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SCUBAPRO Sunday – Happy Birthday U.S. Coast Guard

Sunday, July 31st, 2022

The formal history of the Coast Guard dates to August 4, 1790, when the first Congress ordered the building of 10 vessels to enforce federal tariff and trade regulations and combat smuggling. The Coast Guard, also known as the Revenue Marine and the Revenue Cutter Service in the nineteenth and early twentieth century, rose in number and responsibility as the country grew. The Coast Guard is one of the federal government’s oldest agencies, and until Congress founded the Navy Department in 1798, it was the country’s only afloat armed force. Throughout their lengthy history, the Coast Guard has defended the country and has proudly served in all of the country’s battles. Even now, our national defense responsibilities are one of our most critical functions.

The service was given its current name in 1915 when Congress combined the Revenue Cutter Service and the Life-Saving Service to create a unified maritime service focused on saving lives at sea and enforcing the nation’s maritime laws. When President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered the transfer of the Lighthouse Service to the Coast Guard in 1939, the Coast Guard began to maintain the country’s aids to marine navigation, including running the nation’s lighthouses.

During World War II, the Coast Guard’s participation in amphibious operations was possibly the most critical war-related task the organization undertook. Surprisingly, the Coast Guard operated about 350 naval ships, including 76 LSTs, 21 cargo and attack-freight ships, 75 frigates, and 31 types of transport. In addition, the Coast Guard had almost 800 cutters, nearly 300 Army ships, and thousands of amphibious assault vessels on standby.

A group of small landing craft sped toward the beaches of Guadalcanal on September 27, 1942. About 500 troops from Col Lewis B. “Chesty” Puller’s 1st Battalion, 7th Marines were huddled on the beach, fighting for their life.

The Marines had landed on the beach earlier that day by the same group of landing craft, and now they were being retrieved. Coast Guard Signalman 1st Class Douglas Munro guided his LCVP between the departing Marines and the Japanese as the LCVPs (Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel) and LCMs (Landing Craft, Mechanized) approached the shore. Munro permitted the landing craft to safely evacuate all the Marines, including the injured, by placing his craft between the men on the beach and the enemy.

Munro guided his vessel away from the beach as the last men boarded. When the skies were nearly clear, Japanese gunfire struck Munro, killing him instantly. Munro received the Medal of Honor after his death. Given the Coast Guard’s rescuing legacy and the pivotal role the service played during WWII, it’s fitting that the service’s lone Medal of Honor recipient was involved in not only a rescue but also an amphibious operation.

The Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation of the Commerce Department was permanently transferred to the Coast Guard in 1946, bringing merchant marine licensing and merchant vessel safety under their jurisdiction.

The Coast Guard also played a significant role in Vietnam, doing everything from installing aids to navigation to supporting the war on the rivers and in the sky. The installed and manned Long-Range Aids to Navigation (LORAN) stations, allowing mariners and aviators to fix their positions correctly. The initial goal of the LORAN system was to offer electronic aids to mariners and aviators in places where there were no surface aids, relatively unexplored waters, or skies that were regularly clouded.

The Navy’s campaign to minimize coastal infiltration was aided by Coast Guard cutters, forcing communists to rely on the Ho Chi Minh Trail to maintain their insurgency in the south. According to wartime records, Coast Guard cutters boarded a quarter-million junks and sampans and took part in 6,000 naval firing exercises. The LORAN station in Tan My, Vietnam (U.S. Coast Guard) port missions caused significant damage to the enemy.

The Coast Guard-Air Force Aviator Exchange Program brought together Coast Guard and Air Force pilots. The program included two Coast Guard C-130 pilots, while the rest of the aviators were HH-3 helicopter pilots. The first of several Coast Guard helicopter pilots were posted to the Air Force’s 37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron at Da Nang in the spring of 1968. Four Silver Star Medals, 15 Distinguished Flying Crosses, and 86 Air Medals were among the medals and awards given to Coast Guard aviators as a result.

The Coast Guard has been part of the Department of Homeland Security since 2003, serving as the nation’s front-line agency for enforcing maritime laws, preserving the marine environment and the country’s enormous coastline and ports, and saving lives. Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the Coast Guard underwent significant modifications as part of the War on Terror. Before the 9/11 attacks, the Coast Guard used boat stations and cutters to safeguard U.S. ports, waterways, and coastlines. After the attacks, the Coast Guard shifted resources to serve additional maritime security functions required in the post-9/11 environment.

