Trump administration 2024-2028

[OldSolduer]

Just posted on FB:
"From 32 Alpha TF 1-08 - American OH 58 helicopter crew used to fight over who would fly overwatch on 32 Alpha. This doesn't sound like a section who would hang back and lounge around. So Donny boy take your bone spurs and ride off into the sunset. Don't go away mad - just go away."

I hope the motherfucker reads it

 

[Good2Golf]

Then you get the U.S., which while being NATO’s most powerful and wealthiest member, is also heavily motivated by its own global hegemony. The U.S. has interest in the security of Europe for the economic stability; it has interest in the Arctic both for its sphere of influence and of course to cover against missiles and bombers coming over the top. But then the U.S. also has a lot of forces in the Middle East, some, clearly, focused on central and South America, and a very substantial posture in the Indo-Pacific. China and Iran are not likely to pose threats that fall under the NATO treaty. And again, yes, the U.S. can repurpose, at any point in time, much of their forces to a war in Europe… But it still means much of their spending isn’t for NATO purposes.

Agree fully. I’m trying to find my records where I crunched the math of where US DoD was spending its 3.6% GDP, re: NATO - M.E. - ASIAPAC - LATAM - AFRICA - RoW, but I think the numbers showed NATO had about “only” 1.3-1.4% GDP. Notably less than several committed NATO countries…

 

[Altair]

Nice to know there are some decent yanks around.

 

[lenaitch]

Note to comms department/info-machine staff: the FB image becomes more credible if the animal or bird portrayed actually lives in the area being highlighted. Or you have to make it clearer that the penguin walked aaaaaaaaaaall the way from Antarctica. Graphics & slogan grade: fail.
View attachment 98015

Accurate or not, we could only hope that Trump walks away into the wilderness.

 

[Czech_pivo]

Accurate or not, we could only hope that Trump walks away into the wilderness.

Do the Inuit still put the infirm out on ice floes?

 

[HavokFour]

The new tariff threat is a distraction, here's the actual news.

Pentagon no longer views China threat as top priority
Archive


2026 National Defense Strategy

Aka waving the white flag to China, amazing. The "do nothing, win" meme has manifested into reality.

Also very worrying how heavy the AI usage was in writing this document, cover page included.

 

[Kirkhill]

Joint Chiefs Chairman Issues Rare Invitation to Foreign Military Heads​

Top military leaders from 34 countries plan to discuss improving efforts in the Western Hemisphere to fight drug trafficking and transnational criminal organizations.

Joint Chiefs Chairman Issues Rare Invitation to Foreign Military Heads

Top military leaders from 34 countries plan to discuss improving efforts in the Western Hemisphere to fight drug trafficking and transnational criminal organizations.

www.nytimes.com

....

More hybrid warfare targets.

....

Other side of the Atlantic

Local police forces can’t tackle modern crime, Mahmood believes

Home Secretary raises concerns current 43-force structure ‘buckling under the strain’

www.telegraph.co.uk

"She believes that the 43 forces are “too fragmented” and often lack the capability and expertise to combat digitally savvy, organised criminals operating across borders."

....

"Police chiefs are also calling for a single overarching police body to bring together the National Crime Agency (NCA), counter-terrorism police, regional serious organised crime squads and the City of London fraud centre.

The Government analysis suggests these crime types are “increasingly interconnected”.

“An example of this is the increasing use of serious organised crime groups by states such as Russia to carry out sabotage acts in the UK and across Europe. Whether it be arson or cybercrime – these are cross portfolio threats,” a source said.

Fraud, which now accounts for more than four million crimes a year, is also often led by overseas scammers “with no respect for constabulary boundaries” while online child abuse and violence against women had nearly doubled in a decade."

...

Hybrid warfare demands paramilitary responses. Just ask the Carabinieri.

Polizia di Stato	State Police	Civilian police	Patrolling, investigative, immigration control, administrative and law enforcement duties[5][6][7]
Carabinieri	Carabiners	Gendarmerie; militarized police constituting the fourth branch of the Italian armed forces.	Patrolling, investigative, and law enforcement duties outside the larger urban areas. Also military police for the Italian Armed Forces.[6][7]
Guardia di Finanza	Financial Guard	Militarized police not part of the Italian armed forces.	Dealing with financial crime, smuggling, illegal drug trade, patrolling Italy's territorial waters, maintaining public security, and other duties.[5][6][7][8][9][10]
Polizia Penitenziaria	Prison Police	Prison officer	Controlling penitentiaries and inmate transfers[7][6]
Guardia Costiera	Coast Guard	Coast guard; militarized police belonging to the Italian Navy.	Undertaking maritime patrolling duties[11]
Polizia Locale	Local Police	Civillian police	Patrolling, investiga

​

 

[Kirkhill]

US Marines gear up for Cold Response exercise in Norway despite heated Greenland rhetoric

Thousands of U.S. Marines along with other American troops are gearing up for large-scale combat drills centered on the defense of Norway.

www.stripes.com

Continuity.

