Military Order of the Carabao

The Military Order of the Carabao is a social club open to officers of the U.S. military and war correspondents who served in the Philippines or on overseas official military campaigns. The order was initially created to satirize the pompous and pretentious Military Order of the Dragon. Descendants of those eligible for membership are themselves eligible, regardless of military service. the annual dues were US$50.
Background.
The organization was founded in 1900 by U.S. officers stationed in the Philippines during the Philippine Insurrection that occurred after the Spanish–American War. The idea for a lampoon was conceived by several Army officers one night at the Army-Navy Club in Manila. This organization was founded to counter and satirize the Military Order of the Dragon, founded by other American officers who served in the short-lived Boxer uprising in China. Only the Carabao survives today.
The carabao referred to in the organization's name is a domesticated water buffalo used as a beast of labor in the Philippines. The group's membership is referred to as "the herd" and individual members are called "bulls." At each annual Wallow, the incoming Grand Paramount Carabao promises to "keep the herd well-wetted down."
The Military Order of the Carabao is one of several military orders in the United States composed of commissioned officers and their descendants. Other military orders include the Society of the Cincinnati, the Aztec Club of 1847, the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, the Military Order of the Stars and Bars, the Military Order of the Dragon, the Naval Order of the United States, the Military Order of Foreign Wars, the Order of Lafayette and the Military Order of the World Wars.
Carabao Wallow.
The organization sponsors an annual social event called the Carabao Wallow, a black-tie, military-dress affair attended by members of the U.S. military, the U.S. government, and corporations associated with the military, such as defense contractors. Members perform semi-professional musical skits at the Wallow that often poke fun at national and international issues as well as current events. It is not uncommon for the Carabao players to spoof the high-ranking guests seated at the Head Table.
The group's anthem, sung at the Wallow, is "The Soldier's Song,” which refers to “"bolos"” (machetes used by Filipino insurgents) and “"ladrones"” (thieves)
This is sung to "Tramp! Tramp!Tramp!"
Membership.
Members and guests at the Wallow in recent years have included former Secretary of State Colin Powell, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Richard B. Myers, former CIA director and defense secretary James Schlesinger, Congressman Ike Skelton, Air Force Secretary Pete Aldridge, NASA director Sean O'Keefe, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Peter Pace, General P. X. Kelley, General Alfred M. Gray, Jr., former Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Admiral James M. Loy, General Jack N. Merritt, General Billy Mitchell and General Carl Mundy and Jeff Owad.
Honorary membership is conferred upon the President of the United States and the Ambassador to the United States from the Republic of the Philippines.
Other members of the Order have included:
In 2015 Gene Simmons of the rock band Kiss was inducted as an honorary member at the Order's annual wallow in Washington, D.C.


Provost sergeant

A Provost Sergeant is a non-commissioned officer associated with military police.
United Kingdom and Commonwealth realm.
In the British Army and land forces of the Commonwealth, a Provost Sergeant (sometimes abbreviated to Provo Sgt) is the non-commissioned officer in charge of the Regimental Provost (or Regimental Police) and is responsible to the Regimental Sergeant Major for the maintenance of good order and military discipline in a regiment or battalion. The Provo Sgt is a member of the regiment or corps in which he serves and not a member of the Royal Military Police. A Provost Sergeant normally holds the military rank of Sergeant, the Provost Sergeant title being an appointment and not a rank. A Provost Sergeant wears no distinctive trade badge. He can, however, be identified by the brassard he wears on his uniform, which carries the letters "PS" or "RP" as well as his sergeant's stripes.
United States.
In the United States Army Military Police Corps or United States Marine Corps Military Police, the title of Provost Sergeant typically refers to the operations sergeant in charge of the staff of the Provost Marshal office or the NCO in charge of an MP station. The position is commonly held by a Sergeant Major or Master Gunnery Sergeant, but may also be held by a Sergeant First Class or Master Sergeant. U.S. Army Provost Sergeants cannot be recognized by any specific insignia and few Provost Sergeants even wear the distinctive military police identification patch on their Army Combat Uniform.


