February 22, 2012

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Introduction to the Air Force

Introduction to the Air Force

Of all the military services, the air force happens to be the youngest. It was originally created back in 1947 and it was created under what is known as the National Security Act. Before 1947, the Air Force was just considered to be a separate part of the Army or Armed Forces. The primary mission behind the Army Air Corps at this point was just to provide support for the ground forces of the Army. During World War II, however, it became quite apparent that air power had a greater amount of potential than simply to support the ground troops, and so at that point it was decided that the Air Force would be established as a completely separate service. The Air Force has a single primary mission which is to defend the US and all of its interests through the exploitation not only of the air, but of space as well.

In order for them to accomplish this mission, the entire Air Force is responsible for operating a variety of different types of aircrafts including fighter aircrafts, tanker aircrafts, heavy bomber aircrafts, light bomber aircrafts, transportation aircrafts, UAVs or unmanned aerial vehicles as well as helicopters which are used for a variety of special circumstances such as rescuing downed aircrew members or special mission operations. This branch of the military also happens to be responsible for nuclear ballistics missiles and all of the military satellites. There are currently approximately 317,000 personnel who are on active duty in the Air Force at any point in time.

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The Changing Role of Veterans

Until America went to war with Iraq and Afghanistan, people had a very definite image in their minds when they thought of veterans. Images of grizzled old men with American flag shirts were the stereotypical veterans.

However, now that America is at war, veterans have a completely different role in society. They come in all different roles. Young men and women are serving right alongside older veterans. While people used to think of veterans as Christian, right-wing men, veterans of the current wars don’t even begin to fit into these stereotypes.

Today’s veterans include men and women, with women performing many of the crucial roles in wars and in the military. They come from a variety of backgrounds, cultures, beliefs, and educational levels. They also are considered heroes. Unfortunately, veterans of the past were not always considered heroes by people.

The first wave of veterans that people today remember are the people that served in World War II. People that served in World War II were seen as the ideal Americans; they were brave, fearless, and always stood up for what was right. When they returned home, they were treated like heroes and were highly honored by everyone.

The second wave of veterans came from the Vietnam War. These veterans did not come home knowing that they did a lot to stop the tide of evil. Rather, most of them came home feeling disillusioned with their country and their role in the war. Americans were unsure about whether or not the war was just; they took this confusion and uncertainty out on the veterans by vilifying them.

The veterans of today fall somewhere in the middle of these two extremes. They are not seen as flawless heroes, but they are not seen as villains either. Rather, they are seen as regular people that have made an honorable and worthy choice to serve their country.

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Contemporary Military Fiction: A Review of Day by AL Kennedy

There is plenty of contemporary war literature, but it is difficult to sift through the bestsellers and find a novel that promises and delivers on a good war plot. Putting aside the dime store war fiction novels, one fascinating new novel about World War II is a novel called simply Day, written by AL Kennedy. The novel is about the British Royal Air Force, and is written by a British author, but the novel has universal appeal and is on the cutting edge of contemporary fiction storytelling.

Kennedy published Day in 2007, and has since received as much critical acclaim as she has received criticism. The novel is about a tail gunner named Alfred Day who survived World War II as a German POW after his bomber crew was shot down. He suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and accordingly, the narrative is hard to follow, if not utterly disorienting. Reminiscent of Tim O-Brian’s The Things They Carried and Virginia Woolf’s Ms. Dalloway, the novel is intricately crafted in stream-of-consciousness and broken modernist style.

Alfred reflects on his war experiences in 1949, when he takes part as an extra in a war film. He still struggles with PTSD and war guilt, and he even faints on the set of the movie, which adds some humor to the otherwise fragmented storyline. The battle scenes are especially descriptive, the language and dialogue seem true-to-life, at least from the perspective of someone who suffers from shell-shock, and the story is equally fascinating and frustrating. Kennedy convincingly re-creates a World War II bomber crew and a protagonist whose mind is fragmented, but nevertheless acts as the perfect narrator. The story may be hard to read, but it is an important tale, for American readers just as much for British readers. For the powerful language, the great battle scenes, and the unique narration alone, this novel is worth a read.

