Study Shows Female Marines Less Combat Ready

The US Marine Corps reported this week results of a lengthy experiment studying women during combat skills tests found . The study that all-male units performed better than mixed-gender ones in most tactical areas and that women suffered more injuries than men.

One measure showed that the musculoskeletal injury rate for women was 40.5%, compared with 18.8% for men.

The report, however, drew swift criticism from leaders who support opening military combat roles to women. On Friday, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, the civilian head of the Navy and Marine Corps, told National Public Radio that the Marines had used flawed methodology in designing the study and exhibited prejudicial thinking about certain results from the testing.

Check out an LA Times article here describing the study and comments in greater detail.

The DoD has mandated that on January 1, 2016 all military jobs will be open to females. The Air Force already has opened all billets to women, with the remaining services required to follow suit by 01 Jan 16.

Russia Starts Major Show of Force

More than 45,000 Russian troops, as well as war planes and submarines, started military exercises across much of the country today in one of the Kremlin's biggest shows of force since its ties with the West plunged to Cold War-lows.

President Vladimir Putin called the Navy's Northern Fleet to full combat readiness in exercises in Russia's Arctic North apparently aimed at dwarfing military drills in neighboring Norway, a NATO member.

 

"New challenges and threats to military security require the armed forces to further boost their military capabilities. Special attention must be paid to newly created strategic formations in the north," Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said, quoted by RIA news agency.

 

More on the "Cold" War Games reported from CBS News here.

 

Anyone doubt the Big Bad Bear is coming back? Apparently, even a 6-year low in oil prices isn't keeping Russia down [see article here in Moscow Times regarding Kremlin's 2015 record $81B defense budget].

 

 

First Female Submariners Taped in Showers

Navy criminal investigators are looking into who secretly filmed female officers of a submarine crew while they were showering and changing clothes aboard the USS Wyoming's unisex heads.

Petty officers recording female shipmates in showers, really? Really guys?!  It's noteworthy that this is the first submarine to have women serving onboard, and these are the first female submariners. 

According to a Navy Times article, up to a dozen sailors are suspected of viewing secretly recorded videos of their female shipmates undressing in a submarine shower over a period of 10 months.

Navy Vice Adm. M.J. Connor wrote that "an investigation is in progress." He also noted the women affected were provided assistance and the alleged perpetrators were removed from the ship pending the investigation's results.  "The Navy has successfully integrated women into our aviation, surface warfare and expeditionary warfare communities," Connor wrote in the letter. "It would be inaccurate to say that we achieved this without incident, but I can say unequivocally that we are a better force because of that integration."

At least official Navy acknowledges the service has had its share of "incidents" in transitioning into a seamless, fully integrated force.

At a Bookstore Near You?

On a business trip to the East Coast this week, a good friend of mine texted me these photos from Chicago O'Hare and DFW airports. Already on Amazon.com and Kindle, striving for a bookstore near you next.

And to the readers of "The Last Top Gun" who have written reviews on Amazon, thank you!

Female U.A.E. Pilot Bombed ISIS

Maj. Mariam al-Mansouri, the first female fighter pilot in the history of the United Arab Emirates, led the Gulf state's bombing raids over Syria last week.

From a Washington Post article:

It's not clear how vital her and her compatriots' efforts were in the air campaign against the Islamic State, which is entrenched over a vast swath of territory in Syria and Iraq. More important was the sheer fact of her presence. "While Arab participation in the strikes is of more symbolic than military value," writes the Wall Street Journal's Ahmed Al Omran, "analysts described it as a bold move for a group of countries that for long preferred to act via proxies instead of any direct involvement."

Gotta love the irony of ISIS fighters being bombed by a woman. Good for MAJ al-Mansouri and good for the U.A.E.; though, as the Post article points out:

The U.A.E. is no paragon of women's rights either. Female migrant workers in the country face harrowing conditions and abuse, while Emirati laws still don't provide legal recourse for marital rape. 

 And what about Saudi Arabia, where women are not permitted to drive cars or vote?

