US special operations leaders are having to do more with less and learning from the war in Ukraine
Story by LOLITA C. BALDOR, Associated Press •

FORT LIBERTY, N.C. (AP) — Forced to do more with less and learning from the war in Ukraine, U.S. special operations commanders are juggling how to add more high-tech experts to their teams while still cutting their overall forces by about 5,000 troops over the next five years.

 
The conflicting pressures are forcing a broader restructuring of the commando teams, which are often deployed for high-risk counterterrorism missions and other sensitive operations around the world. The changes under consideration are being influenced by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, including lessons.

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A soldier from the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School checks a compass while completing a land navigation course during Special Forces Assessment and Selection near Hoffman, N.C., May 7, 2019. U.S. special operations commanders are having to do more with less and they're learning from the war in Ukraine, That means juggling how to add more high-tech experts to their teams while still cutting their overall forces by about 5,000 troops over the next five years. (Ken Kassens/U.S. Army via AP)
A soldier from the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School checks a compass while completing a land navigation course during Special Forces Assessment and Selection near Hoffman, N.C., May 7, 2019. U.S. special operations commanders are having to do more with less and they're learning from the war in Ukraine, That means juggling how to add more high-tech experts to their teams while still cutting their overall forces by about 5,000 troops over the next five years. (Ken Kassens/U.S. Army via AP)
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U.S. Army Special Operations Command, which bears the brunt of the personnel cuts, is eyeing plans to increase the size of its Green Beret teams — usually about 12 members — to bring in people with more specialized and technical abilities. One possibility would be the addition of computer software experts who could reprogram drones or other technical equipment on the fly.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/us-special-operations-leaders-are-having-to-do-more-with-less-and-learning-from-the-war-in-ukraine/ar-BB1md8Mi?ocid=BingNewsSerp

Study: Bison fight climate change



A single herd of bison — 170 head strong — stores enough carbon to offset 43,000 U.S. cars according to a new study.

What’s the science behind that, you ask? Dr. Oswald Schmitz of the Yale School of the Environment told The Guardian about his study, which focused on European bison in Romania.

“Bison influence grassland and forest ecosystems by grazing grasslands evenly, recycling nutrients to fertilize the soil and all of its life, dispersing seeds to enrich the ecosystem, and compacting the soil to prevent stored carbon from being released,” said Schmitz. “Restoring these ecosystems can bring back balance.”

In other words, bison keep habitats and ecosystems healthy and vibrant, and healthy ecosystems store carbon.

There’s a growing understanding that sea kelp and trees, especially older, bigger trees, can fight against climate change. This new report shows that wildlife, in this case bison, are a big part of this picture.

Of course, the other reason to care about all this is simply that bison are awesome, beautiful creatures, and efforts to build up bison populations in the U.S. are underway. This would restore ecosystems in the American plains and yield climate benefits.

Nature is connected in so many ways..................

https://environmentamerica.org/oregon/center/updates/study-bison-fight-climate-change/

 
American Special Operations Forces Are At A Crossroads
Story by Howard Altman • 5d

American special operations forces (SOF) are at something of a crossroads. After decades of low-intensity conflict, as well as counter-insurgency and counter-terror operations, they now face a very different kind of primary threat — state adversaries, some of which are near-peer status. Transitioning its focus to a high-end fight, potentially over an enormous geographical area, is a tall order, but it's one the SOF community is very engaged in at this time. This metamorphosis now underway was glaringly clear at the SOF Week convention this week in Tampa, Florida.
 
In particular, the biennial mock battle that raged Wednesday outside the convention was markedly different this time around for reasons that have everything to do with the changing future of American special operations.
Gone was Tampa's mayor being “kidnapped” by 'jihadis,' only to be 'rescued' and returned to the dock in a rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB), surrounded by international special operations forces (SOF) troops as they blast a fusillade of machine gun blanks. Instead, during this year’s demonstration, "adversary" drones and Marine special operations paragliders soared overhead.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/american-special-operations-forces-are-at-a-crossroads/ar-BB1mggI3?ocid=BingNewsSearch

Yes they are normal in most GA counties. Williamson cty 1993-2007 This is the history date and temp Fall and Spring freezes from 1993 to 2007 when this article was written. You still will not accept if there was not an abnormally warm winter the buds would not have  been out...but you know this so you twist everything...that is all you have.

Farmers report best-ever peach season after devastating losses last year

Abby Kousouris and Amanda Alvarado  |  May. 14, 2024 at 11:34 AM EDT


ATLANTA (WANF/Gray News) - Peach crops in Georgia are thriving after a deep freeze left many with devastating losses last year, according to farmers.

Jake Carter, a third-generation farmer and owner of Southern Belle Farm, began picking peaches on Monday. He said this crop is the best crop he’s ever seen.

“No matter where you go, whatever corner of the state that you enjoy getting your peaches from, they should have a great crop,” Carter said.

He said this year could be life-changing for some farmers who lost everything during a late deep freeze that destroyed the majority of the peach crop last year

“It’s really a shot in the arm. There are lots of great farms in the state of Georgia and everyone I know of has a tremendous crop,” Carter said.

Pam Knox, a researcher at the University of Georgia, studies the impact of climate change on crops. She said there was a time in March that it got close to freezing, but thankfully for farmers, it didn’t have much of an impact on their crops.

“The peaches were able to squeak by with not much damage. All the peaches were left on the trees. There were so many peaches that a lot of producers had to go in and thin them. If you have too many peaches, they don’t grow very big, you know. They’re less marketable because we like those big juicy peaches,” Knox said.  .  .

https://www.fox19.com/2024/05/14/farmers-report-best-ever-peach-season-after-devastating-losses-last-year/

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So last year, they had a deep freeze.  This year, they did not.  Looks like that deep freeze is responsible for killing off the peach harvest, not global warming climate change.

And this year?  Best crop ever.  So maybe 'climate change' does have an effect after all.  For the better.