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The US Military in the Movies Part I

The US Military has been a perennial source of fascination for Hollywood. There are enough mainstream movies that feature historical wars, war heroes, documentaries, and historical fiction based on wars or battles that Military Film could be considered its own genre. For military history buffs and those interested in how American society views its military, an overview of military-based films makes for a fascinating study tool.

War films have been a popular genre since the dawn of film. The 1930s saw All Quiet on the Western Front, now a classic, along with Alexander Nevsky, a Russian film by the master director Sergei Eisenstein, which does not concern itself with the US but nevertheless shows the strong interest in war film. But it wasn’t until during and after World War II, when America finally woke up from its sleepy isolationism, that society began to demand war movies.

In 1963, the now-classic The Great Escape, starring Steve McQueen, features a gang of POWs who try to make a break from a Nazi camp, culminating in a fantastic motorcycle chase. The film is based on true events, but is clearly edited for entertainment purposes.

Few movies about the Vietnam war were produced until The Green Berets, a classic John Wayne film that stars and was co-directed by the Duke, who was pro-Vietnam. In 1979, Francis Ford Coppola directed Apocalypse Now, which is based on the literary master Joseph Conrad’s book Heart of Darkness, but is about the Vietnam War. The movie is a dark and fascinating tale about American soldiers entangled in the depths of the Vietnam jungle.

There are plenty of American war movie lists, from the American Film Institute’s Top Films list to homemade lists from war buffs around the world. Although the lists vary from viewer to viewer, one thing is for sure: the US military has a strong presence in American film, right down to the toy soldiers in the Toy Story series.

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The US Military in the Movies Part II

After the Vietnam War, Hollywood has continued to produce films based on America’™s military involvement. With the progress of special effects, improved film technology, and extensive research, war films have become more accurate and convincing, although many debate that war films are now more geared towards entertainment than historicity. Still, the prevalence of American war films produced in the past decades shows that the US military is ever-present in the American consciousness. Top Gun, produced in 1986, is one of the most popular recent American military films. While not technically a war film, this story of three pilots in training for the Navy has permeated American culture and, after 24 years, continues to be a favorite with military enthusiasts. Starring Tom Cruise and Meg Ryan, the pop film includes classic 1980s music and now-clichéd phrases such as “Too close for missiles, I’m switching to guns,and “I feel the need for speed.” The 1999 film Three Kings, starring George Clooney, is one of the first mainstream Hollywood films about Operation Desert Storm, set in the early 1990s Gulf War. Along with Tom Hanks’ Forrest Gump, produced in 1994, and Saving Private Ryan in 1998, these films show that the 1990s was a decade with mixed points of view towards American involvement in wars during the 20th century. A slew of war films in the early 2000s, such as The Patriot in 2000, Black Hawk Down and Pearl Harbor in 2001, and Letters from Iwo Jima and Annapolis in 2006, continues the popular trend of American war movies. Letters from Iwo Jima, directed by Clint Eastwood, is a World War II film that turns the tables on the traditional American perspective. Black Hawk Down is a gruesome, fast-paced film about a series of special operations in Somalia in 1993 that went awry. With the tense and thrilling Hurt Locker released in 2009, Hollywood seems poised to continue producing high-quality American war films.

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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.

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Funding the American Dream through Military Scholarships

One of the most persuasive arguments for joining the US military is the prospect of financial aid or scholarships for higher education. The opportunity for full or partial funding for education through the US military makes it possible for any American to have access to quality education and opportunity to have any career.

Many young Americans begin their military training when they are in junior high or high school with JROTC classes. By performing well in these classes and in school, young civilians have a good chance of recruitment into the branch of military service of their choice. Working their way up the ranks, young recruits can gain valuable job experience in a specialized field, which can help them jumpstart a career after discharge from the military. Once military personnel have finished with their service, they can either go to school for an advanced degree, and the military will help pay for it, or they can do directly to the workforce. Oftentimes, the military will also help pay for school during your time of service.

