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See CTOMS at NTOA

Friday, August 28th, 2026

CTOMS, an industry leader in tactical medical training, equipment, rope access and medical solutions, will be exhibiting at the National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA) Law enforcement operations and Trade show, taking place from 29-30 August 2026 at the Gaylord Convention Center in Nashville, TN, USA.

Visitors to the CTOMS booth 521 will have a chance to go through medical equipment carriage and organization, new equipment developed by CTOMS and how CTOMS training pathways can enhance your medical readiness in your organization.

Discover how CTOMS can enhance your readiness. See you at booth 521.

Posted in Advertiser, Guest Post, Medical, NTOA | No Comments »

FirstSpear Friday Focus: NTOA 2026

Friday, August 28th, 2026

Come see us next week at the 2026 NTOA Law Enforcement Operations Conference over at booth#267 from Sunday, August 30th, through Monday, August 31st. Check out our product line-up and catch up with our team to learn more about what’s coming in 2027!

FirstSpear is the premier source for cutting-edge tactical gear for military, law enforcement, and those who train. For more information, visit First-Spear.com.

Posted in Advertiser, FS Friday Focus, Guest Post, NTOA | No Comments »

Ground Combat Element 2040

Friday, August 28th, 2026

26 Aug 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. —

The Marine Corps released Ground Combat Element 2040 Fiscal Year 2026 strategic framework today, outlining the service’s vision to ensure ground forces remain lethal and adaptable against peer adversaries. This update nests under the Marine Corps Force Design initiatives, transitioning from the initial GCE 2040 baseline vision to actionable implementation priorities for modular, multi-domain forces designed to seize, hold, and defend contested littoral terrain.

“Our central imperative is to cultivate a Ground Combat Element that is fully enabled by cutting-edge technology but remains fundamentally human-centric,” said Lieutenant General Jay M. Bargeron, Deputy Commandant for Plans, Policies, and Operations. “While we will aggressively pursue innovations in artificial intelligence, robotics, and multi-domain fires, we will never lose sight of the fact that the individual Marine is our most critical asset. The courage, adaptability, and unwavering will to win of our warfighters are the true source of our combat power.”

The framework actively integrates artificial intelligence, robotics, and human-machine teaming via ruggedized tactical edge-computing nodes running localized Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. Key materiel priorities focus on advanced mobility platforms like the Amphibious Combat Vehicle and Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle, expanded organic precision and long-range fires, and squad-level Ground-Based Air Defense. This is coupled with scaling the Marine Littoral Regiment’s capabilities to Division and regimental headquarters, supported by tactical edge command posts integrated with Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control.

Spanning near-term (2026-2030), mid-term (2031-2035), and long-range (2036-2040) epochs, Ground Combat Element 2040 maintains a forward-looking strategy that ensures Marine Corps ground combat formations remain prepared not only for immediate operational demands but are positioned to secure and maintain decisive combat superiority through 2040.

The Ground Combat Element 2040 is available on the HQMC PP&O webpage.

Posted in Guest Post, Profession of Arms, USMC | No Comments »

‘Final Denial’: Air Force Leaders Lean in to the Future of Drone Defense

Thursday, August 27th, 2026

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. — The 31st Air Task Force sharpened and refined a layered counter-small unmanned aerial system defense capability, culminating in a kinetic “final denial” live-fire demonstration, August 3-7, 2026.

The week-long training event built on counter-sUAS initiatives first employed during the ATF’s February field exercise and increased knowledge among Airmen from Hurlburt Field and Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, assigned to the 31st ATF.

“Through a crawl, walk, run approach, Airmen gained practical knowledge of a full spectrum of layered counter-sUAS capabilities,” said the 31st ATF’s force protection superintendent. “The ATF is posturing to provide tiered defense through detection, electronic warfare defeat, and physical interception of hostile drones.”

Throughout the week, Airmen trained on AI-powered systems that detect, track, and filter aerial objects from planes and drones to birds. They also improved real-time data sharing across multiple levels of command and control from an expeditionary base defense operations center.

The 31st ATF hosted leaders from Air Force Special Operations Command and the 1st Special Operations Wing, joining experts on drone warfare, precision munitions, and unmanned threat detection and mitigation. They explored the latest ways to protect the warfighter and counter emergent UAS threats.

