May 23, 2013

Soldiers Don’t Sleep Much

Whoever saiid that war is hell was probably someone who expected to be able to go to war, and still be able to get a good night’s sleep out of the deal.  Any person who expects to be able to fight to that extend, and be able to sleep a fully refreshing eight hours, must have been told a story by their recruiter.  It is pretty obvious to any new person going into the military that sleep is a precious luxury that they can enjoy a whole lot more of after they have retired and gone home.  For the time that they are on active duty, sleeping just does not happen to the extent that a human body ideally desires, which is probably among the reasons why the military tends to recruit young people who can shrug it off.

While burning the candle at both ends is not a very healthy practice, it is a whole lot healthier to be conditioned to the lack of sleep from months or years of training, than it is to suddenly have a lack of sleep thrust upon you.  As someone once said, a person performs as they train.  So the unfortunate soldier just has to grin and bear it when their eyelids want to droop, and when the constant cycle of “hurry up and wait” carries on for hours and hours.

Really, it is a very good thing that the military keeps a watchful (if a wary) eye on the world.  After all, a sleeping military would find it very hard to protect anyone, let alone go on an aggressive campaign of conquest or a preemptive strike.  Since being alert as much as possible is pretty much what the military is all about, hibernating is just not an option.  After all, the enemy is probably doing the same thing, and watching to see whose eyes are going to droop first.  And drooping can have some seriously dire consequences.

Getting Ready for the Navy

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Joining the Navy is a great way to serve your country, and an equally good way to help set you up for a lifetime of success. Whether you choose to go infor an entire career of service or if you just want to put in a few years for the experience (and maybe some money for college), you can accomplish a lot from a strong base like that. But of course, having a strong base within your own life before you get in to the Navy is also a good place to start off your adult life. The more good things you do for yourself early on, the more easy you are going to find it to advance faster in your civilian life. And you will also find it easier to focus on your career within the Navy, instead of on the problems you might have back home, if you take out those problems first.

One problem a lot of people have nowadays is that they are swimming in debt. While the Navy does not do a credit check to screen its recruits as a part of its background check, it is always a good idea to take care of your debts before you join up. While you will be taking home a signing bonus for your enlistment, you should not trust that that will be enough to solve all of your problems. If you have a lot of debts, you might find that consulting a debt consolidation service could be a useful step in the process for you.

After all, how well could you possibly concentrate on doing the job that the Navy assigns you, if you have all kinds of debt payments piling up back at home? Getting those debts consolidated into one payment can ease off a lot on your stresses, and can allow you to focus on the tasks at hand. So get things together, before you join the Navy.

Army Boot Camp: What Basic Training Is All About

Besides the heroism associated with US military personnel who serve their country and preserve American society, perhaps another reason why the US military is so honored and revered is because of the physically demanding conditioning that soldiers have to endure. Soldiers have to be in top physical condition in order to serve their country. Basic Training, or Boot Camp, is how the Army gets its soldiers from the recruitment process to the point where they are ready for deployment. But that means waking up early, running to the bone, and getting into peak physical condition.

Basic Training is generally a 9 week session of intense physical conditioning, combat training, and teamwork building. Soldiers wake up early, at 5Am, have morning physical training and then breakfast, then more training, such as a lesson on how to fire an assault weapon, the lunchtime followed by more training. After diner, it is time to go through with drills, and then there is some free time before going to bed early.

Even basic physical conditioning has to be performed according to military standards. A military-style sit-up requires a full arch of the back to the knees. A military-certified push-up requires that a soldier bends the elbow to a right angle.

While it is important to be in top physical condition as a soldier, there are other things that a soldier must do to prepare for deployment. The Army, Navy, Air Force, and other branches of the military all demand that soldiers submit fully to authority. Soldiers must learn how to fold their bed blankets with perfect corners and how to salute their superiors formally.

The United States military has been in operation since the beginning of the nation, when rag-tag bands of militia men fought in the Revolutionary War. But since then, the military has developed the basic training and other methods to ensure that the US department of defense is one of the strongest in the world.

Air Force Squadron from North Pole, Alaska, Signs Off as Santa

Not too many civilians think of the Air Force as Santa Claus’s Workshop. Oftentimes the Air Force, along with all other branches of the US military, are considered by society as defense and security corps – not humanitarian service workers. But the 354th Air Force Squadron stationed in Alaska has been spreading Christmas cheer – and counteracting negative stereotypes- for over 50 years.

The squadron responds to hundreds of children’s Christmas letters to Santa, postmarking them from the North Pole, which is a little town in which the Air Force base is located. The program is officially called Santa’s Mailbag, and any kids that write to Santa at 1 Santa Claus Lane in North Pole, Alaska, will receive a response.

In December 2010, the Colonel of the Air Force base joined the community in hoisting a new marker for the legendary North Pole in the center of town -a giant candy cane. Community leaders bundled up and weathered the cold in order to take some pictures and celebrate the new pole.

Originally, the Squadron received and responded to letters from those in their families, or other military families. But now that so many little ones are sending along their wish lists, the military receives support from the community.