Royal Yeomanry

The Royal Yeomanry (RY) is the senior reserve light cavalry regiment of the British Army. Equipped with Supacat Jackal variants, their role is to conduct mounted and dismounted formation reconnaissance. The Regimental Headquarters is located in Leicester, with squadrons in Fulham, Nottingham, Dudley, Croydon (with an outstation in Windsor), Telford (with an outstation in Cardiff), and Leicester.
The regiment is part of the Royal Armoured Corps and is paired with and supports the 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards (QDG). QDG and RY together form the light cavalry reconnaissance component of 7th Infantry Brigade (the Desert Rats), serving alongside six infantry battalions (three regular, three Army Reserve). The RY is one of three light cavalry reserve regiments in 1st (United Kingdom) Division.
The Royal Yeomanry is the only British Army Reserve unit to have been awarded a battle honour since the Second World War.
History.
Formation and succession.
The Royal Yeomanry Regiment (Volunteers) was raised on 1 April 1967, after the Territorial Army was disbanded the previous day under the Reserve Forces Act 1966 and replaced by a newly constituted organisation, the TAVR (Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve).
The Royal Yeomanry Regiment (Volunteers) was in TAVR II. For four years, it was the only Royal Armoured Corps yeomanry reserve regiment: hence its generic name. In 1971, three new RAC Yeomanry regiments (the Queen's Own Yeomanry, the Mercian Yeomanry and the Wessex Yeomanry) were raised and the Royal Yeomanry's name was shortened to its current one; the opportunity to give it a more distinctive name was missed. The Queen's Own Yeomanry was given the same NATO role as the Royal Yeomanry, while the other two were Home Defence light reconnaissance.
The Cold War.
The Royal Yeomanry's role during the Cold War was medium armoured reconnaissance. Its primary task was to operate as a mobile force to protect the massive, widespread logistic assets of the Corps, and certain key bridges against covert attacks and airborne descents by Soviet special forces. In addition it trained to perform the full range of medium armoured reconnaissance tasks for general war. The Royal Yeomanry was equipped with armoured cars, first Saladin, Saracen and Ferret, then Fox, Spartan and Sultan. Each squadron had an establishment (maximum number of personnel) of around 120, operated 30 armoured vehicles and around 15 soft-skinned vehicles and was supported by a team of 11 regular army instructors and five local civilian staff.
Nineties.
The ‘peace dividend’ review of the Armed Forces (‘Options for Change’) which followed the end of the Cold War saw substantial changes to the Royal Yeomanry's role, equipment and establishment. These were justified by the then Secretary of State for Defence on the basis of a perceived "need to adapt [the Territorial Army's] roles to support and complement the new roles of the regular army. Under the previous strategy, it had important roles defending positions close to the previous West German border in support of the substantial British stationed forces. Clearly this task is no longer relevant in a unified Germany and under the new NATO strategy of greater flexibility and mobility. Instead, new opportunities arise to be part of the Rapid Reaction Corps and in national defence, and it is for these new roles and responsibilities that the Territorial Army units must now be structured and trained."
As a result, in 1992 the Royal Yeomanry was reduced in status and function to align with what were by then four other RAC yeomanry regiments and become national defence light reconnaissance, converting from armour to the Scout Land Rover and reducing in establishment by half, to between 50 and 60 personnel per squadron. At this time, the Royal Yeomanry lost two squadrons to the Queen's Own Yeomanry (one in Nottingham, which later returned to the regiment, and the other in Northern Ireland) and gained one (in Leicester).
The Royal Yeomanry's national defence role encompassed a wide spectrum of possible operational uses. They included NATO, United Nations and national operations worldwide, as well as military aid to the civil authorities in the United Kingdom and military home defence. However, the role was perceived to be ill-defined and too broad a set of potential outputs to train against using limited resources. At a time when the Territorial Army was under continuing pressure to reduce in size and capabilities, this was regarded as potentially imperilling the regiment's existence. A more definite role that would address a clear Defence requirement was needed. Consequently, in 1996 the Royal Yeomanry accepted the role of being the British Army's only specialist nuclear, biological and chemical defence regiment, taking on the 11 Fuchs CBRN reconnaissance vehicles which had been acquired by the British Army during the 1990 Gulf War.
The Royal Yeomanry served exclusively in the CBRN (or NBC) role from 1996 until 1999. During this time, its first operational deployments began. On 1 April 1999, on the recommendation of the Strategic Defence Review, the Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Regiment (originally, the Joint NBC Regiment) was formed as a joint regular Army and Royal Air Force unit composed of four squadrons of the 1st Royal Tank Regiment and 27 Squadron Royal Air Force Regiment. The Royal Yeomanry was therefore reconfigured and partly re-roled. Two of the Royal Yeomanry's squadrons (A and W) were retained in the CBRN role to provide reserves for the new Joint NBC Regiment. The three non-CBRN squadrons converted to Challenger 2 to serve as reserves for armoured regiments. The establishment of each squadron was increased to 80–90. The regiment lost D (Berkshire Yeomanry) Squadron in Slough to disbandment but regained S (Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry) Squadron in Nottingham from the Queen's Own Yeomanry.
Modern times.
In 2006, as a result of the changes to the Territorial Army triggered by the Future Army Structure unveiled by the Ministry of Defence in 2004, the Royal Yeomanry's role ceased to be split between CBRN and Challenger 2 reserves. It was consolidated into a single role: 'formation CBRN reconnaissance'. In practice, this meant continuing to train as CBRN specialists and as RAC crew using the Scout Land Rover as a surrogate training platform, while also training as CVR(T) crew. This change paved the way for the uplift of each squadron's vehicle fleet to include two CVR(T) Spartan armoured fighting vehicles for training purposes. Soldiers and officers of the Royal Yeomanry then began to deploy to Afghanistan on Operation HERRICK as Scimitar, Spartan and Samaritan gunners, drivers and loaders.
Since 2013 the Royal Yeomanry has been a reserve light cavalry regiment. In that year, under the Reserves in the Future Force 2020 White Paper and the reserves basing plan announced by the Secretary of State for Defence on 5 July 2013, the regiment was paired with 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards (QDG). On 24 February 2015, as part the same Army 2020 reorganisation programme, the Royal Yeomanry was transferred from under the command of Headquarters London District to that of 7th Infantry Brigade and Headquarters East within 1st (United Kingdom) Division as the brigade switched from its armour role into that of an infantry brigade and regional point of command. The regiment gained two squadrons (in Telford and Dudley) of the disbanded Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry but lost a squadron (in Swindon) to the Royal Wessex Yeomanry under the Army 2020 reforms.
Under Army 2020 (Refine), it was confirmed that the Royal Yeomanry would (exceptionally) retain all six of its squadrons, two of which had been under threat of deletion under the 2013 plan. It was also confirmed that the squadron which the regiment had lost to the Royal Wessex Yeomanry would also be retained at squadron size.
The Royal Yeomanry's current light cavalry role is to provide a rapidly deployable force with fast mobility and substantial firepower as part of the British Army's combat arm. Its soldiers provide reconnaissance, reassurance, security and, if the situation demands it, decisive tactical effects by raiding and attacking the enemy.
In 2021, the regiment's structure was reorganised with the following changes occurring: B (Staffordshire, Warwickshire, and Worcestershire Yeomanry) Squadron removed its Stafford location and was redesignation as B (Warwickshire and Worcestershire Yeomanry) Squadron in January and D (Shropshire Yeomanry) Squadron opened Cardiff Troop in Cardiff, Wales in 2020. Following operational deployments with the Queen's Dragoon Guards, a decision was made to expand the Royal Yeomanry's presence, including a new troop in Wales. Cardiff Troop is the first armoured squadron of the Royal Armoured Corps to be located in the country since 1961, when the Pembroke Yeomanry (Castlemartin) had been formed as an independent RAC squadron. In addition, Regimental Headquarters moved to South Wigston, Leicester.
Operational Deployments.
The Royal Yeomanry's first operational deployment was in 1998 as CBRN/NBC specialists, to Kuwait. Some 35 members of the regiment deployed in August 1998 to set up biological detection systems in advance of Operation DESERT FOX (the Bombing of Iraq (1998)) and stayed on as part of Operation BOLTON. Between 1998 and 2002, some 44 members of the regiment deployed on operations to Kuwait, Bosnia & Herzegovina (Operation PALATINE) and Kosovo (Operation AGRICOLA).
In January 2003, A (Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry) and W (Westminster Dragoons) Squadrons were mobilised together with the Regimental Headquarters for Operation TELIC, the war in Iraq. The two squadrons were amalgamated with a number of augmentees from the other three squadrons of the Royal Yeomanry and from 160 Transport Regiment Royal Logistic Corps to form a much-enlarged "Y" Squadron comprising 116 personnel, which deployed as part of the Joint NBC Regiment. Despite being held at 180 days' notice for mobilisation, the Royal Yeomanry deployed to the operational theatre by 4 March 2003, three months after the commanding officer had received a warning order and less than six weeks after those who mobilised had received their call-out notices. This was the first deployment of a formed TA unit (TA soldiers under TA command) for combat operations since the Suez crisis in 1956.
During the warfighting phase, formed complete troops (an officer and 12 soldiers) of the Royal Yeomanry were attached to 16 Air Assault Brigade, 7 Armoured Brigade (the Desert Rats) and 3 Commando Brigade for the invasion as NBC specialists. The remainder of the squadron had responsibility for NBC support to 1st (United Kingdom) Armoured Division's rear area. The Regimental Headquarters was detached from 1st (United Kingdom) Armoured Division to the US 75th Exploitation Task Force and Coalition Force Land Component Command to act as the liaison between the UK and US NBC efforts throughout the theatre of operations. Once the war-fighting phase was over, Y Sqn reverted to being under the operational command of Commanding Officer Royal Yeomanry and undertook peace support operations to the north of Al-Qurnah following a relief-in-place with elements of 16 Air Assault Brigade.
The Royal Yeomanry maintained a constant presence in Iraq from March 2003 until the end of Operation TELIC, including a substantial deployment on Op TELIC 4 of 53 members of the non-NBC squadrons to augment the Queen's Royal Lancers and 1st Battalion the Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment, serving principally as infantry but also in the armoured role.
From 2007 to 2014, the Royal Yeomanry also provided officers and soldiers for Operation HERRICK in Afghanistan, including a deployment of seven soldiers on Operation HERRICK 7 (one of whom, Corporal James Dunsby, served as gunner in HRH Prince Harry's armoured fighting vehicle).
In 2018, the Royal Yeomanry undertook its first operational deployments with its paired regular regiment, the 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards, sending 3 officers and 11 soldiers on Operation CABRIT 3 and 4 to Poland as part of NATO's Enhanced Forward Presence. Officers were mobilised primarily as liaison officers working to the US Army's 2nd Cavalry Regiment (United States) in Poland and to the UK's Enhanced Forward Presence Command (eFP-C) in Tallinn, Estonia, which oversees both the UK-led Estonian NATO eFP Battlegroup, and retains operational command of UK troops in Battlegroup Poland. Soldiers were mobilised as integrated crewmen and key positions within the UK Light Cavalry Squadron Group in NATO Battlegroup Poland.
Recruitment.
The Royal Yeomanry mainly recruits from Greater London, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Kent, Shropshire and Worcestershire.
Training.
Army Reserve soldiers with no previous military service complete the Common Military Syllabus (Reserves) course, also known as Phase 1 training. After completing Phase 1, soldiers in the Royal Yeomanry move on to "special-to-arm" (Phase 2) training as light cavalry soldiers. This consists of courses in gunnery (Heavy Machine Gun and General Purpose Machine Gun), signals (Bowman communication system), and driving (Land Rover "RWMIK" and Supacat Jackal) delivered by the Royal Yeomanry by Army Reserve soldiers and also by Regular Army instructors in centres such as the Armour Centre. In addition, field training exercises develop tactics and situational awareness, as well as the ability to operate away from base for long periods. Royal Yeomanry soldiers also undertake training in dismounted close combat (which includes rifle marksmanship and physical fitness training).
The training commitment for the Army Reserve Light Cavalry is around 40 reserve service days per year. This normally consists of a 16-day consolidated training period plus (typically) at least four 2.5-day weekends throughout the year, as well as one weekday evening (0.25 days) per week. The light cavalry role is physically arduous and members of the Royal Yeomanry are required to meet the Army Reserve Ground Close Combat fitness standards, so Royal Yeomanry officers and soldiers are required to undertake physical fitness training in their own time in addition to what is provided to them by physical training instructors.
Equipment.
The regiment's main equipment is the Supacat Jackal CVR(W) Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Wheeled); a light armoured vehicle, equipped with the General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) and the Browning M2 .50 Heavy Machine Gun (HMG).
Organisation.
The Royal Yeomanry is one of the two light cavalry regiments in 7th Infantry Brigade and Headquarters East (the Desert Rats), which in turn is part of 1st (United Kingdom) Division. The other light cav regiment is the Queen's Dragoon Guards, the regiment's paired unit.
The regiment's current organisation (following 2021 changes) is as follows:
Band.
The Inns of Court and City Yeomanry provides the regimental band, a tradition dating back to the late 60s. It was formed was in 1961 following the amalgamation of two regiments. It one of only two Army Reserve Bands in London with the honoured status of "State Band". Many of its musicians are retired members of the Bands of the Household Division and other British Army bands. The band is currently based at Holderness House in London. The band undertakes many activities overseas, including providing musical support to regimental celebrations in France and Belgium, training to musicians of the Military Band Institute of the Armed Forces of Saudi Arabia.
Battle Honours.
As a result of the Regiment's initial service during the Iraq war, in 2005 the Royal Yeomanry was awarded the battle honour "Iraq 2003". This is the first such honour the regiment has won since its formation, and the first, so far the only, battle honour awarded to an Army Reserve regiment since the Second World War.
The regimental guidon of the Royal Yeomanry, presented to the regiment on 7 May 2016, also bears 40 of the battle honours won by its antecedent regiments as well as four theatre honours awarded to those of its antecedents that were converted to artillery during the Second World War.
Battle Honours:
Commanding Officers.
Commanding officers have been as follows:
Order of precedence.
For the purposes of parading, the Regiments of the British Army are listed according to an order of precedence. This is the order in which the various corps of the army parade, from right to left, with the unit at the extreme right being the most senior.


Multi-National Division (South-West) (Bosnia)

The Multi-National Division (South-West) was a military formation which formed part of IFOR, a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina under a one-year mandate from 20 December 1995 to 20 December 1996, and then formed part of SFOR, another NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force, from 20 December 1996 until June 2004.
Role.
The division's role, passed down to it by IFOR, was to implement the military Annexes of "The General Framework Agreement for Peace (GFAP) in Bosnia and Herzegovina" – specifically in the South-West Sector. From December 1996, the role passed down by SFOR was to "deter hostilities and stabilise the peace, contribute to a secure environment by providing a continued military presence in the Area Of Responsibility (AOR), target and coordinate SFOR support to key areas including primary civil implementation organisations, and progress towards a lasting consolidation of peace, without further need for NATO-led forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina" – again specifically in the South-West Sector.
Component units.
The division was based at Banja Luka and was British led: the British codename for its involvement in IFOR was Operation Resolute and for its involvement in SFOR was Operation Lodestar. Multi-National Division (South-West) included a British brigade (4th Mechanized Brigade from October 1995, 1st Mechanized Brigade from April 1996, 20th Armoured Brigade from October 1996 and 7th Armoured Brigade from April 1997) as well as Canadian and Dutch units.
Division headquarters was provided by 3 (UK) Division from December 1995 until June 1996 and again in January 1998 to August 1998; Division headquarters was provided by 1st (UK) Armoured Division from June 1996 to December 1996 and again from August 1998 to March 1999.
Commanders.
Commanders were as follows:


Suffolk Confederate order of battle

The following Confederate Army units and commanders fought in the Siege of Suffolk of the American Civil War. The Union order of battle is listed separately.
Department of North Carolina and Southern Virginia.
LTG James Longstreet, Commanding


30th Brigade (United Kingdom)

The 30th Brigade was a formation of the British Army during the First World War. It was assigned to the 10th (Irish) Division and served at Gallipoli in the Middle East and Salonika.


