Just something I found interesting

[Megatronrex 2,867]

This is just something that @Dameon13shared on facebook that I thought was neat. I figured some of you guys might like @GiledPallaeonmight be amused by. It really reminded me of the story from Tales of the Empire about the AT-AT pilot who got demoted for figuring out how to mitigate the walkers weakness against airspeeders attacking their legs.

http://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/that-time-a-marine-general-led-a-fictional-iran-against-the-us-military-and-won

[Drasnighta 26,831]

I have a commendation from the RAAF from my time in the AIRTC for doing much of the same thing with the fictional mostly-like-Indonesian forces of Orangeland invading and holding the northern half of Australia.  First Cadet in something like 15 years (at the time) to orchestrate that one. 

Of course, the scenario was no where on par with what is being described in the article.

[Megatronrex 2,867]

1 minute ago, Drasnighta said:

I have a commendation from the RAAF from my time in the AIRTC for doing much of the same thing with the fictional mostly-like-Indonesian forces of Orangeland invading and holding the northern half of Australia.  First Cadet in something like 15 years (at the time) to orchestrate that one. 

Of course, the scenario was no where on par with what is being described in the article.

And now we know the real reason you're not allowed into the US. Our government fears you.

[Drasnighta 26,831]

5 minutes ago, Megatronrex said:

And now we know the real reason you're not allowed into the US. Our government fears you.

My previous security clearances are part of the issue, yes.

[Truthiness 5,696]

That was part of my reading during my Basic Officer Leader's Course about 8 years ago. It serves as an excellent lesson in confirmation bias. I'd like to say the military learned something from that but...yeah...

Edited September 21, 2017 by Truthiness

[moodswing5537 1,415]

1 hour ago, Drasnighta said:

I have a commendation from the RAAF from my time in the AIRTC for doing much of the same thing with the fictional mostly-like-Indonesian forces of Orangeland invading and holding the northern half of Australia.  First Cadet in something like 15 years (at the time) to orchestrate that one. 

Of course, the scenario was no where on par with what is being described in the article.

wait, if someone took over the Northern half of Australia, who would know? No one lives there....

[Drasnighta 26,831]

Just now, moodswing5537 said:

wait, if someone took over the Northern half of Australia, who would know? No one lives there....

Yet, we'd be damned if we'd let anyone else have it, even if all it is is Red Desert.

...  

And Uranium.

 

[BrobaFett 4,209]

1 minute ago, Drasnighta said:

And Uranium.

 

And there you go, providing all the worlds governments with further reason to add you to their watch lists.

 

[GiledPallaeon 2,873]

I've heard of the exercise. IIRC Streetfighter was partially reorganized to deal with this. Of course, the ships Streetfighter created, the Littoral Combat Ships, are nowhere near the Streetfighter requirements in any way. It's a potent reminder that war is, from a certain perspective, highly democratic. The other guy gets a voice in how this works too. When I wrote the paper that accompanied my presentation at NFFS&TE this year, I specifically included recommendations that MALE UAVs like Tern be given to operational commanders to experiment with in no small part so we can have many Gen. Ripers running around. Apocryphally, I have been told that an intelligence community Red Team exercise in the 90's correctly predicted 9/11, but was dismissed as impractical and beyond their means.

On a separate note, similar to @Drasnighta's comment, it shows how important and how fun Red/Blue exercises can be, when Red doesn't have its hands tied behind its back. In one class I've taken, I got the opportunity to run around (metaphorically) as a terrorist, and I racked up a shocking kill count (optimistic assessment from the PoV of police was like 15K casualties, plus billions in damage) and economic damage with very few resources. ($250K and ten men were the limits I gave myself).*** In my case at least some authorities listened to part of my warning, and fixed the easy part of my targeted vulnerability.

This is actually the fundamental technique that has led to my pet project Dreadnought, since she is designed from a non-US PoV (semi-Soviet). In any case, I think this kind of stuff is great fun and what I plan to spend most of my professional life doing. (Yes, I know the other more accurate way to say that is a life of pissing people off.) 

*** If you are an emergency responder in the United States, please contact me.

[moodswing5537 1,415]

What did you say about....Uranium?

[Drasnighta 26,831]

8 hours ago, moodswing5537 said:

What did you say about....Uranium?

Why are people always surprised to hear Australia is an Exporter of Nuclear materials? It's not like we've really got more than one proper reactor, and its primary function is medical supplies and research.

 

No, there are some nations who pay well for Aussie Glowrock. 

[moodswing5537 1,415]

Oh, I'm not surprised at all. Everything else is trying to kill you there, why not the rocks too?

