#Marine Corps Ceremony

[physics-of-one-piece]

Update on the I'll build castles for you, my love, more regarding characters+ snippets of them+pics of them.

I finally made all the OC's for Rosinante's marine crew he is in charge of as a Commander. After some googling (seriously there is a lack of military information on the internet) I decided Rosinante would be in charge of about 200 Marines. If anyone wants to know, the ranks of Marines in One Piece are 100% based on the Japanese Navy. Here is the link if anyone wants to read more. The captain (rank above commander) is the one giving orders on the ship but the commander is the one in charge those orders are followed. Commanders are also in army sense brigade/squadron/platoon commanders and that's what I decided to focus on. Just as Hina is in charge of Black Cage Corps as a Captain, Rosinante will be in charge of two things: 1) 200 Navy soldiers 2) Assassination & Espionage Unit

I'm focusing on #2. There will be multiple brigades within the A&E Corps, and Rosinante climbs the rank of the Corps with LIGHTNING SPEED. At 20, he gets put in charge of the first unit, the most elite one. The squad gets the name after its commander's last name, but also after a nocturnal/silent animal.

Honestly, Coby became a Captain at 19, which means he already captains his own Navy ship (gotta say I screamed in joy when I saw Coby was captain I love Coby so much), so Rosinante, who is even more capable, will also be climbing the ranks quick as FUCK. I think Oda made Rosinante a Marine Commander instead of Marine Captain because Marine Commander plays the same role & rank as Doflamingo's Top Executives, which Rosinante IS. They lead a branch of the army/navy, and have their own corps/pirate teams to lead, and answer only to the captain.

“They’re not my friends.” - Corazón to Law about Doflamingo's crew

Without further ado, here are Rosinante's crew & friends :D (die mad, Doffy!)

The Crow Corps 🐦‍⬛

Wulf

(rank below Rosinante, same age as Rosinante)

Full Name & Epithet: Wulf the Direwolf

Marine Title: Lieutenant Wulf

Devil Fruit: Ancient Zoan: Model Direwolf

Height: 2.90 m (9 feet 6.17 inches)

Favourite Food: Beefsteak & Barbeque

Least Favourite Food: Hamburgers

- half-Lunarian

- Rosinante's best friend

- got his scar from fighting Doflamingo when he went to beat him up after Rosinante told him about his past. Wulf was 16, Doflamingo 18. According to Wulf, Doflamingo "wet himself" when Wulf entered his Zoan form

- befriended Rosinante because Rosinante gave him a light during a smoke break when they were 16

- wears a white tank top 99% of the time, on ceremonies and on duty as a Marine, wears the Marine cloak over his tank top

Personality: has a deep but pleasant voice, talks rough & swears a lot, can get heated when trying to help but means well, will pick a fight for the tiniest things, best wingman, observant

Nietzsche

Marine Rank: Lieutenant

Age: 25

Height: 1.90 m

Favourite Food: Donuts & pastries

Least Favourite Food: Potatoes

- only one with a braincell, in charge of intelligence & communications within the corps

Montés

Rank: Lieutenant

Age: 24

Height: 187 cm

Favourite food: warm soba, anything warm with noodles

Least favourite food: salty food

Castor

Height: 174 cm

Age: 21

Favourite food: squid & coconut

Least favourite food: stew

Favourite drink: beer, coconut milk

Least favourite drink: red wine

- pretty vulgar

Bandi

Rank: Lieutenant

Age: 24

Job: Field Medic & Surveillance

Haki: Observation Haki, Armament Haki

Devil Fruit: Telepathy Fruit

Favourite Food: Chiffon Cake

Least Favourite Food: Crabfish

- He's selectively mute bcs he's very shy. He communicates with his telepathy fruit to others, and can choose who hears his voice. Talks a bit with Rosinante & his crew; they are the only ones in entire Marines who heard him speak.

A/N: Bandi is mine, he's mine, mine mine I love him, would marry him. I love him.

Hibou

Rank: Ensign (16), Lieutenant (20)

Height (16): 164cm (16), 170 cm (20)

Devil Fruit: Bird Bird Zoan Fruit Model Owl

Favourite Food: Takoyaki

Least Favourite food: Chicken Wings

- looks like a cinnamon roll, could kill you

- scariest mfr on the team

- absolute sweetheart

- breaks Doflamingo’s lower leg with Armament Haki

Now for the snippets! 😊

Wulf & Rosinante First Meetig (both are 16)

“Man, it got hot in there,” muttered the white-haired, dark-skinned teen, grabbing his white tank top, cooling himself off by flapping it. “Thanks for the light.”

He exhaled a puff of smoke.

“No problem,” said Rosinante, glancing away to the bay. 

Wulf (16) talking about fighting Doflamingo (18) with Rosinante (16)

“Get yourself comfortable, saint. Have I got a great fight to tell you about. So, there we were, docked at Oregon Island in the south bay, while your brother’s ship - some pink insult to all flamingos, really -” Rosinante giggled as Wuf continued talking, “was docked at the north bay. So I snuck out and was there within two minutes in my zoan form. Then I switched back and walked around the port a bit, looking for some form of pink.. and lo and behold, ten feet tall blond mannequin of absolute dreadful fashion was on the other side of the street talking up a girl, but she was clearly not into those tiger print pants and red leather jacket with a fucking pink fur collar, five seas, it was terrible, he’s eighteen, he should dress better if he wants to get girls.”

“Oooh, it was so good, Rosinante. I swaggered on over, but not your brother’s weird bird mating dance walk where he shoves his cock in the girl’s face. I wish I was joking, man, he actually walks like that. Chill, flamingo, what are you, a male escort -”

“Wulf -” gasped Rosinante, unable to breathe.

He was going to choke. Rosinante was going to choke. He was laughing so much he was crying. He couldn’t eat the crackers or he’d be put in the hospital bed next.

“She wasn’t into you,” said Wulf. He smirked cruelly at the eighteen-year-old blond pirate. “Can’t blame her, any girl in her right mind would run for the hills when you smile like a creep at them. The only girls you’re ever gonna get are the ones you pay for, because nobody would date a walking pink fur.”

Rosinante squawked like a frog. He was bent over, clutching his stomach, laughing.

“He was raring to go. I could tell. He said: You stole my fun for the night, mutt.”

“And then I said: Only seems fair for what you did to my mate, bird dick. And then. I. Smashed. My. Armament. Fist. Into. His. Face.”

“And boy, did he fly then.”

Rosinante (22) & Wulf (22) going out to drinks

“Exactly,” said Wulf. “Now move your ass, prince charming. You’re gonna get yourself a girlfriend — not a one-night stand, mind you, those don’t count! — or I won’t be called Wulf the Direwolf.”

“You don’t have a girlfriend, either, Wulf...” muttered Rosinante, letting himself be dragged along the corridor of the marine barracks.

