Podcasts about andersen air force base

This week three years ago, we told the story of “Operation Christmas Drop” after discovering the oldest ongoing Department of Defense mission - the world's longest running humanitarian airdrop - to deliver critical supplies to remote islands in the Pacific. On 12/14/24, Operation Christmas Drop at Andersen Airforce Base in Guam was another success, and the 73rd annual drop delivered 220 bundles to 58 islands, helping more than 42,000 people. Ron Hirschberg and Lucy Little told this story in 2021 including Zoom interviews east to Guam with (now) former President of OCD2021 Air Force Capt. Matt Carrowan, and north to Canada with the 2021 Netflix Movie "Operation Christmas Drop" Director, Martin Wood. Happy holidays all and enjoy this amazing story of giving, and making a true difference for thousands of people every year. Operation Christmas Drop - Official Trailer / NetflixHome Base Nation is the official podcast for Home Base Program for Veterans and Military Families – Our team sees veterans, servicemembers and their families addressing the invisible wounds of war at no cost. This is all made possible thanks to a grateful nation – And if you want to learn more on how you can help, visit us at www.homebase.org, or if you or anyone you know would like to connect to care, you can also reach us at 617-724-5202.Follow Home Base on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedInThe Home Base Nation Team is Steve Monaco, Army Veteran Kelly Field, Justin Scheinert, Chuck Clough, with COO Michael Allard, Brigadier General Jack Hammond, and Peter Smyth.Producer and Host: Dr. Ron HirschbergAssistant Producer, Editor: Chuck CloughChairman, Home Base Media Lab: Peter SmythThe views expressed by guests to the Home Base Nation podcast are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by guests are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Massachusetts General Hospital, Home Base, the Red Sox Foundation or any of its officials. 