National Ninja League

The National Ninja League (NNL) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to growing ninja as a sport. In contrast to American Ninja Warrior, the NNL provides multiple competitions each season for athletes as young as 6 years old under a unified rule set.
Ninja as a sport.
Ninja, while distinct from obstacle course racing, does share some similarities. The defining characteristic of ninja is that athletes must complete all of the obstacles in a predetermined order consecutively without falling. In the National Ninja League, one's score is the number of obstacles that they cleared and the time that it took to complete those obstacles. Once they fail a single obstacle, their run is over. This requires the athlete to focus on a number of different skills and quickly adapt to new concepts, as many obstacles are brand new to the competitors.
Ninja competitions generally take place at dedicated training facilities, many of which are owned by competitors who started on American Ninja Warrior.
History.
The National Ninja League was created by Chris and Brian Wilczewski, competitors on American Ninja Warrior and owners of the Movement Laboratory training facility, in the fall of 2015 as a way for competitors and fans of the show to have a unified off-season league between taping seasons. The first season had 15 qualifying events at 12 affiliate facilities and culminated in a World Championship at the Movement Laboratory in Hainesport, New Jersey in February 2016.
Season 2 saw the introduction of three youth divisions for athletes as young as 6 years old. The first championships for youth athletes were held at the Gymnastics Academy of Fairfield (Connecticut) for the Kids and Preteens divisions and iCore Fitness in West Chester, PA for the Teen division. Due to the popularity of ninja among youth athletes, two additional divisions - Mature Kids and Young Adults - were added the following season. Youth athletes now account for over 70% of the league's participation.
The league has rapidly expanded from 12 affiliate facilities in Season 1 to over 80 affiliate facilities in Season 5 in 27 states and 6 countries. The league also has partnerships with the Ninja Challenge League in Australia, French Ninja League, and Barbados Ninja Throwdown.
Format.
At a National Ninja League qualifying competition, each athlete will run an obstacle course consisting of 10-20 obstacles in a predetermined order. Athletes receive only one attempt at each obstacle (with the exception of the Warped Wall) and must advance from the start platform to the finish platform with whatever means are available to them. The athlete in each division that advances the farthest into the course in the fastest amount of time, or the athlete that completes the entire course in the fastest amount of time, is declared the winner. The top three athletes in each division qualify for the annual World Championship at the end of the season; athletes that have already qualified defer their spots to the next available athlete.
One hallmark of the National Ninja League compared to other ninja organizations is that competitors cannot be told the path by which they must defeat an obstacle. For instance, on a set of monkey bars, the athlete cannot be told that they must touch each bar, start on the first bar, and/or finish on the last bar. Athletes can only be told the start and finish platforms, what they can and cannot use, and whether they can only use their hands or feet on a specific part of the obstacle. Occasionally, several obstacles will be linked together, in which case the athlete clears one obstacle in a set of obstacle by hand or foot placement on the next obstacle; the series of obstacles must ultimately finish on a finish platform.
World Championship.
Each season ends with the World Championship, a three-stage event in which competitors must complete all obstacles of each stage within the time limit to advance to the next stage. The athlete in each division that progresses the furthest the fastest is crowned that season's World Champion. In contrast from regular season competitions, each stage has 6-10 obstacles.
The World Championship is annually one of the largest ninja competitions in the world. The 2019 World Championship was the largest ninja event ever with 1,544 athletes.
Prior to 2019, the World Championship was split between an adult event and a youth event, both at a dedicated ninja facility. The 2019 event, hosted by Real Life Ninja Academy, was held at the XL Center Exhibition Hall in Hartford, Connecticut with both youth and adult athletes competing. Starting with the 2020 World Championship, the National Ninja League is the sole hosting entity with the tradition of hosting all age divisions in a convention center continuing at the Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Results.
"Although World Championships are contested in every division, this lists only the Adult results."
Rec Ninja League.
Launched in spring 2018, the Rec Ninja League is designed for beginner to intermediate athletes that might not be ready for the challenges that an NNL course would provide. The Rec Ninja League operates in a similar manner to the NNL with the same rules surrounding obstacles with the exception that each course is 10 obstacles long, 9 of which are easier than a standard NNL course, and the athlete will attempt each of the 10 obstacles for points. Athletes earn one point per obstacle cleared and five bonus points for defeating all ten obstacles on the course. The athlete in each division and region that accrues the most points over multiple competitions will be crowned Obstacle King/Queen, and the top three athletes that did not qualify for the previous season's World Championship earn qualification to the following season's World Championship.
In its second season, the Rec League had over 500 athletes, many of which competed in their first regular season NNL competition in the ensuing season.
Notes.
1. For instance, if the athletes in first, third, and fifth places have already qualified, the qualification spots go to the athletes in second, fourth, and sixth place. Athletes must complete at least one obstacle in order to qualify.
2. Part of the San Francisco Bay area.
3. Despite being under 18, Rachel was grandfathered into the Adult division.
4. Part of the Atlanta metropolitan area.
5. Hosted by the Real Life Ninja Academy.


763rd Tank Battalion (United States)

The 763rd Tank Battalion was an independent tank battalion of the United States Army during World War II.


Operation Homefront

Operation Homefront is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization headquartered in San Antonio, Texas and Arlington, Virginia. Its stated mission is to "build strong, stable, and secure military families so that they can thrive in the communities they have worked so hard to protect." The current CEO and President is John I. Pray, Jr., Brig Gen, USAF (Ret).
Operation Homefront currently provides services to military families and post 9/11 wounded, ill or injured veterans, serving all 50 states. Areas not served by a field office are served by the national office. It has an annual revenue of $40 million. Operation Homefront does not currently operate outside of the United States.
History.
Operation Homefront was formed in 2002, to support the families of deployed service members immediately following the events of September 11, 2001. The increased deployments and strain on military families lead to the creation of an organization "that provides emergency assistance for U.S. military troops, the families they leave behind, and wounded servicemen when they return home." Since inception, Operation Homefront has fulfilled over 38,000 requests from military families across the U.S., providing more than $22.5 million in relief through the Critical Financial Assistance program.
Programs.
Operation Homefront focuses its efforts on relief, resiliency and recurring support for military and veteran families. It offers a variety of programs intended to achieve this goal including:
Evaluation by Charity Oversight Organizations.
Operation Homefront is consistently recognized for superior performance by leading independent charity oversight groups.
As reported in their audited financials, 92 percent of Operation Homefront's expenditures go directly to their programs supporting military and veteran families.


P.R.O.B.E.

P.R.O.B.E. is a series of direct-to-video science-fiction films mostly written by Mark Gatiss and produced by BBV Productions. It is the first live-action "Doctor Who" spin-off series.
The series features Caroline John as Liz Shaw, working for the Preternatural Research Bureau. Many former "Doctor Who" actors, including former Doctors Jon Pertwee, Peter Davison, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy, appear in the series playing different roles. (Due to licensing restrictions, no overt reference to The Doctor is permitted.) "Doctor Who" alumna Louise Jameson co-stars with Caroline John in the original four films, as Patricia Haggard.
Originally released on VHS, the series was not widely available on video. When an interviewer commented to series author Mark Gatiss that he had never seen the series, Gatiss replied "No, and you never will. One, they're not available. And two, I forbid it. Christ, for all I knew, they were the only things I would ever get to make. And I learned a frightening amount from working on them." The four original films were released on DVD on 3 March 2012 exclusive to Galaxy 4 shop with a 12 rating.
A fifth film, written and directed by Bill Baggs, was released 20 April 2015 with Hazel Burrows taking over as Liz Shaw.
In 2020 the P.R.O.B.E. series was revived by Arcbeatle Press, starting with the release of "Shadows of Doubt". Under Arcbeatle Press the series made the transition to the prose format.
"The Zero Imperative" (1994).
The Zero Imperative was released direct-to-video in January 1994 by BBV.
Synopsis.
Former UNIT luminary Liz Shaw and her assistant Bayliss are investigating a series of bizarre murders, all committed near a soon-to-be-closed psychiatric hospital.
When the hospital is unexpectedly reprieved by rich Industrialist Peter Russell events seem to move out of Liz's control. Are the incumbent director of the clinic, Doctor Dove and his predecessor Doctor O'Kane harbouring the killer? What is the centuries-old horror hidden in the grounds?
And what exactly is the secret of room zero?
"The Devil of Winterborne" (1995).
The Devil of Winterborne was released direct-to-video in January 1995 by BBV.
Synopsis.
When P.R.O.B.E. are summoned to investigate the savage murder of retired headmaster Mr. Whittaker and his dog, Liz Shaw is disturbed to find evidence of a satanic ritual near the scene of the crime. The trail leads of deceit and corruption extends to the current occupants of nearby Winterborne School, where it appears that someone is determined to cover up an ancient secret – at any cost. With another animal having bit the dust, the current headteacher accused of murdering a pupil, and one of the school's oldest employees having been stabbed with a knife, Liz finds herself under increasing pressure from all sides to produce results, especially with P.R.O.B.E. under threat from within – and the death toll mounting. However, a shocking revelation from headteacher Gavin Purcell reveals that The Devil of Winterborne is at large – and only Liz can stop it.
"Unnatural Selection" (1996).
Unnatural Selection was released direct-to-video in October 1996 by BBV.
Synopsis.
In 1975, the British Government quietly closed down a secret evolutionary project codenamed BEAGLE, ordering the destruction of all research materials.
Today, the horrific discovery of several oddly mutated bodies alerts Liz Shaw and P.R.O.B.E. to the fact that something is stalking the original site of project BEAGLE – something which may challenge the very nature of humanity itself!
With a crack security team at her disposal, Liz desperately attempts to track down the perverted results of the project.
But who or what is hunting whom?
"Ghosts of Winterborne" (1996).
Ghosts of Winterborne was released direct-to-video in November 1996 by BBV.
Synopsis.
The Devil of Winterborne has only recently been exorcised by P.R.O.B.E.
But when the body of its last victim disappears, and a book of black magic spells is stolen from a local museum, Liz Shaw begins to wonder if the ghosts of the past have really been laid to rest.
Forced into an unholy alliance with the school's disgraced headmaster, Liz must fight not only her own warring emotions, but a festering evil that threatens to corrupt the Earth again after 100 years.
But how do you fight a shadow from hell?
"When to Die" (2015).
When to Die was released direct-to-video on 20 April 2015 by BBV.
Synopsis.
Liz investigates the government execution of an immortal Corporal who 'no longer has a use'.
"Shadows of Doubt" (2020).
Shadows of Doubt was released on YouTube on 28 April 2020 by Arcbeatle Press.
Synopsis.
Giles fears for his team in light of the upcoming perihelion.
"Case Files" (2021).
Case Files is a series of video diaries initially released on YouTube under the inital title "P.R.O.B.E. Online" starting 22 January 2021 by BBV Productions, later released exclusively to the BBV Productions website.
Episodes.
Presented as "Case File" video-diary entries by main character Giles, often including illustrations and references to various "Doctor Who"-related media. On 16 April 2021, episodes became available on the official BBV website & an upcoming DVD release.
This list ordered per the upcoming DVD release.
Audiobooks (2021).
P.R.O.B.E. Audiobooks are a series of narrated short stories released on the BBV Productions website.
Short Stories.
Short prose stories published by Arcbeatle Press


Auxiliary Cruiser Badge

The Auxiliary Cruiser War Badge () was a World War II German military decoration awarded to officers and men of the Kriegsmarine for service on Auxiliary Cruisers or the supply ships that supported them for a successful large voyage. The award was instituted on 24 April 1941 by Grand Admiral Erich Raeder.
Design.
Designed by Wilhelm Ernst Peekhaus in Berlin, the award featured a Viking longship sailing over the northern hemisphere of the globe surrounded by a laurel wreath of oak leaves. At the apex of the badge was a German Eagle clutching a swastika. The wreath, eagle and ship were in gilt and the globe area gray coloured. Versions were produced in bronze and later in zinc.
A special presentation version, featuring 15 small diamonds inlaid on the swastika, was presented in January 1942 by Grand Admiral Raeder to "Kapitän zur See" Bernhard Rogge, commander of the successful German auxiliary cruiser "Atlantis".