“Keep it up and I’ll throw you all the way up to Mariejois, saint.” said Wulf.

Rosinante chuckled.

Crow Corps (all together)

“Rise and shine!” said Rosinante cheerily, pulling back the blinds of the living room.

Numerous groans filled the living room where his fellow six marines slept when the sunlight hit their faces.

“I give you thirty seconds to pull those things back, Commander.” muttered Nietzsche, face buried in the pillow, flicking open his right eye, purple iris glowing in the sunlight under his purple hair.

“I give him ten before I throw him all the way across the island and explain to his wife why she’s become a widow,” muttered Wulf sleepily, rolling over, eyes shut.

Bandi groaned inside his throat, burrowing his head into the sheet, the dark brown tousles of his hair strewn all around.

Castor and Montés were still sleeping, undisturbed by the sunlight. Castor’s snores were only interrupted with his mumble of, “Coconut oil…” as he turned around in his spread-out sleeping position, the blue bead hair tie holding his light russett bangs up while the rest of his ruffled hair laid in disarray on the pillow.

“Commander Donquixote is a sadist,” muttered Hibou hoarsely, hiding under the pillow, holding his hands pressed firmly over it so nobody could toss it off his blond head. “Sadist.”

Doflamingo & Crow Corps (after Rosinante's death)

“Hello, gentlemen,” said Doflamingo. You gasped, turning to your window. Doflamingo was sitting on the windowsill, arms crossed over his chest, the spring wind breezing in through the open space, ruffling his feathery spikes of blond hair along with the pink feathers of his coat.

A sharp, wide smile of a knife was stretched across his devastating face; your gut sunk with fear. It was sunrise of a Saturday.

Rosinante’s crew shot up at the moment they heard Doflamingo’s voice, their arms coating themselves with Armament Haki.

Wulf growled, his throat vibrating.

“You,” said Wulf.

The air grew thick with the murderous intent of six marines staring down the warlord, wishing nothing else but to kill him.

Doflamingo didn’t move, completely relaxed, lounging on the windowsill, his sunglasses and face turned toward you.

“Would you look at that,” said Doflamingo conversationally, the orange and red light of the sun casting itself on his face, painting him devillishly. “Sunrise on a Saturday.”

He sat up, uncrossing his arms. He stepped down from the windowsill. Tears threatened at your eyes. 

Wulf narrowed his black eyes at Doflamingo.

“She’s mine for the next forty-eight hours,” said Doflamingo, deep voice resounding across your living room. “So be good little marine dogs and get lost.”

Taglist: @fanaticsnail

[aimeedaisies]

The Princess Royal’s Official Engagements in October 2023

02/10 As President of the Riding for the Disabled Association visited Avon Riding Centre, to mark its 40th Anniversary. 🐴🥳

03/10 Held two Investiture ceremonies at Windsor Castle. 🎖️

With Sir Tim As Patron of the Minchinhampton Centre for the Elderly, visited Horsfall House, Minchinhampton. 👵🏻👴🏻

04/10 In Cornwall Princess Anne visited;

Origin Coffee in Porthleven. ☕️

Camborne School of Mines at the Penryn Campus of University of Exeter, in Penryn. 🔨

St Ewe Free Range Eggs Packing Centre in Truro. 🥚

05/10 As Colonel of The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons), attended a Household Cavalry Medal Parade at Powle Lines, Picton Barracks in Wiltshire. 🫡

07/10 With Sir Tim Attended the Scotland vs Ireland Rugby World Cup match at the Stade de France in Paris. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇮🇪🇫🇷🏉

09/10 As Patron of Livability, visited Livability Millie College in Poole. 🏫

As Patron of UK Youth, visited Avon Tyrrell Outdoor Activity Centre in Bransgore. 🧗‍♀️

10/10 Attended a Future of UK Food Systems Seminar held by Crops for the Future at the National Institute of Agricultural Botany in Cambridge. 🚜

As Commandant-in-Chief (Youth) of St. John Ambulance, opened the new Ambulance Hub in Castle Donington. 🚑

11/10 Held two investiture ceremonies at Windsor Castle. 🎖️

Unofficial, Sir Tim attended the opening of the New Zealand Liberation Museum, Te Arawhata, in Le Quesnoy, France. 🇫🇷🇳🇿

As Patron of Scots in London Group attended a Reception at St Columba’s Church of Scotland. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Attended a Blue Seal Club Dinner at the Cavalry and Guards Club in Piccadilly, London. 🤵‍♂️

12/10 As Patron of the Campaign for Gordonstoun, chaired a Cabinet Meeting at the Lansdowne Club, London. 🏫

As Patron of English Rural Housing Association, attended a Parish Council Rural Housing Conference at Eversholt Hall, Bedfordshire. 🏡

Visited the Aircraft Research Association in Bedford. ✈️

As Grand Master of the Royal Victorian Order, attended Evensong and a Reception at The King’s Chapel of the Savoy, London. 🎶

14/10 Sir Tim represented Princess Anne, Patron of the Wiltshire Horn Society, at a dinner on the occasion of their centenary. 🐑

15/10 As Member of the International Olympic Committee, and Chairman of the International Olympic Committee Members Election Commission, attended the first day of the 141st International Olympic Committee Session in Mumbai, India. 🇮🇳

16/10 As Member of the International Olympic Committee, and Chairman of the International Olympic Committee Members Election Commission, attended the second day of the 141st International Olympic Committee Session in Mumbai, India. 🇮🇳

Attended an IOC Reception at Jio World Centre. 🌏

17/10 As Member of the International Olympic Committee, and Chairman of the International Olympic Committee Members Election Commission, attended the third day of the 141st International Olympic Committee Session in Mumbai, India. 🇮🇳

Visited the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Bombay 1914-1918 Memorial at the Indian Sailors’ Home, in Mumbai. 🪖

Attended a reception at the residence of His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for South Asia and Deputy High Commissioner for Western India in Mumbai. 🌏

Unofficial Sir Tim attended a memorial service for Lord Lawson (former Chancellor of the Exchequer) at St. Margaret’s church in Westminster ⛪️

19/10 Hosted a Reception with the King, Queen and the Duchess of Edinburgh at Buckingham Palace to thank those who contributed to and were involved with the State Funeral of The late Queen Elizabeth II and with the Coronation of Their Majesties. 🥂

With Sir Tim, As Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps attended the launch of the Corps History Book at the National Army Museum in London. 📚

With Sir Tim, As Patron of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity, attended the Trafalgar Night Dinner at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, London. 🤵‍♀️🤵‍♂️

20/10 Opened Cutbush and Corrall Charity almshouse accommodation in Maidstone.

Opened the Royal British Legion Industries Centenary Village, Greenwich House, in Aylesford, Kent.

As Patron of the Butler Trust, visited HM Prison Elmley.