Choosing Hope In The Shadows of Grief: Nicholas Taylor's Tribute to his Daughter's Legacy through Heartfelt Leadership, Empathy, and Authentic Connection This episode is in loving memory of Denesha Carmella Taylor Chief Taylor serves as the Command Chief Master Sergeant for the 36th Wing at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. In this role, he stands as the foremost enlisted advisor to the Wing Commander, overseeing the well-being, readiness, and development of over 8,000 military and civilian personnel. Introduction: Command Chief Master Sergeant Nicholas Taylor takes delves into the realms of leadership, resilience, and the delicate balance between military duty and family life. Leadership Insights: (00:08:45 - 00:11:20) Chief Taylor emphasizes the importance of respect, trust, and empathy in effective leadership. Resilience in the Face of Adversity: (00:15:30 - 00:18:10) Chief Taylor recounts personal stories of overcoming setbacks and challenges, highlighting the importance of resilience. Prioritizing Family and Service: (00:22:55 - 00:25:40) Chief Taylor discusses the balance between military service and family life, emphasizing the importance of investing time and energy in family relationships. Building Trust and Relationships: (00:30:15 - 00:32:50) Chief Taylor shares insights on building trust and rapport, stressing the importance of authenticity and integrity. Nicholas Taylor's legacy looms large, a testament to the indomitable spirit of the human soul. Through the prism of leadership, resilience, and familial bonds, Chief Taylor imparts timeless wisdom, illuminating our path with clarity and purpose.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Friday , December 22nd, 2023. Quick shout out to Andrea & Jonah Briggs! Samaritan Ministries: November This is the time of year many of us are thinking about how we’re going to pay our medical bills next year. Before making a final decision, take a look at health care sharing with Samaritan Ministries. As a Samaritan member, you’re connected to 80,000 Christan households across the nation who stand ready to care for one another spiritually and financially when a medical need arises. Samaritan Ministries is affordable, and with no network restrictions you’re in control of your health care, choosing the doctors, hospitals, and treatments that are right for you. And with direct member-to-member sharing, you’ll always know who your money is helping, and that you’re not supporting medical procedures that go against your values. Get started today at samaritan ministries dot org slash cross politic. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/19/us/politics/trump-colorado-ballot-14th-amendment.html Trump Is Disqualified From 2024 Ballot, Colorado Court Says in Explosive Ruling Colorado’s top court ruled on Tuesday that President Donald J. Trump is disqualified from holding office again because he engaged in insurrection with his actions leading up to the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol, an explosive ruling that is likely to put the basic contours of the 2024 election in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court. The Colorado Supreme Court was the first in the nation to find that Section 3 of the 14th Amendment — which disqualifies people who engage in insurrection against the Constitution after taking an oath to support it — applies to Mr. Trump, an argument that his opponents have been making around the country. The ruling directs the Colorado secretary of state to exclude Mr. Trump’s name from the state’s Republican primary ballot. It does not address the general election. “We do not reach these conclusions lightly,” a four-justice majority wrote, with three justices dissenting. “We are mindful of the magnitude and weight of the questions now before us. We are likewise mindful of our solemn duty to apply the law, without fear or favor, and without being swayed by public reaction to the decisions that the law mandates we reach.” Mr. Trump’s campaign said immediately that it would appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Colorado justices anticipated that likelihood by putting their ruling on hold at least until Jan. 4; if Mr. Trump appeals before then, the hold will continue until the Supreme Court rules. And while Tuesday’s ruling applies only to one state, it could all but force the nation’s highest court to decide the question for all 50. “It’s hard for me to see how they don’t take this one, because this certainly seems to be one of those questions that requires some national resolution,” said Anthony Michael Kreis, an assistant professor of law at Georgia State University who has closely followed the Colorado case and related lawsuits around the country. If the justices take up the case, it will join a pile of other Trump-related matters they have agreed or are likely to decide, including whether he is immune from criminal prosecution for actions he took in office and the scope of an obstruction charge that is central to his federal Jan. 6 case. The U.S. Supreme Court has a 6-to-3 conservative majority, with three justices appointed by Mr. Trump himself, and it is already under extraordinary political pressure and scrutiny both for its rulings and its justices’ ethics. “Once again, the Supreme Court is being thrust into the center of a U.S. presidential election,” said Richard L. Hasen, an election law expert at the University of California, Los Angeles, who compared the stakes to Bush v. Gore. “But, unlike in 2000, the general political instability in the United States makes the situation now much more precarious.” In the Colorado court’s lengthy ruling on Tuesday, the justices there reversed a Denver district judge’s finding last month that Section 3 did not apply to the presidency. They affirmed the district judge’s other key conclusions: that Mr. Trump’s actions before and on Jan. 6, 2021, constituted engaging in insurrection, and that courts had the authority to enforce Section 3 against a person whom Congress had not specifically designated. “A majority of the court holds that President Trump is disqualified from holding the office of president under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution,” the justices wrote. “Because he is disqualified, it would be a wrongful act under the Election Code for the Colorado secretary of state to list him as a candidate on the presidential primary ballot.” Mr. Trump’s campaign denounced the ruling, which is likely to inflame a Republican base that he has primed to see the array of civil and criminal cases against him as a witch hunt. Politically, his standing among Republican primary voters has only risen in the wake of the dozens of criminal charges against him. “Unsurprisingly, the all-Democrat appointed Colorado Supreme Court has ruled against President Trump, supporting a Soros-funded, left-wing group’s scheme to interfere in an election on behalf of Crooked Joe Biden by removing President Trump’s name from the ballot and eliminating the rights of Colorado voters to vote for the candidate of their choice,” a campaign spokesman, Steven Cheung, said. “We have full confidence that the U.S. Supreme Court will quickly rule in our favor and finally put an end to these un-American lawsuits.” Similar lawsuits in Minnesota and New Hampshire were dismissed on procedural grounds. A judge in Michigan ruled last month that the issue was political and not for him to decide, and an appeals court affirmed the decision not to disqualify Mr. Trump there. The plaintiffs have appealed to the Michigan Supreme Court. Tuesday’s ruling “is not only historic and justified, but is necessary to protect the future of democracy in our country,” Noah Bookbinder, the president of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said in a statement. His organization represented the voters seeking to disqualify Mr. Trump in Colorado. Mr. Trump himself, who has routinely railed against unfavorable rulings, did not explicitly mention the Colorado Supreme Court decision in a speech Tuesday evening in Waterloo, Iowa — but his campaign was already fund-raising off it. An email to his supporters accused Democrats of trying to “nullify” Trump votes and asked for contributions to help defend his place on ballots. Republican elected officials quickly circled the wagons around Mr. Trump, and a super PAC supporting him blasted out some of their comments to supporters. In one more illustration of the unusual nature of the 2024 Republican primary race — in which even the candidates seeking to defeat Mr. Trump for the party’s nomination have largely shied away from condemning him — his main rivals, Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley, both suggested that the ruling was an abuse of judicial power. The case hinged on several questions: Was it an insurrection when Trump supporters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, trying to stop the certification of the 2020 election? If so, did Mr. Trump engage in that insurrection through his messages to his supporters beforehand, his speech that morning and his Twitter posts during the attack? Do courts have the authority to enforce Section 3 of the 14th Amendment without congressional action? And does Section 3 apply to the presidency? Again, an explosive ruling that is likely to put the basic contours of the 2024 election in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court. https://thenationalpulse.com/2023/12/21/at-least-11-dead-in-prague-shooting/ At Least 15 Dead in Prague Shooting. At least 15 people have been reported dead and injured in a shooting incident at Charles University’s Faculty of Arts located near the Old Town, a major tourist hub within the city, as per the official statement from Prague police. The horrific event unraveled at this educational facility in the capital city of the Czech Republic, erupting fear and panic among students and faculty present at the scene. Local authorities confirmed the shooter’s elimination shortly after the attack, while refraining from revealing exactly how many victims were impacted. Eyewitness reports and visual evidence posted on social media depicted the terrifying scene on the university campus, with sirens blaring and police vehicles flooding the streets around the building. Videos on social media platforms showed bystanders looking visibly panicked and attempting to escape the premises. Prague police issued a plea, urging residents to stay away from the area and to remain indoors for safety reasons. Jakob Weizman, a journalist sheltering inside a darkened classroom, shared his experience on social media: “Currently stuck inside my classroom in Prague. Shooter is dead, but we’re waiting to be evacuated. Praying to make it out alive,” he wrote. He later added, “Locked the door before the shooter tried to open it. F—ing hell.” Yet another social media user furnished the world with a chilling image of what appeared to be students desperately huddled on the university building’s scaffolding, emphasizing the level of fear and panic induced by the tragic event. https://www.eurasiantimes.com/game-on-with-china-us-to-restore-tinian-airfield-once-home/ Game-On With China! US To Restore Tinian Airfield Once Home To Largest B-29 Bomber Fleet During WWII US Air Force General Kenneth Wilsbach shared this development in a discussion with Asia Nikkei, revealing that the military branch is increasing construction efforts at Tinian North Airfield and Tinian International Airfield. This effort is a crucial component of a broader initiative to disperse aircraft strategically across the Indo-Pacific region, responding to the escalating missile threat posed by China. “If you pay attention in the next few months, you will see significant progress, especially at Tinian North,” Wilsbach said. During World War II, the Tinian North Airfield served as the operational base for the largest B-29 bomber fleet. Describing the airfield as having extensive pavement hidden beneath an overgrown jungle, he revealed plans to clear the jungle between now and summertime. The goal is to transform the site into a comprehensive facility upon completion. Tinian, positioned approximately 200 kilometers north of Guam within the Northern Mariana Islands, is undergoing a revitalization in line with the US Air Force’s operational strategy, Agile Combat Employment. This strategic approach, a departure from post-Cold War era tactics, involves deliberately relocating aircraft to various sites across the western Pacific. The primary goal is to mitigate vulnerability to potential enemy missile strikes during periods of crisis. As documents released in March revealed, as part of the Air Force’s 2024 budget request, several projects are outlined for Tinian, seeking a budget allocation of US$78 million for the fiscal year. Among these projects is an airfield development initiative encompassing the demolition of World War II-era airfield pavements, clearing and leveling surfaces, and installing drainage, utilities, and secure fencing. Another project focuses on establishing a fuel-pipeline system involving the installation of storage tanks, pipes, and safety equipment to facilitate fuel unloading from ships for transport to the airfield via pipeline and truck. Additionally, a parking-apron project is detailed, which aims to pave areas designated for aircraft parking and taxiways. The taxiways must adhere to the Pentagon’s standards for ground control operations for large-frame aircraft, as specified in the documents. The proposed apron size would accommodate up to 12 KC-135 and KC-46 tanker aircraft and the necessary fueling equipment. Tinian currently houses one international airfield, while Tinian North Airfield, once the most extensive B-29 base during World War II, lies largely concealed by jungle growth. However, the runways and taxiways remain intact. Tinian was captured from Japanese control by US forces in the summer of 1944, toward the end of World War II. The northern expanse of the island hosted a substantial and historically momentous airfield, famously recognized as North Field. This airfield played a crucial role in Operation Silverplate, serving as the departure point for two specially modified B-29 bombers on separate sorties, marking the sole operational use of nuclear weapons to date. Beyond these historic missions, North Field was instrumental as the launch site for many bomber and reconnaissance flights conducted over Japan and across the Western Pacific during the latter phases of the war. In the aftermath of World War II, the airfield witnessed a substantial deterioration in maintenance, resulting in the decline of its expansive parallel runways, aprons, and supporting infrastructure. The US Air Force is now intensifying its endeavors to enhance the airfield’s capabilities to accommodate fighter jets, bombers, and significant support aircraft. These expanded capabilities align with the standards commonly met by the nearby Andersen Air Force Base on Guam. However, the US believes that if Andersen Air Force Base faces disruption due to enemy actions, notably those from China, or natural disasters, this facility on Tinian would be crucial in ensuring continuity and resilience in US military operations in the Pacific region. https://pagesix.com/2023/12/20/celebrity-news/hulk-hogan-70-gets-baptized-surrenders-to-jesus-greatest-day-of-my-life/ Hulk Hogan, 70, gets baptized, ‘surrenders’ to Jesus: ‘Greatest day of my life’ WWE icon Hulk Hogan has been baptized. His ceremony took place at Indian Rocks Baptist Church in Florida, as noted by the social media slideshow he shared Wednesday night. “Total surrender and dedication to Jesus is the greatest day of my life,” the 70-year-old star captioned the post. “No worries, no hate, no judgment… only love!” Hogan’s slideshow included a video of him and his wife, Sky Daily Hogan, submerging themselves in a pool of water and resurfacing with huge grins on their faces. They were both garbed with white clothing, with the former pro wrestler rocking his signature bandana and a gold cross necklace. A photo included at the end of the post appeared to show Hulk and Sky, plus others, bowing their heads in prayer. The Indian Rocks Baptist Church took to its Instagram Story to celebrate the “Hogan Knows Best” alum’s special moment.