#3rd Marine Logistics Regiment

[casbooks]

Books of 2023

Book 43 of 2023

Title: Training the Bodes: Australian Army Advisors Training Cambodian Infantry Battalions - a Postscript to the Vietnam War Authors: Terry Smith ISBN: 9781925520828 Tags: A-37 Dragonfly, AC-119K Stinger, AC-130 Spectre, AUS ADF AA 198 Works Section, AUS ADF AA 6th Royal Australian Regiment - D Co., AUS ADF AA 6th Royal Australian Regiment - D Co. - 8 section, AUS ADF AA 6th Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR), AUS ADF AA 8th Royal Australian Regiment (8RAR), AUS ADF AA Australian Army, AUS ADF AA General Ian Geddes, AUS ADF AA General Ian McNeill, AUS ADF AA RAAMC Royal Australian Army Medical Corps, AUS ADF Australian Defence Force, AUS Australia, AUS Prime Minister Sir William McMahon, FAC, FRA France, KHM Battambang Province, KHM Cambodia, KHM Cambodian Civil War (1967-1975), KHM Cambodian Incursion (1970) (Vietnam War), KHM FANK 116th Bn de Chasseurs (Cambodian Civil War), KHM FANK 164th Bn de Chasseurs (Cambodian Civil War), KHM FANK 194th Bn de Chasseurs - 2 Co. (Cambodian Civil War), KHM FANK 194th Bn de Chasseurs (Cambodian Civil War), KHM FANK 198th Bn de Chasseurs (Cambodian Civil War), KHM FANK 1st Marine Bn, KHM FANK 258th Bn de Chasseurs (Cambodian Civil War), KHM FANK 271st Bn de Chasseurs (Cambodian Civil War), KHM FANK 275th Bn de Chasseurs (Cambodian Civil War), KHM FANK 38th Brigade (Cambodian Civil War), KHM FANK 38th Infantry Brigade (Cambodian Civil War), KHM FANK 427th Bn de Chasseurs (Cambodian Civil War), KHM FANK 4th Bn de Chasseurs (Cambodian Civil War), KHM FANK 53rd Bn de Chasseurs (Cambodian Civil War), KHM FANK General Sak Sutsakhan (Cambodian Civil War), KHM FANK Khmer Army / Forces Armees Nationals Khmeres (1970-1975) (Cambodian Civil War), KHM General Lon Nol, KHM KAF Airfield Defense Bn, KHM KAF/AAK Khmer Air Force / Armee de l'Air Khmere (1971-1975) (Cambodian Civil War), KHM Khmer Rouge, KHM King & President Norodom Sihanouk, KHM Kompong Thum, KHM Lon Nol Line (Cambodian Civil War), KHM Operation Chenla I (1970) (Cambodian Civil War), KHM Operation Chenla II (1971) (Cambodian Civil War), KHM Phnom Penh, KHM Pol Pot / Saloth Sar, KHM Route 6, KHM US MDET Military Equipment Delivery Team (Cambodian Civil War), Medevac helicopter, Nungs, NZ New Zealand, NZ NZDF NZA New Zealand Army, NZ NZDF Royal New Zealand Defence Force, US CIA Central Intelligence Agency, US President Richard M. Nixon, US USA 196th Light Infantry Brigade, US USA 21st Infantry Regiment, US USA 7th Cavalry Regiment, US USA 7th Cavalry Regiment - 1/7, US USA 9th Cavalry Regiment, US USA 9th Cavalry Regiment - 1/9 - F Troop, US USA 9th Cavalry Regiment - 1/9 - Headhunters, US USA General John Cleland, US USA United States Army, US USA USSF 5th SFG, US USA USSF Green Berets, US USA USSF Special Forces, US USA USSF Team ODA-362, US USA USSF Team ODA-431, US USA USSF Team ODA-432, US USA USSF Team ODA-433, US USA USSF Team ODB-36, US USA USSF Team ODB-43, US USA USSF Team ODB-51, US USAF United States Air Force, US USN TF 77, US USN United States navy, VNM 1972 Easter Offensive / Nguyen Hue (1972) (Vietnam War), VNM ADF AA 1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF) (Vietnam War), VNM ADF AAAG Australian Army Advisory Group Vietnam (Vietnam War), VNM ADF AATTV Australian Army Training Team Vietnam (Vietnam War), VNM ADF AATTV MATT Mobile Advisory and Training Team 1 (Vietnam War), VNM ADF AATTV MATT Mobile Advisory and Training Team 2 (Vietnam War), VNM ADF Australian Logistics Support Group (Vietnam War), VNM ADF Australian Task Force (Vietnam War), VNM An Loc, VNM ANZAC 3rd Cav Regiment - 1/3 - B Sqd - 1st Troop (Vietnam War), VNM ANZAC 3rd Cav Regiment - 1/3 - B Sqd (Vietnam War), VNM ANZAC 3rd Cav Regiment - 1/3 (Vietnam War), VNM ANZAC 3rd Cav Regiment (Vietnam War), VNM ANZAC 4th RAR/NZ (Vietnam War), VNM Ap Suoi Nghe, VNM Ba Ria, VNM Battle of Long Tan (1966) (Vietnam War), VNM Battle of the Flags - Dat Do (1972) (Vietnam War), VNM Bien Hoa, VNM Bien Hoa Air Base (Vietnam War), VNM Binh Ba, VNM Binh Ba Rubber Plantation, VNM Binh Long Province, VNM Command and Control North/FOB-1 (Vietnam War), VNM Dat Do, VNM DRV NVA 205th Regional Regiment, VNM DRV NVA 207th Regional Regiment, VNM DRV NVA 33rd Regiment, VNM DRV NVA 33rd Regiment - 2/33, VNM DRV NVA 9th Division, VNM DRV NVA North Vietnamese Army, VNM DRV VC 274th Regiment, VNM DRV VC 274th Regiment - 2/274, VNM DRV VC 274th Regiment - 3/274, VNM DRV VC 74th Artillery Bn, VNM DRV VC C3 Local Force Co, VNM DRV VC C41 Local Force Co, VNM DRV VC C5 Rear Services Group, VNM DRV VC D445 Bn, VNM DRV VC Viet Cong, VNM DRV VM Viet Minh, VNM Duc Thanh District, VNM Fish Hook, VNM FRA French Union (Colonial) Army (French Indochina War), VNM French Indochina War (1946-1954), VNM FSB Nui Nhon (Vietnam War), VNM Hoa Long, VNM III Corps (Vietnam War), VNM Khmer Krom, VNM Lang Phuoc Hai, VNM Long Binh Post (Vietnam War), VNM Long Dien, VNM Long Green, VNM Long Hai, VNM Long Hai - Hotel de la Piscine, VNM Long Tan Rubber Plantation, VNM Ngia Giou, VNM Nui Dat, VNM Nui Dien So, VNM Nui Dinh, VNM Nui Hon Thung, VNM Nui Nhon, VNM Nui Thi, VNM Nui Thi Vai, VNM Nui Toc Tien, VNM Nui Truong Phi, VNM NZDF 2nd NZATTV (Vietnam War), VNM NZDF NZATTV New Zealand Army Training Team Vietnam (Vietnam War), VNM Operation Linebacker I (1972) (Vietnam War), VNM Operation Linebacker II (1972) (Vietnam War), VNM Paris Peace Accords (1973) (Vietnam War), VNM Parrots Beak, VNM Phu My, VNM Phuoc Tinh, VNM Phuoc Tuy Province, VNM Provincial Route 44, VNM Route 15, VNM Route 2, VNM Route 327, VNM Route 328, VNM Route 44, VNM RVN ARVN 18th ID, VNM RVN ARVN 25th ID, VNM RVN ARVN 30th Ranger Bn, VNM RVN ARVN 33rd Ranger Bn, VNM RVN ARVN 38th Ranger Bn, VNM RVN ARVN 3rd Ranger Group, VNM RVN ARVN 46th Regiment, VNM RVN ARVN 46th Regiment - 1/46, VNM RVN ARVN 48th Regiment, VNM RVN ARVN 52nd Regiment, VNM RVN ARVN 52nd Regiment - 2/52, VNM RVN ARVN 5th Ranger Group, VNM RVN ARVN Army of the Republic of Vietnam, VNM RVN ARVN CIDG Civilian Irregular Defense Group, VNM RVN ARVN PSDF People's Self Defense Force, VNM RVN ARVN RF/PF 15th RF Group - 3/15 (Vietnam War), VNM RVN ARVN RF/PF 15th RF Group (Vietnam War), VNM RVN ARVN RF/PF 302nd RF Bn (Vietnam War), VNM RVN ARVN RF/PF 47th RF Group - 3/47 (Vietnam War), VNM RVN ARVN RF/PF 47th RF Group (Vietnam War), VNM RVN ARVN RF/PF Regional Forces/Popular Forces (Vietnam War), VNM RVN ARVN RF/PF Xuyen Moc Reconnaissance Platoon (Vietnam War), VNM RVN ARVN Vietnamese Rangers - Biet Dong Quan, VNM RVN RVNP Can Sat National Police, VNM RVN RVNP CSDB PRU Provincial Reconnaissance Units (Vietnam War), VNM RVN SVNAF South Vietnamese Air Force, VNM RVNP CSDB Can Sat Dac Biet Special Branch Police, VNM Song Ba Dap, VNM Song Dinh, VNM Song Rai Valley, VNM Suoi Chau Pha, VNM UITG Chi Lang Training Center (Vietnam War), VNM UITG Dong Ba Thin Training Center (Vietnam War), VNM UITG Long Hai Training Center - Security and Recon Co (Vietnam War), VNM UITG Long Hai Training Center (Vietnam War), VNM US MACV Advisory Teams (Vietnam War), VNM US MACV Military Assistance Command Vietnam (Vietnam War), VNM US MACVSOG (1964-1972) (Vietnam War), VNM US USA USSF 3rd Mobile Strike Force (Vietnam War), VNM US USSF Mobile Strike Force (MIKE) (Vietnam War), VNM USA USARV UITG Individual Training Group (Vietnam War), VNM USA USARV United States Army Vietnam (Vietnam War), VNM Van Kiep - ADF Jungle Warfare Training Centre (Vietnam War), VNM Vietnam, VNM Vietnam War (1955-1975), VNM Vinh Loi, VNM Vung Tau, VNM Vung Tau - Peter Badcoe Club, VNM Xa Long Hai, VNM Xuyen Moc Rating: ★★★★ (4 Stars) Subject: Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.Australia.Advisors, Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.Cambodian Civil War

