Innocent goatherder?

Remember a few years ago when the mantra of the left about prisoners in Guantanamo bay were just people in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Well look who the ringleader during the attack on the U.S. consulate in Libya is

From the Daily Mail:

Original title: Revealed: Ringleader behind 'al-Qaeda attack that killed U.S. ambassador was former Guantanamo inmate handed over to Libya by America'


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A former al-Qaeda terrorist released from Guantanamo Bay is believed to be the leader of the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans, including the US Ambassador, it was revealed on Wednesday.



Sufyan Ben Qumu, who was reportedly once Osama bin Laden's driver, was let out of the US military detention center in Cuba in 2007 and turned over to the government of Muammar Gaddafi on the condition he be kept behind bars.



Now, Fox Newsreports he may have led the September 11 attack on the American consulate that resulted in the death of John Christopher Stevens -- the first US Ambassador killed by violence overseas since 1979.



The US military characterized him as a 'medium to high' risk to national security while he was in US custody and he refused to cooperate with authorities and explain his past associations with Islamic extremists.



Qumu, 53, is a Libyan army veteran who was jailed by Qaddafi and later escaped and moved to Sudan, where he worked for one of Osama bin Laden's holding companies.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2205825/Sufyan-Ben-Qumu-Former-Gitmo-inmate-planned-al-Qaeda-attack-Libyan-consulate.html

F-22 in burner

Nice looking jet. I wonder when the Air Force will finally fix the OBOGS problems or will it take another crash?

The F-22 is a typical story of modern development, it;s history along with the F-35 make me wonder if we can build a new aircraft in a timely manner. Before anyone cries too much remember that the F-4 and the F-15 were also leap forwards during their respective development time frames so there is nothing unique about these two modern programs except for bad project management by both the Air Force and the prime contractor.

Photo: USAF

Alabama 41 Michigan 14

Then the sky turned dark and a huge Crimson Wave covered the field like a herd of Thundering Elephants.

Team Extreme

Check these guys out!
http://teamxtreme.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=483732&lis=1&kntae483732=C3B01C8FDCF54EF39714BC7E135ECE52

We are a veteran founded non-profit organization with an ongoing mission to Honor, Empower and Motivate our nation’s Wounded Warriors. Our programs and initiatives direct focus to wounded service members of the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns. Team X-T.R.E.M.E. motivates Wounded Warriors to overcome the challenges they face by competing in endurance events across the nation in gas mask. The gas mask symbolizes overcoming adversity through innovation, vigilance and “X-TREME” feats of physical and mental endurance. Our newest initiative called “X-TREME DREAMS” gives a Wounded Warrior the opportunity to experience adventure and empowerment through activities such as sky diving, scuba diving and alpine expeditions. Your donations and support assist in making these X-TREME DREAMS come true!

Below is Corporal Todd Love competing at the Leesburg Virginia extreme endurance test called The Spartan Race with his eight-man … Team X.T.R.E.M.E.

More on Todd love from the DAily Mail online
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2195897/Triple-amputee-veteran-completes-grueling-10-5-mile-endurance-race-called-The-Beast-hours-honor-fallen-U-S-soldiers.html

Old Ironsides

BOSTON, Mass. (Aug. 19, 2012) USS Constitution sets sail for the first time since 1997 during an underway demonstration commemorating Guerriere Day. Constitution is the world's oldest commissioned warship afloat. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Michael Achterling)

Air Force finally does the right thing

Finally the Air Force has decided to extend the life of 300 late model F-16's. This is a direct result of the total failure to date of the F-35 program which is now 5 plus years late. The interview of Col Mol by Flight International indicated the installation will begin in late 2016 and will add 15 years of life to the aircraft. Below are some of the quotes


The aircraft, which are drawn from the USAF's fleet of Block 40, 42, 50 and 52 machines, will undergo a structural service life extension programme (SLEP) and a combat avionics programmed extension suite (CAPES) upgrade. The modifications will greatly boost the venerable warplane's capabilities.




