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Archive for June, 2023
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Monday, June 19th, 2023AFCEC Successfully Tests Multi-Capable Airmen Airfield Repair Concept
Monday, June 19th, 2023JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas (AFNS) —
The concept of a cross section of Airmen carrying out important wartime tasks seems like a good idea, but does it work?
That’s what the Air Force Civil Engineer Center’s readiness team set out to prove May 22-24 during a Rapid Damage Repair Multi-Capable Airmen exercise at an Air Force regional training site at Dobbins Air Force Base, Georgia.
The exercise, the first of its kind for AFCEC, successfully demonstrated the concept said Master Sgt. Broc French, contingency training program manager at the center.
“In a deployed location, we might not be able to rely solely on civil engineers to execute traditionally CE work,” he said. “This exercise showcased that Airmen from various Air Force specialties can execute these types of repairs and support our CEs.”
In preparation for the exercise, five civil engineer Airmen from the 366th Civil Engineer Squadron at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, attended a five-day course in 2022 to learn how to perform wartime RDR tasks.
To test the MCA concept, a combination of 25 CE and non-CE Mountain Home AFB Airmen, with no prior RDR experience, were then selected from across the base to take part in the exercise at Dobbins AFB’s Air Force Reserve Command Expeditionary Combat Support Training Certification Center.
Once at the Georgia base, the five engineer teammates became their instructors for two days of classroom, tabletop and hands-on training, followed by a practical test with the team of CE, finance, maintenance, munitions, medical and operations support Airmen having to complete six concrete crater repairs and spall operations within four hours.
In essence, they repaired airfield damage that could limit the ability of aircraft to take off and land in a real-world, wartime environment.
“Traditionally, civil engineers do the rapid damage repair like we did here, but with this beta test, we brought in different squadrons and different groups to augment some of the tasks in the repair process … and they executed,” said Chief Master Sgt. Chad Lepley, AFCEC Readiness Directorate senior enlisted leader.
Senior Airman Kayla Panzarella is a medic at Mountain Home AFB, but she was a CE “dirt boy” during the exercise.
“Being a complete outsider to this world and routine, I thought it was very clear and precise for what I needed,” Panzarella said of the training. “I was super nervous to come in here and start cutting concrete after two days, but my instructor was amazing. He taught me everything and was patient. That’s really what you need in an environment like this coming from different jobs to something as scary as this is.
I can’t explain the feeling of doing this wartime task, this mission. I remember looking out from inside the (concrete-cutting heavy equipment) and having the feeling of, ‘Wow, we’re doing this … I’m so proud of myself, proud of this team.’ It was a feeling I can’t really explain … just excellence in what we were doing. It was a great feeling.”
French was impressed with the entire operation.
“It’s been outstanding … pretty awesome to see Airmen who have never been in a compact track loader or ever touched any of this equipment executing the mission,” he said. “After two days, they’ve been able to fill craters and, if it were a real-world scenario, be able to get aircraft off the ground quickly. This is a great concept that works, and we’re looking to expand it in the future.”
Master Sgt. Patrick Murphy, the 366th CES heavy repair section chief at Mountain Home AFB and instructor lead during the exercise, said the positive attitudes of everyone involved were key to the success of the event.
“This (exercise and MCA concept) is a really good start for changing the battlefield space,” Murphy said. “If you could take different career fields like security forces, medical and finance like we had out here, you could put people together to form an ‘A Squad.’ With that, you could take care of everything with a small force, as long as you had the right attitude like we had with folks this week.”
Story by Debbie Aragon, Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center Public Affairs
Photos by Brian Goddin
DroneShield and Epirus Complete Integration
Sunday, June 18th, 2023DroneShield and Epirus, Inc (Epirus) have completed integration of DroneShield’s multi-sensor DroneSentry system with Epirus’ Leonidas high-power microwave (HPM) counter-electronics/counter-UAS effector.
