Today's Pics, Thursday, July 3rd, 2008

[Hilbert]

Any idea what's with the hearts on the helmets?

[GorkoSan]

First time i see Zastava M70B1 in use with Afghan forces. They look new.

Yeah, quite rare, but a lot of these weapons were donated by former Yugoslav republics. I know Slovenia donated a lot of them to Afghanistan.

[Trael]

Any idea what's with the hearts on the helmets?

This will help:

Helmet insignia

The 101st is distinctive partly by their helmet decorations. The soldiers used card suits (diamonds, spades, hearts, and clubs) to indicate the regiment to which they belonged. The only exception being the 187th, who were added to the division later.
These insignias were first seen in World War II, and can still be seen on 101st Division soldiers today.
327th: Clubs (♣) (Presently worn by the 1st Brigade Combat Team)
501st: Diamonds (♦) (Currently 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry Regiment is part of the 4th Brigade (ABN), 25th Infantry Division in Alaska.) (The Diamond is presently used by the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade)
502nd: Hearts (♥) (Presently worn by the 2nd Brigade Combat Team)
506th: Spades (♠) (Presently worn by the 4th Brigade Combat Team)
187th: Torii (Presently worn by the 3rd Brigade Combat Team; not during World War II, when the 187th Infantry Regiment was part of the 11th Airborne Division.)

[He219]

Nice pix!



Hires

Two UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters assigned to the Texas Army National Guard wait with their engines running as the U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft with the three former hostages arrives on Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, July 2, 2008. The hostages were rescued by Colombian forces after being held captive by guerillas for more than five years.
U.S. Air Force photo Lance Cheung

Hires

A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft with the three former hostages inside arrives on Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, July 2, 2008. The defense contract employees were rescued rescued by Colombian forces after more than five years' captivity in Colombia. They were captured by Colombian guerillas when their plane crashed in the jungle.
U.S. Air Force photo Lance Cheung

Hires

At the top of the cargo ramp of a C-17 Globemaster III, Keith Stansell hugs one of the people who helped him return to the United States on Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, July 2, 2008. The contractor was one of three Americans rescued after being held captive by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia for five years. U.S. Air Force photo by Lance Cheung

Hires

Keith Stansell, left, Marc Gonsalves, center, and Thomas Howes prepare to walk off a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III as they arrive on Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, July 2, 2008. The three were held as hostages in Colombia for more than five years, after their plane crashed in the jungle in February 2003.
U.S. Air Force photo Lance Cheung

Hires

Hires

Keith Stansell, a hostage returned safely to the United States after more than five years captivity in Colombia, gives a thumbs up as he arrives on Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, July 2, 2008.
U.S. Air Force photo by Lance Cheung

Hires

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (June 25, 2008) U.S. Navy and Army Divers look on as the former Soviet submarine Juliett 484 comes to surface for the first time since it sank in April 2007. U.S. Navy and Army Divers along with Federal, state, and local authorities participate in a joint service operation to raise the sunken former Soviet submarine at Collier Point Park. Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit (MDSU) 2, U.S. Army Dive Company and a NAVSEA Support Unit prepare to salvage the former Soviet submarine that sank at her mooring point in about 30 feet of water during a nor'easter, which struck Providence in April of 2007. This training exercise is part of the DoD's Innovative Readiness Training program. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Christopher Perez (Released)

Providence R.I. (July 01, 2008) Cmdr. Chip Chase, assigned to Naval Sea Systems Command, inspects the hull of the sunken former Soviet submarine Juliett 484. U.S. Navy and Army divers, along with federal, state and local authorities are participating in a joint service operation to raise the sunken former Soviet submarine at Collier Point Park. Juliett 484 sank at her mooring point in about 30 feet of water during a Nor'easter that struck Providence in April 2007. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Eric Lippmann

[bd popeye]

man we've had some awesome thunderstorms here in the Seattle area.

Ho humm.. In Iowa we have thunderstorms like that weekly..we even have them in the winter..

Excellent pics gents!

President Bush, left, greets Marine Capt. Ray Baronie, right, who was wounded in Iraq, during the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Walter Reed National Military Medical Center at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., Thursday, July 3, 2008. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Family members of 28-year-old Marine staff sergeant Edgar A. Heredia embrace themselves as the body of Heredia arrives at Hobby Airport, Houston TX. Heredia died in combat in the western province of Farah in Afghanistan during a combat mission.