[Madaghmire 7,274]

9 hours ago, Truthiness said:

That was part of my reading during my Basic Officer Leader's Course about 8 years ago. It serves as an excellent lesson in confirmation bias. I'd like to say the military learned something from that but...yeah...

My father likes to tell a atory of a friend of his that got drafted, kid was like a little 140lb. 5'7" jewish kid outta queens, and he figures he's going straight into the quartermasters corps. I believe there was something official that led him to believe that, but its not my story. Then they send him to jump school. He shows up, and first chance he gets he lets the drill seargent know that he's not supposed to be there, because obvious reasons, and there must have been a mistake.

Sarge looks him right in the eye and says "The Army doesn't make mistakes, son."

The morale of the story Truth, is that if they haven't learned anything from that then clearly there wasn't anything worth learning

[Megatronrex 2,867]

8 hours ago, Drasnighta said:

there are some nations who pay well for Aussie Glowrock. 

So now we know that

1. You have commendations from the RAAF

2. You're not allowed into the US

3. You know where to buy uranium

4. You know where to sell uranium

5. I probably already know too much and should be very afraid (please don't send assassins to my house)

[Noosh 1,295]

On 9/22/2017 at 8:23 AM, Megatronrex said:

So now we know that

1. You have commendations from the RAAF

2. You're not allowed into the US

3. You know where to buy uranium

4. You know where to sell uranium

5. I probably already know too much and should be very afraid (please don't send assassins to my house)

A true international man of mystery. Or the head of specter.....if he has a white long-haired cat, I'm calling it.

[Flengin 581]

On ‎22‎/‎09‎/‎2017 at 10:23 PM, Megatronrex said:

So now we know that

1. You have commendations from the RAAF

2. You're not allowed into the US

3. You know where to buy uranium

4. You know where to sell uranium

5. I probably already know too much and should be very afraid (please don't send assassins to my house)

And he still considers himself an Ausi....

He did say we..

[TheEldarGuy 337]

On ‎9‎/‎22‎/‎2017 at 2:44 AM, Drasnighta said:

I have a commendation from the RAAF from my time in the AIRTC for doing much of the same thing with the fictional mostly-like-Indonesian forces of Orangeland invading and holding the northern half of Australia.  First Cadet in something like 15 years (at the time) to orchestrate that one. 

Of course, the scenario was no where on par with what is being described in the article.

My claim to fame in this type of endeavour was by creating plans for a military takeover of Indonesia with less than 25k troops.

They were fun days.

Edited October 17, 2017 by TheEldarGuy

[Drasnighta 26,831]

1 hour ago, TheEldarGuy said:

My claim to fame in this type of endeavour was by creating plans for a military takeover of Indonesia with less than 25k troops.

They were fun days.

That’s a good one, too. Totally didn’t get to try that one myself.

[Rocmistro 1,090]

James Jones was Commandant. I always thought he was a bit dull; the man's claim to fame was authorizing digi camo print instead of the old woodland ones I wore in the 90's. 

I don't think Commandant Krulak would have sour-graped Van Ripper's victory .  Krulak was an awesome Commandant; we got approved for computers in our HQ Barracks in 1996 and Command & Conquer was installed and approved for simulated strategic warfighting as a means by which to teach us creative warfighting and basic strategy.

[Snipafist 7,536]

On 9/22/2017 at 7:23 AM, Megatronrex said:

5. I probably already know too much and should be very afraid (please don't send assassins to my house)

Oh you're not going to get assassinated. Instead, you're on a one-way trip to

You won't wear a shirt and you'll cry.

[GiledPallaeon 2,873]

33 minutes ago, Snipafist said:

Oh you're not going to get assassinated. Instead, you're on a one-way trip to

You won't wear a shirt and you'll cry.

Ten likes for the man with the Patton Oswalt reference

[Norell 1,198]

Holly cow... Are there any non-military men in the Armada gaming group? Or someone who didn't have to make a plan to take over the world yet will be enoug....

[Visovics 1,675]

50 minutes ago, Norell said:

Holly cow... Are there any non-military men in the Armada gaming group? Or someone who didn't have to make a plan to take over the world yet will be enoug....

Me, but that's basically because I'm underage...

[Megatronrex 2,867]

7 hours ago, Snipafist said:

Oh you're not going to get assassinated. Instead, you're on a one-way trip to

You won't wear a shirt and you'll cry.

I'll laugh at this all day.

[Drasnighta 26,831]

1 hour ago, Visovics said:

Me, but that's basically because I'm underage...

No excuse to taking over the world Plans.