Description: By the end of 1971, the hastily raised, poorly trained, and woefully led Cambodian army had suffered a string of defeats and heavy casualties inflicted by North Vietnamese army and Viet Cong units. With many of its best infantry battalions and much of its armour, transport and equipment destroyed, only three of its 15 brigade groups were militarily effective. In South Vietnam, America and its allies were in the process of withdrawing and handing back to the Vietnamese full responsibility for the conduct of the war. A small group of Australians, which never numbered more than 30 officers, warrant officers and non-commissioned officers of the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam, helped train 27 light infantry battalions of the Cambodian army in South Vietnam during 1972. This project was, according to one historical study, `a classic example of using special forces as a force multiplier', and had been `recognised as one of the most successful foreign internal defence missions of the Vietnam War'. The story of these few men is told against the background of the war in South Vietnam, and in particular Phuoc Tuy province, as both sides fought to secure villages and hamlets during 1972, before the Peace Accords being negotiated in Paris to end the war were signed. Training the Bodes is an interesting and valuable book that tells a moving story. The excerpts from letters and reports, and the photographs, are fascinating. It fills a small gap in Australia's military history.

Review: This was a really interesting book about a topic that many are unfamiliar with. After Lon Nols coup in Cambodia, the US Army and it's partners set about to create a modern, functional, Cambodian Army to fight the Khmer Rouge. - They failed. They failed disastrously. This book is about the aussies component to that training group, and is an interesting mix of both academic overview of the who, what, when, and where, along with the authors personal observations and letters home. The juxtaposition of these two elements is what really sets this book apart due to the absolute honesty in those letters and observations. How the academic aspect is a very traditional unit history, glowing with praise, and then you have the letters detailing just the opposite candidly. It's the letters that really help you to understand why the army failed. It talks about the lack of discipline, the graft, the corruption, and the lack of leadership present in the FANK units. You also get a real feel for what it was like for many of the Aussies who had been their previously in combat roles at Nui Dat and at the battle of Long Tan, who were now there again at the very end. While dry and repetitive at times, the book is a worthwhile addition to anyone's collection and it pairs nicely with "Alone in the Valley" by Lanigan about a US Green Beret attached to a FANK training team. Also anyone who served in Iraq or Afghanistan working with training those armies should read this to see how much has NOT changed in decades, and what lessons we still can't seem to learn.

[georgemcginn]

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[bikerlovertexas]

His fly is open and ready for business.

[rainboq]

you said "I could go on an entire rant about how David was probably not combat arms based on how he can't clear a fucking room" and I'm definitely interested in that rant. is this because of how he gets ambushed when entering the Dark Room and even if warned a guy with a fucking tripod can take him down even tho he has a gun? is there more where we see that?

Disclaimer: I am not, nor have I ever been, a member of any armed forces. This is all information I've gleaned after talking with and learning from members of various armed services and asking them direct questions.

Okay, so, let's start with defining some terms. POG/Pogue: Personnel Other than Grunt, a pejorative for someone who isn't combat infantry. Synonyms: Fobbit, REMF (Rear-Echelon MotherFucker)

BCT: Brigade Combat team, an organizational unit of multiple regiments and supporting arms to form a coherent combat unit at a brigade level.

MOS code: Military Occupational Specialty code, the code for your job in the army. The general infantry code is 11X, with 11B being your standard infantryman, 11C being an indirect fire infantryman, etc.

MOUT: Military Operations in Urban Terrain, the doctrine on how to conduct combat operations in urban terrain.

CQB: Close Quarters Battle, the nitty gritty of how you conduct combat in urban and close quarters environments.

With those out of the way, let's talk about what we know about David.

1: He was a member of the 3rd Infantry Division, see the famous "broken TV" patch on his arm:

2: He has mechanical skills, given his hobby of working on old cars.