A youth looks at a U.S. army soldier as he takes position while on patrol in Baghdad's Shiite enclave of Sadr City, Iraq, Thursday, July 3, 2008. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

Colombian former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt (3rd-R) and a group of her captivity companions, arrive at the Catam air base in Bogota on July 2, 2008. Betancourt, three US nationals and 11 other FARC hostages were freed from their FARC captor by the Colombian Army on Wednesday. AFP PHOTO/ Rodrigo ARANGUA (Photo credit should read RODRIGO ARANGUA/AFP/***** Images)

France's Foreign Minister Bernard Kourchner, right, embraces former hostage Ingrid Betancourt, at a military base in Bogota

Afghan President Hamid Karzai (R) arrives at the funeral of cousin and son in-law of former King of Afghanistan Mohammad Zahir Shah, Sardar Abdul Wali, at the tomb of former Afghan King Nader Shah in Kabul on July 3, 2008. Afghan and foreign dignitaries bade farewell on July 3 to the country's once strongest army general during the monarchy, Sardar Abdul Wali, as he was laid to rest at the same cemetary where the former King, Mohammad Zahir Shah was buried. AFP PHOTO/SHAH Marai (Photo credit should read SHAH MARAI/AFP/***** Images)

An Afghan guard of honour carries the flag-covered coffin of former cousin and son in-law of former King of Afghanistan Mohammad Zahir Shah, Sardar Abdul Wali, for burial at the tomb of former Afghan King Nader Shah in Kabul on July 3, 2008

Hamas police officers tried to prevent Palestinian youths from crossing into Egypt at the Rafah border crossing in southern Gaza. Palestinians also clashed with Egyptian police at the crossing when some of the Palestinians tried to force their way across during a restricted opening of the border by Egypt.
Photo: Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters

Paramilitary police displayed their skills during an anti-terrorism drill called "To Welcome Olympic Games, To Ensure the Security" at Datianwan Stadium in Chongqing Municipality, China. China has began a series of drills at the national level to help ensure security for the upcoming Beijing Games.
Photo: China Photos/***** Images

Burning tires are set as roadblocks by activists of the Hindu right-wing Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad, or World Hindu Council, as policemen control traffic during a nationwide strike in Amritsar, India.

A student activist holds a slogan during a protest calling for the ouster of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo at the Mendiola Bridge near the Presidential Palace in Manila, Philippines, on Thursday July 3, 2008. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Israeli security forces inspect the wreckage of a car after a bulldozer driven by a Palestinian man rammed into a bus and cars on Jaffa Road in central Jerusalem.

Australian singer Kylie Minogue, centre, is seen with Beefeaters, at Buckingham Palace, London, after receiving her OBE from Britain's Prince of Wales, for services to music, Thursday July 3, 2008. (AP Photo/ Stefan Rousseau, Pool)

A terror suspect, right, is led into a police detention facility by a member of Indonesia's elite anti-terror squad, Thursday July 3, 2008 in Jakarta, Indonesia. Anti-terror police arrested nine suspected Muslim militants and seized a large cache of high-powered bombs, foiling a major attack targeting Westerners in the Indonesian capital, police and media reports said Thursday.(AP Photo/Irwin Fedriansyiah)

[bd popeye]

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WASHINGTON (July 2, 2008) Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Gary Roughead is interviewed by Mr. Yoshiki Hidaka of Japan's nationally known television show "The Hidaka Report," at the Pentagon. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Tiffini M. Jones (Released)

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WASHINGTON (July 1, 2008) Sailors assigned to the Navy Ceremonial Guard hold flags representing each state during the presentation of colors during a Navy District Washington Concert on the Avenue at the U.S. Navy Memorial Plaza. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Tiffini M. Jones (Released)

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PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii, (July 1, 2008) Visitors to Naval Station Pearl Harbor look on as the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) ties up at pier. The carrier is taking part in exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2008 off Hawaii this month with units from the U.S., Australia, Chile, Japan, the Netherlands, Peru, South Korea, Singapore, the United Kingdom. This will be the final exercise for Kitty Hawk before returning to the U.S. mainland for decommissioning in early 2009. U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Don Bray (Released)

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PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (June 27, 2008) Korean, Japanese and U.S. naval ships are moored at Naval Station Pearl Harbor preparing for exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2008. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class James E. Foehl (Released)

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CAMP SHELBY, Miss. (June 26, 2008) Builder 2nd Class William Kimbril, assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 7, mans his fighting position at the unit's forward operations base during the battalion's unit field exercise (FEX). NMCB-7 is conducting FEX to test its deployment readiness. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Michael B. Lavender (Released)

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CAMP SHELBY, Miss. (June 25, 2008) Chief Boatswain's Mate Cecil Watt, assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 7, signals a MEDAVAC to land at the logistical support area (LSA) landing zone during the battalion's unit field exercise (FEX). NMCB-7 is conducting FEX to test its deployment readiness. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Michael B. Lavender (Released)

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NAS LEMOORE, Calif. (July 1, 2008) Marines assigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH) 465 exit a CH-53E Super Stallion at Naval Air Station (NAS) Lemoore. Marines with the Marine Medium Helicopter Training Squadron (HMMT) 164, Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron (HMM) 268 and HMH-465 are conducting firefighting support operations in northern California as part of the 302nd Air Expeditionary Group. In addition to the helicopters operating out of NAS Lemoore, the 302nd AEG includes eight U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft operating from McClellan Airfield in Sacramento, Calif., providing unique capabilities and is part of a unified military support effort of U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) to provide assistance to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the National Interagency Fire Center, and U.S. Forest Service operations. USNORTHCOM continues to closely monitor the California wildfires to anticipate additional requests for Department of Defense assistance to local, federal and state civil authorities. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Hector Garcia (Released)

