Eventually, everyone ends up in a spot they can’t just drive out of and needs a little mechanical assistance. In this week’s tip, Instructor Wyatt doves over winching and recovery.
If you’re in need of in-person training like this, sign up for the Team O’Neil Tactical Driving Course at their facility in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. This five-day course includes driving under NODS and is available to military and other government agencies as well as civilians.
Back in stock just in time for the holidays, the Vertx Transit Sling is the ideal gift for anyone passionate about everyday carry or tactical gear. Featuring a streamlined sling design, rapid access tabs for quick gear retrieval, and a customizable MOLLE panel, this versatile bag effortlessly adapts to urban or outdoor environments. With its concealed carry compatibility and smart storage options—including space for a 15” laptop—it combines functionality and style.
Explore the Transit Sling today: Vertx Transit Sling
WILL ROGERS AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Okla. —
On Nov 15, 2024, the 17th Special Operations Squadron hosted a ceremony to publicly observe its alignment under the 492d Special Operations Wing and reassignment to become the formal training unit for Air Force Special Operations Command’s newest aircraft, the OA-1K.
“The ceremony is not just a formal event,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Patrick Wnetrzak, 492d Special Operations Wing commander. “It is a testament to our relentless pursuit of excellence, our unwavering commitment to our nation’s defense and the enduring legacy of those who have come before us.”
The OA-1K is a new multirole crewed aircraft with the first missionized variant expected to arrive in 2025. The propeller-driven aircraft, which is built on the Air Tractor 802U frame, will deliver close air support, precision strike, and armed intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capability in support of combating current and future threats.
“The OA-1K aircraft are truly awesome machines,” says Lt. Col. Jesse Ziegler, incoming 17th Special Operations Squadron commander. “These [block] zero models are not fully modified yet and serve as an initial training aircraft, until both air crew and aircraft reach operation status.”
In addition to WRANGB, the OA-1K will be stationed at Hurlburt Field, Cannon Air Force Base, and pending the results of an environmental impact statement, Davis Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. All training for the aircraft will take place here under the 17 SOS, which will be made up of both active duty and Air National Guard Airmen from the 137th Special Operations Wing.
“Once combined with the full mission equipment and the crews that these cadres will teach, the Special Operations community will have a capability we haven’t seen yet,” said Ziegler.
With the remission to the OA-1K, WRANGB is expected an increase of 150-200 permanent personnel and predicted to positively impact the local economy. The arrival of the OA-1K comes on the heels of the divestment of the MC-12 aircraft at WRANGB, which is expected to conclude in 2027.
Currently WRANGB has two AT-802U trainer aircraft being used to train initial cadre in a representative tail wheel aircraft in preparation for the OA-1K arrival. The 17 SOS will provide special mission qualification, combined systems refresher, as well as proficiency and currency training.
Prior to standing up at WRANGB, the 17 SOS was an AC-130J unit at Cannon Air Force Base. The squadron has a storied history of transformation and the squadron motto “no mission too demanding” is a testament of the unit’s resolute and innovative spirit, which continues as the OA-1K FTU. The squadron has had numerous operations including combat in Southwest and Western Pacific, combat in Southeast Asia, disaster relief missions in the Philippines, and other special operations missions as necessary starting in the 1990s, when AFSOC was activated.
By 492d Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
The Wrap is the first product released by ARO; a new company founded by Jace Foulk, a Soldier in the U.S. Army. The Wrap is designed to allow the user to mount pouches to their retention holster.
High strength, low profile the Wrap is constructed from polycarbonate sheets woven together for maximum strength and weight savings. Weighing in at less than an ounce, the Wrap is lighter than the competition. By wrapping around the holster body, the bulk added to the holster is virtually zero. The Wrap is the most modular solution enabling pouches on every face of the holster.
The Wrap is designed to use your existing retention holster hardware.
ARO has produced exceptional instruction materials available at at their website: aroproducts.com/instructions
The Wrap is currently available for Safariland holsters, the Legacy Wrap fitting most 6XXX and 7XXX series holsters and the Vault Wrap fitting most SafariVault series holsters.”
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. —
Air Force Special Operations Command, in partnership with Air Force Operational Energy and the Defense Innovation Unit, is testing drag reduction technology to enhance combat capability to mitigate operational risk to the warfighter.
“AFSOC is thrilled to be at the forefront of innovations in drag reduction technology,” said Robert McMaster, SOF Mobility Requirements Analyst. “What we are supporting as a MAJCOM will reduce fuel costs, increase aerodynamic efficiency and flexibility, and may have significant positive implications across the entire service.”
The effort is part of the Air Force’s desire to update legacy aircraft through the application of drag reduction technology. By reducing drag, an aircraft is more aerodynamically efficient which decreases the aircraft’s fuel usage and increases mission capability.
“By exploring drag reduction technology for our legacy airframes we are not only improving performance but also optimizing our energy usage across the enterprise,” said Bill Clark, Operational Energy Analyst for the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, Installations, Energy and Environment (Air Force Operational Energy). “This translates to cost savings for taxpayers and increased capability for our warfighters.”
AFSOC is testing various drag reduction technologies, which Air Force Operational Energy has funded with the goal of fielding the technology on all C-130 variants. The first test of drag reduction technologies took place here in October with a shark skin-inspired ‘riblet’ film. Early next year AFSOC will support another drag reducing technology by installing small finlets on the C-130 rear cargo door which will smooth out turbulent airflow.