3: For some reason, he has a USMC KBAR with an engraving on it.

4: By his own admission, David was "not good at teamwork".

5: David does not properly secure his firearms. They are in a china cabinet, and prior to Chloe stealing the revolver, it was not locked.

6: His buddy died while overseas in an unspecified incident, but David blames himself. A HUMVEE is prominent in the background.

7: David has a deep seated need to be seen and acknowledged as a big damned hero, which leads to him being a total fuckup in multiple instances and contributes to his abuse of Chloe.

So off the hop, David was part of an Infantry Division, but before you jump into saying "Oh, so he must have been infantry!", a division is a lot more than just what it says on the tin. The 3rd Infantry, like all other divisions, is currently split up into multiple BCTs, which contain armoured, infantry, artillery, and cavalry regiments, along with engineering and support battalions. During Operation Iraqi Freedom (when David likely served), it was organized into two full brigades and one BCT comprised of mechanized infantry and armoured regiments. The division itself also has sustainment and aviation brigades for logistics and further fire support. So the 3rd Infantry tidbit isn't super helpful about what his MOS was.

Which brings me to David's mechanical skills. If you hadn't noticed, the kinds of regiments I listed involve a lot of vehicles. You've got tanks, IFVs, APCs, trucks, humvees, and helicopters that all need crew and maintenance. Mechanical skills are highly valuable to the smooth operation and mobility of a modern mechanized fighting force, and David has these skills. I could probably stop here and say that he was more valuable to the army as a mechanic in a motor pool than as a rifleman and call him a POG, but that's not what bugs me about him.

The K-Bar is weird, but it's entirely possible that he was given it by a marine, or Joyce is just clueless and got it for him as a gift. If it's the later, well, he's not going to be showing it to anyone. If it was given to him by a marine, he probably saved that marine's life. But that presents a character dilemma: if David saved the life of a marine, he'd never shut up about it. David's need to be seen as a hero would demand that he bring it up at every available opportunity, and he never does, which leads me to conclude that Joyce got it for him.

Now we get to the teamwork thing. Now this really bugs me. Infantry work is teamwork. You rely on everyone around you to do their job to stay alive. You rely on your battle buddy to watch out for you, you rely on your fireteam to coordinate and get the task done, you rely on your squad for support to function as a unit, etc. If any one person isn't doing their job, people can start dying, and they can start dying quickly. You weren't watching your sector? Your buddy gets shot in the side or the back. You fall asleep during your watch? Congrats, your camp has been infiltrated and your throat gets slit. Not being able to work as part of a team would make David a liability to himself and everyone around him, which is why training focuses so much on it. If David was at any point on track to become infantry, his inability to do it would get him onto a different career path in a hurry, and if he did somehow make it, nobody is going to trust him with a god damn thing. Ditto goes for being part of the crew of an armoured vehicle, that's teamwork in tight quarters. And artillery? If artillery fucks up, some mighty big rounds are going to be landing in the wrong spot, and god help the unit that calls for artillery support and gets rounds wildly off target.

Okay, so David is a giant liability because he's kind of a jackass and doesn't play well with others, if that's not enough to disqualify him as being infantry, there's more circumstantial evidence in the matter of not securing his weapons. If there's one thing that is beaten into the skull of everyone who holds a rifle, it is how to maintain, use, and secure a weapon. If you so much as point a rifle in a funny direction on the range, the rangemaster is going to be on your ass in a heartbeat, and god help you if you somehow lose your service weapon. I can't think of a single person I know who was in combat arms who does not securely store any firearms they own, and they're pretty much universally the most responsible people with guns I know. David handling his firearms like he does would give most of them an aneurysm.

So we've established that David was in the 3rd Infantry Division, has mechanics skills, is wildly irresponsible as a gun owner, and can't do one of the fundamental basics required of anyone in the infantry. Now we get to the matter of his buddy. We aren't given any details of it, only that David feels responsible. This could mean basically anything, but it's worth noting that even people in the motor pool occasionally have to go outside the wire if say, they need someone to pull convoy duty and they're short handed for whatever reason. Which leaves a likely scenario given my earlier supposition that David would be valuable in the motor pool: He and his buddy got pulled for convoy duty. Depending on when and where, this could mean that they were stuck in a HUMVEE (which is likely given that one is in the background) and went outside the wire as part of a convoy.

Now put yourself in David's shoes. You've been itching for a chance to be a hero, you've been bored out of your fucking mind all tour just fixing trucks and itching to "see some action", and now you're outside the wire, in potentially hostile territory. You're jumpy, you're excited, and... nothing happens. Every bump and rock on the side of the road could be an IED, every truck or car a VBED, every person on the side of the road could be telling someone about your convoy. It's exhausting, it wears on you, your focus quickly gets sapped, the adrenaline wears off and you start getting tired. Your vigilance wanes and your attention slips.

And that's when it happens. Maybe it's an IED, maybe it's someone with an RPG hiding behind something, maybe it's a sniper, maybe it's blue on blue, but something happens and you panic. You've got minimal training for actual combat, just what you had in basic before going off to train in your MOS. You panic, you make mistakes, maybe you cause a blue on blue, maybe you can't keep your rounds on target, maybe it's already too late and your buddy is already dead.

So now David has PTSD and a reason to be hyper-vigilant and paranoid so he can try and atone for past mistakes. He made that mistake once and it cost him someone he held dear, and now he has a step daughter that doesn't listen to him, hates his guts for existing, and is almost never home. Is it any wonder he starts trying to control Chloe right off the bat, and that his need for control quickly turns into abuse? David knows he has these issues, he acknowledges them in LiS, but he's also not seeking meaningful help yet.

But that's not the topic of this post, this isn't David apologia, and it's not out to condemn him for his abuse, that's beating a dead horse.

No, this is about what happened in the dark room.

MOUT and CQB training are a standard part of training to be in the infantry. They are part and parcel of 11X. Infantry isn't much use if it can't take a city or storm a building. What David was doing in the dark room should be something any infantryman has trained to do extensively. It's a room with a very conventional L shaped layout, with a single blind corner after clearing the fatal funnel (the door). Clearing it should have been easy if he had known the basic tactic of slicing the pie.

What's slicing the pie you might ask?

It's how you clear your corners.

The idea is simple enough, you slowly round a corner, clearing it one degree of angle at a time, giving yourself a few feet of space so that if someone is tucked in at an extreme angle, you have spacing to defend yourself.

Example diagrams:

(image source)

Once again: this is basic shit you can trust airsofters to do. Everyone in the infantry should know this and be expected to execute it.

David?

lol no.

Go back and watch the scene. He has insufficient clearance from the corner, he isn't slicing the pie, he isn't moving like he's supposed to.

Instead he's doing the fucking Hollywood thing of rounding the corner all at once, exposing himself to multiple positions he could take fire from or see a target at simultaneously. In an actual battle, this is fucking suicide, and without Max to save scum for him, he dies quickly to an art teacher.

That is why I think he was a POG. He can't clear a goddamned room to save his life and nearly gets Max killed as a result.

Now, none of this is me actually saying that people who are mechanics, pilots, etc in the armed forces are less valuable than the grunts, that's not true. Without the support staff, combat arms cannot function. They can't get food, ammo, intelligence, working vehicles, etc.