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LEMOORE, Calif. (July 1, 2008) A helicopter assigned to Heavy Marine Helicopter Squadron (HMH) 465 arrives at Naval Air Station (NAS) Lemoore as CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters stand ready to conduct firefighting support operations in northern California. Marine Medium Helicopter Training Squadron (HMMT) 164 and the Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron (HMM) 268 and HMH-465 are conducting firefighting support operations as part of the 302nd Air Expeditionary Group (AEG). U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Hector Garcia (Released)

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Best guess on my part. I think the oversided numbers on the helos are probaly a California Department of Forestry requirement.

Lance Cpl. Corey Parker, assigned to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron (HMM) 268, conducts a turn-around inspection of a CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter at Naval Air Station (NAS) Lemoore after a firefighting support mission over the Oliver fire.

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PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (July 1, 2008) An F-14D is hoisted off of the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) after being transported from the USS Midway Museum in San Diego. The last F-14s were retired at NAS Oceana on September 26, 2006. Bonhomme Richard is participating in Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2008. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Michael Moriatis (Released)

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Eric Lippmann, assigned to Naval Expeditionary Combat Command Det. Combat Camera Underwater Photo Team, prepares to dive to conduct salvage operations on the sunken former Soviet submarine Juliett 484. U.S. Navy and Army Divers along with Federal, state and local authorities participate in a joint service operation to raise the sunken former Soviet submarine at Collier Point Park. Mobile Diving & Salvage Unit (MDSU) 2, U.S. Army Dive Company and a NAVSEA Support Unit prepare to salvage the former Soviet submarine that sank at her mooring point in about 30 feet of water during a nor'easter, which struck Providence in April of 2007. This training exercise is part of the DoD's Innovative Readiness Training program. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Christopher Perez (Released)

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PERSIAN GULF, The visit, board, search, and seizure team assigned to the amphibious dock landing ship USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52) embarks a rigid hull inflatable boat prior to boarding a motor vessel in the southern Persian Gulf. Pearl Harbor is part of the Peleliu Expeditionary Strike Group deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility conducting maritime security operations. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jason Thompson (Released)

[wildcat12]

db popeye,

how did all that flooding effect you last month? in Cedar rapids

[Greg27]

Chinese military officers clean up a beach thick with blue green algae in Qingdao, eastern China. The vast algae bloom covers one third of the sea where the world's best sailors are supposed to be competing in just over a month.

[wildcat12]

Chinese military officers clean up a beach thick with blue green algae in Qingdao, eastern China. The vast algae bloom covers one third of the sea where the world's best sailors are supposed to be competing in just over a month.

I thought this was funny, seeing it just before the Olympics.

[Greg27]

I thought this was funny, seeing it just before the Olympics.

it's a complete nightmare for the games' organization. they dont' have back up location... so if they dont' clean it up fast, no sailing events...

[bd popeye]

db popeye,

how did all that flooding effect you last month? in Cedar rapids

I live about 5 miles from the nearest flooding..other than a few days of water rationing because the fresh water pumps were flooded.. and some other minor inconveniences I was uneffected.

...My step sons home basement was flooded and his front porch has collasped. Repairs are underway on that. Our church, FEMA & the Red Cross have really come through for him. His insurance won't cover any of the damage because he lives outside of the 100 year flood zone Arseholes.... His family and thousands others are not permitted to live in their homes until the powers to be, the city of Cedar Rapids, give the go ahead. And that will be some time to come.

The final count says ovre 7,100 homes and buildings in Cedar Rapids were effected by the flood. 27,000 residents were forced to evacuate...It will be a long recovery.

[wildcat12]

I live about 5 miles from the nearest flooding..other than a few days of water rationing because the fresh water pumps were fooded.. and some other minor inconveniences I was uneffected.

...My step sons home basement was flooded and his front porch has collasped. Repairs are underway on that. Our church, FEMA & the Red Cross have really come through for him. His insurance won't cover any of the damage because he lives outside of the 100 year flood zone Arseholes.... His family and thousands others are not permitted to live in their homes until the powers to be, the city of Cedar Rapids, give the go ahead. And that will be some time to come.

The final count says ovre 7,100 homes and buildings in Cedar Rapids were effected by the flood. 27,000 residents were forced to evacuate...It will be a long recovery.

thanks, that sucks, my thought with them, good luck.

[flanker7]

Kylie is tiny! I like!

[Ali Baba]

Spinner!! ..

[cmabone]

General Rick Hillier (right), outgoing Chief of the Defence Staff, and her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada, look on as General Walt Natynczyk, Chief of the Defence Staff, takes over command of the Canadian Forces during a change of command ceremony on 2 July 2008 in Ottawa.