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Friday , December 22nd, 2023. Quick shout out to Andrea & Jonah Briggs! Samaritan Ministries: November This is the time of year many of us are thinking about how we’re going to pay our medical bills next year. Before making a final decision, take a look at health care sharing with Samaritan Ministries. As a Samaritan member, you’re connected to 80,000 Christan households across the nation who stand ready to care for one another spiritually and financially when a medical need arises. Samaritan Ministries is affordable, and with no network restrictions you’re in control of your health care, choosing the doctors, hospitals, and treatments that are right for you. And with direct member-to-member sharing, you’ll always know who your money is helping, and that you’re not supporting medical procedures that go against your values. Get started today at samaritan ministries dot org slash cross politic. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/19/us/politics/trump-colorado-ballot-14th-amendment.html Trump Is Disqualified From 2024 Ballot, Colorado Court Says in Explosive Ruling Colorado’s top court ruled on Tuesday that President Donald J. Trump is disqualified from holding office again because he engaged in insurrection with his actions leading up to the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol, an explosive ruling that is likely to put the basic contours of the 2024 election in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court. The Colorado Supreme Court was the first in the nation to find that Section 3 of the 14th Amendment — which disqualifies people who engage in insurrection against the Constitution after taking an oath to support it — applies to Mr. Trump, an argument that his opponents have been making around the country. The ruling directs the Colorado secretary of state to exclude Mr. Trump’s name from the state’s Republican primary ballot. It does not address the general election. “We do not reach these conclusions lightly,” a four-justice majority wrote, with three justices dissenting. “We are mindful of the magnitude and weight of the questions now before us. We are likewise mindful of our solemn duty to apply the law, without fear or favor, and without being swayed by public reaction to the decisions that the law mandates we reach.” Mr. Trump’s campaign said immediately that it would appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Colorado justices anticipated that likelihood by putting their ruling on hold at least until Jan. 4; if Mr. Trump appeals before then, the hold will continue until the Supreme Court rules. And while Tuesday’s ruling applies only to one state, it could all but force the nation’s highest court to decide the question for all 50. “It’s hard for me to see how they don’t take this one, because this certainly seems to be one of those questions that requires some national resolution,” said Anthony Michael Kreis, an assistant professor of law at Georgia State University who has closely followed the Colorado case and related lawsuits around the country. If the justices take up the case, it will join a pile of other Trump-related matters they have agreed or are likely to decide, including whether he is immune from criminal prosecution for actions he took in office and the scope of an obstruction charge that is central to his federal Jan. 6 case. The U.S. Supreme Court has a 6-to-3 conservative majority, with three justices appointed by Mr. Trump himself, and it is already under extraordinary political pressure and scrutiny both for its rulings and its justices’ ethics. “Once again, the Supreme Court is being thrust into the center of a U.S. presidential election,” said Richard L. Hasen, an election law expert at the University of California, Los Angeles, who compared the stakes to Bush v. Gore. “But, unlike in 2000, the general political instability in the United States makes the situation now much more precarious.” In the Colorado court’s lengthy ruling on Tuesday, the justices there reversed a Denver district judge’s finding last month that Section 3 did not apply to the presidency. They affirmed the district judge’s other key conclusions: that Mr. Trump’s actions before and on Jan. 6, 2021, constituted engaging in insurrection, and that courts had the authority to enforce Section 3 against a person whom Congress had not specifically designated. “A majority of the court holds that President Trump is disqualified from holding the office of president under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution,” the justices wrote. “Because he is disqualified, it would be a wrongful act under the Election Code for the Colorado secretary of state to list him as a candidate on the presidential primary ballot.” Mr. Trump’s campaign denounced the ruling, which is likely to inflame a Republican base that he has primed to see the array of civil and criminal cases against him as a witch hunt. Politically, his standing among Republican primary voters has only risen in the wake of the dozens of criminal charges against him. “Unsurprisingly, the all-Democrat appointed Colorado Supreme Court has ruled against President Trump, supporting a Soros-funded, left-wing group’s scheme to interfere in an election on behalf of Crooked Joe Biden by removing President Trump’s name from the ballot and eliminating the rights of Colorado voters to vote for the candidate of their choice,” a campaign spokesman, Steven Cheung, said. “We have full confidence that the U.S. Supreme Court will quickly rule in our favor and finally put an end to these un-American lawsuits.” Similar lawsuits in Minnesota and New Hampshire were dismissed on procedural grounds. A judge in Michigan ruled last month that the issue was political and not for him to decide, and an appeals court affirmed the decision not to disqualify Mr. Trump there. The plaintiffs have appealed to the Michigan Supreme Court. Tuesday’s ruling “is not only historic and justified, but is necessary to protect the future of democracy in our country,” Noah Bookbinder, the president of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said in a statement. His organization represented the voters seeking to disqualify Mr. Trump in Colorado. Mr. Trump himself, who has routinely railed against unfavorable rulings, did not explicitly mention the Colorado Supreme Court decision in a speech Tuesday evening in Waterloo, Iowa — but his campaign was already fund-raising off it. An email to his supporters accused Democrats of trying to “nullify” Trump votes and asked for contributions to help defend his place on ballots. Republican elected officials quickly circled the wagons around Mr. Trump, and a super PAC supporting him blasted out some of their comments to supporters. In one more illustration of the unusual nature of the 2024 Republican primary race — in which even the candidates seeking to defeat Mr. Trump for the party’s nomination have largely shied away from condemning him — his main rivals, Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley, both suggested that the ruling was an abuse of judicial power. The case hinged on several questions: Was it an insurrection when Trump supporters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, trying to stop the certification of the 2020 election? If so, did Mr. Trump engage in that insurrection through his messages to his supporters beforehand, his speech that morning and his Twitter posts during the attack? Do courts have the authority to enforce Section 3 of the 14th Amendment without congressional action? And does Section 3 apply to the presidency? Again, an explosive ruling that is likely to put the basic contours of the 2024 election in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court. https://thenationalpulse.com/2023/12/21/at-least-11-dead-in-prague-shooting/ At Least 15 Dead in Prague Shooting. At least 15 people have been reported dead and injured in a shooting incident at Charles University’s Faculty of Arts located near the Old Town, a major tourist hub within the city, as per the official statement from Prague police. The horrific event unraveled at this educational facility in the capital city of the Czech Republic, erupting fear and panic among students and faculty present at the scene. Local authorities confirmed the shooter’s elimination shortly after the attack, while refraining from revealing exactly how many victims were impacted. Eyewitness reports and visual evidence posted on social media depicted the terrifying scene on the university campus, with sirens blaring and police vehicles flooding the streets around the building. Videos on social media platforms showed bystanders looking visibly panicked and attempting to escape the premises. Prague police issued a plea, urging residents to stay away from the area and to remain indoors for safety reasons. Jakob Weizman, a journalist sheltering inside a darkened classroom, shared his experience on social media: “Currently stuck inside my classroom in Prague. Shooter is dead, but we’re waiting to be evacuated. Praying to make it out alive,” he wrote. He later added, “Locked the door before the shooter tried to open it. F—ing hell.” Yet another social media user furnished the world with a chilling image of what appeared to be students desperately huddled on the university building’s scaffolding, emphasizing the level of fear and panic induced by the tragic event. https://www.eurasiantimes.com/game-on-with-china-us-to-restore-tinian-airfield-once-home/ Game-On With China! US To Restore Tinian Airfield Once Home To Largest B-29 Bomber Fleet During WWII US Air Force General Kenneth Wilsbach shared this development in a discussion with Asia Nikkei, revealing that the military branch is increasing construction efforts at Tinian North Airfield and Tinian International Airfield. This effort is a crucial component of a broader initiative to disperse aircraft strategically across the Indo-Pacific region, responding to the escalating missile threat posed by China. “If you pay attention in the next few months, you will see significant progress, especially at Tinian North,” Wilsbach said. During World War II, the Tinian North Airfield served as the operational base for the largest B-29 bomber fleet. Describing the airfield as having extensive pavement hidden beneath an overgrown jungle, he revealed plans to clear the jungle between now and summertime. The goal is to transform the site into a comprehensive facility upon completion. Tinian, positioned approximately 200 kilometers north of Guam within the Northern Mariana Islands, is undergoing a revitalization in line with the US Air Force’s operational strategy, Agile Combat Employment. This strategic approach, a departure from post-Cold War era tactics, involves deliberately relocating aircraft to various sites across the western Pacific. The primary goal is to mitigate vulnerability to potential enemy missile strikes during periods of crisis. As documents released in March revealed, as part of the Air Force’s 2024 budget request, several projects are outlined for Tinian, seeking a budget allocation of US$78 million for the fiscal year. Among these projects is an airfield development initiative encompassing the demolition of World War II-era airfield pavements, clearing and leveling surfaces, and installing drainage, utilities, and secure fencing. Another project focuses on establishing a fuel-pipeline system involving the installation of storage tanks, pipes, and safety equipment to facilitate fuel unloading from ships for transport to the airfield via pipeline and truck. Additionally, a parking-apron project is detailed, which aims to pave areas designated for aircraft parking and taxiways. The taxiways must adhere to the Pentagon’s standards for ground control operations for large-frame aircraft, as specified in the documents. The proposed apron size would accommodate up to 12 KC-135 and KC-46 tanker aircraft and the necessary fueling equipment. Tinian currently houses one international airfield, while Tinian North Airfield, once the most extensive B-29 base during World War II, lies largely concealed by jungle growth. However, the runways and taxiways remain intact. Tinian was captured from Japanese control by US forces in the summer of 1944, toward the end of World War II. The northern expanse of the island hosted a substantial and historically momentous airfield, famously recognized as North Field. This airfield played a crucial role in Operation Silverplate, serving as the departure point for two specially modified B-29 bombers on separate sorties, marking the sole operational use of nuclear weapons to date. Beyond these historic missions, North Field was instrumental as the launch site for many bomber and reconnaissance flights conducted over Japan and across the Western Pacific during the latter phases of the war. In the aftermath of World War II, the airfield witnessed a substantial deterioration in maintenance, resulting in the decline of its expansive parallel runways, aprons, and supporting infrastructure. The US Air Force is now intensifying its endeavors to enhance the airfield’s capabilities to accommodate fighter jets, bombers, and significant support aircraft. These expanded capabilities align with the standards commonly met by the nearby Andersen Air Force Base on Guam. However, the US believes that if Andersen Air Force Base faces disruption due to enemy actions, notably those from China, or natural disasters, this facility on Tinian would be crucial in ensuring continuity and resilience in US military operations in the Pacific region. https://pagesix.com/2023/12/20/celebrity-news/hulk-hogan-70-gets-baptized-surrenders-to-jesus-greatest-day-of-my-life/ Hulk Hogan, 70, gets baptized, ‘surrenders’ to Jesus: ‘Greatest day of my life’ WWE icon Hulk Hogan has been baptized. His ceremony took place at Indian Rocks Baptist Church in Florida, as noted by the social media slideshow he shared Wednesday night. “Total surrender and dedication to Jesus is the greatest day of my life,” the 70-year-old star captioned the post. “No worries, no hate, no judgment… only love!” Hogan’s slideshow included a video of him and his wife, Sky Daily Hogan, submerging themselves in a pool of water and resurfacing with huge grins on their faces. They were both garbed with white clothing, with the former pro wrestler rocking his signature bandana and a gold cross necklace. A photo included at the end of the post appeared to show Hulk and Sky, plus others, bowing their heads in prayer. The Indian Rocks Baptist Church took to its Instagram Story to celebrate the “Hogan Knows Best” alum’s special moment.

