As you probably already know, here at SSD we love ARRSE. The British Army Rumour Service (ARRSE) is a favored web destination when one of us wants a bit of a laugh.
In ‘The Official ARRSE Guide to the British Army’ Major Des Astor explores those questions about the British Army that keep you up at night. Some sections are factual while others poke a little irreverent fun at one of the world’s oldest professional armies.
Get yours from Amazon.com or amazon.co.uk.
We’ve written about PrimaLoft before but we thought that the slides from their presentation at Open Range Service Group’s Military Mountain and Cold Weather Workshop was worth sharing to our readers. I don’t think we can say enough good things about that conference.
Originally developed by Albany International during the 1980s, PrimaLoft was originally intended as a water resistant synthetic alternative to down. Tim Cashell did a great job of explaining how it works and the impact it has had on military clothing programs, particularly USSOCOM’s Protective Combat Uniform.
The US Army’s XVIII Airborne Corps is once again jumping the T-11 advanced tactical parachute system after a parachute related fatality in June of last year caused a suspension of use. As you can see, The T-11 is cruciform in shape, as opposed to a circle like the T-10. This means a larger surface area and diameter and a greater weight limit (400 lbs). This new canopy also results in a slower rate of descent to 19 feet per second vice the 22 feet of the T-10. Combine these features and you get a lower risk of jump-related injuries.
To signal its return to operational use, on March 22nd, Corps leadership, including commander LTG Frank Helmick conducted an airborne operation on Fort Bragg’s Normandy Drop Zone. Prior to the jump, all jumpers received New Equipment Training on the chute.
“It is important for the leadership to jump this parachute first,” said LTG Helmick. “We know that this is a safe parachute. Most of us have jumped this parachute before. As leaders, we are supposed to lead the way, and as such, we have been training to ensure that we transition our parachuting capabilities in a very deliberate manner.”
While conventional forces at Bragg had stopped using the T-11, the US Army Airborne school at Fort Benning had continued to train students in its use.
“The T-11 parachute is the first revolutionary change in tactical parachutes in more than 51 years,” said LTC John Ring, director of operations, XVIII Abn Corps. “It’s the first static line parachute where you actually experience freefall for a period of time. [With] every other static line parachute that we jump, you are tied to the airplane all the way until the parachute is completely deployed.”
Not only did the jumpers receive additional training but so did Jumpmasters and Riggers. For example, Rigger training lasted up to eight days.
“There has been a lot of preparation for this jump,” said CW4 Kelvin Thompson, senior airdrop systems technician, 82nd Sustainment Brigade, XVIII Abn Corps. “Riggers have been training and packing this system since February.” LTG Helmick commented, “There is no room for error in the parachute rigger community and I am confident that each of them live by their motto: ‘I will be sure always.'”
Rogue American Apparel advises: ~Fear The Beard~ RAA Epic Beard Man Contest. Date – July 4, 2012. Stand By for details and get those Beards a growing.
All call signs wait, out…
Private Taylor Gleeson has a Canadian uniform checked by Dr Bin Lee from the DSTO during the NATO camouflage effectiveness field trial at the Jungle Training Centre in Tully, Australia
In a DSTO press release, Chief of DSTO’s Human Protection and Performance Division Dr Simon Oldfield said, “The trial, and our membership of the NATO task group looking at camouflage, enables Australia to have access to knowledge, tools and methodologies that will inform future camouflage requirements.”
He went on to explain, “We will also be able to gather a more realistic threat assessment of hot and humid environments that will help us develop assessment methods for camouflage.”
Data on current issue and experiential patterns was collected using multispectral image recording and panoramic photography techniques to measure their effectiveness. Ten volunteers from the Australian Army’s 3rd Brigade wore the uniforms during the event.
As they did not disclose which patterns (other than CADPAT) they are assessing we are unsure how this may, if at all, affect the fielding of the Australian MultiCam Pattern developed by Crye Precision.
The iPhone already shoots HD video but let’s face it, the microphone isn’t exactly on the same level as the camera.
The iPhone Boom Mic connects to your audio jack. Even when fitted with a case. It’s super-directional setting helps focus in on the sounds you want to record. The mic uses a single AAA battery that fits in the shotgun style body.
photojojo.com/store/awesomeness/iphone-boom-mic
Here are some photos of a Slangvel in PenCott Badlands. For availability contact graywolf47@comcast.net.
From the Conversations from Penn State series, this is an interview with former Air Force orthopedic surgeon Chris Coppola on his experience in Iraq.
War is a collection of very personal experiences. It’s interesting to hear from a different perspective than what we generally encounter.
