Smoky Mountain Journal -U.S. Military Tweets It's "Locked And Loaded" Near Guam Should North Korea Act Unwisely




The Great Smoky Mountain Journal Staff Reports Posted: Sunday, January 21, 2018 11:21 AM

U.S. Military Tweets It's "Locked And Loaded" Near Guam Should North Korea Act Unwisely
Pentagon officials told Fox News on Friday that the U.S. military stands ready to “fight tonight” on the Korean Peninsula, as President Trump said the U.S. is “locked and loaded” and retweeted images from U.S. Pacific Command showing B-1B Lancer bombers on Guam. “Military solutions are now fully in place, locked and loaded, should North Korea act unwisely. Hopefully Kim Jong Un will find another path!” the president tweeted Friday morning, amid escalating tensions this week. Follow Donald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump Military solutions are now fully in place,locked and loaded,should North Korea act unwisely. Hopefully Kim Jong Un will find another path! 7:29 AM - Aug 11, 2017 26,028 26,028 Replies 24,037 24,037 Retweets 61,851 61,851 likes Twitter Ads info and privacy Shortly afterward, he retweeted the Pacific Command saying: “#USAF B-1B Lancer #bombers on Guam stand ready to fulfill USFK’s #FightTonight mission if called upon to do so.” U.S. Pacific Command ✔ @PacificCommand #USAF B-1B Lancer #bombers on Guam stand ready to fulfill USFK’s #FightTonight mission if called upon to do so https://go.usa.gov/xRV8p 10:31 PM - Aug 10, 2017 1,704 1,704 Replies 3,911 3,911 Retweets 10,383 10,383 likes Twitter Ads info and privacy The “fight tonight” vow is a long-held motto for U.S. forces deployed to the region. Trump and top military officials have left little to the imagination in warning Pyongyang about what would happen if it followed through on threats to attack Guam, a U.S. territory. “He does something in Guam, it will be an event the likes of which nobody has seen before –what will happen in North Korea,” Trump said Thursday, at his property in Bedminster, N.J., in response to Kim Jong Un’s threats. “It’s not a dare, it’s a statement.” Trump’s tweets follow days of escalating rhetoric toward the regime. Earlier this week, Trump reacted to reports that North Korea had produced a compact nuclear warhead and warned the country they “will be met with fire and fury” if they carry out an attack. Hours later, state media in North Korea reported that its leaders were seriously considering a plan to fire missiles at Guam. Despite the tough rhetoric, there are just six B-1 bombers deployed to Guam right now, according to defense officials. Out of the USAF fleet of 62 bombers, only half can fly right now after years of budget cuts, according to U.S. Air Force statistics. There is currently no U.S. Navy aircraft carrier strike group or Marine Corps Expeditionary Unit off the Korean Peninsula right now. Military assets could scramble from other locations, however. The president has faced some criticism in Washington for the tone of his rhetoric against Pyongyang, with lawmakers warning he could needlessly escalate the standoff. But Trump maintained Thursday his words might not have been "tough enough." The warnings from Trump come as China – North Korea’s primary ally – issued a veiled warning to the U.S. China’s government, via state media, said it would remain neutral if North Korea attacks the U.S. but would defend its neighbor if the U.S. were to strike first against Kim Jong Un. Meanwhile, other Asia-Pacific countries, including Japan and Australia, have come out in support of the United States in the event of a North Korean nuclear attack. Fox News’ Lucas Tomlinson contributed to this report.