Keeper-class cutter

The United States Coast Guard commissioned a new Keeper class of coastal buoy tenders in the 1990s that are 175 feet (53 m) in length and named after lighthouse keepers.
Keeper-class cutters serve the Coast Guard in a variety of missions and are tasked with maintaining aids to navigation (ATON), search and rescue (SAR), law enforcement (LE), migrant interdiction, marine safety inspections, environmental protection and natural resources management. Keeper-class cutters are also used for light ice breaking operations.
These vessels are 175' long and replaced the World War II era 180', 157' and 133' tenders. The new class of buoy tender cut crew size from 50, 35 and 26, respectively, to 25, saving the already cash-strapped Coast Guard financial and personnel resources.
Keeper-class cutters were built by Marinette Marine of Marinette, WI.
Keeper-class cutters are equipped with mechanical Z-drive azimuth thruster propulsion units instead of the standard propeller and rudder configuration. These mechanical drives are designed to independently rotate 360 degrees. Combined with a thruster in the bow, they enable Keeper-class tenders to dynamically maneuver in a variety of sea states. This creates an extremely maneuverable platform which, when combined with modern navigation aids such as GPS, DPS, and ECDIS to allow the Cutter to maintain static positions. This allows the cutter to precisely place an aid to navigation (ATON).
Keeper-class boarding teams are armed with modern small arms.
List.
The following 175-foot WLMs in service (as of 2006):


Coast Guard Station Scituate

United States Coast Guard Station (Small) Scituate is a comparatively small and seasonally open United States Coast Guard station located in Scituate, Massachusetts. It is operated jointly with Station Point Allerton and falls under Sector Boston.


National Guard Military Academy of Ukraine

The National Guard Military Academy of Ukraine () is an institution of the National Guard of Ukraine, located in Kharkiv. It is the successor to the former Academy of Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. Officers and NCOs of the NGU are trained under the aegis of the National Guard Military Academy.
History.
On 26 December 1931, the Second School of Border Guard and Internal Troops (later the Second United Border School) was founded in Pomirky. On 16 April 1932, its staff was awarded the Battle Flag. On 1 May 1932, the cadets of the first set took part in the May Day military parade of the Kharkiv Garrison for the first time. On October Revolution Day of that year, the first graduation of junior commanders took place. In April 1937, the school became known as the Kharkiv Military School of the NKVD named after Felix Dzerzhinsky. It would later come under the command of the Soviet Internal Troops. In September 1946, the first postwar graduation of rear service officers took place. In 1959, the school was relocated within Kharkiv to Uprising Square. In 1975, the school was completely transferred to the training of cadets under the program of higher military education and became known as the Kharkiv Higher Military School of the Rear of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR. On 2 January 1992, the Kharkiv Higher Military School of the National Guard of Ukraine was established, changed in 1995 and the by order of the Ministry of Education of Ukraine to the Military Institute of the National Guard. It was converted into an academy for the Internal Troops during the Yuschenko presidency. On 27 May 2014, in connection with the reform of the Ukrainian security services, the National Guard Academy was recreated. On 4 June 2014, by the decree of the acting President of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov, the academy became known as the "national academy" of the National Guard.
Training.
It provides initial and advanced training to the officers of the National Guard of Ukraine. National Academy of the National Guard of Ukraine provides the following training: bachelor's degree (4 years), master's degree (5.5 years-long training), and the advanced officers training course (2 years). Since the Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, the academy has become the main site for conducting all the NATO trainings in the Eastern region of the country.
Faculty.
Faculties:
The majority of the faculty of the National Academy of the NGU took part in the Anti-Terrorist Operation Zone (ATO) and/or the Joint Forces Operation (JFO).
School culture.
Sports life.
In the park, next to the academy, there is a sports complex with an area of 1.2 hectares, which houses a gym, equipped with 250 and 100 - meter treadmills and installed 30 park simulators. This sports town serves as a base for classes and sports competitions with officers and cadets of the academy. The hand-to-hand combat hall provides an opportunity to engage in oriental martial arts. This sports equipment is resistant to weather conditions and is made by the servicemen of the Department of Physical Training and the training and production workshop of the Academy. The best athletes of the Academy have always worthily represented the educational institution at various competitions of the city of Kharkiv, the regional and republican councils of FST "Dynamo". The cadets of the Academy have also repeatedly become champions and winners of world championships, European and other international competitions.


Yard Repair Berthing and Messing

Yard Repair Berthing and Messing were large unpropelled barges used by the "Brown Water Navy" of the US during the War times, as bases for specialized river boats. They contain limited shop facilities to permit ship's force repair work. It is fitted with a storeroom and workshops. All utilities are supplied from the pier. It has a reinforced bow for ocean towing. These vessels bore the hull classification symbol YRBM.
A large number have survived and serve as floating hotels for US Navy ships undergoing repair and upgrades. The floating hotels (YRBMs and APLs) have a fully functioning galley (messing), sleeping areas (berthing), and office spaces.
YRBM-18 (formerly APL-55) received the Presidential Unit Citation for service during the Vietnam War from 6 December 1968 to 31 March 1969.


USCGC Atalanta

USCGC "Atalanta" (WPC-102) was a , steel-hulled, diesel-powered of the United States Coast Guard.
History.
She was launched on 16 June 1934 at the Seattle shipyard of Lake Union Dry Dock & Machine Works, one of 18 "Thetis"-class patrol boats. She was commissioned on 20 September 1934 and assigned to Seattle, Washington where she conducted rescue and law enforcement operations as well as annual Bering Sea patrols.
In September 1942, "Atalanta" was assigned to the United States Navy Western Sea Frontier where she conducted convoy escort and patrol duty. She was one of the early ships in the "Alaskan Navy".
"Atalanta" was decommissioned on 1 August 1950 and was placed in mothball at the Coast Guard mooring in Kennydale, Renton, Washington. On 7 December 1954, she was sold to Birchfield Boiler, Inc., of Tacoma, Washington for $7,156.


Frank Schubert

Frank Schubert (1915–2003) was the last civilian lighthouse keeper in the United States.
Schubert began working for the United States Coast Guard in 1939. At the time of his death he was serving at the Coney Island Light in Sea Gate, Brooklyn, New York, where he had worked since 1960. He maintained the grounds and fog signal, and was credited with saving 15 lives. Schubert remained at the lighthouse after it was automated in the 1980s, and was visited by many lighthouse buffs.
He died on December 11, 2003, aged 88.


Bruce Hutton

Bruce Hutton (born: July 2, 1946 Minnedosa, Manitoba) was leader and founder of the Separation Party of Alberta from 2004 - 2012.
Hutton joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 1967. In 1999, he founded Law-abiding Unregistered Firearms Association (LUFA) to protest the recently introduced federal gun registry. In 2004, he became leader of the Separation Party.
Quotes of Bruce Hutton.
"Unresponsive governments force ordinary people to do extraordinary things." – Bruce Hutton, Albertan.
"It has been said the Separation Party of Alberta accomplished in 16 months that which took the Parti Quebecois 16 years to achieve. It has also been said that we have the cart before the horse - forming the political party before the movement gains strength." – Bruce Hutton, Albertan.
"We are looking for that strong leader to come forth. When suitable candidates identify themselves, SPA will have its first Leadership Convention. We are looking for someone who cares about Alberta, not their own personal agenda. We are not interested in any political retread looking to rejuvenate his or her failed political career. We want someone who has vision, can "think outside the box" and has a plan for a strong, vibrant, independent Alberta." – Bruce Hutton, Albertan.
Personal History.
Raymond Bruce Hutton was born July 2, 1946 in Minnedosa, Manitoba. His ancestors emigrated to Ontario in the 1700s as United Empire Loyalists from the United States of America and later migrated to Manitoba. His father, Ross Logan Hutton (deceased December 25, 2002) was a WWII Veteran, a journeyman electrician, President - International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in Manitoba, President - Alberta Electrical Contractors Association, Vice President - Newberry Energy of California, and President - St. Albert Legion, St. Albert, Alberta. His mother, Muriel Margaret (Beddome) Hutton, resided in St. Albert, Alberta. A proud homemaker, her marriage to Ross Logan Hutton produced two sons - Ross William (who died of cancer at the age of 40) and Raymond Bruce Hutton.
Hutton married Virginia Pearl (Javos) Hutton of Nampa, Alberta. After 25 years of marriage, in 2001 she died of cancer at the age of 51. Hutton and his wife had the following children:
Education and Employment History.
Hutton was an engineer by training. He attained Grade 12 Senior Matriculation at Aden Bowman Collegiate, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in 1963, followed by University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, College of Engineering - first year 1964. He also completed Basic Training with the RCMP in 1967. Hutton jokes that he completed Advanced education by taking Reality courses in the "School of a Great Life."
Hutton held three formal career employment positions:
Hutton embraced an entrepreneurial spirit and between the years of 1972 and 2004 owned a number of small businesses in Alberta including:
After the passing of his wife, Hutton relocated to Rocky Mountain House, Alberta where he functioned as the volunteer leader of SPA.
Hockey career.
From 1965 to 1983, Hutton volunteered as a minor hockey coach in Saskatchewan and Alberta. Between 1983 and 1987, Hutton coached and managed hockey professionally in the Alberta Junior Hockey League, including the Hobbema Hawks in 1983 and the Olds Grizzlys in 1987. With the Chinese National Hockey Team, Hutton represented Canada internationally on a coaching exchange, the National Junior Team and Chi Chi Har, a first division team, in the People's Republic of China. Hutton additionally coached a number of Alberta's elite hockey teams including the 1992 Arctic Winter Games Midget team.
Political career.
Hutton was raised a small "c" Conservative, and was considered a capital "c" Canadian by many including his father, a WW II Veteran who flew the Union Jack until his passing. His early history did not include political involvement, despite keeping abreast of what was occurring in Alberta and Canada.
This changed in November 1999 with the implementation of Bill-C68 - the Firearms Act. Hutton founded the "Law-abiding Unregistered Firearms Association (LUFA) to organize the firearms community to force the repeal of what he described as "...a catastrophic waste of tax-payers money that would do nothing to reduce crime, violence and suicides."
In January 1999, Hutton warned Canadians that the Firearms Act would cost over 1.5 Billion dollars and not make Canada safer. Hutton was criticized by the mainstream media due to influences of then Edmonton based Liberal MP Anne McLellan and then Liberal Justice Minister Alan Rock. Hutton notes that history has resolved this issue since the Canadian government had spent well over 2 Billion dollars by 2005.
Jailing Albertans and the Forming of the Separation Party.
In October 2002 the Federal Liberal Government put 13 Alberta farmers in jail for selling their own product, notably what Central Canadian farmers are allowed to do. Seen as a double standard and a severe political injustice to Alberta, this served as impetus to move Hutton into political action.
In February 2003, Hutton met with Jim Chatenay of Pine Lake and Ron Duffy of Lacombe, two of the jailed Alberta farmers. It was decided that a concerted effort must be made to establish a registered separatist party in Alberta. Hence, the Separation Party of Alberta (SPA) was born.
The Separation Party under Hutton formed official party status and ran 12 candidates in the 2004 election and 1 in the 2008 election. Hutton was leader of the party from 2004 to 2012, when Hutton was replaced by Bart Hampton.


David Wilks

David Wilks (born September 23, 1959) is a Canadian politician, currently serving as the mayor of Sparwood, British Columbia following a term as a Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of Canada. He was elected in the Kootenay—Columbia riding as a member of the Conservative Party of Canada in the 2011 election. In the 41st Canadian Parliament, Wilks was appointed to the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development and introduced one piece of legislation, a private members bill called "An Act to amend the Criminal Code (kidnapping of young person)" (C-299) which sought a minimum sentence of five years in prison for someone convicted of kidnapping a person under the age of 16.
Wilks, originally from Lethbridge, is a former Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer and entrepreneur. Between 1980 and 2000 he was assigned to several RCMP detachments in British Columbia. He was elected as a councillor for the District of Sparwood in 2002 and then as mayor in 2005. As mayor, he was appointed to the Regional District of East Kootenay and became the chair of the Regional Board. Wilks sought and won the Conservative Party nomination to replace retiring Kootenay—Columbia Member of Parliament Jim Abbott and was elected to Parliament in 2011.
Background.
David Wilks was born and raised in Lethbridge but after graduating high school he moved to Saskatoon. He worked briefly in the potash industry while under-going recruitment process. He attended RCMP Academy in Regina. His first assignment as an RCMP officer was to the Terrace detachment in 1980. Over his 20-year RCMP career he was subsequently assigned to the detachments in New Aiyansh, Golden, Penticton and Sparwood. He retired from the RCMP in 2000 while in Sparwood and bought a family entertainment business called Sparwood Bowl and Billiards Inc. with his wife.
In the 2002 BC municipal elections Wilks first stood for election. He was elected to a three-year term as a Sparwood municipal councillor. In the 2005 municipal elections he put his name forward in the mayoral election and successfully defeated the incumbent. No one challenged Wilks during the 2008 municipal elections so he was acclaimed to a new 3-year term as mayor. Along with being mayor, he was appointed by the Sparwood council to the Board of Directors at the Regional District of East Kootenay. Wilks and Sparwood gained national attention in late-December 2008 when an avalanche killed eight men on snowmobiles; Wilks established public trust accounts for the families of the victims and helped organize a memorial service which the Prime Minister attended. At the Union of British Columbia Municipalities, Wilks advocated expanding the Meth Watch program to include a registration system to track people to purchase components used in making methamphetamine. At the Regional District, Wilks advocated for the provincial government to give the proposed Jumbo Glacier Resort municipal status, removing the responsibility for public consultation and zoning from the Regional District and placing it with the province or a locally elected or appointed council. His March 2006 resolution was defeated, with Wilks being the only director to vote in favour. Wilks re-introduced the motion in August 2009 and it was approved by the Board, though the province did not take any action. In December 2009, the Regional Board elected Wilks to be the chair of the Regional District.
Federal politics.
In February 2010, Jim Abbott, the local member of parliament for the past 17 years, announced he would not seek re-election. Wilks endorsed Bill Bennett to replace Abbott but Bennett declined. The 50-year-old Wilks subsequently announced his intent to seek the Conservative Party nomination for the next election. He stepped down from the Chair position at the Regional District to better focus on his campaign but remained a director. In the March 2011 Conservative Party nomination election, Wilks faced three other candidates: a 29-year-old town councillor from Creston, a lawyer from Cranbrook, and an engineer also from Cranbrook. Wilks campaign unknowingly employed a con artist who stole an undisclosed sum of money before disappearing. Despite the theft, Wilks won the nomination. During the campaign for the federal election, Wilks faced former Invermere mayor Mark Shmigelsky for NDP, and Kimberley residents Betty Aitchison, Bill Green, and Brent Bush. Wilks was seen as the front-runner but his campaign was criticized for avoiding all-candidate forums and debates, skipping the forums in Revelstoke, Kimberley, and Invermere. During the campaign, Wilks noted that he would seek to direct federal funds to improving the Trans-Canada Highway, "proper" punishment for criminals, and "proper" funding for the military, noting that his son was currently serving in the military as a combat engineer in Afghanistan. Wilks won the Kootenay—Columbia riding with 56% of the vote.
As the 41st Parliament began, Wilks was not selected to Prime Minister Stephen Harper's cabinet. He was appointed to the 'Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development'
and the 'Standing Joint Committee on Scrutiny of Regulations'. In the House of Commons, Wilks used his time on the floor on June 15, 2011, to describe why he sees the New Democratic Party as a "radical hard left" political party. Following the high-profile kidnapping of a three-year-old boy from his hometown of Sparwood, Wilks introduced a private members bill (C-299) which would create a five-year minimum sentence for people convicted of kidnapping a person under the age of 16.
Wilks' comments about the 2012 Canadian federal budget made national headlines in May 2012. Speaking at a meeting with constituents in Revelstoke, Wilks stated his belief that the omnibus budget bill should be split into a series of smaller bills, but that as a backbench MP, he had little alternative but to vote in favour because "that's how Ottawa works." Answering questions from the audience, he indicated that he and other backbenchers had little influence or input on the budget legislation. Two videos of Wilks' comments were posted online, with his permission. Shortly after the story broke, Wilks released a statement to the effect that he was in full support of the budget bill.
During the 2015 Canadian federal election, Wilks made headlines for saying that it was "not fair" for Canadians to expect the government to take action on missing and murdered Indigenous women and that the matter should be dealt with simply as part of "missing and murdered people" in general, without using the term "Indigenous." Wilks ended up losing his seat to Wayne Stetski of the NDP in one of the closest races of the country by just 282 votes.
In 2018 Wilks let his name stand for Mayor for the District of Sparwood. He was successful for a four-year term which will end in 2022.


Fisheries II

Fisheries II (a.k.a. "Fisheries Two") was a vessel requisitioned by the United States Navy during the defense of the Philippines during World War II. The vessel was "in service" and not commissioned.
World War II service.
"Fisheries II" was in service from 8 December 1941 until she was scuttled at Corregidor on 6 May 1942 to prevent her capture by the Japanese. The vessel was apparently never formally commissioned as a United States Ship (U.S.S.) nor given an official designation but is shown in "U.S. Navy and Coast Guard Vessels, Sunk or Damaged Beyond Repair during World War II, 7 December 1941-1 October 1945" under "Converted Patrol Vessels" along with and the converted patrol vessel, "Perry". After 13 December 1941 "Fisheries II" was assigned to the Base Section of the Inshore Patrol of the United States Asiatic Fleet. "Fisheries II" was commanded by Chief Boatswain James Charles Oster.
After destruction of facilities at Cavite Navy Yard on 10 December 1941 "Fisheries II" moved with Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three to Sisiman Bay on the Bataan Peninsula where the commandeered tug "Trabajador" served as tender to the squadron. Despite the need to patrol in pairs in the event one PT needed assistance from another the critical shortage of spares and fuel often prevented such pairing so that one of the small converted patrol yachts, "Maryann", "Perry", or "Fisheries II" was used to accompany the PT. On 10 March the last PT boats departed south with General MacArthur with increased Japanese naval activity in the vicinity of the entrances to Manila Bay.
She was officially credited with one battle star for her participation in the defense of the Philippines.
Navy Cross awards.
Two officers assigned to "Fisheries II" were awarded the Navy Cross.
Citation for award of the Navy Cross to Ensign George K. Petritz
"The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Ensign George Karl Petritz (NSN: 0-97128), United States Naval Reserve, for extraordinary heroism in combat with the enemy during the periods 7 December 1941 to 7 March 1942, while on board the U.S.S. FISHERIES TWO, in the Philippine Islands. While exposed to frequent horizontal and dive bombing attacks by enemy Japanese air forces, Ensign Petritz directed the fire of his anti-aircraft battery and participated in operations of strategic importance in the Manila Bay area involving hazardous missions such as to reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Naval Service."
General Orders: Commandant, 16th Naval District: Dispatch 281200-NCR 7859 (April 29, 1942)
Action Date: December 7, 1941 - April 28, 1942
Citation for award of the Navy Cross to Ensign Lowell Hall Strand
"The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Ensign Lowell Hall Strand, United States Naval Reserve, for extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty in action against the enemy while serving at FISHERIES TWO in the Philippine Islands, in combat against the enemy, directing and operating anti-aircraft from his vessel while exposed to frequent attacks from the enemy and dive bombers during the period from 7 March 1942 to 19 April 1942. His conduct throughout was in keeping with the highest traditions of the Navy of the United States."
General Orders: Commander 16th Naval District: Desp. 281200 (April 29, 1942)
Action Date: March 7 - April 19, 1942


List of commanders of the Special Forces of the Turkish Armed Forces

This list covers the commanders of the various special forces of the Turkish Armed Forces; namely, the Tactical Mobilisation Group (), 1952–65; the Special Warfare Department (), 1965–1994; and the Special Forces Command (), 1994–present.