Battle of Debrecen order of battle

This order of battle lists the German, Hungarian, Romanian, and Soviet forces involved in the Battle of Debrecen in October 1944.
Order of Battle for Second Ukrainian Front, October 1944.
2nd Ukrainian Front (Marshal Rodion Malinovsky)


Second Bull Run Union order of battle

The following Union Army units and commanders fought in the Second Battle of Bull Run, also known as the Second Battle of Manassas, of the American Civil War. The Confederate order of battle is listed separately. Order of battle compiled from the army organization during the battle, the casualty returns and the reports.
Union forces.
Army of Virginia.
MG John Pope
Chief of Staff: Col George D. Ruggles
Chief of Artillery: Cpt Alexander Piper
Chief of Cavalry: BG Washington L. Elliott (w)
Headquarters Escort:
I Corps.
MG Franz Sigel (w)
Chief of Artillery: Cpt Ulric Dahlgren
Headquarters Escort:
III Corps.
MG Irvin McDowell
Chief of Staff: Col Edmund Schriver
Chief of Artillery: Maj Davis Tillson
Headquarters Troops:
Reserve Corps.
BG Samuel D. Sturgis
Army of the Potomac.
The following Corps from the Army of the Potomac were "attached" to the Army of Virginia.
III Corps.
MG Samuel P. Heintzelman
V Corps.
MG Fitz John Porter
Chief of Staff: Ltc Frederick T. Locke
IX Corps.
MG Jesse L. Reno


Captain (United States)

In the United States uniformed services, captain is a commissioned-officer rank. In keeping with the traditions of the militaries of most nations, the rank varies between the services, being a senior rank in the naval services and a junior rank in the ground and air forces. Many fire departments and police departments in the United States also use the rank of captain as an officer in a specific unit.
Usage.
For the naval rank, a captain is a senior officer of U.S. uniformed services pay grades O-6 (the sixth officer rank), typically commanding seagoing vessels, major aviation commands and shore installations. This rank is used by the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, and the U.S. Maritime Service.
Seaborne services of the United States and many other nations refer to the officer in charge of any seagoing vessel as "captain" regardless of actual rank. For instance, in the civilian United States Merchant Marine, the commander of a vessel is also referred to as a captain, and everyone in his boat must abide by his commands. While not an official rank, as in military pay grade, it is an official title. One exception to the rule is when an officer of higher rank than captain, such as admiral, is the officer in charge of one or more seagoing vessel(s), such as a carrier battle group. An admiral is never referred to as "captain". In the seaborne services, especially for submarine and aviation commands, the commanding officer is often referred to informally as "skipper" whether the officer is a captain or below.
For the ground and air forces rank, a captain is of pay grade O-3 (the third officer rank), usually serving as the commander of a company-sized unit in the ground forces, as a flight leader or other squadron officer in air units, or serving as an executive officer or staff officer for a larger unit such as a battalion or squadron. This rank is used by the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Marine Corps.
The rank of captain is also used in other organizations outside the military, particularly in fire departments, police, and law enforcement.
Captain (ground and air forces).
The insignia for captains in the United States Army was first authorized in 1836. During the American Civil War, the rank of captain was used in both the Union Army and Confederate States Army. The rank was typically held by either junior staff officers or company commanders. In the case of the latter, company officers were normally elected by the men of their unit, unless the officer in question held rank in the Regular Army. In cases where regiments had suffered high casualties, it was not uncommon for a captain to assume duties as the regimental commander. Such was the case in the 1st Mississippi Infantry which was commanded by Captain Owen Hughes after the regiment had lost over half its number at the Battle of Nashville.
Rank equivalency between services.
Because of the ambiguity created by the common use of "captain" for officers of different grades among the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, NOAA, Public Health Service, and Space Force, equivalency is conferred between officers by use of identical pay grade rather than title of rank. The higher the grade, the higher the rank of the officer. For example, an Army, Air Force, Marine, or Space Force captain is equivalent in rank, responsibilities, and grade to a Navy, Public Health Service, NOAA, or Coast Guard lieutenant, all of which are of the third officer grade, or O-3. Similarly, a Navy, Public Health Service, NOAA, or Coast Guard captain is equivalent in rank, responsibilities, and grade to an Army, Air Force, Marine, or Space Force colonel, all of which are of the sixth officer grade, or O-6. Thus, Army, Air Force, Marine, and Space Force colonels together with Navy, Public Health Service, NOAA, and Coast Guard captains wear the silver eagle insignia of the grade of O-6, while Army, Air Force, Marine, and Space Force captains together with Navy, Public Health Service, and Coast Guard lieutenants wear the double silver bars of the rank insignia of the grade of O-3. Additionally, the O-6 rank of Navy, Public Health Service, NOAA, and Coast Guard captain is abbreviated as uppercase "CAPT", while the O-3 rank of captain is abbreviated as "CPT" for the Army and mixed-case "Capt" for the Air Force, Marine Corps, and Space Force.
Early history.
In the United States, the rank of captain first appeared in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. A captain was the officer placed in charge of a company of soldiers and was granted a commission from the regimental colonel. A captain was afforded one to several lieutenants, depending on the size of the company, and the captain's commission could be revoked or expired at the end of a particular military campaign.
The Continental Navy used the rank of captain as the commander of a sailing vessel at war, with the captain having several lieutenants on board, as well as a sailing master to assist in their duties. This use of the rank carried over into the U.S. Navy. Captain was the highest naval rank from 1775 until 1857, when the United States Congress created the rank of flag officer. With the addition of the ranks of commander and lieutenant commander between lieutenant and captain, a Navy captain became equivalent in rank to an Army colonel.


2nd (Royal Naval) Brigade

The 2nd (Royal Naval) Brigade was an infantry brigade of the Royal Navy. It was assigned to the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division and served on the Western Front during the First World War.
The brigade was first raised in August 1914. By April 1915 it was known as 2nd (Royal Naval) Brigade. In July 1915, the Brigade was broken up, then reformed on 2 August 1915 and re-designated 2nd Brigade. It was further re-designated the 2nd (Royal Naval) Brigade and the 189th Brigade in July 1916.


74th Regiment of Foot (Invalids)

The 74th Regiment of Foot (Invalids) was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1762 to 1768.
It was originally raised as a regiment of invalids in March 1762, and numbered the 117th Foot; it was renumbered as the 74th the following year, and disbanded in 1768.


Takeshi Kovacs

Takeshi Lev Kovacs is the protagonist in the books "Altered Carbon", "Broken Angels", and "Woken Furies" by Richard K. Morgan, which take place in or around the 26th century.
Fictional history.
[Note that Kovacs backstory, and that of the Envoys, differs significantly in the TV adaptation from that of the novels. This depiction reflects that found in the novel]
A native of the planet Harlan's World (born in the city Newpest), Kovacs is of Japanese and Serbian descent.
Kovacs is a former Envoy, a member of an elite military force of futuristic soldiers, part intelligence operative and part shock trooper, trained to adapt quickly to new bodies and new environments. Envoys are used by the governing Protectorate to infiltrate and crush planetary unrest and maintain political stability. Envoy training is actually a form of psychospiritual conditioning that operates at subconscious levels.
After leaving the Envoys, Kovacs returned to criminal life and became a mercenary. He was eventually imprisoned, his cortical "stack" stored without a body (or "sleeve") for decades at a time as punishment, before being paroled or hired out to work high-risk situations.
Envoys possess total recall and are able to discern subtle patterns within seemingly unrelated events. They possess a thorough understanding of body language and vocal tonality, such that they can discern intention and manipulate others with ease. They are able to control their physiological and psychological responses, such as fear and anger, at will.
Another aspect that figures prominently in an Envoy's training is the systematic removal of every violence-limiting instinct a human is born with. Due to this training, most worlds prohibit past or present Envoys from holding any political or military office. The fear elicited by the mere mention of Envoys is often used by Kovacs to threaten and intimidate.
Reception.
Author Paul Di Filippo said of the character "Takeshi Kovacs has to be the worst friend you can have. Everyone who's affiliated with him eventually ends up slaughtered. His enemies die in smaller numbers than his buddies and allies. If you had a choice, you'd be wise to get on his bad side."
Adaptations.
In the Netflix series "Altered Carbon", Kovacs is portrayed by Joel Kinnaman (in the body of Elias Ryker) in the show's first season, Will Yun Lee (original body), Byron Mann (Takeshi's prior body), and Morgan Gao (Young Tak). Anthony Mackie portrays the character in a different host body for the show's second season. Jihae played the character as a Torch Singer in the season 2 premiere episode. In the spin-off animated film "", Kovacs is voiced by Tatsuhisa Suzuki and Ray Chase in Japanese and English respectively.
The television adaptation makes several significant changes to the source material of the novels, including changing the nature of the Envoys to freedom fighters, creating a relationship between Takeshi and Quellcrist Falconer, and changing the character of Reileen Kawahara to be Takeshi's sister (amongst many).


Palo Alto order of battle

The following units and commanders fought in the Battle of Palo Alto on May 8, 1846 during the Mexican–American War.
U.S. Army.
Zachary Taylor
Mexican Army.
Mariano Arista


854 Naval Air Squadron

854 Naval Air Squadron was first formed on 1 January 1944, at Squantum Naval Air Station in the United States. It was disbanded in December 1945, and reformed December 2006 as a helicopter squadron designed for Airborne Surveillance and Control.
History.
The squadron was formed during the Second World War in January 1944 equipped with Grumman Avenger IIs to operate as an anti-shipping squadron. In May 1944, it arrived back in the United Kingdom, to become part of No.157 Wing, RAF Coastal Command. It operated over the English Channel to carry out anti-shipping patrols in the run-up to the D-Day Allied invasion of Europe. It left for the Far East in September 1944. The squadron carried out operations on board aircraft carrier against Sumatra in December and January 1945. In March and April the squadron attacked targets on the Sakishima Islands. 854 NAS received new Avenger IIIs in July to join the 3rd Carrier Air Group. But shortly afterwards 854 left its Avenger IIIs behind and sailed for the UK, to disband after the war on 8 December 1945.
After a ceremony on 13 December 2006 at RNAS Culdrose, the unit reformed with the Westland Sea King ASaC.7, previously A Flight, 849 Squadron. From March to July 2007 the squadron carried out counter-drug operations on board HMS "Ocean", and helped to seize a tonne of cocaine.
Future.
854 NAS will merge into its parent unit, 849 NAS to form "849 Naval Air Squadron Normandy Flight".


