#Indian Air Force Chief

[vandebharatdotnews]

Indian Air Force: Who gets how much salary in Indian Air Force from Flying Officer to Air Chief Marshal? Know the details

Indian Air Force: Today we will tell you which officer gets the highest salary in the Indian Air Force. Air Force job is very exciting. Joining the Indian Air Force is not only an opportunity for the youth to serve the country, but it also provides them with great salary and allowances. After joining the Air Force, starting from the officer rank, one gets the benefit of many allowances and…

[bhaskarlive]

Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh to be next IAF chief

Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh, who has led the MiG-29 upgrade project team in Russia and been involved in flight-testing of Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, has been appointed the next chief of the Indian Air Force, an official statement said on Saturday.

Source: bhaskarlive.in

[defencestar]

IAF Opens Weapon Systems School to Train Officers in New Branch

Indian Air Force’s Weapon Systems School, Hyderabad: The Indian Air Force (IAF) marked a significant milestone on July 1, 2024, with the inauguration of the Weapon Systems School (WSS) at Air Force Station Begumpet, Hyderabad. Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari led the ceremony. The WSS will provide state-of-the-art training for officers of the IAF’s newly established…

[merisarkar]

IAF gets first twin-seater trainer version of LCA Tejas fighter

Indian Air Force receives first twin-seater version of LCA Tejas: In a momentous event for India’s aviation history, the Indian Air Force (IAF) received its first Tejas twin-seater trainer version aircraft on Wednesday (October 4). This significant milestone marks the handover of the first Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) twin-seater trainer version aircraft to the IAF by India’s state owned aircraft…

[shaktiknowledgeblog]

air force chief | Bengaluru News | indian air force | karnataka news | PM Modi

Aero India 2023: Suryakiran made a heart in the sky, then ‘Gurukul’ won the hearts of the audience, see the amazing feats of fighter jets Aero India 2023: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Aero Show 2023 at Yelahanka Air Force Station in Bengaluru on Monday. During this, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhary led the ‘Gurukul’ formation. At the same time, the team of Air Force Suryakiran won…

[sivavakkiyar]

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday resigned and fled the country amid widespread anti-government protests, Bangladeshi Army chief General Waker-uz-Zaman announced.

Waker-uz-Zaman said that an interim government will be formed.

Hasina left the country along with her younger sister, Sheikh Rehana, Prothom Alo reported. While several reports said that the two had arrived at an Indian Air Force base near Delhi, it was not clear where they were ultimately headed.

This came after the student-led protests against a controversial quota scheme for government jobs, which started in July, evolved into a broader agitation against her administration.

On Monday afternoon, protestors stormed the prime minister’s official residence in Dhaka, BBC reported.

[girlactionfigure]

🟣 MON morning - ISRAEL REALTIME - Connecting to Israel in Realtime

▪️PM ON TV LAST NIGHT..

.. resettlement of the Jewish towns in Gaza - not realistic.

.. no betrayal on Oct. 7, but there was espionage.

.. a state commission to investigate allegations of war crimes.

.. deal: Israel would agree to the first phase but not end of the war and full withdrawal, certainly not until all hostages - living and dead, returned.

.. IDF offered 5 months ago to Gaza clans to take civilian control, Hamas eliminated them.

▪️IMPORTANT CLARIFICATION - “(not) HELPING ISRAEL”.. many channels are reporting this quote: “US Joint Chief of Staff:  ‘It will be difficult for us to support Israel in the same way as we did in April in repelling the Iranian attack.’  This is a CLIP misrepresenting the quote!  Here’s the full quote:

.. US Chairman of the Joint Chiels of Staff General Charles Brown: “From our perspective, based on where our forces are, the short-range between Lebanon and Israel, it’s harder for us to be able to support them in the same way we did back in April”.  Meaning while the U.S. can help shoot down long-flying attacks, such as from Iran, they would have to be in the air over Israel to shoot down launches from southern Lebanon - which is not realistic with the IDF Air Force there.

▪️BALLISTIC MISSILE LAUNCH! IT’S A TEST..  IDF launches a missile from a southern Israel base as a “test launch of a rocket propulsion system”.  Large rocket trail freaked many in southern Israel out.

▪️RAMALLAH (Palestinian Authority) PROTEST.. “We will leave Tel Aviv on fire.”  (( Peace partner? ))

▪️RHETORIC AND WAR.. Lebanese channels are providing pictures that appear to be IDF phosphorus bomb attacks (no confirmation, these could be old recycled photos), likely to start fires in an area.  In the past this was a big deal, as these cause horrific burn wounds if civilians are caught in a strike.  BUT Hezbollah has literally said “there are no rules” and “we will destroy Israel and slaughter you like Oct. 7”.  The classic “rules for thee but not for me” applies.