The integration of these two systems allows for a fully integrated C-UAS system that can track multiple threats and then engage with high-powered microwave countermeasures that will provide critical defensive capabilities for our military, government and other customers.
DroneSentry incorporates radiofrequency, radar and electro-optic detection and tracking system as well as smart jamming UAS defeat module, powered by its cutting edge DroneSentry-C2 command-and-control system.
Epirus’ Leonidas is a counter-electronics system with the power and precision to neutralize a single threat in tight, crowded spaces or disable multiple threats across a wide area simultaneously. Epirus’ revolutionary approach to directed energy allows for unmatched counter-electronics effects, dramatically reduces the size and weight of the system and enables greater operator control and safety. Mounted on a gimbal to increase manoeuvrability, the system can be deployed as a fixed or mobile capability enabling wide-area rapid response.
Epirus was awarded a US$66 million US Government contract earlier this year for the stand-alone Leonidas systems.
The combined system provides significantly expanded options for the DoD, and in time, global customer base.
Epirus CEO, Ken Bedingfield, commented: “Epirus and DroneShield share common ethos of rapid pace, high tech innovation, to provide the warfighter with advanced technologies to protect against the rapidly rising threat of drones and other electronic threats. We are pleased to continue deepening the engagement over time.”
5.11 Tactical and Prime Video to Celebrate the Fourth and Final Season of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan with a Specialized Sweepstakes Prize Package and Exclusive Content Series
Sunday, June 18th, 2023Costa Mesa, Calif. (June 16, 2023) – 5.11 Tactical, the global innovator of Purpose-Built Gear™, has teamed up with Prime Video to celebrate the release of the fourth season of the highly-popular series Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan with a special sweepstakes prize package available to customers and viewers, as well as a three-part content series featuring retired Navy SEAL, Clint Emerson.
The enter-to-win sweepstakes will offer fans a chance to win a robust 5.11 prize package valued at $2,500 and comprised of some of the latest 5.11 gear and technical apparel seen throughout the action-thriller series. Entries will be accepted from Friday, June 16 to Monday, July 31, 2023. To enter, or for more information, customers and viewers can visit www.511tactical.com/jackryan4. No purchase is necessary, one entry per email, must be 18 years or older and a U.S. resident to enter.
5.11 has also produced an exclusive content series with retired Navy SEAL, Clint Emerson. The three-part series dives into Emerson’s unique first-hand perspective around various scenarios throughout the final season. The video series can be found on 5.11’s YouTube page.
The fourth and final season of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan will premiere June 30 on Prime Video, with two episodes available each Friday, leading up to the epic series finale on July 14. The six-episode season will stream exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide. Fans can catch up on the first three seasons of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan streaming now on Prime Video, part of the savings, convenience, and entertainment that Prime members enjoy in a single membership.
To learn more about a 5.11, its product offering or its latest events and sweepstakes, visit www.511tactical.com.
UF PRO Presents – It’s Beer:30. Debating Thermal Protection
Sunday, June 18th, 2023Exploring the role of thermal signature in combat zones
In this episode of Beer:30, Armin and Darko are joined by Marko Peljhan, co-founder and partner at C-Astral Aerospace, a globally recognised company that manufactures and services fixed-wing small Unmanned Aircraft Systems. They discuss the challenges of countering detection, the quest for effective camouflage, and the battle against heat signature technology.
ACE Course Prepares Airmen for Strategic Engagements in Indo-Pacific
Sunday, June 18th, 2023
MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. (AFNS) —
The National Defense Strategy and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy identify the Indo-Pacific as a priority theater vital to the nation’s security and prosperity.
The Air Force Culture and Language Center has partnered with the Air Force Special Operations School and the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center on an innovative agile combat employment course. The most recent course focused on U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and taught in the Tagalog language, to demonstrate U.S. long-term commitment to strengthening partner autonomy and options throughout this region.
