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Vehicle I-D: Afghan 8/17 Mils
NATO reporting name Hip.
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.
Photo by Staff Sergeant Matthew Smith.
Photo by Staff Sergeant Matthew Smith.
Forward Operating Base (FOB) Bostick, 09OCT2011.
Photo by Staff Sergeant Matthew Smith.
FOB Fenty, Jalalabad, 09OCT2011.
Photo by Staff Sergeant Matthew Smith.
Mil 17B(V)-5 over FOB Fenty, 08OCT2011.
Photo by Staff Sergeant Matthew Smith.
Photo by Staff Sergeant Matthew Smith.
May 2011: Mil 17B(V)-5 crash & burn.
Photo by Petty Officer Third Class Jared Walker.
Video, February 2011, rocket training:
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.
Vehicle I-D: UH-60 FOR AFGHANISTAN, KILLED-OFF BY THE MIL 17?
Afghan Mi-24 Hind-D.
See how the CH-47 loves to collect ‘Hip’ bones
River Gun Boat: România, guardians of the Danube
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:
Gunboat target practice, video posted April 2013:
The Jamestown Foundation has a article with more info about Romania’s Danube Flotilla.
Fellow NATO member Turkey sold to the Romanian Border Police 12 SNR-17 river patrol boats.
Vehicle I-D: 
ARMURĂ ROMÂNIA
U.S. NAVY KEEPS OLD U.S. ARMY BOAT-TRUCK AFLOAT
Vehicle I-D: Armură România
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 UROVESA VAMTac (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-85M1 Bizonul (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.
In 2015 Romania expanded its NATO role by deploying additional troops to Afghanistan. Romanian troops operate U.S. made Oshkosh M-ATV MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected).
Photo by Sergeant William Tanner, 18APR2015.
TR-85, Smardan Training Area, Romania, April 2015.
Video, PMA T-55 bridge layer in action, 2015:
Romanian Armed Forces video of bridge tank operation: https://fb.watch/3bZYmB3S-C/
USA photo by Sergeant William Tanner, 18APR2015.
MLI-84Ms drive around a German made Gepard (Cheetah) anti-aircraft tank, April 2015.
USA photo by Sergeant William Tanner, 18APR2015.
TABC-79/ABC-79M on Smardan Training Area, Romania. USA photo by Sergeant William Tanner, 18APR2015.
Once called the TABC-79, the Scout/Recon vehicles are now called ABC-79M.
DMT-85M1. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Corporal Melanye Martinez, 07DEC2015.
A DMT-85M1 engineer vehicle, based on the TR-85M1, December 2015.
T-55. USMC photo by Sergeant Kirstin Spanu, 28SEP2016.
From September 2016, a T-55AM (aka TR-77-580).
USA photo by Sergeant Timothy Villareal, 15JUL2017.
Romanian BMP ambulance conversion, July 2017.
Video by Staff Sergeant Michael Zahnow, how to cross a Romanian river (the Danube):
TAB-71/BTR-60. USA photo by Specialist Emily Houdershieldt, 19JUL2017.
BTR-60 (TAB-71) just outside Ramnicu Valcea, July 2017.
Video, BTR-70 (aka TAB-77) from 2017 maneuvers:
Video, by Specialist Jacob Banuelos, TR-85 live fire, Smardan Training Area in December 2017:
USA photo by Sergeant Jeremiah Woods, 30MAY2019.
TAB-77 (BTR-70), May 2019.
USA photo by Staff Sergeant True Thao, 20JUN2019.
Piranha-3 crosses the Danube river during Saber Guardian 2019.
Video, by Specialist Drake Chandler, of NATO Saber Guardian 2019 wargames, Romanian Swiss made Piranha cross a pontoon bridge:
Saber Guardian 2019 music video, by Michigan National Guard Specialist Brian Pearson and Romanian Captain Mariana Dinu:
More live fire video, Saber Guardian 2019, TR-85 and T-55 (TR-77-580):
Photo by Sergeant H. Marcus McGill. Piranha joins a U.S. convoy to the Black Sea for Exercise Rapid Falcon, 19NOV2020.
More Romanian Armed Forces videos: www.facebook.com/Romanian.Armed.Forces/videos
Soviet era tanks in use by NATO: POLAND
NATO: MiG-21
World War Three, 2016: 
SNAKE RIVER Militia M1A2 SEP, LIVE FIRE ROMANIA!
MONTANA Militia ENJOYS BEING THE ‘BAD GUY’ IN ROMANIA!
Vaccine Fail: California
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:
Report that restaurant lockdowns might have actually spread CoViD!
New California-Los Angeles CoViD variant renders vaccine useless?