“It’s inspiring to see a unit at this level proactively tackling a problem-set that is top of mind for leaders across the Air Force and the Department of War,” said 1st SOW Deputy Commander, Col. Clayton Schuety. “The blend of entrepreneurial foresight, AI surveillance, and human-directed targeting will no doubt create positive impacts for the warfighter. We look forward to seeing how this effort continues to mature and receiving the lessons learned which will benefit Air Commandos and the larger force.”

By teaming with top industry partners and using existing Air Force equipment, the 31st ATF trained Airmen on weapons designed to defend against hostile drones and safeguard against electromagnetic warfare threats. Airmen practiced organic reconnaissance and denial of high-speed sUAS targets mimicking hostile flight patterns.

“The team successfully executed a capstone event that validated new tactics, techniques, and procedures across force protection and distributed communications,” said 31st ATF commander, Col. Brad Dvorak. “Our mission is to enable airpower operations, anytime, anywhere. By establishing a sUAS instructor cadre, we trained our personnel on counter-sUAS architecture and employed unique solutions for Airmen to track, jam, and kinetically defeat sUAS threats.”

The 31st ATF is a combat-ready unit of action bringing competitive advantage to meet pacing challenges. The wing, commanded by an Air Force colonel, consists of a command-and-control element and a combat air base squadron with up to 2,500 Airmen across more than 60 Air Force specialty codes. The team can provide base operating support for deployed flying units, also known as mission generation force elements, and the necessary logistics to execute agile combat employment.

Story by 2nd Lt Daniel White

Air Force Special Operations Command

Posted in Air Force, C-UAS, Guest Post | No Comments »

Armaments Center Partners with Industry to Explore Concepts for Integrating Lethal Payloads to Unmanned Ground Vehicles

Wednesday, August 26th, 2026

PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. — Tomorrow’s battlefield is expected to pair automated vehicles and artificial intelligence with human Soldiers, and the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center helping explore what that future might look like through controlled experimentation with industry partners.

Via a cooperative research and development agreement with HDT Robotics, LLC, doing business as BLADE, the Armaments Center supported the successful delivery of an armed Hunter WOLF unmanned ground vehicle to the 3rd Mobile Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division for a technical demonstration. The Autonomous Weapons Architectures & Controls Branch Chief Andrew Wilson noted that this highlights both the Armaments Center’s teamwork with an established partner, expertise in its field and ability to swiftly deliver a product to the Soldier.

Originally designed for logistics and supply transport, the Hunter WOLF UGV was experimented with as an active tactical asset. It is equipped with a remotely operated .50-caliber machine gun on a wireless Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station, known as CROWS, enabling a rapid response weapons system that does not need an operator physically present and in the line of fire.

The Armaments Center’s Strategic Advisor to Project Acquisition Executive Layered Protection Josiah Fay, said this came together as a perfect storm — the 101st was “hungry for robots” for logistical matters. Separately, the Armaments Center was pre-positioned to demonstrate CROWS with wireless control ready for Soldier operation and reached out to industry.

BLADE responded and within a few weeks Soldiers were being trained on the system. BLADE provided the platform and its associated training while the Armaments Center provided its experience in weaponry, armaments integration, and lethality training to jointly provide the complete capability.

By deploying an armed, wirelessly controlled UGV, Soldiers can maintain a dominant battlefield presence while remaining safely out of harm’s way, granting commanders significant tactical flexibility. The platform’s integrated electronics significantly enhance situational awareness, battlefield planning, foresight, and mission execution, and its transport capabilities relieve Soldiers of the burdens of carrying heavy weaponry.

The 101st Airborne Division experimented with the Hunter WOLF in April at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, Louisiana. The Armaments Center has reached out to the division to obtain Soldier feedback and operational performance, which will allow for the center to improve its future performance.

According to Fay, the Armaments Center continues its efforts to reduce Soldier cognitive load by adding autonomous features while ensuring combatants remain on the loop, rather than in the loop. Though such weaponry can remain effective even without a Soldier physically piloting it, a Soldier is still fully preoccupied staring at the screen with today’s technology. By moving them on the loop instead, a Soldier is less likely to suffer from cognitive overload and may instead take more of a supervisory role over partially automated weapons systems, increasing their effective combat power and area of influence while retaining positive control of lethal decisions.

