The view from the front: military matters and motivation for 7/5/22.
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Hi friend,
Happy Tuesday, everyone! Hope you had a great July 4th weekend. We’re going to keep today’s edition super short, because I’m certain that if you’re like me, you’re a day behind at work and have less time than normal to read today.
We’ll start with a couple of positive things from Ukraine.
I know we all saw a lot of fireworks this weekend, but the video below is the kind of fireworks that make my day right now. (Note how by firing at night, they’re preserving their platforms and protecting them from UAVs and drones.)
t.me/bochkala_war/6… ","username":"RALee85","name":"Rob Lee","date":"Sun Jul 03 15:54:37 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://substackcdn.com/image/upload/...
Rob Lee @RALee85Video of Ukrainian HIMARS firing on Russian targets at night. With GPS guided munitions, HIMARS can accurately engage targets at night when Russian UAVs will be less effective at locating them. t.me/bochkala_war/6… July 3rd 2022
829 Retweets6,612 LikesThe second amazing thing to see was the below item. I’ve got to say it made my day! lol. (If you missed the latest news about the withdrawal from Snake Island, check out last week’s newsletter.)
Jimmy @JimmySecUKThe Russian Air Force is now bombing Snake Island to destroy the tens of millions of dollars in equipment they were forced to leave behind when they evacuated.🙃July 1st 2022
804 Retweets3,948 LikesMoving along, the not-so-good news is the dread of the future that The Economist reminded me of, regarding Ukraine’s upcoming fight and the long-term bet that Putin is making.
Ukraine is a heavy burden. Western defense industries are formidable, but struggle to produce large volumes, especially of ammunition. Ukraine’s government has a monthly deficit of $5 billion and the country will need rebuilding after the war.
Public support for Ukraine in the West will be buffeted by a host of pressures, from inflation to elections — including, as soon as 2023, campaigning in America that may involve a presidential bid by that Ukrainophobic Putin admirer, Donald Trump.
I do worry how long public support will remain, but I guess it’s one day at a time for Ukraine at this point (and for its support in the West).
In other news, I wanted to share one item regarding new technology.
It looks like Maverick in Top Gun was right.
The drones and planes without pilots continue to improve and get one step closer to making regular aircraft with humans obsolete.
go.usa.gov/xJzUD ","username":"USNavy","name":"U.S. Navy","date":"Sun Jul 03 18:07:01 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FWwsYw...
U.S. Navy @USNavyOne step close to unmanned carrier operations! ⚓ MQ-25 team completes first lab integration event.Read the story here: go.usa.gov/xJzUD 
July 3rd 2022
150 Retweets902 LikesMoving further along, I’m sharing the below item just because I’m a sucker for great art and aircraft images.
#WarthogWednesday. \"Over the course of my career I've had the privilege of working with many A-10 squadrons, pilots & organizations to create nearly 20 Warthog paintings. It's an aircraft I never get tired of painting!\" buff.ly/3wu2Qmb ","username":"kchawg987","name":"Kim “KC” Campbell","date":"Wed May 18 13:59:30 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FTC6mj...
Kim “KC” Campbell @kchawg987Shout out to artist Rick Herter on #WarthogWednesday. "Over the course of my career I've had the privilege of working with many A-10 squadrons, pilots & organizations to create nearly 20 Warthog paintings. It's an aircraft I never get tired of painting!" buff.ly/3wu2Qmb 
May 18th 2022
5 Retweets28 LikesHere’s the full image:
That’s it for this edition. Let’s end with some motivation and wisdom.
#WordsOfWisdom","username":"IMQuotes_Videos","name":"Inspired Motivation Quotes","date":"Fri Jul 01 14:00:10 +0000 2022","photos":[],"quoted_tweet":{},"retweet_count":45,"like_count":87,"expanded_url":{},"video_url":null,"belowTheFold":true}">
Inspired Motivation Quotes @IMQuotes_VideosYou can be as great as you want to be. What does it take? Self-beliefCourageDeterminationDedicationFocusDrivePatienceHumilityGratitude#WordsOfWisdomJuly 1st 2022
45 Retweets87 Likes
Life Quotes @RTLifeQuotesOnce you truly understand that it is okay to lose or fail, you are free, you have nothing to fear, and only then, can nothing in this world hold you back. — Yahya MohamedMay 18th 2022
15 Retweets76 Likes
Success Minded @_SuccessMinded_"Train your mind to be calm in every situation."April 30th 2022
332 Retweets1,769 LikesSuccess Minded @_SuccessMinded_"Take responsibility for your success. It’s nobody’s job, only yours."May 21st 2022
267 Retweets1,288 LikesSuccess Minded @_SuccessMinded_"Worrying does not take away tomorrow's troubles. It takes away today's peace."July 5th 2022
89 Retweets422 LikesAs a reminder, please be kind and endeavor to love your fellow Americans. We need to pull this country together, and that starts with all of us.
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Semper Fidelis,
Stan R. Mitchell
P.S. Don’t forget to check out my books. I’ve written a CIA/Marine sniper series, a detective series, a private investigator series, an action-packed Western, a leadership/biography book, and two realistic war novels: one about World War IIand one about Afghanistan.
P.P.S. And here’s a short bio about me and what I’m trying to do with the newsletter.