▪️UNFIL ACTS AS HUMAN SHIELDS FOR LEBANON TODAY.. UNIFIL pledged to secure educational institutions so that exams would not be affected by the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.  Secure means placing themselves in the schools to act as human shields.

🔹WAR PREP.. Bulgaria and Macedonia call on citizens to leave Lebanon.

🔹WAR RHETORIC.. Israel's message to Washington: If Nasrallah does not come down soon - we will have no choice but to act in Lebanon.

▪️NETWORK MALFUNCTION - PELEPHONE.. Israel cell provider Pelephone suffering an outage this morning.

▪️ULTRA-ORTHODOX CONSCRIPTION.. Maariv reports: "The ultra-orthodox (parties) have no interest in collapsing the coalition .. If a law will be passed for recruitment of ultra-Orthodox youth who do not study, even if the recruitment targets are more than 3,000, the ultra-Orthodox will live with that, if appropriate frameworks are provided.”

▪️ANTI-JEWISH RIOT IN JEWISH NEIGHBORHOOD - LA..  Protest - riot - battle in front of Adas Torah synagogue and nearby stores in the Pico neighborhood, including arrests at gunpoint.  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13561697/Los-Angeles-Palestine-Israel-protests-violence-arrest-child-car.html

♦️BATTLES.. Exchanges of fire throughout the night between our forces and terrorists in the neighborhoods of Tel Elhua and Sheikh Ejlin, west of Gaza City. (Enemy report)

♦️CAPTURE AND CLEAR.. IDF forces are operating so far in the center of Rafah and west and continue to blow up buildings in the Saudi neighborhood.

⭕HOUTHIS SAY.. attack 2 ships in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean.

[usafphantom2]

IMAGES: ROKAF performs last Elephant Walk with its F-4 Phantom

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 03/09/2024 - 18:21in Military

The Air Force of the Republic of Korea (RoKAF) conducted on March 8 an impressive "elephant walk" (Elephant Walk) involving 33 aircraft, including poacher fighters F-35A, KF-16, F-15K and the former F-4E that are scheduled for retirement in June.

The F-4E Phantoms, leading the formation equipped with AGM-142H 'Popeye' and AGM-65D 'Maverick' air-to-ground missiles, and MK-82 air-to-ground pump. A total of 25 newer fighters followed, including the F-15K, KF-16, F-16, FA-50, F-5 and F-35A. Among them, two F-35As flew low over the Elephant Walk formation and then landed and joined the formation.

This demonstration at Suwon Air Base coincided with the annual Freedom Shield exercise, reinforcing the deterrence against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.

A RoKAF official said that "this is the first time that all types of fighters belonging to the South Korean Air Force have participated".

The term "elephant walk" dates back to World War II, when large fleets of Allied bombers gathered for missions containing up to 1,000 aircraft. It means a coordinated demonstration of power and military preparation.

The Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General Lee Young-su, emphasized the need of the South Korean Air Force to inspire confidence in the public and deter potential opponents. The "Elephant Walk" demonstrated RoKAF's readiness to respond decisively to any provocations.

"I give a warm applause to the Phantoms who protected the Republic of Korea for 55 years, and to the 'Ghost Men' who shared the ups and downs with the Phantoms," added Lee Young-soo.

The F-4 was first introduced in Korea in 1969. RoKAF explained that it was able to dominate the North Korean Air Force by introducing the F-4D, the new most powerful aircraft in the world at the time. Until the KF-16 entered service in 1994, the F-4 served as the main fighter representing the Air Force of the Republic of Korea, which even operated up to about 220 Phantoms, including the improved F-4E and the RF-4C reconnaissance aircraft.

Most Phantoms are retired and only about 10 F-4Es remain active. All of them will be retired in June of this year.

North Korea's recent calls for mobilization for combat highlight the ongoing tensions in the region, with Pyongyang often seeing negotiations for joint exercises between South Korea and the US as provocations.