By Tyler Barth

Posted in Army, Guest Post, Robotics, weapons | Comments Off on Armaments Center Partners with Industry to Explore Concepts for Integrating Lethal Payloads to Unmanned Ground Vehicles

Digital Manufacturing Exchange Expands Manufacturing Options for Marines at the Tactical Edge

Tuesday, August 25th, 2026

Kyushu, Japan —

A Marine in Kyushu, Japan, initiated a manufacturing job on a printer nearly 400 miles away in Okinawa.

That single action demonstrated the larger promise of the Digital Manufacturing Exchange, or DMX: connecting technical expertise, approved data and available manufacturing capacity across geographically dispersed locations without requiring every unit to possess every capability at the point of need.

During Valiant Shield 26, Marine Depot Maintenance Command (MDMC) joined operating forces, other military services, original equipment manufacturers and regional industry partners to test how DMX could support a distributed sustainment network across the Indo-Pacific.

Seven Marine Corps printers were connected to DMX during the exercise. Participating organizations completed 19 prints representing 11 unique parts using streamed technical data from the Marine Corps, Navy, Army and an original equipment manufacturer.

The results showed that DMX can do more than move a digital file from one computer to another. It can connect a unit with an equipment requirement to technical experts, approved manufacturing data and production capacity located elsewhere in the region.

For Marines operating across the Indo-Pacific, that connection could reduce the effect of distance on readiness. Rather than waiting for every select component to move through a lengthy transportation network, units could gain another option for producing approved parts closer to where equipment is operating.

“DMX and distributed manufacturing give Marines across III MEF the tactical flexibility to make dynamic ‘make-or-buy’ decisions within a resilient regional supply network and closer to the point of need. Producing approved parts on demand can reduce theater transit times and help resolve critical shortages when traditional industrial sources cannot deliver high-demand readiness items quickly enough. DMX also strengthens joint integration and expands opportunities to partner with private industry to increase regional manufacturing capacity.”

Maj. Eric J. Mees, 3d Marine Logistics Group G-4 sustainment officer

One of the exercise’s central efforts involved a frequently damaged lower ladder step used on Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Trucks, Palletized Load System A2 vehicles and Logistics Vehicle System Replacement platforms. Oshkosh Defense authorized the controlled use of its proprietary technical data, allowing Marine Depot Maintenance Command and Marines supporting III Marine Expeditionary Force to manufacture the component while the company retained ownership and control of its intellectual property.

“Oshkosh Defense is pleased to partner with MDMC on this initiative because advanced manufacturing and secure digital delivery directly support what Warfighters need most: ready equipment, responsive parts support, and a sustainment approach built to perform over the full vehicle lifecycle,” said Pat Williams, Chief Programs Officer, Oshkosh Defense. “The successful printing and delivery of an Oshkosh repair part during Valiant Shield successfully demonstrated the DMX program’s commitment to protection of a manufacturer’s intellectual property while ensuring seamless support to the operating units, and we look forward to extending this capability to additional critical Class IX parts.”

A Department of State-approved export license enabled MadeHere K.K., a qualified industry partner in Japan, to support production using the Oshkosh data. Industry partners in Japan and South Korea also conducted post-processing and manufactured components using approved government-owned technical data.

“Every supply chain is a bet that the people, the knowledge and the tools will still be there tomorrow. When that bet fails, a part becomes unreproducible and a mission stalls. What was scattered, we gather. What was tacit, we make permanent. What was distant, we build here. Our partnership with MDMC through the DMX initiative demonstrates that sustainment in the Indo-Pacific doesn’t have to cross an ocean. It can happen right here.”

Alexander De Vore, CEO of MadeHere K.K.

The work included a hydraulic manifold manufactured by South Korean partner Partners Lab and an Assault Amphibious Vehicle driver’s vision enhancer latch produced by the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology. These efforts demonstrated how qualified regional manufacturers could supplement military production capacity closer to operating forces.

