ClearedHot

Core mission all of AFSOC sued to train to in nearly every exercise (Bilat/Multi-lat), prior to OEF/OIF. As we drew down in both the command re-energized this type of training and I am here to tell you this is normal bizness for AFSOC and the SOAR. I will defer to the experts but here is my guess...a combination of factors: The CV-22 is in a state of contraction after years of maintenance issues that culminated in the fatal crash last in 2024. As a result AFSOC made the decision to temporarily mothball 20+ birds and focus efforts on the remaining. The maintenance issues are focused on: 1. The blades (wearing out MUCH fast in Middle East sand) - I believe the time between major maintenance was down to 100 hours instead of the planned 500 hours. 2. Turbine performance decline (again related to Middle East sand) - the find sand was "coaking" on the turbine inlet blades and causing reduced power. Ultimately they changed the FDAC to allow higher operating temps in an attempt to burn the coaking off. (very simplified answer). 3. IR center Body problems (cracks) - perhaps the most vexing problem as the airframe manufacturer pointed at the engine OEM Rolls Royce and the Engine OEM pointed back at Bell. 4. Hard clutch engagements like the one that caused the crash in Japan. In short the clutch engages hard which causes a rapid rise of torque to the opposite engine and can cause REAL issues, ultimately, gearbox failure. As a result of these issues there is a distrust of the platform by some of the Tier 1 teams. Also, while the speed and range profile seem to make sense I wonder if the survivor being up high had an impact. The CV-22 is big and maybe they couldn't land on the high uneven terrain. Hovering a CV-22 that high over the survivor was probably not optimal. The downwash is 10 X a helicopter. We had issues the first few times we did fast rope and ended up having to put large weights at the end of the rope to keep them on the ground. The survivor was wounded and hiding in a crevice in very high terrain, so I am guessing that had an impact. Two things that are not being talked about much: When the MC-130's became stuck they called in "other assets" to help. There is a video from Iran showing one of the other assets. ssstwitter.com_1775434822410.mp4 And, as per American SOF standard, we trolled the Iranians in the LZ...left them a Fuck you present!

What I am told is they landed two MC-130Js with 2 X Little Birds each. Both MC-130Js got their nose wheels stuck in the sand. The little birds launched and one picked up the WSO. At the FARP they tried unsuccessfully to get the MC-130J's "unstuck" so they called in other assets from a supporting agency to pick up everyone. 3 X other smaller platforms came in and picked everyone up. USAF aircraft then bombed the 2 X MC-130J's and 4 x Little birds. We lost a couple of Reapers as well. True team effort.

Not the first time the Iranian desert ate an American C-130. SOF played a front row seat, i wonder if this is going to stoke the fire in the battle to move CSAR to AFSOC.

Godspeed to all in harms way tonight. Lots of reports about the Iranians sending forces to disrupt and they got pummeled.

Well Pete doesn't necessarily follow other laws...

Really surprised they didn't eat some mini-gun in return.

They just can't help themselves...funny and sad at the same time...must be a joy to live with.

13,000 DMPI's hit in 30+ days of combat ops flying many hundreds of sorties per day with two aircraft damage (that we know of), and ONE shot down. China and Russia are likely shocked at the data.

The liberal utopian dram playing out in Canada....Despite 97.5% of Canadian citizens thumbing their nose at this new law, their dear leaders are sending the Royal Mounted Police door to door to collect your now illegal guns.

Odds they completely FUBAR this. Hurlburt was one of the first to allow service members (and retirees), to bring weapons on base. Current rules require you keep it in a secured location in your vehicle. If you've been through the front gate in the morning (I assume most bases are like this), the back up and proximity to Highway 98 created the perfect L shaped ambush set up. Additionally, the memo addresses the thousands of uniformed personnel who work at the Pentagon, stating that the building's police force — the Pentagon Force Protection Agency — shall also apply a presumption of approval to all personal-carry applications. However, the memo stops short of allowing personal-carry within the walls of the building. Rather, it states that the Pentagon Force Protection Agency must allow fair consideration for Pentagon personnel to "store a privately owned firearm in a vehicle on the Pentagon Reservation," pursuant to the Code of Federal Regulations. For those who have successfully completed a sentence at the Pentagon (sadly, I did two), you know how difficult the Pentagon cops can be. Random bag searches and on more than one occasion I was hassled over the length of a pocket knife.

Epic!

Finally some out of the box thinking.