As played out in the contentious relationship between "Spyder" and "Drone" in The Last Top Gun, integration of women into combat forces is almost as complex as finding peace in the Middle East.

 

Sep 3rd Press Release

The Last Top Gun: F-14 Pilot’s New Novel Rocks the Wings of Fact & Fiction, Paying Homage to Culture of Last Generation All-Male Navy Fighter ‘Jocks’.

‘The Last Top Gun: A Story Of The Last Generation Of Navy Fighter Jocks’ catapults readers off the carrier deck and into a world that only a privileged few have experienced.  Author Dan Zimberoff tells a collective story of 1980s and 1990s fighter pilots who were part rock star, part airborne warrior and 100% male. Zimberoff was himself a Top Gun graduate, and part of an elite group whose lifestyle and out-of-the-cockpit experiences will never be repeated in today’s diverse new military.

For Immediate Release

Seattle, WA – Each time Dan Zimberoff fired up an F-14 Tomcat perched on the deck of an aircraft carrier, he knew that flying a fighter jet demanded a level of brashness and rock star-esque aplomb. He never forgot that he was part of an all-male team that was the envy of many – a culture that has now crashed and burned like the fiery mishaps he witnessed too many times over his distinguished career.

Zimberoff now practices law and, acutely aware of the military’s growing use of drones and embracement of women and openly gay pilots, is proud to have been a part of a fraternity that no longer exists. His novel, ‘The Last Top Gun: A Story Of The Last Generation Of Navy Fighter Jocks’, depicts this changing culture and gives readers an opportunity to don their flight suits for an inside look at how life as a navy fighter pilot used to be before political correctness took over the military.

Synopsis:

While flying fighters in and out of combat, US Navy pilot Eric "Spyder" Greene repeatedly came face-to-face with his own mortality. But none of his cockpit exploits prepared him for what lay ahead. The same navy that had Spyder piloting the last manually flown fighter on and off aircraft carriers, now has the reserve commander assigned to a staff job where he grapples with a post-9/11 world filled with unmanned aircraft and drones, politically-driven policies, women in combat, and doubt as to his role in any of it.

In The Last Top Gun, a novel by Dan Zimberoff, Spyder meets the future of naval aviation in the form of two young, aspiring aviators. The grizzled fighter pilot, raw and anything but politically correct, recounts his harrowing experiences when he and his squadronmates were part rock stars, part Olympic athletes in the air--and all male. Spyder's encounters and chronicles intrigue the young officers, and like the reader, they want more.

Fifty percent of the profits from the sale of this book are donated to charity organizations that support US active duty and veterans organizations.

Author's Comments:

“This book shares the story of my generation’s military,” explains Zimberoff.  “We truly were a fraternity of airborne warriors; a generation that no longer exists as the military works diligently to form a ‘best of the best’ team of Top Guns representing every cross-section of society,” he adds.  “I’m certainly not saying that diversity is a bad thing—far from it—but times have changed and the all-boys club I was once a part of, and every generation of military man before me, is now just a shadow of its former self.”

Continuing, “Readers get to experience all of the bravado of the ready room and heroic actions at 30,000ft, as a group of “men’s men” would say goodbye to their families without notice to travel the world fighting or keeping the peace. Some never made it home, and we all were just seconds from a fiery death on multiple occasions.  The Last Top Gun s is a true showcase of what being a navy carrier pilot used to be all about.”

Reviews:

Since its release, the novel has garnered rave reviews. Clarion Review states, “A lively, testosterone-driven debut novel. . . Zimberoff puts readers right in the cockpit with Spyder during missions, not only detailing technology and radio chatter, but also conveying the thrill of flight.  Top Gun fans will get the full story here.”

“An insightful, sometimes witty look at the life of a seasoned Navy pilot,” writes Kirkus Review.

Gerald Nielsen Jr. comments, “Fantastic book giving a true and personal prospective of Top Gun naval aviator. Demonstrates what these heroes lives are like defending our country. Great read!”

