Clark Griswold

"If in 10 years, all American troops stationed in Europe for national defense purposes have not been returned to the United States, then this whole project will have failed.” Eisenhower in 1951 I saw this morning refusal to refuel USN ships from a Norwegian company https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/03/01/mike-lee-calls-for-exit-from-nato-after-norwegian-fuel-company-stops-refueling-u-s-military-ships/ I’m not sure the US doesn’t have interests in Europe or should not have some military commitments/alliances but perhaps NATO really has out lived its purpose, perhaps a more focused alliance of the US and perhaps the UK to the nations of Eastern Europe (Poland, Baltics, Romania, Hungary, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Greece) is realistic and more in our interests. A smaller very mission focused alliance (territorial sovereignty and nothing more) would be more manageable, sustainable and with this membership be more cohesive as these countries would not be at odds with the US in other areas (economics, political differences, strategic areas in other theaters, etc…)

A good first step, next northern border then enhancement to maritime patrol. https://redstate.com/beccalower/2025/03/01/100-operational-control-hegseth-ordering-3k-troops-stryker-combat-vehicles-to-us-mexico-border-n2186169 Of course the devil is in the details, ROE & legally authorized missions but begin the process, the future is likely to be interesting

Side note - they bought CFM 56s with the aforementioned lower accessories drive unit because the good idea fairy thought they could quick change them on the ramp because airlines that do 20x more flying than the AF does just weren’t that smart and couldn’t see the need for that capability

Holy shit that was wild

Maybe transferring risk was a less than perfect choice of words but I would argue still for a new set of contractual rules that incentivize and require the contractor to identify unintentional errors, missteps, poor choices etc... by the buyer relative to the resources allocated in the deal and inform the big crazy Pentagon bureaucracy & Congress simultaneously that you are introducing costly risk, new requirements, unrealistic expectations of performance, etc… to stop acquisition disasters new language added to an existing authority like Nunn-McCurdy requiring the contractor to tell on the military when it is getting out over it’s skis and setting up said acquisition for a breach, delay, overrun, deficiencies, etc… is probably what I’m imagining Anything that culls the ranks of GOs is a move in the right direction, anything that destroys or culls their staff positions and all the other court jesters, royal viziers and assorted shoe clerk manufacturing positions is a touchdown Retire 50% GOs, 25% O-6s, 50% E-9s, 25% E-8s this FY. Turning the page from the GWOT to GPC can not be done with the same brain trust.

2 That’s the next fight, new contracting rules that essentially prevent the transfer of risk back to the taxpayers and force honest-ish bidding Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Fighter / Interceptor plus CCA C2 platform methinks.

Good read https://www.19fortyfive.com/2025/02/the-u-s-militarys-spending-crisis/

yeah I figured that but the axis of the Earth runs through the top of my cranium so I posted…

8% …. That’s some sacred cows getting turned into DOGE burgers… https://www.npr.org/2025/02/14/nx-s1-5297896/elon-musk-doge-pentagon-dod https://www.npr.org/2025/02/20/nx-s1-5303947/hegseth-trump-defense-spending-cuts

Bio https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/2261430/jennifer-m-short/ I’m guilty of what-about-ism but Obama purged the Pentagon to align with his vision too https://www.investors.com/politics/editorials/197-military-officers-purged-by-obama/ Clean house and get it done, the other side would be doing the same as always happens when there is a new sheriff in town.

But yes bomb the shit outta them

Meanwhile at Hellfire/JDAM/Griffin/SDB suppliers…

A number greater than 1 Still, this shit has got to stop, bullies respond to force and nothing more.

https://apnews.com/article/australia-new-zealand-chinese-flight-diverted-08067898b342c350ce7ef7cec56717de#

Post conflict ops being discussed, longish read but worth it https://www.twz.com/air/this-is-what-a-peacekeeping-air-policing-mission-over-ukraine-could-look-like Don’t see how this could happen without heavy US participation, Op Northern / Southern Watch 2

Roger that If only an updated version of the T-6 existed that exceeded requirements and was available with a better availability rate https://defense.txtav.com/en/t-6c

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202411/1322762.shtml?id=11 Two seater 5th gen

So flying with a USN Reserve dude (T-45 IP) and found out the Navy has figured it out with contract IPs for their T-45 program, namely money will fix manning issues with respect to that. Did the T-6 contract IP thing ever get anywhere? If not was it not enough money or crappy work rules / contract or both?

Getting crazy down under https://www.19fortyfive.com/2025/02/china-is-playing-a-dangerous-game-of-military-chicken-with-australia/

Gotcha Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Gotcha, I imagine they have it and meet any legal requirements to disclose it but unless it would be very supportive to their agenda they don’t advertise it, not really a spear thrown as we all try to accentuate the positives and the negatives we put at the end of the slide deck. Another question / idea from the cheap seats but I wonder if the services could actually work together in the whole of military training pilot training (including USCG) and divide it up to specialize, have reciprocal support and allow each other to specialize in the aspect of a multi phase training curriculum they most care about? I’m imagining the Army running a basic fixed wing training program, the USAF running an intermediate program, USN running a multi engine program, the advanced phase (fighter, bomber, carrier track) being kept wholly in house, etc… thoughts? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Is there any data released about the demographics of the SGTOs? X percent were CFIs, ATPs, etc…

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Honestly I think you and I are going to have to discuss this at the laymen’s level and we’d have to get into Art 1 and 2 of the constitution but fundamentally there is no Article 4, the bureaucracy is part of the part of the Executive Branch and when it ultimately comes down to it, if the Executive chooses to not execute those funds or to shape the departments, bureaus and agencies in a way NOT explicitly prohibited in statute then the Executive has primacy to act vs objections of the minority opposition party in Congress If we interpret the Constitution as some are saying, the Executive is just a programmed robot of Congress that has no will but to execute as the bill when passed is written with no deviation Now the Executive can’t go rogue, appropriate money, create programs beyond a certain scope, but I don’t think we’re there yet You’ve got a point, they may need to recalibrate but ultimately I’m for these reform efforts as the Republic is sclerotic and failing We overspend, we pass spending bills no human being reads in entirety, we don’t track where hundreds of billions of dollars are spent and it can not go on Trump is probably a bit over his skis but I think it’s necessary Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk