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USSOCOM Ignite Truly Joint, Expanding Opportunities

Friday, December 5th, 2025

U.S. Special Operations Command’s Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (U.S. SOCOM AT&L), alongside the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Lincoln Laboratory, launched the 2026 SOCOM Ignite Program at MIT’s campus in late September, embarking on a yearlong journey for more than 100 cadets and faculty from over 20 colleges, universities and service academies.

The SOCOM Ignite Program is an innovation-focused initiative aimed at addressing current and future challenges facing the warfighter, but it also serves as an opportunity to both further the education and ingenuity of future military leaders. The selected teams will have the opportunity to establish relationships with military and technical mentors, culminating in a presentation of their work at Special Operations Forces Week 2026 in Tampa, Florida.

This year, U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. JoAnn Naumann, senior enlisted leader for U.S. Army Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, provided the keynote address, encouraging cadets to think ‘outside the box’ as they look to tackle issues specific to special operations.

“I challenge you this weekend – surprise me,” said Naumann. “Don’t try to impress us. Surprise us, come up with ideas that we never would have thought of, even if it’s not the perfect idea, there may be some kernel in that surprise that is the perfect idea.”

Beginning in 2020 with an initial group of eight ROTC cadets, the SOCOM Ignite program now hosts more than 100 cadets from universities and service academies across the country. This year, SOCOM Ignite received 48 unique challenges, each submitted from various SOF units. This year was the first year the program received challenges from every component of U.S. SOCOM.

“Having this be truly joint is one of the key areas that marks this as a big accomplishment,” said Raoul Ouedraogo, program lead for SOCOM Ignite. “It’s that ability to be able to have all of those different service components work together.”

Bringing together a wide variety of knowledge and experience from across the field remains a core focus of the program, which Joshna Iyengar, an associate technical staff member at Lincoln Labs and team mentor for SOCOM Ignite, confirmed.

“We’re trying to combine as many different parties as possible, bringing together people from U.S. SOCOM to these cadets, to more technical expertise including Lincoln Laboratory,” said Iyengar. “Seeing their ability to work, seeing their passion for learning these things and working on these projects, is amazing.”

Nilufer Mistry Sheasby, an Army ROTC Cadet at Harvard University who attended SOCOM Ignite last year, was able to reflect on the scope and vision of the program.

“I think the challenges have gotten better,” said Mistry Sheasby. “They’re building off of the work that has been done in previous years, and like I’ve seen in some projects, continue and change in different iterations.”

This year included several new participating ROTC units. Rich Franco, a team mentor and advisor from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Terre Haute, Indiana, and a newcomer to SOCOM Ignite, spoke about the opportunities created here for the different ROTC programs and service academies.

“To be able to interact with all of the other universities like West Point, the Naval Academy, on actual projects, and then to bring them back to Rose-Hulman in order to work over the entire year with those teams, is just an amazing opportunity to collaborate with the top institutions,” said Franco.

Franco, who served as a U.S. Army Special Forces officer prior to joining Rose-Hulman, expanded on the enriching factors of the program for the cadets through his experiences as a SOF veteran.

“They need to have an open mind and know that they can work across teams to essentially solve any challenge,” said Franco. “Then they will rely on their individual specialties to come up with and formulate that plan that is organic … to give these cadets a purview into that so early in their careers, before they become commissioned officers in our Army, is just such an essential skill.”

By: Staff Sgt. Lawrence Wong

Posted in Guest Post, SOF | No Comments »

SureFire’s 2025 High Angle Championship at Hat Creek

Thursday, December 4th, 2025

SureFire just shared this video they produced of the High Angle Training Event they recently sponsored at Hat Creek. The instructors were Bryan Morgan and Bennie Cooley.

SureFire’s goals were threefold:

1. Put the new SOCOM-4 series suppressors to the test.

2. Get in some high angle training.

3. Make a friendly competition out of it.

Long story short: The 2025 SureFire High Angle Championship did NOT disappoint.

Posted in Advertiser, Guest Post, Suppressors | No Comments »

Centcom Launches Attack Drone Task Force in Middle East

Thursday, December 4th, 2025

U.S. Central Command announced today a new task force for the military’s first one-way attack drone squadron based in the Middle East.

Centcom launched Task Force Scorpion Strike four months after Secretary of War Pete Hegseth directed acceleration of the acquisition and fielding of affordable drone technology. The task force is designed to quickly deliver low-cost and effective drone capabilities into the hands of warfighters.

The new task force has already formed a squadron of low-cost unmanned combat attack system drones.

These drones, deployed by Centcom, have an extensive range and are designed to operate autonomously. They can be launched with different mechanisms including catapults, rocket-assisted takeoff, and mobile ground and vehicle systems.

“This new task force sets the conditions for using innovation as a deterrent,” said Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, Centcom commander. “Equipping our skilled warfighters faster with cutting-edge drone capabilities showcases U.S. military innovation and strength, which deters bad actors.”

In September, Centcom launched the Rapid Employment Joint Task Force led by its chief technology officer to fast-track processes for outfitting deployed forces with emerging capabilities.

The joint task force is coordinating innovation efforts among service components in three focus areas: capability, software and technological diplomacy.

Task Force Scorpion Strike’s efforts to build the one-way attack drone squadron are led by personnel from U.S. Special Operations Command Central and align with the joint task force’s capability focus area.

CENTCOM PAO

Posted in Drone, Guest Post | No Comments »

War Department Asks Industry to Make More Than 300K Drones, Quickly, Cheaply

Wednesday, December 3rd, 2025

The War Department requested information earlier this week to gauge industry’s willingness and ability to make some 300,000 drones quickly and inexpensively — a concrete effort by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to directly meet the “drone dominance” goals laid out by the president.

On June 6, President Donald J. Trump signed the “Unleashing American Drone Dominance” executive order outlining how the United States would up its drone game in both the commercial and military sectors, including how it would deliver massive amounts of inexpensive, American-made, lethal drones to U.S. military units to amplify their combat capabilities.

Hegseth followed up in July with the “Unleashing U.S. Military Drone Dominance” memorandum, in which he laid out his plan for how the department would meet the president’s intent.

Part of the secretary’s plan included participating with other parts of government in building up the nascent U.S. drone manufacturing base by approving hundreds of American products for purchase by the department, powering a “technological leapfrog” by arming combat units with the very best of low-cost American-made drones, and finally, training as the department expects to fight.

“Next year I expect to see [drone] capability integrated into all relevant combat training, including force-on-force drone wars,” the secretary said.

At that time, Hegseth said, he had already advanced American drone dominance by stripping away regulations that hindered the military’s adoption of small drones and shifting the necessary authorities away from the department’s bureaucracy and into the hands of unit commanders.

“This was the first step in the urgent effort to boost lethality across the force,” Hegseth said in a video posted today to social media.

Now the War Department is moving out in a new way on the drone dominance initiative, Hegseth said.

“The second step is to kickstart U.S. industrial capacity and reduce prices, so our military can adequately budget for unmanned weapons,” the secretary said.

He noted that, with help from Congress, the department will initially focus on small attack drones.

“Drone dominance is a billion-dollar program funded by President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill,” Hegseth said. “It is purpose-built on the pillars of the War Department’s new acquisition philosophy: a stable demand signal to expand the U.S. drone industrial base by leveraging private capital, paired with flexible contracting built for commercial companies, founded by our best engineers and entrepreneurs.”

A stable demand signal means the War Department will make concrete plans to buy lots of drones, on a regular schedule, over a long period of time. When that happens, American industry will step up to the plate to satisfy the department’s needs, including by investing in and building out its own capacity to produce in the long term.

The request for information released to industry this week spells out a plan that’ll begin early next year, when the department will, over the course of two years, and within four phases, offer $1 billion to industry to build a large number of small unmanned aerial systems capable of conducting one-way attack missions.

The first of those four phases, called “gauntlets,” runs from February to July 2026. During that time, 12 vendors will be asked to collectively produce 30,000 drones at a cost of $5,000 per unit, for a total of $150 million in department outlays.

Over the course of the next three gauntlets, the number of vendors will go down from 12 to five, the number of drones ordered will increase from 30,000 to 150,000, and the price per drone will drop from $5,000 to $2,300.

“Drone dominance will do two things: drive costs down and capabilities up,” Hegseth said. “We will deliver tens of thousands of small drones to our force in 2026, and hundreds of thousands of them by 2027.”

Through the drone dominance program, $1 billion from the Big Beautiful Bill will fund the manufacture of approximately 340,000 small UASs for combat units over the course of two years.

After that, it’s expected that American industry’s interest in building drones as a result of the program will have strengthened supply chains and manufacturing capacity to the point that the military will be able to afford to buy the drones it wants, in the quantity it wants, at a price it wants, through regular budgeting.

Equipment is only part of the game, the secretary said. Doctrine — how the warfighter fights — is also critical.

“I will soon be meeting with the military services to discuss transformational changes in warfighting doctrine,” Hegseth said. “We need to outfit our combat units with unmanned systems at scale. We cannot wait. The funding provided by the Big Beautiful Bill is ready to be used to mount an effective sprint to build combat power. At the Department of War, we are adopting new technologies with a ‘fight tonight’ philosophy — so that our warfighters have the cutting-edge tools they need to prevail.”

Following the end of the Cold War, Hegseth said, U.S. defense spending dropped precipitously, and as a result, there was also a consolidation of defense contractors from hundreds to just dozens. The department, he said, budgeted for quality rather than quantity — and for 30 years got what it needed.

“However, we now find ourselves in a new era,” he said. “An era of cheap, disposable battlefield drones. We cannot be left behind — we must invest in inexpensive, unmanned platforms that have proved so effective.”

Drone dominance, he said, is how the U.S. will meet the drone challenge posed by other nations.

“One of my priorities is rebuilding our military,” Hegseth said. “We can’t do that by doing business the same way we have in the past. We cannot afford to shoot down cheap drones with $2 million missiles. And we ourselves must be able to field large quantities of capable attack drones.”

By C. Todd Lopez, Pentagon News

Posted in Drone, Guest Post | No Comments »

Va ARNG 116th IBCT Officially Converted to Mobile Brigade Combat Team

Wednesday, December 3rd, 2025

STAUNTON, Va. –

The Virginia National Guard’s Staunton-based 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team was officially converted to the 116th Mobile Brigade Combat Team effective Oct. 16, 2025, by the Army Structure Memorandum, commonly referred to as the ARSTRUC.

“Our official designation to MBCT marks a major milestone in the Army’s effort to modernize its combat formations for 21st-century warfare,” said Col. Arthur S. Moore, commander of the 116th.

The 116th was the first Army National Guard brigade to test and evaluate an approved task organization for a mobile brigade combat team during their 21-day eXportable Combat Training Capability rotation in June 2025 at Fort Pickett, Virginia. The MBCT concept is part of the U.S. Army’s transformation initiative with the goal of making units more agile and lethal.

The mobile brigade combat team force structure focuses on three infantry battalions and the addition of a multi-purpose company in each battalion and a multi-functional reconnaissance company in the brigade.

These elements were able to integrate unmanned aerial systems, electronic warfare systems and mobility and allowed the 116th to explore different methods to conduct reconnaissance, surveillance and targeting during XCTC, he said.

“The battlefield is changing,” Moore said. “The future belongs to Soldiers with superior field discipline who can move, strike, communicate and sustain for extended periods. The MBCT force design gives us that edge.”

The transformation initiative also converts the Danville-based 429th Brigade Support Battalion as the 429th Light Support Battalion, and the Fredericksburg-based 229th Brigade Engineer Battalion and the Portsmouth-based 2nd Squadron, 183rd Cavalry Regiment are scheduled to inactivated effective Sept. 29, 2026.

“While transformation re-centralizes several capabilities from the brigade level up to the division level, the BCT remains the Army’s primary tactical maneuver force,” Moore said. “Every Soldier, all hands on deck, will have every opportunity to continue to serve during and after the transition.”

Transformation has given the 116th an opportunity to collaborate and dialogue with active U.S. Army unit already operating as MBCTs and leverage lessons learned to facilitate the transition, he said.

“As Guardsmen, we’re bringing our civilian skills and empowering Soldiers to challenge assumptions, experiment and innovate,” he said. “We’re preparing for the first battle alongside the active U.S. Army if our nation calls upon us.”

The 116th has already seen the benefits of new unmanned aerial systems and command and control capabilities. This equipment will greatly enhance the 116th’s effectiveness and lethality, and the new Infantry Squad Vehicles will better equip Soldiers and formations for tactical mobility. Initial fielding of the ISVs should begin before the end of the calendar year, Moore said.

“The rifle and rucksack still matter, but they’re now joined by sensors and platforms that give our infantry more reach, awareness and options,” he said.

In the MBCT formation, battalion scout, mortar and assault platoons moved to a battalion multipurpose company to provide ground and aerial reconnaissance, indirect fire support, launched effects, counter unmanned aerial systems and deception capabilities to fix and attrit enemy forces that allows for infantry companies to close with and destroy the enemy.

The multi-function reconnaissance company provides reconnaissance and surveillance for the brigade to enable targeting and provide timely, accurate reporting of enemy activity, detect and target enemy high payoff targets and enhance the brigade’s overall lethality and survivability.

“The MBCT force design makes us more lethal, mobile and survivable in a large-scale combat operations environment,” Moore said.

The MPCs and MFRC were employed along with the 116th’s three infantry battalions during the culminating field training exercise near the end of the XCTC rotation.

There are also significant impacts to personnel unique to the National Guard as part of the transformation process. Lessons learned from Virginia are being shared with other states conducting transformation to mitigate impacts to Soldiers affected by inactivating units, he said.

The 229th and 2-183rd will begin the process of reassigning Soldiers and turning in equipment over the coming months until they case their unit colors in September 2026. Members of these units will be reassigned within the new MBCT force structure and to other units in the Virginia Army National Guard.

The 116th will continue on the path of transforming as a mobile brigade combat team with the addition of new equipment later this year and preparing for a Joint Readiness Training Center rotation in Summer 2026.

By Cotton Puryear | Virginia National Guard Public Affairs

Posted in Army, Forces Focus, Guest Post | No Comments »

Ranger Course Marks 75 Years of Leadership Development

Tuesday, December 2nd, 2025

FORT BENNING, Ga. — The U.S. Army Ranger Course has served as the Army’s crucible for developing the functional skills and mental toughness required of platoon and squad leaders in close combat for three-quarters of a century. The course marked its 75th anniversary on Nov. 25, 2025, affirming its vital, continuing role in creating adaptive and decisive leaders for the modern force.

Honoring the Legacy

The celebration, hosted by the Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade, began with the dedication of the Col. Ralph Puckett Jr. Memorial, marking the official kickoff of the anniversary observance. This statue now resides near Hurley Hill, within Camp Rogers, a location described by retired Brig. Gen. Pete Jones as a “sacred place for generations of Rangers” seeking to earn the coveted tab. Puckett’s lifelong dedication was not just to the fight, but to his troops. The statue, depicting the colonel at attention and saluting, fulfills his specific wish to be positioned “overlooking Ranger graduations,” a detail shared by retired Col. Rob Choppa. This ensures that as candidates begin their intense journey, they appreciate the benefactor whose standard they strive to meet. Puckett, who organized and led the first Ranger company in the Korean War, embodies the selfless courage and resolute leadership that remain the core requirement for every graduate.

Maneuver Center of Excellence Commander, Maj. Gen. Colin P. Tuley, emphasized Colonel Puckett’s profound influence: “The generations of Soldiers mark their encounter with Colonel Puckett as pivotal to their journey toward leadership.” Tuley noted that Puckett believed that you could take good men and “by combat-focused, realistic, high-standard training, turn them into combat infantrymen, effective Soldiers, Rangers.” Tuley added that the course reveals true character, stating about Puckett, “The Battle at Hill 205 didn’t make him who he was—it revealed who he was.”

Evolution of the Crucible

The core mission of the Ranger Course—to develop leaders who perform effectively under extreme stress—remains unchanged, but the curriculum has undergone significant, necessary adaptation since its formal origin in 1950 during the Korean War. The course began with the formation and training of 17 Airborne Ranger companies, including the first and only all-Black Ranger Company—the Second Ranger Company—which served with distinction.

Originally a 59-day program, the course length and content have shifted repeatedly to meet the demands of the global strategic environment. Ranger training became mandatory for all Army officers in 1967 during the Vietnam War before returning to a volunteer status in 1972. Originally established as The Ranger Department, the training structure was managed by various committees until 1987. These specialized committees included the Morgan Team (City Week), the Darby Committee, the Rogers Team, the Light Leaders Course, the Long Range Surveillance Leaders Course, Merrill’s Platoon, and B.co Rangers. The Department evolved into the current ARTB structure in the late 1980s, eventually consolidating its operations at Camp Rogers after the formation of the 4th Ranger Training Battalion in 1987. The changes were always reflective of the threats facing the nation; for instance, a dedicated desert phase was notably added in the 1980s before being removed in the mid-1990s as strategic focus shifted.

