Military Veterans and Patriots

Author: KITDAFBS

  • Three Hostages Released

    Three Hostages Released

    (L-R) Sagui Dekel Chen, Iair Horn, and Alexander Sasha Troufanov on stage with Hamas terrorists in Khan Yunis, February 15, 2025.

    Despite saying they would not release any hostages this week because Israel had violated the terms of the ceasefire agreement, Hamas released three hostages today. Alexander Sasha Troufanov, Sagui Dekel Chen, and Iair Horn were transferred to Israeli custody after 498 days in the hands of Hamas.

    Today’s release was uncertain until it actually happened. As I wrote the other day, Hamas was not going to release any hostages this week. It looks like they blinked, at least a little. Considering the statements from President Trump about the situation of late, I’m surprised they did not release more.

    In a statement released on Truth Social, the President made it clear he thought Hamas should have released all the hostages today, but three is better than none. He also made a point of saying that Bibi Netanyahu and Israel had the lead in the decisions about it and the US would have Israel’s back regardless.

    https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/114007859463769499

    Hamas has just released three Hostages from GAZA, including an American Citizen. They seem to be in good shape! This differs from their statement last week that they would not release any Hostages. Israel will now have to decide what they will do about the 12:00 O’CLOCK, TODAY, DEADLINE imposed on the release of ALL HOSTAGES. The United States will back the decision they make!

    According to the Jerusalem Post, the hostages appeared thin and pale but were able to stand, support their own weight, and walk independently.

    These initial signs suggest their medical condition is stable and does not require emergency hospitalization at Soroka Medical Center or Barzilai Medical Center in the South.

    At the reception point in Re’im, military doctors conducted initial medical examinations, accompanied by a mental health officer who will continue to support them until they reach Ichilov Hospital and Sheba Medical Center.

    There are 73 hostages, including 5 Americans, still being held in Gaza. At least 35 of them are dead.

  • Friday Fun

    Friday Fun

    It’s FriYAY! Welcome to your weekly week-ending post.

    Pearls Before Swine

    Political Commentary

    Dad Jokes

    Memes

  • USS Harry S Truman Involved in Maritime Collision

    USS Harry S Truman Involved in Maritime Collision

    CVN 75 USS Harry S Truman

    The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) was involved in a collision with the merchant vessel Besiktas-M at approximately 11:46 p.m. local time, Feb. 12, while operating in the vicinity of Port Said, Egypt according to the US 6th Fleet.

    According to the press release, the Truman did not suffer major damage – there are no reports of flooding and the propulsion plants are operating normally – or any injuries to personnel aboard.

    The Truman was commissioned 25 July 1998 is the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 8. She is homeported at Norfolk Va.

    The skipper, Capt. Dave Snowden, is a career naval aviator and flew combat missions in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He was previously the CO of LPD 17, the USS San Antonio, the lead ship of the San Antonio class of anding platform dock ships.

    At 1,092 feet long and 252 wide, the Truman displaces almost 97,000 tons and can accommodate 6,250 crewmembers. She has an air wing of 90 fixed wing aircraft and helos.

    Besiktas-M

    I have to wonder how a bulk carrier the size of the Besiktas-M got that close to a Carrier. While considerably smaller than the Truman, she is still fairly large at a bit more than 610 feet long and 104 wide. A lot of things needed to go wrong across a bunch of vessels for the Besiktas-M to even get within several hundred yards of, nevermind collide with, the Truman.

    It probably needs to be noted that this particular CSG was the one that had a friendly fire incident at the end of 2024. The USS Gettysburg, a Ticonderoga class cruiser shot down a F/A 18F from the Truman. There was a near miss at the same time.

  • Hamas Says No to Releasing All Hostages

    Hamas Says No to Releasing All Hostages

    Israeli soldiers seen inside the northern Gaza Strip, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, on January 19, 2025(photo credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)

    I wrote a quick update about the situation in Gaza the other day. In it I mentioned the comments made by President Trump regarding the hostage situation. While those initial comments opened some eyes across the region, what the President said the next day really put the fox in the henhouse.

    When the President heard that Hamas was planning on violating the cease-fire and hostage deal by not releasing hostages as scheduled, he had more to say. After commenting again on the condition of the three released hostages, Trump issued an ultimatum; release the hostages by Saturday, or “all hell will break loose”.

    When pressed by reporters for details on what that meant, Mr. Trump initially responded: “You’ll find out, and they’ll find out, too. Hamas will find out what I mean.” 

    He later said Saturday’s delayed hostage release – which was expected to see the release of another three hostages held by Hamas in exchange for dozens more Palestinian prisoners – should include all of the remaining hostages.

    “I’d say they ought to be returned by 12 o’clock on Saturday,” Mr. Trump said. “All of them, not in drips and drabs, not two and one and three and four and two.”

    Hamas, of course, got its panties in a wad over the ultimatum. A senior Hamas leader told the French news agency AFP on Tuesday that Mr. Trump’s warning over the hostages “further complicates matters.”