In David's mind though? I'd put money on him wanting to be in combat arms and being pointed elsewhere of who he is, and basically permanently having a bug up his ass about it.

[zepybespectacled]

Glory Hounds 1 - “Night Shift”

“The night shifts are the worst…”

The man mumbled as he walked through the clean white hallways of the building. He wore a dark blue dress uniform, marked with a couple of silver medals on his left chest. His head was topped with dirty blonde hair and held thin hazel eyes. He had a light skin tone that contrasted with the blues of his clothing. He stopped at a blue metal door marked with the sign “COMMAND”. Pressing his hand up to the identifier, it scanned and beeped in confirmation as the door slid open. Speakers from somewhere within the room began to broadcast a feminine and robotic voice.

“Hello, Captain Walters! The time is currently: Twenty-one hundred hours in Gaia Standard Time. The scheduled report on logistics and the status of all active units have been uploaded into your computer. Awaiting further orders”

“Thank you, Nikola. Please connect my terminal to the operational network,” Walters said to their headquarters’ AI assistant as he walked inside.

The room looked like a standard office-space, though minimalist in nature given the scope of his work. A large computer terminal took up the space in front of the wall on the left side of the door, with a swivel chair in front of it. Several boxes containing spare parts and supplies were stacked on the opposite end of the room. To his right, were filing cabinets and drawers filled to the brim with both data-tablets and physical documents. The voice of Nikola echoed from the room speakers once more.

“Connection to operational network, established. Command interface, online” She announced as Walters sat down in his chair, put on a wired headset and looked at the computer screen.

A timer counting down showed that he had a little less than five minutes before the first stages of the evening’s operations were underway. To the side of his screen he saw the names and callsigns of all the active units within his platoon, all showing their status as “Green”

Captain Jin Walters was the leader of the “Glory Hounds”, a Quick Reaction Force (QRF) platoon assigned to the Gardis 22nd Regiment, which worked under the command of the Eden Expeditionary Force (EEF) 3rd Division. Originally his platoon was called the “Wardogs” but given their habit of arriving at the last part of the battle to finish it and claim victory (due to the nature of QRF’s) the other Republic soldiers had taken to mockingly calling Walters and his troops as “glory hounds” and the name had stuck.

Tonight, the EEF 3rd Division had assigned the Gardis 22nd with securing a dense forested area which Arachling scout drones had positively identified as Soul Energy hotspots. They were to do this in advance of the Federation-class ships which would be sent to siphon the energy later. The drones also identified a large number of local lifeforms, falling under the category of “Beasts” that inhabited the area. Early contact resulted in their teams getting attacked with arrows, so negotiation was off the table.

The leaders of the 22nd wanted to initiate an artillery barrage and level a whole chunk of the forest to drive out the locals and make the area easier to secure with ground forces. However, the higher ups in charge of the EEF 3rd Division told them such destruction was unacceptable. They didn’t explain how, but apparently the scientists in charge of gathering Soul Energy said something about how massive destruction could cause the energy to dissipate and hotspots to disperse. In any case, a wholesale bombardment was out of the question, which meant they had to take over the area the old-fashioned way.

The Gardis 22nd had prepared another platoon, the “Renovators” to take point for the operation. They would deploy Marine squads with Snipers ahead to scout and clear the area, while a 2nd force of Demolishers escorted by Marines and Sentinel Walkers would follow behind them, to tear down the trees and clear the route for a Pulse Tank column of the “Stone Crawlers” armored unit, who were to move in last, form a defensive line around the operational area, and lay down a suppressing bombardment from their energy cannons to force the local Beasts into fleeing the area. 

The operation was scheduled for the night, as it was assumed that most of the locals would be asleep in whatever village they had erected nearby and would be unable to respond immediately to the loud movements of the walkers and the tanks. Meanwhile, their own soldiers were equipped with night vision goggles and their vehicles had various cameras and sensor arrays to help them pick up on life signs even in the darkness of the forest. As far as the Gardis 22nd was concerned, the operation should progress smoothly and the area ready for energy harvest by sunrise.

Still, no one became an officer without expecting any plan to go horribly wrong. So, the “Glory Hounds” were activated as a QRF on standby for the operation. The task of Walters and his troops was to keep an eye on the mission as it progressed, listen for status updates over the operational network, and be prepared to mobilize at a moment’s notice should the other platoons call for reinforcements.

As Walters watched the countdown for the operation’s start, he knew that his soldiers would be lounging around their Vindicator jeeps, keeping themselves busy with coffee and card games while waiting for the call to jump into action.

As the countdown timer hit zero, a gruff male voice came through the speakers on Walters’ headset. A voice he recognized as Colonel Kimball, the leader of the Gardis 22nd.

“This is ‘Foreman’ to all active units. Sound off” he said.

“This is ‘Sniffer’, roger that” Said another male voice, which Walters recognized as Sergeant Riley of the Renovators platoon.

“This is ‘Dozer’, reading you loud and clear” Said a feminine voice, which he knew as Lieutenant Sandra of the Renovators’ walker unit.

“This is ‘Trucker’, standing by” Said a thick male voice, which he recalled as Lieutenant Darius of the Stone Crawlers Tank unit.

With all of the other units having reported in, Walters held down a button to activate his own microphone to transmit over the operation network. “This is ‘Supermart’, we are standing by” He said. The voice of Foreman came through the speakers once more.

“Good. All units, the operation is a go. Sniffer, Dozer, you are clear to move out”

Walters adjusted himself in his seat as he switched over to the local network used by his own platoon in particular. Once connected, he spoke loudly and clearly.

“Attention! This is your Captain speaking. The operation is underway so look alive, people! All squads, check your gear and make sure your vehicles are ready for action” he announced. Leaning back into his chair, he watched the updating information on the terminal as the units moved into the area of operations.

He hoped this would be a quiet night with a clean operation, but he knew the inhabitants of Eden too well. They would never make things easy.

[usapat]

U.S. Marines and Navy Sailors with Combat Logistics Regiment 37, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, conduct a mass casualty training drill with simulated evacuation via CH-53 Super Stallion aircraft during exercise Iron Dragon 2022 (ID22) on Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan.

[nraeducationalfoundation]

U.S. Military Teams from All Branches Honored for Excellence in Foodservice on Eve of Armed Forces Day, Joined by Renowned Chef Andre Rush

The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) will honor the winners of this year’s Military Foodservice Awards in conjunction with the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago. The awards program aligns with the NRAEF’s commitment to support America's armed forces, veterans, and military spouses through training and post-duty opportunities.

This year’s keynote speaker is Chef Andre Rush, retired combat Veteran who served 23 years in the Army and has received global recognition for his suicide prevention efforts, including becoming a popular internet sensation for doing 2,222 push-ups a day to promote the importance of mental and physical health. Chef Rush has served meals in the White House, appeared on the Rachael Ray Show and now serves as Ambassador for Arnold Schwarzenegger’s After School All- Star Kids Program.

During the Show, individuals and teams will be honored at the Military Foodservice Awards dinner for their commitment to foodservice excellence in management effectiveness, force readiness support, food quality, employee and customer relations, resource conservation, training and safety awareness.

