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SOTECH at SOF Week & SOMA

Tuesday, May 7th, 2024

See the new SOTECH LISS System (Light Infantry Suspension System). Developed with Army Special Forces Medics, Ranger Regiment, and the 25th Infantry Division. LISS recently completed the Army Expeditionary Warfare Experiment (AEWE) and is currently going through jump and field testing with the 82nd Airborne Division. Elements of the system have received NSNs and other elements are awaiting NSNs.

Entire Cobra line will be on display including the Field Aid Station, Prolonged Field Care, the new Jumpable Assault Cobra as well as the Mini and Micro Cobra packs. Other SOTECH medical staples will also be on display; MPMD Med Pack, RAMMP panels, Go Bags, Zoll Carrier and a plethora of IFAKs. Be sure to also take a look at the new “Golden Hour” Micro pack.

SOF Week May 6-10 Tampa, FL – Booth #4106

SOMA May 13-17 Raleigh, NC

sotechtactical.com

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Special Warfare Training Wing Airman wins Lance P. Sijan Leadership Award

Tuesday, May 7th, 2024

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, CHAPMAN TRAINING ANNEX, Tex. —

U.S. Air Force Capt. Marc Esposito, 350th Special Warfare Training Squadron flight commander, was presented with the Lance P. Sijan Award at the Pentagon, Apr. 8, 2024.

The Lance P. Sijan Leadership Award recognizes Airmen who demonstrate the highest qualities of leadership in the performance of their duties and conduct of their lives. The award is one of the U.S. Air Force’s most prestigious awards and is named after U.S. Air Force Capt. Lance P. Sijan, a Vietnam War pilot who received the Medal of Honor posthumously for his courage while evading capture and during his captivity as a prisoner of war.

“It is a tremendous honor to be personally recognized as a 2023 USAF Sijan recipient,” said Esposito. “This award to me reflects teamwork: investments from my leaders, my team’s grit, and our collective dedication to the mission. I am thankful for the constant challenge while accomplishing our mission, and thankful to be in the presence of greatness everyday.”

As a flight commander at the 350th SWTS, Esposito is responsible for AETC’s most operationally diverse flight, leading 54 active duty, civilian and contract instructors, managing a budget of $3.6M, resulting in the assessment of over 900 Airmen for entry into Air Force Special Warfare career fields.

“Captain Esposito has been instrumental in the success of the mission here at the 350th Special Warfare Training Squadron,” said Lt. Col. Robert Effler, 350th SWTS commander. “His tireless work ethic, remarkable character and experience have been key to the leadership and mentorship of his flight and the countless students that he has developed.”

Esposito entered the USAF in 2004, immediately assessing for and entering the combat control career field. Right away, the unique character and mission set of CCT spoke to Esposito.

“I was drawn to the journey being a part of high functioning teams, the adventure, the inherent dangers, and the autonomy to tackle our nation’s most complex problems that impact the course of history. It’s the kind of job I always dreamed of as a kid.”

In 2009, Esposito was caught in a firefight, simultaneously controlling close air support, and firing a machine gun while in the back of a Humvee when the vehicle hit a roadside bomb in eastern Afghanistan, catapulting him through the air before slamming him to the ground. Esposito was unconscious for several days before waking up at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, where he was treated for extensive injuries that included severe burns, broken bones in his legs, feet and back, as well as a traumatic brain injury.

“After being blown up, my life, the teams I worked with and everything I worked for was ripped from my hands”, said Esposito. “I lost control of who I was in that instant. Going to war, I knew death was a possibility, and always something I could accept, but living with disabilities was never part of the plan. My attitude and motivation were still intact, so I refused to accept the new reality; we learn on day one in AFSPECWAR that quitting is not an option.”

After a long road to recovery spanning almost 18 months of rehabilitation and having to re-learn how to walk, Esposito was eventually declared fit for duty. It didn’t take long before the itch to do more hit once again and Esposito decided to assess for the special tactics officer career field.

“Special tactics officer selection and the combat rescue officer selection [both often referred to as Phase Two] is no joke; a snapshot of the 18-24 month pipeline the candidates will go through if selected,” said Esposito. “From the moment I was notified I’d be going, I started training deliberately for extended periods of physical stress. Already an established Combat Controller and instructor, it was actually nice to be the ‘nail’ once again and it served as a humbling reminder that regardless of who you are or what you’ve been through in AFSPECWAR, you must push yourself every day.”

