What keeps me busy

[darin]

This operation is taking over Europe across the services. Most folks are involved in some way - my organization is heavily tied to the operation.

http://www.eur.army.mil/anakonda/

Exercise Anakonda 2016 (AN16) is one of U.S. Army Europe’s premier multinational training events. AN16 is a Polish national exercise that seeks to train, exercise and integrate Polish national command and force structures into an allied, joint, multinational environment.

This exercise further supports assurance and deterrence measures by demonstrating allied defense capabilities to deploy, mass and sustain combat power.

This exercise will involve more than 25,000 participants from 24 nations, including Albania, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.

of course - in the train-up, there was THIS little mishap...(Language warning)

[Kathianne]

I read yesterday that Putin put out a non-veiled threat about the shield going over Poland and another already put over another part of eastern Europe. I don't remember the details, see if I can find it.

Seems his a bit miffed at NATO at the moment.

[darin]

Righto. He did to ukriane what saddam tried to do to Kuwait, and putin gets mad at NATO?? Fuck putin....

[Kathianne]

Righto. He did to ukriane what saddam tried to do to Kuwait, and putin gets mad at NATO?? Fuck putin....

Indeed. I'm at work, will try to find article when I get home.

[Elessar]

After watching that second video, I imagine some riggers and
loadmasters might get a stern 'talking to'!

[CSM]

After watching that second video, I imagine some riggers and
loadmasters might get a stern 'talking to'!

Looked like a B-52 bombing run....heh

[Gunny]

Looked like a B-52 bombing run....heh

If that's a B-52 Sergeant Major, I have a full head of hair.

[CSM]

If that's a B-52 Sergeant Major, I have a full head of hair.

"looks like" not "is".... exaggeration ... learn it .... love it!

[Gunny]

"looks like" not "is".... exaggeration ... learn it .... love it!

I got the humor. Come on. That's why the snarky reply. If you're going to jump out of a B-52, I want to watch.

[CSM]

I got the humor. Come on. That's why the snarky reply. If you're going to jump out of a B-52, I want to watch.

oh I know....thus the snarky reply of my own.... heh

[Gunny]

oh I know....thus the snarky reply of my own.... heh

I was born on THE b-52 base in 1959. Minus a two year tour in Turkey. I lived on Kelly AFB until I was 6 or so. I got a bit of an idea bout those noisy ass things.

[Kathianne]

Righto. He did to ukriane what saddam tried to do to Kuwait, and putin gets mad at NATO?? Fuck putin....

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articl...s-russia-fumes

Putin Warns NATO Missile Shield Is Threat to Peace in Europe

<time class="published-at time-based" datetime="2016-05-13T08:54:34.901Z" itemprop="datePublished" style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased; color: rgb(38, 38, 38); font-family: NHaasGroteskTXPro-55Rg, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 0.5s ease-out; display: block; border: 0px; font-size: 0.8125rem; float: left; margin-right: 0.3125rem; line-height: 1.25rem; padding: 0px;">May 13, 2016 — 1:54 AM GMT+7</time>Updated on <time class="updated-at__time" datetime="2016-05-13T15:01:12.077Z" style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: NHaasGroteskTXPro-55Rg, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(38, 38, 38);">May 13, 2016 — 8:01 AM GMT+7

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that NATO’s missile-defense shield in Romania and Poland is threatening peace in Europe and said a new arms race may emerge between his country and its Cold War foe.


Poland broke ground on the northern wing of the anti-ballistic missile shield Friday, a day after Romania inaugurated rocket batteries to the south. The two complexes have fueled antipathy between the alliance and Russia, which are in the deepest confrontation since the collapse of Communism after the Kremlin annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.


“Now after the placement of these missile defense elements, we have to think how to neutralize the threats for the security of the Russian Federation,” Putin said at a meeting with defense officials in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi. “The people who are making such decisions should know that until now they have lived in calm, comfort and security.”



The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is consolidating its presence in eastern Europe after Russia forcibly changed borders in the region and because it continues to intimidate its neighbors, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in Romania on Thursday. Putin said NATO’s missile defense bases and increased troop presence were “extra steps” toward a “shakeup of the international security system” and “a news arms race” in which he said Russia wouldn’t take part.


Large-Scale Conflicts

“We won’t be drawn into this race, we’ll go our own way,” Putin said. “We’ll do everything necessary from our side to ensure and preserve the strategic balance of forces that is the most reliable guarantee to prevent starting large-scale military conflicts.”


Poland started building an installation at the former military airport in Redzikowo near the Baltic coast on Friday. A counterpart to the base in the southern Romanian village of Deveselu, the site will be able to host about 300 U.S. troops in 2018. That follows ramped-up defense spending among Baltic NATO members Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, who plan to seek further increases in NATO troop rotations at the alliance’s July summit in Warsaw.
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