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[nik 0]

I used to work on a project to build a huge underground neutrino detector, and we needed lots of iron, so we ended up buying old battleship parts from the U.S. government.

[Jim Phaserman 0]

Looking at the Battleship list, it doesn't look like we have any that could be reactivated. but I have designs and a plan to build one (not gov't authorised)

[cptwright 1]

norfolk has a battleship, i beleive its the missouri, theyre waiting for the govt to turn it over, so they can turn it into a museum. right now you can tour it at nauticus, but only part of it, till its officially decomissioned.

[Jim Phaserman 0]

the USS Wisconsin is in Norfolk, the Missouri is in Hawaii, 1,000 yards from the Arizona memorial. Any more questions?

[stoned_vulcan 0]

okay a few quick questions, does the US military use meteric or imperial measurements? because u were talking bout knots, and rounds two diff examples of both... secondly if the AK 47 was a better weapon than the M16why did they stop using it? and why is the M16 preferred over the AK47, and 74(is that rite?)?

[WEAREBORG4102 0]

what is the explosive yield for a bunker buster?

[Jim Phaserman 0]

okay a few quick questions, does the US military use meteric or imperial measurements? because u were talking bout knots, and rounds two diff examples of both... secondly if the AK 47 was a better weapon than the M16why did they stop using it? and why is the M16 preferred over the AK47, and 74(is that rite?)?

The US Military uses imperial, though for projectile sizes we use metric measurements for the diameter of the Barrel. and the Soviets stopped using the AK-47 in favor of the AK-74 because the .21 Caliber/5.45 mm round has a higher muzzle velocity. the faster round makes up in part for the lack of size. and ask anyone who's ever been shot with an M-16, M-4, or AK-74, the bullets still do plenty of damage, and will kill a person. and the Russians and many militaries in the East use the Aptomat Kalishnikov (AK) series of weapons, they are likely not going to purchase the M-16/AR-15/M-4 family.

 

The explosive yield for a bunker buster depends on it's size, and how it's constructed. a 2,000 pound Bunker Buster has about a 1600 pound warhead, and will make a decent crater. but also consider that Bunker Busters are designed to penetrate and collapse a bunker, and the fact that they detonate underground contains the blast more so than if it was a surface detonation or air burst.

Edited April 17, 2004 by Ensign Jim Phaserman

[cptwright 1]

may i feild a reply here on the ak47 or im assuming the same with the 74, the ak can go through hell and back, in sand rain shine or anyother thing and still fire reliably, it is loosley built tolerance wise so that it can be feild stripped and thrown back together pretty easily and just in a hurry and still be reliable. so pretty much it is reliability and dependability. am i correct with this EJP?

[stoned_vulcan 0]

if AK is an accronym for something is M (M16) if it is what does it stand for?

[Jim Phaserman 0]

AK means Avtomat or Aptomat Kalishnikov, which means Automatic Rifle, Kalishnikov (Kalishnikov is for Andre Kalishnikov, the designer of the AK-47). and M just means Model. the M-16 is Rifle, Caliber .223, M-16. and for cptwright's question, the AK-47 and later AK models, were designed for the russian winters. when something gets cold, it shrinks, basic chemestry. the AK series compensates for this by being built loosely so that when it gets cold and shrinks down, it doesn't lock up. a side effect of this is that it's got alot of tolerance for dirt and grit, making it very reliable.

[Tina 0]

::pops back in:: Sorry.. THANKS JIM ::runs out again::

[nik 0]

Dang, Jim! It's like reading an encyclopedia! Ok, my turn. Why IS a nautical

mile different from a statute mile?

[Jim Phaserman 0]

I'm not entirely sure. I know where the term "Knot" comes from as a unit of speed measurement. ships used to tie a rope to a wieght and throw it off the side. at intervals of X length(which may be why the Knot is prefered, 2,000 yards is easier than the 1760 yards to figure), they tied a Knot in the rope, and counted how many knots went by in a given time frame, lets say Y, and that's your speed in Nautical Miles per hour, or Knots.

[Jim Phaserman 0]

Ok, I have a question. Just what exactly is Zulu time?

