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Drone industry in Washington to drone on about expanded unmanned aircraft use

 

A headline on today’s Stars & Stripes Website threateningly announces: “Drones descend on Washington — Just for show.” But the content of the story sounds much scarier than the headline.

It seems that something called the “Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International” is featuring 600 exhibits in a three-day trade fair in the D.C. convention center. In other words,  makers of drones are seeking every possible buyer for the unmanned aircraft ranging from law enforcement to those managing forests. The article says the first objective of the show is to ease the fear of drones, going so far as to avoid using the word “drone.” Ah, do we want an unmanned plane loaded with missiles flying over our neighborhoods and playgrounds? Anyone with even the most remote, pardon the pun, common sense probably wouldn’t.

Those who accept the broadest interpretation of the right to bear arms would perhaps believe these unmanned aircraft would be great for hunting white-tailed deer in the woods. Why you wouldn’t even have to leave the house to “harvest” a 12-point buck!

Aside from the, hopefully, most far-fetched uses of drones many people likewise fear the opportunities for expanded privacy intrusions that have already traveled far afield from what even the sharpest of our “Founding Fathers” might have imagined. You might have to give up some privacy to live in a safe world of expanding terror. Then again, there is no sense in handing the government the keys to the kingdom.

Even the most practical matters — how to manage an ever-crowded sky –seem far from determined in a world in which drones are commonplace. Plus, we must remember that is is already the 21st century and we’ve yet to see even the most limited use of flying automobiles!

I hope people see such a gathering of unmanned flight as a warning to our society that maybe, maybe hell, that we should have a giant public debate before these drones begin to take off aside general and commercial aviation. But I have been disappointed by society so many times before.

 

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You can tell a sailor by the shoe that they wear (And that’s a fact, Jack!)

Lately I have enjoyed some of the posts on a Facebook page for Navy members that I joined awhile back. The page certainly reminded me of how firmly my feet are planted in the “black shoe” Navy, one of the monikers for those whose naval service was primarily rooted in the Surface Warfare community.

It might surprise those with little or no knowledge of the service, that “the Navy” is not a homogenous branch of what is now the Department of Defense. Oh, and “homogenous” has nothing to do with the gay and lesbian communities of the armed forces.

The Navy is certainly more than ships even though the surface Navy has its own sub-groups. For instance, the “Gator Navy,” uses vessels such as Dock Landing Ships, or LSDs, that can launch smaller craft inside a well dock. The LHAs, or amphibious assault ships are what many would have years ago referred to as a “helicopter carrier” but these behemoths are much more than a place to land a whirly-bird. The name gator refers to landing ships that have either giant stern gates or small gates on the bow, depending on how you look at it. In any event these gates can literally hit the beach, so the reference to amphibious. These ships are the most likely to have contingents of Marines on board, which is always good for a little culture clash.

I have known and even have friends who are “jarheads” who served on these amphibious ships. But I know few swab-jockeys from the Gator Navy. But I’ve been told these are a wholly different bunch of sailors than say those of the tin-can, or destroyer groups.

Tin-can sailors these dayx are most identified with what are now guided missile destroyers and guided missile frigates. Most destroyer squadrons are usually groups of destroyers, cruisers and frigates, all of which today have a “G” in the ships’ hull names to indicate they are guided missile type ships as opposed to the old “gun ships” of my day. Although, an entire class of “DD ships” have come and gone since I last sailed. But, I was on the last active-duty, World War II-era gun destroyer, the USS Agerholm (DD-826.) She was decommissioned in December 1978, seven months after I left it to separate (honorably) from the Navy. The ship was sunk in 1982 off the Pacific coast of San Diego in a Tomahawk missile test.

The tin-can sailor, at least of my day, were certainly a whole different breed. Why some folks even wondered if some of us were even of the human race.

Other groups of sailors who sail on the water are those on carriers, or “bird farms,” as we called them. Although the regular crew are surface sailors, they are most often affiliated with the “brown shoe” Navy. These are the people associated with aviation, known for their officers and chiefs wearing brown shoes with their khakis instead of black ones. The true “airdales,” another term for aviation folks are those assigned to the various type of aircraft squadrons which rotate on and off the carriers.

