Tag Archives: holiday

Idaho, Kit Bashing

Tanks for the Memories

Image

1-148 FA HQ in Pocatello, Idaho, got hit with a wind/snow storm, 14DEC2021, giving a new look to their armor displays.

Wind & snow storm hit Southeastern Idaho on 14DEC2021. Sustained winds hit 42mph, wind gusts hit 68mph, at the Pocatello Airport (which is actually in Power County, not Bannock County). HMMWV at the Idaho National Guard armory in Pocatello (Bannock County), 1-148 Field Artillery, 116th Cavalry Brigade.

It should be noted that many of the militia members of the Army National Guard’s 116th Cavalry Brigade are currently spending the holidays somewhere in the Middle East.

A Paladin self propelled artillery system freezing to death in Pocatello, Idaho.

These M577s are facing West, you can tell by the snow accumulation that the storm blew in from out of the West-South-West.

Cold War era M548 ammo carrier, knows what it’s like to be cold.

See more during warmer temps: 1-148 FIELD ARTILLERY GATE GUARDS

The World War Two era M1 57mm anti-tank gun.

World War Two era M4 Sherman.

Cold War era M109 SP-gun.

Watching over the cities of Pocatello and Chubbuck, Bannock County, Idaho.

Cold War era M60A3.

Conducting ‘bounding overwatch’ of the cities of Chubbuck and Pocatello.

U.S. Marines Corps LAV lit-up for the Camp Fuji, Japan, xmas tree lighting ceremony, 12DEC2021. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Katie Gray.

Arriving a little early, Santa rode onto Camp Fuji, Japan, on a Light Armored Vehicle, 12DEC2021. USMC photo by Katie Gray.

M1/M116 Pack Howitzer, 2nd Cavalry Regiment at Tower Barracks, Grafenwoehr, Germany, 08DEC2021. U.S. Army photo by Specialist Christian Carrillo.

Tower Barracks, Grafenwoehr, Germany, 08DEC2021. U.S. Army photo by Sergeant Cory Reese.

2nd Cavalry Regiment decorate dozens of tactical vehicles on Tower Barracks, Grafenwoehr, Germany, 08DEC2021. USA photo by Specialist Nathaniel Gayle.

M3 Scout, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, Rose Barracks, Vilseck, Germany, 07DEC2021. U.S. Army photo by Specialist Nathaniel Gayle.

M3 Scout, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, Rose Barracks, Vilseck, Germany, 07DEC2021. U.S. Army photo by Specialist Nathaniel Gayle.

M3 Scout, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, Rose Barracks, Vilseck, Germany, 07DEC2021. USA photo by Gertrud Zach.

Stryker, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, Dragoon Ride Holiday Parade at Rose Barracks, Vilseck, Germany, 07DEC2021. USA photo by Gertrud Zach.

Stryker Snowman, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, Dragoon Ride Holiday Parade at Rose Barracks, Vilseck, Germany, 07DEC2021. USA photo by Gertrud Zach.

Stryker Grinch, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, Dragoon Ride Holiday Parade at Rose Barracks, Vilseck, Germany, 07DEC2021. USA photo by Gertrud Zach.

Vilseck, Germany, 07DEC2021. USA photo by Gertrud Zach.

Vilseck, Germany, 07DEC2021. USA photo by Specialist Nathaniel Gayle.

Vilseck, Germany, 07DEC2021. USA photo by Markus Rauchenberger.

The M4 Sherman display, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment (Black Horse), Fort Irwin National Training Center, California, 08DEC2021. U.S. Army photo by Sergeant Bradley Parrish.

M26 display, 11th ACR (Black Horse), Fort Irwin NTC, California, 08DEC2021. USA photo by Sergeant Bradley Parrish.

M48 display, 11th ACR, Fort Irwin NTC, California, 08DEC2021. USA photo by Sergeant Bradley Parrish.

Bradley Fighting Vehicle nicknamed Bob Ross, 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment (Quarterhorse), 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Hohenfels, Germany, 05DEC2021. USA photo by Staff Sergeant George B. Davis.

New Hampshire Army National Guard High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) during the Queen City’s holiday parade in Manchester, New Hampshire, 04DEC2021. New Hampshire Air National Guard photo by Technical Sergeant Charles Johnston.