President George W. Bush signed the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) in 2002 to secure the nation’s ports and waterways from terrorist threats. The MTSA established a Coast Guard maritime security unit as part of the Department of Homeland Security’s layered approach to protecting seaports and waterways. The Coast Guard formed Maritime Safety and Security Teams (MSSTs) in the same year to assist the Ports, Waterways, and Coastal Security missions and provide non-compliant vessel boarding capabilities for service missions. Waterside security, marine law enforcement, and K-9 explosives detection units are among the 11 MSST teams that exist today.

Military force protection, U.N. General Assemblies, national political conventions, international economic summits, disaster relief efforts, and major sporting events such as the Super Bowl have been MSST duties. They play a significant role in the war on drugs and keeping our streets safe. In F.Y. 2019, the Coast Guard removed 207.9 metric tons of cocaine and more than 63,000 pounds of marijuana from getting into the U.S. and Canada.

Lastly and possibly most importantly, they responded to 19,790 Search and Rescue cases, saved 3,560 lives, and more than $77 million in property. Some of the 3,560 are fishermen in Alaska, and the Coastie’s put their lives on the line every day to keep them safe.

Happy Birthday Coast Guard

Posted in Advertiser, Guest Post, History, Maritime | 2 Comments »

Army’s Mission Command Convergence Efforts Laying Coundation for Tactical Data Fabric

Sunday, July 31st, 2022

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. (July 20, 2022) – The Army’s effort to converge mission command applications onto a “single pane of glass” reached another key milestone last month as the next increment of Command Post Computing Environment (CPCE) software achieved Milestone B approval.

CPCE Increment 2, or Inc 2, marks the second significant convergence of warfighting functions into CPCE and will collapse fires and intel apps onto the software framework. Inc 2 also integrates mission planning and airspace control tools, and initial tactical data fabric (TDF) capabilities.

Milestone B approval designates the start of the engineering and manufacturing development phase and sets the conditions for operational test and evaluation and ultimately, a full deployment decision.

Programs of record with ongoing convergence efforts onto the CPCE framework as part of Inc 2 include the Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System, or AFATDS, which provides automated fire-support command, control and communications; intel apps including All Source II, Information Collection, Intel Support to Targeting and Weather Operational Effects; integrated mission planning and airspace control tools including the Aviation Mission Planning System and Tactical Airspace Integration System; ENFIRE, a reconnaissance and surveying toolset, which provides Army engineers the means to facilitate rapid collection and dissemination of terrain information; and Cyber Situational Understanding, also known as Cyber SU.

“Collapsing these mission command applications provides an opportunity for commanders to envision the holistic battlefield from one source,” said Lt. Col. Travis Rudge, product manager for Tactical Mission Command. “The Army is working across its network and intel partners, ground and aviation platform offices, Corps of Engineers and other stakeholders to make this convergence a reality.”

The implementation plan for Inc 2 identifies the CPCE TDF as its priority effort in concert with logistics status and sustainment-running estimate capabilities. The remaining operational needs – including role-based access controls, terrain analysis and application automation, among others – are being analyzed by the Army’s capability development and requirements community. Once delivered, these remaining operational needs will improve interoperability, common look and feel, and cross-cutting capabilities across the Mounted Computing Environment and Mobile Handheld Computing Environment, leading to additional improvements in usability and training.

Additional enhancements planned for Inc 2 include critical cybersecurity measures to enable Tactical PKI implementation and certificate management, integrate a password management tool and encrypt data at rest.

The initial CPCE TDF delivered in Inc 2 will begin bridging enterprise and tactical data sources, and simplify and accelerate the sensor-to-shooter kill chain. The Army is taking a hybrid approach for its data fabric architecture, integrating ARCYBER’s lower echelon analytics platform, or LEAP, and components of the U.S. Army C5ISR Center’s Rainmaker capability to help provide improved data access, management and synchronization. Advancements from CPCE Inc 1 to Inc 2 software have set the stage for cloud-enabled mission command. Modification of the software will allow CPCE to access the power of the cloud infrastructure, removing dependencies of the application to legacy hardware while increasing scalability.

“CPCE Increment 2 is our contribution to the Army Data Plan and JADC2, helping our deployed units sense, make sense and act on data,” said Col. Matt Paul, project manager for Mission Command. “It allows commanders to be data centric, treating data as an asset to make better data-driven decisions.”

Coupled with CPCE Inc 2 software, Tactical Server Infrastructure version 3, or TSIv3, hardware will reduce the hardware footprint with smaller and more powerful servers and deliver increased computing resource requirements in support of Program of Record convergence.

Developmental Security Operations, or DevSecOps, continues to drive program development based on real-world feedback from Soldiers. Last month, technical leads from Project Manager Mission Command (PM MC) met with ARCYBER, U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) and 25th Infantry Division (25ID) leadership to coordinate TDF design needs and potential USARPAC experimentation support plans. PM MC personnel assisted USARPAC and 25ID in developing network visibility use cases and data collection parameters through LEAP to gain better insight based on mission needs.

Additional DevSecOps partners include USAREUR-AF, XVIII Airborne Corps, I Corps and USASOC. Ongoing experimentation efforts in the INDOPACOM area of responsibility are informing future TDF implementation and CPCE enhancements.

A full deployment decision and the first unit equipped for CPCE Inc 2 are both scheduled for 2024.

By Justin Eimers, PEO C3T Public Affairs

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

New Flight Milestone in Hexa Testing

Saturday, July 30th, 2022

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFNS) —

The LIFT Hexa, an electric, vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, or eVTOL, recently completed its first test flight at Duke Field.

The unmanned aircraft, piloted via remote control, used 18 motors and propellers to fly for approximately 10 minutes and reach a height of about 50 feet during the test flight.

The test was an important first step toward the incorporating the Hexa into operations at a controlled military airfield. Duke Field is an auxiliary field located North of Eglin Air Force Base’s main base. This flight was completed by Hexa 09, one of two aircraft stationed at the installation. Hexa 05 was used for the first test flight at Eglin AFB in April.

The 413th Flight Test Squadron, the Air Force’s rotary wing developmental test experts, has partnered with AFWERX’s Agility Prime to advance eVTOL test and experimentation. The unit, located at Duke Field, provides the coordination, logistics and support for the LIFT team’s developmental ground and flight-testing operations.

“This is an opportunity to leverage some of the unit’s expertise with rotary aircraft and apply it to this new field of electric propulsion aircraft,” said Maj. Riley Livermore, 413th FLTS Futures Flight commander. “This flight was an important step in advancing the testing forward.”

By Samuel King Jr., Eglin Air Force Base Public Affairs

Posted in Air Force, Aviation, Guest Post, UAS | Comments Off on New Flight Milestone in Hexa Testing

SureFire Field Notes Ep 72 – How to Cheat: Max Point Blank Theory with Alex Hartmann

Friday, July 29th, 2022

Alex Hartmann is a former Marine Corps Scout Sniper with multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. After leaving active service in 2016, his mission to serve the tactical population continued as a co-founder of Ridgeline Defense, a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business whose mission is to defend America and her interests both at home and abroad, through the training and equipping of Military, Law Enforcement, and vetted Civilian clients. The Ridgeline Training Center is located in Dalton, NH, in strategic partnership with the Team O’Neil Rally School. Their facility is designed by Special Operators and purpose-built to support world-class training, as well as to provide a discrete location for Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.

www.ridgelineshooting.com

Special thanks to The Ranch TX and Shooter Symposium for making this episode possible.

www.theranchtxclub.com

For more on SureFire:

www.surefire.com

Posted in Advertiser, Guest Post, Training | 2 Comments »

OTTE Gear – Covert Escape Evade Kit

Friday, July 29th, 2022

The C.E.E.K. (Covert Escape Evade Kit) is OTTE Gear’s solution for the everyday civilian who wants to have on his person or gear, certain tools that would be needed during an Escape and Evasion (E&E) Scenario. Designed to be small and discreet, this kit is not just for military operators or intelligence agents. Civilians can just as well utilize them for travel or EDC.

The kit includes:

MICROBAT MICRO CANDY: The Candy Micro is a Velcro-backed 4″x4″ pouch with a 4″x2″ Loop Velcro strip on the front side for identifier patches. The Candy Micro has nearly unlimited uses, Micro’s can fill roles of exterior organization of critical items on Chest Rigs and Plate Carriers, compartmentalization inside backpacks, or supplemental storage on the upper sleeves of combat shirts.

OSS LOCK PICK MICRO SET: 3 Inch tension bar, Short Hook (flat top), Snake (3/7 raker), Camel Back

MOON PHASE CARD: The Faze Card Allows the End User to Quickly Check the Natural Illume for one Calendar Year, Faze Cards are made of a Durable Light Weight Plastic Material, They Measure 3.5″x 3.5″ and fit Inside the Micro Candy Pouch for Storage and Reference.

