Sabotage? There's something wrong with the intensity of the fire.

PICTURED: Inside the charred amphibious warship HSS Bonhomme Richard after a fire tore through the 844-foot vessel for more than four days off San Diego harbor, leaving 'extensive' damage

When military officers think they make foreign policy.

Impeachment Witness Vindman Quits Over 'White House Bullying' 

by Tyler DurdenWed, 07/08/2020 - 11:

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A key witness in the Democrats' impeachment of President Trump has quit after the White House bullied him, according to his lawyer.

Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman - who was accused of being coached by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff during testimony when he told House committees that he "did not think it was proper" for President Trump to ask Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky to investigate former VP Joe Biden during a July 25 phone call - is retiring from the US Army after over 21 years, according to CNN.

Vindman has endured a "campaign of bullying, intimidation, and retaliation" spearheaded by the President following his testimony in the impeachment inquiry last year, according to his attorney, Amb. David Pressman. -CNN

"The President of the United States attempted to force LTC Vindman to choose: Between adhering to the law or pleasing a President. Between honoring his oath or protecting his career. Between protecting his promotion or the promotion of his fellow soldiers," Pressman told CNN.

"These are choices that no one in the United States should confront, especially one who has dedicated his life to serving it," he said, adding that Vindman "did what the law compelled him to do; and for that he was bullied by the President and his proxies."

Last November, Vindman admitted to violating the chain of command when he reported his concerns over a July 25 phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky, in which Trump requested an investigation into Joe Biden and his son Hunter over corruption.

Vindman, a NSC Ukraine expert (who was asked three times to become their Defense Minister), claimed he had no idea that Burisma, a natural gas company which paid Hunter to sit on its board, routed over $3 million to accounts tied to Hunter Biden.

CNN claims that "controversy has centered around allegations that the White House was attempting to block Vindman's upcoming military promotion to the rank of colonel," which Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and other top Pentagon leaders have denied. 

Ultimately, Vindman decided to retire from the military rather than attending the National War College, which was his next planned assignment, after speaking with senior Army officials who made clear that there were forces working against his advancement within the military.

Specifically, Vindman was told by senior Army officials that he would no longer be deployable in his area of expertise, which includes Ukraine, the source familiar with the situation told CNN. -CNN

Vindman fell under scrutiny during the impeachment - and has been accused of leaking knowledge of the July 25 call with Zelensky to the whistleblower whose complaint (after consulting with Adam Schiff's office) sparked Trump's impeachment.

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Another IRG Commander eliminated

HE DID IT AGAIN! Trump Takes Out Top Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ Commander in Iraq – General Siamand Mashhadani Killed in US Strike

When you turn your healthcare over to bureaucrats this is the result.

Vietnam, Iraq vet has prosthetic legs repossessed after dispute over whether VA or Medicare should cover cost

'This is their responsibility'

 AARON COLEN

A U.S. Army veteran of both the Vietnam and Iraq wars told the Mississippi Clarion Ledger that his prosthetic legs were repossessed after the Department of Veterans Affairs wouldn't pay for them and he refused to go through Medicare and pay a copay.

Jerry Holliman fought in Vietnam as a teenager and served in Iraq in his 50s, earning a Bronze Star in both wars and completing 40 years of military service. He said that exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam led to multiple battles with cancer. Holliman also has diabetes, which led to gangrene and two his legs being amputated — one in 2018 and the other in 2019.
He began a stay in the veterans home in Collins, where he received prosthetics from a company called Hanger. He got a few rehab sessions with the legs in before the matter of who was paying became an issue.
He was told that Veterans Affairs would not pay for the legs, and he said he was then encouraged to go through Medicare. But, when he saw that he would have to pay a copay with Medicare, he refused to follow through.