DMX also enabled approved technical data and manufacturing capacity to be shared across organizations and military services. Using Army Aviation and Missile Command data, Marines manufactured UH-60 components. MDMC supported the effort by providing approved technical data for additional components, helping expand the range of parts available for distributed manufacturing during the exercise.

In another demonstration, Marines in Kyushu initiated a manufacturing job on a printer in Okinawa. The effort showed how technical expertise, approved data and production equipment located in different places could be connected through a controlled digital process.

The exercise also tested how DMX could work with limited connectivity. Marines partnered with Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division’s “Print on the Move” team to access technical data and produce a component without an active network connection. The demonstration showed how DMX could remain useful in remote or contested environments where reliable communications may not always be available.

DMX is designed to complement —not replace—the existing supply system, depot maintenance or direct support from equipment manufacturers. It gives commanders another option when an approved part is unavailable, has a long lead time or cannot reach the operating force quickly enough.

For Marines operating across a vast and contested theater, the value of DMX is ultimately measured at the tactical edge. By linking approved technical data, manufacturing capacity and expertise across the region, DMX gives commanders another way to overcome distance, respond to equipment shortfalls and keep critical systems in the fight. Valiant Shield 26 demonstrated how that network can move sustainment closer to Marines by giving the force more options when time, distance and availability matter most.

By Jennifer Napier | Marine Corps Logistics Command

Posted in Guest Post, Logistics, Manufacturing, USMC | No Comments »

When The Mission Leaves The Ground

Monday, August 24th, 2026

The BFG® Integrated Stealth Harness (ISH™) Combines Three Critical Systems Into One Certified Platform

A gun belt carries the equipment needed to do the job.

A restraint system keeps a professional connected during aircraft operations.

A climbing harness provides certified protection when the mission moves into vertical terrain.

Traditionally, those have been three separate pieces of equipment.

The Blue Force Gear® Integrated Stealth Harness, or ISH™, brings them together.

The patented ISH combines a combat gun belt, rotary-wing restraint system, and independently certified Type C sit harness in one lightweight platform. It allows trained professionals to carry their equipment on the ground, remain connected during approved restraint applications, and deploy a complete sit harness when the mission goes vertical.

No belt change.

No separate harness buried in a pack.

No need to rebuild the equipment layout when the operating environment changes.

One System. Three Critical Roles.

• Combat gun belt

• Rotary-wing restraint system

• UIAA 105 Type C certified sit harness

The complete system weighs just 1 lb. 9 oz. It is Berry Compliant. Made in the USA, independently certified to UIAA 105 Type C, and compliant with EU EN 12277+A1:2018.

This is more than a tactical belt with additional hardware. It is a completely certified harness system built for professionals whose work requires movement from the ground to an aircraft, an edge, a rope, or an elevated objective without advancewarning.

THE VERTICAL PROBLEM USUALLY STARTS ON THE GROUND

Most vertical missions do not begin with someone already on rope.

It begins with ground movement, vehicle operation, building entry, aircraft approach, search assignment, or traversingthrough difficult terrain.

A military team may be carrying weapons, magazines, medical equipment, communications, and other mission essentials. Specialized law-enforcement units may be moving through a structure or approaching an elevated position. Search and rescue professionals travel across miles of ordinary terrain before reaching a cliff, damaged structure, steep slope, aircraft, or confined space.

The need for vertical capability may not appear until the mission is already underway.

That creates a basic equipment problem.

If the harness is stored in a pack, vehicle, aircraft, or equipment cache, it must first be retrieved. The user may need to remove or reposition other equipment, put on another system, verify the fit, and reconnect mission gear before moving forward.

The ISH changes that sequence by building certified harness capability into the equipment already being worn.

The removable leg loops can remain connected and staged around the waist. When the complete sit-harness configuration is required, trained personnel deploy the leg loops without removing the gun belt or retrieving a separate harness.

The capability stays with the user instead of being separated from them.

BUILT AS A TRUE COMBAT GUN BELT

The ISH did not begin as a recreational climbing harness with tactical features added later.

It was built around the curved architecture of the BFG® CHLK® Belt and incorporates the MOLLEminus® load-carriage platform for mounting holsters, pouches, medical equipment, communications gear, and other mission essentials.

