HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. —
U.S. Airmen assigned to the 1st Special Operations Civil Engineer Squadron hold a defensive position during Prime Base Engineer Emergency Training at Hurlburt Field, Florida, Aug. 20, 2024. Prime BEEF training consists of tactical convoy operations, radio communications etiquette, establishing security and defensive fighting positions to enable Airmen to set up a bare base – any time, any place.
By U.S. Air Force Amn Joey Weis-Petticord, 1st Special Operations Wing
Partnership expands on never-ending commitment to veterans and active-duty military members, with tax-free shopping and all exchange earnings going to support military communities
Bass Pro Shops is excited to announce an agreement has been signed to become the official outdoor gear retailer for the Army & Air Force Exchange Service, launching this year at ShopMyExchange.com.
The Army & Air Force Exchange Service, the Department of Defense’s largest military exchange, operates nationwide and in more than 30 countries. Later this year, all active-duty service members, dependents, retirees, Department of Defense civilians and retirees and honorably discharged Veterans who have confirmed their eligibility through ShopMyExchange.com/vets will be able to reel in deals on the best outdoor gear from Bass Pro Shops.
“We can never adequately thank our nation’s heroes for the sacrifice shown in service to our great country, we are all deeply grateful for what they do every day to protect the freedoms we are blessed to enjoy here in the USA,” said noted conservationist and Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris. “To be named the Official Outdoor Gear Provider for the Army & Air Force Exchange Service makes this one of the proudest days in the history of our company.”
Veterans, active-duty service members and their dependents will have the opportunity to shop the leading outdoor brands from Bass Pro Shops tax-free, and the prices they see on the shelf will have the 10 percent Legendary Salute military discount Bass Pro Shops is known for already built in. Additionally, 100 percent of Exchange earnings support the military community, including critical quality-of-life programs. This will bring outdoor experiences to our nation’s heroes, with the convenience and savings they deserve.
“Nature leads to healing, to adventure and a lifetime of the best memories,” said Tom Shull, Director/CEO of AAFES. “Together, Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops and the Exchange will help service members and Veterans enjoy the wonder and healing nature offers. Team Exchange looks forward to connecting heroes with the land they fiercely fight to protect.”
Bass Pro Shops’ Commitment to Veterans and to the U.S. Army Community
This partnership is an extension of the support shown by Johnny and Bass Pro Shops – North America’s premier outdoor retailer and three-time honoree as America’s Best Outdoor Retailer by Newsweek – for our heroes in the armed forces.
This commitment stems in part from the respect Johnny holds for his father, John A. Morris, a decorated World War II veteran who fought in the Battle of the Bulge.
For decades, Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s has been committed to hiring those who have served our nation. Currently, nearly 3,000 veterans or active-duty military personnel are employed as Outfitters.
Legendary Salute Discount
For over 25 years, Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s have offered discounts to veterans and active-duty military members as a token of appreciation for our true heroes.
The Legendary Salute Discount offers 10 percent off on almost everything in all Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s locations in the United States and Canada, offered to veterans, active military, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and fish and wildlife officers.
Veterans Tower at Thunder Ridge Nature Arena
One of the most striking features of the new not-for-profit Thunder Ridge Nature Arena is the Veterans Tower, inspired by historic national park and forest service fire and wildlife viewing towers. The breathtaking 12-story tower serves as a tribute to honor of all of our veteran heroes, including John A. Morris.
During the recent Rolling Stones concert, Bass Pro Shops hosted over 1,000 veteran Outfitters and their families from 22 states.
Johnny Morris and Bass Pro Shops Recipient of The National Service Award
The U.S. Army’s Highest Civilian Award
In 2022, Johnny Morris and Bass Pro Shops received the U.S. Army’s highest civilian honor, the prestigious National Service Award, from the Association of the United States Army. This award was presented in recognition of exemplary service and demonstrated enduring support to the American Soldier and the United States Army community, honoring a decades-long commitment to supporting veterans.
The award was presented during a special gathering at the Association’s annual conference in Washington, D.C., attended by more than 40,000 soldiers from across the country and around the world, representing allied armies from 200 nations.
Helping a Hero 100 Homes Challenge
Partnering with the organization Helping a Hero, Bass Pro Shops is improving the lives of disabled American veterans and their families across the country.
Through this partnership, Bass Pro Shops paid the mortgage on 10 specially adapted homes for disabled veterans and issued a challenge grant to fund 25 percent of the construction cost on the next 100 homes built by the organization.
To date, 28 homes have been awarded to deserving veteran heroes, with another 11 planned by the end of 2024.
