IT’S A CONSPIRACY, I TELL YA: Noted conspiracy peddler Oliver Stone gave an interview recently in which he declared that ever since 9/11, Hollywood has been censored – and prevented from making movies critical of the (U.S.) military or the CIA. Where did Stone give this interview? On Putin-powered propaganda outlet RT. Stone says that movie manipulation isn’t the only problem. American media organizations, he says, don’t give you the views of Iran, China, North Korea or Venezuela. Absent from Stone’s commentary was a list of Russian-made movies critical of Moscow’s actions.
LET ME PAINT YOU A PICTURE: Have we got a job for you. Well, we DID but the period for applying closed. The Navy was looking for a combat artist – someone with “demonstrated experience planning and creating artworks from personal observation and moving and coordinating in a tactical environment.” The service has had a combat art program going back to 1941 when a small unit of artists was created to accompany sailors into action and document wartime events in oils and water colors. The gig was GS-9 to GS-11 level (about $60K to $90K a year.) We say “WAS” because the job was only open for five days (two of which were on a weekend) from January 30 to February 3. Often when civil service jobs are advertised for such a short period – it means someone already has an inside track and the job advertisement is being done simply to comply with regulations, at least that’s our artistic interpretation.
JOBS-R-US: Going from easel jobs to easy jobs – we would like to point out a potential job opening that has not yet closed. The Department of State is looking for applicants to serve as “senior anticorruption advisor” in Ukraine. This one is a GS-14 equivalent position ($88K-$130K.) Fighting corruption in Ukraine? Should be a snap. Whistleblowers need not apply.
SPEAKING OF JOB OPENINGS: The White House has now confirmed the the death of senior al Qaeda leader Qassim al-Rimi in a drone strike. But this past week, before press accounts were officially confirmed, President Trump re-tweeted several of them. Not satisfied with ambiguity, some Pentagon reporters asked DOD spokesman Jonathan Hoffman if al-Rimi was no longer with us. Hoffman declined to comment. At a Pentagon press briefing (who knew they still had those?) Task & Purpose reporter Jeff Schogol acknowledged that he understood Hoffman would not comment on the reported strike. But he asked: “Can you say whether AQAP has, to put it politely, a job opening at the executive level?” Hoffman didn’t bite.
JOB OPENINGS IN THE AIR AND AT SEA: There have been a rash of firings of senior U.S. military senior officers in recent years. Just last week, the commanding officer of a Marine Corps fighter squadron was canned for flying too low and too fast during a ceremony marking the final flight of an F/A-18D before his unit transitioned to F-35s. Lt. Col. Ralph Featherstone was axed – even though he was in the backseat of the Super Hornet. Seems harsh, I mean really, haven’t they ever seen Top Gun? In a different incident, the Canadian Navy said: Hold my beer, eh? The Royal Canadian Navy recently replaced both the commanding officer and executive officer of the frigate HMCS Calgary. The skipper was reportedly removed because the ship’s crew was having trouble preparing for an upcoming deployment to the Pacific. But others speculated that the XO was deep-sixed for “disabling the smoke and heat detectors in the ship’s wardroom so he could smoke.”
SEAL OF DISAPPROVAL: Rear Admiral Collin Green, commander of the Naval Special Warfare Command, has reportedly told the Navy that he plans to retire a year earlier than anticipated. While Green has not confirmed his departure or stated his reasons for “going ashore” (as sailors call it) it has been widely reported that he disagreed with the President’s decision to intervene and pardon Chief Petty Officer Eddie Gallagher, a fellow SEAL who was accused of murdering an ISIS prisoner of war – and convicted of a lesser charge of posing for a photo with a dead ISIS fighter.
WINDOW ON TREACHERY? While much of the country has been focused on the end of the impeachment trial in Washington, another trial was just starting in New York. Former CIA computer engineer Joshua Schulte, 31, went on trial in Manhattan facing charges that he was responsible for the massive leak of classified spy tools to Wikileaks in 2017. Schulte has also been accused of having “cell”-phones smuggled into his cell. The contraband device was allegedly used, among other things, to disclose more classified info from jail and create a Twitter account under the name “Jason Bourne.” Prosecutors say Schulte was not a whistleblower but just a disgruntled employee who complained that, due to favoritism, he was given the “intern desk” at the office while another employee was given a “prestigious desk with a window.” Perhaps if he is convicted, he can negotiate with the Bureau of Prisons for a cell with a view.
POCKET LITTER: Bits and pieces of interesting /weird stuff we discovered:
GOVERNMENT COVERUP: Seems like a week doesn’t go by that we don’t have some silly news from the world of military uniforms. This week’s contribution is word that the clothing store Urban Outfitters is selling surplus U.S. Navy coveralls for the low, low price of $120. The coveralls come complete with the “U.S. Navy” name taped above the breast pocket. If you can access a military exchange clothing store, however, you can get the same outfit for $40. One of the commenters on Military Times notes that if you sign up for boot camp you can get some for free.
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