Naval Base Guam

Naval Base Guam is a strategic U.S. naval base located on Apra Harbor and occupying the Orote Peninsula. In 2009, it was combined with Andersen Air Force Base, to form Joint Region Marianas, which is a Navy-controlled joint base.
The Ship Repair Facility, Guam, was located next to Naval Base Guam, along Apra Harbor. It was closed in 1997, due to the recommendation of the 1995 Base Realignment and Closure Commission.
Naval Base Guam is home of Commander Submarine Squadron 15, Coast Guard Sector Guam and Naval Special Warfare Unit One and supports 28 other tenant commands. It is the home base to dozens of Pacific Command, Pacific Fleet, Seventh Fleet, and the 30th Naval Construction Regiment (NCR).
 is stationed in Guam to tend the submarines of the Seventh Fleet, and changed from Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia to Naval Base Guam to fulfill the same role.
Coast Guard Sector Guam ships include , , and .
History.
On July 21, 1944, also known as Liberation Day, American forces declared the island secure from the Japanese Army. The construction was started by the Navy's Lion Six. Seabees from the 5th Naval Construction Brigade built the base on the site of the destroyed US Marine Corps barracks in Sumay, Apra Harbor. The Navy code named the type of base the Seabees built for its size and purpose, i.e Oak, Acorn, Lion and Cub. A Lion was a main base for the fleet. Naval base Guam was the first named Naval Operating Base and later nicknamed The Pacific Supermarket.
Sub-installations.
Sub-installations aboard Naval Base Guam include Camp Covington. Camp Covington is one of the three main body deployment locations for the Navy Seabees. Currently, Camp Covington is a deployment site in the rotation of the three Seabee battalions making up the 30th NCR . The 7th Fleet's Navy Expeditionary Forces Command Pacific is also headquartered here.
The camp has a gym, a cardio hall, and a mini-mart. It has its own barracks for Officers, Enlisted, and Chief Petty Officers; a galley, an armory, dental clinic, and various HQ buildings and warehouses.
Services.
Naval Base Guam has amenities and services including a library, chapel, visitor's quarters, theater, and bowling lanes.


Battle of Saalfeld order of battle

The Battle of Saalfeld took place on the 10 October 1806. A French force of 12,800 men commanded by Marshal Jean Lannes defeated a Prussian-Saxon force of 8,300 men under Prince Louis Ferdinand.
French V Corps.
Commander-in-chief: Marshal Jean Lannes
Chief of staff: Général de Division Claude Victor-Perrin
1st Division.
Général de Division Louis-Gabriel Suchet
1st Brigade.
Général de Brigade Michel Marie Claparède
2nd Brigade.
Général de Brigade Honoré Charles Reille
3rd Brigade.
Général de Brigade Dominique Honoré Antoine Vedel
Cavalry Brigade.
Général de Brigade Anne-François-Charles Trelliard
Strengths as at 1 October 1806.
Prussian-Saxon Advanced Guard Division.
Generalleutenant Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia
General staff: Stabskapitän
Detachment at Blankenburg.
Generalmajor
Troops at Saalfeld.
Prussian Troops
Saxon Troops<br>
Generalmajor
Generalmajor
16 additional guns attached to the infantry regiments
Detachment at Pößneck.
Generalmajor
Total strength 9 October 1806: 7,500 infantry, 2,700 cavalry, 44 guns


Henry Norwest

Henry Louis Norwest (sometimes spelled Northwest) MM & Bar (c. 188118 August 1918) was a distinguished Canadian sniper in World War I.
Early life.
Norwest was born in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, sometime in the early 1880s, the son of Métis parents Louis Northwest or Watson and Geneviève Boucher. Norwest worked as a ranch hand and rodeo performer, then for a short time he served with the Royal Northwest Mounted Police. In January 1915 he joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF).
Military career.
Henry Louis Norwest initially enlisted in Wetaskiwin as Henry Louie, listing his trade as "Cow Puncher". However, he was discharged just three months later for "drunkenness", according to official records. He then re-enlisted in Calgary, under the name of Henry Norwest.
In his nearly three years of service with the 50th Canadian Infantry Battalion, the lance corporal achieved a documented sniping record of 115 fatal shots. His true number of kills could be higher, because the military only recorded hits which had been witnessed by someone else. Norwest drew greatly upon his upbringing and experience as a hunter – moving with stealth, and making use of camouflage and the natural foliage around him to hide. As a result of his exceptional abilities his superiors frequently sent him on reconnaissance missions into "No Man's Land" or behind enemy lines.
In 1917, Norwest earned the Military Medal during the Battle of Vimy Ridge, in recognition of his contribution to the conquering of a significant point along the ridge. In the three months preceding the battle, Norwest killed 59 enemy soldiers. After his death, he was posthumously awarded the bar to his Military Medal. He was one of only 90 men in the CEF to earn the Military Medal with Bar. Only three months before the war ended, Norwest was on a mission to find a German sniper's lair when he was killed by the enemy sniper.
His Ross rifle is currently on display at The King's Own Calgary Regiment (RCAC) Museum, part of The Military Museums in Calgary. It is the second of three rifles that he used and was brought back to Canada by his spotter. The last rifle that Norwest carried was rumoured to have been taken by the German sniper who killed him on 18 August 1918 near Fouquescourt, Somme, France.
Personal life.
Nicknamed "Ducky", Henry Norwest was Métis of Cree/French origins from the Hobbema reserve in Alberta. Henry reportedly earned his nickname during the war because he was very popular with women at dance halls, and would dance for hours before "ducking" out on the women at the end of the night. Henry was married with three children, who were all sent to a residential school in Ermineskin, Alberta, prior to his enlistment. His wife died in Alberta sometime before he was killed in action. His three daughters became orphans upon his death, and spent most of their childhoods in a residential school. Henry is buried in the Warvillers Churchyard Extension Cemetery, Warvillers, Somme, France.
Legacy.
Fort Saskatchewan's cemetery features two large stones that each bear a plaque detailing his accomplishments during the war. His name was added to the community's cenotaph in 2008. The local branch of the Royal Canadian Legion hung his portrait in their canteen, named it in his honour, and placed an eagle feather, a sacred symbol in Cree culture, in glass beside his picture. It is estimated that Norwest has hundreds of descendants, mostly concentrated around Samson Cree First Nation in central Alberta.


USCGC Heriberto Hernandez

USCGC "Heriberto Hernandez" is the 14th cutter delivered to the United States Coast Guard. Like five of her sister ships, her initial assignment will see her based in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The Coast Guard decided to design all its new cutters, even its smallest, to be able to accommodate mixed sex crews. The Sentinels, and the smaller s, have berthing areas of various sizes, to make this possible. A Sentinel's complement is 22, and they are armed with a 25 mm Bushmaster autocannon, that can operated remotely, and four crew-served fifty caliber Browning machine guns. The cutters are equipped with a sophisticated modern sensor suite, that can share data with other vessels. The Sentinel class is equipped with a stern launching ramp, that can deploy and retrieve the vessel's 7-meter high-speed jet-boat, even when the vessels are underway. Only a single crewmember is required to remain on deck to deploy or retrieve the jet-boat.
"Heriberto Hernandez" was commissioned in her home port, San Juan, Puerto Rico, on October 16, 2015.
Operational career.
In January, 2019, the "Heriberto Hernandez" apprehended a small vessel with 35 people aboard they determined were intending to illegally enter the United States. Near the vessel they also found a floating backpack containing $3.6 million dollars worth of heroin. 27 of the vessel's occupants were turned over to the Dominican Republic, while the remaining 8 were turned over to the US Justice Department.
On January 5, 2021, while patrolling the Mona Passage, the "Heriberto Hernandez" sighted a suspicious vessel. The unregistered vessel, which seemed to be home-built, which had three men aboard, was found north of Desecheo Island. The crew of the "Heriberto Hernandez" deemed it unseaworthy, and took the men aboard. Biometric scans determined one of the men had an arrest warrant for a double murder in San Juan. The cutter rendevoused with a vessel from the Dominican Navy, to pass over the other two men, who claimed to be Dominican citizens, and then handed over custody of the suspect to officials of the US Marshall Service in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.
Namesake.
Like all of the cutters of her class she is named after someone who served in the Coast Guard, or one of its three precursor services, the United States Revenue Cutter Service, the United States Lighthouse Service or the United States Lifeboat Service, who was recognized for their heroism.
Heriberto Hernandez lost his life when he was a fireman on board a , . "Point Cypress" was patrolling a river in South Vietnam, during the Vietnam War, when he died. He received a posthumous Bronze Star for valor.


Forward Operating Base Geronimo

FOB Geronimo is a former Forward operating base located along the Helmand River Valley in Nawa-I-Barakzayi District, Helmand Province, Afghanistan. It was originally built by 1st Battalion, 5th Marines of the United States Marine Corps in 2009. It is in


Enlisted Retention Board

The Enlisted Retention Board is a tool used by United States Navy to break the enlistment contracts of mid-career enlisted Sailors (Sailors with 7 to 15 years of active military service). According to Mark Faram's story published in "Navy Times" on January 20, 2012, 2,947 Sailors were discharged from the United States NAVY via ERB as part of an effort to reduce personnel in 31 overmanned ratings. Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs), Juan M. Garcia III advised that though the primary criterion for ERB is sustained superior performance, the ERB contained both quota-based and performance-based elements.
Garcia's statement contradicts General Martin E. Dempsey's statement who, according to Alan Colmes (host of Alan Colmes Show) who appeared on a segment of Fox News on September 9, 2012, said that the board was actually performance based and the Sailors were discharged because they were not performing at the level they were supposed to. Dempsey's statement also contradicts Garcia's statement which insisted that "For ERB-eligible Sailors, this [ERB] should not be viewed as personal or reflected as poor performance, these are great Sailors (...)."
What makes the ERB process questionable from a legal stand point is the fact that according to US Congress military personnel cuts are legal only in one of two situations. One is if the military meets end strength. According to Lisa Wexler, an award-winning talk radio host and the creator and executive producer of The Lisa Wexler Show, this situation was not met. Secondly, the military is expected to offer voluntary discharges before involuntarily forcing personnel out of the military service.
The subject was first brought to the public through the SailorsagainstERB Facebook page. The page was created by one of the Navy spouses whose husband was not selected for retention by the Enlisted Retention Board. Not too long after that, the story was covered in November, in "Navy Times", by Mark D. Faram.