Edward Malynn adds, “I loved this book. I am a little biased...I relived some of my past life. I flew F-14s and was one of the last few lucky souls to make it to Cubi Point before the Navy closed the base. If you want to know the life of a Naval Aviator (A Navy Fighter Puke), read this book. I hope there is a sequel!”

‘The Last Top Gun: A Story Of The Last Generation Of Navy Fighter Jocks’ is available now: http://amzn.to/1p8kfED. For more information, visit the official website: http://www.thelasttopgun.com.

AFA Cadets Rape, Smoke Pot and Cheat

Even in today's highly scrutinized and controlled environment, despicable action by young men continues.  For the latest Air Force Academy scandal as reported on military.com, click here.

Also, in January, the Defense Department released a report stating that more than two-thirds of the sexual assaults reported at the military academies in academic year 2012-13 occurred at the Air Force Academy.

The annual report on Sexual Harassment and Violence at the Service Academies showed that the total number of sexual assaults reported was 70 at the Air Force Academy, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., and the Naval Academy in academic year 2012-13. That was a decrease from 80 reported at the academies in the previous year.  The Air Force Academy had 45 reports, the Naval Academy had 15, and West Point had 10 reports of sexual assault.

Changing the culture in the military, even for cadets and midshipmen who are just commencing their careers, is proving highly problematic many years after women were fully integrated into the armed forces.

Book Launch!!

Twelve years in the making!  Hard to believe it's finally out in the public domain.  As stated in the forefront:

This book is dedicated to Eddie, Dinger, Furball, TC, Tuna, Tommy, and too many other warriors who died in the prime of their lives. You are not forgotten.

Fifty percent of the profits from the sale of this book are donated to charity organizations that support US active duty and veterans organizations.

Don't Call Them Drones

Leaders of the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International conference in Washington this week tried to persuade media members not to use the word "drone" when describing the various types of unmanned vehicles.  Apparently, "drones" connotes images of killer robots, Mad Max and Terminator. 

The trade group and many of its members prefer the terms “unmanned aerial systems” (UAS) or “unmanned aerial vehicles” (UAV) or “remotely piloted aircraft” (RPA) or, as they’re officially known in Europe, “remotely piloted aircraft systems” (RPAS).

Check out the full article here. 

Call them what you will, just get used to their proliferation over the next decade--both for combat operations overseas and surveillance and business operations domestically. You can run, but you can't hide.

X-47B Lands on Carrier

Naval Aviation made history yesterday when a X-47B caught the first trap at sea onboard USS George H. Bush.  Here's a link to the story.

The Navy's Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) program has been in existence for over ten years, and seems to be ramping up at a record pace recently with the X-47B bomber and Fire Scout MQ-8B helicopter.

With the UCAS aircraft moving quickly along in development and the first F-35C being delivered to Eglin AFB last month to begin joint training with Air Farce, Marine and Navy aviators, it's an exciting time for Naval aviation.

Navy to stop SHOUTING in ALL CAPS

Graduates of the U.S. Naval Academy face a future that includes lower-case letters.

In a period of sequestration, spiking sexual assaults and controversial drones, the Navy has decided to make meaningful, substantive change . . . by altering the way its messages are typed. Since 1850, all message traffic and orders have been typed in ALL CAPS.  The Navy is altering this "annoying and rude" format to be less offensive to younger sailors. I didn't make this up; there's an article in today's Wall Street Journal.

Proposed New Law For Military Sexual Assault Prosecutions

Two lawmakers leading the fight to stop sexual assault in the military told CBS' "Face the Nation" that the military has "dropped the ball" in its handling of sexual abuse cases, touting legislation that would empower trained military prosecutors - rather than the chain of command - to investigate and adjudicate sexual assault cases.

Under her legislation, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said the decision to bring a sexual abuse case to trial would rest "with a trained military prosecutor. And in that way, there's objectivity. They're going to base it on the facts of the case and nothing else. No pressure about their own promotion. No bias, perhaps, because they know the perpetrator or know the victim." She expressed her hope that such a change would "instill more confidence by the victim, in the system, that he or she has a chance to receive justice."

