Tag Archives: war

Vehicle I-D: M88A2 HERCULES (another tool of the British empire?)

Development of the M88A2 was started in 1991, after it was realized the A1 version could not tow the M1 Abrams by itself; it required two M88A1s to tow the 70-ton battle-tank. The first M88A2 went into service in July 1997. Only the A2 is called the HERCULES, which stands for Heavy Equipment Recovery Combat Utility Lifting Extraction System.

U.S. Marine Corps HERCULES near Al-Karmah, Iraq.

In May 2010, the U.S. Army’s 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment was on the National Training Center (Fort Irwin, California) preparing for deployment to Iraq. Here’s a quick explanation of what the M88A2 can do:

U.S. Marine Corps HERCULES lifts a battle damaged French Mirage 2000D, in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

(See more of the Mirage 2000D crash by clicking here.)

From 1961 to 1994 the M88 was built by a company originally called Bowen & McLaughlin. Here is some confusion; Bowen & McLaughlin supposedly started in Phoenix, Arizona, during World War Two. However, by 1950 Bowen & McLaughlin apparently setup shop in York, Pennsylvania, changing their name to Bowen McLaughlin York (BMY).  BMY became a division of U.S. based Harsco Corporation, which ‘went public’ in 1956.  In 1994, Harsco and FMC (Food Machinery Corporation) joined forces and created United Defense.  Harsco still exists today, but changed its name to Enviri Corporation.

U.S. Marine Corps HERCULES pulls the ‘power pack’ (turbine-transmission combo) of an M1 Abrams, on Combat Outpost Shir Gazay, Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

More confusion; from 1994-2005, M88 production was done by United Defense and Anniston Army Depot.  In 2005, BAE Systems took-over United Defense. BAE Systems was created in 1999 when the Italian Marconi Electronic Systems merged with the United Kingdom’s British Aerospace. Since 2005 production is officially done by BAE Systems.  The estimated cost of each M88A2 HERCULES is a little more than $2-million (as of the year 2000).

U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) video of their M88A2 crushing a car on Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, 24APR2014:

The ‘A2’ is larger and heavier than the previous versions. A more powerful Diesel piston motor, and efficient transmission, allows the use of only one recovery vehicle to tow the M1 Abrams.

U.S. Army HERCULES about to lift a Cold War era M47 range target on Hohenfels, Germany.

In 2017, the U.S. Army requested that eleven M88A2s be modified with even more powerful power-packs (engine/transmission combo), a hydro-pneumatic suspension and a seventh roadwheel (per side), for a cost of $28-million.

USMC HERCULES lifts a bulldozer onto a trailer, on Twentynine Palms, California.

Vehicle I-D: M88A1 ‘mud-bug’

Yankee tools of the British empire: National Guard, older than the United States itself!

A-M-P-V making profits off U.S. taxpayers, for the British Empire!

BAE’s M109A7, DON’T CALL IT A PALADIN!

M777 artillery, more proof the Yankees are the Tools of the Red Coats!

Uncle Sam preps for War, 1941: Going Airborne!

Although the first official United States Army (USA) Airborne unit was created in 1943 (82nd Airborne Division), the USA had been experimenting with the idea of having Soldiers jump out of perfectly good aircraft since the end of World War One.

Most of the early Airborne training took place on Fort Benning (recently called Fort Moore, previously known as Fort Benning [a different Benning than the current Benning]), Georgia, with the Airborne Test Platoon (ATP) becoming the first to drop on Lawson Field, 16AUG1940.  The ATP consisted of 48 ‘volunteers’.  The 16th of August is now officially National Airborne Day in the U.S.

I edited together this video, taken from 1941 U.S. Army Air Corps/Forces (USAAC/USAAF) newsreels about the U.S. Army’s paratroop training:

Here are some more USAAC/USAAF Airborne newsreels from 1941:

Paratroopers have their own official National Airborne Day! Video shows you why!