Tags: Military AviationElephant WalkMcDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom IIROKAF - Republic of Korea Air Force/South Korean Air Force

Sharing

tweet

Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

Related news

MILITARY

F-35A fighter officially certified to launch the B61-12 nuclear bomb

09/03/2024 - 14:00

MILITARY

Indonesia updates F-16 AM/BM combat jets to the EMLU standard

09/03/2024 - 12:30

HELICOPTERS

After three months, V-22 Osprey aircraft are released to fly again

09/03/2024 - 11:28

MILITARY

KAI will develop FA-50 single-seat light combat jet

08/03/2024 - 19:17

HELICOPTERS

VIDEO: MH-60R Seahawks helicopters enter service in the Indian Navy

08/03/2024 - 16:00

MILITARY

Colombian Air Force receives augmented virtual reality simulators to train T-6C plane pilots

08/03/2024 - 14:00

[abandoned-mars]

humanstuck names + more ! :]

john - ivan greenfield; korean/english; comic book store employee + shifty mom & pop restaurant waiter/support staff

rose - lavender buchanan; vietnamese/dominican?; sells custom clothes on depop + nsfw tumblr writer/artist

dave - dominic santiago; puerto rican/dominican; audio tech store employee + local club dj + aspiring rapper

jade - dahlia flores; pacific islander; unemployed, works for family farm

aradia - gabriella diamanté; japanese/mexican; texas road house type restaurant kitchen expo/dishwasher

tavros - antonio ‘tony’ noquez; spanish; works at dad’s animal shelter

sollux - niko park; korean; probably unemployed or sells nfts or some shit

karkat - donnie santos; black/colombian; mexican restaurant busboy + movie theatre employee

nepeta - june bernard; french/irish (white); dairy queen employee lol + volunteers @ pet shelter

kanaya - harper norris; african; sells custom clothes

terezi - quinn nephus; greek/italian (white); unemployed

vriska - viktoria ‘vikki’ huffman; russian (white); rue 21 cashier (is about to be fired)

equius - sterling rudd; black/native american?; training to be a mechanic at dad’s auto shop

gamzee - jordan scott; black/mixed; little caesar’s cook

eridan - cory reynolds; russian/scottish (white); unemployed

feferi - josephine galette; black/indian?; diner waitress + volunteers @ pet shelter

jane - janet greenfield; korean/english; pastry shop employee

roxy - macy buchanan; vietnamese/black; shitty dive bar bartender

dirk - diego santiago; puerto rican/dominican; burger king window worker/cook

jake - fletcher flores; pacific islander; texas roadhouse waiter + works on family farm

hal - alex santiago; puerto rican/dominican; thrift store cashier + furry tumblr artist

damara - anastasia ‘ana’ hoshi; japanese/mexican/filipino; hotel maid + fancy-ish restaurant waitress

rufioh - richard ‘richie’ noquez jr.; spanish; works at dad’s pet shelter + grocery store bagger

mituna - tatum ‘tate’ park; korean/welsh?; pizza delivery boy + aspiring twitch streamer

kankri - marcus santos; colombian/egyptian; diner waiter

meulin - lauren ‘laurie’ bernard; french/irish (white); coffee shop barista + tumblr writer/artist

porrim - elle norris; african; high end fashion store employee

latula - presley nephus; greek/italian (white); bowling alley attendant + dive bar bar back

aranea - leah huffman; white; restaurant hostess + interning at mom’s job

horuss - kade rudd; black/native american; dad’s auto shop mechanic + welder

kurloz - jesse scott; mixed; mexican restaurant dishwasher/cook + drug dealer

cronus - trent reynolds; white; works at dad’s company

meenah - natasha galette; black; new wave fashion store + aspiring hair braider

handmaid - hanna hoshi; japanese; house cleaner

summoner - richard ‘rich’ noquez sr.; spanish; owns the local pet shelter + personal trainer

psiioniic - jonathon park; korean; data entry manager + fixes computers for extra money

signless - derrick santos; colombian; preacher/missionary?

disciple - lizette bernard; irish; elementary school teacher

dolorosa - rosa norris; african; interior decorator?

redglare - monroe nephus; greek; lawyer

mindfang - marina huffman; russian; runs her own business (it’s a cover up for some illegal shit)

darkleer - darius rudd; native american, owns an auto shop + army weapons coordinator

ghb - grant scott; black; club bouncer

dualscar - dylan reynolds; russian; chief of surgery at hospital?

hic - cora galette; black; ceo of large cooperation (somewhat in cohorts with marina + dylan)

dad - david greenfield; white; 9-5 sales businessman

mom - lorelei buchanan; vietnamese; retired (used to be a scientist but found the cure to something and retired at like 35)

bro - drew santiago; dominican; club bouncer/dj/bartender + drug dealer + probably has an only fans

grandpa - jake flores; pacific islander; retired air force

calliope - caroline ‘callie’ umbridge; mixed; librarian assistant + stage manager at local theatre

caliborn - caleb umbridge; mixed; unemployed (reddit sub moderator)

i might go back and edit some of these bcus im not in love w all of them but i also don’t give a fuck abt most of them

[1991-ukraina-instagram-updates]

checked quotev, so mass update:

Update of the past week

•Today Russia launched mass attacks across Ukraine killing at least 41 and injuring over 170 (many still under rubble), children and animals died as well; Russia targeted Ukraine's largest children's hospital and a maternity hospital

