Stay prepared to tackle the elements. Every aspect of the Integrity Shell Jacket is focused on keeping elite operators and their gear at peak efficiency, regardless of the weather. Powered by 37.5® Technology, the Integrity works with you to keep warm and dry when needed, and also works to reduce humidity when things start to heat up. No matter what she throws your way, Mother Nature is no match for the Integrity Shell Jacket.
No other sled comes close to the versatility, reduction on weight and bulk. The Cobra Sled is easily the most advanced draggable & hoist able sled on the market. Everything was meticulously engineered with precision from current and former PJs and 18Ds.
The first part of this video covers how to create the loops at the front so 2 operators can drag a patient hands-free. The 2nd part of the video covers how to make a sit harness with integrated straps to support a vertical hoist operations.
The Cobra Sled’s hoist straps are made from 5,500 lbs tensile strength Kevlar webbing with Kevlar stitching. An integrated chest harness directly attaches to both the horizontal and vertical hoist straps. There are four front drag straps that create 2 x 10 ft loops for operators to sling and drag forward in a hands-free configuration, as well as stabilizing straps in the back for uneven terrain.
NSN: 3920-01-694-6803
Patent No. 11,207,226
If you would like for us to demonstrate this cobra sled or have us conduct a unit visit, please reach out to sales@matbock.com
MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. (AFNS) —
The Curtis E. LeMay Center for Doctrine Development and Education and Air Mobility Command collaborated on significant revisions to the recently released Air Force Doctrine Publication 3-36, Air Mobility Operations, reflecting the service’s renewed commitment to maneuverability and lethality.
The publication’s first major revision in five years also reflects the evolving strategic environment and re-emphasizes the importance of the joint functions of maneuver, sustainment and command and control. “These principles are critical to preparing the mobility air forces to effectively position the joint force for advantage and deliver lethal effects at the tempo required for victory,” said Gen. Mike Minihan, AMC commander.
Highlighting the publication’s release, Minihan stressed, “Amateurs study tactics, professionals study logistics, the victors study maneuver.” Remarking on the efforts to update the doctrine he added, “This version of AFDP 3-36 pushes the envelope in recognizing what the mobility air forces bring to the fight and how we elevate the lethality of the joint team. It includes new sections on command and control, maneuver, the key role air mobility plays in deterrence operations, and critical lessons learned from Operation Allies Refuge, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and recent operations in Israel. Our future challenge demands close reading of this document and thinking about how to fight.”
AFDP 3-36 underscores that air mobility operations are a fundamental extension of airpower — the capability to project military power through control and exploitation in, from and through the air. This updated doctrine aligns with the realities of Great Power Competition and is the first in a series of major service doctrine updates designed to prepare the Air Force for future conflicts.
The LeMay Center is responsible for the development, dissemination and implementation of Air Force doctrine. It is conducting a full doctrine review in support of the Air Force re-optimization for Great Power Competition.
By SMSgt Richard P. Ebensberger, Air University Public Affairs
FORT DRUM, N.Y. — Soldiers from the New York National Guard’s 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team traveled to Fort Drum, New York, June 24-28, 2024, to get hands-on with new technologies designed to mitigate the risk to Soldiers on the battlefield.
The Soldier borne sensor unmanned aerial vehicle and lightweight laser designator rangefinder systems were recently fielded to various units across the brigade, with Soldiers receiving both classroom and practical instructions on the operation of the two new tools in their arsenal.
The Soldier borne sensor, or SBS, “is portable and lightweight, increasing the effectiveness of our operations,” said Staff Sgt. Andy Huang, a combat engineer with the 152nd Brigade Engineer Battalion, and native of Brooklyn, New York. “It’s designed to, instead of using us to do surveillance, it can do surveillance and reconnaissance and search for enemy fighting positions or friendly forces.”
The SBS is designed to mitigate the risk to Soldiers by having the miniature drone complete dangerous work Soldiers would typically perform on their own. Its small size, only measuring a few inches, and low-noise capabilities make it nearly undetectable by enemy forces.