24/10 Held an Investiture at Windsor Castle. 🎖️

As President of the English-Speaking Union of the Commonwealth, delivered the Evelyn Wrench Lecture at Dartmouth House in London. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

25/10 In Scotland Princess Anne visited;

The International Society for Optics and Photonics Photonex Exhibition at Scottish Event Campus in Glasgow. 🔍

As President of Victim Support Scotland, visited the National Office-West in Glasgow. 🫂

Peter Equi and Sons Limited Ice Cream Manufacturer. 🍦

26/10 Opened the National Honey Show at Sandown Park Racecourse in Esher, Surrey. 🍯 🐝

As Royal Patron of the Security Institute, this afternoon attended the Annual Conference at the Royal Society of Medicine in London. ⛓️

With Sir Tim As President of the Royal Yachting Association, attended a 50th Anniversary of the Yachtmaster Scheme Dinner at Trinity House, London. 🛥️🍽️

27/10 Held an Investiture at Buckingham Palace. 🎖️

31/10 In Scotland;

As Patron of the Moredun Foundation, attended a Conference at Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, in Penicuik. 🧬

As Royal Patron of the Leuchie Forever Fund, attended a Reception to launch Leuchie House’s new strategy in Edinburgh. 🏡

As Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh, held a Chancellor’s Dinner at the Palace of Holyroodhouse. 👩‍🎓

Total official engagements for Anne in October: 47

2023 total so far: 400

Total official engagements accompanied by Tim in October: 6

2023 total so far: 81

[usafphantom2]

A U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18C with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 115, Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) 31, 2nd MAW, lands after conducting a flyover during their squadron’s deactivation ceremony at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort 9NOV23 (baskin)

@kadonkey via C

[deadpresidents]

What is the closest military base to the white house?

The White House IS a military installation.

It is the home and workplace of the Commander-in-Chief of United States military forces, so that alone makes it an important command and control headquarters. The various branches of the military have an active role in the everyday logistics of running the White House campus and supporting the Executive Office of the President. The White House's complex and extensive communications agency is staffed by members of each individual branch of the military. The U.S. Navy is responsible for the White House Mess and providing food services to the President, the First Family, any potential guests, and the President's staff. The White House Medical Unit is staffed by military doctors who have a round-the-clock presence in the White House and the official Physician to the President is usually an active-duty military officer.

While the Secret Service -- which includes the traditional plainclothes agents and the more visible uniformed division -- is responsible for protecting the President, his family, and the White House itself, the military also has a protective footprint in and around the White House complex. It's believed that amongst the White House's protective measures -- most of which are highly classified -- are anti-aircraft defenses, which are almost certainly manned by the military rather than the Secret Service. Marine Corps guards also are stationed at the White House (often seen opening and closing doors while manning the entry and exit points around the West Wing) as sentries and sometimes act as military valets during events hosted by the President in the White House. The role of the Marine sentries is purely ceremonial as opposed to protective.

And one of the most important White House responsibilities of the military is transportation. The White House Transportation Agency is responsible for all aspects of the President's travel, and the military works in tandem with the Secret Service on planning and carrying out the immense logistical challenges of transporting the President anywhere in the world -- a challenge magnified by the sheer size of Presidential traveling parties. A Presidential motorcade consists of, on average, 50-60 vehicles. And the majority of those vehicles actually have to be transported from the United States to wherever the President is traveling -- even if it is to several different foreign countries or continents. The Air Force is, obviously, responsible for the President's plane, along with any other aircraft making the trip which are usually carrying White House staff, members of the press, or cargo. For short distances that can be made by helicopter, the Marine Corps takes the lead. And any ground travel by motor vehicles is handled by the Army.

Security and the President's personal protective detail is always led by the Secret Service, but the military is responsible for many of the day-to-day logistics of the institution of the Presidency, which illustrates why the White House is an important military command and control base.

[ns-imagines]

Marine Corps Birthday Ball

RAAHHH THE BEST DAY OF THE YEAR JUST PASSED. NOVEMEBER 10TH THE MARINE CORPS BIRTHDAY!!

All U.S. Marines in COD x USMC Birthday Ball

| Word Count: Not sure its a lot w/ videos| SFW

A/N: *Rips someone into two pieces with my bare hands* Shit makes me so happy that im a U.S. Marine. RAH. Keegan please be my date to the ball &lt;3 Sgt Russ and Sgt ****** <3

Context: Every year throughout the month of November we have our Marine Corps Birthday Ball. There's a ceremony and fancy dinner and of course a lot of alcohol and tabaco. Enlisted wear our Marine Corps Blues uniform and get to show off all our fancy awards and medals. The officers wear their sick uniform as well. Guests wear a formal suit or dress!! We get drunk, have cake, and dance. Its fun and one of the many traditions we have in this service. This year it was the 248th Birthday!! Let me give you the run down for todays event <3

Military Lingo Key at the end

1845 - Venue doors open

1900 - Cocktail Hour

2000 - Cocktail Hour ends all bars are closed

2005 - 5 Minute warning for the ceremony

2010 - Ceremony begins

2100 - Ceremony ends

2110 - Dinner service starts and Bars reopen

2200 - Dance floor opens / DJ starts

0130 - Venue doors close

Okay now that we have the schedule down. Lets list all the Marines in COD. Were gonna pretend everyone's alive and in the same unit for tonight. Whos going to be your date for tonight? Skip past the photo when you're ready.

All unnamed Marines <3 (damn npcs)

-MARSOC Marines, 2nd MarDiv

1st FRP (MW1) Source for info below click here and here (<- Has character pictures as well for some)

-Lt Vasquez, Cpt Pelayo, Sgt Paul Jackson, SSgt Griggs, Pvt Massey, Pvt West, Pvt Royzewicz, LCpl Lopez, and LCpl Gaines

DRT Stalker Units With Air Squadrons (All games) Information Source click here

Cpl Baker, Sgt Baker, Capt Weston, Cpt Keating, and Lt Volker

GHOSTS Platoon prior Force Recon Platoon (COD GHOSTS) Information Source click here

Sgt Keegan Russ, Sgt Alex Johnson, and Cpt Gabe Rorke

Lemme know if I forgot anyone!!

Okay, you have your date or friend group that you're going with. You as the guest are in your formal attire. Lets get this party started! (Every year and in every venue its the same setup, same ceremony, and same food)

1845-1900

You show up to the venue with your date. The ball room is set. There are about a dozen round tables draped with a beautiful white table cloth. There is a round red and gold table cloth in the center of the table. On it sits two pitchers one with water and the other with iced sweet tea. In front of each seat is a set of silverware for each course, a wine glass, a water/tea glass, a pamphlet with tonight's events, and a neatly folded napkin. Each section is sat with each other. A chair left empty next to your Marine for you of course.