"Medicare did not send me to Vietnam," Holliman said to the Clarion Ledger. "I was sent there by my country ... with the understanding that if something bad happened to me, that it would be covered by the VA."
On Dec. 23, a Hanger employee came to the veterans home to adjust the prosthetic legs. Holliman said the employee told him to sign some Medicare papers. Holliman declined to do so, telling the man that VA should pay because "this is their responsibility."
The employee took the legs and left, the Clarion Ledger reported.
After Holliman reached out to media about his case, Hanger returned the prosthetics to him — but they aren't functional unless further adjustments are made, so he's still limited to the veterans home, unable to move around much. Holliman said the Hanger representative said the adjustments won't be made until Hanger receives payment.
VA spokesman Matthew Gowan called Holliman's claims "highly misleading," according to Newsweek.
"VA's Prosthetic & Sensory Aids Service, which also has more than 600 local contracts with accredited orthotic and prosthetic providers, stands ready to deliver comprehensive support to optimize health and independence of our Veterans," Gowan said "If eligible veterans do not wish to take advantage of these services, VA is unable to intervene and correct issues arising with personal purchases."
Hanger would not comment on Holliman's case, citing health privacy laws

"Medicare did not send me to Vietnam," Holliman said to the Clarion Ledger. "I was sent there by my country ... with the understanding that if something bad happened to me, that it would be covered by the VA."
On Dec. 23, a Hanger employee came to the veterans home to adjust the prosthetic legs. Holliman said the employee told him to sign some Medicare papers. Holliman declined to do so, telling the man that VA should pay because "this is their responsibility."
The employee took the legs and left, the Clarion Ledger reported.
After Holliman reached out to media about his case, Hanger returned the prosthetics to him — but they aren't functional unless further adjustments are made, so he's still limited to the veterans home, unable to move around much. Holliman said the Hanger representative said the adjustments won't be made until Hanger receives payment.
VA spokesman Matthew Gowan called Holliman's claims "highly misleading," according to Newsweek.
"VA's Prosthetic & Sensory Aids Service, which also has more than 600 local contracts with accredited orthotic and prosthetic providers, stands ready to deliver comprehensive support to optimize health and independence of our Veterans," Gowan said "If eligible veterans do not wish to take advantage of these services, VA is unable to intervene and correct issues arising with personal purchases."
Hanger would not comment on Holliman's case, citing health privacy laws.

How quick the left is to see its bogymen? White supremecists everywhere...

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Navy, Army probes find no racism intent in hand gestures

By LOLITA C. BALDORyesterday

FILE - In this Dec. 14, 2019 file photo, Navy midshipmen march onto field ahead of an NCAA college football game between the Army and the Navy in Philadelphia. A military investigation finds that hand gestures used by cadets and midshipmen during the Army-Navy game broadcast had nothing to do with white supremacy. The investigation, which included interviews and background checks, determined that two freshmen were taking part in a “sophomoric” game that had “no racist intent.” (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hand gestures flashed by West Point cadets and Naval Academy midshipmen during the televised Army-Navy football game were not racist signals, military investigations have concluded.

A Navy probe of the event found that the students were participating in a “sophomoric game” on Saturday and had no racist intent. An Army statement Friday also rejected any racist overtones, saying the hand gestures were “not associated with ideologies or movements that are contrary to the Army values.”

The Navy said officials are, however, disappointed in the immature behavior of the students and “their actions will be appropriately addressed.” There were no details about their exact punishment, but a Navy report on the investigation said the two midshipmen should face “administrative action” for “failure to use good judgment.”

Clips of the hand gestures by the students went viral on social media and immediately raised questions about whether they were using a “white power” sign. But others suggested it was part of what’s called the “circle game,” in which someone flashes an upside-down OK sign below the waist and punches anyone who looks at it.

The Navy said that reviews of the footage, more than two dozen interviews and background checks by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the FBI determined that the two freshmen midshipmen were participating in the “circle game” with West Point cadets.

The investigation added that the two naval academy students “exhibited genuine shock” and said they were not aware of the racist connotation of the hand gestures. It said interviews with friends, roommates and other commanders also found no links to the white power movement.

Navy Adm. Mike Gilday, chief of naval operations, said sailors are expected to conduct themselves with integrity and character at all times.

“To be clear, the Navy does not tolerate racism in any form,” said Gilday. “And while the investigation determined there was no racist intent behind these actions, our behavior must be professional at all times and not give cause for others to question our core values of honor, courage and commitment.”