USCGC Campbell (WMEC-909)

USCGC "Campbell" (WMEC-909) is a United States Coast Guard medium endurance cutter based at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine. "Campbell" is the sixth Coast Guard Cutter to bear the name and is assigned to the Atlantic. The ship bears the distinction of having made some of the largest narcotics seizures in Coast Guard history as well as being the command ship for the TWA 800 recovery effort.
Construction and launch.
The ship WMEC-909's name primarily commemorates, USCGC "Campbell" (WPG-32), was sunk as a training target in November 1984. A final message, broadcast as she went down almost completely intact following a strike from a Harpoon missile, proclaimed the birth of the USCGC "Campbell" WMEC-909. It concluded with the words "The Queen is dead. Long live the Queen.", a reference to the "Queen of the Seas" title bestowed on the prior "Campbell" during her 46 years of service.
The keel for WMEC-909 had been laid at the Derecktor shipyard in Middletown, Rhode Island on 10 August 1984. She was launched on 29 April 1986 and commissioned into service on 19 August 1988. The USCGC "Campbell" was the ninth of thirteen Famous-class cutters built by Derecktor to replace World War II and pre–World War II cutters.
Mission.
The "Campbell" regularly patrols the Atlantic Ocean from the Gulf of Maine to the Caribbean Sea. Like the other Famous-class cutters, she was designed and built for multi-mission tasks in law enforcement, search and rescue, marine environmental protection and military preparedness. Her mission is defined by the Coast Guard as "Search and Rescue, Enforcement of Laws and Treaties, Fisheries Law Enforcement, Drug Interdiction, Alien and Migrant Interdiction, Homeland Port Security".
In the course of fulfilling this mission, "Campbell" has received more than one USCG Meritorious Unit Commendation.
Major events.
The first significant accomplishment of the new USCGC "Campbell" was the rescue of three survivors of the hurricane shipwreck of the S/V "Moorings 38" after six days at sea in September 1991.
On 5 January 1992, the "Campbell" interdicted the freighter "Harbour" with 10,422 lbs of cocaine on board. The freighter's crew attempted to burn and scuttle the ship, but crewmen from the "Campbell" successfully salvaged the vessel and the evidence on board. Other cocaine seizures include 480 kilos in March 1996 dropped by air, over 1000 kilos from the "M/V Sea Cliff" in 1996, and 2.9 tons from the former US Navy tug "Coshecton" in January 1998.
In July 1996, the "Campbell" responded to the crash of TWA Flight 800 in the Atlantic, securing the area from intrusion and serving as on-scene command for the retrieval and initial investigation.
While engaged in flight operations off the coast of Honduras the evening of 29 January 2001, a large wave rocked the "Campbell" just as HH-6571, an HH-65 Dolphin helicopter was touching down. The helicopter rolled to its side, impacting the deck with its rotors. 8 people were injured in the accident.
Coat of arms.
The US Army Institute of Heraldry designed a new coat of arms for USCGC "Campbell". Using colors from the traditions of Clan Campbell, it features a six-point ship's wheel (a symbol of seaworthiness representing the six "Campbell"s), on a blue shield (for defense and protection) with gold top that features a battering ram (to symbolize the World War II ramming of U-606 by the WPG-32), topped with a crown (recalling WPG-32's title "Queen of the Seas") accented with alternating blue and gold lightning bolts (representing fast-strike capability), held between two seahorses (found likewise on the crest of WPG-32) above a gold ribbon with the words "Tradition Pride Readiness" on a white background. Surrounding the image is a blue border with gold trim and gold words "USCGC Campbell WMEC 909".
In popular culture.
The "Campbell" was mentioned in John Ringo's 2013 book, "Under a Graveyard Sky" where it was found adrift following a zombie apocalypse. The few survivors of the ship join their rescuers once all the afflicted crew members have been eliminated.


Coast Guard Station Golden Gate

U.S. Coast Guard Station Golden Gate is a U.S. Coast Guard station in Sausalito, California. It falls under Coast Guard Sector San Francisco in the U.S.C.G.'s District Eleven.
Station Golden Gate is a designated Coast Guard surf station, where surf conditions greater than occur 36 days or more per year; as a surf station, it operates three 47-foot Motor Lifeboats and two 29-foot Response Boats - Small (RB-S).
History.
A life-saving station was established in Golden Gate Park on June 20, 1877, which later became the first of five life-saving stations in the Twelfth District of the United States Life-Saving Service. The Golden Gate Park station was later supplemented by stations at Fort Point, Point Reyes, Point Bonita, and Ocean Beach. When the Life-Saving Service merged with the United States Revenue Cutter Service in 1915 to form the United States Coast Guard, the San Francisco and Marin-area stations were gradually consolidated at Fort Point as Coast Guard Station No. 323.
In 1987, an agreement was reached to expand the scope of Station Fort Point, and its equipment and crews were relocated in 1990 to Fort Baker as Station Golden Gate on Horseshoe Bay. It is the busiest search and rescue station on the Pacific coast, averaging over 600 cases per year, with a geographic responsibility extending along the Pacific coast from Point Reyes to Point Ano Nuevo, including the Farallon Islands, and within San Francisco Bay from Bluff Point to Pier 39.


M School

M School was an "espionage academy run by the Red Army", c. 1920s.
Two of its notable attendees were Wilhelm Zaisser and Ernst Wollweber, who later became very influential in the intelligence activities of East Germany and West Germany in the Cold War.


Literary Battalion

The Literary Battalion was a military company composed of students from the University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Although there were a number of different incarnations of the group, the most notable fought in the Spanish War of Independence (1808–1814).
History.
The Literary Battalion was first formed in 1663, in the face of the Portuguese attacks on the town of Monterrey, after the revolt of Portugal against Spain in 1640. It formed again in 1665, 1808 and in 1846 (during the Solís Uprising). However, the 1808 unit is by far the most famous.
1808 campaign.
The unit was formed in 42 days, after a meeting held in the cloisters of the university presided over by Rafael Múzquiz, Archbishop of Compostela. In 1808, Juan Ignacio de Armada Caamaño Ibáñez de Mondragón y Salgado de Sotomayor (Marquis of Santa Cruz de Rivadulla) agreed to lead the unit and provide financial support. According to Alfonso Armada Comyn, the marquis at the time, "In order to be able to lead the university students he was made a doctor in all the faculties".
The unit's colours (which are today preserved in the Assembly Hall of the Faculty of Law of the university) were the blue and white of the Flag of Galicia and carried two shields: that of the ancient Kingdom of Galicia and the coat of arms of the university. This was surmounted by a royal crown and an inscription. The soldiers also carried a scroll containing a brief poem: "To rescue Fernando (King Fernando VII) and to put an end to Bonaparte Minerva and Mars are united."
On 18 July 1808 the battalion left to join the troops of General Joaquín Blake, where the Navarrese volunteers were joined by the vanguard. Among the multiple recorded exploits was that of entering incognito the city of A Coruña, taken by French Marshal Michel Ney, to reconnoitre the batteries.
In 1810 General Francisco Javier Castaños ordered the disbandment of the Literary Battalion, promoting the few survivors to the rank of officer in the military corps.
Remembrance.
A commemorative plaque in Quintana Plaza in the city of Santiago de Compostela bears the inscription:


German Army

The German Army () is the land component of the armed forces of Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German "Bundeswehr" together with the "Marine" (German Navy) and the "Luftwaffe" (German Air Force). , the German Army had a strength of 64,036 soldiers.
History.
Overview.
A German army equipped, organized, and trained following a single doctrine and permanently unified under one command in 1871 during the unification of Germany under the leadership of Prussia. From 1871 to 1919, the title "Deutsches Heer" (German Army) was the official name of the German land forces. Following the German defeat in World War I and the end of the German Empire, the main army was dissolved. From 1921 to 1935 the name of the German land forces was the "Reichsheer" (Army of the Empire) and from 1935 to 1945 the name "Heer" was used. The "Heer" was one of two ground forces of the Third Reich during World War II but, unlike the "Heer", the Waffen-SS was not a branch of the "Wehrmacht" but was a combat force under the Nazi Party's own "Schutzstaffel" forces. The "Heer" was formally disbanded in August 1946.
After World War II, Germany was split into two, the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) and The German Democratic Republic - 'GDR' (East Germany) and both formed their own militaries: on 12 November 1955 the first recruits began their service in the West German "Heer", while on 1 March 1956 the East German "Landstreitkräfte der NVA" (Land Forces of the National People's Army) were founded. During the Cold War, the West German Army was fully integrated into NATOs command structure while the "Landstreitkräfte" were part of the Warsaw Pact. Following the German reunification in 1990, the "Landstreitkräfte" were partially integrated into the German Army. Since then, the German Army has been employed in peacekeeping operations worldwide and since 2002 also in combat operations in Afghanistan as part of NATO's International Security Assistance Force.
Founding of the Army.
Following World War II the Allies dissolved the "Wehrmacht" with all its branches on 20 August 1946. However already one year after the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany in May 1949 and because of its increasing links with the West under German chancellor Konrad Adenauer, the Consultative Assembly of Europe began to consider the formation of a European Defence Community with German participation on 11 August 1950. Former high-ranking "Wehrmacht" officers outlined in the Himmeroder memorandum a plan for a "German contingent in an international force for the defense of Western Europe." For the German land forces the memorandum envisioned the formation of a 250,000 strong army. The officers saw the need for the formation of twelve Panzer divisions and six corps staffs with accompanying Corps troops, as only armored divisions could muster a fighting force to throw back the numerically far superior forces of the Warsaw Pact.
Theodor Blank was appointed "officer of the Federal Chancellor for the Strengthening of Allied Troops questions". This Defence Ministry forerunner was known somewhat euphemistically as the Blank Office (Amt Blank), but explicitly used to prepare for the rearmament of West Germany ("Wiederbewaffnung"). By March 1954 the Blank Office had finished plans for a new German army. Plans foresaw the formation of six infantry, four armoured, and two mechanised infantry divisions, as the German contribution to the defense of Western Europe in the framework of a European Defence Community. On 8 February 1952 the Bundestag approved a German contribution to the defense of Western Europe and on 26 February 1954 the Basic Law of the Republic was amended with the insertion of an article regarding the defence of the sovereignty of the federal government. Following a decision at the London Nine Power Conference of 28 September to 3 October 1954, Germany's entry into NATO effective from 9 May 1955 was accepted as a replacement for the failed European Defence Community plan. Afterwards the Blank Office was converted to the Defence Ministry and Theodor Blank became the first Defence Minister. The nucleus of army was the so-called "V" Branch of the Department of Defence. Subdivisions included were "VA Leadership and Training," "VB Organisation" and "VC Logistics."
The army saw itself explicitly not as a successor to the defeated "Wehrmacht", but as in the traditions of the Prussian military reformers of 1807 to 1814 and the members of the military resistance during National Socialism; such as the officers which undertook the failed 20 July plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler in 1944. Nevertheless, for lack of alternatives the officer corps was made up largely of former "Wehrmacht" officers. The first Chief of the Army was the former "Wehrmacht" "General der Panzertruppe" Hans Rottiger, who had been involved in the drafting of the Himmeroder memorandum.
The official date of the founding of the army is 12 November 1999 when the first soldiers began their service in Andernach. In 1956 the first troops set up seven training companies in Andernach and began the formation of schools and training centers. On 1 April 1957, the first conscripts arrived for service in the army. The first military organisations created were instructional battalions, officer schools, and the Army Academy, the forerunner to the "Führungsakademie der Bundeswehr" in Hamburg. In total of twelve armoured and infantry divisions were to be established by 1959, as planned in Army Structure I. To achieve this goal existing units were split approximately every six months. However the creation of all twelve divisions did not take place until 1965. At the end of 1958 the strength of the army was about 100,000 men. The army was equipped at first with American material, such as the M-47 Patton main battle tank. Three corps commands were formed beginning in 1957: the I Corps, II Corps, and the III Corps.
Also in 1957 the "Office for Territorial Defence" was established as the highest Territorial Army authority. The Office for Territorial Defence was under the direct command of the Federal Ministry of Defence and commanded the Territorial Army (Germany) ("Territorialheer"), a reserve formation. While the "Heer" along with the "Marine" and "Luftwaffe" were firmly integrated into the NATO Military Command Structure, the "Territorialheer" remained under national command. The main function of the "Territorialheer" was to maintain the operational freedom of NATO forces through providing rear area defence against saboteurs, enemy special forces, and the like. There were three Territorial Commands ("Territorialkommandos"), including North, , and , and up to six (WBKs), military regional commands. By 1985 each of the WBKs had two "Heimatschutzbrigades" (HSBs, home defence brigades).
The development of Soviet tactical nuclear weapons required the development of a new Army structure even before Army Structure I was fully achieved. To minimize the effects of attacks with tactical nuclear weapons on massed forces, the 28,000 strong divisions of the "Heer" were broken up into smaller and more mobile brigades. These smaller units were also to be capable of self-sustainment on an atomic battlefield for several days, and to be capable of to move quickly from defense and to attack. The new armoured and mechanized brigades were capable of combined arms combat. Each division was composed of three brigades. The armoured brigades consisted of an armoured infantry battalion, two armoured battalions, an armoured artillery battalion and a supply battalion. The mechanized brigades consisted of a motorized infantry battalion, two mechanized infantry battalions, an armored battalion, a field artillery battalion and a supply battalion. The motorized brigades consisted of three motorized infantry battalions, an anti-tank battalion, a field artillery battalion and a supply battalion. The alpine brigades consisted of three alpine battalions, a mountain artillery battalion and a supply battalion. By 1959 the "Heer" consisted of 11 divisions of 27 brigades, four "Panzer" (armoured), four "Panzergrenadier" (mechanized), two "Jäger" (motorized), and one "Gebirgsjäger" (alpine).
At the end of the Cold War the German Army fielded 12 divisions with 90 brigades: six "Panzer" (armoured), four "Panzergrenadier" (mechanized), one "Fallschirmjäger" (airborne), and one "Gebirgsjäger" (alpine) division. Nine divisions were grouped into three corps: I German Corps as part of NATO's Northern Army Group, II German Corps and III German Corps as part of Central Army Group. The remaining three divisions were part of Allied Forces Baltic Approaches (6th Panzergrenadier Division) and NORTHAG's I Netherlands Corps (3rd Panzer Division), while the 1st "Fallschirmjäger" Division was assigned in peacetime to II German Corps and doubled as general staff for the ACE Mobile Force (Land).
Post Cold War.
After 1990, the "Heer" absorbed the "Nationale Volksarmee", the armed forces of East Germany. The former East German forces were initially controlled by the "Bundeswehr" Command East under the command of Lieutenant General Jörg Schönbohm and disbanded on 30 June 1991. In the aftermath of the merger, the German Army consisted of four Corps (including IV Corps at Potsdam in the former DDR) with a manpower of 360,000 men. It was continuously downsized from this point. In 1994 III Corps was reorganised as the German Army Forces Command. In 1996, the 25th Airborne Brigade was converted into a new command leading the Army's special forces, known as the "Kommando Spezialkräfte".
The 2001 onwards restructuring of the German Army saw it move to a seven division structure – five mechanized (each with two mechanized brigades), one special forces, and one air assault.
In 2003, three Corps still existed, each including various combat formations and a maintenance brigade, as well as the I. German/Dutch Corps, a joint German-Netherlands organization, used to control in peacetime the 1st Panzer and 7th Panzer Divisions as well as Dutch formations. The 1st Panzer would have reported to the corps in wartime while the 7th would be posted to the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps. II Corps was German in peacetime but would have exchanged a division with the V U.S. Corps in time of war (the 5th Panzer). The 5th Panzer was formally Division disbanded as of 30 June 2001. In peacetime it also commanded the 10th Panzer Division, which was allocated to Eurocorps and which parents the German half of the Franco-German Brigade. The 1st Mountain Division at Munich was also subordinate to this headquarters.
The IV Corps was headquartered at Potsdam in eastern Germany and controlled two Panzer-Grenadier Divisions, the 13th and 14th. The 14th Panzergrenadier Division also took control of units in Western Germany re-subordinated from the 6th Panzergrenadier Division when it lost its command function. It would have made up the German contribution to the Multinational Corps Northeast in time of war. IV Corps also used to have under its command the Military District Command I, the 1st Airmobile Brigade, and the Berlin Command ().
German Army today.
All corps have now been disbanded or transferred to a multinational level such as Multinational Corps North East. IV Corps was reorganized and on 31 March 2002 became an overseas deployment command, the "Einsatzführungskommando der Bundeswehr", like the British Permanent Joint Headquarters. An army reorganisation in recent years has seen the disbandment of the 13th Mechanized Infantry Division headquarters, a merge of the Airmobile Operations Division and Special Operations Division headquarters, the disbandment of the 1st Airmobile Brigade, and reshuffling of units between divisions. No heavy brigades were disbanded, but the two remaining heavy divisions command three rather than two brigades.
 there were a total of 64,036 soldiers on active service in the German Army. However, the quite unique German military branch of the Joint Support Service consists to a significant degree of "Heeresuniformträger" (army uniform wearing personnel). This is also contributed to by the Joint Medical Service, which does have other solely-military-medical branch counterparts (such as in South Africa).
In accordance with EU working hour regulations, the regular work-week is 41 hours, although numerous exceptions exist for e.g. deployments in oversea missions, training exercises, emergencies, and similar military needs.
Modern equipment.
Further vehicles include:
Armoured personnel carrier and fighting vehicles:
Trucks:
Structure and organisation.
The German Army is commanded by the Inspector of the Army ("Inspekteur des Heeres") based at the Army Command ("Kommando Heer") in Strausberg near Berlin. The training centers are supervised by the Army Training Command in Leipzig.
The combat units of the army include two armoured divisions, one rapid forces division and the Franco-German Brigade, which is under direct supervision of the Army Command. Unlike other European armies such as neighbouring France, regiments are not a common form of organization and are thus rare in the German army. Battalions are directly subordinate to brigades or to divisions as divisional troops. German infantry battalions field 1,000 men, considerably larger than most NATO armies, (e.g. twice the size of a US Army battalion).
Truppengattungen.
The German Army has eleven different branches of troops, designated as "Truppengattungen". Each "Truppengattung" is responsible for training and readiness of its units and disposes of its own schools and centres of excellence for doing so. Optically this distinction can be made by the branch colour, called "Waffenfarbe" which is displayed by a cord attached to the rank insignia, and the colour of their beret with a specific badge attached to it.
Beret Colour (Army only and Security Units of Navy and Air Force)
Grey mountain cap ("Bergmütze"): Mountain Troops "Gebirgsjäger"
"Waffenfarbe" (Army and army support branch only)
Rank structure.
The rank structure of the German army is adjusted to the rank structure of NATO. Unlike its predecessors, the modern German Army does not use the rank of Colonel General. The highest rank for an army officer is Lieutenant General, as the rank of Full General is reserved for the Armed Forces chief of staff or officers serving as NATO officers.


