Backyard_Spotter

DFW based aviation photographer #avgeek

[Dave O’Brien @DaveOTGphotog]

MURDER81 Flight, 6 MC-130’s from the 9th SOS departing. Shame they painted over their serials, will have to look deeper to see if I can find anything from previous flights.

[Tyler Rogoway @Aviation_Intel]

Any Plans For Direct U-28 Draco Special Ops Surveillance Plane Replacement Abandoned

There are signs now that the U.S. special operations community is on track to stop flying dedicated crewed surveillance planes entirely.

https://t.co/QVlWMuk2Ds

[U.S. Army Special Operations Command @USASOCNews]

If you wait till your ready you’ll never go.

The grass is greener on the other side.

Stop Waiting, join us.

We protect the nation.

Without Fear.

Without Fail.

Without Equal.

[TT-33 operator @Tt33operator]

The Trailblazer (N473AP), L3’s 757 Testbed landing at KGVT.

[Special Warfare Airmen @SpecWarAirmen]

On the road again

[Bud Gibson @TheReconCast]

Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Thomas Arthur “Tommy” Ratzlaff. DEVGRU Gold Squadron. Born and raised in Green Forest, Arkansas. From a young age, all Tommy ever wanted was to be a Navy SEAL. He enlisted in 1995 to chase that dream, and in 1998 entered training at the Naval Special Warfare Advanced Training Detachment, eventually graduating from BUD/S. He earned his Trident, served at multiple SEAL Teams, and was selected for Naval Special Warfare Development Group, the unit most of the world knows as SEAL Team Six. By the time he died, Tommy was on his 12th deployment, with 9 previous tours in Afghanistan and one in Iraq. He was 34 years old. On August 6, 2011, at approximately 0239 local time, the CH-47D Chinook with the call sign Extortion 17 was shot down by a Taliban fired rocket propelled grenade in the Tangi Valley of Wardak Province, Afghanistan. The helicopter was carrying a Quick Reaction Force attempting to reinforce a Ranger element pinned down on the ground. All 38 men aboard were killed, along with one military working dog. 15 of those Americans were Navy SEALs from DEVGRU Gold Squadron, including Tommy. It remains the worst single day loss of life in the history of U.S. Special Operations Command. Tommy left behind his wife Andrea and three children. The Tunnel to Towers Foundation later paid off the mortgage on the Ratzlaff family home, one final act of gratitude to a man who gave everything. Some warriors die on a battlefield they chose. Tommy died on a battlefield he ran toward, on a mission to save other Americans.

[nate @refueled]

Happy Veterans Month! 🇺🇸🇺🇸 #VeteransMonth
While others push their agendas, we remember what truly matters! Thank you to all who have served and sacrificed for this great nation.

[Office of Congressman Abe Hamadeh @RepAbeHamadeh]

It flew through the @SenateGOP with UNANIMOUS support, now Congressman Hamadeh’s Maverick Act to preserve the legendary F-14 Tomcat is ready for takeoff in the @HouseGOP.

Let’s get this done and keep American aviation history flying!

[OSINTtechnical @Osinttechnical]

Additional look at the rear end via 📷Dylan Meddings

https://t.co/sRtf5YqRku

[OSINTtechnical @Osinttechnical]

Closer look at the tail section of the USAF KC-135 63-8028 that suffered shrapnel damage from a Iranian drone/ballistic missile on the ground in Saudi Arabia.

[Nick Sortor @nicksortor]

🚨 BREAKING: FBI has just RAIDED and ARRESTED the man who I caught on video threatening the lives of an ICE agent and his family outside ICE Newark

Nicholas Scelfo is facing FEDERAL FELONIES

THIS IS HOW IT’S DONE! 🔥

THANK YOU to @FBIDirectorKash and @DAGToddBlanche for PERSONALLY working with me on this.

You PROMISED you’d find him, and you delivered.

WELL DONE! 👏

ACTING AG BLANCHE: “FAFO.”

[NEET INTEL @neetintel]

The Chinese presumably either are or will use HF radio for the communications side of this. Monitoring the HFGCS reached a point of diminished returns due to limited public interest and lack of support, but I'm open to resuming monitoring efforts if people identify Chinese HF....

[TT-33 operator @Tt33operator]

Third MC-55A Peregrine (N540GA) Completed. They aren’t the best, but here are some shots from its last test flight out of KGVT.

[Homeland Security @DHSgov]

A crown for every achievement.

[Air Force Global Strike Command @AFGlobalStrike]

Airmen & Guardians conducted a routine test launch of an unarmed Minuteman III #ICBM on May 20 from Vandenberg SFB, Calif.

@DeptofWar | @US_STRATCOM | @usairforce | @USSpaceForce | @ArmySMDC | @SLDelta30 | #MinutemanIII | #GT256

[Special Warfare Airmen @SpecWarAirmen]

USCG guys in a daily battle with these drug smugglers. How do you stop a constant flow?

[Special Warfare Airmen @SpecWarAirmen]

You got the short straw. SPIE / STABO for old timers looks cool but sucks and is painful and super dangerous. Post three day weekend funk. Feels weird as my mind tells me it should be Monday. I think all three day weekends should be Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Work on Monday

[ᴅᴇᴡ @Remnantize]

US Marines with the Special Reaction Team and US Secret Service Counter Assault Team, 2026