Then, there are submariners. They are certainly a breed apart. One of my Yeoman “A” School instructors was a submariner who put it succinctly: “When we are up here (on land), the world stinks. Life is only good down there.” Okey, dokey, Pal!

Of course, there are the special forces types, SEALs and those who operate the Special Ops boats, all of which have grown quite a bit population-wise in just the last decade. I don’t know very many true SEALs. I met way more people who said they were SEALs than who really were in that elite bunch. The one guy I knew who I believe really was a SEAL was a pretty strange dude. However, one didn’t have to be a SEAL to fit that description in the Navy.

Last but surely not least are the Seabees. These are the construction types who also are trained in mostly defensive military combat training. “We Build. We Fight,” their motto, although, “We Drink” could be added to the slogan for most Bees I knew.

The majority of my Navy time was spent with the Seabees, the name comes from “CB” meaning Construction Battalion, which is how most Seabees are organized. I wasn’t in a battalion. I served 2 1/2 years at the Naval Construction Training Center in Gulfport, Miss., one of two homeports for the Bees. These are the Atlantic Fleet Seabees. The Pacific Fleet Bees are based at Port Hueneme, Calif., located in Ventura County  near Oxnard.

I thought I might reside on the Mississippi Coast after I finished my tour in the Navy. I didn’t, I moved to Texas. But because the thought crossed my mind, I transferred to the 20th Naval Construction Regiment in Gulfport to finish my time of about three weeks after saying good-byes on my tin-can. I really didn’t do much militarily there during my very short time except getting my last Navy regulation haircut some scum-sucking lifer forced me to acquire. (Note: Not all lifers are scum-sucking, though I thought that at times of some career Navy back then.)

The Seabees wear mostly combat boots, by the way. The Gator Navy? I don’t have a clue. SEALs? They can wear any damn kind of shoe they want! And that is my point, if there is one to be made. There are a bunch of different types of Navy folks. If you want to know a little bit more about what kind of sailor a sailor is, try looking at his or her shoes.

 

 

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Congress to military: Stop the camo madness!

Congressional member bother themselves with all sorts of wacky issues. Although, sometimes our esteemed congressional members do hit the mark or at least come close.

Navy Times.com reported today that the Senate Armed Services Committee has agreed with their House colleagues that the military is spending way too much on unique-styled camouflage uniforms. I think I might add that the service is also spending too much time in spreading a trend that could hurt the military down the road.

It is ridiculous the number of camo combat uniforms the separate armed services has developed. Once the camouflage was jungle green. Then the desert patterns were added for Middle East service. At times you could see both patterns in the same combat zone which really didn’t make a lot of sense.

Then came a trend under the Donald Rumsfeld era of the Defense Department that “uniforms” should be uniform. First the Marine Corps developed an odd “digital” camo pattern. The Navy followed suit with a blue and gray mix that supposedly would hide some one on a ship, I suppose. That is not to mention they ditched the traditional chambray-dungaree bell bottom working uniform for a “Navy Working Uniform ” that is the style of the Army’s Battle Dress Uniform, (BDU). The Air Force has its own battle dress as well. Eventually, 22 camouflage separate patterns were designed for 45 terrains, according to Navy Times.

Of course, Congress looks here at the bottom line and all the money being spent. But what seems to be missing in such examining is that an “Army of One,” as the recruiting slogan goes, is quickly becoming an Armed Forces of One. The Navy has working uniforms which look as if they were hand-me-downs from the Marines. Give the Congressional staffers and military bureaucrats enough time and money and they are likely to come up with a 3-piece, pin-striped business suit to replace the traditional blue dress of the Marine Corps.