Though most of the times I am against civilians in Congress with no prior service telling the military how to do their job; in this instance, the proposed legislation sounds reasonable and necessary. Now, let's hope the politics of DC don't hijack the bill.

Predator Pilots Facing Burn Out

Dateline Nellis AFB (off the Vegas strip) and Eglin AFB (off Pensacola Beach):  The Air Force has conducted studies of its UAV crews which conclude the pilots are suffering burn out at an excessive rate.

According to one such report, "crewmembers in a MQ-1 Predator unmanned aircraft system (UAS) squadron had significantly increased fatigue, emotional exhaustion, and burnout relative to traditional aircrew."

Recent news articles on the subject supplements older reports that surfaced years ago.

I've said for some time I cannot comprehend how a pilot can wake up in the morning in a suburban home, put on a flight suit and kiss his wife and kids goodbye in the morning, stop at Starbucks on the drive onto the base, sit down at a console for the next 8-10 hours launching Hellfire missiles from a Predator 8,000 miles away which kill people and break things and then return home in time to coach his son's baseball game and drink a Budweiser while eating dinner with the family at home.  Apparently it works...every day, but with some major consequences.

I know I certainly could not have flicked that switch on and off each day while in combat. 

I'm already working on Troll's next story, but for a third, I'm thinking of an element that includes these drone pilots. I'll let you know as I progress on the story line. Till then, check six!

You Can't Make This Stuff Up!

If it weren't so egregious, it would almost be comical...

Air Force's Sex-Abuse Prevention Chief Charged with Sexual Assault. The US Air Force's official in charge of its sexual-assault prevention program was arrested yesterday for allegedly groping a civilian. As shown in the mug shot, looks like the victim got in a few good shots of her own.

As best said by Forrest Gump, "Stupid is as stupid does." But seriously? You simply can't make this stuff up.

Getting Out There!

I just posted a video on YouTube to help get the word out.  Let's turn the publishing world on its head!  Check it out below:

Thanks!

Whidbey Island EA-6B Crashes in Wasington State

All three crew members on a Navy jet based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island were killed this morning when their aircraft crashed in Eastern Washington’s Lincoln County, Navy officials have confirmed.

The crew’s names will not be released until 24 hours after their families have been informed, said Lt. Aaron Kakiel in San Diego. The crew was flying an EA-6B Prowler jet assigned to Electronic Attack Squadron VAQ-129. It crashed about 8:45 a.m. into a field in an unpopulated area near the town of Harrington, about 50 miles west of Spokane.

The Navy said the wingman of the crashed plane reported that no parachutes were deployed. The Prowler was “engaged in a low-level navigation training mission,” the Navy said. Whidbey Island officials said the cause of the accident was under investigation.

A spokesman for the Whidbey base confirmed that the crashed jet was based there. Whidbey is home to EA-6B Prowler and EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft. P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft and EP-3E Aries reconnaissance aircraft are also based there.

NAS Whidbey Island is home to the U.S. Navy’s tactical electronic warfare squadrons. Crews from the base, located on Puget Sound, regularly fly across Eastern Washington for training exercises.
“The thoughts and prayers of northwest Washington are with the families of the aircrew who lost their lives today,” said U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., who represents the Whidbey Island area. “This tragic crash is a painful reminder of the dangerous work that members of the armed services perform every day in service to our nation.”

NAS Whidbey Island serves as the backdrop for The Last Top Gun, where CDR Erik "Troll" Green meets EF-18 Growler aircrew LT Steve "Rolls" Royce and LTJG Grace "Ariel" Miller.

RIP for the three aviators who were killed today serving their country so you and I can enjoy our freedom.

Yoga and Breast Feeding...Pleease!

Having grown up with so many brothers, Ariel is very uncomfortable around women, especially the sorority-like wives of her fellow squadronmates. Making friends with other women has never been easy for her and she is much more comfortable with straight talking men that show so much less emotion. All her friends are male and she has never had a close female friend. She doesn't see herself as better than them (well she doesn't think she does), it's more that she imagines herself doing something so much more important than pushing a baby stroller.