The Supply Chain Buzz is Supply Chain Now's regular Monday livestream, held at 12n ET each week. This show focuses on some of the leading stories from global supply chain and global business, always with special guests – the most important of which is the live audience!This week's edition of The Buzz featured Scott Luton, co-host Constantine Limberakis, and special guest Mary Kate Soliva. She joined the second half of the show to talk about the impact of Typhoon Mawar, the strongest typhoon to hit the island in over 20 years. Guam is home to 150,000 residents as well as Andersen Air Force Base.In this livestream, created in collaboration with a live Supply Chain Now audience, Scott and Constantine discussed:• The growing demand for lithium batteries versus the constraint associated with just three countries - Australia, Chile, and China – being responsible for 92 percent of the world's supply• Operational challenges resulting from contract negotiations between the longshore workers' union and West Coast port operators• The expansion of automation, and why Jeff Bernstein, President of the Association for Advancing Automation, thinks agriculture, food processing, and healthcare will be nextAdditional Links & Resources:Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.comCheck out our new Supply Chain Now Media Kit: https://bit.ly/3emdLcKSubscribe to Supply Chain Now and all other Supply Chain Now programs: https://supplychainnow.com/subscribeJoin the NOW Community: http://bit.ly/41kpUSO2023 Q1 U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index: https://bit.ly/3VuwnIkWEBINAR- “Decoding Digital Transformation” – Charting a path forward: https://bit.ly/3VvVc6VWEBINAR- 5 Reasons Network Design is Essential to Supply Chain Resiliency: https://bit.ly/3MxcCNsWEBINAR- Feeling the squeeze? How to Meet OTIF Targets in an Uncertain World: https://bit.ly/42eMZFZThis episode is hosted by Scott Luton and Constantine Limberakis. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/supply-chain-buzz-lithium-longshore-negotiation-advancing-automation-1128

