Welcome to The View from the Front podcast. My name is Stan and this is the Dec. 21st edition.
You can listen to the podcast by clicking the blue button above. Or, you can watch the video below on YouTube.
I really hope you get something out of it.
Please note: There is also an un-edited, AI-generated transcript, that you can find by clicking the Transcript button at upper right, under the podcast player device.
Or, you can find the podcast on your favorite channel below:
Questions? Comments? You are welcome to comment below. I read all comments and answer most of them. You can also reach out privately at: authorstanrmitchell@yahoo.com. (You can say “hi,” vent, or send news tips! I love all three of those things!)
If you just happened to stumble by, let me say a quick word about what we’re doing here.
For those who don’t know, my name is Stan R. Mitchell, and I’m a prior Marine and journalist.
Every week, I primarily do three things with my podcast:
Cover emerging hotspots and foreign policy news that you absolutely should know. (Why I focus on foreign policy...)
Work to unite our country and remind us of how lucky we are to live in America. (My thoughts on the division in this country...)
And finally, I always share plenty of motivation and wisdom at the end of each episode.
Take a listen to the podcast. I really hope you get something out of it.
Selected source notes for podcast and transcript above.
Corps identifies Marine killed in amphibious combat vehicle rollover
The Marine Corps has identified the Marine who was killed in a tactical vehicle rollover Tuesday.
Sgt. Matthew K. Bylski died after the amphibious combat vehicle flipped during training on land at Camp Pendleton, California, according to a news release Thursday from I Marine Expeditionary Force, the Corps’ West Coast-based force.
Fourteen other Marines were in the vehicle when it flipped and were taken to local hospitals for evaluation and treatment. Only one remains in the hospital, and that Marine is in good condition, according to the release.
USS Carney takes out drone swarm in the Red Sea
The men and women of the Navy destroyer Carney continued to show and prove in the Red Sea Saturday when they shot down a barrage of 14 attack drones, according to U.S. Central Command, the latest incident involving American warships intercepting such barrages in recent months as the region teeters on the brink of a broader war spilling out of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
In the early morning hours local time, Carney “successfully engaged 14 unmanned aerial systems launched as a drone wave from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen,” the command said in a brief statement. “The [drones] were assessed to be one-way attack drones and were shot down with no damage to ships in the area or reported injuries. Regional Red Sea partners were alerted to the threat.”
US unveils international force to defend Red Sea. Here’s what we know.
To date, Houthi rebels in Yemen have launched at least 100 attacks with one-way drones and ballistic missiles, targeting 10 merchant vessels that represent more than 35 different nations, according to a readout of a virtual meeting between security group participants.
“Operation Prosperity Guardian is bringing together multiple countries to include the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain to jointly address security challenges in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, with the goal of ensuring freedom of navigation for all countries and bolstering regional security and prosperity,” Austin said Dec. 18.
He noted this effort will fall under the purview of the Combined Maritime Forces — a multinational maritime partnership based in Bahrain — and its Task Force 153. The CMF is made up of 39 nations, and its various task forces help secure the Gulf of Oman, the Indian Ocean, the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Some task forces also focus on countering piracy across the region as well as and training and partner-building activities.
About 20,000 commercial vessels transit the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden every year, according to the French Navy. Task Force 153 specifically covers the Red Sea and was established in 2022 to address human trafficking and smuggling of both legal materials like coal and illegal weapons and drugs, Defense News previously reported.
UK to sign 10-year pact on naval security commitments for Ukraine
U.K. Armed Forces Minister James Heappey said in October that Ukraine's attacks against the Black Sea Fleet had led to the "functional defeat" of the Russian Navy in the Black Sea.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will contain provisions for improving naval capabilities by providing ships, equipment, naval-based missiles like the brimstone, and training of Ukrainian naval forces. Due to security reasons, the specifics of the weapons provisions could not be clarified.
Intelligence sharing is one of the key elements of the MoU, officials said.
Military proposes to mobilize 450,000-500,000 new soldiers
Ukraine's military leadership proposed to mobilize 450,000-500,000 additional conscripts, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Dec. 19, noting that the plan has yet to address several key issues before he can support it.
Zelensky said in November that he had instructed Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov to present a new mobilization plan.
"This is a serious number. I said I need more arguments to support this direction," Zelensky said during a press conference.
