Sorry Ukraine, That Some American Fighter Pilots Are Dickheads
CW Lemoine, “Mover”, Tells Is Like It Is
If the U.S. ended up in a war with China — or anyone else — could it succeed if many of its fighter pilots only cared about their personal safety? Only cared about defending America as a geographic location, not as a beacon of freedom?
On August 26th, 2024, The Ukrainian fighter pilot Oleksii Mes, “Moonfish”, was killed when his F-16 crashed while repelling a Russian attack. By all accounts he put the freedom of Ukraine first, not his personal safety.
Moonfish spent his free time trying to convince U.S. Congressmen that Ukrainian freedom mattered.
After Moonfish’s death, Lindsey Graham asked a simple question, do any American pilots want to “fight for freedom.” On his podcast, U.S. fighter pilot CW Lemoine was happy to answer!
Lemoine could have simply answered ‘no’.
But being a dickhead, and being tossed a softball of a question for dickheads and petty opportunists, Lemoine smacked it out of the comfy-chair podcast park.
First, let’s talk about Major Troy Gilbert.
In 2006, American F-16 fighter pilot, Major Troy Gilbert, died in combat action during the Iraq War. He was killed Taji, Iraq, supporting U.S. ground forces. His aircraft crashed during a low-altitude strafing run.
From the Air Force, “Gilbert (“Trojan”) and his wingman were flying back to base when they got the call that an AH-6 Little Bird helicopter had been shot down. Enemy insurgents had the crew, along with the coalition forces called in to support, outnumbered and pinned down.
“To avoid causing civilian casualties by dropping the bombs he carried under his wings, he opted for low-altitude strafing passes using his 20-milimeter Gatling gun. Gilbert made his first pass, destroying one truck and dispersing the others which were almost upon the friendly forces 20 miles northwest of Baghdad. Keeping his eye on the enemy targets moving at high speed, he conducted a second pass from an even lower altitude.
He continued firing on the enemy forces during a dynamic and difficult flight profile, impacting the ground at high speed on the second pass. Reports say the crash killed him instantly.”
It seems to me “Trojan” and “Moonfish” had the same courageous quality. They ditched all the protective measure of their military structures to protect the freedom of their people.
CW Lemoine seems to believe that’s pretty stupid. You be the judge.
On one of his YouTube channels CW Lemoine opines on whether or not American fighter jet pilots should fly F-16s in Ukraine against the Russian invasion:
Senator from the great state of South Carolina said if you’re retired F16 pilot, you’re looking to fight for freedom, they will hire you here. He told reporters they’re going to look throughout NATO nations for willing fighter pilots who retired to come help them until they can get their pilot strains. We’re going to get these jets in the air sooner rather than later. And that’s pretty much the whole thing. And everybody keeps asking me, are you going to?
Call me crazy, but the first thing I’d do is recognize all the lives lost in the Ukraine war.
Are you going to sign up? Number one, I’m not retired, so there’s that part.
Number two, I think it’s a bad idea and I’m not going to do it.
For more than just it’s a bad idea. I swore an oath to my country, to fight for my country, and I have no ties to this conflict right now.
Fascinating! I’ve never been in the military. Do I not understood how it works? My understanding is that if you join the military they tell you what to do. Whatever I think my ties are to this or that are irrelevant.
If he’s not retired Lemoine is taking the liberty to give personal political views that are disturbing and I believe reflect badly on the the U.S. Military in which he is still serving (and representing).
In his next comments he paints a picture of what flying U.S. fighter jets means to him. It’s a world of entitlement, exceptionalism and barely veiled mocking of those who are not American fighter jet pilots. Most jaw-dropping of all, is how he completely ignores a few facts I’ll get to afterwards.
There’s nothing for me in Ukraine. And I think as far as a bad idea, the reason I say it’s a bad idea, is you’re going to a foreign country in a jet of, you know, unknown capabilities. Unknown capabilities, unknown maintenance, unknown everything. You don’t have the infrastructure that you have when you go to fight.
For example, I go to ploy to Iraq again, I know that I’ve got my maintainers, my operation support. My aircrew flight equipment, my C-SAR support, which is a huge thing in a active shooting war.
Command and control environment, like I know I have that support. I don’t know what you have there. And unlike Iraq, Afghanistan, where if you captured they’re just going to lop your head off, you get captured in Russia, you are not subject to the same rules because now you’re acting as an independent contractor, mercenary, and they will find out everything you know about every weapon system, every classified program, everything that you’ve ever been exposed to in the United States military will now be property of the Russian government.
That is a security risk on top of a personal risk. And when the United States is not formally part of this, it doesn’t make sense as somebody who loves their own country to go partake. That’s just me, other people may have different opinions. I just I don’t think it’s something I would do because I have no allegiance to Ukraine.
After Lemoine spoke, his co-host, Trevor Hartsock “Gonky” said, “You nailed it!”
Great, there are more than two dickheads, only thinking about themselves ;)
Estimate are that the U.S. has provided over $175 billion in aide to Ukraine. If that’s not “formally” involved what is?
Did Lindsey Graham suggest pilots join some private air force and buy F-16s at a flea market?
Does Lemoine believe no U.S. military aircraft are flying over Ukraine?
Who is he to say what is a “security risk” or not? Where does he get this idea that Russia is going to torture him to get all the secrets of the U.S. squirreled away in his brain?
Best of all, Lemoine implies he killed people in Iraq “defending” America? Really?!
He’s okay “defending” America by dropping bombs on Iraqis but he’s not okay “defending” America dropping bombs on Russians — a country that invaded a democratic friend of the United States?
In the words of Inventing Anna, CW Lemoine, you’re just so basic.