Andersen Air Force Base held the 29th annual Pacific-wide March Madness basketball tournament.

Our guest today is Captain Patrick Charette, a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) pilot who is assigned to 407 Long Range Patrol Squadron, which is based at Canadian Forces Base Comox. Capt. Charette flies the CP-140 Aurora multi-mission aircraft, which is a variant of the Lockheed P-3 Orion.Our chat developed into three parts -- the first part is Capt. Charette's motivation to become a pilot and his motivation and approach to instructing other RCAF pilots.We then discuss what it is like to fly and employ the CP-140 Aurora in its primary Anti-Submarine Warfare role.The third part of our chat focuses on Exercise Sea Dragon 2022, a U.S.-led, premier multi-national exercise held at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. Exercise Sea Dragon is designed to discuss and practice Anti-Submarine Warfare tactics. Canada was one of six participants in 2022, so you'll hear who participated and who came away with the coveted Dragon Belt award -- spoiler alert -- it was Canada.In addition to winning the Dragon Belt for the highest overall score, 407 Long Range Patrol Squadron also won the Kraken award for most consistent attacks.“Exercises such as Sea Dragon allow for realistic training while exchanging skills, tactics and increased understanding of multinational operations,” said Major-General Eric Kenny, Commander 1 Canadian Air Division. “The overarching goal of the exercise is to enhance the interoperability of our Long Range Patrol force in anti-submarine warfare efforts while also supporting our mutual desire to improve maritime security in collaboration with our partners and allies.”We thank Capt. Charette for his time and kindness in sharing his experiences of flying the CP-140 Aurora.Go Bold!

Operation Christmas Drop - Official Trailer / NetflixThe Guam Daily Post - Article on OCDLearn more about OCD:"Operation Christmas Drop is the world's longest running humanitarian airdrop training mission, providing critical supplies to many Micronesian islands, impacting more than 20,000 people across 1.8 million square nautical miles of operating area. The drop is the oldest ongoing Department of Defense mission which remains in full operation. The operation was first conducted in 1951, when the aircrew of a WB-29 aircraft assigned to the 54th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, formerly assigned to Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, was flying a mission to the south of Guam over the Micronesian atoll of Kapingamarangi. When they saw the islanders waving to them, the crew quickly gathered some items they had on the plane, placed them in a container with a parachute attached and dropped the cargo as they circled again. In 2015, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force and the Royal Australian Air Force participated in the operation along with the United States Air Force. Japan and Australia each provided one C-130 Hercules to join the three C-130s provided by the United States. In 2019, Royal New Zealand Air Force has joined Operation Christmas Drop. This is also 7th year in a row that allied partners from the Japan Self-Defense Force and the Royal Australian Air Force have participated This year 2021, South Korea joins our AF in the largest to date, 200 bundles and 57 islands…"_____Photo Credit: 374th Airlift Wing Public AffairsMusic and sound design by Lucy Little Ukelele and piano played by Cheryl FreezeChristmas music at 09:00 from Free Music Archive, by Scott Holmes Music...Thank you to Dr. April Hirschberg for the episode inspiration!_____If you are your loved one is experiencing any emotional, mental health struggles, you are not alone and please contact Home Base 617-724-5202, or www.homebase.org  SUBSCRIBE to Home Base NationTo learn more and connect with us at Home Base Nation:www.homebase.org/homebasenationTwitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedInHome Base Nation Team: Steve Monaco, Maureen Roderick, Laurie Gallagher, Karianne Kraus, Lucy Little, and COO Michael Allard and Brigadier General  Jack HammondProducer and Host: Dr. Ron HirschbergProducer, Editor: Lucy LittleHome Base Nation is the official podcast of Home Base Program for Veterans and Military Families, a partnership of the Massachusetts General Hospital and the Red Sox Foundation.The views expressed by guests to the Home Base Nation podcast are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by guests are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Massachusetts General Hospital, Home Base, the Red Sox Foundation or any of its officials.