"It provides a very significant capability to the F-16 platform that puts it on par, I do believe, with some of the other platforms that have AESA [active electronically scanned array radars] today," says Col Mark Mol, programme manager at the USAF's F-16 System Programme Office at Hill AFB, Utah.

The CAPES programme involves both hardware and software modifications, Mol says. The F-16 will receive a new AESA radar, a new Terma ALQ-213 electronic warfare system, an integrated broadcast system (IBS) and a center display unit (CDU). There will also be a new operational flight programme to tie those new systems together with the aircraft's existing avionics. The software will be one of the biggest challenges, Mol says.

Maybe the USAF should look at procuring more new build F-16 and F-15 Silent Eagles instead of flushing additional money which we can't afford down the F-35 wishing well.

Czech Gripen Baltic Airspace Policing

The Czech Air Force last week assumed the QRF function in the Baltics relieving a Polish Mig-29 unit. This on going NATO deployment has seen some unusual jets over the last few years including German F-4's on their last deployment. I believe this a first for the Czech Gripens. Good show!

Pic of the day

Nice shot of an E model during night air refueling.

Photo (USAF)

Time to start again

After a long hiatus I feel the need to start posting again now the the R/R team are now the nominee. It will be an interesting run up to the election. But at the end of the day the choice is simple. Support the current failed administration both economically and foreign policy wise, or hand over the reigns to a business man who had a questionable record as Governor in my opinion.
Almost all politics is local first so I urge everyone to take a look at thier own backyard and throw the bums out if they ar fiscally irresponsable.

BUFF

 U.S. Air Force video by TSgt. Rebecca Zannetti
This is a nice job on flight ops of one my favorite aircraft the BUFF. I can remember watching these bug boys due MITO's from Mather back in the early 80's when I was a firefighter. Back in those days the 325 BW had 4 G model;s and 5 tankers on 24 hour 365 day nuclear alert. They used to do elephant walks all the time day and night to test readiness of the alert team,

Blast from the past

A couple of nice photo's of F-15C's from the 32TFG Soesterberg AB, NL. I was lucky to be stationed there from Nov 87 till Nov 91 and deploy to Incirlik during Desert Storm. The photo's are of 81-0049 which unfortunately was lost off the Norfolk, England  coast after a catastrophic engine failure, the pilot ejected and was OK. This ended the over 70,000 accident free hours that the unit had amassed. The  other is 79-0032 which was the only jet left with the Wolfhound nose art.

Soesterberg was a great assignment it's too bad it was closed when force reductions hit.

Turkish RF-4

I finally found a picture of an F-4 similar to the one that was shot down a few days ago bu Syria. Turkey has called for a meeting of NATO. This whole incident ratchets of all the problems going on in the Middle East. The attack can be considered an act of war since the Turkish AF jet was in international airspace.
The last thing we need is the neo-cons in DC using this incident to get U.S. forces further involved in what is a Syrian internal civil war. Not only do I not care what happens in Syria we in the west in my opinion need to stay away from any more entanglements.

I do believe we should support Israel, if  for nothing more that they are the last democracy in the region. I also believe we should continue to lean on Iran and it's nuclear ambition, not for the threat of nuking Tel Aviv but for the threat of a container ship firring a Scud into the upper atmosphere off the Eastern seaboard. The resulting EMP would be devastating. Check out One Second After, by by William R. Forstchen a chilling fiction book depicting this scenario.

BONE hauling the mail

Here a shot of a B-1 practicing for the Ft Lauderdale airshow, he appears just below the mach.

D-Day

Sixty eight years ago today the brave men of the greatest generation stormed ashore and parachuted into Hitlers fortress Europe. I personally feel that most people today do not truly appreciate the sacrifice made at Omaha Beach, Pointe du Hoc and beyond.

Pic of the day