After becoming a STO, Esposito remained in AETC where he became the executive to the commander of the then-new Battlefield Airmen Training Group that would set the groundwork for the future Special Warfare Training Wing. Following that assignment, he was assigned to the 22nd Special Tactics Squadron at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, where he deployed to Korea and Germany, serving as a flight commander and operations deputy.

In 2021, Esposito transitioned to his current role as a flight commander at the 350th SWTS, where he credits his teammates with the success that they have experienced.

“What is most fulfilling is to see my team succeed in our mission and be recognized at such high levels. I am fortunate to have the some of the top distinguished leaders in AFSPECWAR embedded in my flight, where we maintain a high-trust environment. It’s a good place to be when you’re in the business of developing humans into the most effective rescue and weapons systems in the world.”

As a flight commander, Esposito has mentored and molded future Air Force Special Warfare operators while also finding time to serve the community and leading high-visibility projects. He led specialized training for military and civilian teams by establishing networks with San Antonio’s local Special Weapons and Tactics teams and the NASA buoyancy lab while also serving as the lead for a three-year, $2.3M USAF RAND study that identified actionable items for AFSPECWAR’s first-ever Assessment and Selection course for prospective candidates.

“Marc represents the best of us and it’s only fitting that he is recognized as one of the best in the Air Force,” said Col. Nathan Colunga, SWTW commander. “We are incredibly proud of all of his accomplishments that have led up to the Sijan Award and look forward to everything else he will achieve in life.”

When asked what it was like receiving the Lance P. Sijan Leadership Award, Esposito stated that it was a full-circle moment for him and his family.

“After being injured in 2009, I was pushed into the Pentagon in my wheelchair to be honored. Almost 15 years later, it was surreal to be walking in with my whole family, proudly wearing my uniform. What means a lot to me is that I can give my family this experience. In the footsteps of Lance P. Sijan, this honor carries with it a solemn pledge to continue pushing boundaries, overcoming challenges, and serving with honor and distinction. Receiving this honor is a humbling experience, knowing that it symbolizes the trust and respect of peers and superiors alike. It serves as a reminder of the responsibility to continue striving for excellence and to serve as an inspiration to others.”

If you are interested in pursuing a career in AFSPECWAR, please visit www.specialwarfaretw.af.mil/Potential-Candidates

By Special Warfare Training Wing Public Affairs

Special Warfare Training Wing

Posted in AFSW, Air Force, Guest Post | Comments Off on Special Warfare Training Wing Airman wins Lance P. Sijan Leadership Award

MATBOCK Monday: MR Dry Patent Issued

Monday, May 6th, 2024

MATBOCK has secured a utility patent on their popular MR Dry 2.0, which started as a three-way partnership with two other companies in 2013. MATBOCK shared the original concept with them after seeing the need for a waterproof pack that could accept a frame and allow the operators to quickly work out of the dry bag. MATBOCK continued developing the concept and eventually released an updated design, which is now the MR Dry 2.0. Here is a good overview video.

The MR Dry 2.0 is available in three sizes: Small (3,400 cu-in / 56 liters), Medium (4,700 cu-in / 77 liters), and Large (7,450 cu-in / 122 liters). The Small and Large are the most popular sizes.

US Patent US 11,944,183 (link to patent) patents.google.com/patent/US11944183B1

MATBOCK will be at the Westin Tampa Waterside at SOF Select.

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Texas Tactical Police Officers Association After Action Report

Sunday, May 5th, 2024

ROUND ROCK, Texas – April 28, 2024 – The Texas Tactical Police Officers Association recently held its 40th annual state conference; title sponsored this year by Sons of Liberty Gun Works. The conference was held over five days at the Kalahari Resort in central Texas, with more than 800 officers attending from tactical teams across multiple states. This was a 200-person increase from the previous year.

Wednesday of the conference included a Range Day, sponsored by Staccato. Approximately 45 vendors brought their firearms and tactical equipment for demonstration and testing by attendees. The range day included a side match competition benefiting the foundation recently created by the wife of fallen Austin Police officer Jorge Pastore, who was killed during a hostage rescue operation in November 2023. Over $4,000 was raised by officers for the foundation, and Staccato donated a pistol for the competition that was given to the winner.