Watch it once, Riff it once. That is the way we do things during A Very Netflix Christmas. This week, we follow a penny pincher from DC who is tasked to find every reason to shut down Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. Meanwhile, a pilot who can't stop giving has to hide his "dirty secret" or single handedly close the base down due to his actions. Who knows, maybe those CG geckos will bring some luck and the pair will fall in love instead and the Christmas Drop will go off without a hitch. A ridiculous plot, a young couple who don't care for each other up front who are destined to fall in love, and a mean lady wanting to shut the base down who needs to be shown the true meaning of Christmas... its a recipe for another episode of A Very Netflix Christmas!

 An "SOS" message written on the beach of a tiny Pacific island pointed rescuers to three missing mariners, United States and Australian authorities said Tuesday.The three men had set out in a 23-foot (7 meter) boat last Thursday to make a 26-mile (42 kilometer) journey from Pulawat to Pulap atolls in the Federated States of Micronesia.They went off course and ran out of fuel, landing on tiny, uninhabited Pikelot Island, 118 miles (190 kilometers) from their intended destination, according to US and Australian authorities.The islands are about 500 miles (800 kilometers) south of Guam, and when the men didn't arrive in Pulap, a search was requested through the US Coast Guard's Joint Rescue Sub Center in Guam, which enlisted help from units in the region.The three Micronesian men were first spotted by a US Air Force KC-135 tanker operating out of Andersen Air Force Base on Guam after searching for three hours, according to a posting on the base's Facebook page."We were toward the end of our search pattern," the KC-135 pilot, Lt. Col. Jason Palmeira-Yen, said in the post. "We turned to avoid some rain showers and that's when we looked down and saw an island, so we decide to check it out and that's when we saw SOS and a boat right next to it on the beach. From there we called in the Australian Navy because they had two helicopters nearby that could assist and land on the island."A helicopter from the Australian amphibious assault ship HMAS Canberra landed on the beach dropping off food and water for the stranded trio while Australian troops confirmed the men's identities and checked they had no major injuries.Meanwhile, a US Coast Guard C-130 from Hawaii dropped a radio to the stranded men so they could communicate with a Micronesian patrol vessel dispatched from Yap.A US Coast Guard statement said rescuers and the mariners kept their distance because of the coronavirus."After discussions between the responding partners it was decided the safest course of action for both the response agencies' crews and the mariners was to limit exposure to one another due to the COVID-19 Pandemic," a Coast Guard statement said.The patrol vessel reached the men around 8 p.m. local time Monday evening, according to the Andersen AFB Facebook post."Partnerships," US Coast Guard Capt. Christopher Chase, commander of US Coast Guard Sector Guam, said the post. "This is what made this search and rescue case successful. Through coordination with multiple response organizations, we were able to save three members of our community and bring them back home to their families."Capt. Terry Morrison, commander of the Canberra, praised his crew."I am proud of the response and professionalism of all on board as we fulfill our obligation to contribute to the safety of life at sea wherever we are in the world," he said.

Exercise Cobra Gold kicks off in Thailand and the Air Force Chief of Staff visits Andersen Air Force Base.

In this Pacific Newsbreak, U.S. Ambassador to Japan William Hagerty and U.S. Forces Japan Commander Lt Gen Jerry Martinez visit U.S. and JGSDF service members during Exercise Yama Sakura, and C-130s from the U.S., JASDF, and RAAF arrive to Guam in preparation for Operation Christmas Drop.

Soldiers defend the skies over Guam and Armaments Systems Airmen keep Misawa's fighters mission-ready.

The Navy's only forward-deployed MH-60S expeditionary squadron, the “Island Knights,” are based on Andersen Air Force Base, Guam.

