http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/force/ en-us Mon, 7 Dec 2009 00:42:05 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2401743/posts It's been a long wait—in some ways, more than 50 years—but in April 2010, the U.S. Air Force is scheduled to launch an Atlas V booster from Cape Canaveral, Florida, carrying the newest U.S. spacecraft, the unmanned X-37, to orbit. The X-37 embodies the Air Force's desire for an operational spaceplane, a wish that dates to the 1950s, the era of the rocket-powered X-15 and X-20. In other ways, though, the X-37 will be picking up where another U.S. spaceplane, NASA's space shuttle, leaves off. Kompas.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2401743/posts#comment Mon, 7 Dec 2009 00:42:05 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2370277/posts The September unemployment stats for Michigan came out this week and they are high — as expected. Mlive.com highlighted the statistics on a municipal level, showing the five cities with the highest jobless rates are all over 25 percent. The cities of Highland Park and Pontiac, which leaned heavily on auto-related employment, had the highest unemployment with 35.2 percent of residents reportedly jobless. Both cities have declared bankruptcy in the recent past. Highland Park recently emerged from state receivership and Pontiac just slipped under state control last year. While the overall state’s unemployment rate is the highest in the nation... Michigan Messenger http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2370277/posts#comment Sun, 25 Oct 2009 01:30:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2356001/posts The New York State Health Commissioner's new mandate that all health care workers be vaccinated against both the seasonal and the swine flu this fall could qualify as the major public health blunder of the year, because it is likely to backfire. Flu has been rightly characterized as a "slippery disease" that can mutate quickly and unpredictably, which means that planning for flu epidemics must be flexible and should be reviewed regularly as evidence of disease spread and severity accumulates. We are already experiencing the beginning of a second wave of swine flu, the 2009 H1N1 influenza. Effective response will... Newsday http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2356001/posts#comment Tue, 6 Oct 2009 16:49:11 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2351279/posts Here's a whole lot of information on the American Police Force Dossier: American Police Force Stealth Fusion Forum http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2351279/posts#comment Wed, 30 Sep 2009 02:12:33 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2346878/posts Barack Obama got to play peacemaker during his staged meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas. In a throwback to Bill Clinton's famous photo op on the White House Lawn with Yasir Arafat and Yitzhak Rabin, Obama stood between the men, holding their arms as the two shook hands. Jewish World Review http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2346878/posts#comment Thu, 24 Sep 2009 01:06:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2322968/posts BAGRAM, Afghanistan — Military commanders with the NATO mission in Afghanistan told President Barack Obama's chief envoy to the region this weekend that they did not have enough troops to do their job, pushed past their limit by Taliban rebels who operated across borders. The commanders emphasized problems in southern Afghanistan, where Taliban insurgents continue to bombard towns and villages with rockets despite a new influx of U.S. troops, and in eastern Afghanistan, where the father-and-son-led Haqqani network of militants has become the main source of attacks against U.S. soldiers and their Afghan allies. Mercury News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2322968/posts#comment Mon, 24 Aug 2009 02:57:39 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2283666/posts WASHINGTON, July 1, 2009 – It would be easy to confuse Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan with the NATO International Security Assistance Force there. Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal commands both organizations. The biggest difference, officials say, is the mission. Operation Enduring Freedom was the U.S.-led operation that toppled the Taliban in 2001. American and coalition servicemembers worked with the Afghan Northern Alliance soon after the terror attack in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001. Part of Operation Enduring Freedom retains that mission: to find and kill or capture terrorists. Since 2001, servicemembers assigned to Operation Enduring Freedom also have... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2283666/posts#comment Wed, 1 Jul 2009 23:09:17 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2269985/posts BRUSSELS, Belgium, June 11, 2009 – With NATO defense ministers having agreed to reduce the alliance’s military presence in Kosovo from 14,000 to 10,000 troops by the year’s end, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today urged that the reduction take place as an organized process. On the first day of an alliance defense ministers conference here, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer announced the force reduction today, noting that Army Gen. Bantz J. Craddock, NATO’s supreme allied commander for Europe, has proposed moving toward a deterrent presence in Kosovo that will require fewer troops in the country. Gates said... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2269985/posts#comment Thu, 11 Jun 2009 23:52:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2267558/posts Want to join the Air Force? Look at the picture above. How about now? Still no? Well damn, the Air Force is gonna be pissed -- this was supposed to be a powerful recruitment tool. The Challenger Vapor features radar-absorbing stealth-black paint, not unlike what is used to mask stealth bombers. The Vapor is set to run almost silently, thanks to "stealth exhaust" - whatever that means. Reminds us of when KITT used to go "Silent Mode" on Knight Rider. You need biometric verification to enter the cockpit via gull wing doors. The driver can view night/thermal vision projections on... Geekologie http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2267558/posts#comment Mon, 8 Jun 2009 23:29:37 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2228640/posts A TRUE American hero has been freed. Three pirates are dead. A fourth pirate is in custody. Our Navy shone. Now the hard work starts. This weekend's success won't be enough to keep our merchant mariners and cargo ships safe. Somali pirate gangs have already threatened retaliation against third-party captives. (We'll see what they do.) And all Somalis believe that the United States lacks strength of will and staying power. They remember President Bill Clinton's cowardly retreat from Mogadishu. They'll expect a replay from President Obama. Some pirates may avoid US-flagged ships. Others will go out hunting for them --... NY Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2228640/posts#comment Tue, 14 Apr 2009 09:54:16 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2228428/posts WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Air Force on Monday endorsed the Pentagon in its plan to end production of Lockheed Martin Corp's top-of-the-line F-22 fighter jets after having pushed to buy more for years. "This is the time to make the transition from F-22 to F-35 production," Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and General Norton Schwartz, the service's top uniformed officer, wrote in an opinion piece in the Washington Post. Rueters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2228428/posts#comment Tue, 14 Apr 2009 00:19:25 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2225497/posts The only sure way to deal with pirates is to kill them. Piracy is on the rise on the high seas, but governments - including ours - are not taking the threat seriously enough. The first seizure of a U.S. flagged vessel by pirates in recent memory was thwarted yesterday as the crew retook the vessel. The taking and retaking of the Maersk Alabama has grabbed headlines, but it was one of six ships attacked in that area since last weekend. The only reason this ship was saved is that the American crew fought back. Today's pirates are bolder, better... The Washington Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2225497/posts#comment Thu, 9 Apr 2009 11:58:15 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2212818/posts Emergency crews have called off the search in Texas for a C-17 transport plane. cnn.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2212818/posts#comment Mon, 23 Mar 2009 18:41:13 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2202877/posts BAGHDAD — Multi-National Force - Iraq announced yesterday that two Brigade Combat Teams, who are scheduled to redeploy in the next 6 months, along with associated enabling forces such as logistics, engineers, and intelligence, will not be replaced. Additionally, an F-16 squadron recently redeployed and will not be replaced. This drawdown of forces from Iraq will reduce the total number of U.S. Brigade Combat Teams from 14 to 12. Additionally, a British Combat Brigade will also redeploy without replacement. The reduction is possible due to the increased level of security and stability that Iraq has achieved over the last 12... Multi-National Force - Iraq http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2202877/posts#comment Mon, 9 Mar 2009 23:34:40 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2202024/posts BAGHDAD, March 8, 2009 – Two Army brigades leaving Iraq in the next six months won’t be replaced, Multinational Force Iraq officials announced today. Associated enabling forces -- such as logistics, engineers and intelligence soldiers -- will leave along with the brigades, and an Air Force F-16 squadron that recently returned to its home station also will not be replaced, officials said. The drawdown will reduce the total number of U.S. brigade combat teams in Iraq from 14 to 12. A British combat brigade also will return home without replacement. Officials said the increased level of security and stability that... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2202024/posts#comment Sun, 8 Mar 2009 19:34:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2199578/posts Last Friday, Vice President Joe Biden and seven White House cabinet members traveled to Philadelphia to kick off the inaugural gathering of President Obama's Middle Class Task Force. The task force will convene monthly in cities across the country to confront the problems faced by average Americans. It's an admirable goal; with rising costs, stagnant wages and job cuts, a Pew Research study found that 78% of self-described middle class Americans have trouble maintaining their current standard of living. Still, the middle class may have a better shot at making ends meet than at influencing the Middle Class Task Force.... Yahoo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2199578/posts#comment Thu, 5 Mar 2009 04:34:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2190697/posts Federal officials said this morning they have indicted an Afghan national for lying about his alleged ties to terrorists in a bid to fraudulently obtain a U.S. passport. Ahmadullah Sais Niazi, 34, who was arrested without incident this morning at