It is also possible for military personnel and veterans to receive funding for their family members’ education. This opens the door wide for those families who would not otherwise be able to afford higher education. Ever since the GI Bill was instated after World War II, the US government has touted higher education as a benefit to those who serve their country through military service.

For some, it may be difficult to find money for education through the military service. One way is to look online, but often the most highly advertised and the most competitive are easiest to find, so make sure to spend some time doing careful research. Ask around to see if any of your military friends or fellow servicemembers know about good grants or scholarships that would apply to your education or your family members. The money is there, so take advantage of it!

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Naval Aviation: Make way

Naval Aviation Museum 2 Pensacola FL
Image by POsrUs via Flickr

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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Naval Diving a dream Job

This is the official unit insignia for the Nav...
Image via Wikipedia

In order to defend the country’s interests there is a need for underwater reconnaissance, demolition, construction, ordinance disposal, ship maintenance, search and rescue, salvage operations etc which are carried out by the country’s defense forces. They make use of expert divers called combat divers or naval divers or frogmen for these purposes. The typical offensive activities carried out by a naval diver include underwater demolition, infiltration, sabotage of enemy installations and equipments. The defensive activities include clearing of mines underwater, anti sabotage operations against enemy divers etc. SBS and SEAL teams are well experienced in these kinds of operations.
The military divers, in order to remain undetected and also prevent any disasters while handling explosives underwater, use specialized or modified equipments. They use rebreathes to prevent the release of bubbles due to the exhaled air, which may give away their position. The suits and diving gear used by then will be made of non reflective surfaces, with non magnetic components.
World War II saw a lot of action on the part of the US Navy divers which included the efforts by the salvage teams trying to rescue trapped sailors from USS Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor. They were assigned to removal of underwater obstacles during the Okinawa Invasion where they created a record by removing 1200 underwater obstacles in 2 days. The Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) teams defused many explosives and underwater mines during the course of World War II.
The Navy Experimental Diving Unit (NEDU) develops and tests various diving equipments and practices depending upon the requirements of the US Armed Forces. US Navy along with NEDU, Naval Medical Research Institute (NMRI) and Navy Submarine Medical Research Laboratory (NSMRL) have developed and proved the saturating diving techniques in its Sealabs ( Experimental Underwater Habitats) and other research programs.

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A very Special Boat Service

Royal Marines in a Rigid Raider assault waterc...
Image via Wikipedia

Special Boat Service (SBS) with the motto “By Strength And Guile”  is a special forces unit of the Royal Navy, They along with the Special Air Services (SAS) Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR) and Special Forces Support Group (SFSG) come under the joint control of the Director of Special Forces. SBS is headquartered in Poole, Dorset and the origin of this unit dates back to the world War II, constituted as Special Boat Section which later went on to become special boat squadron and then finally special boat service. SBS derives most of its force from the royal marines, they are specialists in amphibious operations. The main tasks of SBS involve Reconnaissance, counter terrorism ops, sabotage, and combat actions behind the enemy lines. Created as a specialist commando unit during the course of WW II, then later disbanded and again picked up by the Royal Marines, Post WWII, they took part in the Korean War operating from submarines, destroying communications, gathering intelligence. Then they also saw action in the Falklands war against the Argentinians. They took part in the Kuwait war, liberating the British Embassy in Kuwait and also creating diversionary attacks along the Kuwaiti coasts. They have also taken part in the hostage rescue operations in Sierra Leone, In Afghanistan during operation Enduring freedom and also in the Iraqi Invasion.

SBS is designed along the lines of the most renowned SAS .The SBS personnel are experts in swimming, parachuting, diving, navigation, demolitions and reconnaissance. SBS has 4 active squadrons and 1 reserve unit. Most of the recruits in SBS are volunteers from Royal Marines, and few from all the other branches of the British Armed Forces. The volunteer applying for SBS should have completed a minimum of 2 years of regular service and only those who complete the selection process will be accepted into regular services.

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