USCGC Anacapa

USCGC "Anacapa" (WPB-1335) is an of the United States Coast Guard. She is based at Petersburg, Alaska and is responsible for law enforcement, search and rescue, and maritime defense.
Design and characteristics.
The Island-class patrol boats, including "Anacapa", were constructed in Bollinger Shipyards in Lockport, Louisiana. Their design is based on the British Vosper Thornycroft patrol boats and have similar dimensions"." "Anacapa" has an overall length of , a beam of , and a draft of at full load. The patrol boat has a displacement of 155 tons at full load and 138 tons at half load. "Anacapa" was launched on September 8, 1989. She was the 35th Island-class vessel completed.
The Coast Guard purchased 49 Island-class cutters, and over the course of their construction made several modifications. The ships are grouped into A, B, and C classes depending on their design. "Anacapa" is a B-class ship and thus has heavier bow plating to prevent hull cracking in heavy seas, among other enhancements.
"Anacapa" is powered two Paxman Valenta 16 CM Diesel engines which drive two 5-blade propellers. She has two Caterpillar 3304T diesel generators for electrical power. Her hull is constructed of high-strength steel, and her superstructure and main deck are constructed of aluminium. Stern flaps were retrofitted to reduce hull friction, and increase speed and full efficiency. "Anacapa" has active fin stabilizers to improve her seakeeping characteristics.
The Island-class patrol boats have maximum sustained speeds of . They are fitted with one 25mm machine gun and two Browning .50 Caliber Machine Gun. They are equipped with satellite navigation systems, collision avoidance systems, and surface radar. They have a range of at 8 knots, and an at-sea endurance of five days.
"Anacapa" carries one 18-foot rigid hull inflatable boat with seating for 8 crew.
"Anacapa's" complement is 2 officers and 14 enlisted crew.
"Anacapa's" namesake is Anacapa Island, one of the Channel Islands off the Southern California coast.
Operational history.
The "Anacapa" has been homeported in Petersburg, Alaska for her entire career. She was commissioned there on January 13, 1990. She replaced USCGC "Cape Hatteras" at that station. Her primary missions are law enforcement, including safety and fisheries laws, search and rescue, and maritime defense operations.
The ship's law enforcement duties have included policing the international border with Canada. The United States and Canada disagree on the location of the maritime border in Dixon Entrance. This led to a series of seizures of Canadian fishing boats by "Anacapa" in the disputed waters. "Western Eagle" was fishing 300 yards into U.S. waters when she was seized on July 15, 1991. The troller "Barbarella" was seized 800 yards north of the border claimed by the U.S. on July 14, 1991. A 1990 agreement between the two countries reduced fishing conflicts when it became effective in 1992. Nonetheless, patrols of the disputed waters continued and on June 22, 1995 "Anacapa" seized the Canadian fishing vessel "Chi Dona" 300 yards north of the border.
"Anacapa" also enforces fishing, safety, and other regulations on U.S.-flagged vessels. On August 11, 1993 a boarding party from "Anacapa" removed 15 illegal immigrants working aboard the fish processing ship "Ocean Pride". She conducts routine safety inspections of vessels in her patrol area. In the summer of 2018, for instance, "Anacapa's" boardings found three vessels in violation of various regulations.
"Anacapa's" search and rescue missions frequently involve the sizable local fishing fleet. For example, on May 8, 1992 "Anacapa" towed the fishing vessel "Justy" back to Petersburg with a malfunctioning propeller shaft. The next day she towed the disabled fishing vessel "Sirius" to Petersburg with a bad oil pump. In July of 1996 "Anacapa" rescued the four-man crew of the capsized fishing vessel "Baranof Queen". While assisting the local fishing fleet may be the norm, Anacapa has responded on a wide range of search and rescue missions. For example, on January 20, 1990, a week after her commissioning, the Canadian tanker "Frank H. Brown" went aground in Wrangell Narrows and spilled 57,600 gallons of gasoline into the waterway. In December 2008 "Anacapa" sailed to the Coast Guard Yard in Curtis Bay, Maryland for a major renovation under the Mission Effectiveness Program. The renovation was intended to extend the service life of the cutter. Significant portions of corroded hull plating, air-conditioning, water makers, and fire systems were replaced, and a number of major systems, including main engine control, were upgraded. The cost of the upgrade was between $7 and $9 million.
On May 31, 2011, Lieutenant Matthias Wholley was relieved of command of the "Anacapa" six weeks ahead of schedule. On June 30, 2011, the Coast Guard announced that an investigation had confirmed Wholley had been intoxicated while on duty. Wholley received a letter of reprimand, 60-day restriction, and forfeiture of half months pay for two months.
On 5 April 2012, the "Anacapa" intercepted the derelict 165 ft Japanese squid fishing boat "Ryou-Un Maru" in the Gulf of Alaska 180 miles (290 km) off the coast of Southeast Alaska. It had been washed away from its mooring in Aomori Prefecture, Japan by the March 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, and had drifted unmanned for more than a year across the Pacific Ocean. The Coast Guard concluded that it was safer to sink it deep water rather than let it continue to drift and possibly become a hazard to navigation or the environment. The "Anacapa" fired on the ghost ship with her Mk 38 25mm autocannon, holing it and eventually sinking it with fire hoses in approximately 1,800-metre (6,000 ft) of water.
"Anacapa" has earned the Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation and the Special Operations Service Ribbon.
Replacement plans.
As early as the mid-2000s the mechanical reliability of the aging Island-class ships became an issue. The Coast Guard began retiring Island-class cutters in 2012, replacing them with Sentinel-class fast-response cutters. The Coast Guard has indicated that it plans to replace "Anacapa" with a Marine Protector-Class coastal patrol boat rather than a fast response cutter.


List of hull classifications

The list of hull classifications comprises an alphabetical list of the hull classification symbols used by the United States Navy to identify the type of a ship.
The combination of symbol and hull number identify a modern Navy ship uniquely. A heavily modified or repurposed ship may receive a new symbol, and either retain the hull number or receive a new one. Also, the system of symbols has changed a number of times since it was introduced in 1907, so ships' symbols sometimes change without anything being done to the physical ship.
Many of the symbols listed here are not presently in use. The Naval Vessel Register maintains an online database of U.S. Navy ships.
The 1975 ship reclassification of cruisers, frigates, and ocean escorts brought U.S. Navy classifications into line with other nations' classifications, and eliminated the perceived "cruiser gap" with the Soviet Navy.
If a ship's hull classification symbol has "T-" preceding it, that symbolizes that it is a ship of the Military Sealift Command, with a primarily civilian crew.


USCGC Aurora

USCGC "Aurora" (WPC-103) was a , steel-hulled, diesel-powered of the United States Coast Guard.
History.
She was laid down in January 1931 at the Bath, Maine shipyard of Bath Iron Works and launched on 28 November 1931 one of 18 "Thetis"-class patrol boats. She was commissioned on 21 December 1931. She was one of the early ships in the mid-1941 established Alaskan Sector (colloquially known as the "Alaskan Navy") of the 13th Naval District under Captain Ralph C. Parker. During the Japanese attack on the Aleutian Islands in June 1942, she served as part of Task Force 8 under Rear Admiral Robert A. Theobald, Commander of the North Pacific Force, tasked with defending Alaska from Japanese attack. She was part of Task Group 8.2 (the Surface Search Group) consisting of the patrol craft of Parker's fleet: his flagship, the gunboat (); 5 cutters ("Aurora", , , "Cyane", and "Bonham"); 14 YP patrol vessels; and an old ocean tugboat (). TG 8.2 was to establish a picket line to signal any Japanese approach. Their picket was augmented by planes from the Air Search Group consisting of twenty PBY Catalina flying boats (operated by seaplane tenders , , and ) and one land-based B-17 Flying Fortress bomber.
Some time after the war, she was based at San Juan, Puerto Rico. She was involved in operations during the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962) and the Dominican Civil War (1965) for which she was awarded the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal. She was decommissioned on 17 January 1960 and sold on 16 December 1968. She finished her days as a merchant ship under the same name (registration SE1998).


Navy Exchange

Navy Exchange is a retail store chain owned and operated by the United States Navy under the Navy Exchange Service Command (NEXCOM). The Navy Exchange offers goods and services to active military, retirees, and certain civilians on Navy installations in the United States, overseas Navy bases, and aboard Navy ships. The Navy Exchange is a type of base exchange, but is separate from the others (Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES), Marine Corps Exchange, and Coast Guard Exchange).
History.
The beginnings of the Navy Exchange, referred to by sailors as the “NEX,” started in the 1800s, when enterprising citizens would greet a Navy ship coming into port by sailing out to meet it in what were called “bumboats.” These merchants would sell goods to sailors, often at inflated prices and reportedly shoddy quality.
In 1896, a “canteen” was opened on the USS Indiana, purportedly to help keep the sailors’ money on the ship, and to ensure that they were receiving a fair deal. The Naval Appropriations Act of March 3, 1909 established the first official stores and commissaries on ships. This pressure on bumboat operators caused some to change tactics, and begin offering services, such as hair cuts and shoe repair, to sailors. This led to a separate type of retail operation, a “ship services store,” to be created aboard naval vessels. The two types of retail outlets were later combined to increase efficiency and save space.
As retail options on ships grew, so did their shore-side counterparts. In 1946, a committee, headed by Captain Wheelock H. Bingham, recommended that the shore-side retail operations be rolled into the same bureau as the ship-based retail locations. In 1946, these recommendations led to the creation of the Navy Ship’s Store Office, the precursor to the modern Navy Exchange.
Today, the Navy Exchange operates much like many other major retailers, selling hard goods and clothing, as well as providing services such as barbering, floral arrangement, and laundry (depending on location). Most Navy Exchanges are located on military bases, though some lease private buildings, while others, called "Ship's Stores," operate on Navy vessels such as aircraft carriers.
NEXCOM, the Navy Exchange Service Command, operates multiple business lines, including Navy Exchange retail stores, Navy Lodge hotels, the Navy Uniform Project Management Office (UPMO), Navy Clothing Textile and Research Facility (NCTRF), the Ship's Stores Program, and the Telecommunications Program Office (TPO).
On Jan. 13 2017, the Department of Defense announced that all honorably discharged veterans would be eligible to shop tax-free online military exchanges starting Nov. 11, 2017. The expanded benefit is expected to make online exchange privileges available to as many as 13 million veterans. Six months later, the military exchanges launched VetVerify.org, an online service where veterans can verify their eligibility to shop online exchanges, on June 5, 2017. It was concurrently announced that some veterans who register would be selected to shop ahead of the Nov. 11 launch as beta testers.


