The 11/23/21 dispatch.

Happy Tuesday! Hope everyone’s week is off to a great start and that you have some good Thanksgiving plans coming up!

We’ll start with plenty of bullet points on the massing of Russian troops on the Ukranian border.

First, this.

From the story:

Clint Watts @selectedwisdom

And this is a look at what it could be like if Putin gave the “go” signal.

Dara Massicot @MassDara

If this assessment is true— and as someone who lived this at the pentagon in 2014- Javelins, drones, pictures of pallets of bullets delivered, saying the words “ironclad”, will not stop a force like this, if it moves. The choices are now go all in, or find the off-ramp.

Finally, here’s some additional details about the situations and options the United States has.

Robert Morton @Robert4787

With some 100,000 Russian troops now massed on #Ukraine's eastern border, the #Biden administration may providing #Kyiv with battlefield intelligence. #NATO #Russia #Military

thehill.comIs Russia about to make a ‘serious mistake’ in Ukraine?Now is probably not the best time to be breathless about the risk of increased Russian threats in Ukraine.

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I know that was a lot to take in about the threats from Russia, so here’s some lighter news on the China tensions:

RAND Corporation @RANDCorporation

"Is it possible Xi is plotting a sneak attack [on Taiwan]? Sure, but thus far, there is no evidence that he is, and what we do know speaks to the contrary."

bit.lyTaiwan Is Safe Until at Least 2027, but with One Big CaveatAlthough Chinese President Xi Jinping clearly seeks to bring Taiwan to heel, and by force if necessary, he also continues to promote “peaceful reunification” as Beijing’s preferred means. Xi likely would have toughened up his language by now if he thought war was a real possibility.

However, this was a little concerning.

ProfTalmadge @ProfTalmadge

For anyone interested, Milley's "days if not weeks" line is from this document earlier this year, p. 4. cdn.cnn.com/cnn/2021/image…

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Moving along, in military news, there was this push back from the federal government regarding the Oklahoma National Guard not having to get vaccinated.

WATE 6 On Your Side @6News

US Army Secretary: National Guard members who refuse vaccine will not ‘continue service’

trib.alUS Army Secretary: National Guard members who refuse vaccine will not ‘continue service’U.S. Army Secretary Christine Wormuth this week warned members of the National Guard that they may be barred from “continued service” if they refuse to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

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Moving to an area of operations that we just departed, the commander of U.S. Special Operations Command elaborated some on the situation in Afghanistan, saying in part:

"I don't see them as a partner — I'll just be frank," Army Gen. Richard D. Clarke, commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, said Friday at the annual Halifax International Security Forum event in Nova Scotia, Canada. "I think we have an interest from the U.S. perspective that the ISIS threat that is in Afghanistan is disrupted, that it can't roost [so that it could actually affect one of our nations. But I wouldn't, as we look at the Taliban, I don't think they're an entity, today, that should be ... a counterterrorism partner."

He also discussed the situation in the country and what options and strategies the United States have for the recently-departed country. Full story below, and well worth the read:

Department of Defense 🇺🇸 @DeptofDefense

NEWS: Socom Commander Says Taliban Aren't Counterterrorism Partners in Afghanistan

go.usa.govSocom Commander Says Taliban ArenFollowing the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan at the end of August, the only semblance of government remaining there is the Taliban. But the Taliban are not partners in defeating terrorism there, the

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Now jumping to tech news, there was this:

Task & Purpose @TaskandPurpose

The U.S. Navy and Boeing conducted ground testing of the MQ-25 Stingray at Chambers Field onboard Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia. The MQ-25 Stingray is an unmanned aerial refueling aircraft. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Sam Jenkins)

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Finally, let’s end with some motivation.

First, this:

Plus, this:

And finally this:

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That’s it for this post. And as a reminder, please be kind:

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Semper Fidelis,

Stan R. Mitchell

P.S. Don’t forget to check out my books. I write fast-paced military and mystery thrillers. You can find all ten books here: amazon.com.