    “Trump must remember that there is an agreement that must be respected by both parties and this is the only way to return the prisoners (hostages),” Sami Abu Zuhri said. “The language of threats has no value and further complicates matters”.

    Today, there is news that Hamas did not take the President’s warning as seriously as they should. The Jerusalem Post is now reporting that Hamas will not release all of the hostages this Saturday.

    Senior Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri spoke to Al Jazeera on Wednesday evening and stated that Hamas is “committed” to implementing the previously agreed schedule of the hostage deal and that they will not release “all” Israeli hostages on Saturday.

    Abu Zuhri’s comments likely came as part of a larger statement to Al Jazeera regarding Hamas’s views towards the potential breakdown of the ceasefire agreement.

    Earlier on Wednesday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that if Hamas does not release the Israeli hostages by Saturday, all hell will break loose.

    Hamas might just be starting to realize that they are not dealing with Biden, Blinken, Sullivan, and the rest of the halfwits from the last administration. They did blink, at least a little and are now releasing at least three hostages this Saturday.

    The IDF has already started to position troops and equipment close to the Gaza Strip. If they move, and it seems likely if Hamas violates the deal again, I’d expect the IDF to sever the Strip at that Netzarim corridor again, and push any of the Gaza Arabs back to the south end of the strip. I would also expect them to take control of the crossings into Egypt at Rafah and Kerem Shalom. They may take the Philadelphi corridor, but that would be secondary.

  • Tulsi Gabbard Confirmed as DNI

    Tulsi Gabbard Confirmed as DNI

    In a nearly party line vote, Tulsi Gabbard was confirmed as President Trump’s Director of National Intelligence. The vote, which was originally scheduled for last night, was 52-48. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky was the lone Republican to vote no on her confirmation.

    Gabbard, who is a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserves, was a congressman from Hawaii from 2013 to 2021 when she ran for president.

    According to Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin, Robert Kennedy Jr is up next, with a vote scheduled for Thursday. Kash Patel’s final vote is expected some time next week.

  • Homan on a Mole Hunt

    Homan on a Mole Hunt

    A week ago, ICE raided several locations in and around Aurora Colorado to mixed success. Several of the apartments and homes raided wound up being empty. It was suspected that the occupants – including several Tren de Aragua members – were tipped off by an insider.

    A similar thing happened on Friday during ICE raids in the Los Angeles area. Someone from either the FBI or ATF leaked parts of the operations plan to LA media outlets.

    Now, border and immigration Czar Tom Homan is on the hunt for the moles. Yesterday, he went on Fox and said those leaks are being investigated by an Inspector General and the person or people responsible will be fired and likely charged criminally. In the interview on Hannity, he said:

    “They [the DOJ] have opened up a criminal investigation and they have promised that not only this person lose their job and lose their pension, they’re going to go to jail, they’re going to criminally prosecute. So we’re all over it.”

    He went on to say the initial leads are pointing to the FBI as the source of the leak, and added that whoever it is will lose their job, pension, and will go to jail.

    These leaks go beyond mere criminality. They endanger everyone involved. I truly hope the first one identified gets hammered in court pour encourager les autres.

  • Gaza Hostage Update

    Gaza Hostage Update

    A Palestinian walks past destroyed residential buildings damaged by the Israeli air and ground offensive in Bureij, central Gaza Strip, January 22, 2025.

    It’s been a hot minute since I’ve written about the goings-on in Israel and that region. So, I figure it’s time for an update of sorts.

    I’m reasonably sure that you have heard about what Trump said about the US taking over Gaza as part of the rebuilding process there. As part of that same press availability, alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he also said Egypt and Jordan would have to take some of the Gaza Arabs*. What’s more, in comments released today, he said that any displaced Gaza Arabs would not have the right of return.

    The first comments caused some serious soul searching across the Sahel, particularly in Egypt and the Hashemite Kingdom of Transjordan. Keep in mind, the Gaza Strip was Egyptian prior to the 1967 Six Day war and Judea and Samaria (the West Bank*) were the ‘Trans’ part of Transjordan until the same war.

    Both Egypt and Jordan have had serious issues with refugees from both Gaza and Judea and Samaria. The previous King of Jordan, Hussein, was almost toppled by them. Neither can truly afford to take many Gazan refugees but neither can they afford not to do as the US wants.

    The hostages that were released by Hamas on Saturday, Eli Sharabi, Ohad Ben Ami, and Or Levy, were in the worst condition of any so far. They looked not dissimilar to photos of German concentration camp victims, exceedingly thin, gaunt and pale. Hamas forced the men to thank them before they were released. Eli Sharabi said he was thankful to go home to his wife and daughters. The captor asking the questions laughed knowing, unlike Eli, that the wife and daughters had been murdered on 10/7.

    President Trump weighed in on the condition of the hostages, “Hamas has been a disaster… I watched the hostages come back today. And they looked like Holocaust survivors, they were in horrible condition. They were emaciated… I don’t know how much longer we can take that.” I don’t think he is going to take it.