his Tustin residence by members of the joint terrorism task force, was named in a five-count indictment returned Feb. 11 by a federal grand jury. The indictment, unsealed this morning, alleges Niazi hid associations with “Specially Designated Global Terrorists,” groups including Al Qaeda, Hizb-i-Islami and the Taliban, when he NationalTerrorAlert http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2190697/posts#comment Sat, 21 Feb 2009 13:31:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2186808/posts (IsraelNN.com) US President Barack Obama may pressure Kadima prime ministerial candidate Tzipi Livni to enter into a coalition with Likud's Binyamin "Bibi" Netanyahu if Netanyahu is asked to head the government. Obama's only hope of forcing Israel back to the negotiating table with the Palestinian Authority is through a 'national unity government' comprising Likud and Kadima, according to a report in Britain's The Daily Telegraph. According to sources in Washington, Obama is ready to manipulate Israeli politics behind the scenes in order to make that happen, as Israeli president Shimon Peres determines who he will ask to head up Israel's... Arutz Sheva http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2186808/posts#comment Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:15:33 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2175745/posts Judge slams Mountie in Banff arrestRCMP and the Crown are looking into the case of a Banff constable who Tasered a man multiple times while arresting him, after a judge ruled the officer was not justified in handcuffing him in the first place. Provincial court Judge John Reilly accused arresting officer Const. Casey Murphy of using excessive force and giving "deliberately false" evidence during the trial on a charge of obstructing a police officer. Exshaw resident Adam Dormer, 26, was found not guilty on Monday and will not have to pay a bylaw fine issued for being a nuisance. "We... Calgary Herald http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2175745/posts#comment Sat, 31 Jan 2009 18:10:37 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2174508/posts WASHINGTON -- If you're a criminal and you're not entitled to be in the United States, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano wants you out of the country. Napolitano wants what she calls "criminal aliens" off American streets. She is looking at existing immigration enforcement programs to see if taxpayers are getting the most bang for their buck. "That sounds very simple, but it's historically not been done," Napolitano said, speaking to reporters and senior Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials Thursday. About 113,000 criminals who were in the U.S. illegally were deported last year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement said. The agency... AP via SacBee http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2174508/posts#comment Thu, 29 Jan 2009 23:21:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2157242/posts The New Year is shaping up as a brutal one for Californians. With the potential acquiescence of a governor who once posed as taxpayers' most ardent defender, the Democrats who control the Legislature are poised to execute a slick end run around the state constitution and impose vast tax hikes on a simple majority vote. These higher sales, gas and income levies are likely to make the recession last longer and be more destructive. And they will only be the beginning. At least until Proposition 11 ends gerrymandered legislative districts in 2012, we can expect a steady series of tax... San Diego Union-Tribune http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2157242/posts#comment Thu, 1 Jan 2009 18:21:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2145416/posts Candidate Barack Obama promised "change we can believe in," but he never hinted that this change would all but circumvent Congress to impose on America the most dramatic liberal social transformation since the New Deal. While promising to lead, he did not suggest that he would create a kind of "imperial presidency" that would horrify the Founding Fathers. Based on their own direct experience with a sovereign, they were rightly concerned with any one man having too much power. This is the kind of power that Obama is now reaching for, following the same kind of "stealth strategy" that helped... American Thinker http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2145416/posts#comment Tue, 9 Dec 2008 11:03:26 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2120365/posts http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tt2yGzHfy7s YouTube http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2120365/posts#comment Fri, 31 Oct 2008 03:31:34 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2097653/posts USNA has beaten USAFA for the 6th consecutive year, 33-27!!!! GO NAVY, BEAT ARMY! http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2097653/posts#comment Sat, 4 Oct 2008 23:31:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2030858/posts WASHINGTON, June 13, 2008 – The current number of forces in Afghanistan is enough to accomplish the mission, but it’ll take awhile to do so, the U.S. officer who just finished his tour as commander of NATO troops in Afghanistan said here today. “Let’s just say that somebody waved a magic wand, and by gosh, between the Afghans and the international force you’d produced a force that was well over 400,000,” Army Gen. Dan K. McNeill said to reporters at a Pentagon news conference. That larger force, McNeill said, likely would produce “instant quiet” across much of Afghanistan. Yet, “in... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2030858/posts#comment Fri, 13 Jun 2008 23:43:23 GMT