Air Staff (United Kingdom)

Air Staff is the body of Royal Air Force officers responsible for the running of the RAF. Generally, the heads of the various departments of the Air Staff formed, together with members of the Air Ministry (the British government department in charge of aviation matters), the Air Council.
The Air Staff issued "Targets" (AST) which were a stated requirement for an aircraft to fulfil a role within the RAF. E.g Air Staff Target 362 was for a trainer aircraft to replace the Folland Gnat, the resulting aircraft was the SEPECAT Jaguar. When a specification moved from the initial requirements to a production contract, it became an Air Staff Requirement (ASR).
Composition.
The Air Staff was composed of several posts.


Force Health and Wellness Unit Award

The Force Health and Wellness Unit Award, commonly known as the Green "H", is awarded annually by Commander, Naval Surface Forces to the U.S. Navy ships, submarines, aviation, and other units in recognition of the unit's commitment to the health and welfare of its sailors and marines.
The criterion for the Force Health and Wellness Unit Award include medical readiness, physical readiness and health promotions programs. In order to qualify, units must maintain medical readiness standards throughout the year and demonstrate the impact that the health and fitness programs have on their sailors.
Ships that earn a Force Health and Wellness Unit Award are authorized to paint a green "H" on their stacks or elsewhere to display evidence of the honor. For each subsequent consecutive competition won, the ship paints an angled line, or hashmark, below the green "H". After five consecutive awards, a green star is painted above the "H". The "H" and any hashmarks or stars are removed in the year the ship first fails to win the award.


Charleston, Oregon

Charleston () is an unincorporated community in Coos County, Oregon, United States. Charleston is the least populated (Pop. 795 [2017]) community in Oregon's Bay Area and is Home to a large commercial fishing fleet, it is adjacent to the ocean entrance to Coos Bay. Charleston is the site of the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology and the United States Coast Guard Charleston Lifeboat Station.
Charleston was named for Charles Haskell, a settler who filed a land claim along South Slough in 1853. South Slough is an arm of Coos Bay, which it enters near the bay's mouth on the Pacific Ocean. Oregon Route 540, which crosses the slough southwest of Barview, passes through Charleston and links it to three state parks further south along the coast: Sunset Bay, Shore Acres, and Cape Arago.
Postal authorities established a post office in Charleston in 1924. The community's ZIP code is 97420.
Estuarine Research Reserve.
The South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, a reserve along the Coos Bay Estuary, was established in Charleston in 1974. It was the first of 28 such reserves in the United States and the only one in Oregon.


Cutter (G.I. Joe)

Cutter is a fictional character from the toyline, comic books and animated series. He is the G.I. Joe Team's hovercraft pilot and debuted in 1984.
Profile.
His real name is Skip A. Stone, and his rank is that of Coast Guard lieutenant junior grade O-2. Cutter was born in Kinsley, Kansas.
Cutter's primary military specialty is hovercraft captain and his secondary military specialty is special services (he coached the women's swimming team at Annapolis). After trying unsuccessfully to get into Annapolis for two years, Cutter opted for the Coast Guard Academy at New London, Connecticut instead. Although his home town is in the central United States, Cutter always wanted a life at sea. When he found out the Joe Team had no members from the Coast Guard, he pressured the Coast Guard, until they pulled strings to get him on the team and out of their hair.
Cutter wears a cap similar to the one worn by the Boston Red Sox baseball team.
Toys.
Cutter was first released as an action figure in 1984, packaged with the W.H.A.L.E. hovercraft. His hat sports the Red Sox logo. A new version of Cutter was released as an action figure in 1992, as part of the D.E.F. (Drug Elimination Force) line. The figure was repainted and released as part of the Battle Corps line in 1993, packaged with the "Shark 9000".
Comics.
Marvel Comics.
In the Marvel Comics G.I. Joe series, he first appeared in "" #25 (July 1984) as the commander of the ship "G.I.Jane". Cutter is injured later when Destro fires upon the Joe hovercraft, the 'W.H.A.L.E.' In the very next issue, Destro attacks on foot; Cutter is further injured when fighting him hand to hand. Despite this, he steals a boat to travel back to the 'Jane'. He continues leading the pursuit against Destro, who ultimately escapes.
He is a supporting character in the fourth yearbook, leading a surveillance team to spy on Cobra Island. The team comes into conflict with the Oktober Guard, who intend to kidnap Cobra Commander. They fail to do so, damaging their stolen Cobra Mamba in the process. Cutter negotiates the return of two captured Guard members for the damaged Mamba.
IDW Comics.
Cutter was one of the fatalities in Storm Shadow's attack on the USS Flagg. He is impaled in the upper chest and uses this to deny Storm Shadow his sword.
Animated series.
He first appeared in the "" animated series in the second miniseries, "The Revenge of Cobra." He was portrayed as a cocky smart-aleck who continually got on the nerves of his teammates by tactlessly shooting off his mouth. He is also featured in "Bazooka Saw A Sea Serpent". Cutter was voiced by Gregg Berger in a slightly exaggerated Bostonian accent (despite the character's origins having him hail from the American Midwest).


Order of battle at the Battle of the Basque Roads

The Battle of the Basque Roads was a major naval battle of the Napoleonic Wars, fought in the narrow Basque Roads at the mouth of the Charente River on the Biscay coast of France. The battle, which lasted from 11–25 April 1809, was unusual in that it pitted a hastily-assembled squadron of small and unorthodox British Royal Navy warships, distantly supported by a larger fleet, against the main strength of the French Atlantic Fleet, the circumstances dictated by the cramped, shallow coastal waters in which the battle was fought. The battle is also notorious for its political aftermath in both Britain and France.
In February 1809 the French Atlantic Fleet, based at Brest was ordered to sail to the Caribbean to disrupt a British attack on Martinique. The fleet sailed on 22 February but was unable to escape British pursuit and four days latter anchored in the sheltered position of Basque Roads (or Aix Roads), under the batteries of the fortified Île-d'Aix. A detachment from the British Channel Fleet, commanded by Admiral Lord Gambier, had followed the French to the harbour and there enacted a close blockade. While Gambier debated what action to take, command of the French fleet was awarded to Contre-amiral Zacharie Allemand, who strengthened the fleet's defences and awaited a British attack. In Britain, First Lord of the Admiralty Lord Mulgrave, called on one of the nation's most popular, maverick young naval officers, Captain Lord Cochrane, to prepare an inshore squadron to attack the French.
Cochrane fitted out 24 fireships and explosion vessels and on the night of 11 April led them into the Roads, accompanied by a squadron of small vessels. The fireships caused panic among the French crews, who cut their anchor cables and drifted onto the rocks and shoals of the anchorage. When morning came, Cochrane found that almost the entire French fleet was at his mercy, and signaled to Gambier suggesting that if he would lead the British fleet into the Roads they could destroy the entire French force. Gambier did not respond, and eventually in frustration Cochrane led his own ship directly into combat. Unable to leave his subordinate unsupported, Gambier sent a small squadron of ships of the line to reinforce Cochrane, and on 12 April three French ships of the line, a frigate, and a large storeship were battered into surrender and then set on fire as damaged beyond repair.
Gambier then ordered the reinforcements to withdraw, leaving Cochrane again unsupported against the rest of the main French fleet which was gradually dragging itself off the shoals and into the relative safety of the Charente River. Cochrane renewed his attack on 13 April but was unable to cause any significant damage to the French ships as they threw stores and guns overboard to facilitate their escape. On the morning of 14 April Gambier directly ordered Cochrane to retire, turning command of the operation over to Captain George Wolfe. Cochrane reluctantly complied, and on 15 April sailed back to Britain with dispatches.
Wolfe renewed attacks on the remaining stranded ships of the French fleet over the next week, but with little effect. The battle concluded, Gambier sailed his fleet back to Britain. The engagement was a victory for the British, with five French ships destroyed and several others badly damaged, but there was much discontent in Britain, both among the Navy and the public, that a larger victory had been lost through over-caution. In the aftermath several French captains were subject to courts-martial, and one was shot for cowardice, while in Britain the acrimony between Cochrane and Gambier resulted in a dramatic court-martial of Gambier, in which he was sensationally acquitted.
British fleet.
"Note that as carronades were not traditionally taken into consideration when calculating a ship's rate, these ships may have been carrying more guns than indicated below."
French fleet.
"Officers killed in action are marked with a "" symbol. Note that as "obusiers" were not traditionally taken into consideration when calculating a ship's rate, these ships may have been carrying more guns than indicated below."


Central Band of the Canadian Armed Forces

The Central Band of the Canadian Armed Forces (French: Musique Centrale des Forces Armées Canadiennes) is one of six full-time Regular Force military bands in the Canadian Armed Forces. It is also the seniormost military band in the CAF. The band provides professional musical support for the representative institutions of the Canadian Forces, supporting the Department of National Defence and the Government of Canada in events throughout the National Capital Region.
The Central Band of the CAF plays by permission of the Commandant of Canadian Forces Support Group (Ottawa-Gatineau) in Ottawa and, like all Regular Force military bands, is composed solely of auditioned, military-qualified musicians. Because of its previous history as the Royal Canadian Air Force's premier band, musicians parade and attend functions in the RCAF's uniform.
History.
The band was originally created in 1940 as the Central Band of the RCAF (Royal Canadian Air Force). By 1964, the Central Band of the RCAF became the only Air Force band in service prior to the Unification of the Canadian Armed Forces. In February 1968, the RCAF band merged with the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery Band to become the National Band of the Canadian Armed Forces, which had servicemen from the Army, Navy, and Air Force in its ranks. Its first performance was given at a NATO festival in 1968. It was given its current name in 1970. Under its first director of music Lieutenant Commander William J Gordon, the band established itself as a senior band in the Canadian Forces, performing with the United States Army Field Band at Centennial Concert Hall in Winnipeg in 1970. In 1974, Lynn Hong, who was the first woman to join a military band in Canada, joined the band at the request of Major Derek Stannard. In March 1991, as Operation Desert Storm was being honored by the Toronto Blue Jays in a ceremony titled "WELCOME HOME!", the central band threw the first ball as they were opening the team's first game of the season.
Recognition and activities.
For over 70 years, the Central Band of the Canadian Armed Forces has provided professional musical support for military and Government of Canada events. The band regularly performs for Canadian Royalty, the Governor General of Canada and Prime Minister of Canada, as well as foreign Heads of State, and government. It has also performed at many public concerts throughout Canada and around the world. The band used to give annual performances during the changing of the guard ceremony on Parliament Hill each summer until 1979 when those duties were assumed by the Band of the Ceremonial Guard. It also takes part in the Swearing-in ceremony of the Governor General of Canada. The band has also toured Europe frequently and has made appearances at several NATO music festivals. The band performed alongside the Band of Royal 22nd Regiment during the 2017 Invictus Games opening and closing ceremony.
Composition.
The following ensembles serve within the CAF Central Band:
Five members of the band constitute the Canadian Forces Serenade of Strings who regularly perform at functions of the Governor General at Rideau Hall. On occasion, it is augmented with flute and clarinet players.
Albums.
The Cenral Band of the CAF has released the following albums:


