Thanks RR, appreciate the generous offer to help/etc. I've lent out (ie given away) some of my kit to 3 of the guys that went with Junior, they were with his unit in Afghanistan and have since worked for JR's private security firm, mostly doing PSD work, they were tasked with protecting Bill Gates'(boooo!) daughter for example. Anyhow, a couple of my PVS14s, plate carriers/armor, various gear such as that, I've essentially donated to the cause of helping my guys.
The Ukrainian Colonel in charge of recruiting, background checks, etc, interviewed me a couple months ago, and gave me a waiver for my age (they have a technical cut off of 39 years of age, but will bypass that rule if you're solid and check out OK when they background you). So I could go. I want to go. Mainly because I want to have my best friend's six. We were born in the same room at the hospital, and our parents met there, and we've been best friends ever since. He's my oldest, and best friend. I was never worried for him or others until this recent fracas. As fucked up as the Russian forces are, the tech out there now is very deadly, to everyone and everything on the battlefield. I've lost 1 friend there already, and another has been badly fucked up, both from Russian artillery strikes. It's been keeping me up at nights, among other things, and although we have used the Signal app for comms while in country here in Canada, I don't trust using that while the receiving phone is in proximity to the Russians. So, I get very sporadic updates on how things are going, and it's not been easy sitting out and getting such little intel/updates on my family, friends, and co workers there.
My reality is though that I'm just getting walking back, and running at speed with gear/weapons on, isn't going to happen for a bit. I'm also still caring for my father, who isn't ambulatory, and I won't put him in a home because they are all fucked here. So I have mobility issues, and commitment issues at the moment keeping me home. We'll see how long this lasts, I could still possibly go, as my aunt (father's sister) moved to 1 block away from my father, and would be willing to care for him for a couple months at a time. My concern is if I get wasted or wounded, my aunt won't be capable of caring for my pops long term.
I also feel that while this invasion is BS, and should be repelled, that the Ukrainians aren't angels by any stretch. colluding with the Biden crime family and other political fucks robbing the taxpayers blind through this war. Still, I'd be going to fight with my friends and family, not specifically because I love Ukraine.
I agree with the others too Rabit, your posts are great, I've read every one, and check several times a day to see new ones. So thank you. Nice to see Escapegoat show up in the thread too, what's up goat.
It looks like Ukraine is going to have a pretty switched on armored division (or 3 brigades, whatever) soon. Their troops are in various Nato countries training on the new tanks/afvs, and have a unit with 3 to 400 pretty decent tanks (even the Leo 1s with updated fire control/thermals/optics/etc are good to go to take on any Russian tanks), and 400+ armored fighting vehicles, in addition to a ton of supporting mobile artillery guns. This unit IMO could easily go on the offensive, and punch a huge whole through the Russian lines, and get into their rear areas and cause havoc. The last article you just posted Rabit on the PRC's involvement is spooky, as if they get even more heavily involved, and say supply Russia with not just tech/drones/etc, but say more tanks/afvs, and especially say 10 or 20 thousand screaming slant eyed troopers, we could be looking at a very nasty situation. Of course that's all hypothetical, but still a risk worth considering.