66th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)

The 66th Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Army that was originally raised, as the 66th Brigade, in 1914 during the Great War as part of Kitchener's New Armies and served with the 22nd Division. With the division, the brigade was sent to France in September 1915 to reinforce the British Army on the Western Front but was instead sent to Greece and served in the campaign in the Balkans for the rest of the war.
The brigade was reformed, as the 66th Infantry Brigade, in the Second World War in Italy on 20 July 1944. The brigade fought in the Italian Campaign with the 1st Infantry Division until 27 January 1945 when, with the rest of the 1st Division, it was shipped to Palestine and finally Syria where it ended the war.


30th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)

The 30th Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Army in the First and Second World Wars.
History.
The Brigade was originally raised as part of the 10th (Irish) Division and served with that formation throughout the First World War.
The Brigade was reformed on 24 April 1940 in the United Kingdom, as the 30th Motor Brigade. It contained two regular army motor infantry battalions and a Territorial motorcycle reconnaissance battalion. It was intended to be part of the 1st Armoured Division, then forming in Normandy, but on 22 May it was hastily sent to Calais in France to defend the port against a German panzer division. After a siege there, lasting three days, the brigade was overrun late on 26 May.
The brigade was reformed on 17 October 1940 as the 30th Independent Brigade Group (Guards), and later converted to the 6th Guards Tank Brigade.


Vice President of France


Oberfeldwebel

Oberfeldwebel (OFw or OF) is the fourth-lowest non-commissioned officer (NCO) rank in German Army and German Air Force.
History.
The rank was introduced first by the German Reichswehr in 1920. Preferable most experienced Protégée-NCO of the old army have been promoted.
The Reichswehr Oberfeldwebel (OR-7) was taken over as second-highest Protégée-NCO rank by the German Wehrmacht in 1935. In the military branch cavalry, artillery and anti-aircraft artillery it was called Oberwachtmeister.
The equivalent rank to the Oberfeldwebel in the Waffen-SS was the SS-Hauptscharführer from 1938 until 1945.
The rank has been used in the GDR National People's Army from 1956 until 1990 as well.
Rank information.
It is grouped as OR6 in NATO, equivalent in the US Army to Staff Sergeant, or in British Army / RAF to Sergeant.
In army/ air force context NCOs of this rank were formally addressed as "Herr Oberfeldwebel" also informally / short "Oberfeld".
The sequence of ranks (top-down approach) in that particular group ("Senior NCOs with portepee") is as follows:
The abbreviation "OR" stands for "Other Ranks / fr: sous-officiers et militaires du rang / ru:другие ранги, кроме офицероф"!


2nd Parachute Division (Germany)

The 2nd Parachute Division ("2. Fallschirmjäger Division") was an elite airborne division of German Wehrmacht (Luftwaffe) during World War II.
Formation.
The 2nd Parachute Division was raised in 1943, with the 2nd Parachute Regiment, recently detached from the 1st Parachute Division serving as its nucleus. In May, the division was sent to Avignon in France, where it became part of the XI Flieger Corps along with the 1st Parachute Division. This Corps served as the reserve for the German 10th Army in Italy.
When the Italian government started to crumble in September, the 2nd Parachute Division was dispatched to Italy. It carried out coastal defense duties near the Tiber estuary. The men moved to Rome in the evening of September 8 and participated in a subsequent operation to capture the Italian Army. The 1st Battalion of the 2nd Parachute Regiment participated in the capture of Leros Island in the Dodecanese. The island was then still occupied by Italian forces supplemented by British units following the surrender of Italy. By November 16, the island was retaken by German forces.
Operational history.
In October 1943, the division was deployed to the Eastern Front in the Soviet Union and was subordinated to the 42nd Corps, west of Kiev. On December 15, the division was airlifted south toward Kirovograd to contain a Soviet breakout. A German counter-attack then commenced against heavy opposition. By December 23, the attack faltered and the division returned to the defensive. In January 1944, the division remained on the Eastern Front, successfully opposing the Soviet offensive around Kirovograd. The Soviet advance resumed in March causing the division to retreat behind the Bug River. The division fought its last actions on the Eastern Front in May during a counterattack against a Red Army bridgehead across the Dniestr river. At the end of May the weakened division was pulled from the line and returned to Germany for refit, during which time was supplied with more than 1000 FG-42's as part of a new program to equip the paratrooper divisions, although only the 2nd Parachute Division would have the weapon in large numbers. The division was sent to garrison the northern french area.
During the Allied D-Day landings on June 6, 1944, the 6th Regiment was stationed in the Carentan area of the Cotentin Peninsula, near the US 101st Airborne Division's drop zones. The regiment was heavily engaged in the subsequent battles, including at Saint-Lô. On June 13 the remainder of the division was transferred to Brest in western France. In July, the surviving elements of the 6th Regiment were caught in the Falaise Pocket and destroyed during the Allied advance. By August 9 the remainder of the division was driven back and cut off in the city of Brest, where it surrendered on September 20. A new division was formed by December; it fought in the defense of Germany in January 1945 and ended the war in the Ruhr Pocket in April. Parts of the already depleted division managed to break out from the Ruhr Pocket and was absorbed by the 6th parachute division in mid April.
War crimes.
The division has been implicated in a number of war crimes in Italy between September and October 1943, as follows:


Kernstown I Union order of battle

The following Union Army units and commanders fought in the First Battle of Kernstown of the American Civil War. The Confederate order of battle is shown separately.
Army of the Potomac.
V Corps.
MG Nathaniel P. Banks commanding (not present)


752nd Special Operations Group

The 752nd Special Operations Group (752 SOG) is an operational unit of the United States Air Force Special Operations Command. A subordinate unit of the 352nd Special Operations Wing, it is stationed at RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk, England, UK.
As part of the 352nd SOW, the 752nd SOG is the United States Air Force special operations forces contribution to the U.S. Special Operations Command, Europe (SOCEUR), a subcommand of the United States European Command.
The group's origins date to 1944 as the 2nd Air Commando Group.
Mission.
The 752nd Special Operations Group is responsible for planning and executing specialized and contingency operations using CV-22 Osprey & MC-130J Commando II aircraft, tactics and air refueling techniques to infiltrate, exfiltrate and resupply special operations forces.
Units.
The 752nd Special Operations Group consists of the following squadrons:
History.
World War II.
Established as 2 Air Command Group on 11 Apr 1944 at Drew Field, FL, 22 Apr 1944, trained to establish and maintain an airstrip behind enemy lines, to provide for its own supply and air defense, to attack targets in the enemy's rear areas, and to furnish air support for ground operations. Activated on 22 Apr 1944. Inactivated on 12 Nov 1945. Disestablished on 8 October 1948. Reestablished and consolidated (31 July 1985) with the 702 Strategic Missile Wing (ICM-Snark) (established on 17 June 1958; activated on 1 Jan 1959; discontinued, and inactivated on 25 June 1961).
Redesignated as: 352 Special Operations Wing on 31 July 1985; 352 Special Operations Group on 21 September 1992. Activated on 1 December 1992. Consolidated (17 August 1998) with the 39 Special Operations Wing (established as the 39 Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Wing on 20 Oct 1969; activated on 1 Jan 1970 at Richards-Gebaur AFB, MO, 1 Jan 1970; redesignated as 39 Special Operations Wing on 1 Mar 1988; inactivated on 1 December 1992 at RAF Alconbury, England). Reactivated at RAF Mildenhall, England, 17 February 1995 and the consolidated group retained designation of 352nd Special Operations Group on 23 March 2015.
Lineage.
Assignments.
352nd Special Operations Wing


542nd Grenadier Division (Wehrmacht)

The 542nd Grenadier Division () was a German military unit during World War II. On 12 August 1944, the unit was renamed 542nd Infantry Division, and again renamed on 9 October 1944 to 542nd Volksgrenadier Division.


Second Saratoga order of battle

The following units and commanders fought at the , The Battle of Bemis Heights, on October 7, 1777.
British army.
General John Burgoyne
American army.
Major General Horatio Gates

Staff


General at sea

The rank of general at sea (occasionally referred to as "general of the fleet"), was the highest position of command in the English Parliamentary Navy (later the Navy of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland), and approximates to the current rank of admiral. Alongside others, the generals at sea were also appointed as Commissioners for the Admiralty and Navy.
The generals at sea were referred to both by the title of 'general' and by their former army ranks interchangeably. Today, the title 'admiral' is also commonly – if incorrectly – used.
The generals at sea.
In February 1649, within a month of the execution of Charles I, the Council of State decided to put the office of Lord High Admiral into commission, and Colonel Robert Blake, Colonel Edward Popham and Colonel Richard Deane were appointed by Parliament as the first generals at sea and Commissioners for the Admiralty and Navy.
After Popham's death in 1651 he was succeeded in 1652 by General George Monck.
Deane was recalled to serve in the army in May 1651, before resuming his post as general at sea in 1652, but was killed at the start of the Battle of the Gabbard on 1 June 1653.
Following the death of Deane, Blake and Monck continued to serve alone until 3 December 1653, when Parliament decided to increase the number of generals at sea to four, with a quorum of two, appointing Major-General John Desborow and Vice-Admiral William Penn (who had been recommended by Monck) to serve alongside Blake and Monck as generals at sea, with all four also serving as Commissioners for the Admiralty and Navy along with Colonel Philip Jones, Colonel John Clerk, John Stone, Major William Burton, Vincent Gooking and Lieutenant-Colonel Kelsey.
Penn's naval career was suspended after the failure to successfully execute the Western Design against Spanish colonies in the West Indies in 1655, which resulted in his temporary imprisonment in the Tower of London.
In January 1656, Edward Montague was appointed general at sea.
Blake continued to serve until his death at sea on 7 August 1657, and Montagu until 1665.
Rank insignia and personal flag.
Included:
Generals at Sea in command of the red squadron
Generals at Sea in command of the white squadron
Generals at Sea in command of the blue squadron