The Ranger Course remains the premier small-unit tactical leadership course precisely because of its commitment to evolution and continuing relevance. A critical shift occurred in 2015 when the course was permanently opened to women, following the successful completion by Capt. Kristen Griest and 1st Lt. Shaye Haver. Today, the course is set at 62 days and retains its brutal efficacy across three distinct phases: Darby (patrolling fundamentals), Mountain (terrain-specific operations), and Swamp (waterborne and sustained logistics), ensuring that every graduate, regardless of gender, can execute complex dismounted operations anywhere in the world.

The Enduring Standard

Reflecting on his graduation in 1979, retired Command Sgt. Maj. Jerry Klein (Ranger Class 6-79) provided a clear perspective on the internal transformation and enduring standards of the course. Klein emphasized that the fundamental requirement is not simply to meet basic physical and tactical metrics. While proficiency is essential, the true difference between Rangers and other Soldiers is the conditions under which Rangers perform and operate. “Ranger standards are Army standards, Klein explained, however, “ARTB deliberately heightens the difficulty of the training, intentionally making the circumstances far worse than anyone can imagine.” This is not arbitrary cruelty; it is a vital part of the curriculum.

This focus on internal resilience and condition-based leadership is precisely why the core of the Ranger Course has remained constant throughout the last 75 years. The essential objective has never changed: to guarantee that a leader, deprived of sleep, food, and comfort, can still execute the mission, maintain discipline, and prioritize their Soldiers. The Ranger Course is not designed to measure existing knowledge; it is designed to measure character, resilience, and the capacity for moral and physical endurance—qualities that are essential in every conflict, regardless of the technology or strategic era.

Looking to the Future

Following the Puckett statue dedication ceremony, the celebration transitioned to a large family day at Camp Rogers. This included a 5K run, a cornhole tournament, and various family activities, all supported by live music and food vendors. Concurrently with the family events, the ARTB provided interactive displays demonstrating the course’s history and current training methods. These displays, managed by the brigade’s four training battalions (4th, 5th, and 6th Ranger Training Battalions, and 1st Battalion, 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment), highlighted equipment, training vehicles, waterborne capabilities, and the abilities represented within the ARTB, with 6th RTB also providing demonstrations featuring reptiles. Retired Master Sgt. Max Mullen, a Ranger Hall of Fame inductee, reminded attendees of the course’s rich history, stating simply: “The past is power to the future.”

Col. Stewart C. Lindsay, ARTB commander, tied the anniversary celebration to the course’s forward vision. He noted that while the fundamentals remain unchanged, Ranger training must prepare leaders for an operating environment that is “faster, more complex and more technologically enabled” than anything that has come before. Lindsay detailed modernization efforts, including digitizing student tracking and issuing new night vision devices. He also highlighted a crucial return to foundational Soldier skills: the reintroduction of direct combat training events like combatives (hand-to-hand combat) and the bayonet assault course, both slated for implementation by April 2026. Lindsay stressed that these changes are essential, not cosmetic, as the next fight will demand Rangers who can operate in contested airspace, denied communications, and under constant surveillance. He concluded by affirming the mission’s enduring relevance: “Ranger training matters. It will matter even more in the future. When the next fight comes – and it will – our nation will once again call on Rangers, and Rangers will answer the call as they always have. We’ll lead the way.”

Seventy-five years on, the Ranger Course continues its vital role of transforming volunteers into highly capable leaders, ensuring the Army maintains decisive combat power at the small-unit level—a relevance that remains absolute in the modern, complex battlefield.

By CPT Stephanie Snyder

Posted in Army, Guest Post, Training | 1 Comment »

US Space Force Establishes Combat Forces Command, Welcomes New FLDCOM Commander

Monday, December 1st, 2025

PETERSON SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. (AFNS) —

In a ceremony held at Peterson Space Force Base, Nov. 3, Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzmanofficially redesignated Space Operations Command as United States Space Force Combat Forces Command, marking a significant shift in the command’s focus toward enhanced combat readiness and integrated space defense.

Lt. Gen. Gregory Gagnon assumed command of the newly renamed CFC, succeeding Lt. Gen. David N. Miller, Jr., the SpOC commander.

The redesignation reflects the command’s commitment to aligning with its core purpose of forging combat-ready Space Forces for America and its allies, and with the evolution of the United States Space Force as a warfighting service.

“As we continue to evolve into the warfighting service that the joint force and the nation demands, Combat Forces Command stands ready to generate and present combat-ready units of action, providing combat-credible space solutions to the joint force’s toughest operational problems,” Saltzman said.