    It gets worse though. After the nearly universal backlash about the condition of the released hostages, Hamas said today that it was suspending the hostage release program indefinitely. They are – falsely – claiming Israeli violations of the hostage deal. Among the claims are that the IDF has fired on Gazans who have returned north of the Netzarim corridor and that Israel has prevented food and other necessities from entering Gaza.

    My take is they need time to fatten up the remaining hostages. Hamas and their enablers clearly did not realize the effect the shockingly bad condition of the released hostages would have on public opinion outside the Strip.

    I also tend to think they underestimated Trump after dealing with Biden and his band of mid-and-half-wits for the last four years. They are about to find out there is a new sheriff in town, and he isn’t afraid of using his power to get what he wants. I think Qatar the one holding most of the purse strings for Hamas and the PA in Judea and Samaria – has underestimated him as well, at least up until Friday that is. The comments about the US taking control of Gaza opened some eyes in that region, including those of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the day-to-day ruler of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

    • Author’s note: I am no longer calling the Arab residents of the Gaza strip, Judea and Samaria Palestinians. I will only call them what they are; Arabs. They didn’t even call themselves that prior to the rise of Arafat when it became politically expedient to have a separate nationality to fall back on. Nor will I call Judea and Samaria the West Bank.
  • It’s the Big Game

    It’s the Big Game

    For all you sportsball lovers out there, today is the day; Superbowl Sunday. This year’s contest sees the reigning champs the Kansas City Chiefs take on NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles at the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. Kickoff is scheduled for 1830.

    The Chiefs are a 1 1/2 point favorite and the over/under is set at 48 1/2 points.

    The real draw, at least for me, are the commercials. The return of ‘quality’ commercials is very welcome. Carl’s junior is leading the way. Watch:

    Leave your favorite commercials, game moments or announcer flubs in the comments.

  • Photos of the Week

    Photos of the Week

    Featured image: A Sailor directs an E/A-18G Growler from the “Cougars” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 139 on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) in the Pacific Ocean, Jan. 18, 2025. Nimitz is underway in 3rd Fleet conducting routine training operations.

    Army

    U.S. Army Pvt. Miguel Garcia, a cannon crewmember with 5-25 Charlie Battery, 3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, utilizes cover and concealment to safeguard the area of operation at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, Jan. 31, 2025. Garcia and his battery are participating in exercise Combined Resolve 25-1 to field new equipment in conjunction with the Army’s Transformation in Contact concept. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Tristan Peete)

    Navy

    Retail Services Specialist 2nd Class James Rivera, from San Bernardino, California, applies metal shoring to a box patch during a structural damage and flooding drill aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Preble (DDG 88) in the Philippine Sea, Jan. 24. Preble is forward-deployed and assigned to Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15, the Navy’s largest DESRON and the U.S. 7th Fleet’s principal surface force. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Ryre Arciaga)

    Marine Corps

    A Marine Air Defense Integrated System Mk 1 fires upon a small unmanned aircraft system during a training exercise at Pohakuloa Training Area, Hawaii, Jan. 25, 2025. A key component of the Marine Corps’ Force Design initiative, the mobile MADIS increases 3d Marine Littoral Regiment’s tactical flexibility by extending the range of the airspace which 3d MLR is able to sense and defend without support from the Joint Force. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Jacqueline Parsons

    Air Force

    Staff Sgt. Christopher Davis, 18th Fighter Generation Squadron armament systems specialist, guides an MJ-1 lift truck arm to align with an AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile during the fourth quarter load competition at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, Jan. 10, 2025. One crew from each squadron is selected and judges the competition based on each team’s accuracy, load time and organization skills. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Spencer Hanson)

    Coast Guard

    Lt. j.g. grade Benjamin Glashagel, poses with his family in front of United States Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf (WMSL 750) after the cutter and crew returned to their Alameda, California, home port following a 130-day Bering Sea patrol, Feb. 7, 2025. Bertholf routinely conducts operations throughout the Pacific, strengthening U.S. presence along the maritime boundary line. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Austin Wiley.)

  • Trump Axes Clearances

    Trump Axes Clearances

    Featured image via grok

    In a move reminiscent of the baptism scene in the Godfather, where Michael Corleone knocks off all of his enemies, President Trump has revoked the security clearances for a number of his foes today. This order also bans the named individuals from any federally owned or leased building or property. This comes after he revoked the clearance of Joe Biden recently.

    Federal officials on the list are former SecState Antony Blinken, Former NSA and Hillary advisor Jake Sullivan, former #2 DOJ official Lisa Monaco, former federal prosecutor and lead on the Russiagate hoax Andrew Weissman.

    What effect this will have on any of them is up in the air for now. They are barred from entering any federal facility as well as having their clearances revoked, so it is not going to be good for their careers.

    But wait, there’s more. Trump also yanked the clearances of NY Attorney General Leticia James, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg and lawyer Mark Zaid. The clearance revocation isn’t going to affect James or Bragg all that much. They don’t need a clearance for most of their work, the bar to entry may be a bigger deal, at least for Bragg. Zaid on the other hand is likely screwed. He purports to be a national security lawyer and works almost exclusively on federal cases. The lack of clearance and the lack of ability to even enter a federal courthouse is going to devastate his business.