I served during a time of change with Navy uniforms. Although the blue dungaree, chambray working uniforms were still allowed, I was issued a blue jumper and dark blue work pants in boot camp. Our dress uniforms were like a traditional business suit one that was indistinguishable from the chief and officers’ dress along with that round hat with a bill you see in most uniforms, we still were allowed the dress whites and a cool-looking black undress working uniform with black shirt and black pants. Most sailors also didn’t like the dress blues because they saw the Navy sailor traditionally dressed like the sailor on the Crackerjacks box. The noise was heard and that uniform  was brought back in considerably short order.

Hopefully, the military men will have the ability and the foresight to keep tradition in uniforms. One might think it silly that someone would not join a military service because of a uniform. It might not be the only reason, but it does make a difference.

Congress is right to stop the craziness with the camos. Let’s just hope they don’t micromanage uniforms and still give the men and women who wear them the necessary input for which clothes the sailors, soldiers, Marines, airmen and coasties will wear.

 

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Republicans feast upon Democrats through investigations

A note from ze editor blog meister: Some of you readers who have been with me for a long time know I sometime edit online. Today, I published this way before it was ready but I was too lazy to delete it from the dashboard, go back and edit, then re-release and so forth. Sorry, I suppose I’m just a lazy f**k.

The do-nothing, congressional Republicans are once again feasting upon any goody that is served up to them that can damage the Democratic brand or that of possible 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

If ever there was a case of double-talk, even triple-talk, the GOP congressional members have got it going on.

Today though, it wasn’t only the Republicans but members of a Democratic-led Senate Appropriations Committee had the NSA director on the hotseat over the now exposed surveillance program in which the spy agency used millions of phone records to tap so-called “meta-data.”

Army Gen. Keith Alexander, NSA head, told senators that the surveillance program — approved by the secret FISA court without any proof at least uncovered instances of probable cause — played an important role in stopping “dozens” of foreign and domestic terror plots. Similar spy programs had begun under George Dubya Bush after 9/11. And many Republicans felt that was swell. But these days, the Republicans want to get at the Democrats in any manner possible. So instead of being vocal against or even supportive of the spy programs themselves the GOP lawmakers play attack dog against the messenger.

Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., who is probably the most slobbering attack dog for the GOP said today that those who reported on the leaks that exposed the spy program should be prosecuted and punished in addition to confessed leaker Edward Snowden.

Taking no prisoners on the remarks King made last night on CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360,” Forbes.com‘s self-described “token lefty” contributor Rick Ungar writes today that:

“Apparently, Rep. King’s judgment has grown so twisted by his overriding interest in protecting America from “the terrorists” that the insanity of his remarks has either not occurred to him or, alternatively, King has decided that the iconic words of Patrick Henry no longer have relevancy in the post 9-11 era in our history.”

Ungar was referring to, of course, the iconic phrase: “Give me liberty of give me death” that Henry made in 1775 addressing the Second Virginia Convention — one of five gatherings that ultimately ratified the U.S. Constitution.

This morning King was interviewed, if you can call it that, by CNN morning anchor Carol Costello. I could only think of five or so critical points I would have asked King while the flaky host let King go on and on first being asked about a new plot to “get Hillary.”

That latest brewing storm charges that a number of state department personnel including security members purchased sex from hookers. Similar charges were made against U.S. Ambassador to Belgium Howard Gutman except he allegedly engaged in such conduct with minors. The allegations also point to State Department Undersecretary Patrick Kennedy as trying to quash such suspicions. Hey, the Republicans can get a two-fer here with Clinton and a Kennedy.

King told Costello this morning in a half-ass interview in which she squawks some ineffectual question or comments that he was only wanting to see that inspector general be confirmed for the State Department. The agency responsible for investigating the State Department and, oddly enough, the Broadcasting Board of Governors, has been out with an official No. 1 guy since 2008. Deputy Inspector General Howard Geisel has been in charge of the agency since 2008.

As to why State has been without an inspector general for so long I couldn’t tell you. However, if you look at why so many top offices have not been confirmed you will likely find as a major reason that the obstinate  Republicans of the House and Senate have made sure the confirmation process be to their liking. Funny how that works. Its kind of like a Catch-22, which many people know what the phrase means, but are not familiar with its origins.