“For more than 60 years, the restaurant industry has honored the men and women of the U.S. military for outstanding foodservice at bases and installations throughout the world,” said Rob Gifford, executive vice president of the NRAEF. “The NRAEF is dedicated to helping the military maintain foodservice excellence across all branches, and providing guidance for veterans transitioning to restaurant jobs and careers."

Winners for these prestigious awards are chosen by representatives from the National Restaurant Association, NRAEF and the Society for Foodservice and Hospitality Management, who travel with senior military officers to installations around the globe on a yearly basis to evaluate foodservice operations. In addition to the Awards ceremony, winners will participate in a multi-day foodservice training program

Photos from last year's Military Foodservice Awards; this year, Chef Andre Rush (bottom right) will be joining the event for 2019 and attend industry sessions.

The following installations were recognized as the 2019 Military Foodservice Awards winners:

Winners of the Philip A. Connelly awards, honoring the Army: Winner for the Best Garrison Food Operation: 82ND AIRBORNE DIVISION SUSTAINMENT BRIGADE, 82nd AIRBORNE DIVISION Winner for the Best Active Army Field Kitchen: 25th QUARTERMASTER COMPANY, 264th COMBAT SUPPORT SUSTAINMENT BATTALION, 3rd SUSTAINMENT COMMAND (EXPEDITIONARY) Winner for the Best Army Reserve Field Kitchen: 129th TRANSPORTATION COMPANY, 451st SUSTAINMENT COMMAND (EXPEDITIONARY), 79th THEATER SUPPORT COMMAND The winner for the Best Army National Guard is: 1135th COMBAT SUPPORT COMPANY Minnesota Army National Guard

Winners of the Marines W.P.T. Hill awards, honoring the Marine Corps: Winner for the Best Military/Contractor Garrison Mess Hall: MESS HALL 2365 Marine Corps Installation Pacific, Marine Corps Base, Camp Hansen, OKINAWA, JAPAN Winner for the Best Full Foodservice Contractor Garrison Mess Hall: MESS HALL 2204 Marine, Corps Installations West-Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, California Winner for the Best Active Field Mess: 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force-2nd Marine Logistics Group, COMBAT LOGISTICS REGIMENT 27, FOODSERVICE COMAPANY, CAMP LEJEUNE, NORTH CAROLINA Winner for the Best Reserve Field Mess: 6th ENGINEER SUPPORT BATTALION, 4th MARINE LOGISTICS GROUP, PORTLAND, OREGON

Winners of the Captain Edward F. Ney Memorial Awards, honoring the Navy: Award for Best Aircraft Carrier is: USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN (CVN 72), Naval Base San Diego, San Diego, CA Award for the Best Small/Medium Afloat: USS JOHN P. MURTHA (LPD 26), Naval Base San Diego, San Diego, CA Award for the Best Large Afloat: USS BOXER (LHD 4), Naval Base San Diego, San Diego, CA Award for the Best Submarine: USS SANTA FE (SSN 763), Naval Base San Diego, San Diego, CA Award for the Best Large Ashore: TRIDENT INN GALLEY, Naval Base Kitsap, Bremerton, Washington Award for the Best Small Ashore: RESORANTE BELLA ETNA, Naval Air Station Sigonella, Sigonella, Italy

Winners of the Captain David M. Cook food service excellence awards, honoring the Military Sealift Command: Award for the Best Foodservice Operation Small category: USNS MERCY (T-AH 19) Award for the Best Foodservice Operation Medium category: USNS YUKON (T-AO 202)

Award for the Best Foodservice Operation Large category: USNS ROBERT E. PEARY (T-AKE 5) Award for the Hybrid category is: USS FRANK CABLE (AS-40)

Winners of the 2019 John L Hennessey awards, honoring the Air Force: Air Force Region 1 category winner: Elgin AFB, 96th FORCE SUPPORT SQUADRON, AFMC Valparaiso, Florida Air Force region 2 category winner: Altus AFB, 97th FORCE SUPPORT, SQUADRON, AETC Altus, Oklahoma Winner of the 2019 John L. Hennessey awards for Air Force Reserves: 914th FORCE SUPPORT SQUADRON, Niagara Falls Air Reserve, New York

Winner of the Senior Master Sergeant Kenneth W. Disney food service award, honoring the Air National Guard: 115th FORCE SUPPORT SQUADRON SERVICES FLIGHT – Madison, Wisconsin

Winner of the 2019 Forrest O. Rednour Memorial Award: Award for Large Afloat Dining Facility: COAST GUARD CUTTER ALEX HALEY, Kodiak, Alaska Award for Large Ashore Dining Facility: COAST GUARD TRAINING CENTER YORKTOWN GALLEY, Yorktown, Virginia Award for Medium Afloat Dining Facility: COAST GUARD CUTTER CONFIDENCE, Cape Canaveral, Florida Award for Medium Ashore Dining Facility: COAST GUARD AIR STATION SITKA, Sitka, Alaska Award for Small Afloat Dining Facility: COAST GUARD CUTTER JOHN MCCORMICK, Ketchikan, Alaska Award for Small Ashore Dining Facility: COAST GUARD STATION GRAYS HARBOR, Westport, Washington

The Military Foodservice Awards dinner gala and ceremony and the Advanced Restaurant Management training program are sponsored by Del Frisco’s, Hormel, Sodexo, Computrition, Ecolab, Hobart, Rose Packing, Sysco, Aramark, Barfresh, BJ’s Restaurants, Butterball, Constellation Brands, New Chef, Penfed Credit Union, Trinchero, Victorinox, Cambro, Geezer Consulting, Kitchens To Go, N’Genuity, Sack Family Foundation, and Tyson.

In addition to recognizing foodservice excellence within the armed forces, the NRAEF provides military foodservice training on established industry standards of restaurant management and culinary training, connects transitioning military to apprenticeship opportunities, supports military spouses and provides scholarship opportunities.

Visit ChooseRestaurants.org to learn how to get involved with the NRAEF and its work to build pathways to meaningful jobs and careers in restaurants and foodservice.

[perfectlydangerousarbiter]

Live Mortar Fire!! Weapons Company 1st battalion 3rd Marines Regiment

U.S. Marines assigned to weapons company 1st battalion 3rd Marines Regiment fire 81 MM mortars during Lava Viper 17.1, at Range 13 aboard Pohakuloa Training Area, on the big island of Hawaii, Oct. 22, 2016. Lava Viper is an annual combined arms training exercise that integrates ground elements such as infantry and logistics, with indirect fire from artillery units as well as air support from aviation elements. (U.S. Marine Corps Imagery by Lance Cpl Brendan Custer) Our videos are provided by the Department of Defense, and NATO TV. Please visit our homepage at www.usmilitaryvideos.net. Questions or comments email info@usmilitaryvideos.net https://www.facebook.com/usmilitaryvideos/ https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/102343196153151704862/+3rdID8487/posts https://www.instagram.com/militaryvideos/ https://twitter.com/3rdID8487 Hope to see you around!! Join us on www.usmilitaryvideos.net!!