Uncle Sam preps for War, 1941: Curtiss P-40 Warhawk

Jumping out of a perfectly good C-130, over Morocco: African Lion 2023

LDS connection to new military training center in Utah!?

The federal U.S. Army Reserve is having a new training center built on the Utah Army National Guard’s Camp Williams.  Army Reserve training personnel will be redeploying from their home on Fort Douglas, Utah, to Camp Williams.

Fort Douglas was one of many locations, during World War One, where German prisoners of war (PoW) were held. This photo purports to show German PoWs building model ships.

Fort Douglas was established during The War Between the States, in 1862.

In the 1960s, the Army deployed a mobile recruiting post out of Fort Douglas. The photo was made by J. Hargreaves in Murray, Utah, 12OCT1965.

The Civil War era base was officially shutdown in 1991, at least for active duty (Regular Army) use as the federal Army Reserve continued to conduct their training on the now historic site.

The project would not be possible without direct help from the University of Utah and the people of Utah: According to the Army Reserve’s 358th Public Affairs Detachment, the taxpayers of Utah will spend “…$17 million to purchase the land and an additional $100 million to build the new Army Reserve Center and a maintenance facility.”  

Construction is being done by a contractor (Jacobsen Construction) who builds/renovates temples for the Church of Latter Day Saints (LDS). Video report via Specialist Ronald D. Bell, 06MAR2025:

The Army Reserve expects to move onto Camp Williams by Spring 2026.

Soldiers on Fort Douglas taking a University of Utah carpentry course in 1917, during World War One.

The University of Utah has a long history of cooperation with Fort Douglas and will takeover the remaining 50 acres of the historic site.

August 2023: Utah State Militia

2022: Utah’s new FEMA Region 8 Urban Disaster Training Site

2014: Utah, home base for massive NSA data center, training National Guard to spy on you using LLVI!

Utah not only home to massive NSA data centers, but to massive military intelligence wargames aimed at you?

2013: ebay, Dell, HP, federal & state governments build World’s largest data collection spy center system in Utah! Real time data stream monitoring!

2012: Utah National Guard base to become site of largest personal data center in the U.S. You are the target!

Like Riceburners? Join the U.S. Air Force, see Japan!

To boost lagging recruitment (and apparent lack of desire to deploy to Japan), the U.S. Air Force is promoting its Auto Hobby Shop on Yokota Air Base. It is open seven days per week, with six self-service lift bays, an oil-change pit, and they provide the tools!

U.S. Armed Forces Network video report released 17MAR2025:

Cold War to Near Peer Threats:Japan’s ‘lowrider’ Type 74, finally retired?

Idaho: British Austin + Japanese Suzuki = The Duke!?

Idaho’s Bold Tigers invade Japan?

Saving Private Boeing, with a ‘Top Secret’ price tag?

On 21MAR2025, U.S. President Donald John Trump announced the purchase of a top secret fighter jet for the U.S. Air Force (USAF), called the F-47. He also revealed that the cost of the aircraft is ‘top secret’, ostensibly claiming that revealing the cost would also reveal the latest and greatest ‘top secret’ technologies used by the ‘6th Generation’ fighter:

A USAF news release revealed that “Over the past five years, in strong partnership between the Air Force and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, X-planes have been laying the foundation for the F-47.” 

The USAF news release also points out that the contract for the F-47 is for only “a small number of test aircraft”, a price for production aircraft is still up-in-the-air.

Education Revolution: Idaho among several states praised by Trump for the Education Revolution!

No more NATO-România MiG-21 ‘Fishbed/Lancer’!

