“The Star Mangled Spanner”

Few actions can convey just how well a war is going as firing three of your top military leaders just four weeks into hostilities - yet this is exactly what has happened at the Pentagon earlier this week.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/3/hegseth-fires-us-army-chief-of-staff-in-reported-string-of-dismissals

On Thursday April 2nd Pete Hegseth the so-say ‘Secretary of War’ stunned the military establishment by announcing the immediate ‘retirement’ of General Randy A. George the Army Chief of Staff since 2023, in tandem with General David Hodne, the head of the Army’s Transformation and Training Command, and Major-General William Green jnr - the Army’s Chief of Chaplains.

This move which has been described by some military insiders as “completely insane” was reportedly provoked by a personal clash between General Randy A. George and Pete Hegseth over the latter’s decision to  block the promotions of four officers - two black and two female - in a list of 29 otherwise white officers gazetted for promotion.

According to the Baptist News, this marks the first occasion that an Army Chief of Chaplains has ever been dismissed from post within their four-year term of service - by a curious  coincidence Major William Green jnr. also happens to be black.

https://baptistnews.com/article/for-first-time-ever-army-chief-of-chaplains-fired-by-hegseth/

Meanwhile in other war news; The Sun has published a video of two US military aircraft that had to be blown up by their own special forces while searching for shot-down F-15 pilots after the rescue aircraft themselves became bogged down in sand behind enemy lines:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siqL6V70McU

The Mirror has published video of a $700 million AWACS E-3 spy-plane reduced to rubble on the runway at Prince Sutan Air Base in Saudi Arabia by a $20,000 Iranian Shahed 136 drone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQn04k-eUD4

And The Times of India has published a detailed report claiming that an Iranian drone attack on the US Embassy in Riyadh KSA on 3 March last month caused far more damage than previously acknowledged:

The strikes occurred at around 1.30am and hit a secure section of the embassy complex. According to officials, three floors sustained heavy damage, and areas including the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) station were affected.

While Saudi authorities initially described the incident as causing only minor material damage and a limited fire, sources told The Wall Street Journal that the blaze lasted for nearly half a day and left parts of the embassy beyond repair.

No casualties were reported, but officials said the timing prevented what could have been a mass-casualty event had the attack taken place during the working hours.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/iran-drone-strike-on-us-embassy-in-saudi-arabia-hit-cia-station-report/articleshow/130032655.cms

Edited 4 hours ago4 hr by toucana
edited "US military aircraft" para 5