Usually the Commanding Officer or Executive Officer will put money down for everyone to get one free drink. The venue offers two bars. Both the lines are a bit long but you can just chat while you wait. There plenty of people to be introduced too and everyone is saying "Happy Birthday" to each other. If you're stationed in an allied country like Japan there are guests from their military as well.

The bar has a wide variety. Wine, shots, mixed drinks, and juice if you arent drinking. They even sell cigars. You and your date get your drinks and socialize. You get to meet their peers and squad members. This is also the time to take pictures! You walk towards the entrance of the venue with your date. There is always a professional Photographer waiting. The American flag and Marine Corps flag are proudly displayed in front of a royal red backdrop. The backdrop has accents of gold.

The photographer asks if you want their pictures or just on your phone. You both pose and smile. The pictures came out amazing. Your Marine will take some photos with their shop and then you'll head back into the venue. Another drink?

2005

Man that hour went by fast! The five minute warning has just been called. You and your Marine go to your seats and wait for the ceremony to begin.

2010

The ceremony starts. Everyone is seated and quiet. There's always one rushing back to their seat from the bathroom. (You can watch a full ceremony from last year here but im going to summarize it. Im speaking from my experience overseas but the video is stateside Marine Corps)

The band does their introduction segment commencing the start of the ceremony. The march forward turn and march back. Next comes the sword detail. There are 4 pairs that walk through. There are both Enlisted Marines and Officers in the sword detail. They march in pairs to their position and once are all in place the Commanding Officer, Sergeant Major, and XO march past the sword detail to the front of the stage. Everyone stands when they walk by to show respect. Next comes the color guard with the American Flag and Marine Corps flag and two rifles march onto stage. Everyone stays standing to honor the colors are they pass. The National Anthem is played followed by Anchors Away and then the Marine Corps Hymn. Which every Marine sings!!

The cake is then marched onto stage while the band plays. A traditional speech is made. Then the CO cuts the cake with the NCO sword giving a slice to the guest speaker. The another slice to the oldest Marine. The oldest Marine takes a fork full and passes it to the youngest Marine for a fork full. This symbolizes the passing of traditions!

After that the color guard marches off stage followed by the cake detail and oldest and youngest Marine. The CO, XO, and SgtMaj exit the stage. Then the sword detail. The guest speaker will then give their speech and then the birthday message will play. I have it linked below. It was fire this year!!

2110

The ceremony ends and the bars open. Half the Marines there rush to the bathroom and the other half to the bar. The venue staff start to bring out a shrimp cocktail appetizer. After 15 minutes they bring out a salad. Then after about another 15 minutes they bring out the main course. There are four options chicken, steak, fish, and vegetarian.

2200 - 0130

The dance floor opens. You are free to leave at this time if you want. The venue service starts clearing off the tables and the DJ starts playing music. Marines go outside to smoke cigars others hit the bar for the 4-5th time. The dance floor gets crazy. The CO will even bust some moves on the dance floor. Medals come off so no one looses them (Plus they are so freaking expensive) and everyone has fun till the venue closes.

I hope you enjoyed your ball <3

Happy Birthday Marines!! Semper Fi

Military Lingo Key:

Section - who you work with basically

Sword detail - you can read about that tradition here

cake detail - you can read all about it here

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

By Michael Tomasky

The last Congress, the 117th, which sat from January 2021 through January 2023, was controlled by Democrats on both sides of the Capitol. These lawmakers worked in concert with a new Democratic President, so naturally, we witnessed an unusual amount of legislative activity.

Wanna guess how much? The 117th Congress passed, and Joe Biden signed, 362 laws. Now it practically goes without saying that a hefty majority of these were small-bore matters—relatively inconsequential in policy terms. There were the proverbial post office renamings, the Harlem Hellfighters Congressional Gold Medal Act, the Big Cat Public Safety Act, and the like. Still, an unusually high number of them were very consequential indeed: the American Rescue Plan, the hard infrastructure bill, the CHIPS and Science Act, and several more. They were aimed at helping people and businesses through the pandemic, solving aching public needs, creating jobs, reshaping industrial policy, and more. Whatever else you want to say about them, these people were earning their paychecks.

The 118th Congress—the current one; the one that opened with the clown show where Kevin McCarthy needed 15 ballots to be elected Speaker by his own party—has not been quite the hive of productivity that its predecessor was. So far, seven months into its term, it has passed, and the president has signed, 12 bills. They’re on track, if they can possibly keep up this scorching pace for the next 17 months, to pass maybe 44, even 45 or 46 bills!

And what laws they are! They’ve renamed a veterans’ clinic. They’ve toasted the 250th anniversary of the Marine Corps commemorative coin. Oh, but it hasn’t all been ceremonial. They’ve also pressed forward with the racism for which they are so widely and justly known, notably the bill that revoked part of Washington D.C.’s criminal code—McCarthy called it soft on crime, and Biden quasi-reluctantly signed it to avoid that age-old tag. The only law of any real consequence was the increase in the debt limit, on which the supposedly out-of-it Biden ran circles around the supposedly spry Speaker.

As far as improving the lives of working- and middle-class people, McCarthy’s majority has done absolutely nothing. But by God, don’t call them the “Do-Nothing Congress.” Oh, no! They’ve done stuff. For example, they’ve investigated Hunter and Joe Biden over, under, sideways, and down.

I wonder how many public dollars James Comer and Jim Jordan, respective chairs of the House’s Oversight and Judiciary committees, have spent trying to prove crimes that probably don’t exist but that they insist, every week, will be pitilessly exposed for all the world to see in just a little while, you’ll see—you’ll all see. In fact, Democrats: Why not tell the world how much they’re spending? I’d assume you have access to the basic budgetary materials. How about a Biden Goose Chase Clock toting up the taxpayer dollars being wasted on this sham?

Those two just get more ridiculous every week. Last week, you’ll recall, Comer’s committee had a closed-door session with yet another star witness, Devon Archer, a former Hunter Biden business partner who was supposedly poised to finally blow the lid off the whole thing. “The walls are closing in on the Bidens,” Comer crowed on Newsmax Monday night.

In the end, Archer’s testimony—taken that afternoon, released later in the week—did nothing of the sort. Which Comer might have known if he’d even bothered to show up at his own hearing, which he did not do!

As for Jordan—well, his special new “deep state” committee or whatever it’s called has been an even bigger abuse of the taxpayer dollar. Just Google “Jim Jordan deep state committee” and look at the headlines: “Inside Jim Jordan’s Disastrous Search for a ‘Deep State’ Whistleblower”; “Jordan’s ‘weaponization’ panel is all conclusions, no evidence”; “Jim Jordan’s ‘Weaponization’ Committee Is Misfiring.”