Thursday and Friday were devoted to a vendor show inside the Kalahari Resort, primarily sponsored by First Spear. Two hundred vendor businesses attended the trade show, with more than 20 registering as Platinum Sponsors. TTPOA partnered with several vendors for frequent giveaway contests during the show. Local walk-in traffic boosted the vendor show attendance to over 1000. This was the second year in a row that the TTPOA sold out vendor space for the conference, even with an expanded footprint from the previous year. The TTPOA also hosted several operational debriefs at the resort from different agencies who had experienced unique or high-profile tactical situations over the previous year. Friday eveningat the conference banquet, over $70,000 in training and firearms donated by vendors were given away during a raffle fundraiser for the Association.

The 800 attendees spent Saturday and Sunday participating in 56 different classes to choose from, held at 12 different ranges and facilities across the Austin area. TTPOA hosted several nationally renowned firearms and tactics instructors as well as SWAT instructors from across Texas; focusing on areas of rifle and pistol shooting, team CQB tactics, night vision work, long-range shooting, combatives, emotional and psychological well-being, K9 encounters, less-lethal devices, and operational planning. Attendees received TCOLE credit for the classes they attended.

Dan Colasanto, TTPOA President, had high praise for the record-setting event and looked forward to future years: “At this year’s Conference we broke a record for attendance. Our attendance numbers have been steadily increasing over the last few years and we anticipate 1000 attendees in the future. We continue to provide top notch instruction from some of the best instructors in the nation. Fortunately, we are able to do this at an affordable price and will continue to do so. Future events will include our annual SWAT Competition as well as a Sniper competition. Hope to see you at one or all of these events.”

Andy Adkins, TTPOA Vendor coordinator, had specific thanks for all the conference vendors: “Our Vendors are amazing and make our show first class; as well as creating the avenue for TTPOA to accomplish its primary mission to put quality training in the grasp of law enforcement officers from around the world. I want to emphasize my sincere thanks to SOLGW as our Title Sponsor for the entire Conference; as well as Staccato, FirstSpear, and 5.11 Tactical for unbelievable support as well. It’s always one of the times of the year I look forward to the most. Our vendors do a phenomenal job of bringing the most innovative gear and products to put in the hands of officers from around the country. The products created, released, and displayed at our show make it clear that these companies are dedicated to the men and women serving their communities and their objective of making their hometowns a better place to be. So to our Vendors, on behalf of the TTPOA and its membership, THANK YOU!!! To the LEOs and active USMIL folks thinking about checking us out next year, you won’t be disappointed!!!”

The TTPOA has also announced they have signed a five-year contract with Kalahari Resorts to hold the annual conference at their Austin-area resort for the next five years, through 2029. With future construction plans underway for Kalahari conference floor space and hotel capacity, TTPOA anticipates being able to accommodate more vendors and conference attendees at the Round Rock Kalahari.

Registration is currently open for the annual TTPOA SWAT Competition, to be hosted this year by the Harris County Sheriff’s Department from October 2 – October 6 in Harris County, Texas. Last year’s competition hosted 36 teams, with several from out of state. Interested competitors can find more info at ttpoa.org. The SWAT competition will also be open to any interested vendors for a two-day vendor show at the competition facilities.

Interested vendors for the competition or next year’s conference can contact Andy Adkins at andy.adkins@ttpoa.org.

For complete media coverage of this year’s conference, check out TTPOA’s Instagram at www.instagram.com/ttpoa .

Posted in Guest Post, LE | 1 Comment »

DAF Looks to Strengthen CATM Career Field, Deliver Better Training

Sunday, May 5th, 2024

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texa —

Air Force Security Forces is looking to strengthen the combat arms training and maintenance community while also delivering better training opportunities for Airmen and Guardians.

The Combat Arms Working Group, a joint effort between the Air Force Security Forces Center, Headquarters Air Force Security Forces and major command representatives, is focused on evolving CATM for the first time since a Security Forces merger in 1997, said Chief Master Sgt. Donald Gallagher, SF career field manager.

At that time, law enforcement and security specialists were combined and the military working dog and combat arms disciplines were not individual specialties. With those things in mind, more than 50 CATM professionals met recently in San Antonio to establish a concept of action for the manpower agency to use to create the first ever CATM Air Force job qualification standard.

“The current standard is the most complicated formula in the Air Force and uses outdated methods and statistics to establish CATM manpower,” said Jason Seibel, Air Force Combat Arms Program chief at AFSFC.

