XBradTC

Obviously there's no way a Wyo can delete a Kuma without cheating, right?

I had a dry spell for about 2 months where I simply could not earn a Kraken at all. And now, three days in a row, they fell into my lap.

USMA Superintendent Addresses Open Letter From Academy Graduate by Arthur Barie on Scribd

After earning the Kraken in a defeat in the New Mexico, I called it a night. The next day, first battle? Earned a Kraken. Happily, this time it was a victory.

I haven't read it yet. One of you guys read it and brief me on the highlights.  

FM 3-0 Operations October 2017 by Arthur Barie on Scribd

Over on FB, Doctrine Man found the R-rated supplement. 

A Trophy-equipped brigade of over 80 Abrams tanks is slated to be deployed to the European theater by 2020 to counter recent Russian aggressive actions, which include the seizure and occupation of Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine as well as menacing, large-scale military exercises including one ominously code-named, “Zapad 17.” Zapad is Russian for “West.”

Some U.S. Army Abrams tanks are fitted with reactive armor tile, which is designed to deflect the penetrating blast away from tanks. That system has proved to be effective against some rocket and missile threats but later generation missiles, such as the Kornet, are equipped with tandem or dual warheads. The first charge destroys the tanks protective reactive armor allowing the second and more lethal charge to hit the tank.

According to Col. Glenn Dean, the Project Manager of the Stryker Brigade Combat Team at Combat Ground Systems, of live-fire testing at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, the Israeli Trophy APS “exceeded [his] expectations.” He noted that during testing, he “tried to kill the Abrams tank 48 times and failed.” New procedures adopted by the Department of Defense allowed for a streamlined acquisitions process, bypassing the usual bureaucratic red tape resulting in quicker deployment of the Trophy. 

via www.frontpagemag.com

Oh, this is a no-brainer, you say.

Well, yes and no.

The proliferation of advanced anti-armor weapons is a real threat.

But TNSTAAFL-

Trophy is just one more component that emits on the electromagnetic spectrum. The Russians are very, very good at exploiting EW to build Order of Battle intel, and would almost certainly be able to exploit the EM signature for massive artillery strikes at a time of their choosing.

LTG Caslen has sent a letter to the graduates of West Point in response to 2LT Rapone and LTC(Ret) Herrington. 

Superintendent's Letter to Graduates Regarding 2nd Lt. Rapone by Arthur Barie on Scribd

Sadly, it's my suspicion that while 2LT Rapone will be thrown to the wolves, LTC(Ret) Herrington's concerns will be papered over. There's a strong tendency for long standing institutions to care more for the reputation of the institution than for the actual well-being of the institution. Don't forget, Herrington made a sworn statement 2 years ago regarding Rapone, and nothing happened. If I had a private soldier act that way with me as an NCO, there almost certainly would have been some UCMJ action. 

An investigation into LTC(Ret) Herrington's allegations is certainly warranted, but it is hard to see how West Point can objectively investigate itself.  If I were Army Chief of Staff GEN Milley, I'd appoint a general officer who didn't attend West Point to conduct an independent investigation. 

Hat Tip to Western Warlord on Twitter for finding the Supe's letter. 

Over on Medium, what's purported as an open letter from LTC Heffington about the conditions at West Point that enabled Spenser Rapone to graduate. 

Dear Sir/Ma’am,

Before you read any further, please understand that the following paragraphs come from a place of intense devotion and loyalty to West Point. My experience as a cadet had a profound impact upon who I am and upon the course of my life, and I remain forever grateful that I have the opportunity to be a part of the Long Gray Line. I firmly believe West Point is a national treasure and that it can and should remain a vitally important source of well trained, disciplined, highly educated Army officers and civilian leaders. However, during my time on the West Point faculty (2006–2009 and again from 2013–2017), I personally witnessed a series of fundamental changes at West Point that have eroded it to the point where I question whether the institution should even remain open.

The recent coverage of 2LT Spenser Rapone — an avowed Communist and sworn enemy of the United States — dramatically highlighted this disturbing trend. Given my recent tenure on the West Point faculty and my direct interactions with Rapone, his “mentors,” and with the Academy’s leadership, I believe I can shed light on how someone like Rapone could possibly graduate.
First and foremost, standards at West Point are nonexistent. They exist on paper, but nowhere else. The senior administration at West Point inexplicably refuses to enforce West Point’s publicly touted high standards on cadets, and, having picked up on this, cadets refuse to enforce standards on each other. The Superintendent refuses to enforce admissions standards or the cadet Honor Code, the Dean refuses to enforce academic standards, and the Commandant refuses to enforce standards of conduct and discipline. The end result is a sort of malaise that pervades the entire institution. Nothing matters anymore. Cadets know this, and it has given rise to a level of cadet arrogance and entitlement the likes of which West Point has never seen in its history.

Read the whole thing. 

As silence filled the room, Rep. Cain finally spoke his first few words, but was cut off again, this time, by TSU President Dr. Austin lane.

“Officers, to the students out in the hallway, let them in," Dr. Lane told the police officers.

Lane announced organizers did not take appropriate measures to schedule the speech.

“What you’re seeing today is an unapproved event," Dr. Lane said.

So it was all over — for now. But Caldwell says he did everything right.

“I know, for a certainty, that I followed every step required for our handbook," said Daniel Caldwell, Student Chapter President for The Federalist Society.

via www.khou.com

Hoo boy. Dr. Lane might wanna take a hot second to consider that the Texas state legislature has a bit to say about how TSU is funded.

It's becoming abundantly clear that state legislatures need to take a far, far more proactive role in supporting viewpoint diversity on campus.