The Navy investigation also made a number of recommendations to better coordinate and screen midshipmen who may be in high visibility areas for major events such as the game day. And it said there should be more training for the students on how they should conduct themselves.

The U.S. Military Academy at West Point reached similar conclusions. Lt. Gen. Darryl Williams, West Point superintendent, expressed disappointment in the cadets’ immature behavior. The cadets involved also will receive “appropriate administrative” or disciplinary actions, West Point said. No details were provided.

“The American people trust our Soldiers to do the right things the right way,” said Gen. James McConville, chief of staff of the Army. “We must be mindful of behavior which brings that trust into question and ensure our actions meet the high ethical and professional standards our nation expects the American Soldier to uphold.”

The circle game, around for generations, was featured in the early 2000s sitcom “Malcolm in the Middle” and has made a resurgence as a photo bomb prank in sports team photos--along the same line as “bunny ears” fingers. In more recent years, it became an internet meme in a online game of “gotcha.”

But the Anti-Defamation League said the gesture, with the thumb and forefinger touched in a circle and the other fingers outstretched, has also been appropriated as a signal for white supremacy. That started as a hoax perpetuated on the online message board 4chan. The original idea was to take an innocent and common gesture and arbitrarily transform it into something that would enrage liberals.

The campaign was so successful that the gesture came to be used semi-sincerely by Neo-Nazis, Ku Klux Klansmen and other white nationalists to signal sympathizers in public places.

In 2018, the U.S. Coast Guard suspended an officer who appeared to be making the hand sign during a Hurricane Florence television broadcast. 

Another example of Democrats working against the Constitution

Virginia National Guard responds after Dem threatens to use soldiers to enforce gun control agenda

'...there are going to be consequences'

CAITLIN O'HARA/AFP via Getty Images

 CHRIS ENLOE

The Virginia National Guard released a statement on Friday in response to questions about whether they could be deployed to enforce Democratic lawmakers' gun control agenda.

Ditch the fake news ==> Click here to get news you can trust sent right to your inbox. It's free!

"We have received multiple questions regarding proposed legislation for the 2020 General Assembly session and the authority of the Governor of Virginia to employ the Virginia National Guard in a law enforcement role," Maj. Gen. Timothy Williams, the Adjutant General of the Virginia National Guard, said in a statement.
"We understand and respect the passion people feel for the U.S. Constitution and 2nd Amendment rights. We will not speculate about the possible use of the Virginia National Guard," he added.

The Virginia National Guard was forced to respond after Rep. Donald McEachin (D-Va.) suggested Thursday that Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) could deploy the National Guard to enforce future gun control measures.
"Ultimately, I'm not the governor, but the governor may have to nationalize the National Guard to enforce the law. That's his call, because I don't know how serious these counties are and how severe the violations of law will be. But that's obviously an option he has," McEachin told the Washington Examiner.

His comments were made in response to 75 Virginia counties preemptively declaring themselves Second Amendment sanctuaries in anticipation of future gun control legislation.
Northam said on Wednesday that there would not be retaliation against those counties, but warned of "consequences."
"There's not going to be retaliation. That's not what I'm about. I'm about making Virginia safer," Northam said. "If we have constitutional laws on the books and law enforcement officers are not enforcing those laws on the books, then there are going to be consequences, but I'll cross that bridge if and when we get to it."
But, the question remains: Could Northam legally use the Virginia National Guard to enforce gun control laws?
"Until nationalized, it's a creature of the state. So that's what leads me to believe that, yes, the governor can activate the National Guard to enforce even a state law," Gary Solis, a Georgetown University professor and military law expert, told the Examiner.
Amy Swearer, a legal policy analyst, agreed with Solis, however saying that such an action would be unprecedented. She told the Examiner that historically, National Guard troops have been deployed to "enforce the rights of citizens when they were being infringed upon" — not to enforce laws that Second Aemdnemtn advocates see as tyrannical.

A Kafkaesque military bureaucracy.

Fired Navy secretary Richard Spencer manages to remind us why Trump needed to get rid of him

Fired Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer is not going away.

In a swiftly executed Washington Post op-ed less than a week after President Trump's defense secretary had him fired, he's now telling everyone how much smarter he is than President Trump and making it clear he never liked the guy anyway.