Mountain Corps Norway

Mountain Corps Norway () was a German army unit during World War II. It saw action in Norway and Finland.
The corps was formed in July 1940 and was later transferred to Northern Norway as part of AOK Norwegen. Its first action was taking part in Operation Renntier, the occupation of Finnish Petsamo. In June 1941 the corps attacked from Petsamo to Murmansk in an operation codenamed Platinfuchs. The attack failed and the corps never reached its goal.
In April and May 1942 the Corps faced one of its toughest challenges. During a period of three weeks, the 14th Soviet Army attacked, trying to defeat the Corps. But there was another enemy - on May 4, 1942, a devastating, 90-hour-long polar storm took its toll on the soldiers.
In November 1942 the corps was renamed the XIX. Gebirgs-Armeekorps or XIX Mountain Corps.
In 1944 the corps finally had to retreat back to Norway, where it surrendered in May 1945. From November 1944 onwards the corps was also sometimes known as Armeeabteilung Narvik.
Strength based on supply documents.
On April 30, 1942, the supply numbers for the Mountain Corps Norway showed the following numbers:
73,978 men and 8,913 horses
Of the men:


Prospero Gallinari

Prospero Gallinari (1 January 1951 – 14 January 2013), also known as "Gallo" (i.e. "rooster"), was an Italian terrorist, a member of the Red Brigades (BR) in the 1970s and 1980s.
Biography.
Gallinari was born in Reggio Emilia into a farming family of Communist tradition in 1951. At a very young age, he entered the Federazione Giovanile Comunista Italiana, in which he remained until the late 1960s. He emigrated to Milan, leaving his hometown.
Militant activities.
In 1969, together with Alberto Franceschini and other former Communist militants, Gallinari decided to pursue armed terrorism. After a short period as a member of the Superclan (a mostly unknown organization formed by Corrado Simioni, who was later accused of being the political mastermind of the Red Brigades during Mario Moretti's leadership), he became a member of the Red Brigades, initially as an external collaborator, then as a full clandestine member (1973-1974).
In 1974 he took part in the kidnapping of judge Mario Sossi and was later arrested in Turin, together with Alfred Bonavita. In 1976 he escaped from the prison of Treviso. He then belonged to the Roman "column" of the BR, and had a relevant role in the kidnapping of Aldo Moro, a Christian Democratic former prime minister of Italy (March 1978). Gallinari was one of the killers who ambushed the politician's car in Via Fani in Rome, assassinating three of the policemen who were part of Moro's armed escort. After Moro's kidnapping, Gallinari became a member of the executive committee of the BR. Moro was subsequently killed in obscure circumstances the following May.
Arrest.
Gallinari was arrested on 24 September 1979 while changing number plates on cars which would be used in a Red Brigade action. He was shot twice by the Italian police before he was arrested and underwent a five-hour emergency operation. Initially, he was convicted of killing Moro. However, later it was learned that not Gallinari but another Red Brigades militant, Germano Maccari, had killed Moro. According to the official trial reconstructions, Gallinari was present in the BR hideout in Rome where Moro was detained for 55 days, along with Moretti, Anna Laura Braghetti and Germano Maccari. During his detainment, Gallinari was one of the few BR terrorists who did not collaborate with the Italian justice. Instead, he continued to have contacts with the organization's free members and indirectly participated in their political debates.
Semi-liberty regime.
In October 1988, after most of the organization's members had been arrested, he co-signed a document with several other arrested Red Brigades terrorists confirming their belief in their creed. Due to health concerns (connected to the wounds he received during his arrest in 1979), Gallinari was allowed to spend certain periods of time outside the prison walls. In March 2006, he published an autobiographical book (entitled "Un contadino nella Metropoli", "A countryman in the Metropolis"), providing his own version of the Red Brigades' deeds.
Death.
On the morning of 14 January 2013, Gallinari was found in the garage of his home in [[Reggio Emilia]] and was brought to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Sources.
[[Category:1951 births]]
[[Category:2013 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Reggio Emilia]]
[[Category:Red Brigades]]


List of German divisions in World War II

This article lists divisions of the Wehrmacht (German Armed Forces) and Waffen-SS active during World War II, including divisions of the Army, Luftwaffe, and Kriegsmarine.
Upgrades and reorganizations are shown only to identify the variant names for what is notionally a single unit; other upgrades and reorganizations are deferred to the individual articles. Due to the scope of this list, pre-war changes are not shown, nor are upgrades from units smaller than a division. Most of these divisions trained in Berlin, which is also where new military technology was kept and tested.
German unit designations.
These designations are normally not translated and used in the German form in the unit name or description.
Army (Heer).
Panzer divisions.
Light mechanised divisions.
The designation "Light" ("leichte") had various meanings in the German Army of World War II. There was a series of 5 Light divisions; the first four were pre-war mechanized formations organized for use as mechanized cavalry, and the fifth was an "ad hoc" collection of mechanized elements rushed to Africa to help the Italians and organized into a division once there. All five were eventually converted to ordinary Panzer divisions.
Various other divisions were dubbed "Light" for other reasons, and are listed among the Infantry Series Divisions.
Infantry series divisions.
The backbone of the Heer (German Army) was the infantry division. Of the 154 divisions deployed against Soviet Union in 1941, including reserves, there were 100 infantry, 19 panzer, 11 motorised, 9 security, 5 Waffen-SS, 4 "light", 4 mountain, 1 SS police, and 1 cavalry. A typical infantry division in June 1941 had 17,734 men organized into the following sub-units:
Infantry divisions were raised in "waves", sets of divisions with a standardized table of organization and equipment. In general the later waves (i.e., the higher-numbered divisions) were of lower quality than the earlier ones.
Numbered divisions.
Divisions are listed by number and reflect their lineage where names or designations were changed over time.
Cavalry divisions.
According to Davies, the "Cavalry" divisions were mounted infantry and the "Cossack" divisions were "true cavalry", modelled on the Russian cavalry divisions.
Air Force (Luftwaffe).
Hermann Göring divisions.
The Hermann Göring formations grew from a single police detachment to an entire armored corps over the course of the war. The later epithet "Fallschirm" ("parachute") was purely honorific.
Airborne divisions.
To keep its existence secret, the first German airborne division was named as if a "Flieger" ("flier") division in the series of "Luftwaffe" divisions that controlled air assets rather than ground troops-named 7th "Flieger" Division (often translated "7th Air Division" - which see: 1st Parachute Division (Germany)) The division was later reorganized to start a series of nominally airborne divisions. Though named "Fallschirmjäger" ("paratrooper") divisions, only some of them participated in airdrops in the early part of the war, and in practice most operated as ordinary infantry throughout their existence. The lower-numbered ones earned and maintained an élite status, but quality generally declined among the higher-numbered divisions.
Field divisions.
Luftwaffe Field Divisions were ordinary infantry divisions organized from "Luftwaffe" personnel made available after mid-war due to the manpower crunch. They were originally "Luftwaffe" units but were later handed over to the "Army", retaining their numbering but with "Luftwaffe" attached to distinguish them from similarly numbered divisions already existing in the "Heer".
Anti-Aircraft divisions.
These were headquarters for controlling aggregates of "flak" ("anti-aircraft artillery") assets rather than ordinary combined arms divisions organized for ground combat.
Waffen-SS (Schutzstaffel).
All divisions in the "Waffen-SS" were ordered in a single series up to 38th, regardless of type. Those tagged with nationalities were at least nominally recruited from those nationalities. Many of the higher-numbered units were small battle groups (Kampfgruppen), i.e. divisions in name only.
Also Panzer Division "Kempf", a temporary unit of mixed "Heer" and "Waffen-SS" components.


SADC Standby Brigade


Operation Market Garden order of battle

This is the complete order of battle of Allied and German forces involved during Operation Market Garden.
Allied forces.
US General Dwight D. Eisenhower was Supreme Commander of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces (SHAEF) and in that capacity was ultimately responsible for the planning and execution of the whole operation. British Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder was his deputy, while Major General Walter Bedell Smith was chief of staff.
First Allied Airborne Army.
Commanded by Lieutenant General Lewis H. Brereton, USAAF
British I Airborne Corps.
Lieutenant-General Frederick Browning; also deputy commander of the 1st Airborne Army
 1st Airborne Division, Major-General Roy Urquhart
 Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade, Brigadier-General Stanisław Sosabowski (arrived September 21st)
 82nd Airborne Division, Brigadier General James M. Gavin
 101st Airborne Division, Major General Maxwell D. Taylor
21st Army Group.
Commanded by Field Marshal Sir Bernard L. Montgomery
British Second Army.
Commanded by Lieutenant-General Miles Dempsey
VIII Corps.
Lieutenant-General Richard O'Connor
 11th Armoured Division, Major-General G. P. B. Roberts
 3rd Infantry Division, Major-General L. G. Whistler
 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division, Lieutenant-General Evelyn Barker (not committed to the fighting, did not arrive in area until 21 September 1944)
 1st Belgian Infantry Brigade, Colonel Jean-Baptiste Piron
XII Corps.
Lieutenant-General Neil Ritchie
 7th Armoured Division Major-General G. L. Verney
 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division, Major-General C. M. Barber
 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division - Major-General R. K. Ross
XXX Corps.
Lieutenant-General Brian Horrocks
 Guards Armoured Division, Major-General A.H.S. Adair
 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division, Major-General Ivor Thomas
 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division, Major-General D. A. H. Graham; On 18 September the division was transferred to VIII Corps
 8th Armoured Brigade, Brigadier George E. Prior-Palmer
 Royal Netherlands Brigade 'Prinses Irene', Colonel A. de Ruyter van Steveninck
Air forces.
Royal Air Force.
 Second Tactical Air Force - Air Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham
Fighter Command - Air Marshal Roderick Hill
Bomber Command - Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Harris
RAF Coastal Command - Air Chief Marshal Sholto Douglas
United States Army Air Forces.
 U.S. Eighth Air Force - Lieutenant General James H. Doolittle
 U.S. Ninth Air Force - Lieutenant General Hoyt S. Vandenberg
German forces.
The majority of German units stationed west of the Rhine were under the responsibility of Oberbefehlshaber West (OB West), commanded at the time by Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt. Due to a lack of replacements (both in terms of personnel and materiel) German units were generally severely understrength at this point in the war, with many units at about 50% of establishment strength.
Army Group B.
Generalfeldmarschall Walther Model
German Armed Forces Group (AFC) Netherlands.
General der Flieger Friedrich Christiansen
Seventh Army.
General der Panzertruppe Erich Brandenberger
1. Fallschirm-Armee.
Colonel General Kurt Student
II. SS-Panzerkorps.
SS-Obergruppenführer Wilhelm Bittrich
 9. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Hohenstaufen,
SS-Standartenführer Walter Harzer
 10. SS-Panzer-Division Frundsberg,
SS-Gruppenführer Heinz Harmel
6th Parachute Regiment, Oberstleutnant Friedrich August Freiherr von der Heydte
Kampfgruppe "Von Tettau", Generalleutnant Hans von Tettau
Kampfgruppe "Knoche", Major Knoche
Kampfgruppe "Kraft", SS-Sturmbannführer Sepp Kraft
Schwerepanzer Abteilung 506, Major Eberhard Lange
Schwerepanzer Kompanie Hummel
StuG Abteilung 280????
Artillerie Regiment 191
Kampfgruppe "Brinkmann"
Kampfgruppe "Bruhn"
Kampfgruppe "Harder"
Sperrverband "Harzer", Gerhard
Kampfgruppe "Knaust", Major Knaust
Kampfgruppe "Spindler"
FlaK Abteilung "Swoboda"
Kampfgruppe "von Allworden", Captain Klaus von Allworden
Kampfgruppe "Weber"
Sösterberg Fliegerhorst Battalion?
Kampfgruppe "Henke", A Fallschirmjager training Regiment under the command of Oberst Fritz Henke?
II. Fallschirm-Korps.
General der Fallschirmtruppen Eugen Meindl
XII. SS-Armeekorps.
SS-Obergruppenführer Curt von Gottberg
LXXXVI Corps.
General der Infanterie Hans von Obstfelder
Fifteenth Army.
General der Infanterie Gustav-Adolf von Zangen
LXVII Armeekorps.
General der Infanterie Otto Sponheimer
346. Infanterie-Division, Generalleutnant Erich Diestel
 711. Infanterie-Division, Generalleutnant Josef Reichert
 719. Infanterie-Division, Generalleutnant Karl Sievers - Transferred to 1st Fallschirmarmee September 4.
LXXXVIII Armeekorps.
General der Infanterie Hans-Wolfgang Reinhard
 59th Infantry Division, Generalleutnant Walter Poppe
Kampfgruppe "Rink"
Kampfgruppe "Ewald"
245. Infanterie-Division, Generalleutnant Erwin Sande
 712. Infanterie-Division, Generalleutnant Friedrich-Wilhelm Neumann
Kampfgruppe "Chill", Generalleutnant Kurt Chill
FlaK Brigade 18
Wehrkreis VI, Corps "Feldt".
General der Kavalerie Kurt Feldt
406. Landesschützen Division, Generalleutnant Gerd Scherbening
Ersatz Abteilung 6
Magen Abteilung
Ohr Abteilung