Eight Tagalog-speaking scholars in the Air Force’s Language Enabled Airman Program with a wide range of operational backgrounds — from medical and cyber operations to logistics and bioenvironmental engineering—were competitively selected to participate in this three-week course, held May 8-26, at Hurlburt Field, Florida.
The course is designed to build on the language and cultural skills they’ve gained throughout their LEAP experience to prepare them for Agile Combat Employment and their role in advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
“There’s a sense of urgency in seamlessly working with partners and allies for integrated deterrence, especially in the INDOPACOM region,” said Howard Ward, AFCLC director. “Our force must understand culture to work with our counterparts and be highly skilled in the languages to get tempo and speed to build capacity and operating capability for ACE to be a credible deterrent.”
The program consists of one week of the special operations school’s “Intercultural Skills for Engagement,” or ENGAGE, course followed by two weeks of operationally focused advanced Tagalog language and cultural studies taught by a DLIFLC professor.
During the two weeks of operationally focused language studies in Tagalog, students gained knowledge and enhanced language proficiency on strategic topics relevant to the INDOPACOM theater, such as the state of Philippine and U.S. relations, Philippine and China relations related to economy, current events, and humanitarian aid and recovery efforts.
“This course connects Airmen to the operational environment in the safety of the classroom while still offering sufficient authenticity and operational relevance,” said Dr. Aleksandra Churinov, site director for the DLIFLC Hurlburt Field Language Training Detachment.
The students also took a deep dive into the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement to lead in-depth discussions on U.S. basing scenarios in the Philippines. This educational model prepared LEAP Scholars to use their language, regional expertise, and culture skills to facilitate future strategic conversations among senior leaders of U.S. military, partners, and allies in the Indo-Pacific while effectively bridging cultural barriers to enable ACE.
“There have been several announcements recently on basing and access agreements with the Philippines that are extremely important,” Ward said. “These students are being prepared in a unique way to have the conversation on how we, both the U.S. and the Philippines, can build our capacity together to move as one seamless team in deterring aggression from our adversaries.”
The ENGAGE course included lessons to help students enhance cultural competencies for military operations in areas such as modern information warfare, conflict de-escalation, negotiation strategies for military effectiveness, and key leader engagements. LEAP Scholars also integrated with air commando students during the course, providing a deeper cultural context to each lesson.
“It was incredible to have the Filipino students in this course to provide accurate and insightful cultural context to all the lessons we covered,” said Maj. Krista Schaeffer, a non-standard aviation pilot enrolled in the ENGAGE course. “I felt lucky to have this opportunity. I think this collaboration is a win-win, and I am excited about the future iterations.”
Scholars put the knowledge gained through classroom activities and discussion into practice in realistic scenarios conducted completely in the Tagalog language on operational tactics such as establishing operations centers, developing airfield suitability assessments, and conducting virtual planning conferences. These scenarios equipped students with the skills needed to determine the interest of the Philippines and the U.S. to increase strategic joint capacity.
“We create complex scenarios that students must navigate in the target language to demonstrate their cultural knowledge and understanding. When our Tagalog group can go to the Philippines and serve as liaisons between the Philippine military, the Filipino population, and the U.S. military personnel, they can bring a greater level of understanding and integration to facilitate a strategic partnership,” said Lt. Col. Jared Cordell, special operations school’s chief of faculty development.
Master Sgt. Ramchand Francisco, one of the Tagalog LEAP Scholars who participated in the course, recently supported bilateral cooperation in the Philippines with the Philippine marine corps and U.S. counterparts through LEAP. From his experience during that mission and this course, he said he saw the need to build rapport in the Philippines as one of the most critical factors for seamless integration in the Indo-Pacific region.
“The U.S. is very transactional and wants to get the job done in bilateral relations with the Philippines, but the Philippines will not agree without trust and a mutually beneficial bilateral connection. Our cultural skills as LEAP Scholars are essential to facilitate that strategic relationship,” he explained.