The case of Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher, a Navy SEAL who was charged with multiple war crimes before being convicted of a single lesser charge earlier this year, was troubling enough before things became even more troubling over the past few weeks. The trail of events that led to me being fired as secretary of the Navy is marked with lessons for me and for the nation.

Lessons for the nation? You mean the one about not defying the commander in chief, Richie? He's all in for ranting about President Trump who technically didn't even fire the man, the defense secretary is the one who did, and on the grounds that Spencer failed to observe the chain of command, something Spencer acknowledges only as an incidental way down in his op-ed.

But now it's about Trump pardoning Gallagher, he says, and some kind of principaled stance against it on his end.

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“He is a political activist in uniform.”

Retired Army Officer Remembers Lt. Col. Vindman as Partisan Democrat Who Ridiculed America

Aretired Army officer who worked with Democrat “star witness” Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman in Grafenwoher, Germany, claims Vindman “really talked up” President Barack Obama and ridiculed America and Americans in front of Russian military officers.

In an eye-opening thread on Twitter last week, retired U.S. Army Lt. Colonel Jim Hickman said that he “verbally reprimanded” Vindman after he heard some of his derisive remarks for himself. “Do not let the uniform fool you,” Hickman wrote. “He is a political activist in uniform.”

Hickman’s former boss at the Joint Multinational Simulation Center in Grafenwoehr has since gone on the record to corroborate his story.

Hickman, 52, says he’s a disabled wounded warrior who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and who received numerous medals, including the Purple Heart.

The retired officer said that Vindman, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Ukraine, made fun of the United States to the point that it made other soldiers “uncomfortable.” For example, Hickman told American Greatness that he heard Vindman call Americans “rednecks”—a word that needed to be translated for the Russians. He said they all had a big laugh at America’s expense.

Vindman, who serves on the National Security Council (NSC), appeared last week before the House Intelligence Committee and testified that he’d had “concerns” about the July phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Vindman’s testimony rested on his negative opinions of the call, rather than any new facts about the call.

Vindman’s former boss, NSC Senior Director for European Affairs Tim Morrison, threw cold water on Vindman’s claims in his own testimony later in the week, saying he didn’t have concerns that “anything illegal was discussed” in the phone call.  Morrison also testified that Ukrainian officials were not even aware that military funding had been delayed by the Trump Administration until late August 2019, more than a month after the Trump-Zelensky call.

“Completely Beyond Reproach”

Hickman said he decided to come forward because Vindman “disobeyed a direct order from the commander-in-chief, his boss,” made his testimony “about his foreign policy opinions versus facts,” and “wore his Army service uniform to make a political statement” against the president.

“Then right on cue, the mainstream media began calling him a war hero with a purple heart, and completely beyond reproach,” Hickman wrote in a statement to American Greatness and another journalist. “Knowing his political bias, backed by his somewhat radical left-leaning ideology, it was my obligation, indeed my duty, to come forward with this information. I couldn’t go to the same mainstream media to put it out, nor could I go to the Army, as they’re backing Vindman, so I took to Twitter, a source for getting the truth out,” he added.

According to Hickman, Vindman was the Defense Department attaché at the Russian embassy in Germany when he met him in 2013. He told American Greatness that he also met Vindman’s twin brother Lt. Col. Yevgeny Vindman while he was stationed in Germany.

“I know LTC Alex Vindman from a Combined US-Russian exercise called Atlas Vision [13] in Grafenwoher,” Hickman wrote on Twitter. “He worked with the Russian Embassy and I was assigned to the JMTC (Joint Multinational Training Command), within USAREUR (US Army Europe). He worked coordination w/the Russian 15th Peacekeeping Brigade, and I was in charge of all Simulations planning, as well as assisting the USAREUR Lead Planner as the Senior Military Planner.”

Hickman provided American Greatness with a picture of himself and his wife while he was on vacation in Venice during that time period.

He noted that he and Vindman had “interacted on several different occasions throughout the planning cycle, but it was during the actual execution of the exercise that we had an issue relevant to his recent testimony.”

Laughing At Americans’ Expense

Hickman said he had pretty much forgotten about Vindman until recently.

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