Folds of Honor
With the support of customers from across the United States, Bass Pro Shops made a $300,000 donation to Folds of Honor in 2021, supporting an organization that provides educational scholarships to the families of fallen U.S. soldiers.
Since the organization was formed in 2007, more than 52,000 educational scholarships have been awarded to the families of American fallen or disabled military and first responders.
Patriots Park
Through charitable donations from Bass Pro Shops and its Legends of Golf tournaments, Patriots Park at College of the Ozarks was created to honor fallen military members. Donations funded Missouri’s Vietnam, Korean and Gold Star Families memorials located there.
Patriots Park sits near the entrance of the College of the Ozarks campus, where The Missouri Vietnam Veterans Memorial honors the 1,410 servicemen and women from Missouri who gave their lives during the war. Built and designed by students, this memorial serves as Missouri’s official Vietnam memorial.
Camp Homefront
Bass Pro Shops is proud to sponsor and support Tom and Jen Satterly with the All Secure Foundation. Its mission with Camp Homefront is to provide Special Operations warrior couples with workshops specializing in results-driven tools and tactics to help them reconnect after living through the effects of war trauma and countless deployments apart.
More than 5,000 Special Operations warriors and spouses have been through programs and training with the All Secure Foundation, with more than 450 individuals attending Camp Homefront.
Other Support
Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s also hosts a variety of diverse programs and events to support active-duty military members and veterans, including annual Fishing Dreams outings, serving as a primary sponsor for the Shadow Warrior Project’s golf tournaments, the 2021 Missouri Veterans Fishin’ Contest that connected veterans with outdoor experiences, and providing a free day away annually to hundreds of soldiers at Missouri’s Fort Leonard Wood, with a visit to the Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium for those unable to be with their families during holiday block leave.
To learn more about the Exchange program, please visit ShopMyExchange.com.
SOARescue is proud to announce that we are now able to assist with and accept Air Force and Army Credentialing Opportunities On-Line Grants.
This change will allow our military students who are serving in the National Guard, Reserves, or Active Duty units to have access to our courses with fewer obstacles to manage. We hope to broaden the opportunity to the remaining branches soon.
Need help navigating the COOL process? Our admin and training team is here to help! We can answer any of you questions (or at least point you in the direction of someone who can) and get you everything you need for a successful COOL application.
Our decision to move forward with becoming an agency who partners with COOL was fueled by our desire to make our training as accessible as possible to the practitioners who would most benefit from it. We know our students come from many walks of life and having the capability to further their education and skills can only benefit them as individuals and practitioners.
We know that our training can be a substantial investment for students paying their own tuition, so we’ve made every effort to keep our pricing as fair and transparent as possible. Pricing for all courses is available on our website and easily found next to the class on the schedule. We also offer payment plans and multi-student discounts for agencies. We’ve collected an instructional cadre that have incomparable real-world experience in the topics they are teaching and make every effort to provide each of our students with invaluable training.
SOARescue quality is the best in the industry and cannot be bested elsewhere.
F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. (AFNS) —
The second annual Advanced Recapture Recovery Operational Warfighter exercise successfully took place at Camp Guernsey, Aug. 5-23. Convoy Response Force teams from F.E. Warren Air Force Base; Minot AFB, North Dakota; and Malmstrom AFB, Montana, had the opportunity to train and execute asset protection procedures.
Last year, CRF teams successfully participated in the inaugural ARROW iteration, experiencing Air Force Global Strike Command’s newest revision. This year, the trend continued with each CRF team taking a week each to test their skills during multiple planned ambushes and attacks.
CRF teams are tasked with the protection of military assets during movements both to, from, and in the expansive missile fields of Minot AFB, F.E. Warren AFB and Malmstrom AFB. Teams continue to work with several different on-base agencies and local law enforcement teams in order to ensure the safety and security of military assets while in transit and on site.
ARROW continues to use the train-pause-train program during exercises, a program specifically developed to sharpen skills in the moment allowing the cadre to pause the exercise in the moment to instruct Airmen, rather than retrace and remember back at their home stations where details may have been lost.
“We’re assessing their ability to recapture and protect resources, we put teams through scenarios they might not be able to see at home station,” said Tech. Sgt. Kyree Joppy, 90th Ground Combat Training Squadron formal instructor and exercise coordinator. “It’s big for them to come here to show their capabilities while being a good place for them to test their weapons and vehicle capabilities on live ranges.”
ARROW is also the debut of the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle in a simulated combat scenario marking an Air Force wide first, underscoring AFGC’s modernization line of effort.