22nd U-boat Flotilla

22nd U-boat Flotilla ("22. Unterseebootsflottille") was formed in January 1941 in Gotenhafen under the command of "Korvettenkapitän" Wilhelm Ambrosius. The flotilla was disbanded in May 1945.


57th Brigade (United Kingdom)

The 57th Brigade was a formation of British Army. It was part of the new army also known as Kitchener's Army. It was assigned to the 19th (Western) Division and served on the Western Front during the First World War.


British naval forces in the Falklands War

This is a list of the naval forces from the United Kingdom that took part in the Falklands War, often referred to as "the Task Force" in the context of the war. For a list of naval forces from Argentina, see Argentine naval forces in the Falklands War.
Royal Navy.
In Northwood, London:
In the South Atlantic:
As despatch vessels, carrying mail between the Task Force and Ascension Island.
2,744 t, used as casualty ferries (hospital ships)
Civilian trawlers converted to Extra-Deep Armed Team Sweep (EDATS) with some extempore acoustic and sonar equipment. They were manned by Royal Naval personnel, mainly from "1st MCM Squadron" based at Rosyth. All five minesweepers were involved in clearing two minefields off Port Stanley.
Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
Tankers
Landing Ship Logistic
The peacetime crews of the "Round Table" ships – British merchant seamen, operating under Ministry of Defence jurisdiction – were joined by British servicemen as signalmen, stevedores and gunners.
Supply ships
Helicopter support ship
Ships taken up from trade.
The following Merchant Navy ships were requisitioned, as Ships Taken Up From Trade (STUFT).


Order of battle at the Battle of Camperdown

The Battle of Camperdown was an important naval action of the French Revolutionary Wars, fought off Camperduin on the North Holland coast on 11 October 1797 between a British fleet under Admiral Adam Duncan and a Dutch fleet under Vice-Admiral Jan de Winter. The French Republic had overrun the Dutch Republic two years earlier, reforming it into the Batavian Republic. In early 1797, the Batavian Navy was ordered to sail to Brest and unite with the French Atlantic Fleet in preparation for an invasion of Ireland. Shortly afterwards, the British fleets were paralysed by the Spithead and Nore mutinies, in which the sailors refused to take their ships to sea until they were awarded better pay and conditions. , the English Channel was undefended, but the Dutch failed to take the opportunity to sail from their harbour in the Texel: their preparations were not complete, and a small squadron of loyal British ships under Duncan convinced de Winter that the British fleet was at sea by sending nonsensical signals to fictitious ships over the horizon.
By October 1797, the plan to attack Ireland had been abandoned and the British North Sea Fleet was again at full strength. During a brief period replenishing supplies at Yarmouth, news reached Duncan on 10 October that the Dutch had sailed and he returned to the Dutch coast, intercepting de Winter's fleet on its way back to the Texel. The Dutch formed a line of battle in shallow coastal waters to meet Duncan's attack, which was conducted in a confused mass, the British fleet separating into two groups that struck the vanguard and rear of the Dutch fleet, overwhelming each in turn and capturing eleven ships, including de Winter's flagship "Vrijheid". On the return journey, three of the captured ships were lost, and . Both sides suffered heavy casualties during the battle as each fleet had been trained to aim at the hulls of their opponents, maximising the damage to personnel.
Although the sailors of both fleets fought hard, they were suffering from popular unrest; the mutinies in Britain continued to overshadow the Royal Navy, while the Dutch sailors were unhappy with French dominion and, in marked difference to their officers, were generally supporters of the exiled House of Orange. In addition, the Dutch were disaffected and poorly trained due to the long months blockaded in their harbours, which made them inferior seamen and gunners when compared with the highly experienced British crews, and the Dutch ships were more weakly constructed than their British counterparts with a shallower draught, a necessity in the shallow waters of the Dutch coast but a liability when fighting warships built for the open ocean. The Dutch did, however, have the advantage of weight of shot, especially when their well-armed frigates and brigs are included statistically. Unlike their British equivalents, these lighter craft were intended to contribute in battle, covering the gaps in the line between their larger companions.
Orders of battle.
"The ships in the orders of battle below are listed in the order in which they appeared in the respective battle lines. Listed in the casualties section are the totals of killed and wounded as best as can be established: due to the nature of the battle, Dutch losses were hard to calculate precisely. Officers killed in action or who subsequently died of wounds received are marked with a † symbol. As carronades were not traditionally taken into consideration when calculating a ship's rate, these ships may have actually been carrying additional or fewer guns than indicated below."


25th Armoured Engineer Brigade Royal Engineers

The 'B' Assault Brigade RAC/RE. was founded on 5 January 1945, in Italy. The Brigade Headquarters was formed from redesignating the 25th Army Tank Brigade's headquarters to the 25th Armoured Assault Brigade Royal Engineers. Three months later, on 6 April, the formation was redesignated as the 25th Armoured Engineer Brigade Royal Engineers. The brigade served in Italy until the end of the war.