[courtneytincher]

U.S. Marine HIMARS loads on Army landing craft for the first time

U.S. Marines with 12th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, and U.S. Soldiers with 97th Transportation Company, 10th Support Group, successfully embarked and disembarked a U.S. Marine High Mobility Artillery Rocket System onto a U.S. Army Vessel Harpers Ferry (LCU-2022)  during a joint service HIMARS embarkation training exercise in Okinawa, Japan.

This marks the first time a Marine HIMARS was loaded on an Army landing craft in the Indo-Pacific, according to a recent 3rd Marine Division news release.

Strategic mobility is key in the Indo-Pacific due to the terrain and abundance of water. The ability to transport the HIMARS over water is a vital capability that the 3rd Marine Division is now able to expand upon by partnering with the 10th Support Group, which is able to provide strategic mobility quickly and effectively for HIMARS and other critical assets.

“This training today represents that nothing in this region happens in isolation, ” said U.S. Marine Corps Col. Michael Roach, the commanding officer of 12th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division. “Our ability to strengthen our alliances and deter any adversaries occurs when we [work] jointly, not only with our Army partners but with our allies as well.”

This training marked the first, but not the last time 3rd Marine Division will partner with 10th Support Group in HIMARS mobility. While this was a critical first step, there is still progress to be made to improve communication, processes, and flexibility between the two units and services.

“With additional [repetitions] we will be able to make our joint capabilities smoother,” said U.S. Marine Corps Master Sgt. David Morgan, a field artillery chief with 3rd Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment. “The importance of this operation is to ensure we are utilizing our joint capability and the flexibility that is needed in the Indo-Pacific area so we can come together as a unified team in the future.”

Offering Multiple Launch Rocket System firepower on a wheeled chassis, the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System is the newest member of the MLRS launcher family. HIMARS carries a single six-pack of GMLRS rockets or one TACMS missile on the Army’s Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) 5-ton truck, and can launch the entire MLRS family of munitions.

HIMARS is the most technically advanced, affordable and sustainable artillery solution. Provides cutting-edge technology on an indigenous platform.

Maximum commonality with M270A1 launch system and MLRS interoperability. Simplifies coalition operations, training, logistics and coordination.

from Defence Blog

U.S. Marines with 12th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, and U.S. Soldiers with 97th Transportation Company, 10th Support Group, successfully embarked and disembarked a U.S. Marine High Mobility Artillery Rocket System onto a U.S. Army Vessel Harpers Ferry (LCU-2022)  during a joint service HIMARS embarkation training exercise in Okinawa, Japan.

This marks the first time a Marine HIMARS was loaded on an Army landing craft in the Indo-Pacific, according to a recent 3rd Marine Division news release.

Strategic mobility is key in the Indo-Pacific due to the terrain and abundance of water. The ability to transport the HIMARS over water is a vital capability that the 3rd Marine Division is now able to expand upon by partnering with the 10th Support Group, which is able to provide strategic mobility quickly and effectively for HIMARS and other critical assets.

“This training today represents that nothing in this region happens in isolation, ” said U.S. Marine Corps Col. Michael Roach, the commanding officer of 12th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division. “Our ability to strengthen our alliances and deter any adversaries occurs when we [work] jointly, not only with our Army partners but with our allies as well.”

This training marked the first, but not the last time 3rd Marine Division will partner with 10th Support Group in HIMARS mobility. While this was a critical first step, there is still progress to be made to improve communication, processes, and flexibility between the two units and services.

“With additional [repetitions] we will be able to make our joint capabilities smoother,” said U.S. Marine Corps Master Sgt. David Morgan, a field artillery chief with 3rd Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment. “The importance of this operation is to ensure we are utilizing our joint capability and the flexibility that is needed in the Indo-Pacific area so we can come together as a unified team in the future.”

Offering Multiple Launch Rocket System firepower on a wheeled chassis, the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System is the newest member of the MLRS launcher family. HIMARS carries a single six-pack of GMLRS rockets or one TACMS missile on the Army’s Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) 5-ton truck, and can launch the entire MLRS family of munitions.

HIMARS is the most technically advanced, affordable and sustainable artillery solution. Provides cutting-edge technology on an indigenous platform.

Maximum commonality with M270A1 launch system and MLRS interoperability. Simplifies coalition operations, training, logistics and coordination.

via IFTTT

[defensenow]

U.S. Marines with Combat Logistics Regiment 37, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, conduct field craft training during exercise Atlantic Dragon on Camp Blanding, Florida, United States

[esprit-de-corps-magazine]

D-Day: Canada’s three services on Operation Overlord

By Chris Charland

The coming storm

In February 1943, United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, along with their respective advisors, held a high-level conference in Casablanca, Morocco. They were there to discuss the future conduct of the war.

They decided that plans for the re-entry in to Europe must be given top priority and the concentration of forces and materials needed for the forthcoming invasion began.

In March 1943, United States Army General Dwight D. Eisenhower selected the British Army’s acting Lieutenant-General Frederick Morgan as chief of staff to the supreme allied commander of the allied force that would invade northern Europe. Morgan is credited as being the original planner for the invasion of Europe.

Lingering concerns and differences of opinion on Operation Neptune, the assault phase of Operation Overlord, were addressed at the Quebec Conference in August 1943. It was agreed that the invasion of France would take place in May 1944.

On November 28, 1943, General Eisenhower, affectionately known as “Ike”, was appointed the supreme allied commander. His duty was no less than to enter the continent of Europe in conjunction with all other allied nations, undertake operations aimed at the heart of Germany and destroy its forces. Taking into consideration a nearly full moon and the Normandy tides, June 5, 1944, was set as the day for an invasion on a scale that had never before been attempted.

The entire daring escapade was a monumental logistics nightmare. In all, more than 7,000 vessels carrying more than 150,000 troops would have to cross the English Channel to France undetected and arrive exactly on time to establish a beachhead. Once the details of invasion were coordinated, the land forces, under Field Marshal Sir Bernard L. “Monty” Montgomery, put forth the logistical requirements. All allied air operations would be under the command of the Royal Air Force’s Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory

The build-up also had to provide for the debarkation of reinforcements without interruption for five to six weeks after the landing . . . any delay would carry heavy consequences.

The initial landing was delayed by 24 hours to June 6 due to stormy weather, which also indirectly caused the sinking of the minesweeper USS Osprey. Additionally, an American tank landing craft, United States LCT2498, broke down and subsequently capsized and sank in the vicious swell.

Mother Nature, not the Germans dealt the first blows against Operation Overlord. Nevertheless, D-Day and the Allied forces arrived at the beaches of Normandy with full force on the morning of June 6.

Canadian Red Devils arrive

The crack 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion led by Lieutenant-Colonel G.F.P. Bradbrooke was part of the tough and tumble 3rd Brigade of the British 6th Airborne Division whose members were nicknamed “Red Devils”. The Canadian Red Devils dropped into France after 1 a.m. on June 6, an hour before the arrival of the rest of the brigade, with the aim of securing the DZ (Drop Zone), capturing the enemy headquarters located at the site and destroying the local radio station at Varaville. They were the first Canadian unit to arrive in France.