“The JLTV is the Department of Defense’s pick to replace the Humvee and with that in mind, that is what has been selected as the vehicle for AFGSC both in the missile field and CRF,” said Master Sgt. Kevin Brown, AFGSC A3 training and development team member and one of the head AFGSC coordinators for ARROW. “It’s got amazing capability, better range, higher top speed and its off-road capabilities far exceed the Bearcats and Humvees. This is a pretty good way for our Airmen to come out here and use these things and utilize them in the capacity they’ll be used in down the road as we phase out the Humvees.”
Through the introduction of the JLTV’s capabilities in the field and with continued springtime exercises like Nuclear Convoy Course, teams are given the chance to prepare and analyze their skills in a training environment specifically designed to mirror the challenges of the missile field.
Now with ARROW’s second year wrapped up, the exercise has again proved its ability to train, evaluate and sharpen the skills of CRF teams from all three missile wings; allowing them, and the wings, to ensure the nuclear enterprise’s continued safety and security.
By Senior Airman Landon Gunsauls, 90th Missile Wing Public Affairs
FORT BLISS, Texas (AFNS) —
The Air Force Installation and Mission Support Centeris developing a course designed to equip combat air base squadron leaders with the skills needed to teach and lead combat support warfighters through every phase of the Air Force Force Generation model.
The new Combat Support Instructor Course was introduced at the first of two 2024 Installation and Mission Support Weapons and Tactics Conferences, which focused on advancing agile combat support operations in an era of Great Power Competition.
A beta test of the course, held Aug. 5-23 at Fort Bliss, was planned and conducted by the Air Force Security Forces Center weapons and tactics team. This rapid development was driven by the Air Force’s evolving need as it tests the Air Task Force construct, said Maj. Richard Cordova, Air Force Security Forces weapons and tactics program chief.
“A lot of effort had been put into creating an ATF training plan and building out Combat Support Training Range sites, but there was a piece missing. We needed an expert to advise and lead the commanders and the chiefs of these CABS and ATFs to be successful through their 18-24 months of training, exercise planning and execution,” Cordova said.
Airmen assigned to ATFs will work and train together throughout the AFFORGEN cycle. Each ATF includes a combat air base squadron, or CABS, consisting of around 300 Airmen from 54 different Air Force specialty codes to manage sustainment, protection and airfield operations.
“Currently, there is no standardized training approach or expertise within the ATF to integrate diverse combat support AFSCs into a training plan, build exercises or oversee the training calendars needed for combat readiness,” Cordova said. “In deployed settings, there is also a gap in aligning base operating support with the needs of combat platforms abroad.”
The CSIC will bridge the gap by developing leaders proficient in managing these critical functions.
“The course will break down functional silos and deliver cross-functional training, providing a comprehensive overview of how combat support capabilities and AFSCs synchronize to form a cohesive unit of action,” Cordova said.
The course will also be important to the overall success of AFIMSC’s Combat Support Training Rangeinitiative, which is developing a network of training ranges that will serve as platforms for units to conduct self-training and certification events tailored to their mission requirements.
“CSTRs are intended to be platforms for unit-led training and certification events, but many units do not currently have members with the required expertise to effectively implement this vision. CSIC will build a cadre of combat support personnel with the skills to facilitate planning and execution of unit-led training events,” said Col. Ross Dotzlaf, AFIMSC combat support rapid integration chief.
About 20 CABS Airmen attended the three-week CSIC beta test, covering topics such as operations planning, weapons training, exercise development, and topics from the ATF training plan, including sustainment, force protection, airfield operations and port operations.
“These folks are going to be the key advisors in the ATFs, the ones who are able to break down the training silos among the combat support communities,” Cordova said.
The course featured classroom instruction and field training with the goal of equipping students to return to their home stations and develop effective training programs for their units, said Senior Master Sgt. Sean Bambino, CSIC course director.
“The students have been fantastic. They’ve had positive attitudes the entire time and we know they’re getting a lot out of it,” Bambino said.
For Chief Master Sgt. LeRay Smedley, senior enlisted leader with the 13th Combat Air Base Squadron atLuke Air Force Base, Arizona, the course is a crucial step in preparing to lead his Airmen for deployment.
“My role is to organize, train and equip my team to ensure that when we deploy, not only are we ready to engage, ready to sustain and ready to support, but that we come back as one team,” Smedley said.
He added that the course would advance his team significantly, providing a broader understanding of the Air Force’s future direction under the new Air Task Force construct.
“It’s truly been an amazing experience,” Smedley said.
Lessons learned from the CSIC beta test, including feedback from the first group of students applying their knowledge with their units, will help AFIMSC prime a more robust course and move into the next phase of course development.
“We’re going to develop this course to make it bigger, to make it better and to bring more people in over time,” Bambino said.
