Yes, there was a plan! The Navy and Marines presented Congress a concept in the 70’s to turn Iowa class battleships into heavy assault ships. The Iowa class battleship was originally designed to accompany WWII carrier task forces. Four of six planned ships were built and were the longest battleships ever built. Coming into the …
Small Wars Journal ran an extremely interesting and well referenced article on this development There’s a “museum” in Mexico City open only to the Mexican government and used to train anti-drug forces. The “Museo de Enervantes” as it’s called in Spanish features a “model” of the RPG-29 Vampir (Vampyre). It’s called the RPG-29. The RPG-29 …
Gen Amos was cleared by the DoD IG of showing favoritism to Maj. James B. Conway the previous Marine Commandant’s son. The officers of Maj Conway’s battalion were flagged after the marine urination incident in Afghanistan. Officers were not allowed to be promoted and transferred except for Maj Conway who was subsequently promoted and assigned …
On 21 November the Marine Corps will likely graduate its first three Infantrywomen (one was hurt in the final week and complete a final PT test with the following class). A huge congratulations is in order to the women who will complete the Marines’ enlisted basic Infantry course. It is a significant personal accomplishment for …
Just posted! Our latest reference section, Infantry Mission, Heraldry & Awards is loaded with tons of info. The mission of the Infantry is pretty straight forward but there’s tons of history to appreciate about the Infantry’s heraldry and awards. Heraldry is the system by which coats of arms and other armorial bearings are devised, described, …
Last month the administration suspended $260mil in military aid and F16 deliveries. This week the Egyptians are looking at a $1.7bil buy of Russian Mig 29 planes. When Anwar Sadat recovered Egyptian military honor in the ’73 war he had the strength and freedom to negotiate a peace treaty with Israel. Part of the bargain …
Essay by Yankee Papa (all rights reserved) What a difference a century makes: Springfield Daily News, 31 August 1967 – “ARMY CONCEDES M16 GUNPOWDER TROUBLE. Washington (UPI) – The Army says the controversial M16 rifle – praised and damned by GI’s in Vietnam – has a minor bug* which is being corrected. *(My …
Happy Veteran’s Day fellow Vets, all Americans and Allies! A veteran is an American who at one point or the other served in our armed forces during war or peace. There are 22 million vets in America today, 7% of the US population. Most are volunteers, some were draftees. They all took an oath to …
As part of the effort to make GRUNTSandCo the premiere Infantry site on the web I’ve created the “GRUNTS” section. It serves as the repository for references, history, culture and tradition items. One of the Infantry’s weaknesses (especially the Army’s) is a failure to celebrate and commemorate its accomplishments. That weakness is understandable because of …
I asked close friend and former Marine “YP” to write a birthday essay for his fellow Marines. As always he delivers a routine message with style, little known anecdotes and a thoughtful message… Was asked to say a few words about November 10th (Marine Corps birthday…) For the Marines out there, not much …
I started Grunts & Co to commemorate and celebrate the Infantry and be the site for those who want to learn and immerse themselves in an infantryman’s perspective, what it means to be in the Infantry, its history, accomplishments, tradition and culture. The “Grunts” section will be where I preserve those essays, documents, presentations and …
Came across a story discussing the stationing of a unique 500 man Marine unit in the Mediterranean. The unit has six V-22 Ospreys organized around a reinforced rifle company. That gives the unit a pretty long reach and the capability to put Infantry on the ground. This would have been especially useful in Benghazi but …
Well here’s the final installment of my coverage of the maneuver conference. I selected the top three coolest, most relevant and high tech weapons I saw though there were plenty of honorable mentions if one has questions just ask. Here are my selections. The most impressive system I saw was the Extended Area Pro Survivability …
American Infantrymen have had nicknames since the nation’s founding. Traditionally, they have almost always had their roots in derisive comments by our enemies or even fellow branches that have looked down on the “Queen of Battle”. That term in itself seems insulting unless one is aware the Queen is actually the most powerful piece on …
I love hearing tales of combat experiences. Those that I enjoy the most are those of courage, valor and selflessness. I think they speak to the core of what being an infantryman is about. The challenge, the struggle, the victory… These words have often reminded me of those groups of individuals I have on occasion …