The Santa pen pal program is not the only humanitarian service that the Air Force participates in. Air Force members based in Japan participate in Operation Christmas Drop, an airlift of toys and supplies to South Pacific islanders in need. Every Christmas, the islanders get excited to see the aircraft coming to drop the toys - an important symbol of charity and reconciliation in the wake of World War II.
The humanitarian services that the Air Force and other branches of the military participate in are just one of the main goals of the US military, and just another reason why recruitment and participation into the military is so widely appreciated.

Naval Aviation: Make way

Naval Aviation Museum 2 Pensacola FL
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Naval Aviation is the use of air power by the navies; it involves usage of manned aircrafts and also carriers. Naval Aviation utilizes the usage of aircrafts aboard the carriers near to the target, the aircrafts used for the carrier operations need to be sturdy enough to withstand the different kind of stresses faced . The aircrafts are specially modified for such kind of operations. The Navy uses its aircrafts for Reconnaissance, Search and Rescue, surface attack, air-to-air combat, surface warfare and for material and personnel transport.
The history of naval aviation dates back to the year 1910 when Glenn Curtiss, A pioneer aviator showed that the airplanes can take off from and land on ships at sea, which led to the development of the concept of aircraft carriers . The navies also operated sea airplanes or flying boats during the most part of World War I. By the Second World War, Naval Aviation was significantly improved and it became a decisive element in the war at sea. Japan, US and UK were the significant users. Naval Aviation played an important role in Battle of Midway, Pearl Harbor and Battle of Okinawa etc. during that period. It was also used for Anti Submarine Warfare.
The development of advanced aircraft carriers has given a significant boost for the Naval Aviation secto0r. It enables the navies to have an Air cover for its forces while at sea, which cannot be provided by land based aircraft due to the distance factor,. The Anti Submarine Helicopters on board the Naval Carriers and destroyers are potent weapons against submerged threats. During the period of the cold war, the NATO navies began deploying light aircraft carriers with ASW helicopters and also started using long range reconnaissance planes for countering the threat by the Soviet SSNs and SSGN submarines.

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Coast Guards and Not the Baywatch type

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Coast Guard is one of the national organizations, armed military force, assigned with Customs and Security duty along with law enforcement powers and take part in search and rescue tasks as well.
Few of the main responsibilities of the coast guards are search and rescue, ensuring the safety of vessels in the territorial waters, maintaining sea marks, border control and the are entrusted with the duty to enforce maritime laws of the country. Also being a Military force, they are responsible for defending the harbors, patrolling the seas and naval counter intelligence during the wartime. The coast guards will be having Ships , fixed wing aircrafts, helicopters etc at their disposal.
The duties of the coast guards may vary depending upon the country. The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is a law enforcement agency as well as a military body. USCG has a wide variety of resources at their disposal, which includes Ships , which are traditionally called as Cutters and patrol boats, They maintain a fleet of around 210 aircrafts ranging from Dolphin Helicopters to C-130 Hercules military transport plane. The USCG operates under the department of Homeland security during the peacetime and can be transferred to the command of department of Navy by the president during the time or war. USCG have jurisdiction over both territorial as well as international waters for carrying out law enforcement operations.
USCG established new command knows as deployable operations group (DOG) specializing in anti terrorism and law enforcement. It enables supply of specialized force units for deployment to various units that come under dept of Homeland security and Dept of defense. The Coast guard reserve has around 8500 reservists.
Her Majesty’s Coastguard in UK is purely a search and rescue unit, the customs and law enforcement comes under the jurisdiction of UK Border Agency and they lease life boats, tugs and aircraft through private organizations or government.

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The Mother of all Beasts

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Aircraft carriers are huge ships fitted with flight decks, which allow aircrafts to take off and land on them. They allow the armed forces to deploy their air power anywhere in the world without relying on any foreign soil to set up its base of operations or use their airports that are an easy target.. The aircraft carriers are recognized as sovereign territories at sea as per the freedom of navigation laws, hence they can carry on their air operations out of the carrier battle group which include a carrier and a set of 6 – 8 war ships providing escort. The usage of aircraft carriers dates back to early 20th century, during World war one, where wooden ships were used as balloon carriers , which has evolved into present day carriers which are nuclear powered and can carry dozens of Fixed wing as well as rotary wing aircrafts. They are the largest of the ships operated by the navies and can cruise at speeds of up to 35 knots which makes it capable of being deployed at any part of the worlds in a matter of weeks. There are around 22 aircraft carriers in active service all over the world which are maintained by 9 fleets. Brazil, India. Russia and Thailand have 1 carrier each in active service , UK, Italy and Spain maintain a fleet of 2 carriers each, where as US navy has 11 active aircraft carriers and out of which 6 carrier groups are stationed at strategic locations and ready for action at moment’s notice.
The US Navy Nimitz Class Super carriers comprises of 11 carriers which are nuclear powered. These are powered by 2 A4-W reactors, and have a maximum speed of over 25 knots. They carry a wide range of armaments on board along with the aircrafts, these include Anti ship missile, Missile defense cannons, Sea sparrow anti-aircraft missiles etc., in order to defend it from the enemy threats.