By Shannon Carabajal, Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center Public Affairs
This never gets old. Is it wrong for me to miss the Cold War?
In my best Slim Pickens voice…
“Survival kit contents check. In them you’ll find:
– One forty-five caliber automatic
– Two boxes of ammunition
– Four days’ concentrated emergency rations
– One drug issue containing antibiotics, morphine, vitamin pills, pep pills, sleeping pills, tranquilizer pills
– One miniature combination Russian phrase book and Bible
– One hundred dollars in rubles
– One hundred dollars in gold
– Nine packs of chewing gum
– One issue of prophylactics
– Three lipsticks
– Three pair of nylon stockings.
Shoot, a fella could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff.”
-Major TJ “King” Kong
843rd Bomb Wing
Strategic Air Command
CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. (AFNS) —
The 27th Special Operations Wing hosted the 15th annual Medic Rodeo at Cannon Air Force Base, Aug. 12-15. Eighteen teams from across the Air Force traveled to Curry County for several days of challenging training scenarios intended to give them tactical combat casualty care training.
The event took place at the Cannon Permanent Exercise Facility and Melrose Air Force Range. Objectives at hand were directly relevant to the Air Force-wide Medic-X strategic initiative that drives proficiency in 52 skills for every Air Force medic – including those not directly involved in patient care. These skills are especially critical to ensure the Air Force’s readiness for the next fight.
Deployed scenarios were split into three segments that mirrored TCCC’s phases: Care Under Fire, Tactical Field Care, and Prolonged Field Care.
“You can tell what we are doing with our TCCC is paying dividends,” said Col. Melissa Dooley, Air Force Special Operations Command surgeon general. “That inspires confidence when I think about the future fight and great power competition.”
After two days of challenges and scenarios, all the teams were brought together to compete in the Air Commando Challenge, a physically intense relay in the sweltering heat.
“We train to fail,” said Tech. Sgt. Christopher Gilbert, independent duty medical technician with the 86th Medical Group at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. “So, when we do it for real, we don’t fail.”
Once the competition was over, one final challenge was thrown at the medics – a chaotic mass casualty exercise intended to see the various teams work together to save lives. The exercise took place in a dark hangar with nearly 50 casualties to assess, treat, and save.
After days of mental and physical challenges, competitors from Eglin AFB’s 96th Medical Group emerged victorious, followed closely by Ellsworth AFB’s 28th Medical Group in second place. The team from Cannon AFB’s 27th Special Operations Medical Group came in third.
Last year’s competition brought the U.S. Army to assist the 27th SOMDG’s IDMTs as evaluators. This year, a team of U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps medics were invited to help provide feedback and joint perspective, including the incorporation of the Marine Corps Valkyrie Threshold blood transfusion, which provides whole blood as a resuscitation fluid and boosts the chances of survival for casualties that are hemorrhaging.
“I’m excited to see how Medic Rodeo continues to evolve and incorporate Medic-X and our TCCC training,” Dooley said. “Competition always motivates us and accelerates us to the level we need to be.”
By Senior Airman Drew Cyburt, 27th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
Cornerstone Research Group, Inc. (CRG) has been awarded a $1.9 million Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI) contract from AFWERX, aimed at advancing the development, testing, and certification of its groundbreaking Ballistic Conformal Battery (BCB).
Engineered as a centralized, wearable power source, the BCB is designed to integrate seamlessly into body armor vests, delivering reliable energy to an array of critical devices, including modern radio systems, mobile devices, visual augmentation systems, sensors, and communication equipment.
Certification of the BCB is a critical milestone, ensuring the battery meets stringent safety, performance, and reliability standards necessary for military use. The process also validates the battery’s ability to operate effectively in demanding environments, providing assurance to military personnel who rely on this technology in the field.
“This TACFI funding will help us start fielding a product that will enhance soldier safety and operational capability,” said Brian Henslee, vice president of power systems at CRG. “We’re excited to get the BCB into the hands—and tactical vests—of those who need it most.”
By integrating advanced battery technology into body armor, the BCB reduces equipment size and weight while enhancing safety. Demonstrations of various BCB models have shown their ability to provide between 100 and 300 watt-hours (Wh) of power, along with customizable threat protection levels.
B
At the core of the BCB are CRG’s state-of-the-art battery cells, meticulously designed and manufactured at the company’s Miamisburg, Ohio headquarters. These cells are lightweight, deliver longer run times, and perform reliably even in extreme low temperatures. CRG’s commitment to a domestic supply chain not only strengthens the U.S. energy storage sector but also aligns with the priorities outlined in the Defense Production Act and National Defense Industrial Strategy.