But hey, don’t be too hard on him. He may have other matters on his mind. In late June, the Supreme Court decided that a lawsuit brought by former Ohio State University wrestlers against a team doctor who was found by an investigation to have sexually abused 177 young men from the 1970s to the 1990s can move forward. Jordan was an assistant wrestling coach during part of the period in question; he has always denied any knowledge of the abuse. Two former wrestlers, however, in a complaint to the Supreme Court, allege that Jordan was aware of the behavior of “Dr. Cough” and did nothing: “Because Coach Hellickson, Assistant Coach Jordan, and the athletic department treated Dr. Strauss’s behavior as acceptable, John Doe 23 believed there was nothing he could do to address his discomfort with Dr. Strauss.” CNN reported back in 2020 that six ex-athletes charged that Jordan knew.

This is one of the reasons I laugh these days when I hear Republicans say of Democrats, as McCarthy and others did during the D.C. criminal code debate, that Democrats are soft on crime.

And oh yeah, the other (and main) reason: Donald Trump. Today’s Republicans are the softest-on-crime bunch of legislators in the history of the republic. They wanted, until they got hooted out of town for it, to “expunge” Trump’s impeachments! I’m putting that in scare quotes because there’s actually no such thing as an “impeachment expungement,” but you know, there was no such thing as holding family members guilty for someone’s crimes until Stalin decreed it, either.

The GOP’s lies are operatic, bald-faced, and so nakedly and obviously untrue that one experiences a kind of wonderment just watching these people actually go out in public before cameras and say these things. Here was McCarthy, for example, shortly before Trump’s arraignment: “I could say the same thing that Hillary Clinton says about her election that she lost.… I can say the same thing about those in the Democratic Party from the leadership on down about George Bush not winning, that Al Gore did. But were any of them prosecuted? Were any of them put in jail?”

I mean … what?! Do I even have to answer that? Clinton made some noises about votes being off but conceded to Trump the day after the election. Gore fought the 2000 outcome to the Supreme Court, as anyone would have, but the court issued Bush v. Gore on December 12 and Gore conceded on December 13. Neither egged on a riot on our most sacred national building (a riot that McCarthy denounced at the time himself!). I can’t help but think that when these guys and their handlers sit around dreaming up what they’ll say next, they just howl to one another: “We can say anything—the mainstream press, drunk on their weird notion of ‘objectivity,’ can’t really challenge us because if they do, we can accuse them of showing liberal bias, and the gullible idiots on our side will be our echo chamber!”

I’d call these people a joke, but it’s far worse and more frightening than that. They are a menace. Congress has been littered with racists and drunks and bribe-takers throughout its history. But it has never been this bursting at the seams with people like this. They lie about everything. They denounce and seek to destroy our system of government. They use their power to conduct taxpayer-funded fishing expeditions for which they have no evidence, where they’re just praying they get a bite so that, in classic fascist-projection fashion, they can accuse Biden of that which they know Trump to be guilty.

And as for trying to do anything to improve the lives of the American people—i.e., doing their jobs? Please. Don’t be naïve. To their mind, American people don’t need health care or wages or a cleaner planet. They need tax cuts and guns and protection from those 100 or so transgender high school female athletes (yes, in the whole country) and, most of all, Donald Trump as their President for life. Come to think of it, the fewer laws these maniacs pass, the better.

[zvaigzdelasas]

The Marine Corps stood up its first-ever Tomahawk cruise missile battery at Camp Pendleton, Calif., last week.[...] “This is a historic chapter in the Marine Corps and the 11th Marine Regiment. The American people expect the Marine Corps to prepare for war,” said Col. Patrick Eldridge, commanding officer of the 11th Marine Regiment, in the activation ceremony’s press release.[,,,] Tomahawks are one of the key assets being procured to achieve a long-range fires capability as the service gears up for challenges in the Pacific through Force Design 2030.[...]

This combination of Tomahawk and SM-6 provides the MDTF with a mid-range strike capability, which was only recently possible from the U.S. Intermediate Nuclear Forces treaty withdrawal. While ground-based Tomahawks were used before during the Cold War, the 1987 Intermediate Nuclear Forces treaty restricted the deployment of ground-based missiles with ranges between 500 to1,000 and 1,000 to 5,500 kilometers. [...] the U.S. has returned to the ground-based deployment and development of missiles within these ranges. Shortly after its withdrawal in 2019, the U.S. launched Tomahawk in a test to inform the future development of intermediate-ranged systems, such as the Marine Corps’ Long-Range Fires Launcher and the Army’s Typhon.[...] “I imagine someone pretty high up said, ‘We’ve seen what Marines can do with rifles, let’s see what Marines can do with Tomahawks’” Col. Eldridge said.

25 Jul 23

[todaysdocument]

President of the Navajo Code Talkers, left, Joe Garza; ceremony chairman, center, and the vice-president of the Code Talkers present a copy of the Navajo Code Talkers Marine Corps hymn, on February 20, 1988.

Record Group 330: Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense

Series: Combined Military Service Digital Photographic Files

Image description: Three men standing at a podium. Two of the men are wearing orange uniform shirts with military decorations, khaki pants, and silver and turquoise necklaces and belts. One holds a plaque. The third man is wearing a black jacket with medals, white shirt, and black bow tie. In the background is an American flag. 

Image description: Uncropped version of previous photo, with large distracting light fixture or decoration above the three men.

[beseriouslywilde]

A Consequence Of Tragedy

“Newt had liked the way the uniform looked, and the medal on his chest seemed to make up for the mess of marred skin on his face. He’d gotten a hundred handshakes from ambassadors and representatives from each branch, stationed on the nearby satellites and planets.”

Alien Quadrilogy, Aliens (1986)

Gen: Hicks & Ripley, Ripley & Newt, Newt & Hicks, Dwayne Hicks, Ellen Ripley, Rebecca “Newt” Jorden

(Angst, injury recovery, post-Aliens (1986), scars, trauma, found family, 888 words)

***

The government had agreed to pay for his treatments, probably less out of care for his well being than a hope to keep him quiet.

It got him a purple heart out of the deal too, and at the ceremony he’d worn the pressed dress uniform he so rarely had any chance to make use of.

Newt had liked the way the uniform looked, and the medal on his chest seemed to make up for the mess of marred skin on his face. He’d gotten a hundred handshakes from ambassadors and representatives from each branch, stationed on the nearby satellites and planets.

They all wanted to hear the heroic story of Dwayne Hicks, the marine who made it out. Despite his inelegance in those kinds of situations, he stuck by, smiled when he was supposed to smile– despite the tightness in his lip and cheek– and had told it as it was.

He brought up all of their names at some point, each one he’d served with and had seen die, or get pulled away into the depths of the colony.

To the higher-ups, it may have seemed like the ramblings of a damaged man, but they had listened as long as he’d spoken.

