08/25/2015: 8/11/2015 - EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- RED FLAG-Alaska 15-3, a Pacific Air Forces-sponsored, Joint National Training Capability accredited exercise officially started here Aug. 6. Originally called COPE THUNDER, the exercise moved to Eielson in 1992 from Clark Air Base, Philippines, after the eruption of Mount Pinatubo on June 15, 1991. COPE THUNDER was…
08/25/2015: U.S. Marines with Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force-Southern Command boarding CH-53 Super Stallion at the flight line on Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, July 8, 2015. SPMAGTF-SC is a temporary deployment of Marines and Sailors throughout Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Belize with a focus on building and…
2015-08-19 By Ed Timperlake It is the goal of Second Line of Defense with the publication of this article to begin a series on the problems with the Veterans Administration. It is hoped that visibility into VA problems by highlighting key challenges – including specific instances of corruption and malfeasance…
2015-08-19 By Robbin Laird In my last piece based on my time with MARFORPAC and PACFLEET, I want to highlight some perspectives gained from talking with four members of the PACFLEET staff. I had a chance to talk with an learn for four senior members of the PACFLEET staff in…
08/23/2015:INDIAN OCEAN (June 26, 2015) Sailors from Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) receive stores from Military Sealift Command dry cargo and ammunition ship USNS Carl Brashear (T-AKE 7) during a replenishment at sea (RAS). Essex, part of the Essex Amphibious Ready Group and with the embarked 15th…
2015-08-22 Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina Two F-35B joint strike fighter jets conduct aerial maneuvers during aerial refueling training over the Atlantic Ocean, Aug. 13, 2015. The mission of Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 is to conduct effective training and operations in the F-35B in coordination with…
2015-08-19 By Robbin Laird During a visit to Hawaii at the end of July 2015, I had a chance to sit down with two senior Navy personnel who work the MSC aspect for PACFLEET. CDR Corey Turner and Bruce Stewart are senior personnel with the MSC Detachment PACFLEET and discussed…
2015-08-13 By Robbin Laird Last year I visited MARFORPAC, and interviewed the staff and the then head of MARFORPAC, Lt. General Robling During my last visit, I focused on the broad strategic restructuring which the Marines were undergoing which they refer to as the distributed laydown. The U.S. Marine Corps…
