FRIDAY FOTO (September 6, 2019)

Have Gun (You Know the Rest).

(U.S. Army photo by Specialist Angel Ruszkiewicz)

The lights are on, but someone’s definitely home. And they’re inside this M109A6 Paladin self-propelled gun, firing a 155mm howitzer round during training in Jordan on August 27, 2019. It’s all part of Eager Lion, a major U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) exercise that aims to integrate forces in a multilateral environment, operate in realistic terrain and strengthen military-to-military relationships with Middle East partners.

Part tank and part artillery piece, the 78,000-pound Paladin first entered Army service in 1963. An extensive upgrade is underway.

FRIDAY FOTO (July 13, 2018)

Underwater Raiders.

(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Corporal Jon Sosner)

Marine Raiders swim underwater during dive training in Aqaba, Jordan, on July 8, 2018. The Marines are assigned to Maritime Raid Force of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

Marine Special Operations officers, specialists and critical skills operators — collectively known as Marine Raiders — are the Marine Corps component of Special Operations Command.

And yes, it’s the same Aqaba captured by T.E. Lawrence in the film, Lawrence of Arabia.

 

FRIDAY FOTO (May 19, 2017)

The Starting Lineup.

(U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Ryan Conroy)

We haven’t had many photos of special operations forces lately, and since Special Ops is one of the topics we focus on here at 4GWAR, we’re glad to share this photo.

Here U.S. Air Force special tactics airmen, Italian special operations forces and members of the Jordanian Armed Forces Special Task Force conduct a simulated assault on a compound during exercise Eager Lion 17.

Eager Lion is being conducted at the King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Center in Amman, Jordan. This photo was taken May 11, 2017.

Air Force special tactics airmen are highly skilled operators trained and equipped to operate in difficult conditions with stealth, speed and teamwork. Their specialties include: combat controllers, para-rescuemen (or PJs), Special Operations Weather Team members, Tactical Air Control Party members and the Special Operations Surgical team.

To see what people with these specialties do, click on the highlighted words above.

FRIDAY FOTO (January 3, 2014)

Honor Guard Review

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have had a busy travel year — visiting allies, U.S. troops in the field and attending various security conferences. Almost everywhere they go, the top civilian and uniformed leaders of the Pentagon are met by an honor guard.

As longtime 4GWAR readers know, your editor finds the exotic uniforms some of these honor guards wear absolutely fascinating.

So here’s a sampling of some of the places Hagel and Dempsey have been and what the reception committee looked like. Click on each photo to enlarge the image.

In late April, Dempsey visited Beijing and reviewed the troops with Gen. Fang Fenghui, chief of the Chinese general staff.

Defense Dept. photo by D. Myles Cullen

The same day, April 22, 2013, Defense Secretary Hagel was in Israel, reviewing an honor cordon with Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon in Tel Aviv.

Defense Dept. photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

Two days later, Hagel continued his trip through the Middle East in Cairo at an arrival honors ceremony with Egyptian Defense Minister Abdel Fatah Saeed Al Sisy.

Defense Dept. photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

In July, Dempsey visited Poland, where he took in a pass and review  ceremony in Warsaw with Lt. Gen. Mieczyslaw Gocul, chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces …

Defense Dept. Photo by D. Myles Cullen

… and then on to Afghanistan, where he visited the Ministry of Defense in Kabul.

Defense Dept. photo by D. Myles Culle

In August, Dempsey ventured to Jordan, where he saluted the honor guard after a pass and review ceremony.

Defense Dept. Photo by D. Myles Cullen

In October, Dempsey journeyed to Seoul, South Korea where he reviewed with Korean leaders a military parade marking the 60th anniversary of the U.S.-South Korea alliance …

Defense Dept. photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Daniel Hinton

Well … that’s it for 2013. We wish you all a healthy, safe and prosperous New Year

HOMELAND SECURITY: Greek border fence

GREECE: Border Fence Planned at Turkish Border

CIA Worldbook

Greece is joining the growing number of countries (U.S., Saudi Arabia, Israel) building or planning to build a border fence to keep out unwanted immigrants — and terrorists.

The Greek government announced plans Jan. 3 to build a fence along a portion of its 124-mile (200 kilometer) border with Turkey to halt a wave of illegal immigrants from entering Europe. Last year more than 100,000 migrants — mostly from Africa and Asia — crossed into Greece near Evros, according to the government. The European Union says 90 percent of the illegal immigrants entering the EU come through Greece.

The EU border agency, Frontex, sent more than 100 border control officers to Greece in November to assist with the border crossing problem.

The move — not yet definite — would erect a 7-mile (12.5 km) fence at Evros the only overland crossing between the two countries. Elsewhere along the border, a river divides Greece and Turkey.

The decision is being likened to the U.S. project to build an actual and virtual fence along its 700-mile border with Mexico. But after four years and hundreds of millions of dollars, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) plan to pepper the border with surveillance cameras and sensors has only managed to cover about 50 miles in Arizona.  DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano halted the program in March pending review.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is building a security fence on its border with Yemen and strengthening security on its border with Iraq. Israel, which has walled off Gaza and Arab portions of the West Bank to prevent terrorist infiltration is considering a border fence with Jordan for the same reason. Middle East experts say more countries in the region are likely to increase their investment in border security — largely to halt illegal commerce and immigration although there is concern that extremists might try to slip into a country along with economic migrants seeking work.

FRIDAY FOTO (March 19, 2010)

Preparing for Afghanistan

MoD photo by Sgt. Mike Fletcher RLC. Crown Copyright

British soldiers in Jackal 2 vehicles prepare for deployment to Afghanistan during a mobility training exercise in the desert of southern Jordan. More than 120 troops from the 4^th Mechanized Brigade’s Brigade Reconnaissance Force spent four weeks on mines awareness, reconnaissance, signals and infantry training during Exercise Jordan Express. The 4^th Mechanized Brigade, based in Catterick, North Yorkshire, is slated to replace the 11^th (Light) Brigade as the lead British unit in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province in April. This will be the first deployment to Afghanistan, for the 4th Brigade, nicknamed “The Black Rats.”

The Jackal 2, a 4×4 tactical patrol vehicle, debuted less than a year ago. It provides better armor protection against some roadside bombs than Land Rovers and the earlier version of the Jackal but it is faster and more maneuverable than U.S.-made Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAPs) trucks. The three-man Jackal 2 can travel 80 mph on roads and between 40 and 55 mph off them. It is armed with a top-mounted .50 caliber machine gun and a 7.62 mm general purpose machine gun operated by the vehicle commander.