LTJG Grace "Ariel" Miller champions helping women stand out as equals to men so that she and her peers are seen and treated with equal respect and yes, she secretly enjoys the intimidation factor. But...at the end of the day, when she takes off her uniform and strips down to her Jockey underwear and climbs into bed, she wonders if she'll ever get married. She wonders what kind of guy would put up with her way of life or live up to the man that she is? He would have to be very strong minded or incredibly weak and neither sounds like a good option. She wonders if the fight to get a foothold in the male-dominated world she lives in is worth it, but at the same time, what else would she do? Yoga and breast feeding? Pleease!

Pentagon Handles Sequestration Somewhat in Stride

Though the Department of Defense appears to have planned reasonably well for the 9% across-the-board cuts that go into effect midnight tonight under sequestration, there are some troubling consequences: suspended Navy deployments, cancelled air shows, and even shortages of toilet paper. For a group that routinely adopts ConOps (Contingency Operations), it is far from surprising to hear the Pentagon has been planning for sequestration -- not to mention dealing with shortfalls brought on by Congress’s failure to pass a federal budget -- for months. As one defense department official reported to Stars and Stripes, the threat of sequestration is closer to a spreading “fiscal cancer” than sudden cardiac arrest.

Cost-cutting measures are under way: travel budgets have been cut, temp workers dismissed, managers across the DoD have been told to conserve funds. Service members have reported difficulty freeing up funds to buy items as seemingly necessary as toilet paper. Really, toilet paper? It almost makes us long for the $3,000 P-3 Orion toilet seats made famous under Beltway largess of the 80s.

Though the Pentagon appears to be a good soldier and taking sequestration in stride, I'm disappointed to see that Congress is sacrificing defense of our nation in favor of bipartisan politics. Sailors and soldiers are resourceful and can find alternatives for TP shortages, but cancelling the USS HARRY S. TRUMAN aircraft carrier's deployment to the Middle East, that's big news.

Come on Congress and POTUS, roll up your sleeves and work through this budgetary morass!

Thank You!

Thank you to everyone who has submitted such wonderful comments regarding the launch of the website. I agree, the creative folks at MoPro did an outstanding job!

If you would help a budding author find an agent, please "Like" our Facebook page and sign up as a Plankowner for an inscribed copy of the book when it is published. No cost. No spam. 30 Seconds.  Thanks!

Blackhawks and Wounded Warriors: A True Winter Classic

Two of my favorite interests merged yesterday when the Chicago Blackhawks hosted a skate around with wounded warriors at Soldier Field. It's rare  for a professional sports team  to muck around with ordinary Joe's in the middle of a record-breaking season. But these were no ordinary civilians--they were combat veterans who had suffered amputations and brain injuries, and this was no ordinary ice rink--as the event took place at hallowed Soldier Field (incidentally, dedicated to the men and women of the armed forces).  

The wounded servicemen were part of the USA Warriors Ice Hockey Program.  The program, as explained on its website, is designed to give military veterans who have been injured in military action the chance to play hockey in an environment that is suited to their needs. The program trains and supplies injured servicemen and women with hockey equipment and the skills needed to use the sport of ice hockey as a rehabilitation tool to overcome both physical and mental injuries sustained either in combat or in defense of our country.

What a fabulous tribute the Blackhawks' players and organization made to our military members who have given so much in service to us all. I applaud Patrick Kane, Jonathon Toews, Duncan Keith and their teammates, management and owners. I remain in awe of the servicemen and women who survived their tours of duty with significant physical and mental scars, yet continue to fight off the battle field everyday, persevering in accomplishing the simple things I take for granted on a daily basis.

On Saturday, the Blackhawk players forgot they were professional athletes and the military members forgot they were Warriors. For an afternoon, they all were simply hockey players.

For more video of this marvelous event, click here.