“It is imperative we have a full team of CATM professionals at every installation across the enterprise to provide first-class weapons training to our warfighting Airmen and Guardians,” he said. “With Air Force Force Generation, Ready Airman Training and Multi-Capable Airmen, the demand is only going to increase, and we need to get this right, right now.”

The Air Force Job Qualification Standard is key to the success of the career field. Together with the career field education and training plan approved earlier this year, CATM instructors will now have a training roadmap from the moment they enter the career field as junior Airmen until they’re master sergeants, Seibel said.

“This comprehensive change has never been attempted before, so the working group broke some serious glass in creating an AFJQS with over 320 training objectives,” he said. “This will all culminate over the next 12 months as current CATM members with a special experience identifier 312 will be converted to a seven level in the career field.”

Establishing the working group is key to molding CATM for the future.

“It provides an immense step forward by bringing professionals together who have long-time working knowledge in the field and allows in-depth collaboration,” said Senior Master Sgt. William Johnson, Air Force Reserve Command CATM Functional Manager.

Together, they are building an in-depth training track for the new era of CATM instructors “to ensure they have the knowledge and understanding of how a professional Air Force CATM section should operate with a sense of integrity to the profession,” he said.

Building a truly balanced and in-depth training program is expected to give current and new instructors a deep understanding of what it actually takes to operate a CATM section.

“It will also give those in the career field an overall sense of pride for their profession and military career,” Johnson said.

The benefits also filter down to those who cycle through CATM for their weapons training needs, often right before important deployments.

“Airmen and Guardians will see professional instructors with a passion for weapons, safety and teaching … being comfortable handling something that may make them not so comfortable,” Johnson said. “It will allow students to have a more enjoyable experience doing things outside of their comfort zones and to me, this is the most important accomplishment for CATM instructors to accomplish their mission.”

Each working group season also allows everyone’s voice to be heard and considered.

“Having ideas from across the enterprise regardless of whether you’re from regular Air Force, Reserves or National Guard … every idea could be the one that is the missing link to provide the correct path for the career field. It’s truly a pleasure to be a part of the group and assist with the forward movement of the career field,” Johnson said.

By Debbie Aragon, Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center Public Affairs

Posted in Air Force, Guest Post, Profession of Arms, Training | 2 Comments »

Autonomous Multi-domain Launcher Meets Another Program Milestone

Saturday, May 4th, 2024

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. — Mission success.

Another pivotal stride was made by the Autonomous Multi-domain Launcher as the combined team of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center and the Ground Vehicle Systems Center conducted a successful live fire of a Reduced Range Practice Rocket fired from the AML at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona.

“The team has worked diligently over the past four years to achieve this milestone of a long-range missile launch from a fully robotic platform,” said Lucas Hunter, AML project manager for DEVCOM AvMC.

AML is an initiative to develop and demonstrate an autonomous, unmanned, highly mobile, C-130 transportable launcher. The prototype launcher will be capable of convoy operations, autonomous way point navigation, tele-operation and remote launcher turret and fire control operation. It will also launch longer munitions while remaining compatible with the current munitions.

One of the primary goals of AML is providing fires forces with additional launcher platforms to mass fire with minimal impact on force structure manning. AML will also give the Army a three-times increase in fire power and magazine depth.

During its time at YPG, the AML launched three RRPRs in a successive ripple fire mission. In all, six RRPRs were successfully fired from the AML in a demonstration of the launcher’s ability to maneuver under supervised autonomy from a hide location to a firing point, turn to an assigned heading and execute fire control commands from a remote gunner position.

Over the past week leading up to the initial live fire, the AML successfully demonstrated each of its mobility modes: tele-op, waypoint navigation and convoy operations.

Soldiers from the Tennessee Army National Guard 1-181st Field Artillery Regiment were also on hand to train on and operate the AML.

The team was pleased with the outcome, Hunter said, noting that the AML program proves the level of expertise contained within the DEVCOM formation and its ability to combine efforts across centers to address the needs of the Army’s Warfighters.

“The AML team leveraged three major Army S&T investments, the Palletized Field Artillery Launcher, Autonomous Transport Vehicle System and Secure Tactical Advanced Mobile Power to rapidly and economically develop the AML prototype,” Hunter said.