After that, the Canadians were to destroy vehicle bridges over the Dives River and its tributaries at Varaville. Having done that, they were to neutralize various fortified positions at the crossroads. Additional responsibilities included protecting the left (southern) flank of the 9th Battalion as the battalion assaulted the enemy gun battery at Merville. Upon completing that, the Canadians were to hold a strategically important position at the Le Mesnil crossroads.

Remarkably, the Canadian paratroopers had accomplished all they set out to do by mid-day on June 6.

3rd Division’s Normandy adventure

The Canadian Army’s 3rd Canadian Division, led Major General R.F. “Rod” Keller, along with the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade under the command of Brigadier R.A. Wyman, formed part of General Miles Dempsey’s 2nd British Army.

The Canadians, numbering just over 14,000, came ashore at Juno Beach. The five-mile wide Juno Beach was divided into two primary sectors, Mike and Nan. In turn, each of these was sub-divided into smaller sections denoted by the sector name followed by a colour. Many heroic deeds were performed on the first day at Juno Beach. The Allies had come to expect nothing less. The relentless pursuit of the Canadian Army’s objectives was measured in human currency; of the 14,000 Canadians who stormed Juno Beach, 340 were killed, 574 were wounded and 49 were captured by the defending Germans.

This was a small comfort, considering planners had predicted a much higher casualty rate.

The 3rd Canadian Infantry Division* comprised the following units:

7th Canadian Infantry Brigade

Royal Winnipeg Rifles

Regina Rifle Regiment  

Canadian Scottish Regiment

8th Canadian Infantry Brigade

Queen's Own Rifles of Canada

Le Régiment de la Chaudière

North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment

9th Infantry Brigade

HIghland Light Infantry of Canada

Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry Highlanders

Nova Scotia Highlanders

Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (M.G.)  

7th Reconnaissance Regiment

17th Duke of York's Royal Canadian Hussars

Divisional Royal Canadian Artillery

12th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery

13th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery

14th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery

19th Army Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery

3rd Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery

4th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery  

Divisional Royal Canadian Engineers

5th Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers

6th Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers

16th Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers

18th Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers

3rd Canadian Field Park Company, Royal Canadian Engineers

3rd Canadian Divisional Bridge Platoon, Royal Canadian Engineers

Royal Canadian Corps of Signals

3rd Infantry Divisional Signals

Royal Canadian Army Service Corps

3rd Infantry Divisional Troops Company  

Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps

14 Field Ambulance

22 Field Ambulance

23 Field Ambulance  

2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade

6th Canadian Armoured Regiment (1st Hussars)

10th Canadian Armoured Regiment (Fort Garry Horse)

27th Armoured Regiment (Sherbrooke Fusiliers)

* Units of the Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps also provided vital support during the landings.

British units that supported the Canadian landing on Juno Beach

48 Royal Marine Commando

4th Special Service Brigade

26th Assault Squadron

80th Assault Squadron

5th Assault Regiment, Royal Engineers

6th Assault Regiment, Royal Engineers

Two detachments of the 22nd Dragoons, 79th Armoured Division

3rd Battery 2nd Royal Marine Armoured Support Regiment

4th Battery, 2nd Royal Marine Armoured Support Regiment

“C” Squadron, Inns of Court Regiment

“Ready Aye Ready”

The Royal Canadian Navy was extremely active before and during the first day of Operation Overlord.  

A force of 19 corvettes was assigned to provide escort service to the many ships and floating docks heading for assembly points on the south coast of England Eleven frigates, nine destroyers and five corvettes were seconded to the Royal Navy to provide an ASDIC (anti-submarine detection investigation committee) screen around the western approaches to the English Channel one week before the invasion date. This was to guard against the constant German U-Boat threat.

Only hours before the invasion, Canadian “Bangor” Class minesweepers cleared shipping lanes of mines and then ensured that the anchorage swept clear. The last part of their assignment was to sweep the lanes for the assault boats, right to the limit of the deep water. While under a moonlit sky, they crept within a mile and a half (2.4 kilometres) of shore, pretty well under the noses of the unsuspecting Germans.

Fortunately, they were not spotted; German coastal artillery guns would have made mincemeat of them.

The RCN’s two landing ships, HMCS Prince Henry and HMCS Prince David, carried 14 landing craft (LCI or landing craft, infantry) to a point where they could be launched for the run into the beachhead. In the British sector, 30 “Fleet” class destroyers, including HMCS Algonquin and HMCS Sioux, provided direct fire support for the landing craft carrying part of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division after they were launched from the landing ships.

Mines and other underwater obstructions were a constant threat to the landing craft and few escaped without some sort of damage. Leading the second wave were 26 landing craft of the RCN’s 260th, 262nd and 264th Flotillas. These flotillas were carrying a combined force of 4,617 soldiers, primarily from the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division. Six speedy and deadly MTBs (motor torpedo boat) were assigned to patrol the Seine estuary. RCN corvettes would go on to escort additional convoys into Baie de la Seine during the rest of the day. Naval losses were described as “incredibly light”, especially considering how many enemy long-range naval guns and other weapons were still operational at the time of the landings.

The following RCN vessels took part in the invasion of Normandy:

Tribal class destroyer

HMCS Haida

HMCS Huron

V class destroyer

HMCS Algonquin

HMCS Sioux

River class destroyer (British)

HMCS Gatineau

HMCS Kootenay

HMCS Qu’Appelle

HMCS Ottawa (II)

HMCS Chaudière

HMCS Restigouche

HMCS Skeena

HMCS St. Laurent

Mackenzie Class Destroyer Escort

HMCS Saskatchewan

River class frigate

HMCS Meon

HMCS Teme

River class frigate (1942-1943 program)

HMCS Cape Breton

HMCS Grou

HMCS Matane

HMCS Outremont

HMCS Port Colberne

HMCS Saint John

HMCS Swansea

HMCS Waskesiu

Flower class corvette (1939-1940)

HMCS Alberni

HMCS Baddeck

HMCS Camrose

HMCS Drumheller

HMCS Louisburg (II)

HMCS Lunenburg

HMCS Mayflower

HMCS Moose Jaw

HMCS Summerside

HMCS Prescott

Revised Flower class corvette

HMCS Mimico

Revised Flower class corvette (1940-1941 program)

HMCS Calgary

HMCS Kitchener

HMCS Port Arthur

HMCS Regina

HMCS Woodstock

Revised Flower class corvette (1942-1943 program)

HMCS Lindsay

Troop landing ship

HMCS Prince David

HMCS Prince Henry

Bangor class minesweeper

HMCS Bayfield

HMCS Guysborough

Bangor class minesweeper (1940-1941 regular program)

HMCS Vegreville

Bangor class minesweeper (1941-1942 program)

HMCS Kenora

HMCS Mulgrave

29th Motor Torpedo Boat (MTB) Flotilla

MTBs 459, 460, 461, 462, 463, 464, 465 and 466

65th Motor Torpedo Boat (MTB) Flotilla

MTBs 726, 727, 735, 736, 743, 744, 745, 747, 748

260th Landing Craft Infantry (Large) Flotilla

LCI(L)s 117, 121, 166, 177, 249, 266, 271, 277, 285, 298 and 301

262nd Landing Craft, Infantry (Large) Flotilla

LCI(L)s 115, 118, 125, 135, 250, 252, 262, 263, 270, 276, 299 and 306

264th Landing Craft, Infantry (Large) Flotilla

LCI(L)s 255, 288, 295, 302, 305, 310 and 311

528th Landing Craft, Assault (LCA) Flotilla

LCAs 736, 850, 856, 925, 1021, 1033, 1371 and 1372

529th Landing Craft, Assault (LCA) Flotilla

LCAs 1957, 1059, 1137, 1138, 1150, 1151, 1374 and 1375

Per Ardua Ad Astra

It was a maximum effort for the crews of Bomber Command’s 6 (RCAF) Group on the night of June 5-6, 1944. A force of 190 aircraft, comprising Avro Lancaster and Handley Page Halifax four-engine heavy bombers, flew 230 sorties in support of pre-invasion operations. A large number of targets were struck, with particular attention paid to the German coastal artillery emplacements on the beachhead. In all, more than 870 tons of high explosives were dropped for the loss of one Canadian Halifax.

