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Seoul, South Korea. (Sept. 1, 2022): The ground beneath their feet was so frozen that foxholes could only be dug using explosives. Temperatures at night dropped to 30 degrees below zero as American and South Korean forces huddled around smudge pots for warmth, dreaming of a homecoming that was, for many, not to be.
General Douglas McArthur’s brazen landings at Inchon had staggered the Communist North Korean’s “People’s Army” who were retreating north in panic. Pursued relentlessly by the U.S. Marine 1st Division and the Army’s 7th Infantry Division, the remnants of the enemy fled north to the Chinese border and American commanders felt certain the war was all but over.
Unknown to McArthur, the Chinese had assembled a force of 33 divisions comprising 150,000 combat troops that began an all-out assault on the U.N. forces encircling the Americans and South Koreans at the Chosin Reservoir in September 1950. What followed was a brutal, 55-mile fighting withdrawal of 30,000 U.N. troops in freezing conditions through mountainous terrain. When the battle ended, over 6,000 Americans were dead and approximately 18,000 wounded, many suffering from frost bite. The toll for the Chinese was far worse with an estimated 50,000 dead, including Communist Chinese leader Mao ze Dong’s eldest son.
Read more: THE BATTLE OF THE CHOSIN RESERVOIR… A FROZEN NIGHTMARE FOR U.S. FORCES
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Townsville, Australia. (August 26, 2022): No, an AUKUS is not a furry creature indigenous to Australia but rather a trilateral security agreement between Australia, Britain, and the United States to share defense technology, something China fears… and for good reason.
While provisions helping Australia acquire nuclear submarines has grabbed all the headlines, it is the “targeted” cooperation on advanced intelligence gathering technology, cyber warfare, and quantum computing that has Chinese war planners the most concerned.And they should be.
As Australia acquires these advanced defense technologies, the Chinese realize the threat it poses to their designs on the Indo-Pacific region. The prospect of Australian nuclear submarines operating continuously in the South China Sea has unnerved China, but it is the potential development of long-range missiles, advanced guided weapons, and large undersea drones that has them most alarmed.
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Queensland, Australia. (August 22, 2022): Always the “tip of the spear”, the U.S. Marines are returning to Australia in force as America and her allies gear up to confront a growing menace from China. Over 2,200 Marines deployed from Camp Pendleton, California along with a detachment of soldiers from the U.S. Army Pacific to the Australian port city of Darwin recently to begin a six-month deployment.
The Marines will train with Australian troops and other friendly forces to respond to crises, both military and humanitarian, in the Indo-Pacific region. This is the eleventh deployment of America’s finest since 2012 and represents a continued commitment to America’s defense umbrella for the region. Elements of the 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division began arriving this week restarting a six-month rotation of forces interrupted in recent years by COVID-19.
Read more: FAMOUS “FIGHTING FIFTH” MARINES TRAINING DOWN UNDER
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Melbourne, Australia. (August 26, 2022): Described as the “premier multinational air combat exercise”, the skies over Australia’s Northern Territory will be flooded with the world’s most advanced fighter aircraft as 16 nations participate in Exercise Pitch Black.
Naturally, America’s advanced technology will be on full display as elements of the U.S. Air Force join with allied nations to prepare for a potential conflict with an increasingly confrontational China.The American 509th Bomb Wing, based in Missouri, are flying the Air Force B-2 Spirit bombers while the U. S. Marines contribute 12 F-35B Short Take Off and Vertical Landing Craft drawn from squadrons based in Japan.
Speaking of the Japanese, they along with pilots from the German Luftwaffe and South Korea will make their debut in these biennial exercises which are returning after a four-year hiatus due to COVID-19. During three weeks of flight missions, pilots will face realistic, simulated air combat situations designed to test force integration and tactics.
The 509th Bomb Wing threw the first punch after terrorists attacked New York and Washington on 911 being the first to penetrate Afghan air space in October 2001, flying round trip missions from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, logging combat missions of over 30 hours, the longest on record.
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Perth, Australia. (August 19, 2022): There are few things worse than a bad break up, especially when it involves world superpowers. The recent signing of a Defense Technology Agreement with Britain and America to give Australia nuclear submarines and China’s visceral reaction represent a new low in relations between the two nations. The brouhaha over submarines follows a series of tit for tat moves that have deteriorated relations to a dangerous level.
Australia is rightfully concerned about China’s military build up in its back yard and the increasingly belligerent attitude of the Chinese on trade and economic matters. Australia recently passed a law forbidding “covert political activity by a foreign power” to counter illicit Chinese efforts to influence Australian politics. China responded by imposing punishing sanctions on Australian coal, wine, wheat, and other agricultural products. Not to be outdone, the Australians banned Chinese telecom giant Huawei from operating within its borders.
Read more: A Bad Break Up… AUSTRALIAN-CHINESE RELATIONS HIT A NEW LOW
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Canberra, Australia. (August 22, 2022): Australians, one of America’s oldest allies, are increasingly alarmed at aggressive moves by China in the Taiwan Strait that threatens their national security. In a recently released annual survey by the Lowly Institute, a highly respected Australian Research organization, 46% of respondents say China is a growing threat to their security.
Recent events, including China’s overreaction to visits by U.S. dignitaries to Taiwan, have clearly rattled Australians whose sense of security has dropped dramatically from 70% in 2016 down to 53% in 2022, a 17-point drop in six years. Along with a sense of insecurity, Australians are worried about a potential U.S. conflict with China over Taiwan, with 64% saying such a skirmish between superpowers poses a critical threat to world order according to the Lowly Institute’s assessment.
The Aussies have reasons to be concerned.