 

 

Zulu time is the US Military designation for Grenwich Mean Time. each of the 24 time zones has it's own letter designation. normally, the military operates in local time, but if an operation crosses from one time zone to the next (for example: A paratrooper drop, with the plane leaving London and droping it's troops in Berin) the mission would be plotted using Zulu time, and the mission plan might look something like this for the pilot.

 

0100Z takeoff-Gear up

0130Z Rondevous pt XXX N, XXX E

0345Z course correction

0410Z final approach to drop zone

0415Z Deploy troops

0420Z course correction-head for home

0830Z land

 

the trip might cross two or three timezones, so to avoid confusion, they just use Zulu time.

[nik 0]

Ensign, is it true that modern subs can stay submerged for a longer period of time? I once heard that the old WWII subs had to come up to "snorkel depth" occassionally. Is this true, and if so, how often? How often to

modern subs need to surface to keep the crew alive? Do you cycle your own

air similar to what is done on spacecraft?

[Jim Phaserman 0]

Ensign, is it true that modern subs can stay submerged for a longer period of time?  I once heard that the old WWII subs had to come up to "snorkel depth" occassionally.  Is this true, and if so, how often?  How often to

modern subs need to surface to keep the crew alive?  Do you cycle your own

air similar to what is done on spacecraft?

the answer is, yes, subs can go for longer without surfacing. Modern Diesel Electric (SS in US Navy Designations) submarines have more powerful batteries, and air recycling systems. however, Diesel Electric subs still have to surface to run the diesel engines and charge the batteries used for undersea ops. The US Navy has a submarine force of 53 attack, 16 Fleet Ballistic missile subs, 2 FBMs undergoing conversion to Guided Missile submarines, 1 deep submurgence vehicle, and one Research Sub. of those submarines, which doesn't include DSRVs and unmanned vessels, only the Research Sub, USS Dolphin (AGSS-555) is not powered by a nuclear reactor. other countries use a mix, but the US Navy doesn't have any combattant diesel electric subs.

 

by the way, a Nuclear submarine has only one limit to how long it can stay submurged and away from port---the amount of food it caries for the crew.

[nik 0]

the answer is, yes, subs can go for longer without surfacing. Modern Diesel Electric (SS in US Navy Designations) submarines have more powerful batteries, and air recycling systems. however, Diesel Electric subs still have to surface to run the diesel engines and charge the batteries used for undersea ops. The US Navy has a submarine force of 53 attack, 16 Fleet Ballistic missile subs, 2 FBMs undergoing conversion to Guided Missile submarines, 1 deep submurgence vehicle, and one Research Sub. of those submarines, which doesn't include DSRVs and unmanned vessels, only the Research Sub, USS Dolphin (AGSS-555) is not powered by a nuclear reactor. other countries use a mix, but the US Navy doesn't have any combattant diesel electric subs.

 

by the way, a Nuclear submarine has only one limit to how long it can stay submurged and away from port---the amount of food it caries for the crew.

Now that's cool.

[stoned_vulcan 0]

are the naval ranks identical to star trek ranks, or are they similar or not the same?

[Jim Phaserman 0]

US Naval Officers ranks are virtually identical.

 

Here it is...

 

the junior most rank is on top, the senior most rank is on the bottom (Applies to all rank lists)

US Navy ranks

• Ensign
  
• Lieutenant JG
  
• Lieutenant
  
• Lieutenant Commander
  
• Commander
  
• Captain
  
• Rear Admiral lower half (one star)
  
• Rear Admiral Upper Half (2 stars)
  
• Vice Admiral (3 stars)
  
• Admiral (4 stars)
  
• Fleet Admiral (5 stars, wartime only)
  

Starfleet Ranks

• Ensign
  
• Lieutenant JG
  
• Lieutenant
  
• Lieutenant Commander
  
• Commander
  
• Captain
  
• Commodore ( 1 star)
  
• Rear Admiral (2 stars)
  
• Vice Admiral (3 stars)
  
• Admiral (4 stars)
  
• Fleet Admiral (5 stars)
  

the US Navy, unlike Starfleet, also makes use of Enlisted people. on a ship with 400 crewmembers, only 35 are officers. Navy enlisted ranks are as follows (Junior most on top, Senior most on the bottom)

• Seaman Recruit
  
• Seaman Apprentice
  
• Seaman
  
• Petty Officer 3rd Class
  
• Petty Officer 2nd Class
  
• Petty Officer 1st class
  
• Chief Petty Officer
  
• Senior Chief Petty Officer
  
• Master Chief Petty Officer
  

[Jim Phaserman 0]

Special Technology Update! I bet John Kerry won't approve this!