Mass-vax-site at Disneyland is shutdown for a second day, blamed on weather
More conflicting reports of vaccine shortage
People are moving out of California, in hopes of getting the shot!
City of Long Beach boasts of successful vax campaign
Video report, Travis Air Force Base conducted mass flu vaccinations, and prepped for future mass CoViD vaccinations:
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State politician gets the shot, then gets infected!
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Healthcare workers being forced to work non-stop!
Photo by Senior Airman Neil Mabini.
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.
Pandemic Samaritan: Charity delivers medical tent and supplies to High Desert hospital in California
Vaccine Fail: U.S. VAX BANNED! SKYROCKETING NUMBER OF HEALTHCARE WORKERS REJECT THE SHOT!
“season of paradoxes”: Hypocrite Democrats now say Economy more important than Pandemic!
Here’s an incomplete list of links to news media reports on the latest virus shenanigans: United Nations admits pandemic is slowing global illegal immigration!
CANADA (Commonwealth of Nations): Pandemic causes record number of people to flee Toronto!
Dumb-ass Canadian leader considering even stricter lockdown rules!
GERMANY: Lockdown loving Merkel claims pandemic will make us stronger
JAPAN: Water faucets blamed for giving Tokyo subway drivers CoViD!
MEXICO: Amazingly, reporting bump in tourism fueled by U.S. citizen trying to escape pandemic restrictions
UNITED KINGDOM (Commonwealth of Nations): Another recession looms as lockdowns bite
Insurance companies tried to get out of paying claims, using pandemic as excuse!
UNITED STATES: Democrats leveraged pandemic, economic pain and civil unrest for political gain (in other words, democrats politized the pandemic)
UnAmerican Corporate America blames lack of production and food supply on massive employee sick-outs!
Anybody remember when the Swamp news media, Swamp Democrats, and even Swamp Republicans poo-pooed President Donald Trump’s concern that pandemic lockdowns could destroy the economy, and as a result destroy more lives than the pandemic? Guess what, more proof he is correct!
Anti-Trump magazine The Atlantic admits Yes, the Pandemic Is Ruining Your Body
Paranoid pandemic reaction sinks seafood industry!
Pandemic results in Wealthy Homeowners Get Richer, First-Time Buyers Struggle
Pandemic helps Bill Gates to Become the Largest Farmland Owner in the United States
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Photo by Specialist Caleb Minor.
U.S. Air Force Captain Dana Hunter Junior, was deployed to the Adventist Health Lodi Memorial Hospital, to assist with pandemic patients.
Colorado; Pandemic restricted living is creating piles of trash: “I am horrified by the number of plastic bags, insulated bags, and, Amazon envelopes that I have amassed.”-woman who now orders almost everything online
Hawaii; State officials refuse to explain where all the federal taxpayer funded CoViD relief money went!
Illinois; Back in August 2020, Lori Lightfoot, the mayor of Chicago, said lockdowns were killing the local economy and tax collections. Now she is demanding “Let’s bring it out of the shadows, let’s allow them to have some recreation in restaurants, in bars, where we can actually work with responsible owners and managers to regulate and protect people from COVID-19, so I feel very strongly that we are very close to a point where we should be talking about opening our bars and restaurants.”
This was after Sam Toia, of Illinois Restaurant Association, revealed“This is the highest rate of hospitality job loss in the entire country, and three times as many as the next closest state. We are also one of only three states with a complete statewide shutdown of indoor dining. Restaurants are out of time, and they need a more reasonable — and immediate — path forward to save the industry. This is the reckoning.”
Despite massive lockdown layoffs, for some reason plastic surgery is booming!
Massachusetts; Free pandemic food program finally started?!
Michigan; State economy could be permanently changed by government imposed COVID-19 restrictions
New York; Gov’na Cuomo suddenly does a one-eighty on lockdowns, now admits re-opening the economy is more important: “We simply cannot stay closed until the vaccine hits critical mass. The cost is too high. We will have nothing left to open. We must reopen the economy…..”
Restaurant owners on the verge of rebellion!
Study says pandemic restrictions creating better environment for people with asthma
Pennsylvania; ‘Expert’ says pandemic restrictions will cause increase in sexually transmitted diseases!
South Dakota; College students dropping out due to pandemic online learning policies!
Texas; Sales tax revenues became volatile due to pandemic paranoia
Grade school students are now six months behind due to pandemic restrictions
Vermont; Statistics show grim toll of pandemic on women’s economic health
Going Viral: FLU is MUTATING DUE TO COVID? U.S. Air Force GIVES WARNING ABOUT VACCINES!
DC-8: PANDEMIC SAMARITAN
Cancel Culture: Welcome to the new hell under the new ‘president’
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Incomplete list of links to new reports about the new trend of cancel culture within the United States, as of 15JAN2021:
Will ‘cancel culture’ come for us all?