GTFO WRIST STRAP: Lightweight, fully adjustable, and discreet; these straps are made of an elastic material and a tungsten carbide stryker bead. Designed by 4TAC5, this tool facilitates emergency vehicle egress via side or rear windows in confined spaces.

INFARED ID SQUARE: Infrared ID Squares and Circles Have Long Been Used to ID Friend/Foe on Friendly Kit and Uniforms, Made with Mil-Spec IR Material and Industrial Velcro.

NFC DISC: This small and discreet disk is easily concealed and allows the passage of information between devices by proximity versus sending over networks.

FIELD SCRIBE: Quickly jot down notes, license plates, descriptions, etc.,

UNIVERSAL HANDCUFF KEY: Made from glass-filled nylon this Universal Handcuff Key is undetectable by metal detectors and durable.

MICRO GLOW STICKS: These micro light-sticks are a highly concealable light source.

6FT 100LBS KEVLAR CORD: Black Braided Kevlar Line is made of 100% Dupont Kevlar Fiber, multi-strands weaving process which means high strength, high anti-abrasive and excellent resistance to cut

MICRO COMPASS: This super compact button compass is balanced for the northern hemisphere.

MICRO LIGHT: This small nonblinking light is powered by three replaceable 1.5V LR41 button cells (strong light lasts for 4 – 5 hours)

STORM PROOF MATCHES: Stormproof matches that are easy to light, and will stay lit for up to 15 seconds, even after being submerged in water.

POP KNIFE WITH STRIKE PANEL: Safe, fully retractable blade with 3M Match Striker Sticker on the side.

RFID CARD SLEEVE: This sleeve is equipped with advanced RFID SECURE Technology, a unique metal composite, engineered specifically to block 13.56 MHz or higher RFID signals and protect the valuable information stored on RFID chips from unauthorized scans.

Note: This kit was not designed to thwart Law Enforcement or endanger those protecting our streets daily.

Posted in Advertiser, Guest Post, SERE | 5 Comments »

FirstSpear Friday Focus – OEM Spotlight – Catamount Outdoor Gear

Friday, July 29th, 2022

Gear For Life. No matter where it takes you.

In this weeks Friday Focus, we’re presenting another OEM Spotlight, Catamount Outdoor Gear. Owner, Mark Johnson, reimagines the average bino harness to create an extraordinary, American made product for the outdoor industry and beyond.

The Catamount Outdoor Gear (COG) Bino Harness is purpose built to provide the ultimate level of user comfort and optics protection. Before Mark created Catamount Outdoor Gear, his expectations of bino harness’ were never fully met. Dealing with issues such as loose hanging straps and improper pouch positioning was concerning for him. This sparked his creativity and bred the necessity to design his own system.

Unique COG features include the ability to MOLLE weave onto a pack or mount additional pouches through the laser cut cordura to create a larger kit suited to the individuals needs while hunting, scouting and traveling.

The 4-way stretch bino compartment flap provides notable protection against dirt, dust and debris. This flap can also be manipulated by one hand and is designed to be quiet while spot and stalking, bow hunter etiquette at its finest.

The COG Bino Harness is specifically designed to be as minimalistic as possible out of the box. Whether you’re loaded with pack and gear or drawing your bow on big game, your bino’s will be comfortably secured and out of the way.

The Learn more about Catamount Gear Outdoors, visit www.catamountog.com/home.

Visit FirstSpear to find all the gear and apparel for America’s Warfighter.

Posted in Advertiser, FS Friday Focus, Guest Post | Comments Off on FirstSpear Friday Focus – OEM Spotlight – Catamount Outdoor Gear

Combat Artist Illustrated Marine Raiders

Friday, July 29th, 2022

CAMP LEJEUNE, NC —

It was a hot day at Camp Lejeune while a Marine Special Operations Company conducted a portion of their pre-deployment readiness exercise. In the distance, Marine Raiders conduct a gear check as they prepare for the next segment of their training. In the foreground sat Capt. Charles J. Bauman and to his left, Capt. Michael Reynolds, as both expertly maneuver their choice of drawing tools across their sketch pads, illustrating the story unfolding right before them.

Capt. Charles Baumann, a designated combat artist and logistics officer with Marine Wing Support Squadron 271, and Capt. Michael Reynolds, ammunition officer with Marine Forces Special Operations Command, document a pre-deployment culminating exercise while attached to a Marine Special Operations Company, June 13-16, 2022.

