Seems to be some noise out there about basing Marines in Australia.
Dumb in many ways if the idea is to show deterrent value in the Pacific Rim vs. a Chinese Communist threat.
The better alternative would have been a Wing of F-22s. Or at least a Wing of strike eagles.
Such is the lack of understanding in Washington these days. The other problem being this.
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11 comments:
You are incorrect, the working girls from Sydney will be on the next aircraft.
What is funny is look at the small number of Marines mentioned.
Then consider how many Australian Army soldiers are off in Operation: USELESS DIRT efforts on the other side of the globe.
The Australian Army has plenty of work to do in the Pacific Rim being 1. Ready and 2. Participating in regional security and soft power efforts.
The USMC isn't needed for this basing idea and is only a waste of U.S. tax dollars better spent on something else.
Better spent here, we need it.
Eric, I don't think anyone believes the base will be to bolster defence of Australia with 1000 extra troops. Rather it's an extension of US influence in the SE Asian region.
As an aside, I believe your use of repetitive catchphrases and tags (ie Useless Dirt, Ponzi Scheme, Pauper USAF) serves only to weaken your arguments by revealing deeply ingrained bias.
What,bias, Eric is stating the bloody obvious, cobber.
USN should homestation a CVN in Perth, not only half a MEU in Darwin.
Eric:
Your "deeply ingrained bias" landed you in last months issue of Combat Aircraft in Robert F. Dorr's regular "Front Line" editorial discussing Donley and Schwartz and their huge change of opinion on the F-22 to please their clueless boss (Gates).
Mr. Dorr quoted you by name in his article on page 39 of Vol 12. No 10 where you appropriately question the sanity and knowledge of air power of Schwartz and Donley.
Congratulations on being mentioned in one of the largest military aviation magazines in the world.
Please continue cutting through the bullshit and thank you!
RSF
Yeah well; I love the USAF. It could be better. Fortunately there are still a lot of good airmen, middle NCO's, Senior NCO's / First Sergeants, Squadron commanders and full colonels that just plug away and do their job well.
Yet with that, look at the annual billions put into the USAF.
A real air power leader could make it a lot better and more powerful with less stress.
I think Dorr has always known this just that until recently some of his writing hasn't always addressed the trouble in very strong language.
People that love the USAF need to state--in the strongest possible terms--that senior leadership must change its behaviour. For instance, the Jill Metzger fiasco was an easy fix, yet senior leadership failed to take an opportunity to maintain good order and discipline. When an opportunity like that appears (a USAF member of any rank doing something bad) it is a golden opportunity "pour l'encouragement des autres". When that doesn't happen it hurts troop morale.
And yes that is also an air power issue even though it is indirect.
The power of the USAF is its people (again not all perfect). Give them the proper air power tools and you have powerful deterrence.
Excellent, however those who really count. Bonza, Aussie Digger, Magoo, Gubler etc on the intellectual forum, Defence Talk are most uncomplimentary. Apparently you are not allowed another opinion to those whoe are the apponited ones.
The one that surprises me most is Magoo the professional journo.What an attitude.
Eric, think long term on this - I'm pretty sure the US leadership is. Imagine the screaming if the US wanted to station a full MEU here in OZ all in one go - the howls of protest would be deafening. Much better to get a foot in the door and build on that.
Softly, softly, catchy, monkey.
And what makes you think China is the only game in town? There is another nuclear armed state with a billion plus population to our north-west, who may be a military and economic competitor in the next decade - young, well educated population who work for peanuts and no pretensions of or attempts at social equality!
Looks like you have another Occupy movement.
Good luck Australia.
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