 

 

Army Scientists, Engineers develop Liquid Body Armor

By Tonya Johnson

Army News Service

April 21, 2004

 

 

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. -- Liquid armor for Kevlar vests is one of the newest technologies being developed at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory to save Soldiers' lives.

 

This type of body armor is light and flexible, which allows soldiers to be more mobile and won't hinder an individual from running or aiming his or her weapon.

 

The key component of liquid armor is a shear thickening fluid. STF is composed of hard particles suspended in a liquid. The liquid, polyethylene glycol, is non-toxic, and can withstand a wide range of temperatures. Hard, nano-particles of silica are the other components of STF. This combination of flowable and hard components results in a material with unusual properties.

 

"During normal handling, the STF is very deformable and flows like a liquid. However, once a bullet or frag hits the vest, it transitions to a rigid material, which prevents the projectile from penetrating the Soldier's body," said Dr. Eric Wetzel, a mechanical engineer from the Weapons and Materials Research Directorate who heads the project team.

 

To make liquid armor, STF is soaked into all layers of the Kevlar vest. The Kevlar fabric holds the STF in place, and also helps to stop the bullet. The saturated fabric can be soaked, draped, and sewn just like any other fabric.

 

Wetzel and his team have been working on this technology with Dr. Norman J. Wagner and his students from the University of Delaware for three years.

 

"The goal of the technology is to create a new material that is low cost and lightweight which offers equivalent or superior ballistic properties as compared to current Kevlar fabric, but has more flexibility and less thickness," said Wetzel. "This technology has a lot of potential."

 

Liquid armor is still undergoing laboratory tests, but Wetzel is enthusiastic about other applications that the technology might be applied to.

 

"The sky's the limit," said Wetzel. "We would first like to put this material in a soldier's sleeves and pants, areas that aren't protected by ballistic vests but need to remain flexible. We could also use this material for bomb blankets, to cover suspicious packages or unexploded ordnance. Liquid armor could even be applied to jump boots, so that they would stiffen during impact to support Soldiers' ankles."

 

In addition to saving Soldiers' lives, Wetzel said liquid armor in Kevlar vests could help those who work in law enforcement.

 

"Prison guards and police officers could also benefit from this technology," said Wetzel. "Liquid armor is much more stab resistant than conventional body armor. This capability is especially important for prison guards, who are most often attacked with handmade sharp weapons."

 

For their work on liquid armor, Wetzel and his team were awarded the 2002 Paul A. Siple Award, the Army's highest award for scientific achievement, at the Army Science Conference.

 

[scaleman 0]

Wow, that's interesting, i wonder though if this means a setback for the needyness of spidersilk vests, or am i putting too little emphasis on this stuff jim? Btw, according to star trek a the terms Rear Admiral lower half and Commodore can be used interchangably.

[nik 0]

Hey Ensign and Sarge! I've got another question for you. I was arguing with a friend the other day, and we are wondering what age range the military recruits. Also, does it depend on one's college education? (i.e.,

will they recruit older people who have been through college?)

 

Thanks!

[stoned_vulcan 0]

that technology sounds really really kool!!!

[cptwright 1]

that STF sounds awsome. BTW nik, i was informed that they would recruit upto 34 yrs old. because i am 32 and someone found out for me.

[Jim Phaserman 0]

34 is usually the cutoff, though if you have prior military service, they subtract your years of service from your age.

 

 

in the US Navy, we have no Commodores (that I am aware of anyways).

 

and I'm not sure about the spidersilk body armor. I'll look into it.

[Jim Phaserman 0]

Okay, one of my friends asked me today,

 

What's with Military Acronyms? There's so many of them, how do you keep them straight?