A few weeks later he was promoted, taken out of the field as an NCO to be stationed on a local moon base. Wasn’t ideal, but it was stable enough, it gave him time to recover, and a reasonable place for Ripley and Newt to settle down and get their bearings.

They got a flat on the base, three bedroom, two bath, state of the art as far as he was concerned.

Showers were hard with the recovering mobility in his scarred shoulder, but a bath released the pressure in his neck and back better than anything else.

Hicks woke up most nights, shaking, sweating, and in pain.

Newt and Ripley did too, they took turns helping the girl back to sleep, waiting up with her. The chair in Newt’s room was more natural to fall asleep in than the padded bed in his own.

He was assigned to work with the youth of the base, the ones who’d lost someone, the ones who struggled in school, and the ones who didn’t know where to go in life.

It was Hicks’ job to encourage and spread the word on the USCMC, tell the kids that the best choice for their future would be to enlist early and get covered scholarships, room and board.

But the memory of Hudson, just a few weeks until the end of his assignments, ready up with a full pension plan that would be scattered to his grieving family after his body was dragged through the floorboards.

Newt seemed interested. The more they got to know her, the more she spoke about her likes, dislikes and the future. And she liked the idea of following in Hicks’ footsteps, joining the corps and helping people where she could.

“Don’t let her.” Ripley told him one night. “Don’t you dare fucking let her.”

The haunted look in her eyes was enough to tell him everything he needed, his own wants for Newt’s future filling in the gaps easily.

He’d given everything he could for the corps, his friends had given their lives, and how many more had died for preventable causes?

How could he keep Newt from being one of those bodies?

The kids he worked with, trying halfheartedly to spread the word of the wonders of joining the USCMs got harder every day, as the lingering aches in his skin and muscles, burnt from the blood of those creatures, served as a constant reminder of all the things he’d lost.

Bishop got fixed, stationed somewhere else for recovery– or whatever the artificial equivalent was.

He called them sometimes, when they had time. Ripley took another job working in cargo, and Newt went to school.

Hicks had weekends off, and Ripley worked nights. So he stayed with Newt most times. He read books out to her, showed her the movies he thought she should see, and held her close when she needed it.

It was more than he’d thought he’d ever have. A home, a family of sorts and enough trauma to startle the most weathered of soldiers.

He was blind in one eye, but he could see fine through the other, and after a bit of adjustment, it was easy to forget what it had been like, once.

The mirror reminded him, though.

Leather-y, winding, raised and aggravated, the skin along the side of his body was ruined.

Why he wasn’t used as a cautionary tale to the youth on the base instead of a poster child, he wasn’t sure. He looked just like the corpses he’d seen across the stars, one lifeless eye like a reminder of death itself.

But no one looked at him that way, with death in their eyes. Like he was an omen or a man with one foot in the grave.

The corps, his higher-ups, the kids he worked with, Bishop, Ripley, Newt. They all looked at him like he was something more than that, like the lives he’d lost and the trauma that followed him was nothing more than a consequence of a tragedy, and not his own failing of keeping his friends alive.

**

[lboogie1906]

Corporal Clayton Pitre (June 30, 1924 - December 31, 2020) was an activist, former Chief Housing Developer for the Central Area Motivation Project, and a retired Montford Point Marine.

Born to Gilbert Pitre and Eugenie Lemelle, he was the fourth child of seven siblings. He was born and raised in Opelousas, Louisiana. He attended Catholic schools until the ninth grade when he gave up his education to work in various defense plants in early WWII Texas.

He was drafted into the military in 1943. He signed up to become one of the first African Americans to join the US Marine Corps and was trained at Camp Montford Point. In December 1943, he was sent to Saipan. His unit was sent to Okinawa as a decoy for the other forces that invaded the south end of the island. He was an infantryman in the 1st Marine Ammunition Company sending ammunition to the front lines. He had earned his corporal stripes.

He was sent to China to oversee the evacuation of the Japanese Army. He was honorably discharged on February 8, 1946. He was persuaded to join one of his brothers in Seattle, where he got a job at Fort Lawton. He enrolled at Seattle’s Broadway Edison Technical School in a program specifically for military veterans who had not earned a high school diploma. He passed his vocational tests.

He married Gloria Tony (1958), a Seattle language teacher. The couple had three children. He graduated from Seattle University with a BS in accounting. He worked as a postal clerk and was active in the Seattle chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. He worked with the First AME Church and the Urban League to help fund and build low-income housing across the city.

He joined the Veterans Administration. He continued his community involvement with the Knights of Columbus and the African American Dollars for Scholars program.

He was among 400 Black Marines honored by President Barack Obama at a White House ceremony where each received a Congressional Gold Medal. They are the survivors of the nearly 20,000 Black Marines who trained at Montford Point (1942-49). #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #kappaalphapsi

[professionalnooneatall]

Everyone Keeps Saying Make Something New, but When I make Something Aggressively New, I Get "not like that,"

I was talking with an Imam once and I asked him how a Muslim would go about doing the Hajj if they lived on Mars. With zero hesitation he said "Get on a rocket and go back to Earth, there's only one Mecca." The quote stayed with me and for over a decade I've been developing a television show around that sentence:

It's the far future. Humanity and our allies live throughout the Milky Way and there are Muslims on every planet where there are humans, which is to say all of them. Let me introduce you to the characters.

Master Fleet Adm. Achmed Abdul Qadir

Regal, bird like, rather tall with a well-trimmed mustache, salt and pepper hair, Qadir is a devout Muslim with a calm “been there done that” attitude from being Nearly 100 years old. Shrewd but compassionate, Qadir applies Islamic jurisprudence as often as possible, resulting in a high degree of compassion. Because of this Qadir was among the first wave of volunteers to fight under the banner of the Alliance first on Mars under NATO/METO and later as Alliance Forces Earth, and finally just the Alliance. Qadir is unflappable in nearly every respect. If he ever uses foul language, it’s not a good sign.

Command Sergeant Major Maya Abdel-Fattah

Lean, lethal and shorter than most people. Always wearing hijab in public. Cybernetic right arm starting at the shoulder. Maya is the strong, silent type. A full Alliance Marine, qualified planet and space she wears the Galaxy Globe and Anchor. Maya was widowed and lost her whole family in a space transport accident and so she transferred to the recently codified Alliance Marine Corps from Alliance Forces Earth Quartermaster Corps. Maya served with the Black Sword Brigade, a particularly tough unit specializing in deep strikes and decapitation attacks. She serves as the senior enlisted on the ship and if there's fighting to be done she can get it done from 1,000 meters to 1 centimeter.

