tag:www.thedonovan.com,2012://1/tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.11080- 2012-03-24T15:16:00Z Comments for Some Gunner Zen We're the Military and Airpower Guys of Jonah Goldberg of National Review Online + a stray we found wandering around looking lost. All original material JHD, BHD, JR, WT, and KA 2003-2010 Movable Type 4.12 tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.11080 2009-07-27T12:45:30Z 2009-07-27T12:53:35Z Some Gunner Zen The Armorer http://www.thedonovan.com
Out and about with the new...

Marine Staff Sgt. William McGowan, right, and Marine Cpl. Thomas Down, both assigned to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 262, look down through the "hell hole" in the belly of a CH-53E "Sea Stallion" helicopter while transporting an M777 155-mm Howitzer during an artillery airlift exercise. The 31st MEU and HMM-262 are embarked aboard the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Essex. Essex is participating in exercise Talisman Saber 2009, a biennial, joint, combined exercise sponsored by U.S. Pacific Command and the Australian defense force. Photo by Seaman Gabriel Weber

And in with the old, for some refurbishment.

Transportation personnel at Naval Support Facility Dahlgren prepare to off-load a World War I-era tractor-mounted artillery piece, the first gun originally test fired to mark the establishment of Dahlgren as a naval proving ground on Oct. 16, 1918. The 7-inch, 45-caliber gun will be restored by the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division. ]]> tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.11080-comment:91463 Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2009-07-29 John of Argghhh! http://www.thedonovan.com
"Marine Staff Sgt. William McGowan, right, and Marine Cpl. Thomas Down, both assigned to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 262, look down through the "hell hole" in the belly of a CH-53E Sea Stallion helicopter while transporting an M777 155-mm Howitzer during an artillery airlift exercise. The 31st MEU and HMM-262 are embarked aboard the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Essex. Essex is participating in exercise Talisman Saber 2009, a biennial, joint, combined exercise sponsored by U.S. Pacific Command and the Australian defense force. Photo by Seaman Gabriel Weber"

But one rectangular hole in the floor of a helo looks like pretty much any other rectangular hole in the bottom of a helo...]]> 2009-07-29T12:13:37Z 2009-07-29T12:13:37Z tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.11080-comment:91462 Comment from BillT on 2009-07-29 BillT http://www.thedonovan.com My sense of scale is shot on that photo.

Why? It's dangling under a Chit-Hook, which is obvious from the shape of the crewchief's hatch -- and which also clues you to the close scale -- plus the apparent size of the cargo straps means it's about 23.75 feet below the aircraft, so that should help with the linear aspect. The apparent foreshortening of the wheels helps a lot, but the shadows are a dead giveaway that the pic was snapped at 1038, plus-or-minus five minutes.

See? Easy.

Ummmmm -- what?
]]> 2009-07-29T12:05:12Z 2009-07-29T12:05:12Z tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.11080-comment:91460 Comment from Casey on 2009-07-28 Casey http://www.thegantry.net/blog
I use Firefox 3.0.12 under WinXP SP2. Alas, no mouse-over ALT tags appear here, either.

]]> 2009-07-29T04:07:47Z 2009-07-29T04:07:47Z tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.11080-comment:91431 Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2009-07-28 John of Argghhh! http://www.thedonovan.com 2009-07-28T17:53:17Z 2009-07-28T17:53:17Z tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.11080-comment:91430 Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2009-07-28 John of Argghhh! http://www.thedonovan.com From that angle, the forward-placed wheels, with the spades right at the end of the gun are good id points. 2009-07-28T17:50:15Z 2009-07-28T17:50:15Z tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.11080-comment:91428 Comment from Casey on 2009-07-28 Casey http://www.thegantry.net/blog
]]> 2009-07-28T17:24:58Z 2009-07-28T17:24:58Z tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.11080-comment:91399 Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2009-07-28 John of Argghhh! http://www.thedonovan.com That's an M777 Casey. 2009-07-28T11:22:34Z 2009-07-28T11:22:34Z tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.11080-comment:91397 Comment from Casey on 2009-07-28 Casey http://www.thegantry.net/blog

]]> 2009-07-28T05:02:03Z 2009-07-28T05:02:03Z tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.11080-comment:91395 Comment from Grimmy on 2009-07-27 Grimmy
Marines never steal anything. BUT!! Anything left unattended and/or unguarded is obviously unwanted and therefore up for grabs.
]]> 2009-07-28T02:29:48Z 2009-07-28T02:29:48Z tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.11080-comment:91391 Comment from John (not the armorer) on 2009-07-27 John (not the armorer) ]]> 2009-07-28T01:31:06Z 2009-07-28T01:31:06Z tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.11080-comment:91384 Comment from MAJ Mike on 2009-07-27 MAJ Mike 2009-07-27T21:27:58Z 2009-07-27T21:27:58Z tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.11080-comment:91368 Comment from AW1 Tim on 2009-07-27 AW1 Tim   That 7" gun is wicked kewl..... Great story too!
]]> 2009-07-27T16:30:22Z 2009-07-27T16:30:22Z tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.11080-comment:91350 Comment from Kirk on 2009-07-27 Kirk
http://www.patriotfiles.com/forum/showthread.php?t=109952
]]> 2009-07-27T13:52:55Z 2009-07-27T13:52:55Z tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.11080-comment:91345 Comment from BillT on 2009-07-27 BillT http://www.thedonovan.com
Heh -- same guy who dropped two of our shot-up Charlie models. For a while, we joked that the Inkeepers' motto was, "There is no load so big, heavy, or expensive that we can't punch it off."

After they dropped the howitzer, it sorta ceased to be a joke...
]]> 2009-07-27T13:20:08Z 2009-07-27T13:20:08Z