•Ukrainian forces withdraw from eastern Chasiv Yar neighborhood 

•Russia’s and China’s relations at ‘best in history’; Xi indicated his support for Russia in it’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine 

•97% of Russian missiles, drones, and bombs hit civilian infrastructure (with only 3% hitting military targets)

•120,000 Russian occupiers killed in Ukraine -Meduza, Mediazona

•34% of Russians believe a nuclear strike against Ukraine would be justified 

•14 Ukrainian brigades lack supplies as aid arrives slowly

•Yesterday 33 were killed as a result of Russia’s attack on Ukraine’s largest children’s hospital, maternity hospital, and other civilian structures. 32,000 people (2,200 children) sought refuge in metro stations in Kyiv

Day 867

•45 killed (including children), over 200 injured (including children) in Russian attacks against Ukraine (figures include yesterday’s attacks as well)

•US obtained intelligence on possible Russian-linked sabotage plots in Europe 

•Ukraine will be represented at the Olympics by the smallest number of athletes ever 140) as sports facilities and training is interrupted by Russian missiles and air raids

•Ukrainian forces attacked Russian airbase, oil depot, and Russia’s energy facility overnight

Day 868

•8 killed, 24 injured in Russian attacks against Ukraine 

•Ukrainians raised nearly $7M in 1 day to restore Kyiv children’s hospital after Russia destroyed it 

•During US elections, Russia aims to undermine support for Ukraine

•Ukraine can use British Storm Shadow missiles to hit targets in Russia for defense purposes 

•Russia lacks the troops and ammunition for a major offensive in Ukraine - NATO official

Day 869

•5 killed, 14 injured in Russian attacks against Ukraine 

•Thousands of Ukrainians living in Poland have voluntarily joined a Ukrainian Legion being trained in Poland

•Ukrainian forces halted Russian advance to Borova village, Kharkiv oblast; 

•Indian state refiners discuss long-term oil import deal with Russia 

•US and Germany stopped Russian plot to assassinate CEO of weapons manufacturer

personal update from her:

Just to let everyone know, I’ll be in Ukraine until the 25th of July, (bringing over humanitarian aid, visiting friends, etc) that will cause the times I post to be significantly earlier and likely shorter (as it’s earlier in the day, not all updates for the day will be in yet). There are only a few hours of electricity a day but I will do my best to keep posting if able.  Please continue supporting Ukraine through staying informed, reposting, donating if able (u24.gov.ua/), and your prayers are very much appreciated. Stay healthy, stay safe, and God bless everyone

-Ukraina

Day 870

•7 killed, 46 injured (children) in Russian attacks against Ukraine 

•Russian pilot (shocked by Russia’s attack on Kyiv children’s hospital) leaked confidential data on Russian aviation division to Ukraine

•Russia plans to block YouTube this fall -Russian media

•Chinese and Belarusian militaries conduct joint drills near NATO and Ukraine borders

•GPS jamming in Finland likely part of Russian hybrid campaign -ISW

•UN demands Russia withdraw from occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant

Day 871

•12 killed (chief emergency worker), 34 injured in Russian attacks against Ukraine 

•In the past 6 months at least 10,014 Russian soldiers have been killed fighting in Ukraine 

•Russian kamikaze attack drone flies deep into Belarus, whereabouts unknown 

•National Bank sets new historic low for Ukrainian hryvnia exchange rate ($1 = 41.04hrn)

•Ukrainian drones strike Russian oil depot overnight

Day 872

•15 killed, 75 injured in Russian attacks against Ukraine 

•China and Russia begin joint military drills 

•Russia falsely accusing Ukraine of involvement in attempted assassination of Donald Trump

•Russia often fails to evacuate injured soldiers, uses them and POWs in human wave attacks

Russian forces are sending injured soldiers back to the front and using Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) as shields in "human wave" attacks. -The Telegraph Human wave assaults are frontal attacks launched by infantry units without armored vehicles or other defensive shields. Russia has deployed such attacks in its full-scale war against Ukraine, notably in the battle to capture Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast -The Kyiv Independent

[beardedmrbean]

A children's hospital in Kyiv has been hit after Russia launched a wave of missile strikes against cities across Ukraine.

Two people died when the Ohmatdyt Children's Hospital - Ukraine's biggest paediatrics facility - sustained major damage during the blast. Thirty-one people across the country were killed in the early morning bombardment, officials said.

Lesia Lysytsia, a doctor at the hospital, told the BBC the moment the missile struck was "like in a film" with a "big light, then an awful sound".

"One part of the hospital was destroyed and there was a fire in another. It's really very damaged - maybe 60-70% of the hospital," she said.

