schutt.
USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52) heads towards San Clemente Island from Port Hueneme, 04FEB2021.
Photo by Petty Officer Second Class Michael Schutt.
06FEB2021, an Assault Craft Unit ONE (ACU-1) landed on San Clemente.
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:
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:
During the decades of sporadic wall construction it should be noted that both Republican and Democrat politicians supported it. The first wall section was built by the United States between 1909 and 1911. Mexico built a wall section in 1918. The walls were extended in the 1920s and in the 1940s. President George H.W. Bush (senior) began new wall construction in the 1990s. President Bill Clinton expanded funding for wall construction, in fact one book says it was under Clinton that wall construction became more focused in an attempt to stop drug and human smuggling. President George W. Bush (junior) began new wall construction supposedly at the behest of California politicians. President Barack Obama supposedly declared wall construction complete in 2011, yet quietly (secretly?) built an additional 128-miles (206-km) of wall. In 2017, President Donald Trump officially restarted wall construction. I predict President elect Joe Biden will not halt border wall construction.
Video, trench being dug for construction of wall near Columbus, New Mexico, April 2020:
Video, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) explaining why the U.S. needs a wall, June 2020:
Near El Paso, Texas, August 2020.
Video showing that wall construction continued at night in the South Pacific Border District, Arizona, September 2020:
Video, wall construction South Pacific Border District, California, September 2020:
Border wall slowly stretches across the desert near Columbus, New Mexico, October 2020.
Wall construction over mountains on the Barry M. Goldwater Range aboard Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, October 2020.
New wall completed near Tucson, Arizona, 02NOV2020.
17DEC2020, Tucson 10/28 Border Barrier near Nogales, Arizona.
21DEC2020, the final section of Yuma 10/27 Border Barrier is installed, in Arizona.
Despite Finland being an officially ‘non-aligned’ country, it still allows, and even takes part in, NATO wargames on its soil (which borders Russia).
Suomalaiset Leopardit ja Sisu Pasi ja CV9030 ja MTLB ja 2S1 ja BMP-2 ja AMoS=Finnish Leopard and Sisu Pasi and CV9030 and MTLB and 2S1 and BMP-2 and AMoS.
U.S. Marines and U.K. Royal Marines watch a demonstration of the Leopard bridgelayer, 07MAY2019. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Corporal Scott Jenkins.
Finnish German-made Leopard 2L bridge laying tank, demonstrating for U.S. Marines, and U.K. Royal Marines, during NATO’s Exercise Arrow in May 2019.
U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Corporal Scott Jenkins, 07MAY2019.
It is a German Leopard 2 chassis with a Finnish designed bridge system. Puolustusvoimat / Finnish Defense Forces photo.
USMC LAVs try out the Finnish bridge. USMC photo by Lance Corporal Scott Jenkins, 07MAY2019.
BMP-2MD on the Pojankangas Training Area near Kankaanpaa, Finland, 15MAY2019. U.S. Army photo by Sergeant LaShic Patterson.
Soviet era BMP-2, modernized to BMP-2MD. NATO’s Arrow 19.
BMP-2MD on the Pojankangas Training Area near Kankaanpaa, Finland, 15MAY2019. USA photo by Sergeant LaShic Patterson.
BMP-2MD on the Pojankangas Training Area near Kankaanpaa, Finland, 15MAY2019. USA photo by Sergeant LaShic Patterson.
USA photo by Sergeant LaShic Patterson, 17MAY2019.
Supposedly neutral Finland also takes part in NATO wargames in other countries.
Älvdalen training grounds, Sweden, 27OCT2018. Puolustusvoimat / Finnish Defense Forces photo by Sergeant Alec Orko.
Washing a Sisu/Patria (Sisu was a Cold War era name for the company now called Patria) Pasi XA-203 prior to the short road-march to neighboring Norway for NATO’s Trident Juncture, October 2018.
Washing off the Sweden, before heading to Norway. Puolustusvoimat / Finnish Defense Forces photo by Sergeant Alec Orko, 27OCT2018.
Video, painting your Patria Pasi for Winter ops, 2018:
Puolustusvoimat / Finnish Defense Forces photo by Ville Multanen, 29OCT2018.