Xander Snyder and Jacob Shapiro get down to specifics in what a potential war would look like, and ask each other why the US always seems to fight its wars in the same place. Sign up for free updates on topics like this! Go here: hubs.ly/H06mXwR0 TRANSCRIPT: Jacob L. Shapiro: Hello everyone, welcome again to another Geopolitical Futures podcast. I'm Jacob Shapiro, I'm the director of analysis. Xander Snyder, one of our analysts, is joining me again today to talk this week. Xander, how's it going? Xander Snyder: It's going well Jacob, how are you? JLS: I'm doing alright. We've been very busy at Geopolitical Futures. There's a lot of stuff going on in the world and the first thing we wanted to do was follow up – George joined us on the podcast last week to talk a little bit about certain indications that we're seeing in terms of a potential U.S. strike on North Korea in the coming weeks. The USS Nimitz, which was in port in Washington state, actually left yesterday and is headed for the Western Pacific. There were some reports that the USS Vincent, which is actually currently off the coast of the Korean Peninsula, might be leaving the area, but as of now it doesn't seem like it has left. The USS Vincent and the USS Reagan actually had some joint drills yesterday where they actually lined up next to each other and were doing things. So tensions still remain pretty high on the Korean Peninsula. So we thought we would talk about a study really that Xander led with us here at Geopolitical Futures which looked at what a potential military conflict looks like between North Korea and the United States. Xander, I know a lot people are thinking about missiles and nuclear weapons, but one of the points that your piece made that I found particularly informative was that there's actually a lot of other variables here that if there is a conflict will become much more important. And I think artillery was one of the ones that you focused on most closely. How about you lay out for listeners here why it's so important to think about artillery when we're talking about a potential military conflict between North Korea and the United States. XS: Sure. Well, like you mentioned, a lot of the headlines in the news really focus on ballistic missile development, nuclear warheads, nuclear tests and missile tests, right? That's what has been going on lately that's been receiving the most attention. However, North Korea has a really conventional military, and a lot of this is rounded out by something like 21,000 artillery guns that it has, a combination of tube shell artillery guns which is generally what you think of when you think of artillery guns like big World War II cannons, you know stuff that's actually firing shell. And then they also have another type of artillery device called multiple rocket launchers or MRLs, which is exactly what it sounds like so instead of firing a shell, it fires rockets of different sorts. And this is important because basically since the end of the Korean War, North Korea has been amassing this conventional arsenal and Seoul, one of South Korea's major cities, sits within range of a lot of these weapons that are stationed on the Demilitarized Zone. So the reason this piece focused not entirely on artillery but largely is because North Korea is able to maintain a fairly substantial threat against a major U.S. ally, against South Korea, using normal weapons, not nuclear weapons, not ballistic missiles. JLS: Yeah it's an important point, and it also dictates what a potential U.S. strike is going to look like against North Korea, right? Because it can't just be that the U.S. is going to go in and pinprick certain nuclear sites with whatever big bombs that it has in its arsenal. One of the points you made is that the U.S. is going to have to also devise a strategy for knocking out a lot of this artillery to try and protect Seoul from the inevitable backlash that would come from the North Koreans. XS: Exactly. In the event of a U.S. strike against North Korea's nuclear facilities, essentially two battles begin. The first is the attempt by the United States to eliminate the North's nuclear capabilities while at the same time minimizing the amount of damage that can be done to Seoul and other populous centers in the north of South Korea, mainly with the North's conventional artillery force. So both of these battles will be waged at the same time. Now the U.S. would engage in a first strike because of the nuclear program, because if North Korea were to develop a ruggedized nuclear warhead that could be affixed to a ballistic missile that would be a threat that would be intolerable because even right now some of the North's ballistic missiles could reach U.S. allies, and in time, the threat is they could develop an intercontinental ballistic missile, an ICBM, that could reach the U.S. So, this would be the reason the U.S. would strike, however at the same time, the U.S. would have to find a way to either on its own or cooperating with South Korea essentially neutralize the threat of that artillery as quickly as possible. And the reason that the piece focused so much on artillery was because the North would not need to launch any sort of major ground infantry invasion at the outset of hostilities in order to pose a major threat. The artillery can actually reach quite a long way as it is. JLS: Yeah and I think this actually brings up one of the things – some listeners who are familiar with war and who study war will be more familiar with this but other listeners who are not – the issue of artillery really brings up one of the most important parts of talking about military activities that is often overlooked, which is simple things like logistics. So you spend a lot of time in the piece discussing not just what kind of artillery they have and what the potential moves of the actors are going to be but also where the stockpiles of ammunition are and what that means about North Korea's ability to communicate across its firing lines and to actually make its attacks effective and to protect itself against the types of strikes that the U.S. is going to use to try and take out those artilleries. So can you talk a little bit about also specifically the issue of ammunition and how some of the resources that you found indicated some of what's going to happen if the strike does indeed happen? XS: In the piece, what we tried to show is one potential way or several considerations that can be made that can constrain the conflict to look or to behave in a certain way if it were to actually break out. But as we mentioned in the piece and as anyone familiar with war knows, once it actually begins its very difficult to actually know what can come up so we do our best to understand the constraints in the situation based on the arsenal that North Korea has available to itself, that North Korea has available to it, while understanding that making an exact prediction of these things is actually very difficult when the violence begins. That said, there are certain things that you can attempt to game out. And one of these is recognition that the other side is aware that you are aware of its own weaknesses, right? So one of the things, I know it's kind of like a lot of back and forth and you know what I know that you know what I know, right? It's one of those things. And one of the things that we looked into was the command structure of the North Korean military. And I came across some papers published by the U.S. Army War College talking about how it is essentially a very centralized, probably understandably so, a very centralized military structure – something that borrowed a lot from Soviet military structures during the Cold War. And one of the ways that the Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un maintains control over the military is with a parallel reporting structure so there are military officers but there are also political officers, and he uses this dual reporting structure to assure that no military officer at any given time can acquire too much power to rebel against him or pose any sort of serious threat. So the conclusion that some of these papers have drawn is that, well because it is such a centralized command and control structure that will actually provide for a lack of flexibility in the event of conflict. If the North Korean military actually has to wage a war, if the supreme leader must direct everything himself, well that's a very inflexible structure. So we recognize that conclusion. But we also try to expand on it a little bit because North Korea, they're not dumb right? And I think this is another narrative that gets tossed around out there, it gets picked up on because it is difficult to rationalize a lot of their moves. But a country that's capable of a nuclear weapon and ballistic missiles, they're not stupid, right? They know that the United States has planned for the outbreak of war, and if they have, we've considered their command and control structure. So they're thinking, “Ok well, the U.S. is going to think that we have a fairly flexible command and control structure, so we need to account for that to a degree because if our communications get cut off and we can't actually direct artillery fire in the outbreak of hostilities, we face a serious problem. We can't control the war, and that will decrease our ability to, you know, actually achieve some sort of strategic objective that we would want in this conflict.” So it makes sense then to think that there's actually some system even if it's not publicly available that would allow for devolution or decentralization of command to a degree that would allow unit-level artillery commanders to continue fighting if they lose communication with the centralized command. So that's one indicator that you can look for to get a sense of whether or not this is true. And it's certainly not slam dunk evidence, it's more like a mosaic you are putting together a lot of different pieces to try to corroborate this idea. So one thing we looked at in the study was the prevalence and location of decentralized ammunition stores. And the reason this matters is because supply and logistics is everything in war. If artillery commanders can get ahold of things to shoot, well a gun is not very effective without a bullet, without a shell right? Now it turns out that for decades the North Koreans have been developing hardened artillery sites or HARTs is the cute acronym for it, H-A-R-T. And these are stationed all along the Demilitarized Zone from coast to coast in North Korea, and it's impossible to know the locations of all of these but some of them have been postulated and we put together sort of a representative of like a best guess that we came across for where some of these HART locations can be. And that's an indication that the North Koreans have prepared for a scenario in which if communications get cut with centralized command, there is no need to depend on like the centralized supply depot, so they can continue to fight, these artillery heads can continue to fire and pose a real threat to Seoul on a localized basis. They will still have access to ammo even if they are kind of shut off and by themselves. JLS: One thing that you said in particular that struck me which is that the media picks up on this narrative that North Korea is stupid or that they're crazy, and I think it's a point to be emphasized because the worst mistake that either side can make in a military conflict is to underestimate one's enemy. I think one of the reasons that the Korean War back in the '50s dragged on as long as it did was because the United States actually miscalculated and underestimated a lot of the factors at the beginning of that war, and it probably prolonged a conflict that didn't have to be as long as it was. I think the other thing to point out, which is the flip side of some of what you are saying, is that North Korea suffered a great deal in the Korean War with the United States in the 1950s, and it is terrified of the United States. There is a very real fear on the part of North Korea about what the United States is capable of and what U.S. unpredictability is. That might be strange to hear for a U.S. audience or for an audience that is more Western-oriented, but I think that's also true, and I think it animates a lot of North Korean's actions. But I want to take a step back for a moment and ask you, so Secretary of Defense Mattis gave his first public interview I guess last Sunday now on Face the Nation on CBS, and he got a question about North Korea, and he said two things about North Korea. He said, number one, that North Korea was already a national security threat to the United States, and the other thing he said and this got picked up quite a bit was that the fighting that would happen in North Korea if there was a military conflict there would probably be the worst that many Americans would have seen in most of their lifetimes. So I wonder if you know having really dived deep into the details and thought about all this, how you rate Mattis' statement? Do you think that this really would be some of the most destructive and catastrophic fighting the United States has done in the last 50, 60, 70 years, or do you think that's a little bit of hyperbole? XS: Yes, I think definitely it would represent a very violent conflict. There would be a lot of destruction, a lot of death, and that is in large part because of the capability of the North Korean military to wreak such damage based on the weapons they currently have. I mean, while it is true that a lot of their conventional weapons are outdated, a lot were acquired from the Soviet Union during the Cold War, some are natively built, and there are a few newer weapons systems that we talk about in the piece that have been developed more recently, but ultimately the vast majority of their guns are relatively old, but old guns still shoot. They might have, you know, a slightly higher rate of failure, but that doesn't mean that they can't do a lot of damage. Now, there are some reports saying if the North Koreans start firing on Seoul, they will completely flatten or level the town. And I read some reports that challenge that to a certain degree, but even some of the more conservative papers that said, “Well, maybe they wouldn't flatten Seoul,” had really very high casualty estimates in the first couple of hours in the outbreak of a conflict. One of the estimates was that if North Korea targeted population centers in Seoul with its artillery instead of, say, other military targets at the outbreak of a conflict, something like 30,000-60,000 people could die in a first three hours of a conflict. So, you know, we're talking really high amounts of casualties. I mean something like 58,000 soldiers died in the entire Vietnam War, so that's very violent. So I think the question you want to ask yourself after hearing those numbers is, well, would North Korea actually use its artillery if it would be wreaking such destruction and the potential for a retaliation that it would cause? And I think that the answer has to do with the credibility of deterrent, right? Everyone talks about nuclear deterrent, and it's an important subject to talk about, but right now North Korea also has a conventional deterrent and has had one before it began developing its ballistic missile technology and nuclear technology, which is its conventional artillery deterrent. Now, if it is struck and does not implement an artillery barrage against the South, then it's effectively saying to the world that this deterrent, this conventional deterrent, this threat is not really there. So I think it's quite likely that if attacked, North Korea would feel compelled to retaliate against the South and that it could be quite destructive. JLS: Yeah your point is well taken though, which is that a deterrent is at its most powerful when it's actually deterring. Once a deterrent has had to be triggered, it automatically takes the power out of the hands of the country or the state entity that is doing the deterring and forces it make an offensive move that it doesn't want to make. The whole point of deterrence is to try and prevent it from making that move. I think another thing maybe to also point out is that some of the stuff that you've pointed out here is one of the reasons that at GPF we really don't pay a lot of attention to the political drama and back and forth about THAAD, which is that U.S. anti-missile system that finally is going to get stationed in South Korea. But there's a lot of domestic opposition to it being stationed in South Korea. China really hates that these U.S. anti-missile systems are going to be in South Korea. But the point is that doesn't actually help the South Koreans solve the problem that arises if there is a significant military conflict because as you say the issue here really is artillery, and if you have 21,000 pieces of artillery or whatever you said it was, the THAAD missile defense system is not going to be able to block those things, right? There's really nothing that South Korea can do if it gets that far. XS: No, I mean at that point all they can really do is hope that the U.S. can – well it would be the U.S. and South Korea. I mean, I don't want to make this sound like the U.S. would be doing all the fighting, right? If the North opens on the South, the south also has artillery pieces and as soon as a large gun fire it exposes its position, right? I mean right now, they're hidden to a certain extent. Some of these HARTs that I talked about are deep underground caves or tunnels, fortified positions where pieces of artillery, sometimes even planes, are hidden to protect against the barrage. But as soon as their position is exposed, the South has artillery too and can respond in kind. But it will take a lot more time to eliminate all of the artillery pieces with a counter barrage than it would with say a strategic bombing campaign. And there, the U.S. would probably be taking charge with a lot of its strategic bombers located at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. JLS: No but that's a good point, and it's good that you brought up Andersen Air Force Base in Guam because I think that this is another part that is not well recognized, because the United States wants its aircraft carriers there because that sort of became a U.S. military doctrine when it comes to fighting war but actually a lot of the heavy lifting that's going to happen on the U.S. side is going to happen out of Guam. That's one of the places that we're watching most closely, right? XS: Yeah absolutely, it would come from either B-52s or B-2s or B-1s, all of which are heavy strategic bombers, one of which is stealth, B-2 is stealth. Some folks believe that the B-2 bomber would be able to take out a lot of these artillery positions while at the same time avoiding North Korea's anti-air defenses. And in theory that's true, it's difficult to really play out again just because war is unpredictable. JLS: Yeah. And just taking a step back for a second from the very tactical perspective that you've offered here about North Korea, it's also very telling to think if we just look at everything that we've actually written this week at GPF and to see how it all fits into a larger picture. Obviously, we had, you know, your deep study of this issue in North Korea. We had one or two other pieces that dealt with North Korea. We had a couple other pieces that dealt with the problem of ISIS. And some of the comments that Secretary Mattis made about how the U.S. is accelerating its strategy against ISIS. Then we also wrote about NATO this week in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump going to Brussels and meeting with NATO leaders. And these are all actually very connected to each other. You know, the major military conflicts that the U.S. seems to be involved in right now are this fight against the Islamic state in Syria and Iraq and dealing with the potential threat of a nuclear North Korea. I don't mean to minimize those conflicts. But they are not sort of on the level of challenging the United States from an existential perspective, right? Like it is a national security interest that North Korea not develop a nuclear weapon, but the future existence of the United States is not in play there. The same is true of ISIS. The United States doesn't want a radical Sunni Arab entity to rise in the Middle East and throw off the balance of power there, but at the same time, what happens in the Middle East or what happens with these horrible terrorist attacks doesn't actually challenge the U.S. from an existential point of view. And then you have the U.S. also going to NATO, and a lot of people have, you know, been talking about Trump's manners at NATO and I don't really feel like getting into that. I'll just point out that Secretary Mattis has been for NATO from the beginning, and Donald Trump picked him as secretary anyway. And Mattis himself has been a NATO officer so you can see the U.S. trying to find the right balance of what conflicts is it going to engage in, what is it not going to engage in, what alliances is it going to use, what alliances is it not going to use. And I think that one of the things that is striking to me in particular about North Korea is that, you know, unlike with ISIS where at least it has built some kind of nominal, even superficial coalition to deal with ISIS, the U.S. really is the one pushing this issue with North Korea and is going to be providing a lot of the impetus for it. They've been pushing China to do something on this issue, but China so far hasn't really been able to get North Korea to calm down and seems to be just repeating itself over and over again. The South Koreans have elected a government that is a little more peace oriented when it comes to North Korea. Obviously, if there is a fight, they are going to have to be involved. And Japan, which we sort of see as really the main player in East Asia, hasn't really had much to say. So in some sense I think from the United States' perspective, it's got to be a little bit…, on the one hand it shows how powerful the U.S. is, but on the other hand it shows how limited that power is because the U.S. can't really depend on anyone when it's dealing with the situation in North Korea. XS: I think you make a great point, and it is challenging when investigating one part of the world or any one aspect of the world to get caught up in the details, which to some degree matter, right? Because details reveal truth about a matter, which are difficult to see from a high level. We talk about geopolitics and ultimately that is events in the world and how they impact one another. It's impossible to look at one part of the world without recognizing how events in other parts of the world are related to it, especially when talking about the United States, which as the sole global superpower right now has interest everywhere. So, therefore, what goes on in one part of the world, in the Middle East, impacts the amount and types of resources that it can devote towards approaching other challenges in other parts of the world. So the amount of military resources that it commits to the Middle East impacts the amount of military resources that it can commit to conflict in the Western Pacific. So, you know, I've had people approach me with everything that's going on now with the Korean Peninsula and the Middle East, and they've said, “So do you still think that the U.S. is going to be the major power in the rest of the century looking at what's going on now?” And the only answer I can really give them is yeah. I mean, the U.S. is immensely powerful economically and militarily, and like you said, none of the challenges that it's facing that we've talked about in this podcast, that we talk about at Geopolitical Futures really threaten it from an existential perspective. I mean, even if you want to imagine this hypothetical scenario where tomorrow North Korea develops the capability to deliver all of its nuclear warheads, which I've heard estimates about 20 – well not nuclear warheads that it can attach to a missile but nuclear devices – if it could tomorrow find a way to deliver all of these somehow to the U.S., that still wouldn't be an existential threat. I mean if they could wipe out portions of 20 different cities, it would be devastating, but the U.S. would still be around and still have the strongest military by far. So there are threats, but it's important to, when digging into the details of the challenges U.S. is attempting to deal with either with economic or military strength, keep them in the context of how much damage they can actually do to the U.S., right? And whether the scale of those challenges really confront – well if they really pose the existential risks in the way that a lot of people often talk about them doing. JLS: Well Xander, I want to ask you one more question before we wrap up, and it's a little bit of a curve ball, and it's something I've been thinking about. And actually I haven't asked you this before, and I haven't actually come to it in my mind so we'll see if it works or it similarly stumps you. There was something that George actually has said to me a couple times since the time that I've known him, and it's – I forget the exact quote, but it's something like the great wars are always fought twice. You know, like World War I, there was a World War II. Like the really important wars in the world are always fought twice. And when we think about the current conflicts that the United States is involved with right now, I mean we're basically on the third iteration of the Iraq War, right? Because we had Desert Storm and then we had the invasion in 2003, and then technically all U.S. troops were out of there under the Obama administration, and then Obama had to recommit them because of what was happening with ISIS and ISIS going into Mosul and dealing with Yazidis and stuff like that. And with Korea, obviously the United States fought the Korean War in the 1950s and that was part of the Cold War. But it has really struck me that when we look at the places that the United States is committing most of its military resources right now, they are old conflicts. They're vestigial conflicts. They were there before and maybe sort of weren't carried out in a way that brought them to some kind of resolution. Maybe they can't be carried out in a certain way that can bring them to some kind of resolution, and these will be constant little conflicts that the United States will have to be going through all the time. I guess I don't necessarily have a question there, but I wonder if there's anything in your analytical toolkit that can help explain why the U.S. seems to go back to fighting not just a lot but in the same places in the world over and over again. XS: It's an interesting question. I think if you look at conflicts isolated as individual events, it's maybe harder to see that connection, but if you try to dig down to understand the causes of those conflicts, sometimes the underlying causes are more difficult to solve, right? What do I mean by that? If you look at World War I and World War II, they were both about the same fundamental issue, which was Germany's role in Europe and that had always been a question. I mean, even the Thirty Years' War to a degree was about German states' role in Europe, and it only really became a pressing issue after the unification of Germany, and that's what lead to the massive scale of these conflicts. So while the circumstances might have changed with Korea – you know, the Cold War is no longer going on, they no longer have support from the Soviet Union – there are some aspects that remained unchanged. And those remain longer-term geopolitical causes, right? So, Korea has always been unified. Almost always throughout its history for thousands of years, and it became divided as a result of the Cold War, and we're now dealing with the underlying causes – the relationship of Korea with itself and that's not something that has changed on some level since the Korean War. So I think there are ways to dig down beneath isolated events and try to see what those causes are. That doesn't mean that major wars will always be fought twice, but I think that sheds some light on why they sometimes are. JLS: Yeah and it just strikes me that one of the ironic things is that, so if we take what you said and play it a step forward, the issue in Korea is that there is a division there that is somewhat unnatural when you think about history and the Korean Peninsula overall. In the Middle East, it's sort of the opposite, right? The unnatural thing is trying to join together states that never actually existed. So on the one hand, in Korea, you have this really arbitrary separation that has now taken root over half a century and creates its own host of dynamics. In the Middle East, because of colonialism, because of the way that the Ottoman Empire fell apart, you had these groups that were smushed together in way that perhaps didn't make geopolitical sense, and now all of that stuff is playing out. So that's just an interesting little aside. But Xander thank you for taking the time to join us on the podcast today. Again, I'm Jacob Shapiro, I'm our director of analysis. If you have any comments, feedback, critiques, we also love topic suggestions, you could actually write to us at comments@geopoliticalfutures.com. And we will see you all out here next week.