Pictures from the scene showed young children - some with IV drips - sitting outside the hospital as it was evacuated.

Vitaliy Klitschko, Kyiv's mayor, said the two who died at the hospital were adults - one of whom was a doctor. He added that rescuers feared more people were trapped under the rubble.

Russia has denied targeting the hospital, saying it was hit by fragments of a Ukrainian air defence missile. But Ukraine says it has found remnants of a Russian cruise missile.

Ohmatdyt is a major hospital which carries out cancer treatment and organ transplants.

"Now we are in the process of evacuating patients to the nearest hospital.. [but] many patients are intubated and on ventilators and cannot have contact with other patients or go outside," Dr Lysytsia said.

Hospital officials told Ukrainian TV that about 20 children were being treated in the ward which was hit.

Following the strike, Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina wore a black ribbon as a mark of respect when she played in the round of 16 at Wimbledon on Monday afternoon.

Mayor Klitschko accused Russia of attempting the "genocide of [the] population in Ukraine".

"Right now the whole world can see how Russian missiles and Kamikaze drones killed Ukrainian citizens in our peaceful city.

The mayor added that a separate maternity hospital in Kyiv's Dniprovsky district had also been partially destroyed by falling debris, killing seven people.

Mr Zelensky wrote on social media that "more than 40 missiles of different types" had hit buildings and infrastructure in cities including Kyiv, Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.

He called for a stronger Western response "to the blow that Russia has once again delivered on our population, on our land, on our children".

Dnipro regional head Sergiy Lysak said one person was killed in Dnipro city and six more injured. He added that a high-rise building and a business had been hit.

Three people were killed in Pokrovsk, in the eastern Donetsk region, where Russian forces have taken control of a number of villages in recent weeks.

The Russian bombardment comes as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Moscow for a two-day state visit where he is due to hold talks with President Vladimir Putin.

Russia, which has denied targeting civilian infrastructure, said the damage to the children's hospital was caused by a Ukrainian air defence missile.

However, the Security Service of Ukraine has published pictures of what it says are fragments of a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile recovered from the site.

Ukraine's Defence Minister Rustem Umerov responded to the attacks by urging the country's allies to help quickly strengthen its air defences.

"Our defence capabilities are still insufficient... We need more air defence systems," he said.

Ukraine's allies have condemned the attack on the Ohmatdyt hospital, with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell accusing Russia of "ruthlessly targeting Ukrainian civilians".

New UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said "we must hold those responsible for Putin's illegal war to account".

The UN's human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine has said civilian casualties have been mounting in recent months, as Russia renewed its air campaign. A recent report said May was the deadliest month for civilian deaths in almost a year.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

D-Day was a powerful illustration of how alliances make us stronger in the defense of freedom. This lesson has never resonated more.

[President Biden]

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

June 6, 2024

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

JUN 07, 2024

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt had good news for the American people when he gave his twenty-ninth Fireside Chat on June 5, 1944. The day before, on June 4, Rome had fallen to Allied troops. “The first of the Axis capitals is now in our hands,” Roosevelt said. 

The president pointed out that “it is…significant that Rome has been liberated by the armed forces of many nations. The American and British armies—who bore the chief burdens of battle—found at their sides our own North American neighbors, the gallant Canadians. The fighting New Zealanders from the far South Pacific, the courageous French and the French Moroccans, the South Africans, the Poles and the East Indians—all of them fought with us on the bloody approaches to the city of Rome. The Italians, too, forswearing a partnership in the Axis which they never desired, have sent their troops to join us in our battles against the German trespassers on their soil.”

This group of ordinary men from many different countries had worked together to defeat the forces of fascism.

But FDR warned Americans that the fall of Rome was only the beginning. “We shall have to push through a long period of greater effort and fiercer fighting before we get into Germany itself,” he said. [T]he victory still lies some distance ahead. That distance will be covered in due time—have no fear of that. But it will be tough and it will be costly.”

FDR knew something his audience did not. On the other side of the Atlantic, paratroopers, their faces darkened with cocoa, were already dropping into France, and the soldiers, sailors, and airmen of the Allies were on their way across the English channel. 

The order of the day from their commander Dwight D. Eisenhower that day had read: “You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed people of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world. 

“Your task will not be an easy one,” it read, but it assured the troops that the Germans had suffered great defeats and Allied bombing had reduced German strength, while “[o]ur Home Fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to Victory!”

Eisenhower’s public confidence did not reflect his understanding that the largest amphibious invasion in military history was a gamble. On June 5, in pencil on a sheet of paper, he had written a message to be communicated in case the invasion failed.     

“Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops,” it read. “My decision to attack at this time and place was based upon the best information available. The troops, the air and the Navy did all that bravery and dedication to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is mine alone.”

On the morning of June 6, 1944, five naval assault divisions stormed the beaches of Normandy. Seven thousand ships and landing craft operated by more than 195,000 naval personnel from 8 countries brought almost 133,000 troops to beaches given the code names UTAH, OMAHA, GOLD, JUNO, and SWORD. By the end of the day, more than 10,000 Allied troops were wounded or killed, but the Allies had established a foothold in France that would permit them to flood troops, vehicles, and supplies into Europe. When FDR held a press conference later that day, officials and press both were jubilant. 

Today, eighty years later, world leaders and more than two dozen U.S. veterans of D-Day gathered to commemorate that day. They met above Omaha Beach at the Normandy American Cemetery, where the remains of 9,388 Americans, many of whom were killed on D-Day, are buried. 

“Hitler and those with him thought democracies were weak, that the future belonged to dictators,” President Joe Biden said in a speech. “Here, on the coast of Normandy, the battle between freedom and tyranny would be joined.” 

Biden honored the visiting veterans by name—Kenneth Blaine Smith, Bob Gibson, Ben Miller, Louis Brown, Woody Woodhouse, Marjorie Stone—and recounted what they did that day: operating radar, driving an M4 tractor mounted with an anti-aircraft gun, dragging injured soldiers to safety, treating wounds, driving trucks carrying supplies, flying and fixing planes. 

Echoing FDR’s chat about the fall of Rome, Biden attributed D-Day’s success to ordinary people. “Every soldier who stormed the beach, who dropped by parachute or landed by glider; every sailor who manned the thousands of ships and landing craft; every aviator who destroyed German-controlled air fields, bridges, and railroads—all—all were backed by other brave Americans, including hundreds of thousands of people of color and women who courageously served despite unjust limitations on what they could do for their nation,” Biden said. 

The story of the veterans “has always been the story of America,” Biden said. “Just walk the rows of this cemetery…. Nearly 10,000 heroes buried side by side, officers and enlisted, immigrants and native-born. Different races, different faiths, but all Americans. All served with honor when America and the world needed them most.” 

“Millions back home did their part as well.  From coast to coast, Americans found countless ways to pitch in. They understood our democracy is only as strong as all of us make it, together.” 

“The men who fought here became heroes not because they were the strongest or toughest or were fiercest—although they were,” Biden said, “but because they…knew, beyond any doubt, there are things that are worth fighting and dying for.” 

“Freedom is worth it. Democracy is worth it. America is worth it. The world is worth it—then, now, and always.”

“Here we proved the forces of liberty are stronger than the forces of conquest,” Biden said. “Here we proved that the ideals of our democracy are stronger than any army or combination of armies in the entire world.”

D-Day also proved that alliances make us stronger, Biden said, a principle that after the war led to the creation of “the greatest military alliance in the history of the world,” NATO. He continued, to applause: “America’s unique ability to bring countries together is an…undeniable source of our strength and our power. Isolationism was not the answer 80 years ago, and it is not the answer today.”  

“The struggle between a dictatorship and freedom is unending,” he said, and he vowed that the U.S., NATO, and allied countries will not walk away from Ukraine in its fight to resist Russia’s assault. “[T]o bow down to dictators,” he said, “means we’d be forgetting what happened here on these hallowed beaches.”

“History tells us freedom is not free,” Biden said. “If you want to know the price of freedom, come here to Normandy…and remember: The price of unchecked tyranny is the blood of the young and the brave. 

“In their generation, in their hour of trial, the Allied forces of D-Day did their duty. Now the question for us is: In our hour of trial, will we do ours?

“We’re living in a time when democracy is more at risk across the world than at any point…since these beaches were stormed in 1944. Now, we have to ask ourselves: Will we stand against tyranny, against evil, against crushing brutality of the iron fist? 

“Will we stand for freedom? Will we defend democracy? Will we stand together?

“My answer is yes. And it only can be yes.” 

“Let us be the generation that when history is written about our time—in 10, 20, 30, 50, 80 years from now—it will be said: When the moment came, we met the moment. We stood strong. Our alliances were made stronger. And we saved democracy in our time as well.”

During the ceremony, the past and the present came together. Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky shook the hand of a U.S. veteran in a wheelchair. When the man tried to kiss Zelensky’s hand, the Ukraine president instead stooped and hugged him. “You’re the savior of the people,” the man said. Zelensky answered, “You saved Europe.” The exchange continued: “You’re my hero.” “No, you are our hero.” 

As the crowd cheered, the old man turned to look at the younger one and said, “I pray for you.”