“AFSOC has aircraft at Hurlburt that are specifically used to pathfind new technologies. By using them for this riblet test, it avoids impacting combat coded aircraft from training and operations,” said McMaster. “This is a complex science project where the results may have far-reaching benefits.”
In the coming years, the data collected during the flights will be used to formulate the life-cycle cost-benefit analysis and inform the DoD procurement process of potential drag reducing, fuel saving technologies.
“Drag reduction technologies improve our overall posture for Great Power Competition by optimizing aircraft performance through the lowering of demand for energy in fuel constrained environments,” said Mr. Roberto Guerrero, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Operational Energy, Safety and Occupational Health. “Large theatres, such as the Pacific, require our aircraft to fly long distances to conduct operations. The technologies we are working on today will ensure our forces make it to the fight with the energy supplies needed to win the day.”
Optimization programs like this support the DoD’s operational energy goals, as well as the Department of the Air Force’s goal of increasing legacy aircraft performance and capability. Overall, these goals reflect the DoD’s and Air Force’s commitment to improve energy intensity of current operations, advance transformative technologies, and develop an energy-optimized force that maximizes combat capability.
Air Force Special Operations Command
In this video by my friend Ivan, he looks at carbine barrels from 13.7″ to 16″ to determine the best barrel length. Specifically, he examines what is gained or lost by deviating from the non-NFA 16″ barrel length.
Learn more at kitbadger.com/13-7-to-16-the-best-barrel-length.
The 10th Mountain Division (LI) hosted Summit Strike 2024, Nov. 19-21, with the intent to seamlessly integrate fires; intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR); and multi-domain operations (MDO) assets by partnering with other countries, military branches, and multiple industry partners to defeat adversaries, while showcasing Fort Drum as the premier training and force development hub in the Northeast.
“It is our sacred obligation to fight and win our nation’s wars,” said Maj. Gen. Scott Naumann, the 10th Mountain Division (LI) and Fort Drum commander. “Summit Strike provides the 10th Mountain Division the opportunity to hone the skills our warfighters need to accomplish this. Through this multi-domain training exercise, we are able to learn, refine requirements, and develop innovative solutions to fight a near-peer enemy with successive iterations of live, multi-domain training.”
“This type of training, partnered with facility improvements, deepening institutional knowledge from our deployments, and ever-strengthening partnerships in the region, positions the division to continue leading transformation initiatives to build warfighting readiness,” he added.
The exercise involved live-fire training, with emitters simulating enemy artillery and weapon systems placed throughout the Fort Drum training area. The Joint Air Ground Integration Center (JAGIC), then coordinated attacks on these targets using various weapon systems, including High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), AH-64 Apache helicopters, A-10 Warthogs, and Mobile-Low, Slow, Small-Unmanned Aircraft Integrated Defeat Systems (M-LIDS).
Summit Strike ’24 validated the division’s ability to integrate surface-to-surface, rotary-wing, and fixed-wing weapon systems, enhancing its lethality. The exercise also incorporated emerging military electronic systems technology to build resilient kill webs.
“Here, in these types of exercises, replicating real-world, large-scale combat operations, we are coordinating, synchronizing, and employing effects both lethal and non-lethal,” said Maj. Mark Smerka, 10th Mountain Division Artillery operations officer.
Owners of an 80-year-old legacy, born in the battle of Riva Ridge in Italy, the 10th Mountain Division remains at the forefront of modern warfare. The division is dedicated to adapting to the ever-evolving battlefield, embracing innovation, and staying ahead of potential threats, in line with the unit’s history as they face the future of warfighting.
“The future fight that we’re looking at in a near-peer environment is going to be bigger, faster, require more assets and more technology than we’ve been using in the past,” said Maj. Sean Thomas, 10th Mountain Division JAGIC chief. “We’re embracing a lot of that in this exercise, testing it out and getting comfortable using it.”
The exercise involved more than 400 service members from Fort Drum, with additional support from both U.S. and international military members. By fostering these partnerships within the Army and Department of Defense, Summit Strike ’24 provided MDO training on Fort Drum and allowed for the development of shared systems to enhance warfighting capabilities.
“We won’t fight alone in any future operation, whether that’s multi-branch or multi-nation,” said Capt. Maddie Crimmins, commander of C Battery, 3rd Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Regiment, 18th Field Artillery Brigade, located at Fort Liberty, N.C. “Here we are executing multi-platform as well as multi-domain.”
Summit Strike ’24 provided a demonstration of the division’s ability to coordinate and execute an MDO live-fire exercise. The exercise highlighted the unique training opportunities offered by Fort Drum in a low-threat environment for Soldiers to train for MDO threats in a contested environment.
“Summit Strike is really the first of its kind where you have a division creating an MDO environment at home station to make sure we are trained proficiently so that we can win the Army’s future wars,” said Capt. Sean Thorpe, 10th Mountain Division cyberspace and electromagnetic activities officer in charge.
Summit Strike ’24 solidified Fort Drum’s position as the premier training and force development hub in the Northeast, showcasing its ability to integrate emerging technology and systems into range operations. The exercise also highlighted the division’s commitment to partnering with industry to enhance MDO training capabilities at Fort Drum.
“We learned that the 10th Mountain Division is able to conduct multi-domain operations, especially here at home station,” said Maj. Michael Spickard 10th Mountain Division assistant chief of fires, and lead planner for Summit Strike ’24. “We are more prepared in the future to make this exercise grow for Summit Strike ’25.”
By PFC Alyssa Norton, 27th Public Affairs Detachment
Gear Up for the Holidays with FirstSpear
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