⁣I was away last week visiting family, and I missed the news that General Al Gray, the 29th Commandant of the Marine Corps, was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

General Gray is near and dear to the hearts of all Marines fortunate to have served under his command. His tenure as Commandant has been recognized as a period of historic transformation for the Marines as he heralded in the age of maneuver warfare.

I had the honor of serving on a special ad hoc planning cell tasked by General Gray with developing amphibious warfare options for the Marines during Desert Storm, and personally briefed the Commandant and his senior staff on the team’s recommendations—a big deal for a junior Captain at the time.

But my best Al Gray moment came in the summer of 1987 when he visited the Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center in 29 Palms, California. The Commandant visited the various units on the base, including the 5th Battalion, 11th Marines. As the XO of the Headquarters and Services Battery, I was in charge of assembling the Marines of my battalion for inspection. I was assisted in this task by Staff Sergeant Scott Kaupas. My Marines were on the parade deck, in formation, when General Gray arrived. I informed General Gray that my Marines were ready to be inspected.

General Gray looked past me, to Staff Sergeant Kaupas. “Is the Lieutenant correct, Staff Sergeant? Are these Marines ready for inspection?”

Staff Sergeant Kaupas replied, “Yes, Sir!”

General Gray replied, “Well, I guess I don’t need to proceed, do I?”

At that, Staff Sergeant Kaupas smiled. “No, Sir, you don’t. But you might want to admire them.”

General Gray let out a booming laugh. “Alright, then. Let me admire these Marines!”

He proceeded to walk the ranks, shaking hands with each Marine, and asking about their lives and family.

There’s a reason he was one of the most beloved leaders in the history of the Marine Corps.

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@ScottRitter

⁣Iran fired at least ten precision-guided ballistic missiles that pummeled the U.S. facilities at the Al Assad air base in Iraq in retaliation for Trump’s murder of Qassem Suleimani.

Iran let Trump know that if the U.S. retaliated, Iran would take out every US base in the region with similar precision.

Trump didn’t do a damn thing.

The Iranian ability to destroy US regional bases continues to shape U.S. policies today.

And it all started with Trump, not Biden.

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@ScottRitter

⁣NATO means the sustainment of American-dominated global hegemony.

NATO has no legitimacy.

NATO stands for the militarization of society.

NATO stands for the promotion of war.

NATO is the greatest threat to European and global security today.

NATO must be dismantled.

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BOOK EVENT | Randy Credico Leads Intro To Scott Ritter Talk
Brunch on my latest book Covering Ukraine, August 4, 2024

@ScottRitter

The presence of General Michael Kurilla, the Commander of U.S. Central Command, in Israel speaks volumes about the nature of the American commitment to the defense of Israel in the coming days and weeks.

Where the commander sits, so, too, resides the command. By planting his flag in Israel, General Kurilla leaves no doubt about the priorities of the units he leads—the defense of Israel.

If Kurilla remained in Tampa, Florida (home of MacDill Air Force Base, and Central Command Headquarters), or had taken up residence at the Central Command forward headquarters at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the signal sent would be that the U.S. is focused on regional issues, including potential offensive operations against Iran.

Kurilla is in Israel, and as such defending Israel is his sole priority.

He will do this by building an integrated, layered air defense incorporating Israeli missile defenses together with U.S. aircraft, ground-based missile defenses, and the anti-missile capabilities of U.S. naval forces deployed in the vicinity of Israel. Kurilla will integrate his defenses with the American global ballistic missile defense architecture, ensuring that Israel has the highest priority in terms of resource allocation.

Kurilla’s job isn’t just to defend Israel, but to do so in a manner which blunts any attack from Iran and/or Hezbollah to such an extent that any potential Israeli retaliation scenario.

If Kurilla succeeds, then it is possible for the current crisis to subside, which is the goal of the Biden administration, especially during this critical phase of the 2024 Presidential election, where a large-scale regional war between Israel and Iran would be both destabilizing and polarizing.

But the reality is that if Iran and Hezbollah were to launch a massive strike using the full capacity of their respective arsenals, there is no defense that prevent Israel from taking serious damage of the sort that would mandate a wider Israel-Iran conflict.

And if that happens, Kurilla and Central Command will be relegated to the sidelines.

@ScottRitter

Stay calm!

We have all read the news. There is no full information at this time.

All that is known is:
https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/authorities-raid-home-scott-ritter-19626034.php

Until the situation becomes clearer, to avoid speculation, comments will be temporarily closed.

We are awaiting further instructions from Scott.

We will provide all the official updates. Do not trust other channels speculation.

Sincerely, admin Alexandra Mad.

Hey everyone!

@ScottRitter