 

[HavokFour]

US Marines gear up for Cold Response exercise in Norway despite heated Greenland rhetoric

Thousands of U.S. Marines along with other American troops are gearing up for large-scale combat drills centered on the defense of Norway.

www.stripes.com

Continuity.

More Americans for the Finnish to dominate.
Archive

One military source noted that in last year’s Joint Viking exercise in northern Norway, American troops struggled.

Exercise commanders had to ask Finnish reservists, the most formidable Arctic warriors, who were playing the role of invaders in the war games, to go easy on the Americans. “The Finns had to be told to stop beating the Americans as it was embarrassing and demoralising for them,” a military source said.

 

[Kirkhill]

More Americans for the Finnish to dominate.
Archive

It's hard to get angry at a kid from Tennessee when he is freezing.

 

[The Bread Guy]

More Americans for the Finnish to dominate.
Archive

"Stop treating them like the Soviets, boy-ko ..."

It's hard to get angry at a kid from Tennessee when he is freezing.

That's true, although I remember YEARS ago, hosting some Army NG from Minnesota for winter training in the 807 area code, and they seemed just as surprised at how cold it was and how hard everything was to do, even though they get the same winter as here. It was especially brisk for the poor US-RSS-equivalent who'd just been posted in from Hawaii

 

[PrairieFella]

More Americans for the Finnish to dominate.
Archive

It may be prudent to stop teaching them the tricks of the trade in cold weather operations.

 

[Blackadder1916]

"Stop treating them like the Soviets, boy-ko ..."

That's true, although I remember YEARS ago, hosting some Army NG from Minnesota for winter training in the 807 area code, and they seemed just as surprised at how cold it was and how hard everything was to do, even though they get the same winter as here. It was especially brisk for the poor US-RSS-equivalent who'd just been posted in from Hawaii

Similar memories from the 1970s, only it was Regular US Army down from Alaska and we were in Wainwright. We hospitalized a few because of cold injuries. Likewise with a few US Marines (though they were Reserves) at the top end of Vancouver Island; but adding wet to mild cool temp lead to the same type of no-duff casualties. They had to be medevaced back to the ships for re-warming.

 

[lenaitch]

Other side of the Atlantic​

Local police forces can’t tackle modern crime, Mahmood believes

Home Secretary raises concerns current 43-force structure ‘buckling under the strain’

www.telegraph.co.uk

"She believes that the 43 forces are “too fragmented” and often lack the capability and expertise to combat digitally savvy, organised criminals operating across borders."

....

"Police chiefs are also calling for a single overarching police body to bring together the National Crime Agency (NCA), counter-terrorism police, regional serious organised crime squads and the City of London fraud centre.

The Government analysis suggests these crime types are “increasingly interconnected”.

“An example of this is the increasing use of serious organised crime groups by states such as Russia to carry out sabotage acts in the UK and across Europe. Whether it be arson or cybercrime – these are cross portfolio threats,” a source said.

Fraud, which now accounts for more than four million crimes a year, is also often led by overseas scammers “with no respect for constabulary boundaries” while online child abuse and violence against women had nearly doubled in a decade."

...

Hybrid warfare demands paramilitary responses. Just ask the Carabinieri.

Polizia di Stato	State Police	Civilian police	Patrolling, investigative, immigration control, administrative and law enforcement duties[5][6][7]
Carabinieri	Carabiners	Gendarmerie; militarized police constituting the fourth branch of the Italian armed forces.	Patrolling, investigative, and law enforcement duties outside the larger urban areas. Also military police for the Italian Armed Forces.[6][7]
Guardia di Finanza	Financial Guard	Militarized police not part of the Italian armed forces.	Dealing with financial crime, smuggling, illegal drug trade, patrolling Italy's territorial waters, maintaining public security, and other duties.[5][6][7][8][9][10]
Polizia Penitenziaria	Prison Police	Prison officer	Controlling penitentiaries and inmate transfers[7][6]
Guardia Costiera	Coast Guard	Coast guard; militarized police belonging to the Italian Navy.	Undertaking maritime patrolling duties[11]
Polizia Locale	Local Police	Civillian police	Patrolling, investiga

​

I find it interesting that the UK has been on a trajectory of fewer and fewer, but larger and larger police services over the past several decades, but over here, people want the RCMP to be divested into more police services. Historically, when most of the UK was borough and village police, the London Metropolitan Police ('the Met') handled most multi-jurisdictional and major crime; more by default than legislation or jurisdiction, because they were the only service with the requisite depth and expertise. When they started to amalgamate police services, much of the major crime responsibility returned to the local police since they now had the necessary depth and staffing, and wanted control.