 

the simple answer I gave him was, in the Military, Alphabet Soup is not just a food, it's a way of life. Every OIC has at least 3 NCOs or CPOs, but those CPOs might actually be PO1s, or they may be SCPOs or MCPOs. Hell, it may even be an ENS. and we give our planes and ships Acronyms and odd letter designations. the B-52, for example, is known as BUFF, or Big, Ugly Fat F**ker. the A-7 was know as the SLUG, or Short Little Ugly F**ker. LSTs are Large Slow Targets. we also have some acronyms that found their way into Civilian jargon.

 

FUBAR--F**ked Up Beyond All Repair.

 

SNAFU--Situation Normal: All F**ked Up.

 

and then there are titles.

 

SecDef, COMNAVCINCPAC, COMNAVCINCLANT, COMSUBLANT, COMSUBPAC, COMNAVSURFPAC, the list goes on. and they all mean something. you also have to take into account the CSA, CSAF, CMC, CNO, MCPON, SMA, SMMC, CMSAF, MCPCG, CGC...Are you confused yet? what about Odie? She's going TAD to a DD. and remember, the O'Brien is a DD, not a DDG. there is a difference. You will likely find Navy ships at a NAVSTA, NAVAMPHIB, or NAS. Marines park their planes at the MCAS, and train their recruits at the MCRDs. the Navy trains them at RTC. the Army trains em at a Fort, and the Air Force at an Air Base. Did you know there are more COLs, CAPTs, CMDRs, and LTCs at the PNT than there are SGTs and CPOs? G. W. Bush was a Fighter Pilot in the ANG, but remember, there are no fighter pilots in the ANG...Now I've got you totally confused don't I? <ANG can mean Air National Gaurd or Army National Gaurd> My brother is in the USNR, I am in the USN, and VBG <I think it was him> was in the USA. Is there anyone at this site who was/is in the USAF? I think I'll stop confusing you for now.

 

CYA L8R, PPL.

Edited April 30, 2004 by Ensign Jim Phaserman

[edmcgon 0]

If the U.S. had to go to war with any country in the world, which one would present the most difficulty for us from a naval standpoint? In other words, aside from the U.S., which country has the best naval forces?

[Jim Phaserman 0]

Russia most certainly has a powerful navy, but they are now allied with us. From a Naval Standpoint, probably Russia or China. no offense to my comrads in england, but the RN has only 27 ships, as compared with 300 in the US Navy that are larger and more powerful. North Korea could create issues, primarily from their fleet of submarines.

[Jim Phaserman 0]

I was looking stuff up on the CIA World Factbook...the US is the largest spender on Defense, at about 270 Billion US Dollars. however, that is less 3% of the United States' GDP. compare this with Saudi Arabia, who's defense spending is about 15.5% of their GDP. we spend alot, but we have the money to do it.

[Jim Phaserman 0]

Question: What's the largest gun deployed aboard an Aircraft?

 

Answer: you won't be surprised to find out that the aircraft that carries it is an American bird. the AC-130 Spectre Gunship carries the largest gun ever deployed aboard an aircraft---a 105mm Howitzer, the same gun used by the Army for light artillery. the AC-130U carries a 25mm 5 barreled gattling gun and a 40mm Bofors rapid fire gun. earlier models of the AC-130 had 3 7.62mm Miniguns, 2 20mm guns, and 2 40mm guns, or 2 20mm guns, 2 40mm guns, and a 105mm.

 

 

the AC-130 isn't the first aircraft to carry an artillery peice into the air. the North American B-25J Mitchell carried 8 .50 caliber machine guns and 1 75mm machine gun in it's nose. the AC-47 Spookie didn't carry an artillery peice, but it carried 5 7.62mm Miniguns, and was deployed during the early days of the Vietnam war. it was replaced by the initial version of the AC-130, which was faster, carried more amunition, and bigger guns. the AC-130 can carry up to 10,000 rounds of amunition.

 

 

Question: What is a Midshipmen?

 

Answer: Midshipmen are cadets at the US Naval Academy, and NROTC students. Midshipmen have two basic options for their post-academy/ROTC service: US Navy, or US Marines.

 

Question: in the Navy, what is a Rating?

 

Answer: A Rating is the job an enlisted sailor does. for example, Odie's rating is Quartermaster. a sailor who wants a new job can Crossrate, which is what I did when I was enlisted. I didn't want to be on subs anymore, so I crossrated from FT (Fire Control Technician) to GM (Gunner's Mate).