Romania retired its last active Cold War era Mikoyan & Gurevich (MiG) 21s on 15MAY2023, officially replacing them with new versions of the Cold War era General Dynamics F-16s: Decommissioning of the MiG-21 LanceR aircraft and the accelerated transition to the operation of the F-16 aircraft of the Romanian Air Force.”Forțele Aeriene Române

Romanian Ministerul Apararii Nationale retirement video report:

Romanian F-16s; I edited this from a NATO video, non-disclosed location over Europe, released July 2023:

I edited together several NATO ‘walk-around’ videos (mostly silent videos) recorded between 2016 and 2020:

Serbian Armed Forces video from September 2018’s International Air Tactical Exercise Air Solution (involving Ohio National Guard, Romania and Serbia):

2020: NATO’s MiG-21 (with more videos of Romanian MiG-21s, including a report about Romanian pilot’s last flight in MiG-21)

For more MiG videos go to my ‘Forever Wars’ playlist on my YouTube variety-show channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkZrLGwZbnj93-HZy9E6tQvyrXyMi_-x7

20FEB2025, U.S. Secretary of Defense announcements.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says main stream “woke” news media is lying about Defense Department cuts! Welcomes DOGE inspectors:

The actual physical location of the Pentagon is in Virginia, not Washington DC. Washington DC is the mailing address for the Pentagon.

14FEB2025: United States + NATO-Poland.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Peter Brian Hegseth reports on efforts to use Guantanamo Bay, on Cuba, to hold violent illegals.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Peter Brian Hegseth reports on the 29JAN2025 crash between U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk and American Eagle Flight 5342.

Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, in war-time color!

An early P-40 Warhawk.

AT-6 Texan versus P-40 Warhawk.

A row of early P-40s, no information came with the photo.

Somewhere in China, date not given.

26th Fighter Squadron, 51st Fighter Group, somewhere in China.

A pilot and his P-40.

Maintaining in Panama.

I got this from a silent color film, recorded sometime in 1942.  It shows the nose-names applied to newly arrived P-40E Warhawks (to replace the P-40B/Cs that were destroyed by the Japanese) on Hickam Field, Territory of Hawaii:

Before the Second World War started France had ordered hundreds of Curtiss P-40 fighters, but did not receive them due to being invaded by Germany. After the United States invaded Morocco, U.S. General James Harold ‘Jimmy’ Doolittle presided over the official delivery ceremony of Warhawks to the newly ‘liberated’ French Groupe de Chasse GC II/5 (aka Lafayette Escadrille), on Casablanca-Cazas airfield in Morocco, on the African continent. I edited from a collection of color silent films recorded by B. O’Conner on 09JAN1943 (the date of the official ceremony, in reality the U.S. had already equipped the French unit in November 1942):

Casablanca-Cazas airfield in Morocco, 09JAN1943.

U.S. Army Photo Division personnel incorrectly listed the above photo as being in Algeria (Algiers), it is from the 09JAN1943 ceremony in Morocco.

P-40 Warhawk, Aleutian Islands, 11DEC1943.

The U.S. Army photo-info says this is a ‘E’ version, but the tail looks like the ‘K’ version.

P-40 Warhawk over Mount Vesuvius, supposedly before it erupted on 18MAR1944.

Uncle Sam preps for War: Curtiss P-40 Warhawk

‘Democracy & Inclusion’ equal new anti-Iran/Russia military pact!

On 14JAN2025, during the last days of the Biden regime, a Strategic Partnership ‘agreement’ was signed between Armenia and United States of America. It includes, among other things, “nuclear cooperation”. Armenia sits on the southern border of Georgia (which itself sits on the southern border of Russia) and the northern border of Iran.

Video via U.S. Department of State, U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, in the Harry S. Truman building, Washington DC:

U.S. Embassy Armenia: Charter on Strategic Partnership Between the United States of America and the Republic of Armenia

2021: USACE spends your money building fire stations for Armenia!

Vehicle I-D: Armenian Armor Հայկական զրահ

United States + NATO-Poland, 14FEB2025.

Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister/Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, and United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, conduct press conference and report that their main concern is increasing taxpayer funding for the purpose of supporting the U.S. military industrial complex, and expanding Poland’s military industrial complex.

Video via U.S. Department of Defense, 14FEB2025, Warsaw, Poland:

Gaza? Lebanon? Syria? It has always been about Iran!