Both the Army and the Marine Corps were guilty of stupidity when they thought that they would never have to fight another “counter insurgency” campaign again. Never underestimate your opponents they are not as inept and ignorant as you think they are. Our potential enemies have learned the lessons of Vietnam, Panama, Granada, Desert Storm, the Balkans and Somalia very well. They learned this particular lesson most of all: YOU DO NOT GET INTO A CONVENTIONAL WAR WITH THE UNITED STATES MILITARY THE WILL HURT YOU VERY BADLY.

Can some one explain why the Republic of South Africa had armored mine proofed logistical vehicles before the United States? By the way the MRAP was designed by a South African. Our troops were stuck with up-armored HUMVEEs which are no more thought out than the modernized version of the World War One Rolls Royce Armored Cars used by the Royal Naval Air Service of the period and a not well thought out one at that. I think that you would all be shocked to know that in the 1970s the old Rhodesian Armored Corps had a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle built on a Land Rover chassis that was superior to the up-armored HUMVEEs.

For Bambooviper I am a Vietnam veteran and I know where a few bodies are buried. When you talk about George Bush please talk about Lyndon Baines Johnson. There was a light observation helicopter project in those days to replace the old H-13. The two contenders were the Bell Jet Ranger and the Hughes Cayuse. The air crews preferred the Hughes Cayuse because it was safer in a crash but the Bell Jet Ranger was chosen because Bell Helicopters was based in Texas. By the way the aircrews referred to the Bell Jet Ranger as the Death Ranger because we felt it was not as crash survivable as the Hughes Cayuse. I was there and I know.

In the Post September 11 World our enemies are using classic guerilla tactics because.they work.

People you need to read history!

BTW BAMBOO Nams been over a long time now. Time for you to get over it and realize the Dems sold you out both there and back home. Now Pelosi, Clinto and berry are selling out our soldiers. Nothings changed. Rich Democrats get richer and Dem Politicians stay in power.

Yeah Thanx to Dubya & Co, we haven’t had another attack in seven years. That’s what happens when you take the fight to the enemy.”

Your so quick to justify the bush era but lets face the facts for a minute.…attack on 9/11; Saddam Hussein wasn’t responsible remember; so Bush started a war on the premise he would bring “Bin Laden” his old oil buddy to justice for 9/11 and what happened? We catch Saddam instead, give him back to his people and they hang him; bush&co. get filthy rich and Americans suffer, democrats and republicans alike, and for those in washington who don’t like Obama and what he is doing, I say to hell with ya; ’cause obviously your priorities are screwed and your agenda is all about your own wallet, which need not be said is FAT to begin with…great job, really!!!

Over 140 V-22s have now been delivered to the Marine Corps, so they now outnumber the CH-46Es still in service. The 10 they have used as airplanes operating from airbases in Iraq are now worn out and have been withdrawn. They dispatched a Navy ship (LHD) from Norfolk to retrieve them, since they couldn’t fly home. Ten V-22s were supposed to deploy aboard ship last November with the 26th MEU(SOC), but pre-deployment exercises prompted the Corps to cancel that idea at the last moment. Ten V-22 did deploy aboard ship with the 22nd MEU this month. There is no news on how they are performing, but note that the 22nd MEU is not a MEU(SOC) since it failed to demonstrate that it was (Special Operations Capable) during pre-deployment training. It was only the second MEU to fail such certification since the SOC concept began two decades ago.
Despite all the sales pitches earlier this year about how Marines and V-22 will dominate the battlefield in Afghanistan, it was learned last month that none will deploy with the 8000-man 2nd MEB. This means there are only 10 of 140 V-22s deployed overseas, whereas half the remaining CH-46s remain committed to units in Iraq, Afghanistan, Okinawa, and aboard ships. They throw out the “new” aircraft excuse for this, but the V-22 first flew in 1989 and went into production in 1999.