Hybrid Threat:Poland Reacts as Wagner Group Mercenaries Approach NATO Chokepoint

On 29 July 2023,Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said his government had received information that Wagner Group mercenaries were nearing Grodno,Belarus close to the Suwalki Gap,a part of Northeast Poland regarded as a NATO chokepoint,since it connects Belarus with Russia's Kalilingrad Oblast exclave.In a conflict with NATO,Russia and Belarus could seize the sparsely populated area,thus cutting off land access to the three NATO member Baltic States of Lithuania,Latvia and Estonia.Over a hundred Wagner Group mercenaries were reported to be gathering in the area.*Prime Minister Morawiecki feels it is another effort to destabilise the Polish border,after Belarus had sent waves of illegal refugees across the border in summer 2021,causing chaotic scenes.Said Mr.Morawiecki:They (Wagner Group mercenaries) will probably be disguised as Belarusian border guards and will help illegal immigrants to enter Polish territory,destabilising Poland;but they will also probably try to infiltrate Poland,pretending to be illegal immigrants,and this creates additional risks.*Recall that Russia invaded Ukraine for the first time in 2014 with men in unmarked green uniforms,the so-called little green men.So the Wagner Group could wage hybrid warfare against NATO Ally Poland on behalf of Putin and his crony,Belarus dictator Alexander Lukashenko.Grodno,Belarus is about 10 mi/16.09 km from the Polish border.Speaking at a press conference,Mr.Morawiecki said that:Now the situation is becoming even more dangerous.This is certainly a step towards a further hybrid attack on Polish territory.*Such an attack could activate NATO's Article V,which states that an attack on one member is an attack on all.Article V has only been activated once,following the 9-11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.The Suwalki Gap is the border between Poland and Lithuania.Lukashenko reportedly remarked to Putin that:The Wagner guys have been starting to stress us.They would like to go West,saying 'Let's go on a trip to Warsaw and Rzeszow.'"Wagner Group has been training Belarusian troops lately.So Poland has reinforced its border with troops and 500 police.Recent drills near the border have been seen by Poland as a provocation.Kaliningrad Oblast is heavily fortified with up to 30,000 Russian troops and heavy artillery.In 2019,there were Russian/Belarus drills near the Polish border.

U.S. Army, NATO. Powerful M109A6 Paladin howitzers during live firing in Lithuania

C-17 Globemaster III Pilot Rushes Emergency to Take Off at Full Speed U.S. Air Force - Andersen AFB,Guam 2023 - Procedure to take off in the event of an imminent enemy attack

Pacific Perspective:Bomber Deployments to Indo-Pacific Highlight Regional Tensions

US Air Force Global Strike Command deployed four nuclear-capable B-52H Stratofortress strategic bombers of the 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron out of Minot Air Force Base,North Dakota,to Andersen Air Force Base,Guam on 12 and 14 June 2023,along with 150 Airmen.Said Lt.Col. Ryan Loucks,Bomber Task Force commander:Being here in the Indo-Pacific with the BTF allows our forces to showcase our ability to deploy anytime,anywhere in support of the combatant commander's objectives.*Among the current tensions in the region are North Korea's ongoing ballistic missile tests,including ICBMs with nuclear capability that can reach the US;China's militarisation of coral reefs in the South China Sea and its threats to Taiwan;China's expansive territorial claims not recognised by the international community;as well as growing military cooperation and drills by Russia and China.Bomber Task Force missions maintain a high state of readiness and validate an always-ready global strike capability.The strong,credible strategic bomber force enhances security and stability of US Allies and Partners.* U.S. Strategic Command's (STRATCOM) BTF operations ensure the command can provide decisive response against any threat when called upon by national leadership,Minot AFB said.*A further deployment of B-52s occurred when 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron out of Barksdale Air Force Base,Louisiana contributed an unspecified number of B-52s to the combatant commander on 5 July 2023 at Andersen AFB.Said Lt.Col. Jared Peterson,20th EBS commander:Each mission flown further demonstrates our ability to provide agile combat-ready forces and long-range strike capabilities to combatant commanders around the globe.* Indeed,on 10 July 2023,2 B-1B Lancer strategic bombers out of Dyess AFB,Texas were deployed to Misawa Air Base,Japan on a separate BTF rotation.Once the bombers had arrived,they flew integration drills over the Korean Peninsula and made a first ever BTF landing in Indonesia.A third mission involved deploying to Exercise Northern Edge in the Gulf of Alaska at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.

Hail Columbia - theme song for the Vice President of the United States - United States Army Band

What does Columbia mean?In this context,it is a poetic term for the Americas derived from the name Christopher Columbus.The Latin motto on the Vice Presidential flag,E Pluribus Unum,means "From many,one."

Columbia The Gem of The Ocean - Federal City Brass Band

When borne by the red,white and blue*When borne by the red,white and blue*Thy banners make tyranny tremble*When borne by the red,white and blue

US Space Command Does Not Provide Blanket Protection for Commercial Satellites, If Attacked - Via Satellite

US Space Command Does Not Provide Blanket Protection for Commercial Satellites, If Attacked: The 133 commercial space companies that provide systems for U.S. military use do not have automatic protection for those systems from U.S. Space Command