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[defencestar]

LCA Tejas: Indian Air Force gets first twin-seater trainer version of Tejas

LCA Tejas: Indian Air Force gets first twin-seater trainer version of Tejas

IAF gets first twin-seater version of LCA Tejas: In a momentous event for India’s aviation history, the Indian Air Force (IAF) received its first Tejas twin-seater trainer version aircraft on Wednesday (October 4). This significant milestone marks the handover of the first Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) twin-seater trainer version aircraft to the IAF by India’s state owned aircraft manufacturer…

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 7.26 (before 1940)

657 – First Fitna: In the Battle of Siffin, troops led by Ali ibn Abu Talib clash with those led by Muawiyah I. 811 – Battle of Pliska: Byzantine Emperor Nikephoros I is killed and his heir Staurakios is seriously wounded. 920 – Rout of an alliance of Christian troops from Navarre and Léon against the Muslims at the Battle of Valdejunquera. 1309 – The Holy Roman Emperor Henry VII is recognized King of the Romans by Pope Clement V. 1509 – The Emperor Krishnadevaraya ascends to the throne, marking the beginning of the regeneration of the Vijayanagara Empire. 1529 – Francisco Pizarro González, Spanish conquistador, is appointed governor of Peru. 1579 – Francis Drake, the English explorer, discovers a "fair and good" bay on the coast of the Pacific Northwest (probably Oregon or Washington). 1581 – Plakkaat van Verlatinghe (Act of Abjuration): The northern Low Countries declare their independence from the Spanish king, Philip II. 1703 – During the Bavarian Rummel the rural population of Tyrol drove the Bavarian Prince-Elector Maximilian II Emanuel out of North Tyrol with a victory at the Pontlatzer Bridge and thus prevented the Bavarian Army, which was allied with France, from marching as planned on Vienna during the War of the Spanish Succession. 1745 – The first recorded women's cricket match takes place near Guildford, England. 1758 – French and Indian War: The Siege of Louisbourg ends with British forces defeating the French and taking control of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. 1775 – The office that would later become the United States Post Office Department is established by the Second Continental Congress. Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania takes office as Postmaster General. 1778 – The Emigration of Christians from the Crimea in 1778 begins. 1788 – New York ratifies the United States Constitution and becomes the 11th state of the United States. 1803 – The Surrey Iron Railway, arguably the world's first public railway, opens in south London, United Kingdom. 1814 – The Swedish–Norwegian War begins. 1822 – José de San Martín arrives in Guayaquil, Ecuador, to meet with Simón Bolívar. 1822 – First day of the three-day Battle of Dervenakia, between the Ottoman Empire force led by Mahmud Dramali Pasha and the Greek Revolutionary force led by Theodoros Kolokotronis. 1847 – Liberia declares its independence from the United States. France and the United Kingdom are the first to recognize the new nation. 1861 – American Civil War: George B. McClellan assumes command of the Army of the Potomac following a disastrous Union defeat at the First Battle of Bull Run. 1863 – American Civil War: Morgan's Raid ends; At Salineville, Ohio, Confederate cavalry leader John Hunt Morgan and 360 of his volunteers are captured by Union forces. 1882 – Premiere of Richard Wagner's opera Parsifal at Bayreuth. 1882 – The Republic of Stellaland is founded in Southern Africa. 1887 – Publication of the Unua Libro, founding the Esperanto movement. 1890 – In Buenos Aires, Argentina the Revolución del Parque takes place, forcing President Miguel Ángel Juárez Celman's resignation. 1891 – France annexes Tahiti. 1892 – Dadabhai Naoroji is elected as the first Indian Member of Parliament in Britain. 1899 – Ulises Heureaux, the 27th President of the Dominican Republic, is assassinated. 1908 – United States Attorney General Charles Joseph Bonaparte issues an order to immediately staff the Office of the Chief Examiner (later renamed the Federal Bureau of Investigation). 1918 – Emmy Noether's paper, which became known as Noether's theorem was presented at Göttingen, Germany, from which conservation laws are deduced for symmetries of angular momentum, linear momentum, and energy. 1936 – Spanish Civil War: Germany and Italy decide to intervene in the war in support for Francisco Franco and the Nationalist faction. 1937 – Spanish Civil War: End of the Battle of Brunete with the Nationalist victory.