“The purpose of the [Marine Corps Combat Art Program] is to document Marine Corps operations via illustration for historical documentation,” explained Baumann. “I hope to contribute to the collections of work archived in the [National Museum of the Marine Corps] and provide a slightly different perspective to viewing the recorded history of the Marine Corps. I hope that in 10, 20, 50 years my artwork can be used to help tell the story of the Corps while I was in service.”

“The purpose of the Marine Corps Combat Art Program is to document Marine Corps operations via illustration for historical documentation.”

Capt. Charles Baumann, Designated combat artist and logistics officer

Baumann, initially, was not aware of the Marine Corps Combat Art Program. Once he became aware of the program, he reached out to retired Chief Warrant Officer 2 Michael D. Fay who was the last activated reserve combat artist during the early Iraq War years who then introduced him to retired Col. Craig H. Streeter, also a combat artist. Streeter then introduced Baumann to the NMMC’s director, deputy director and art curator, who encouraged him to submit a portfolio of artwork. They deemed Baumann’s artwork skilled enough to bring him into the program and he attained the free military occupational specialty of combat artist.

Combat artist is a free military occupational specialty that can be filled by any Marine regardless of primary MOS in addition to their regular duties. They illustrate military operations on behalf the Marine Corps’ historical collection efforts as their schedule allows and is intended to capture military operations from an organic point of view.

“Once I realized I could combine my passion [and] skill for art and my calling to serve in the USMC, I was immediately inspired to see my military experience as medium to be illustrated,” said Baumann. “My initial body of work that was submitted as a portfolio was praised by people I respected and admired as veteran artists, which had a huge impact on my self-confidence and determination to develop my skill.”

Reynolds is currently applying to join Baumann as a combat artist for the Marine Corps Combat Art Program.

“I can directly attribute my desire to become a combat artist to the influence of Marine Corps Combat Artists like Capt. Baumann and former Staff Sgt. Elize Mcelvey,” said Reynolds. “Just as in marksmanship, if you have the foundational understanding of what is supposed to happen and have the ability to receive and grow from constructive criticism, you can consistently get better with more practical application.”

“Just as in marksmanship, if you have the foundational understanding of what is supposed to happen and have the ability to receive and grow from constructive criticism, you can consistently get better with more practical application.”

Capt. Michael Reynolds, Ammunition officer

Baumann was coached early on by Fay, Streeter and Richard Johnson, a civilian field illustrator, to draw from observation and life-to-life experiences. Once he grasped the concept of illustrating by direct observation, new opportunities came with the confidence to draw what he observed in person. He now keeps a sketch pad and camera on hand for any opportunities that may arise worth illustrating.

“I hope my art is able to connect with the viewer in an emotional and personal way,” expressed Baumann. “I want my civilian audience to gain an appreciation for the details of what it means to serve in the military. I feel like I can provide an insider perspective as both the illustrator and active-duty service member.”

Reynolds shares what he hopes to accomplish with his art.

“When observing artwork by former Marine Corps combat artists like retired Chief Warrant Officer Mike Fay, I’m brought back into the scene I’m looking at,” said Reynolds. “I recall the smell of JP8, the feel of moondust beneath my boots, and the sounds of the rumbling engine of the Humvee in the distance. It’s that level of connection that I am to achieve in hopes that someday, someone can recall and connect with what I’ve illustrated to tell a story using non-verbal communication.”

The NMMC is currently taking applications from artistically talented Marines to serve as combat artists. For more information on the program and how to apply, refer to MARADMIN 267/22.

Sgt Jesula Jeanlouis, Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command

Posted in Guest Post, SOF, USMC | 2 Comments »

Haley Strategic D3 Belt

Thursday, July 28th, 2022

Battle belts have been used by warfighters dating back to the first American Revolutionary War. Throughout time, materials and mission requirements have evolved and so have belt designs. The application of the latest technologies in American made materials and over 240 years of battle belt history have combined to form our D3 BELT. Our hallmark disruptive approach to product design was harnessed into the foundation of this belt sparing no minor details in the fit, form, or function of the D3 BELT.

Any structure is only as strong as its foundation. Influenced by decades of operational use, we began engineering our premier mounting surface on this principle. The D3 BELT delivers optimal synergy between belt rigidity and comfort and closes with the proven Cobra buckle. The best equipment in the world borne on a weak foundation is unacceptable when life and liberty are at stake, the D3 BELT provides a proven foundation to support any mission requirement for the modern warfighter.