“It’s small and lightweight, and with how high it can go, you can’t really hear it,” Huang said. “So, you can recon a lot of stuff, and the bad guys can’t see it.”
The second system fielded and trained on during the week was the lightweight laser designator rangefinder, or LLDR, a crew-served, Soldier-portable, long-range target locator and laser designation system. The LLDR provides Soldiers on the battlefield with highly accurate target location information while using the laser designator to call for fire using precision, near-precision and area munitions.
“The LLDR allows you to basically have another person see what you’re doing or what you’re looking at without the (Soldier) having to move,” said Spc. Jeffrey Anicet, a joint fire support specialist with 1st Battalion, 258th Field Artillery Regiment, and native of Middletown, New York. “For us, for the observers, it makes it easier for us to target rounds, especially with mortars. Then, when working with aircraft on guided ordinance, we’re able to precision drop along those coordinates exactly where we want them to the tenth of a meter.”
The LLDR relies on a unique assembly of advanced sensor technologies, such as thermal imaging, cameras, laser designator spot imaging, digital magnetic compass, GPS, and more, to measure everything from distance to target to the rotation of the Earth, allowing Soldiers on the battlefield to relay more precise targeting data.
“It’s definitely going to benefit everyone across the board, when we start working more with the infantry, when we’re calling in fires for them, it will be a lot easier and a lot more accurate,” Anicet said. “It will be a lot safer for everyone on the battlefield.”
Systems specialists and field service representatives from Program Executive Office Soldier led the training on both systems, providing guidance and practical expertise on the new systems. Though only a handful of Soldiers from the 27th IBCT received the training, they will bring their newfound expertise back to their units.
“This is like a train-the-trainers course,” Huang said. “We’re going to train almost everyone [in my unit] on how to use this system. So, it’s not just me who knows how to use it, everyone to the lowest ‘Joes’ would know.”
By MSG Warren W. Wright Jr., 42d Infantry Division Public Affairs
Happy Independence Day, thanks to all the warriors who continue to fight every single day to protect our freedoms.
HURLBURT FIELD, Fl. —
Lt. Gen. Michael Conley assumed command of Air Force Special Operations Command from Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind in a change of command ceremony at the Freedom Hangar here July 2.
Presiding over the ceremony, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin praised Bauernfeind’s past accomplishments and Conley’s future potential as the commander of AFSOC. Allvin said the image that came to mind when he thought of the transition to a new commander was the passing of a baton in a race.
“Races are won or lost by fractions of a second,” he said. “The stakes are high for our Air Force, our special operations community and our nation and we can’t afford to take a pause. Mike Conley is up to speed. He’s ready. He brings a breadth of experience working with the Air Force, major command and joint staff. He also has a depth of experience in the AFSOC mission.”
During the ceremony, four formations of Air Commandos stood at attention to represent the Airmen of AFSOC. The military formation, comprised of 85 Airmen, represented the five active-duty, one Reserve wing, and two National Guard wings; and more than 20,000 active duty, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve and civilian Airmen who serve across AFSOC.
U.S. Army Gen. Bryan Fenton, commander of United States Special Operations Command, also provided remarks during the ceremony, as AFSOC is the Air Force component of USSOCOM. Fenton welcomed Conley as AFSOC’s new commander and praised the command for its spirit of innovation.
“Mike, welcome aboard,” he said. “You are taking charge of an exceptional team. You know this already because you’ve been a key part. You’re inheriting an incredible organization that is not only pathfinding and trailblazing for SOCOM but equally for our Air Force and on top of that, the Department of Defense. And they are doing it at lightning speed. You’re exactly what AFSOC needs to continue that transformation.”
Lt. Gen. Michael Conley assumed command of Air Force Special Operations Command after previously serving as the director of operations for Headquarters AFSOC. He was responsible for implementing and directing operational command policy for AFSOC’s worldwide special operations units including 20,800 personnel, approximately 300 aircraft and $17 billion in assets. He also served as the vice commander for AFSOC’s 27th Special Operations Wing and the commander of the 1st Special Operations Wing.