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The best of Subs

Advanced SEAL delivery system (ASDS) on board ...
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BALLISTIC Missile Submarines also known as SSBN (Ship, Submersible Ballistic Nuclear) or Boomers are larger compared to other types of submarines, they are capable of launching SLBMs (Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles). They can fire the missiles while being submersed at a depth of around 50 meters. These are basically designed to provide undetectable launch platform for ICBMs; they have stealth capabilities along with the capability of precision delivery of Nuclear Warheads. The Ohio christened Class SSBNs in the US navy, which are names so because of being made in Ohio, has the capacity to carry 24 SLBMs having multiple, independently targeting warheads. SSBNs uses various noise reduction mechanism=s in order to remain undetected underwater. SSBNs with their wide range of onboard weaponry, nuclear capabilities and stealth characteristics give it a lethal first strike capability as well as the mobility of the launch platforms offers deterrence against attacks.
Presently all Ohio class submarines have their 2 forward most missile tubes converted into advanced SEAL delivery system capable lockout chambers .They also carry Trident II airborne missiles and MK118 digital torpedoes .They carry a crew of around 20 officers and 120 enlisted men. They can spend around 850 days in sea and docks for around 28 days for overhauls; it can operate for up to 12-15 years between any major overhauls. Few of the SSBNs are also fitted with tom-hawk land missile systems
The active classes of SSBMs around the world are Le Triomp-hant Class of the French navy, Van-guard class of the UK , Typhoon class , Delta II and Delta IV classes of the Russian navy and Type 092 and type 094 of the Chinese navy. Indian navy is currently testing its Arihanth Class SSBNs. These SSBNs carry a variety of sensors onboard, which include surface search, navigation and fire control radars, passive search sonar, passive towed arrays, etc.

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Destroyers!

PASCAGOULA, MS - MAY 16:  (L-R) (Ret.) Adm. J....
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Destroyers are a category of warships which are fast and maneuverable. They are among the heaviest surface combatant battle ships. The destroyers are mainly used to escort battle groups. These destroyers have a long endurance and they are used to defend the fleet against threats from submarines and enemy aircrafts. The destroyers are also known as guided missile destroyers and are capable of carrying nuclear missiles. Arleigh Burke class destroyers currently in use in the US navy and they are used in anti submarine, anti surface and anti aircraft warfare. Few of the destroyers have cruise missile launch systems making them capable to attack land based targets as well. They are capable of reaching up to the speed of 30 knots and supports crews of 276 personnel .They are equipped with air filtering systems against NBC (Nuclear, Biological & Chemical) warfare. The US navy currently has 52 destroyers of Arleigh Burke class in commission, and will be commissioning another 13 or 15 more in the recent coming years. The US navy is also building a new Zumwalt class of destroyers with more focus on land attack capabilities. 2 of which are already under construction , they will be housing a crew of 148 man and capable of making 30 knots.
The US destroyers can support up to 2 sea hawk helicopters and 3 unmanned aerial vehicles and houses SPY-3 multi function radar.
The “Sovermenny” class destroyers commissioned in the Russian navy and the Chinese has the capacity to reach speeds in excess of 30 knots, they have 8 anti ship missiles anti air missile , two 130 mm twin barrel naval guns along with torpedo launchers makes it a lethal opponent in surface warfare.
Indian Navy has 3 Delhi class commissioned destroyers, with Kh-35 anti ship missiles having a effective range of 130 km, RBu-6000 anti submarine rockets and supports 2 Sea King helicopters.

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Dealing with Bombs under Water

Second phase instructors keep a close eye on B...
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US Navy SEALS, the US Navy’s principle Special Operations group recruits 18-28 year old male candidates holding US citizenship. Should be a high school graduate or equivalent and should be proficient in reading writing, understanding and speaking English with a minimum ASVAB scores of 165 or 220 (depending upon the sub tests taken into consideration) and the candidate should pass the SEAL Physical Screening Test (PST) . Upon satisfying all these requirements, the candidate will be eligible to undergo BUD/S.
The SEAL training is very rigorous with a drop out rate of around 70- 90 percent. The candidate goes through a at least a year of formal training environments before getting enlisted
Basic Underwater Demolition / SEAL training (BUD/S), a 6 month course at Naval Special Warfare Training Center, Coronado. It starts as a Indoctrination and pre training classes for the first 5 weeks which then paves way for the 3 phases of BUD/S. Out of which the first phase , 8 week Basic Conditioning which includes the ‘Hell Week’ encountered midway of the 1st phase and considered the toughest where the candidate will be tested to his limits. Hell week tests the candidates of the physical endurance, their mental tenacity and team work. More than 65 percent of the candidates quit at this time. The remaining will move to the 2nd phase which includes 8 weeks of diving lessons and then the 3rd phase where the candidates are trained in land warfare for 9 weeks. Then they undergo basic parachute training for 3 weeks. In the end the candidates go through 8 weeks of SEAL qualification training which includes aspects like mission planning, operations, tactics, techniques and procedures. Once upon successful completion of all these programs, they are considered as SEALs authorizing them to wear the SEAL insignia over their uniform.

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