The change builds upon the Space Force’s strategic vision for deterring aggression, fighting and winning in the space domain. CFC is responsible for generating and presenting combat-ready intelligence, cyber, space and combat support forces.

During the ceremony, Miller and Chief Master Sgt. Michael Rozneck, CFC senior enlisted leader, furled the former SpOC command flag, symbolizing the inactivation of SpOC and transference of its legacy to CFC. Later in the ceremony, Gagnon and Rozneck unfurled the CFC command flag for the first time.

“Our power is our people. You are our most important weapon system in Combat Forces Command,” said Gagnon in his first address to the Guardians and Airmen of CFC. “You are, in fact, power. Space power.”

CFC will focus on generating and presenting combat-ready units of action, maturing the Space Force generation model, strengthening Mission Deltas, and elevating combat-focused training and qualifications across the force. It will empower leaders at every level and integrate multiple mission sets into cohesive combat squadrons, while treating installations as warfighting platforms.

The command’s vision is for America’s Space Warfighters to be “Always Ready, Always Innovative, Always Above.”

“In this command, we believe in the mission, and we believe in each other,” Miller said. In his parting words, Miller expressed his confidence that Gagnon would take the command to greater heights.

Saltzman and Gagnon both acknowledged the heritage of the organizations that came before CFC. The command has a long history, beginning in its early days as Air Force Space Command and later becoming SpOC in October 2020. CFC comprises approximately 12,000 Guardians, Airmen and civilian personnel across 11 Deltas, 82 squadrons and 25 units of action.

The redesignation comes shortly before the sixth anniversary of the Space Force, which will occur in December 2025.

The ceremony concluded with a pass in review, during which members of CFC’s Deltas marched, demonstrating teamwork and unity.

Gagnon closed his remarks with, “Chapter Two begins like this: although protect and defend is necessary, it is insufficient to win in war. We must protect, defend and attack — Combat Forces Command, let’s roll!”

The mission of CFC is to protect America and its allies in, from, and to space… now and into the future.

By 1st Lt Laura Anderson

U.S. Space Force Combat Forces Command Public Affairs

Posted in Forces Focus, Guest Post, Space | No Comments »

Nutrition Research Keeps Warfighters Ready, Lethal in Extreme Cold

Sunday, November 30th, 2025

WASHINGTON — As the race to control the Arctic intensifies, more research is focused on how to optimize service member performance in the extreme cold, where lack of sleep and appetite, altitude and equipment issues can all affect a warfighter’s ability to function.

Researchers at the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine’s Military Nutrition Division in Natick, Massachusetts, study physiological stressors that warfighters encounter. By manipulating dietary, exercise and environmental conditions, they’re working to determine the best way to deliver the right nutrition and energy to increase warfighter lethality.

How extreme cold negatively affects warfighters

In extreme cold environments, difficult terrain, bulky clothing, heavy equipment and the body’s own process for regulating internal body temperature can cause service members to expend more energy. Many also don’t get enough nutrition or sleep, said USARIEM research psychologist Harris Lieberman.

“Sleep deprivation is what usually occurs when you’re deployed,” he continued, “and service members don’t eat enough food [in the cold] to keep up with all the work that they do.”

The U.S. military has a cold-weather version of the meals ready to eat, which is dehydrated to keep the rations from freezing. But they need to be rehydrated at mealtime, which can take time — something not all warfighters have. Many just don’t eat during busy time periods. That lack of nutrition can lower the energy levels required to do the mission, explained Lee Margolis, a veteran-turned USARIEM nutrition physiologist.

“Energy expenditures can range anywhere from 5,000-7,000 calories per day [in extreme cold],” Margolis said. “For an average individual, normally you’re going to burn about 2,000-3,000 calories per day.”

High altitudes, where less oxygen is available, can also affect energy expenditure — even in the strongest special operators — and change the body’s ability to metabolize food for fuel.

“It’s critically important that we develop solutions to offset the impacts of altitude,” explained James McClung, chief of USARIEM’s Military Nutrition Division. “Nutrition can be a part of that.”

Other issues, such as equipment freezing up and losing its ability to function, can also affect productivity.

Mimicking Extreme Temps

Researchers visit cold-weather climates, such as Alaska and Norway, to perform studies, but they’re also able to do some at home. USARIEM’s Doriot Climatic Chambers allow experts to test the effects of extreme environments in two massive indoor chambers: one focuses on human-subject testing, while the other is used for equipment testing.