USCGC Greenbrier

Two vessels of the United States Coast Guard have borne the name USCGC "Greenbrier":


Texas Twister

Texas Twister is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Roy Thomas and penciller George Pérez and first appeared in "Fantastic Four" vol.1 #177 (December 1976). He was a S.H.I.E.L.D. Super-Agent and he is a member of the Rangers, the American Southwest superhero team.
Publication history.
Texas Twister first appeared in "Fantastic Four" vol.1 #177 (December 1976), and was created by writer Roy Thomas and penciller George Pérez. One year later, with writer Don Glut and penciller John Buscema, Roy Thomas further developed his creation in "Captain America" vol. 1 #217 (January 1978). Texas Twister became a member of S.H.I.E.L.D. Super-Agents. This team was also depicted in the next issue of "Captain America" written by Don Glut and drawn by Sal Buscema. Writers Roger Slifer and Len Wein used the cowboy character and made him an opponent of the Human Torch in "Fantastic Four" vol.1 #192 (March 1978). The issue was drawn by his cocreator George Pérez. The S.H.I.E.L.D. Super-Agents reappeared in "Captain America" vol.1 #228-229 (December 1978 - January 1979), written by Roger McKenzie and drawn by Sal Buscema. Texas Twister appeared in a flashback in the story "Aftermath" published in "Captain America" vol.1 #231 (March 1979).
In the story "You Get What You Need!" published in "Incredible Hulk" vol.1 #265 (November 1981), Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema created the superhero team Rangers. In addition to Texas Twister, the team consists of western characters Shooting Star, Firebird, the Phantom Rider (Hamilton Slade, then called Night Rider), and the contemporary Red Wolf. Along many superheroes, Texas Twister appeared in the three-issue comic book limited series "Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions" (June–August 1982). The series was written by Mark Gruenwald with art by John Romita, Jr. and Bob Layton. The Rangers appeared in "Incredible Hulk " vol.2 #279 (January 1983) written by Bill Mantlo.
Texas Twister has been identified as one of the 142 registered superheroes who appear on the cover of the comic book "" #1 (June 2007). The character appeared in the issues 1, 2 and 19 of this series.
In 2012, writer Chris Yost chose the Texas team the Rangers to come into conflict with Houston's new superhero Scarlet Spider in the story "The Second Master" in "Scarlet Spider" #7-9. In an interview with Comic Book Resources, at a question about the antagonists in the story, Chris Yost answered "You'll also be seeing a well known super-hero group from the American southwest named -- wait for it -- The Rangers! Texas Twister! Shooting Star! Red Wolf! Living Lightning! Firebird! Even a new hero or two! And spoiler alert -- Scarlet Spider will fight them.".
Texas Twister has entries in the "Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe" vol.1 #11, "OHOTMU Deluxe Edition" #13, the "OHOTMU Master Edition", "All-New OHOTMU Update" #4 and has a partial entry in "Civil War Files".
Fictional character biography.
Drew Daniels was born in Amarillo, Texas. He is working as a cattle hand at a ranch when a tornado and radiation from a nearby nuclear reactor affect him at the same time. The net effect was to give him the power to generate tornadoes at will. Calling himself Texas Twister, he answers a newspaper ad placed by the Wizard to fill a vacancy in the Frightful Four. When he discovers they would not pay him to join, Twister declined membership.
He instead accepts the offer to join the Super-Agent program being developed by S.H.I.E.L.D.. When he tries out for the program, he spars with Captain America. He entered a cross-country car race with the Human Torch, and scouted him out for the program. He was later seen sparring with Captain America again; however, two of the four super-agent trainees, Blue Streak and the Vamp, turn out to be traitors, so the Texas Twister quits and the program was disbanded.
Twister decides to use his powers to earn a living and joined Cody's Rodeo Extravaganza as a rodeo performer. There he meets Shooting Star, who would become his partner both professionally and personally. Trying to garner publicity for themselves, Star and Twister answer a summons from Rick Jones, seeking the help of the Avengers in containing a rampage by the Hulk. The pair meet up with Firebird, Night Rider and Red Wolf, and after they rescued Rick Jones from the Corruptor, the five decided to continue to work together as the team of adventurers known as the Rangers. Texas Twister was abducted to take part in the original "Contest of Champions", but wound up being one of the heroes left behind in the arena to watch.
Shooting Star's identity was at some point taken over by a demon named Riglevio in the employ of Master Pandemonium, who believed Firebird to be one of the possessors of his fragmented soul. To keep the Rangers from meeting regularly and perhaps posing a threat to him before he had completed his study of Firebird, Pandemonium dispatches the demon to take Shooting Star's place. Firebird nevertheless believed the demon to be hiding among the Avengers' West Coast branch and with her guidance the Rangers confronted the heroes. This serves to bring the demon out of hiding. The demon claims that Shooting Star was a human guise it had taken long before, and that there never was a Victoria Star. The Avengers imprisoned the demon at their Compound and began an investigation of Master Pandemonium. For his own unrevealed reasons, the Texas Twister did not accompany them. Phantom Rider helped him try to summon a demon to help him get revenge, but instead they summoned Arkon who sought to attack the Avengers.
Soon, however, Texas Twister returns to the Avengers Compound at a time when Hawkeye was alone, demanding to see the captive demon. Twister declares his love for the demon, which turns back into Shooting Star. Texas Twister went on to explain that the demon had come to him months ago when Twister's powers seemed to be fading, making him afraid that he'd lose Shooting Star if their rodeo act broke up on account of his lost powers. The demon offered to augment the Twister's powers in exchange for his soul, and the Twister agreed, but after his powers were restored he begged to be spared. The demon then takes over Shooting Star instead. The demon proceeds to cast a spell that prevents Twister from telling anyone about this. The spell did not prevent Twister from researching the occult on his own; this is how he finds a way to break the demon's original spell. After exorcising the demon from Shooting Star, the demon then possesses Twister himself and battles Hawkeye and Shooting Star. Ultimately, Star threatens to kill the demon rather than allow the possession to continue, and the demon reluctantly imprisons itself in a statue. Texas Twister and Shooting Star are finally reunited.
The supervillain Graviton tried to take over the world and suspended many heroes in the air using his powers. Texas Twister, along with the rest of the Rangers, were among them. The Thunderbolts defeated Graviton and the heroes returned to the ground. Texas Twister later fought Southpaw in Texas.
During the "Civil War" storyline, Texas Twister was recruited by the Thunderbolts to help round up un-registered superheroes as a way of working off the public properties he accidentally destroyed when he was drunk. He was placed as leader of the Beta Squad of the Thunderbolts Army, covering the Los Angeles area.
Weeks after the conclusion to the Civil War event, Texas Twister was seen as a member of Texas' new government-sponsored superhero team, the revived Rangers, as part of the 50 States Initiative Program. Using a floating base called a 'Terrorcarrier', HYDRA attacks Crawford, Texas, a vacation spot for President George W. Bush. He and his fellow Rangers join a large group of heroes in attacking the carrier. Twister is injured in the firefight. The carrier is destroyed and the President is unharmed.
During the "Secret Invasion" storyline, Texas Twister was with the Rangers when they, Delroy Garrett / 3-D Man, and Eric O'Grady / Ant-Man were fighting a Skrull that was posing as Lobo, Red Wolf's wolf. The Rangers come into conflict with Kaine alias Scarlet Spider in Houston, then they joined forces with him to battle a monster made of pure energy.
During the "Secret Empire" storyline, Texas Twister joins the Underground when Hydra takes over the United States.
Powers and abilities.
Thanks to bombardment by radioactive particles during a tornado, Texas Twister has the psychokinetic ability to accelerate air molecules to high velocity, thereby creating a tornado-like mass of swirling wind around him. Although he usually creates the tornado with himself at the center, he can create tornadoes up to away from his body. He can control the size of the tornado at will and can create a tornado in diameter with outer winds moving at speeds up to . Such a wind swirling about his body is capable of lifting him off the ground and supporting him in midair. He has superhuman reflexes, and various abilities enabling him to withstand the rigors of motion inside a tornado, such as denser skin to prevent unwanted heat loss, friction burns, and particle abrasions, enhanced eyesight, and a high degree of resistance to dizziness and motion sickness.
Texas Twister is an expert rodeo rider, lasso thrower, and sharpshooter. He has also undergone S.H.I.E.L.D. unarmed combat training.
In other media.
Texas Twister appeared in the "" episode "The Cure". After Thing had been restored back to Ben Grimm, Texas Twister auditioned to be his replacement alongside Captain Ultra, Flatman, Frog-Man, She-Hulk, and Squirrel Girl. He accidentally threw the audition room into disorder when he triggered one of his twisters and was rejected. In an interview with Marvel Animation Age, at the comment "There are lots of cameos in the FF's 'audition' scene, including the Fabulous Frog-Man and the Texas Twister...", writer Dan Slott declared "And Captain Ultra! Don't forget Captain Ultra! What a kick, right? I can't believe that I had a hand in bringing Texas Twister to the small screen. Now I can die happy.".