“I am honored and humbled for this opportunity,” he said. “I am committed to making this command the best it can be in ensuring we are ready to go whenever you need us to.
Bauernfeind was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal as well as the USSOCOM ceremonial colors for his accomplishments as commander and then received the final salute from the Air Commandos. He will depart AFSOC to become the next Superintendent of the United States Air Force Academy.
By Lucelia Ball, Air Force Special Operations Command Public Affairs
HURLBURT FIELD, Fl. —
Air Commandos throughout Air Force Special Operations Command will bid farewell to Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind on July 2nd, as he prepares to depart AFSOC to serve as the Superintendent, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
When he assumed command in December 2022, one of his first actions was to address the more than 22,000 total force and civilian Air Commandos worldwide. In his initial communication, the 13th Commander of AFSOC noted their outstanding dedication to the mission, the Air Force core values, and their oath to the Constitution of the United States.
“Equally inspiring is your devotion to the professionalism and high standards necessary to uphold our sacred trust to the American public,” he said. “Your service is clearly making an impact for our nation, and we will focus on enhancing your quality of service.”
Bauernfeind followed through by modernizing missions, such as the retirement of the final operational MC-130H Combat Talon II and carrying the mission over to the MC-130J Commando II aircrews, maintainers and support teams.
The general also took on the challenge of wing standardization during his command. In March 2023, five wings assigned to AFSOC implemented the wing air staff (A-staff) structure. The new structure reduced the administrative burden at the squadron level to allow them to focus on the mission. AFSOC also established a new headquarters directorate, A7, Air Commando Development in April 2023, designed to provide policy and oversight for how Air Commandos deliberately train, exercise, experience, and educate for deployments.
In addition, AFSOC executed Exercise Talon Spear, the command’s first Small Unmanned Aerial Systems collaboration exercise. It marked the first step for AFSOC on its path toward modernization through the Adaptive Airborne Enterprise (A2E) concept. The exercise marked the beginning of the evolution from using the MQ-9 Reaper platform exclusively for its intelligence gathering and strike capabilities to a node (mobile control center) in a distributed command and control concept, furthering AFSOC’s power projection capabilities.
Next, Bauernfeind addressed Air Commandos and their families.
“We recognize the challenges and sacrifices you and your families make to serve this great nation, and we will focus on enhancing your quality of life,” he said.
He accomplished this by improvements to the Integrated Resiliency Optimization Network, which encouraged communication between helping agencies and enabled coordination within the psychological, social, physical, and spiritual resiliency pillars. This effort allowed consolidation of support efforts to take care of Air Commandos.
He also advocated for infrastructure improvements when he tackled the traffic congestion issue at Hurlburt Field, inviting community leaders and state and county officials to several roundtable discussions to brainstorm solutions to the highly congested Highway 98 near the base which can limit mission effectiveness for AFSOC’s alert requirements.
Bauernfeind also provided the vision for the opening of the Hurlburt Field Memorial Air Park to the public for the first time in 20 years, allowing visitors to come face-to-face with the aircraft, mission and stories – past, present and future. Static aircraft are displayed alongside memorials and informational plaques to provide insight into the men and women who served in AFSOC.
Bauernfeind concluded his introduction by addressing the transformation of the command.
He helmed the command during the ongoing transformation of AFSOC, which involved the continued development of the force generation cycle, implementation of mission command, progression of Special Operations Task Groups and creation of multi-domain theater-focused squadrons.
Additionally, the first activated Special Operations Theater Air Operations Squadron was introduced, which allows AFSOC to bolster the AFSOF unique capabilities offered to Theater Special Operation Commands as well as Theater Air Components, adapting to the ever-changing operational landscape.
“Today is a pivotal time to serve in AFSOC as we navigate a strategic inflection point and continue the work of transforming the command,” he said. “While we face many challenges, we are confident in our future because of your dedication to our mission and innovative spirit.”