For the first time ever, all 3 Air Force Global Strike Command bomber aircraft launched from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam and participated in an integrated bomber operation in the U.S. Pacific Command area of responsibility, and a team of Defense POW / MIA Accounting Agency divers are currently at U.S. Army Garrison - Kwajalein Atoll investigating wreckage believed to have been below the surface for more than 70 years.

B-1B Lancers arrive at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam to replace the B-52s as part of U.S. Pacific Command's continuous bomber presence mission, U.S. Army Pacific Commander General Robert Brown visits leadership in Japan, and service members in Japan participate in a 1000 km relay run in a show of continued support and friendship following the 2011 earthquake.

All 7 crew members are safe following a B-52 mishap on Andersen Air Force Base, and Exercise TRICRAB 2016 wraps up on Guam.

In today's Pacific Newsbreak, Andersen Air Force Base hosts an Open House and Air Show in conjunction with ‪‎Cope North 2016‬, and U.S. Marines train on fastroping techniques with the Royal Thai Marines and the Republic of Korea Marine Corps during Exercise Cobra Gold 2016.

The U.S. Pacific Command U.S. Pacific Air Forces and 대한민국 공군(Republic Of Korea Air Force) show strength of alliance and resolve with an Andersen Air Force Base, Guam Boeing B-52 Stratofortress in the skies over Osan Air Base; and we check out a munitions loading competition at Misawa Air Base.

Pacific Newsbreak: The Navy and Marines join forces at Blue Chromite, and Andersen Air Force Base goes punk for a night.

The band 3Oh!3 played for service members at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam.

Team Andersen assists in landing aircraft during Tropical Storm Goni; and VP70 continues in Australia

On today's Air Force Report Airman First Class Ameka Mmoh tells us about Airmen from all over the United States and the Pacific who were able to test their skills during the Combat Ammunition Production Exercise, also known as CAPEX, at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam.

Episode B discusses the latest from Cope North 2015 and takes you to Andersen Air Force Base, where U.S., Australian, Japanese, Republic of Korea, Philippine and New Zealand Airmen are in the midst of a field training exercise. CN-15's goal is to bring together a large multilateral force with a focus on working together to complete humanitarian assistance, disaster relief and defense missions. PACAF's homepage - http://www.pacaf.af.mil Facebook - http://facebook.com/PACAF Twitter - http://twitter.com/PACAF YouTube - http://youtube.com/PacificAirForces

Lead: Just 3 Airmen from Andersen’s 36th Communications Squadron work diligently to ensure the only weather radar in the entire Marianas Islands provides vital information to Andersen base weather, Guam International Airport, and even Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. SrA Whitlow explains what the radar is, how it works, and how important it is to the Andersen mission. Narration: Tucked behind the backroads of Guam, just south of Andersen Air Force Base stands a lone, tall radar tower. Operated by just 3 Airmen from the 36th Communications Squadron, it’s what they call the NEXRAD Doppler Radar. SSgt David Vanderloop, Ground Radar Technician, 36th Communications Squadron (36 CS): “The NEXRAD radar is a Next Generation weather Radar used here on Andersen. It provides products to Andersen base weather, FAA, the National Weather Service, and also Hickam gets a feed of from radar site.” Narration: The NEXRAD Doppler Radar system is a network of high-resolution weather radars operated by the National Weather Service. The NEXRAD detects precipitation, atmospheric movement, or wind by shooting radio frequencies out into the air. SSgt Vanderloop: “How the NEXRAD radar works is, we generate pulsed RF which shoots out of the antenna, which will then bounce off of a cloud, and then receive back into the same antenna it transmitted from, we will then process then send out to all of our users.” Narration: Although satellites work for a similar purpose, the NEXRAD radar provides a more in-depth look into the atmosphere. SSgt Benjamin Touchstone, Ground Radar Systems NCOIC, 36th Communications Squadron (36 CS): “Satellites coverage will give you a more aerial view of the cloud coverage in the area. The difference between it and the radar is the radar gives you a more detailed internal look of the cloud. So you can see what’s actually going on inside of it.” Narration: Without that radar coverage, weather forecasting is much more limited, which in turn directly affects Andersen’s high operational flying missions. SSgt Touchstone: “It’s important to have it up with all the air traffic we have coming in and out of Guam International Airport plus all of the training missions and exercises we run here from Andersen. Especially in certain circumstances where you’re flying stealth missions and things like that, some of those airplanes won’t actually fly without radar coverage up. These products are absolutely vital to all of Andersen’s flying missions” Narration: The NEXRAD is the only weather radar within the Marianas region. It serves the Andersen mission while also providing the Pacific region a detailed look into Guam’s skies. Soundbites from Staff Sgt. David Vanderloop, Staff Sgt. Benjamin Touchstone. Produced by Senior Airman Mariko Whitlow. Also available in high definition.