“Every climate you could possibly imagine … we can recreate,” said Facilities Manager Jeff Faulkner.

The chambers’ temperatures can range from 165 to minus 65 degrees, and they can create 40 mph of wind, rain and snow. Each chamber has inclining treadmills that can handle up to five Soldiers at 15 mph on a 12-degree incline. Smaller conditioning rooms have the same capabilities as the chambers, except they can drop to minus 72 degrees.

In one of the smaller conditioning chambers, Lieberman is leading a cold-weather study to analyze the behavior, physiology and performance of stressed, sleep-deprived Soldiers to determine what nutritional needs will increase their performance.

After various pretests and body composition measurements, the volunteers, who are part of the Natick laboratories’ Soldier Volunteer Research Program, spend two days and one night in the room at 16 degrees. While wearing cold-weather-appropriate gear, they undergo various physical activities, such as stationary bike rides and hand strength tests, to measure their reaction time and vigilance.

They take various cognitive performance tests to measure mental acuity, and they eat meals primarily consisting of military rations that dietitians tailor specifically to their needs. They also forgo sleep. “If something unexpected happens, can you effectively respond and correctly deal with it?” questioned Lieberman, referring to the study’s end goal.

Carbs, fat, protein: What’s best for energy balance?

Meanwhile, USARIEM researchers have been working to get a better understanding of the types of macronutrients that will help cold-weather combatants thrive. The goal: to keep warfighters from expending more energy than they’re consuming.

“We’re studying using macronutrients to avoid negative energy balance — the case where we cannot eat enough to maintain physical or cognitive performance — which is associated with poor performance and also an increased risk of injury,” McClung said.

“We’ve seen that there are decreases in lower body power specifically,” Margolis said of the negative energy balance. “Obviously, under a combat scenario, your ability to move very quickly, especially if you’re carrying a heavy kit, may be the difference in survival.”

The research, which has been years in the making, helped to develop a more energy-dense ration known as the close combat assault ration. The CCAR recently replaced the first strike ration for combat troops.

In 2016, in collaboration with the Norwegian Defense Research Establishment, known as FFI, USARIEM began studying Soldiers in the field to see how they metabolized prototypes of supplemental snack bars created by the Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center’s Combat Feeding Division. One bar was higher in carbohydrates, while the other was higher in protein. The result: the volunteers liked and ate the bars, but they ate fewer of their actual combat rations, leading to energy deficits.

Further lab research in 2022 studied the amount of food Soldiers ate by feeding volunteers a higher-fat prototype product. Fat has more calories per gram than carbs and protein, so a bar with a higher-fat count could provide more energy in a smaller package, Margolis said — something that could help lighten warfighter load during combat operations.

By providing the volunteers with the higher-fat prototype product, researchers wanted to see if their energy intake would increase.

All of the volunteers ended up consuming more calories than in previous studies. However, most of their energy deficits remained at moderate levels, causing no adverse effects, explained Emily Howard, a USARIEM nutritional physiologist who helped carry out the study. The takeaway for researchers: the amount of food a warfighter consumes is the most critical factor in preserving their performance, not so much the composition of that food.

However, since Soldiers don’t typically eat a lot in cold-weather conditions, the research into how to optimize macronutrients in rations continues.

Evolving tactics

One upcoming study will monitor how warfighters on cold-weather ruck marches perform when eating two newer prototype ration bars: one that’s higher in fat and more energy-dense, and another that’s less energy-dense and higher in carbs. During the study, researchers plan to measure each volunteer’s oxygen and carbon dioxide levels.

“We’re able to actually calculate if their body is using primarily carbohydrate, primarily fat, or a mix while they’re doing exercise,” Margolis said.

The study will also look at glucose and insulin level changes, as well as hormone responses, to see how well that fuel sustains them on long marches and during moments when they might need to pick up the tempo.

Margolis’ team also plans to do some observational studies during the annual exercise Arctic Edge in Alaska in 2026 to see how service members are using the cold-weather MRE and its supplements.

Once the studies are concluded, USARIEM’s findings are shared with the Combat Feeding Division as recommendations for adjusting current rations or developing new ones.

By Katie Lange, Pentagon News

Posted in Army, Field Gourmet, Guest Post, Sustainment | No Comments »