That starting point matters.

A professional gun belt must remain stable while carrying equipment. It must follow the body, support an operational load, and maintain access to critical gear as the user moves between standing, kneeling, seated, and prone positions.

The ISH retains core load-carriage capability.

On the ground, it functions as the user’s combat gun belt. Equipment remains mounted in the familiar position where the user trains and operates. When the environment changes, that same platform becomes the foundation for aircraft restraint or the complete certified sit-harness configuration.

One belt.

One fit.

One equipment layout.

Three operational roles.

ROLE ONE: COMBAT GUN BELT

For many users, the first role of the ISH will also be used most often.

The MOLLEminus® field provides a low-profile platform for carrying compatible holsters, magazines, medical equipment, communications, and other mission gear. Its curved belt architecture follows the body rather than forcing a flat structure around the waist.

The user can configure the ISH around the mission and retain that equipment layout when transitioning into another approved role.

There is no separate ground belt to remove before putting on the harness.

The gun belt is part of the harness.

ROLE TWO: ROTARY-WING RESTRAINT

Aircraft operations create different requirements.

Personnel operating around open aircraft, ramps, doors, or other exposed positions may require an approved means of restraint based on the mission, aircraft, organizational procedures, and applicable training.

The ISH incorporates certified front and rear attachment points for approved applications, allowing the system to function as a rotary-wing restraint platform without replacing the user’s combat gun belt.

The professional can move from ground operations into the aircraft while retaining the same belt, fit, and equipment configuration.

That is the second role of the 3-in-1 system.

ROLE THREE: UIAA 105 TYPE C CERTIFIED SIT HARNESS

When the mission requires vertical access, the attached leg loops deploy to complete the sit-harness configuration.

The ISH is independently certified as a UIAA 105 Type C harness and compliant with EU EN 12277+A1:2018. The complete system is classified as Category III personal protective equipment under applicable European regulation for protection against risks with very serious consequences, including falls from height.

This is not simply a belt described as climbing capable.

It is a certified harness system.

The certification applies to the complete ISH system, including the belt and leg-loop assembly. The ISH is sold and must be used as a complete system. The outer belt and individual components should never be treated as standalone life-safety equipment.

That distinction is central to what the ISH is.

It is not a conventional battle belt with an attachment point added to it. It is not a restraint belt being presented as a climbing harness. It is a complete, independently certified harness that also performs the roles of a professional gun belt and rotary-wing restraint system.

INDEPENDENTLY CERTIFIED. BUILT FOR PROFESSIONAL USE.

In life-safety equipment, materials, and appearance are not enough.

Certification matters.

The ISH has documented system and component specifications that include:

• UIAA 105 Type C harness certification

• EU EN 12277+A1:2018 compliance

• Sewn belay loop rated to 15 kN

• COBRA® buckles rated to 18 kN

• Custom-blended Dyneema webbing with a 5,000 lb. breaking strength

• Certified front and rear attachment points

• Berry Compliant construction

• Made in the USA

The complete 1 lb. 9 oz. system consists of a 3 oz. inner belt, 10 oz. outer belt, and 12 oz. leg-loop assembly.

Those numbers give military, law-enforcement, rescue, aviation, and government procurement teams measurable information for evaluating the system.

They also reinforce the difference between equipment that looks like a harness and a complete system that has been independently certified as one.

BERRY COMPLIANT AND MADE IN THE USA

For military and government customers, domestic sourcing is not simply a marketing statement.

The ISH is Berry Compliant and Made in the USA, placing its domestic manufacturing story alongside its independently verified harness certification.

That combination matters.

The market contains tactical belts. It contains climbing harnesses. It contains restraint products.

Far fewer systems combine all three roles while also offering UIAA 105 Type C certification, Berry-compliant construction, and an equipment-carrying platform designed around professional use.

The ISH was built for organizations that need capability, certification, domestic sourcing, and mission-equipment integration in one complete system.

DESIGNED FROM OPERATIONAL EXPERIENCE

The thinking behind the ISH did not begin in the marketing department.