Command Sergeant Major (ret) Robert W. Leary

Hearty, tough, Irish and Black American. Very American military, Qadir’s best friend, so much so Qadir’s actual wife, Jamila, referred to Leary as “My husband’s work wife” when they worked together under NATO and METO military operations before the Alliance conflict. Father died in Corpo Wars, mother retired from the 1st New York Brigade after the North American Protectorate was codified. Leary met probably his closest friend Achmed Qadir while on R&R leave in Iraq, specifically when he attended the completion ceremony for Al-Rahman Mosque is Baghdad. Leary is deeply atheist but very respectful and knowledgeable of many religions; he’s both street-smart and socially intelligent. Leary is also the Alliance Cultural Preservation, Restoration, and Development (CPRD) Officer, ensuring cultural needs and practices are cataloged and practiced, respected, and continued for and by Alliance personnel.

Lt. Cmdr. Dikembe Emenike

Eminke is the executive officer of the Grand Falcon. All four limbs are cybernetic, an aerospace engineer, a race car driver, and Chief Engineer in the construction of the Grand Falcon, the ship that takes Muslims back to Earth for Hajj. Emenike is an accomplished pilot and like most veteran pilots of the war has an absurd amount of flight hours. He was onboard a ship that had to use its jump drive system without calculation and it jumped into a planet’s atmosphere, subsequently crashed and plunged into that planet's ocean. Emenike was among the survivors and due to his actions - using the ship's propulsion to beach the craft on the nearest landmass - the casualties were low.

Master Chief (ret) Paulina Stevens “Boston” Abdur Razzaq

Boston is an Iranian American, punk rocker, with lots of tattoos,  lower jaw is cybernetic, it’s a subtle piece, though, and mostly matches her skin tone. She has close-cropped curly hair and a nose ring. Experienced medic and explosives technician, Boston formed her own contracting company - Iron Pineapple - after the war for “post-war and peacetime operations,” which has an extremely broad definition meaning her team didn't want for work. Boston has been divorced twice, from a man and a woman. She doesn’t do anything by half measures and this extends to her personal relationships. She connects intensely with people and intimate partners are no exception so her command style with her team is often very blunt but compassionate.

Maj. (Dr.) Mohammed Al-Aziz Billah

Dr. Billah, or "just Dr. B," as he would introduce himself, is stocky, bearded, intense, and driven but is kind and has an impeccable bedside manner. Billah is often in a doctor’s coat over his Alliance uniform. He is Qadir’s nephew on Jamila’s side. A devout Ahmadiyya Muslim, Billah saw becoming a doctor as a holy mission. He is a certified physician for both people and earth animals, having studied both sciences concurrently at Penn State. Billah served in Iraqi military as a combat doctor and in between tours he worked with members of the Jain Dharma as a veterinarian. His incredibly wide skill set made him ideal for treating non-human beings and many foundations for combat medical procedures were established by him and other members of The First Medical Fleet which would become Alliance Medical Command. His refrain, "Death Is my Only Enemy," became the official motto of First Medical Fleet, "Death Our Only Enemy"

Special Warrant 2 (ret) Shen She Zhan

Shen underwent sixteen very painful surgical procedures to increase her height and skin grafts to make her skin look like that of the Hiraska aliens whose empire threatened the whole galaxy with facial reconstruction including reshaping her jaws and her eyes were fully replaced. Her cover was blown but she was able to escape however he pod was intercepted by Alliance Forces Earth personnel who didn’t believe she was actually human. Qadir’s ship received the signal and he intervened but not soon enough. Qadir, Leary and Billah were there for her recovery so they are on the very short list of people she trusts, those three serve as kind of her “sounding board” for certain topics and issues. Qadir was furious with the task forces’ treatment of Shen and he disbanded the task force and several senior leaders were relieved of duty. After the war she joined Iron Pineapple and Boston became the fourth person in the galaxy she trusts. This history informs much of Shen's responses and actions. Among strangers, she is very controlled but given the presence of one of the four, she will speak her mind clearly.

Major (ret) Maria Shahid Rodriguez-ChavezMajor (ret) Maria Shahid Rodriguez-Chavez

Latino and Arab Christian. A real technical wiz Chavez can fix anything; hardware or software even if she's unfamiliar with it because she has an intuition about technology overall. Chavez is a trans-woman but presents as masculine in the war flashbacks. She is gradually becoming more and more comfortable with herself but will often retreat into her technological expertise and focus on solving tech problems rather than personal development. She often seeks guidance from Boston, Leary, and Billah. She is estranged from her father but is in touch with her mother and kid brother, who live the Leo City, the domed human settlement on Mars. Her plan settle with them somewhere and open a small business, probably an automotive repair shop and salon.

Senior Command Chief Jamila Qadir

Jamila is a highly experienced nurse with time in ERs, plague zones, and combat zones, and her compassion for humans is matched only by the sheer “lack of fucks,” she gives. Her compassion for people is matched by her husband Achmed, but she will not suffer fools gladly, will not make time for bullshit, and definitely won't stand for your nonsense. She has tried to play matchmaker for Leary on several occasions. It didn’t go well each time. She is often the smartest person in the room as she knows how to apply her knowledge of people learned through being a medical professional in any given situation.

Petty Officer 2nd Class (ret) Akira Shima 

Akira was a quantum navigation systems programmer and he is exceptional at that, having served on many task forces and has a mind for science and tactics but he is largely untested due to getting relegated to "IT bullshit" when he was in uniform. He is motivated to prove himself at every opportunity and is often unorthodox in his thoughts and actions but he is effective and when he combines his abilities with Chavez they are unstoppable. He is very intuitive and empathetic. He understands software interacting with organics as he often had to fix cybernetic limbs in the war when no formal technician was present. Shima is “always on,” and will often wake up in the middle of the night having dreamed of a solution to a problem he may have only heard about in passing.

Valerria Vall

Assigned a special advisor to the Grand Falcon, Vall is a member of the Omega, a race of beings who once fought a Terminator-style war between organics and machines. After about seventy years they realized it was pretty stupid and over time they became a “joint race,” the Hiraska saw them as the greatest threat to their empire and released a plague that destroyed all organic life in their home system. They barely survived and are now fully artificial. They founded the Alliance as an anti-colonial and defensive force against the Hiraska to prevent what happened to them from happening to any other beings. As they connect with new extraterrestrial species they send a representative to study and learn from their cultures, altering their whole physical and mental self to mirror that race to create a deep cultural understanding.