Estonia to send $88 million in military aid to Ukraine
The Estonian government approved on Dec. 14 a military aid package of 80 million euros ($88 million) for Ukraine, containing Javelin anti-tank missiles, ammunition, and other aid, the ERR national broadcaster reported.
The Baltic country, with a population of 1.3 million, is one of the leading military donors to Ukraine in terms of gross domestic product (GDP) shares, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
NATO on Dec. 13 announced its 2024 military budget will increase by 12% to 2.03 billion euros and its civil budget by 18.2% to 438.1 million euros.
Ukraine has long sought to join the 31-member-bloc, but Brussels has not offered Kyiv a concrete roadmap to full membership.
Gift link: Ukrainian Marines on ‘Suicide Mission’ in Crossing the Dnipro River
China continues to test the Philippines (a treaty partner of the United States)
Reminder: The United States has a Mutual Defense Treaty with the Phillipines, which was signed back more than 70 years ago, back in 1951. This Mutual Defense Treaty includes the disputed area mentioned in the article above in the South China Sea.
Chinese Maritime Militia Swarms Second Thomas Shoal as Manila Mulls Contingency Plans
Ray Powell, director of the SeaLight project at Stanford University’s Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation, called the move “unprecedented” and an escalation from China.
These actions follow a series of incidents in the South China Sea, which saw three developments between Philippine and Chinese vessels occur over three days across Manila’s exclusive economic zone. Three Philippine vessels were damaged and a civilian-led Christmas convoy was turned back as a result of Chinese water cannon attacks and dangerous maneuvering.
…
“The Philippines and the U.S. are going to have to start having some very direct conversations about what constitutes an “armed attack” on a public vessel, and make sure they communicate clearly to Beijing how close China is coming to triggering far more serious consequences,” said Powell.
Powell emphasized that without an adequate response, China will think that “it has more room to escalate than it does.”
“The lack of tangible consequences for its recent aggression is an invitation to more aggression.”
DOD Officials Underscore 'Ironclad' Commitment to Philippines After China's Unsafe Maneuvers
Chinese vessels carried out unsafe maneuvers against Philippine vessels operating outside the Scarborough Reef on Saturday and again near the Second Thomas Shoal on Sunday.
During the encounters, the Chinese vessels employed water cannons and forced a collision which caused damage to Philippine vessels undertaking official supply missions.
Chinese military ships operating near the Scarborough Reef also used acoustic devices to incapacitate Filipino crew members.
"By impeding the safe operations of Philippine vessels carrying provisions to Filipino service members stationed at Second Thomas Shoal, the PRC interfered in lawful Philippine maritime operations and in Philippine vessels' exercise of high seas freedom of navigation," State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement on Sunday. "Obstructing supply lines to this longstanding outpost and interfering with lawful Philippines maritime operations undermines regional stability."
The latest maneuvers are a continuation of the Chinese military's increasingly provocative and risky behavior in the region.
Defense officials have also noted a steep rise in risky and aggressive intercepts by China's military of U.S. aircraft operating in international airspace in accordance with international law.
According to the most recent China Military Power Report, the U.S. has documented more than 180 coercive and risky air intercepts against U.S. aircraft in the region between 2021 and 2023.
That is more risky intercepts in the past two years than in the past decade, according to the report.
Motivation and wisdom:
And, I always like to end with this one:
And with that, thanks for joining us this week on The View from the Front.
If you can, consider at some point becoming a paid subscriber.
That’s it for this edition.
As a reminder, please be kind and try your best to love your fellow Americans.
So many men and women have sacrificed, fought, and died to keep this country together the past 240-plus years. Please work daily to unite our country again. The vast majority of Americans are decent, loving, great people.
Also, please try to be a better person each and every day. Try to be kinder on social media and how you interact with others with whom you disagree.
Please join me again in our next episode, and please stay safe until then.
Don’t forget: You can comment anytime — I try to monitor those. You can also reach out privately at: authorstanrmitchell@yahoo.com. (You can say “hi,” vent, or send news tips! I love all three of those things!)
Love and peace,
Stan R. Mitchell
P.S. Don’t forget to check out my books. I’ve written a CIA/Marine sniper series, a detective series, a private investigator series, an action-packed Western, a motivational self-help book about President Obama, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan. You can find all of these books on Amazon.
Want to know more about me? Click here: About me. You can also learn more about my journey here: Writers are crazy, and I’m crazier than most.
Podcast Episode 12-21-23. (Includes video.)