Retired U.S. Air Force Pararescueman Ishmael Antonio drew on a 20-year career to reconsider how a professional harness should work and why vertical capability must remain with the user when conditions change.

His experience helped shape a system that could carry equipment on the ground, support applicable aircraft-restraint requirements, and convert into a certified harness without forcing the user to stop and rebuild their setup.

The point is not that every mission will require every capability.

The point is that the professional may not know which capability will be required next.

The equipment should account for that uncertainty.

Watch Ishmael Antonio and Chris Sizelove explain the operational thinking behind the ISH and why a harness that remains with the user can matter when conditions change.

WATCH THE ISH™ STORY

LEG LOOPS THAT DO MORE

The modular leg loops allow the ISH to transition from combat gun-belt configuration into its complete Type C sit-harness configuration.

They can remain attached and staged around the waist rather than being stored separately in a pocket or pack. When vertical capability is required, the user deploys the leg loops to complete the harness.

When configured according to approved instructions, the leg-loop assembly also supports additional applications, including:

• Autoblock friction-hitch configuration for rappelling

• Emergency tourniquet application using the integrated windlass points

• Pelvic stabilization

• Two-person litter carry

These capabilities do not replace dedicated medical equipment, approved rescue systems, professional judgment, or training.

They reflect the larger philosophy behind the ISH: equipment carried into demanding environments should provide greater utility without forcing the user to carry multiple disconnected systems.

BUILT FOR PROFESSIONALS ACROSS MULTIPLE MISSIONS

The ISH was developed around demanding military requirements, but the problem it addresses is not limited to one community.

Defense and Public Safety

Military personnel, special operations units, SWAT teams, emergency service units, federal response teams, and aviation personnel may move between ground operations, aircraft, elevated positions, rappelling, technical access, and rescue requirements during the same mission.

The 3-in-1 design keeps equipment carriage, applicable restraint capability, and a certified harness together on the professional.

Search, Rescue, and Disaster Response

Search and rescue teams, technical rescue personnel, and appropriately equipped disaster-response organizations operate in environments where ordinary access can quickly become vertical access.

Steep terrain, damaged structures, cliffs, towers, confined spaces, unstable surfaces, and industrial environments can all create situations where the harness must be available immediately rather than stored somewhere else.

The ISH allows trained personnel to keep a certified sit harness integrated with the equipment already being worn.

Remote and Technical Operations

Wildland and remote-area responders, maritime units, technical-access personnel, aircraft crews, and infrastructure teams may move between equipment carriage, restraint, rescue, and vertical work during different phases of an operation.

The ISH is not a replacement for agency-specific PPE, dedicated rescue systems, approved procedures, or application-specific training. It gives responsible organizations a certified platform to evaluate roles when those capabilities need to remain with the user.

THE HARNESS YOU NEED IS THE HARNESS YOU HAVE WITH YOU

A separate harness only helps if the user has it, can reach it, and has time to integrate it with the equipment already being carried.

The ISH closes that gap by keeping the complete system on the professional. It functions as a combat gun belt, supports approved restraint applications, and remains ready to deploy into its certified sit-harness configuration.

The user does not have to predict exactly when the mission will leave the ground.

The capability is already there.

PROFESSIONAL EQUIPMENT REQUIRES PROFESSIONAL TRAINING

The ISH is professional life-safety equipment.

It must be used only by properly trained or otherwise competent persons, or under the direct supervision of trained or competent personnel.

Users must read and understand the complete instruction manual, inspect the system before use, test all associated equipment for form, fit, and function, and verify that the harness is correctly rigged before any activity at height.

Certification does not replace training.

A 3-in-1 system does not remove the need to understand each role.

The value of integration is that a trained professional can carry those capabilities together in one purpose-built platform.

ONE SYSTEM. THREE CRITICAL ROLES.

The Integrated Stealth Harness represents a different approach to professional equipment.

Instead of forcing the user to carry one belt for equipment, another system for restraint, and a separate harness for vertical access, the ISH consolidates all three roles into one lightweight, Berry Compliant, independently certified platform.

Combat gun belt.

Rotary-wing restraint system.

UIAA 105 Type C certified sit harness.

One belt.

One equipment layout.

One complete system that remains with the user when the environment changes.