Ted Poe

Lloyd Theodore Poe (born September 10, 1948) is an American politician who represented Texas's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 2005 to 2019. Poe was the first Republican to represent the 2nd district.
In November 2017, Poe announced that he would retire from Congress, and not seek re-election in 2018.
Early life.
Poe was born in Temple in Bell County, Texas, but attended Spring Woods High School in Houston, Texas. Poe resides in Humble, Texas. He graduated in 1970, with a degree in political science from Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas; he was his class president. In 1973, he graduated with a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Houston Law Center. He participated in the school's honor society. From 1970 to 1976, he served in the United States Air Force Reserve's C-130 Unit at Houston's Ellington Air Force Base.
Judicial career.
After serving as a chief felony prosecutor in Harris County (Houston) for eight years, Poe was appointed a felony court judge in Harris County in 1981, becoming one of the youngest judges in the state. In this position, he gained national prominence for his unusual criminal sentences that included ordering thieves to carry signs in front of stores from which they stole. However, in at least one case, Poe amended the sentence afterwards without notifying the victim's family.
Elections to United States Congress.
In November 2004, Poe ran for the U.S. House in the 2nd District. The district had previously been the 9th, represented by four-term Democrat Nick Lampson. However, as the result of a controversial mid-decade redistricting, the new 2nd was considerably more Republican than the old 9th. It lost Galveston and the area around the Johnson Space Center, while picking up several heavily Republican areas north of Houston, including Poe's home in Humble. Poe won 55% of the vote to Lampson's 43%. While Lampson trounced Poe in Beaumont and Port Arthur, Poe swamped Lampson in the Harris County portion of the district.
Poe made border security a centerpiece of his re-election strategy, calling for "more [National] Guardsmen on the border front".
In November 2006, Poe won a second term with 65.6% of the vote, defeating Democrat Gary Binderim, who took 32.7%.
In November 2008 and 2010, Poe did not face a Democratic challenger in the general election. In 2008, he defeated Libertarian Craig Wolfe, taking 88.9% of the vote to Wolfe's 11.1%. In 2010, he defeated Libertarian David Smith with 88.6 percent of the vote to Smith's 11.4 percent.
Poe's district was made significantly more compact in the 2010s round of redistricting. It was cut back to an exclusively Harris County-based district, wheeling from Humble through northern and western Houston to just outside downtown. This district was slightly less Republican than its predecessor, and Poe was elected three more times from this district with over 60 percent of the vote.
Poe announced on November 7, 2017 that he would not seek re-election in 2018.
Committee assignments.
In addition to Poe's committee assignments, he is the founder and co-chair of the Congressional Victim's Rights Caucus. Since 2012, he has been the head of the Congressional Serbian Caucus. He is also a member of the Republican Study Committee, the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus, the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus, the Tea Party Caucus, the House Baltic Caucus and the United States Congressional International Conservation Caucus.
Political positions.
Taxes.
Poe is a signer of Americans for Tax Reform's Taxpayer Protection Pledge.
Abortion.
Poe received a rating of 100 from the pro life National Right to Life Committee in 2007–2008. He also voted for the Prohibiting Federal Funding of Abortion Services amendment on November 7, 2009.
Fiscal policy.
In 2008, the National Taxpayers Union, an organization that supports "lower taxes and smaller government", gave Poe the grade B+, and in 2007 received a rating of 90 from the group Americans for Tax Reform, an organization that advocates "taxes [that] are simpler, [and] flatter". Poe voted against the 2009 Economic Stimulus Package (HR 1) and the 2010 Concurrent Budget Resolution (S. Con. Res. 13). The Club for Growth PAC gave him a power ranking of 85.85%.
Healthcare.
Poe favors repealing the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). Poe does not support what he calls "government-run health care". Poe voted "Nay" on the Health Care and Insurance Law Amendments bill on November 7, 2009. In 2008, Poe voted for the Medicare Bill (HR 6331). Poe supports healthcare reform that would "Allow insurance to be purchased across state lines, provide for a safety net for catastrophic injury or illness…and allow for a health savings account". Poe resigned from the Freedom Caucus in March 2017, after the Caucus's opposition to the American Health Care Act of 2017 contributed to Speaker Ryan's decision to pull the bill. Poe supported the March 2017 version of the American Health Care Act before its collapse.
On May 4, 2017, he voted to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and pass the American Health Care Act.
Immigration.
Poe is an advocate of stronger action against illegal immigration and increased security on the Mexico–United States border. He voted for the Secure Fence Act of 2006 and against the DREAM Act when it was introduced in 2010. He opposed the Obama administration's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, calling it "an imperial decree" that violated immigration law.
Poe co-sponsored, along with fellow Republican Representative Steve King, the "Deport Foreign Convicted Criminals Act of 2011" (), which would require the U.S. government to deny certain visas to citizens of nations that refuse to accept convicted foreign nationals that the U.S. is seeking to deport. If passed, the law would mandate visa denials to nationals of 153 nations worldwide. Poe's bill was opposed by the American Immigration Lawyers Association, which noted that the bill would block visas issued to citizens of American allies, including Israel, Britain, and Canada. The bill was also criticized by Democratic Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York, who called it "the most stupid bill I've ever seen" and stated it would wipe out the U.S. tourism industry.
Human trafficking.
Poe introduced the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2013 and the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015, a bill to combat human trafficking. The 2015 bill passed the House in a 420-3 vote and, following a delay, passed the Senate in a 99-0 vote. The bill was signed into law by President Barack Obama in May 2015.
Controversies.
In 1998, Judge Poe was known for creative sentencing, including ordering offenders to shovel manure, a practice which led to the nickname "The King of Shame." Poe explained, "The people I see have too good a self-esteem. I want them to feel guilty about what they've done. I don't want 'em to leave the courthouse having warm fuzzies inside." Poe's "public notice" sentences included ordering a drunk driver to stand outside a bar, wearing a sign that said "I killed two people while driving drunk."
As a state judge, in November 2002, Poe ruled that he would permit the PBS documentary show "Frontline" to videotape jury deliberations of a capital murder case. There was considerable concern that this would affect the result of the trial, possibly by skewing the composition of the jury, and the decision was appealed by Harris County prosecutors. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the state's highest criminal appellate court, ruled against Poe's decision and prohibited the videotaping.
On June 7, 2009, Poe signed on as a co-sponsor of H.R. 1503, the bill introduced as a reaction to conspiracy theories which claimed that U.S. President Barack Obama is not a natural born U.S. citizen. On July 23, 2009, he appeared on CNN's "Lou Dobbs Tonight" in which he claimed that Certifications of Live Birth issued by Hawaii State Department of Health cannot be used to obtain a U.S. passport, which is untrue. His support of H.R. 1503 and public advocacy for it earned him a negative editorial in the "Houston Chronicle".
In August 2011, AlterNet reported that Poe, along with John Culberson and Michael McCaul, was attempting to remove the right of deceased soldiers' families to choose which prayers, if any, were to be read at a soldier's funeral. The three politicians were said to be attempting to impose Christian ceremonies on the military funerals of everybody who has served in the military, regardless of whether or not the deceased was Christian and with or without the consent of the family of the deceased. The three politicians stated their demands were a response to Veterans Affairs (VA) banning Christian prayers at military funerals. The VA, however, asserted that this claim was "blatantly false" and that VA respects a family's "rights to pray however they choose at our national cemeteries".
In 2017, his bill to have Congress monitor religious reform and interpretation in Saudi Arabia aroused international concerns that the United States was behind societal upheavals in that country.
Personal life.
Poe and his wife, Carol, have four children (Kim, Kara, Kurt, and Kellee).
Poe announced on July 13, 2016, that he had recently been diagnosed with leukemia and would be seeking treatment at University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
In popular culture.
Poe was interviewed about his controversial creative sentencing practices while still a Texas district judge by Jon Ronson for Ronson's 2015 book, "So You've Been Publicly Shamed".
In 2011, Poe gave a speech on the house floor concerning excessive spending by the Justice Department on refreshments served at conferences at the Capitol Hilton. He expressed significant disapproval that muffins apparently costing $16 each were served at the conferences. The speech was made notable by his humorous opening line, "Madame Speaker, do you know the muffin man?" The speech was further popularized by his inclusion in a Songify the News video by the Gregory Brothers in which he is autotuned, appearing to sing a song about the muffin man.


Spanish expeditionary army (Spanish American independence) order of battle

In attempts to retain or re-assert control over its colonies in America, the Spanish Empire deployed several expeditionary forces during and after the Spanish American wars of independence. The largest of these forces, known as "the expeditionary army of Costa Firme", and consisting of over 10,000 troops under General Morillo, undertook the Spanish reconquest of New Granada (1815–16). Forces were also sent to New Spain between 1812 and 1817. Later, after Mexican independence in 1821, a Spanish garrison was sent from Cuba to occupy Spain's last Mexican outpost, the fortress of San Juan de Ulúa; this force remained there until surrendering in 1825. Finally, a force under Isidro Barradas Valdés attempted to regain control of Mexico in 1829.
Viceroyalty of New Spain.
Defense of San Juan de Ulúa (1821-1825).
San Juan de Ulúa 1821 - 1825


Frank Sutton

Frank Spencer Sutton (October 23, 1923 – June 28, 1974) was an American actor best remembered for his role as Gunnery Sergeant Vince Carter on the CBS television series "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.".
Early life.
Born in Clarksville, Tennessee, Sutton developed an interest in acting, playing his first role at age nine and also starring in the drama club at East Nashville High School, where he graduated in 1941. He later said, "The first time I walked out on a stage, I had a warm feeling. I knew then I wanted to be an actor."
After high school, Sutton returned to Clarksville to become a radio announcer. During World War II he applied to, and was medically rejected by, the Marine Corps due to color blindness. He subsequently enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in the South Pacific, taking part in 14 assault landings. Sutton was a sergeant who served from in the 293rd Joint Assault Signal Company. He was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.
Acting career.
Honorably discharged at the war's end as a sergeant, he began acting on stage. He attended the Columbia University School of General Studies, graduating "cum laude" with a bachelor's degree in drama in 1952.
Throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, Sutton played small roles in television shows such as "Decoy", "Route 66", "Naked City", "The Greatest Show on Earth", "The Fugitive", "The Goldbergs", "87th Precinct", "Gunsmoke", "", "Empire", "The Twilight Zone", and "The Untouchables". He had a continuing role as Cadet Eric Rattison, the great rival of the Polaris Unit manned by the series' heroes, in "Tom Corbett, Space Cadet" from 1950 to 1955. In 1955, he received his big break in the Academy Award-winning movie "Marty", in which he played the title character's friend, Ralph. He also had a role in "The Satan Bug", a 1965 spy thriller. He returned to the stage in "The Andersonville Trial" in the early 1960s.
Having primarily acted in dramas, Sutton's breakthrough role was on "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.", a 1964 episode of "The Andy Griffith Show", in which he played the cynical and easily exasperated Gunnery Sergeant Vince Carter opposite Jim Nabors' character Gomer Pyle. This episode was the pilot for a spin-off TV comedy, "Gomer Pyle, USMC", where Sutton continued the role for five seasons, until the show ended its run in 1969. He also appeared in public service announcements in the role of Gunnery Sergeant Carter. After "Gomer Pyle" ceased production, Sutton appeared regularly on Nabors' variety show "The Jim Nabors Hour" with "Gomer Pyle" co-star Ronnie Schell. Sutton played the brother-in-law of Nabors' character in comedy sketches. Sutton performed in dinner theater, playing, among other roles, the father in "Norman, Is That You?" and made guest appearances on other television programs.
Personal life and death.
In 1946, Sutton married soap-opera writer, Toby M. Igler, with whom he had two children, Joe Sutton and Amanda.
On June 28, 1974, while preparing for a performance in the comedy play "Luv" at the Beverly Barn Dinner Playhouse in Shreveport, Louisiana, Sutton died of a heart attack. He is buried in the Greenwood Cemetery in his hometown of Clarksville, Tennessee.


First Army (Home Forces)

First Army was a home service formation of the British Army during the First World War.
First Army was formed on 5 August 1914 under the command of Central Force. It was based at Bedford and Sir Bruce Hamilton was the Army Commander. Units attached to the Army were the Highland Division and the Highland Mounted Brigade.
First Army kept its name even after the establishment of a First Army in the British Expeditionary Force in December 1914. It was disbanded on 12 March 1916 and reformed as Northern Army.


Armed Forces Entertainment

Armed Forces Entertainment (AFE) is the official United States Department of Defense (DoD) agency for providing entertainment to U.S. military personnel overseas. Armed Forces Entertainment hosts over 1,200 shows around the world each year, reaching over 500,000 personnel at 355 military installations. Types of talent include musicians, comedians, cheerleaders, and celebrities of sports, movies and television.
Armed Forces Entertainment was founded in 1951 to provide up-and-coming American entertainment to US troops and their family members stationed overseas, with priority to remote and isolated locations, ships at sea, and contingency operations. Entertainment is provided to the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. This is different from the non-government United Service Organizations (USO), whose entertainers tend to be famous, and generally aren't sent as close to the front line.
Armed Forces Entertainment is an Air Force command operation and is the single point of contact with the DoD for providing entertainment to US military personnel serving overseas. It is the lead agency in providing transportation and logistical support for the USO in bringing celebrity entertainers to troops.
Armed Forces Entertainment typically showcases emerging artists but also features celebrity acts such as Kid Rock and Drew Carey.
The responsible organization for overseas military entertainment has changed names and jurisdictions over its first five decades; from the United Services Organization Camp Shows to the U.S. Army's Armed Forces Professional Entertainment Office (AFPEO) and resting in 2006 with the U.S. Air Force's Armed Forces Entertainment office. However, the mission has remained constant: to provide a program of live, professional entertainment to enhance the quality of life for Armed Forces personnel.


New Market Union order of battle

The following Union Army units and commanders fought in the Battle of New Market in the American Civil War. The Confederate order of battle is shown separately. Order of battle compiled from the army organization during the battle and the reports.
Department of West Virginia.
MG Franz Sigel