Interested in Working for an Industry Leader?
Steve Jobs ninja stars revealed to be iPod prototypes (humor)
Go Ruck I am speechless
MSR E-wing: A soda can-sized emergency shelter!
FN Herstal lays off workers amidst fears of declining sales
Archive for the ‘Admin’ Category
Stuff We Didn’t Write About
Saturday, October 2nd, 2010Modern Day Marine
Monday, September 27th, 2010Soldier Systems Daily will be on hand for Modern Day Marine’s 30th anniversary show, 28 – 30 September at Quantico, Virginia. Modern Day Marine is one of our favorite trade shows each year due to its concentration on warfighting solutions and excellent attendance by Marines as well as those in the DC area. If you are in the area, be sure to check it out. Hope to see you there!
Special Edition of Stuff We Didn’t Write About – OPSEC FAIL
Saturday, September 25th, 2010
The regular Stuff We Didn’t Write About will be published later today. But for now, we found this really cool article on Gizmodo recently that is a classic example of horrible OPSEC on the part of the Colombians. The article originated in the Spanish language paper El Mundo and details an attack by Colombian air and ground forces that killed one of the leaders of the FARC, the crew that gave the world the term “narco-terrorist”. Ensconced in a camp deep in a jungle valley no one was finding them. That is, until leader Mono Jojoy needed some new boots for his diabetes stricken feet. Colombian intelligence did the old switcharoo with the boots somewhere in the supply chain and the next thing you know, our boy Mono is walking around with a GPS device in his heel. Fast forward, and the hidden camp is under attack by an air armada of 57 aircraft including helos and Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano turbo-prop fighters built in Brazil. Too bad the US doesn’t have Super Tucano fighters. They would be great for this COIN fight we are in. Instead we are buying planes for dog fights with with 4th Generation fighters.
At any rate, after an aerial bombardment, ground troops air assaulted into the camp and met little resistance, with the only casualty being one bomb dog. Colombian forces found Mono, dead along with other insurgents. Good riddance.
So to sum it all up, way to go Colombia! But, you told the bad guys how you did it. Good luck getting that to work again. The same holds true for the internet. Nothing like folks who don’t know any better (but want you to think they do) teaching the bad guys trade craft on websites.
Sniper – A New Book from Gina Cavallaro and Matt Larsen
Tuesday, September 21st, 2010
Army Times writer Gina Cavallaro and the Father of Army Combatives Matt Larsen present “Sniper: American Single-Shot Warriors in Iraq and Afghanistan”, available this month from The Lyons Press. Both authors brings years of experience but from different perspectives to tell the tale of America’s military snipers as they prosecute the war on terror, one shot at a time. They also delve into the equipment and training of our nation’s elite marksmen. 240 pages – paperback
PSA: The Civilian Contractor Casualty Accountability Project
Thursday, September 16th, 2010Death Valley Magazine recently published an article on the “Civilian Contractor Casualty Accountability Project†(CCCA-Project). The goal of the project is to not only account for all of the Civilian Contractors who have been killed in service of the U.S. Government around the world (regardless of nationality) – but also to account for those Civilian Contractors who are Missing in Action, currently being held as Prisoners of War or Unjustifiably Held in Captivity.
To make this monumental task a reality they are seeking volunteers. to see how you can help visit Death Valley Magazine.
Machete – A Review
Sunday, September 12th, 2010Last week I said I should have seen “Machete” and you know what? I was right. Sure, it’s over the top, but that’s the point. It’s an exploitation film. Pure American cinematic escapism. It’s never pretentious and you aren’t expected to take any of it seriously. Yes, there is some pretty graphic violence but it’s almost cartoonish. And, make sure you are sitting down when I tell you this, but there are some naked ladies in this one as well so don’t take the kids. But of you are looking for a couple of hours of simple mayhem and corny jokes then “Machete” is the one for you.
Can’t Get Enough Soldier Systems?
Tuesday, September 7th, 2010In addition to our daily updates here on the site, there are several other ways to get your Soldier Systems fix. Don’t forget that we are a daily and normally update a minimum of twice per day so come back regularly to keep up on the latest news. If that isn’t enough, we offer several alternatives.
Twitter
Our list of followers on Twitter continues to grow. In addition to alerts of new stories we also release information through Twitter that might be of interest to our readers or is related to our core content but originates elsewhere.
twitter.com/soldiersystems
Facebook
We launched our Facebook page awhile back and are jut beginning to make use of it. Dissatisfied with how we have seen some companies use their accounts we wanted to get in there with a plan to make the experience more meaningful. Look for lots of content soon.
Facebook.com
iPhone
Our iPhone app has been extremely popular and delivers the latest updates directly to your iPhone each time you open it.
iTunes
M4Carbine.net
M4Carbine.net has been most gracious in offering us a dedicated sub-forum to interact with our readers. Not only is it a great place to discuss our articles and current issues in the Soldier Systems industry but M4Carbine.net gives access to the best group of Subject Matter Experts we have run across. No over-inflated CVs, no BS, just good information. Military, Law Enforcement, or a fan of the Black Rifle? You should be a member of M4Carbine.net.
M4Carbine.net
Youtube
We post videos for our articles on our Youtube channel. Additionally, we make use of content posted by others. Always be on the look out for more content.
www.youtube.com
Kindle
Subscriptions to SSD’s content are available for the Kindle via Amazon. Don’t forget there is a Kindle reader for iPhone and iPad.
Amazon.com
The Future
Here at SSD we continuously look at ways to increase interaction with our readers. One example is that we are ready to release an app for the Android. Additionally, some of our writers have begun to develop specialized content for other sites. For example, you may have seen the article on Environmental Clothing Systems on ADS Inc’s web site. You will also begin to see some of our stuff in print. We have also posted content from the Mad Duo and others.
Something very exciting is happening to SSD very soon. Once we get over this busy trade show season, a big change is coming.
One final word. None of this would be possible without the support of our sponsors. We have affiliated ourselves with reputable companies who provide solid products and services and we would not hesitate to recommend any of them. At SSD we look at our sponsorship program as a two-way street. We are endorsing them as much as they are us and we urge you to support them.
We are constantly improving our fighting position, so if you have any additional ideas on ways SSD can do more for you, please feel free to share them with us.
DET One: The Story
Tuesday, June 29th, 2010
DET One: U.S. Marine Corps U.S. Special Operations Command Detachment, 2003-2006 is a hardcover history of DET One produced by the Marine Corps and written by John P. Piedmont with a foreword by Charles P. Neimeyer. What makes this book so special is that rarely do we get a glimpse into special operations units, especially so soon after they are formed. While DET One is an extraordinary case as it was a limited experiment, it did lead to the formation of Marine Special Operations Command, a component of USSOCOM.
At SSD, we are lucky to be able to tell our readers about a little bit of the story that isn’t fully explained in the book. Starting on page 36, the book discusses CQB training conducted by a former Army SOF operator but what the book doesn’t say is who is it was. We can tell you that it was Larry Vickers MSG, USA (Ret) and that his initial training for the DET led to further contact with the Force Recon community that DET One recruited from, and ultimately completely revamped their CQB tactics and marksmanship training. Larry forged quite a few friendships during his time working with the DET, many of which continue to this day.
It’s really too bad the book doesn’t include anything about the DET One “Gunner”. That is always worth a couple of laughs.
The book is currently back ordered on Amazon but can be ordered from the Government Printing Office.