Upon completion of the course, these multi-capable Airmen will be postured to support advancing a “free and open Indo-Pacific” by modernizing long-standing alliances and strengthening emerging partnerships through expertise in the Tagalog language and the Philippine culture. They will also leave the course with integrated capabilities and interoperability across core functions, a vital component of the ACE framework.
By Mikala McCurry, Air Force Cultural Language Center Outreach Team
Blackhawk Tactical Athletes Dominate at Utah Tactical Games
Saturday, June 17th, 2023
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – June 14, 2023 – Blackhawk®, a leader in law enforcement and military equipment for over 20 years, congratulates tactical athletes Jared Halbert and Ehea Schuerch for their strong performances at The Tactical Games Utah Regional Event. Halbert took home first place in the Men’s Elite Division while fellow teammate Schuerch placed second in the Women’s Elite Division.
Following his most recent win at the Tactical Games South Carolina match in the team event, Halbert returned to the podium as the winner of the Men’s Elite Division. Throughout the competition, Halbert ran a full suite of Blackhawk gear, including a T-Series® holster, Foundation Series Tac Nylon plate carrier and belt.
“Utah was very hot, and the smaller footprint of the Foundation Series Plate Carrier helped keep me comfortable,” Halbert said. “I was able to win both the action shooting stages during the match by having a holster that allows for quick draws and a sling that is fast to manipulate, which helps when tenths of a second matter. Several times I was also able to stow rifle magazines in the cummerbund of my plate carrier instead of in the very back of my belt, which allowed me to place my pistol pouches in more advantageous positions.”
Teammate Ehea Schuerch fought through injury and a fierce field of competitors to take second place in the Women’s Elite division.
“This weekend was an opportunity for me to put my last two months of training to the test,” Schuerch said. “On day two when I rolled my ankle, everything became a challenge – but it was me versus me. Thankfully, my Blackhawk gear is tough and reliable no matter the environment. I have put my holster belt and Foundation Series plate carrier through the ringer, and they still work flawlessly.”
To learn more about Blackhawk or to see the full line-up of holsters and tactical gear, head over to Blackhawk.com.
Federal Ammunition Introduces New Action Shotgun Designed for Multi-Gun Competitors
Saturday, June 17th, 2023ANOKA, Minnesota – June 14, 2023 – Federal is proud to introduce new Federal Action Shotgun, catering to the wants and needs for competitors within the growing sport of action shotgun. This specialized load was created to deliver a perfect balance of power, shoot-ability, and control needed in multi-gun competitions.
“Every aspect of this new ammo has been designed to help competitors run their shotgun stages more efficiently and effectively,” said Scott Turner, Federal’s Shotshell Product Line Manager. “First and foremost, this product is designed to address and eliminate hand-loading and magazine-feeding issues these athletes often encounter. Second, it delivers the quantity and power that action shotgun shooters were already seeking out. And finally, it uses the ideal components for the ultimate in pattern performance and reliability competitors can depend on.”
Action Shotgun features an overshot card and roll crimp that adds strength and rigidity to the mouth of the shell, allowing for improved cycling in both tube-fed and magazine-fed shotguns. The shell cup is made of brass-plated steel for reliable feeding and extraction to reduce the risk of jams.
“It was certainly a challenge to find the right mix and match of our existing components that makeup this robust load. It took our teams a while to decide on the combination of head, primer, shot, wad system and hull to finalize the ideal recipe,” explained Turner. “We are extremely pleased with the results, and we know competition shooters will be happy too.”
Action Shotgun’s 1 1/8-ounce payload of high-quality No. 7.5 lead pellets is pushed out the muzzle at 1,235 fps. This velocity strikes the perfect balance: providing both the power needed to knock down targets and the shoot-ability to run through a course with both speed and precision.
The new shotshell loads also feature temp-stable powder and proven primers. They are bulk-packed in 200-round cases for convenience and reduced waste at the range.
For more information on all products from Federal or to shop online, visit www.federalpremium.com.