Obviously, they will do what they do, but I think they would be better off forming or enhancing national crime groups ('undevolve') rather than trying to further reduce their number of services. They could either be stand-alone agencies or joint forces agencies led by either the Med or directly from the Home Office. Otherwise, enforcement will continue to be fragmented, just pick your degree of fragmentation.

As an organization, it is entirely possible to do both barking dogs and organized crime; it's all a matter of staffing and funding. The advantage the UK has is no sub-national governments; the Home Secretary is directly responsible for policing in England and Wales (through local Crime Panels - 'Boards'). Scotland runs their single 'national' police service.

 

[daftandbarmy]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2015026212565901544

 

[Kirkhill]

I find it interesting that the UK has been on a trajectory of fewer and fewer, but larger and larger police services over the past several decades, but over here, people want the RCMP to be divested into more police services. Historically, when most of the UK was borough and village police, the London Metropolitan Police ('the Met') handled most multi-jurisdictional and major crime; more by default than legislation or jurisdiction, because they were the only service with the requisite depth and expertise. When they started to amalgamate police services, much of the major crime responsibility returned to the local police since they now had the necessary depth and staffing, and wanted control.

Obviously, they will do what they do, but I think they would be better off forming or enhancing national crime groups ('undevolve') rather than trying to further reduce their number of services. They could either be stand-alone agencies or joint forces agencies led by either the Med or directly from the Home Office. Otherwise, enforcement will continue to be fragmented, just pick your degree of fragmentation.

As an organization, it is entirely possible to do both barking dogs and organized crime; it's all a matter of staffing and funding. The advantage the UK has is no sub-national governments; the Home Secretary is directly responsible for policing in England and Wales (through local Crime Panels - 'Boards'). Scotland runs their single 'national' police service.

It seems to me that there is a natural seam between the beat cops in uniform and the plain-clothed detectives. People are happy to see the uniforms on patrol in their area.

The different specialist task forces, CID, MI5, SIS, and all the other acronyms, does anybody really care (civilians I mean) if they are centralized?
On single, national, uniformed force with local dets responsive to, and integrated in, the local community seems right enough to me.

But, as they say, the higher level stuff, crimes crossing borders and being exploited by national and multi-national purposes that cross over into little green men territory, needs a whole lot different approach.

 

[brihard]

It seems to me that there is a natural seam between the beat cops in uniform and the plain-clothed detectives. People are happy to see the uniforms on patrol in their area.

The different specialist task forces, CID, MI5, SIS, and all the other acronyms, does anybody really care (civilians I mean) if they are centralized?
On single, national, uniformed force with local dets responsive to, and integrated in, the local community seems right enough to me.

But, as they say, the higher level stuff, crimes crossing borders and being exploited by national and multi-national purposes that cross over into little green men territory, needs a whole lot different approach.

MI5 and SIS (aka MI6) are not police. They’re already centralized. MI5 is most akin to CSIS. We don’t have an equivalent to SIS; they would best equate (quite imperfectly) to CIA.

 

[Kirkhill]

MI5 and SIS (aka MI6) are not police. They’re already centralized. MI5 is most akin to CSIS. We don’t have an equivalent to SIS; they would best equate (quite imperfectly) to CIA.

I'm sorry.

I think my larger point is that the citizenry expect to see uniforms to protect them.

The plain-clothes alphabet soup that exists behind the blue line (or scarlet line if you prefer) is pretty much a mystery. Sometimes civil. Sometimes military. Sometimes domestic. Sometimes foreign.

 

[Furniture]

I'm sorry.

I think my larger point is that the citizenry expect to see uniforms to protect them.

The plain-clothes alphabet soup that exists behind the blue line (or scarlet line if you prefer) is pretty much a mystery. Sometimes civil. Sometimes military. Sometimes domestic. Sometimes foreign.

You have hit a key point that I think people in the services don't appreciate enough.

Seeing Constable Bloggings in uniform, interacting with people in a normal and human way, makes the entire police force (official vocab guidelines say service) more relatable, ergo more legitimate.

Never seeing constables, apart from a car driving past every few weeks, makes the police less legitimate. They become the "other" there to enforce the "other's" laws, not indispensable members of the community who keep people safe.

The average Canadian doesn't care who comes in to investigate the exceptionally rare murder, they care that the people enforcing the law daily are relatable and quasi-local.

 

[Kirkhill]

US Marines gear up for Cold Response exercise in Norway despite heated Greenland rhetoric

Thousands of U.S. Marines along with other American troops are gearing up for large-scale combat drills centered on the defense of Norway.

www.stripes.com

Continuity.

And more

RCAF helicopters depart Edmonton Monday en route to Alaska training mission

Six CH-146 Griffon helicopters will depart Edmonton on Monday en route to a training exercise in Fort Wainwright, Alaska.

edmontonjournal.com