Going skiing. A Patria Pasi during NATO’s Trident Juncture, October 2018.
Finnish MTLBs during Arrow 18, in Pohjankangas Training Area, Finland, 18MAY2018. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sergeant Averi Coppa.
Soviet era MTLBs during Arrow 18, May 2018.
CV90-30FIN
Video of Swedish made CV9030 FIN, during NATO’s Saber Strike 2017 in Estonia:
USA photo by Specialist Elliott Banks, 06MAY2017.
Leopard 2A4, NATO’s Arrow 17 wargames, May 2017.
Puolustusvoimat / Finnish Defense Forces photo.
Soviet era 2S1 self propelled artillery gun, the Finns call it the 122 PSH 74. They are former East German 2S1s, purchased in 1992 and 1994.
U.S. Army photo by Specialist Elliott Banks, 05MAY2017.
122 PSH 74 (2S1), NATO’s Arrow 17 wargames, May 2017.
Slow-mo video, German-made Leopard 2A4s, one with Israeli made mine-plow, Niinisalo Training Area in 2016:
Photo by Sergeant Tatum Vayavananda, 11JUN2015.
Sisu Pasi, carrying British troops, ‘invades’ Sweden during NATO’s BALTOPS during Summer 2015.
U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sergeant Armando A. Schwier-Morales, 08JUN2015.
Twin barreled 120mm gunned AMoS (Advanced Mortar System) ‘invades’ Latvia during NATO’s Saber Strike during Summer 2015.
Ukraine Crisis: February 2014 (NATO backed coup) to present.
Drive-thru vaccination site operated by Arizona National Guard, in Sun City. Arizona Army National Guard Photo by Specialist Thurman Snyder, 28DEC2020.
A Licensed Practical Nurse receives the CoViD-19 vaccination at the New Jersey Veterans Memorial Home at Vineland. New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs photo by Mark C. Olsen, 05JAN2021.
Iowa Air National Guard 185th Air Refueling Wing’s 75th Anniversary colors, 22DEC2020. Photo by Senior Master Sergeant Vincent De Groot.
After more than six decades the KC-135 Stratotanker flies on, and by the end of 2020 some even got new clothes for 2021.
Iowa Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sergeant Vincent De Groot, 22DEC2020.
Iowa’s bat tail was first used on F-16s in the 1990s. Iowa’s bat logo was first used over Viet Nam in the 1960s, to represent the unit’s night operations.
Iowa Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sergeant Vincent De Groot, 01MAR2022.
The nose of the KC-135 has a diamond surrounded by silhouettes depicting the type of aircraft flown by the Iowa unit since 1946. The 185th switched from single seat aircraft to the KC-135 in 2003.
Video of Sioux City Bat tanker by Master Sergeant Vincent De Groot, 22DEC2020:
Alaska Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sergeant Julie Avey, 15OCT2020.
In October 2020, Alaska Air National Guard’s 168th Wing revealed a new polar bear logo on their KC-135s.
U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sergeant Kaylee Dubois, 18DEC2020.
The tail flash at the top of each Stratotanker’s vertical tail will bear the name of one of nine interior tribal/native communities. The final two will bear the name Fairbanks and North Pole.
Alaska Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sergeant Julie Avey, 17DEC2020.
Dramatic music video unveiling (by Technical Sergeant William A Keele) of Alaska’s polar bear tail KC-135, 15OCT2020:
Alaska Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sergeant Julie Avey, 17DEC2020.
Here’s a New Jersey Air National Guard KC-135R from May 2020 covid-19 flyover ops:
New Jersey Air National Guard Photo by Staff Sergeant Cristina J. Allen, 12MAY2020.
Fellow NATO member 
Near El Paso, Texas, August 2020.
Border wall slowly stretches across the desert near Columbus, New Mexico, October 2020.
Wall construction over mountains on the Barry M. Goldwater Range aboard Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, October 2020.
New wall completed near Tucson, Arizona, 02NOV2020.
17DEC2020, Tucson 10/28 Border Barrier near Nogales, Arizona.
21DEC2020, the final section of Yuma 10/27 Border Barrier is installed, in Arizona.