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How to cancel Twitch subscription
Investors abandon Facebook and Twitter after they canceled President Donald Trump!
Hypocrisy as online tech industry works hard to prevent you from cancelling their crappy service; Amazon faces legal challenge over Prime cancellation policy
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Dog reality show The Pack Cancelled by Amazon
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ALABAMA: University swim meets cancelled
Why are so many elective surgeries being cancelled?
ARIZONA: One of the biggest annual car shows in the Desert Southwest cancelled!
CALIFORNIA: Disneyland to Cancel Annual Passes
The city of Morro Bay officially joins movement to cancel President Trump
COLORADO: Classic cycling race canceled
FLORIDA: People are being told how to cancel their vaccination appointments!
Art groups continue to cancel shows
GEORGIA: Attempts to cancel yet another historic statue
IDAHO: Ski resort cancelled due to lack of people wearing masks!
Idaho internet provider cancels Facebook and Twitter!
ILLINOIS: Chicago official to propose ordinance allowing for removal of Trump Tower sign
MASSACHUSETTS: Northeast-10 Conference cancelled
MICHIGAN: University cancels yet another game
Feed the Need food drive cancelled
MINNESOTA: Law students seek to cancel a former student for being in the ‘wrong’ political party!
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MISSOURI: State House legislators cancel their legislative session!
NEW YORK: Will City Cancel Contracts for Golf Course and Carousel?
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Legal action filed to stop the cancelling of a historic statue
UTAH: County officials now claims the cancellation of vaccine appointments was a mistake
VIRGINIA: Local politicians demand hotel cancel reservations for Proud Boys!
Richmond Public Schools cancel fall sports season
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WISCONSIN: State politician wants to cancel election officials who blew the whistle on election fraud!
Going Viral: FLU MUTATING DUE TO COVID? USAF GIVES WARNING ABOUT VACCINES!
Vaccine Fail: U.S. VAX BANNED! SKYROCKETING NUMBER OF HEALTHCARE WORKERS REJECT THE SHOT!
U.S. BORDER WALL MILESTONES OF 2020
KC-135: The last ISO for the 916th
Photos by Staff Sergeant Mary McKnight.
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:
KC-135: 
BATS & BEARS, OH MY!
Vehicle I-D: KDC-10 Koninklijke Luchtmacht
Photo by Staff Sergeant Dana Cable.
In September 2019, A Royal Netherlands Air Force KDC-10 paid a visit to Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, for Exercise Mobility Guardian.
Fairchild AFB, Washington, 2019. Photo by First Lieutenant Jessica Cicchetto.
2019: Texas airborne fueler company buys Dutch KDC-10s
Photos by Maartje Roos.
Photos from NATO’s Trident Juncture 2018, in Norway.
NATO video, taxi-takeoff, heading to Trident Juncture 2018 in Norway:
Photo by Chris Okula.
They flew all the way to Edwards Air Force Base, in California, to refuel one of their own F-35s! According to the press info, at the end of March 2016, the Royal Netherlands Air Force (Koninklijke Luchtmacht) was used to prove the viability of refueling F-35s with KC-10s.
Halloween 2020: 
HOW TO MUMMIFY YOUR KC-10, OR, LAST FLIGHT OF 86-0036
Operation CoViD-19: 
PROJECT AIR BRIDGE, 747S, MD-11S, BREAKING AIRLIFT RECORDS!
Wildfires 2019: DC-10, IDAHO’S 911
Bare Metal: 
NASA’S MD-11 EXPERIMENTAL
DC-8: Pandemic Samaritan
Photo via Samaritan’s Purse.
Samaritan’s Purse DC-8 arrives at NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center, Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, 11JAN2021.
Photo by Giancarlo Casem.
The aircraft delivered supplies for a 50+ beds Emergency Field Hospital being constructed at Antelope Valley Hospital in nearby Lancaster.
Video, by Giancarlo Casem, showing off-loading of Samaritan’s Purse DC-8, 11JAN2021:
Samaritan’s Purse photo showing emergency hospital tent construction in Lancaster, California.
Samaritan’s Purse video showing emergency hospital tent construction:
Samaritan’s Purse photo showing hurricane response efforts in Honduras, November 2020.
Samaritan’s Purse photo showing hurricane response efforts in Honduras.
Samaritan’s Purse video, Honduras hurricane response, November 2020:
Samaritan’s Purse is based in North Carolina, is adamantly Christian, and has a history of working alongside the U.S. Department of Defense, at least as far back as 2012.
Pandemic Flights, 2020: 
RECORD SETTING PANDEMIC AIRBRIDGE CONTINUES
Vehicle I-D: NASA’S DC-8 CLIMATE WARRIOR