Ādaži, Latvia, 30NOV2021. Actually, this 3rd Battalion, 66th Armored Regiment (Burt’s Knights), 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division’s M1A2 SEP Abrams isn’t trying to look like an Xmas Tree, but ’tis the season. It’s all part of the war game Winter Shield 2021. USA photo by Corporal Max Elliott.

From xmas 2019, German Tiger Tank holiday lights on Fort Jackson, South Carolina.

USMC photo by Gunnery Sergeant Durie.

21DEC1965, ten Marines spent 36 hours dressing-up this amtrack for xmas.  Many of the people in the Southern part of Việt Nam where Catholics.  The information that came with the photo says that after the parade the LVTP-5 went sailing on the Han River, the crew handing out gifts to children living on sampans.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

What Economic recovery, What Holiday Mailing Rush? U.S. Postal Services sees huge drop in Xmas mailings, loses $3.3 billion in revenue!

Normally the end of year holiday mailing rush generates the most revenue for the USPS, but not in 2011.   Postal officials revealed that people in the U.S. cut back so much, because of bad economic times, that it even affected the shipping of holiday packages.

The huge drop in mailings cut expected revenues for the USPS by $3.3 billion! Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe, said the unexpected loss of revenue will mean that the USPS will run out of cash sooner.  He expects the postal service to be broke by October 2012. 

This news comes after the USPS won an international competition for most efficient postal service.  Each U.S. letter carrier handles more than 200,000 letters per year.  That’s about double what letter carriers from the second place winner, Japan, handle!  The study was done by United Kingdom’s Oxford Strategic Consulting, and released at the beginning of February 2012.

The loss in revenue could affect the planned closings of post offices and distribution centers.  Earlier, in December, postal officials decided to delay such action until May 2012.  But who knows what will happen, now?

By the way, don’t think closing down the USPS is going to save taxpayers money, it wont. The Postal Service operates on money that comes from you and me buying postal products, not taxes!

In fact the U.S. Congress is stealing money from the non-taxpayer funded Postal Service (just like taxpayer funded Social Security and Medicare): “The Postal Service actually has somewhere between $50 billion and $125 billion in their other funds that is not taxpayer money. They haven’t used a dime of taxpayer money in over 30 years! And the Congress just needs to act responsibly and quickly to give them access to that — those funds.”- Fredric Rolando, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers, during PBS interview on September 6, 2011

 

Business/Economics, International

French Government Cracks Down, Because they want to go on Holiday

On the day the French Senate is to vote on a controversial retirement plan, French police have been ordered to crack down on protesters.  The first plan of attack for the police; get the oil refineries running again.

French gendarmes stand next to the entrance of the Grandpuits oil refinery southeast of Paris October 22, 2010 as striking workers continue to block the refinery. Police took over the Total installation, the CGT union said on Friday, in an attempt to end a blockade by workers striking over a planned reform of the pensions system. Police were expected to bring in workers who are not on strike later in the day. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier (FRANCE - Tags: POLITICS ENERGY EMPLOYMENT BUSINESS CIVIL UNREST)

The French government issued a ‘requisition’ order, which means they believe the strikes threaten public order.  A recent poll shows that 69% of the French support the strikes, but, when asked specifically about the shut down of the oil refineries the support drops to 52%.   It looks like the French government’s crackdown is actually motivated by upcoming November holidays.  Prime Minister Francois Fillon’s office issued this statement; “At a time when many French people wish to travel for the November 1 holiday weekend, it is in everyone’s interest to make all necessary efforts to return the situation to normal, which will take several more days.”

ATTENTION EDITORS : FRENCH LAW REQUIRES THAT THE FACES OF MINORS ARE MASKED IN PUBLICATIONS WITHIN FRANCE A high school student holds a sign as students French police during a demonstration over pension reform at Place Bellecour in Lyon October 21, 2010. France faced another day of strikes and confrontation on its streets on Thursday as the government grappled to restore fuel supply with senators just a few days away from voting on pension reform. The sign reads, Police everywhere, justice nowhere . REUTERS/Robert Pratta (FRANCE - Tags: POLITICS EMPLOYMENT BUSINESS CIVIL UNREST EDUCATION)

French high school and university students continued to protest.  Trash collectors joined the strikes as well.

The delay on the Senate vote is because 250 amendments, to the retirement bill, are being argued over.