Because the mission does not stop when the ground does.

Neither should your equipment.

Learn more about the BFG® Integrated Stealth Harness and watch the complete system in action.

EXPLORE THE ISH™

Posted in Advertiser, Guest Post, Load Carrying, Mountaineering | No Comments »

US Army Certifies Rifle Squads During Live-Fire Training in Poland

Monday, August 24th, 2026

BEMOWO PISKIE TRAINING AREA, Poland — U.S. Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 37th Armored Regiment conducted squad tactical exercises and live-fire training from Aug. 4-13, 2026 at the Bemowo Piskie Training Area, testing their ability to maneuver, communicate and engage targets in day and night conditions.

The training progressed from team live-fire exercises to squad-level tactical movements, allowing Soldiers to build proficiency at the smallest level before operating as a larger formation.

“You just have to make sure the lowest element is trained,” said Sgt. 1st Class Geordie Blower, platoon sergeant with Charlie Company, 2-37 AR. “You need to make sure both the teams are qualified to maneuver before you can maneuver in a squad element.”

During the live-fire event, shots echoed across the training area from early morning into the afternoon. After sunset, the first squad lined up to conduct its mission during nighttime operations.

Soldiers donned night vision goggles and maneuvered through wooded terrain toward an objective marked by targets. From the top of a hill, another soldier monitored and maintained target accuracy through a computer system.

The exercises were designed to certify rifle squads and give soldiers an opportunity to practice battle drills using live ammunition. Capt. Jonathan Downs, commander of Charlie Company, 2-37 AR said the training also tested squad leaders’ ability to make decisions and control their formations under demanding conditions.

“I was really happy to see the squad leaders take initiative and be willing to not just stick to an exact range, but actually command and control their squads in a meaningful way,” Downs said.

Downs also praised Soldiers for their willingness to work through difficult conditions.

“It’s always good to see guys willing to get in the dirt and suffer a little to help their squads succeed,” Downs said.

The Bemowo Piskie Training Area presented challenges that differed from the unit’s home station at Fort Bliss, Texas. Soldiers maneuvered through woods and high grass, negotiating branches, uneven ground and limited visibility during nighttime operations.

Pfc. Rowdy Adams, an infantryman with Charlie Company, 2-37 AR, who normally serves as a radio transmission operator, participated as a rifleman during the squad live-fire exercise. He said the training allowed him to evaluate how well his team worked together.

“It’s been great,” Adams said. “I really enjoy being able to actually test our skills as a squad and a team, to see how well we can work together and accomplish our goal and our mission.”

Adams said the squad live-fire exercise felt more realistic than the earlier team-level training because Soldiers had to move through wooded terrain and coordinate supporting fires while advancing toward the objective.

“There were a lot more moving pieces, which is how it actually would be,” he said.

Daytime and nighttime operations required soldiers to adjust their movement and awareness. Adams said night vision goggles reduced his field of view and depth perception, making obstacles more difficult to identify.

“Night’s definitely a lot more difficult,” Adams said. “It’s harder to see the targets, but I personally enjoyed the night more.”

Downs said the unit must be prepared to operate in any environment and under changing conditions.

“Day or night, we have to be able to do the job,” Downs said. “Any weather condition — you’re not always going to have the weather conditions you want, and you have to be able to do it anywhere, anytime.”

Downs described his company as the battalion’s mechanized infantry force, saying that dismounted Soldiers are responsible for clearing terrain that can restrict armored vehicles.

“Thick terrain, like these woods behind us, or urban terrain — stuff like that — the tanks can’t clear,” Downs said. “Our job is to clear out those areas, to keep the tanks safe, and then to seize and hold terrain that they can’t.”

Throughout the training, leaders observed each iteration and provided feedback to help squads improve their decision-making, movement, and supporting-fire techniques.

Downs said the training improved on the unit’s previous squad live-fire exercise and expressed confidence in the soldiers’ performance.

“My NCOs did a terrific job out here,” Downs said. “The teams and squads both performed not just at standard, but above standard. I’m fully confident in their abilities and I’m happy with their work out here.”

By SSG Emilie Lenglain

Posted in Admin, Army, Guest Post | No Comments »