So in closing here is where “Catch-22” comes from. It emanates from a classic novel by Joseph Heller that was published in 1961. The satirical story is set in 1943 during World War II. Here is a pretty good synopsis. Even better, go read the book. A film was likewise released in 1970 based on the book. I can’t remember seeing it although I know I have. But if you can read at all, the novel should stick with you. Especially in these days of political Catch-22.

 

 

 

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Memorial Day U.S.A.: Another day in the home of the brave and the free and the …

There was no work today and so I managed to sleep until almost 10 a.m. It is amazing that I can sleep better in the morning than most anytime. I first woke just before 9 and said, “No, I need to sleep until at least 10.”

I began thinking about a bear. Maybe it has to do with that Discovery Channel series “North America.” It is a very cool show if you haven’t seen it. I believe they said it took three years to shoot. There is just fantastic footage of all kinds of creature in myriad situations in their everyday life. Things like trying to seduce a spideress. You lose you die. That’s kind of opposite the situation sometimes with women. You win, you die. Ba-rump! Sorry all of my former girlfriends who read this. Which probably total to “0,” If there are some, I am sure I will hear from her or them, or perhaps I will hear her racking a slide.

Last night I saw this report on this “green machine,” an actual vending machine that will buy your old cell phone and pay you cold cash. Well, I can’t guarantee the temperature. So I decided to take my lone ex-girlfriend cell phone to the Eco-ATM at Parkdale Mall. I didn’t know what to expect after seeing a report similar to this one on TV.

It seemed as if the people who were trying to sell their phone in the kiosk were having trouble, as did the next folks. Those next folks just jumped right on up, in front of me in line. The first group who was on the kiosk acknowledged that those other people jumped in line in front of me. I didn’t say anything until this little smart-ass girl was too busy talking on the phone and to her friend, while operating the nosy kiosk to get her job done. It was too much for her and when I asked her if she was finished after talking on her other cell phone she acts all innocent.

“He mad,” said the probable teen to her friend.  Sorry about the quote and any racial overtones it might bring, but that was the way she talked.

I told her that, “No, I’m not mad. In fact, I feel rather sorry for you with your self-esteem issues.”

“Say what?” with her breaking into laughter with her enriched friend.

Yes, I can be cruel sometimes. I will admit to that. She tells herself she didn’t break in line. Plus I told her what type of emotional issue that was bothering her. But, she was/is a total nitwit.

Finally, she got through and took back from the machine, the iPhone4 she was going to sell because the machine only offered her $99. I chuckled. Karma’s a bitch, I wanted to say to her. Glad the little witch didn’t slap me.

I didn’t get lucky with the Eco-scammer either. My phone was turned down because it didn’t have “no,” as the previous customer would say “power.”

Oh well.

Then as I came home, I turned at the underpass over I-10. The lanes go like this: One goes “U-ie,” under the underpass. The inside lane goes left under. The outside lane goes either left or straight. I always take the left-straight because I have to turn at the first right, just past the convenience store. But since I had the accident in the G-car in which I was at a similar intersection — a 90-year-old lady turned left from the outside lane into the left and hit my car which was going straight — I always give a little leeway and time before turning. The reason is because sometimes a driver, whose head might be too deeply inserted up his or her ass, might just decide to go straight from the inside lane instead the outside lane.

The latter happened today. Fortunately. I waited and only turned a little bit. The car on the inside lane decided to go straight. Thus, I “laid” quite harshly onto my horn. I hadn’t used my horn much lately. I was glad to see it worked. Afterwards, the nitwit in the other car laid down on his or her horn while speeding away for the Interstate. What a f**king stupid a**hole!

But I also reflected upon the meaning of this Memorial Day. All of those who lost their lives upon the field of battle or even training or other types of accidents have kept this country safe so the majority of our great nation can thrive. And all the jerk-offs that I experienced today? Well, I suppose some gave their all so we can have those ignorant asses who make the rest of us feel as if we have some sense.

Rest in peace all of those who died in our nation’s service.