AML’s success at YPG paves the road to its next test at Valiant Shield 24, a bi-annual, joint service field-training exercise to be held in summer 2024.

By Katie Davis Skelley, DEVCOM Aviation & Missile Center Public Affairs

Posted in Army, Guest Post, Munitions | Comments Off on Autonomous Multi-domain Launcher Meets Another Program Milestone

FirstSpear Exhibits at SOF Week in Tampa, Florida — Booth 2802

Friday, May 3rd, 2024

FirstSpear will be showcasing its latest innovations at SOF Week in Tampa, Florida, from May 7th to May 10th, 2024. Visit Booth 2802 to explore FirstSpear’s cutting-edge solutions for the special operations community.

FirstSpear offers a comprehensive range of products designed for durability and performance, cutting-edge design in load carriage solutions. The team will be available to provide demonstrations and discuss how FirstSpear’s gear enhances mission readiness.

For more information, visit www.first-spear.com.

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Landmine Detection and Neutralization: Breaching Ain’t Easy

Wednesday, May 1st, 2024

Landmines have been used in warzones for decades. They are placed strategically in the pathway, both surface-laid and underground to explode and deter passage to an area. In those decades various methods have been used to detect and defuse them yet each year thousands of people are killed by mines.

The U.S. Army is exploring methods to detect and neutralize these hazards at standoff creating a passable vehicle wide lane while reducing risk to the breaching force.

Amit Makhijani with the office of Project Manager Close Combat Systems explained “We are doing dynamic live fire testing on one potential concept as part of the Technology Maturation and Risk Reduction efforts.”

That concept is the GOBLN short for Ground Obstacle Breaching Lane Neutralizer. It allows remote detection and neutralization— meaning the warfighter would not be at risk.

The concept is comprised of three main components. A mortar-based launcher system integrated on a vehicle platform, a small unmanned aerial system hosted detection system, and a neutralizing munition.

For this dynamic neutralization test at Yuma Test Center (YTC) the team focused on the neutralization aspect.

“What we are looking at is not what the gun is doing, it is what is it doing on the other end. What are the effects on the mines we are shooting at,” explained YTC Test Officer Brett Bowman.

YTC provided a wide area laid out with six lanes of high explosive mines with inert fuzes comprised of both US M-15 and foreign TM-62M. The team placed the mines strategically atop a tarp to track how the mortar shrapnel hit each mine and the surrounding area.

“When we go out an assess, we mark each target, so when we fire on them again, we know which ones it hit on the first time and we will know the difference between the first time and the second,” explained GOBLN Test Lead Raj Nattanmai with the U.S. Army’s DEVCOM Armaments Center (AC).

Bowman adds, “We are getting the observer data to know where they impacted, then after each sequence we go out and do inspections to see the damage on targets and access how we did.”

This allows the DEVCOM AC personnel to better model the down range effects with real world shot data and adjust the launcher as needed.

In this proof-of-concept phase, the team is looking for specific criteria.

Nattanmai described, “We want the shrapnel to come in and pierce the mines so that it damages either the fuse or sets it off. The other possibility is that it creates a reaction and causes it to burn.”

Nattanmai showed the team a TM 62 mine that was completely burned and explained, “That one didn’t blow up, it burned. It set on fire and charred up basically. That’s the ideal neutralization. That’s what we want all the targets to do.”

Bowman came up with the placement of the mines to provide efficient testing in between mandatory safety wait times.

“They were originally going to have one mine lane, we shoot, go out inspect, and come back. We can’t do that because of the wait times. So, what I did was set this one up so we can have multiple mine lanes, fire multiple engagements at a time, then that way we can go out and inspect them after the certain amount of wait times.”

This method shorted the firing window to three weeks versus a month and a half. When all was said and done the team fired more than 250 mortars at targets.

The GOBLN is one of the many solutions the Army is testing to see which the most effective solutions are to meet modern threats.

Army Futures Command Capabilities Developer Shawn Anders remarks, “In the concept of the future, we are not talking about what we can do today. What we are trying to do, the next 10 years, 20 years down the road and have that forecast. So today is just our baseline of multiple systems, for consideration for the future. And like Maj. Thomas Fite said, ‘Breaching Ain’t Easy.’”

By Ana Henderson

Posted in Army, Breaching, Guest Post | Comments Off on Landmine Detection and Neutralization: Breaching Ain’t Easy