[postgameroutesix]

Some imperial traditions deserve dwelling upon longer than others, chief among them surely being the proprietorial air with which we Britons swan about the planet. We’re rather used to getting whatever we want as a result of holding the world’s seventh most travel-friendly passport, in joint position with the United States and Norway, rather used to getting what we want when we get there, and we tend to assume we can relocate wherever we fancy. Such privileges were noted by the Indian national Ritwik Deo in an entertaining Guardian column in 2012, where he marvelled at the ease with which Britons travelled while he had ‘protracted arguments with customs, who jabbed at my documents every time I tried to nip over to Ireland or France’ — ‘you would think there are no British immigrants anywhere in the world… instead there are only legions upon legions of expats.’ More recently this sense of privilege and entitlement was inadvertently dramatized by a Brexiteer commenting on social media: he had campaigned to liberate the UK from the EU but when he found himself being forced to wait in an immigration queue at an EU airport in Amsterdam, he complained out loud that ‘this isn’t the Brexit I voted for’.

[…]

Boris Johnson claimed that our predilection for relocation revealed a nation turned ‘tangibly outwards’ but there is an argument to be made that we are not necessarily open-minded once we get out into the world. According to a 2014 study by the international relocation company Robinsons, which questioned over 1000 UK expats about their life overseas, ‘a quarter of Britons living overseas socialise mainly with their fellow expats, and have no friends from their adopted country’ with expats living in Africa and the United Arab Emirates being the least integrated. This contrasts sharply not only with the attitude of foreigners who relocate to Britain for work, but also contrasts with what we expect of immigrants in this country, who are endlessly instructed to integrate.

Empireland, Chapter 6: Home and Away - Sathnam Sanghera

[penhive]

February 28th 2023

Random Thoughts

When the truck passed on the road, clouds of dust started dancing in the air.

Wings of a poem were gallivanting in the air.

The prose of the garden bloomed red.

The Choice

I have been broke and out of money for many years. While browsing Facebook, I saw an advert of Kuber the Indian God of wealth and fortune and his mystic numbers as a card for getting wealth. I also saw the legendary Chinese beast of wealth Pixiu, a Feng Shui charm crafted as a silver ring for luck and riches. I became tempted to buy these riches but on rethinking I came to the conclusion that these are pagan and I being a Christian should not pay obeisance to these occult talismans. But right now I am having second thoughts as the God Israel is paying deaf ears to my prayers.

God and Deconstruction

I had been having lottery luck with the numbers 1, 9, and 15. And I started picking tickets with these numbers. But my luck has turned to woe as I am unable to get positive results. I wonder why the God of Israel’s favor is not upon on me.

Quote

The body’s happiness is sex.

Married life

My married life sucks as there is no intimacy and sex. I wonder why God wed me to woman who has no feeling and sensitivity.

On religion

Religions also were in the Darwinian mode of evolution. From simplistic belief of nature (animism) they have evolved into anthropic Gods and further with refinement into texts. The funny thing is that all people feel comfortable and cozy with pigeon-holed religious dogma. Religions come into conflict with the growth, progress, wishes and aspirations of the self.

God of Israel

I am amused in irony that the God of Israel blesses pagans with prosperity. Being a devoted follower, he has not answered my prayers.

The Maid

She is named as Sandhya an attractive buxom woman. She was working in the school where I was teaching and later on she moved to a workshop. I want to badly make love to her. So I am thinking of appeasing her buy buying gold jewelry and giving her money. I am planning to take her to resort and fucking her.

My doubts

I have been a diehard Christian all my life. Life has not been easy for me especially when it comes to finances. I have reached 52 years and I don’t have a cent with me. Two days back a prophet (trusted by my family) came home and admonished and said all my dreams, hope and aspirations are in vain. I became very crestfallen and disappointed with the Christian God Jesus. For years I have been pursuing the God of Israel and he has not moved his little finger to help me with my material needs and he is a God who patronizes the gentiles. I have started thinking philosophically about Christianity and I have my legitimate doubts.

a) If God made Adam and Eve in his own image and perfection. Why did they fall into sin?

b) If am Adam and Eve had not sinned there would have been no progeny.

c) If Lucifer the chief musician of God’s throne rebelled against God why did not God eliminate him fully? Why did God permit him to tempt and snare humans?

d) If God wants our free will to choose him, then we have no free will.

e) If the serpent spoke in the days of Adam and Eve why is the serpent not speaking now and why does not the speaking serpent come and tempt people?

f) Why does not angels come and visit people now?

g) If God is the trinity: how can he exist as three and yet remain as one?

h) When God came as the Son, he took human flesh and then in what form does God the father exist in Heaven.

i) There are two instances in the Bible: where swine are mentioned. One is in which Jesus cast out demons from a possessed man into a flock of swine and they rushed headlong and fell into the sea. The second is the story of the prodigal son. After squandering all the resources, the prodigal son was forced to eat the food of hogs. My doubt is in traditional Jewish societies pork and swine are a taboo and Jews don’t consumed pork.

j) If Adam and Eve are the first ancestors how come there exists various races and colors.