RCAF fighter and fighter-bomber squadrons went into action providing support to the Canadian ground forces as the invasion kicked into high gear. The aerial activity over Normandy resembled swarms of locusts—the planes seemed to keep coming with no end in sight. An estimated 1,000 aircraft from 39 of the 42 Royal Canadian Air Force squadrons stationed overseas took on the aerial support of the invasion with roles ranging bombing, air superiority, ground attack and photo reconnaissance.

The following Royal Canadian Air Force squadrons were involved in pre-invasion activities and in support of the actual invasion.

For more information about the squadrons involved in D-Day, their aircraft and their roles, visit “Who was in the air on D-Day?”

SECOND TACTICAL AIR FORCE

No. 83 Group

39 (RCAF) Reconnaissance Wing

400 “City of Toronto” (Fighter Reconnaissance) Squadron

414 “Sarnia Imperials” (Fighter Reconnaissance) Squadron 

430 “City of Sudbury” (Fighter Reconnaissance) Squadron

126 (RCAF) Fighter Wing

401 “Ram” (Fighter) Squadron

411 “Grizzly Bear” (Fighter) Squadron

412 “Falcon” (Fighter) Squadron

127 (RCAF) Fighter Wing

403 “Wolf” (Fighter) Squadron

416 “Lynx” (Fighter) Squadron

421 “Red Indian” (Fighter) Squadron

143 (RCAF) Fighter Wing

438 “Wild Cat” (Fighter-Bomber) Squadron

439 “Westmount” (Fighter-Bomber) Squadron

440 “City of Ottawa” (Fighter-Bomber) Squadron

144 (RCAF) Fighter Wing

441 “Silver Fox” (Fighter) Squadron

442 “Caribou” (Fighter) Squadron

443 “Hornet” (Fighter) Squadron

No. 85 Group

142 (Night Fighter) Wing

402 “City of Winnipeg” (Fighter) Squadron

148 (Night Fighter) Wing (RAF)

409 “Nighthawk” (Night Fighter) Squadron

149 (Night Fighter) Wing (RAF)

410 “Cougar” (Night Fighter) Squadron

AIR DEFENCE OF GREAT BRITAIN

10 Group

406 “Lynx” (Night Fighter) Squadron

11 Group

418 “City of Edmonton” (Intruder) Squadron

ALLIED STRATEGIC AIR FORCE

RAF Bomber Command / 6 (RCAF) Group

408 “Goose” (Bomber) Squadron

419 “Moose” (Bomber) Squadron

420 “Snowy Owl” (Bomber) Squadron

424 “Tiger” (Bomber) Squadron

425 “Alouette” (Bomber) Squadron

426 “Thunderbird” (Bomber) Squadron

427 “Lion” (Bomber) Squadron 

428 “Ghost” (Bomber) Squadron

429 “Bison” (Bomber) Squadron

431 “Iroquois” (Bomber) Squadron

432 “Leaside” (Bomber) Squadron

433 “Porcupine” (Bomber) Squadron

434 “Bluenose” (Bomber) Squadron

RAF Bomber Command / 8 (Pathfinder) Group

405 “Vancouver” (Bomber) Squadron

RAF Coastal Command / 15 (General Reconnaissance) Group

422 “Flying Yachtsman” (General Reconnaissance) Squadron

423 (General Reconnaissance) Squadron

RAF Coastal Command / 16 Group

 415 “Swordfish” (Torpedo Bomber) Squadron

RAF Coastal Command / 19 (General Reconnaissance) Group

404 “Buffalo” (Coastal Fighter) Squadron

407 “Demon” (General Reconnaissance) Squadron

Conclusion

All in all, Canadian combatants from all three services gave an outstanding account of themselves on the first day of the battle. They would continue to distinguish themselves by dogged determination and selfless acts of heroism, helping write the final chapter and finally closing the book on the Third Reich’s so-called one thousand-year reign.

[georgemcginn]

Observe: DOD Featured Photos

Observe: DOD Featured Photos

Donating Blood Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Caleb Cotton, a range coach with the Combat Logistics Regiment 37, 3rd Marin… Photo Details > View All Photos ABOUT WHAT’S NEW HELP CENTER NEWSROOM Unsubscribe | Contact Us

[deanndotson]

Live Mortar Fire!! Weapons Company 1st battalion 3rd Marines Regiment

U.S. Marines assigned to weapons company 1st battalion 3rd Marines Regiment fire 81 MM mortars during Lava Viper 17.1, at Range 13 aboard Pohakuloa Training Area, on the big island of Hawaii, Oct. 22, 2016. Lava Viper is an annual combined arms training exercise that integrates ground elements such as infantry and logistics, with indirect fire from artillery units as well as air support from aviation elements. (U.S. Marine Corps Imagery by Lance Cpl Brendan Custer) Our videos are provided by the Department of Defense, and NATO TV. Please visit our homepage at www.usmilitaryvideos.net. Questions or comments email info@usmilitaryvideos.net https://www.facebook.com/usmilitaryvideos/ https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/102343196153151704862/+3rdID8487/posts https://www.instagram.com/militaryvideos/ https://twitter.com/3rdID8487 Hope to see you around!! Join us on www.usmilitaryvideos.net!!

[perfectlydangerousarbiter]

Weapons Company 1st battalion 3rd Marines Regiment

U.S. Marines assigned to weapons company 1st battalion 3rd Marines Regiment fire 81 MM mortars during Lava Viper 17.1, at Range 13 aboard Pohakuloa Training Area, on the big island of Hawaii, Oct. 22, 2016. Lava Viper is an annual combined arms training exercise that integrates ground elements such as infantry and logistics, with indirect fire from artillery units as well as air support from aviation elements. (U.S. Marine Corps Imagery by Lance Cpl Brendan Custer) Our videos are provided by the Department of Defense, and NATO TV. Please visit our homepage at www.usmilitaryvideos.net. Questions or comments email info@usmilitaryvideos.net https://www.facebook.com/usmilitaryvideos/ https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/102343196153151704862/+3rdID8487/posts https://www.instagram.com/militaryvideos/ https://twitter.com/3rdID8487 Hope to see you around!! Join us on www.usmilitaryvideos.net!!