These projects, along with countless others, will continue as the general passes command to his successor.
Safe journey Sir!
By Lucelia Ball, Air Force Special Operations Command Public Affairs
Fort Belvior, Va –
In April, Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier introduced its Architectural Assessment Tool (AAT)—a first-of-its-kind government-owned digital engineering ecosystem (DEE). The new suite of tools functions as a cloud-based software hub for a hub-and-spoke ecosystem, providing systems engineers and equipment developers with a centralized data source for 3D modeling and configuration management.
The AAT was developed under the Adaptive Squad Architecture (ASA) program which began in 2018. The AAT addresses the need for a comprehensive catalog that provides the Army Acquisitions community immediate access to authoritative data about equipment for dismounted Soldiers.
In developing the catalog, the team’s primary challenge was answering the question of how best to describe a complex, highly contextualized Soldier platform when the Army enterprise has various needs in developing, producing, and fielding Soldier equipment.
According to Dan Kitts, Architecture Lead for ASA, “Most platforms pay a lead systems integrator (LSI) to perform this function. In the case of the Soldier platform, however, there are seventy to over one hundred distinct items on a given Soldier configuration but without an LSI to manage them.”
The solution evolved into a digital engineering environment with a suite of tools that provides users with immediate firsthand access to the central source of authoritative data. Since no out-of-the-box software solution existed, the ASA team built its own.
The new cloud-native software application is the product of a multi-year effort that included developing the software and preparing it for deployment on the Army cloud network cARMY, with secure enterprise access management through EAMS-A.
For Aaron Copeland, Lead Technical Manager for AAT, having a centralized digital catalog of Soldier equipment is crucial for the future of systems integration. “The complexities of Soldier equipment negate having a single expert. For informed integration, we needed a well-curated system that’s immediately accessible,” Copeland said. “Engineers haven’t had this before. Now they can crowdsource data and look at Soldier systems in detail.”
Functionally, the AAT enables engineers to drag and drop any number of PEO Soldier’s equipment items onto a 3D Soldier model (or digital manikin) and allows them to test-fit items for a clearer picture of potential configuration and interoperability challenges earlier in the developmental process.
The tool also gives engineers immediate access to specific data points like bandwidth, interfaces, aggregate weight, and Soldier load, helping create a common operating picture of the Soldier platform.
To Kitts, the real purpose of AAT is to foster Soldier centered design throughout an item’s lifecycle. “ASA’s mission is to place equipment in the context of the Soldier before Soldier Touch Points,” Kitts said. “The desired outcome is that Soldiers intuitively understand the equipment they receive
from PEO Soldier was built for them, similar to when someone unboxes a new phone or buys a new car.”
The AAT achieved Authority to Operate (ATO) and Authority to Connect (ATC) in April, giving the ASA team the green light to deploy the tool on cARMY.
The journey to achieving a government-owned solution was necessarily lengthy and Kitts appreciates the strategic patience ASA received from PEO Soldier’s senior leadership. “Their patience and support in getting us to this point allowed us to pivot from cybersecurity audit compliance to getting additional functionality, curating data, and onboarding additional DEE tools,” Kitts said.
The vision that drives this strategic patience has a broad focus – looking beyond enhancing PEO Soldier’s capabilities alone to helping close data-sharing gaps to foster more efficient collaboration with Army and Joint stakeholders.
“The real benefit of the Architectural Assessment Tool is helping our strategic partners achieve Soldier centered design,” explained Gary Keller, the Assistant Program Executive Officer for Futures and Integration, PEO Soldier. “With this tool, we can get accurate Soldier equipment data to the right people, when they need it, accelerating integration across the enterprise.”
With input from early adopters, the team continues to innovate with plans for AAT 2.0. The future update will feature an improved database better matched to describe Soldier context and a transition to a more widely used 3D engine.
In the near term, the ASA team is incorporating iPOWER, a power management system designed by the Naval Research Lab, and plans to add Cameo MagicDraw to the suite.
By Kris Hutsell, ARMY