Kimi Running Rabbit

Running Rabbit is part of the new generation of humans that grew up off-world and is the youngest member of the crew. She is part of the Alliance Tribal Nations, a recognized part of the Alliance government’s judicial, social and educational systems. Running Rabbit began as an alliance cadet but the war ended and she spent two more years just training with little engagement against real threats. When she saw the Hajj ship needing volunteers she signed on with an individual contract. Like many other personnel who were born off-world, she’s only heard stories about how vicious earthbound humans were to each other but especially horrible to the indigenous peoples and she hates Earth and doesn't want to ever go there. This mission is the first time she has been around a significant population of earth-born humans. Kimi is well educated in languages, histories, and cultures through the Alliance Primary Education system but she has limits as they are "textbook,"

Lt. Cmdr. Jordan Nusholtz 

Nusholtz is the youngest pilot of the main ensemble and uses direct interphase to pilot vessels. While Qadir uses zero augmentation and Enemike uses maximum augmentation to pilot starfighters, Nusholtz is the middle ground between those two schools of thought/action and will come up with unique solutions within that content. In fact, he has skills and experience on par with Qadir and Enemike despite being at least a decade younger.. He initially joined under a task force assembled by the Israeli Defense Force but they withdrew from the Alliance after Mars was secured and Nusholtz joined the alliance as a pilot - and accepted a three-step demotion due to the nature of the alliance rank structure at the time - to bring the war to a conclusion and in solidarity with his adopted brother Anthony who is Palestinian.

Master Sergeant (Ret) Anthony Sydnor 

A former infantryman turned technical repairman, Sydnor is the Rosencrantz to Cmdr. Jordan Nusholtz’s Guildenstern, with a more absurdist sense of humor and a more practical view of the world. Sydnor is a widower but has three sons who are all in the Majiid initiative. He has a rather dim view of being in space, however, like many humans, he seeks the leave Earth behind and settle on one of the Alliance's home planets or even one of the terraformed planets which could include Venus would be preferable. He is Palestinian American and that informs his cynicism. He runs general supply on the Grand Falcon and if something needs to be acquired, he’s the one to acquire it.

Col. Rashad Ibn-Arai Al-Wali

Col. Al-Wali is the “by the book” type of person who doesn’t care much for individuality. He is an alliance sentience code enforcement officer, meaning he ensures the rights, history and dignity statutes for all living beings are, in fact, assured. Rather like a police officer but personal property isn't the goal. This also makes him the de-facto first contact officer. His personal feelings actually run counter to the sentience codes so in a way the codes are his “check,” to do the right things. The codes were NOT written exclusively by humans so in a way, he seeks guidance from them in much the same way Qadir does with Islam. However, Qadir seeks to justify compassion, kindness and justice whilst Al-Wali tries to justify his personal feelings and gets consistently thwarted.

[maximumwobblerbanditdonut]

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo at Edinburgh Castle 2024 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🏰

The first Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo took place in 1950. Since then, over 50 countries from across six continents have been represented at the Tattoo. Her Royal Highness Princess Anne became Patron of the Tattoo in 2006 and the Royal title was bestowed by the Late Her Majesty The Queen in 2010.

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is a world-renowned spectacle and to have a chance to be in the heart of it is truly inspirational. The 2024 Show, Journeys, transports guests on a cultural adventure, uniting the military heritage, Scottish tradition, and an international cast.

With the Royal Navy as Lead Service, the show has a strong maritime theme with performances by exceptionally talented performers representing countries with strong nautical connections.

This year the Royal Navy led, so the Massed Pipes and Drums for the Navy Anchor during the show. Photographer: Mark Owens - UK MOD © Crown copyright 2024. MOD Crown Copyright News / Editorial Licence

The Navy Takes Centre Stage ⚓

With the Royal Navy as lead service, the Show pays homage to the seafarers who brave the ocean to travel across continents bringing people and cultures together as The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo guides you through a legendary journey.

As ever, the military plays a prominent role in the Tattoo, with the Fanfare kickstarting the Show with a performance of an original composition incorporating elements of the official march of the Royal Navy Heart of Oak imbuing the stage with an air of awe and anticipation.

The Tattoo fans are treated to the rousing sounds of the Massed Pipes and Drums including Military Pipe Bands from the 1st Battalion Scots Guards, 1st Battalion Irish Guards Drums and Pipes, Pipes and Drums of the Royal Gurkha Rifles, Combined Pipes and Drums of The Royal Tank Regiment and Scottish and North Irish Yeomanry.

The world’s leading military bands, this year joining the Massed Pipes and Drums.

The Citadel Pipes and Drums, Australian Federal Police Pipes and Drums, Brisbane Boys’ College Pipes and Drums, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Pipes and Drums, The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Dancers, The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Fiddlers, The Citadel Regimental Band and Pipes, Majesticks Drum Corps, United States Sea Service Band, United States Navy Ceremonial Guard and Teamwork Arts India.

As night falls over Edinburgh Castle, each evening’s performance ends with a dramatic rousing finale when the National Anthem will be performed by The Massed Bands of His Majesty’s Royal Marines.

A Lone Piper marks the close of festivities with a performance of Guth a’ Phiobaire, composed by Major Stevie Small MBE.

#edinburgh #scotland #festival #militarytattoo #edinburghcastle #edinburghshow #event #scottish #bagpipers #RoyalNavy #navyanchor

Posted 18th August 2024

[dirtytransmasc]

About Prager and Ja~~

So Prager and Ja served in the U.S marine corp together. They had met when they were assigned to the same squad and ended up working very well together, something the brass noticed which resulted in them becoming a bit of a duo.

Now, not only did they work well together, but they also would give each other a.....helping hand so to say. Probably the healthiest FWB arrangement to ever exist.

They ended up shipping out to Pandora at the same time and assigned to Quaritch's squad, where no much changed in terms of their relationship. They were friends who fucked, and that was it.

Though they never got involved with anyone else, individually or together.

Waking up as recoms was jarring but overall, outside of some memory issues and new instincts, they pretty much picked up where they left off. At least until they did tsaheylu once while fucking, resulting in them becoming mates even if they weren't aware of it at the time.

Eventually, and unfortunately, one of the siblings stumbles on them while....they are getting busy and that's about the time they learned that the whole 'connecting headtails while screwing = marriage' thing.

It didn't bother them, it was a joke back at Hell's Gate that they were married anyway, so they just rolled with it.

I love them, they're just vibing, living their best lives.

besties? great. fuck buddies? cool. married? even better.

the squad does insist ont growing them a traditional human wedding ceremony once they find out.

[sassenach082]

what’s the difference between being a pilot in the navy vs the marines? why is bill happy about rachel going into the marines, but not tom going into the navy? is it just like a branch loyalty thing?

Navy and Marines as far as aviators go seem to be pretty similar, with some differences. They're both the Dept of the Navy so the Marine aviators use the Navy equipment/carriers/training/etc. Annapolis graduates every year with a mixture of Navy and Marine officers, if you've ever wondered why their uniforms are different at the swearing in ceremonies.

Bill was a Marine. And listen, if you've ever MET a Marine (I have the unfortunate reality of being related to six of the idiots in the Corps #affectionate) they love nothing better than to prattle on about their beloved Corps. They're like a cult. They're CONVINCED to the marrow of their bones that the Marines are superior in every way.

Actually, come to think of it, they're not like a cult. They... kind of are one. Don't @ me if you disagree people I SAID WHAT I SAID