The View from the Front. By Stan R. Mitchell.

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The 11/23/21 dispatch.

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The 11/23/21 dispatch.

Stan R. Mitchell
Nov 23, 2021
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The 11/23/21 dispatch.

stanrmitchell.substack.com
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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:

Twitter avatar for @selectedwisdom
Clint Watts @selectedwisdom
Image
2:01 AM ∙ Nov 22, 2021
95Likes50Retweets

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

Twitter avatar for @MassDara
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.
Image
3:50 AM ∙ Nov 21, 2021
773Likes252Retweets

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

Twitter avatar for @Robert4787
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.
10:13 PM ∙ Nov 20, 2021
19Likes15Retweets

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

Twitter avatar for @RANDCorporation
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.
1:29 AM ∙ Nov 20, 2021
25Likes16Retweets

However, this was a little concerning.

Twitter avatar for @ProfTalmadge
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…
Image
7:15 PM ∙ Nov 19, 2021

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

Twitter avatar for @6News
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.
1:40 AM ∙ Nov 20, 2021
8Likes1Retweet

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:

Twitter avatar for @DeptofDefense
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
10:58 PM ∙ Nov 22, 2021
123Likes33Retweets

Now jumping to tech news, there was this:

Twitter avatar for @TaskandPurpose
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)
Image
11:27 PM ∙ Nov 22, 2021
16Likes1Retweet

Finally, let’s end with some motivation.

First, this:

Plus, this:

And finally this:


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

As always, please share this post if you enjoyed it, as well as comment below.

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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.

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The 11/23/21 dispatch.

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The 11/23/21 dispatch.

stanrmitchell.substack.com
Timothy Dittmer
Nov 24, 2021Liked by Stan R. Mitchell

Great job, as always, Stan. Thank you for your efforts.

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