FirstSpear TV

Archive for the ‘Guest Post’ Category

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

FirstSpear Friday Focus: FS Hooded Field Shirt V2 – ACM Base 150

Friday, March 21st, 2025

The FirstSpear HOODED FIELD SHIRT v2 – ACM™ BASE 150 is a versatile and rugged garment designed for all-season performance. Made in the USA from American-sourced wool, this shirt offers exceptional durability and comfort. The lightweight 4.3oz ACM Base 150 fabric delivers superior moisture-wicking and antimicrobial properties.

This unique blend provides the natural benefits of wool with enhanced strength and flexibility, making it ideal for demanding conditions. The oversized hood offers added coverage and protection, while the low-profile cuffs with integrated thumb holes ensure a secure fit and keep your sleeves in place.

Designed for adaptability, it functions perfectly as a base layer in cold weather or as a standalone piece during warmer seasons. Its breathable construction helps regulate temperature, keeping you comfortable and dry whether you’re on the range, on the trail, or handling everyday tasks. The antimicrobial properties reduce odor buildup, making it a reliable choice for extended wear. Despite its lightweight feel, the fabric is built to withstand heavy use without sacrificing comfort.

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, Clothing, FS Friday Focus, Guest Post | Comments Off on FirstSpear Friday Focus: FS Hooded Field Shirt V2 – ACM Base 150

Project Convergence Capstone 5 Returns to California; Expands to Indo-Pacific AOR

Friday, March 21st, 2025

FORT IRWIN, Calif. — Project Convergence Capstone 5 (PC-C5), the latest iteration of the U.S. Army’s premier modernization experiment, is set to take place in March and April 2025. This ambitious campaign of learning will bring together Joint and Multinational partners in a series of complex, realistic scenarios designed to push the boundaries of future warfare capabilities.

PC-C5 is organized in two parts:

The first part arrays land forces across the National Training Center at operationally relevant distances. In addition to addressing aspects of the emerging Army Warfighting Concept this phase will assess Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2).

The second part is nested with Global Information Dominance Experiments by using Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control in the Indo-Pacific Theater, across multiple combatant commands; with Joint and Multinational partners.

Building on the successes and lessons from previous experiments, PC-C5 focuses on experimental objectives aligned with the Army Warfighting Concept and the Joint Warfighting Design. This year’s experiment boasts greater participation from Joint and Multinational allies and partners, along with a broader array of cutting-edge technologies and equipment.

A Crucible for Innovation: PC-C5 serves as a critical proving ground for emerging technologies and concepts crucial to enabling a data-centric and networked fighting force. Participants will engage in both live and simulated exercises focused on:

Data-Driven Decision Making: Evaluating the effectiveness of advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence to provide real-time situational awareness for rapid, informed decisions.

Expanded Maneuver: Experimenting with new concepts and technologies that enhance the ability to maneuver and engage adversaries across land, air, sea, space, and cyberspace.

Forging Seamless Joint and Multinational Interoperability: Refining the ability of allied forces to operate together seamlessly across all domains.

A Catalyst for Transformation: PC-C5 is more than just an experiment; it’s a critical component of the continuous transformation within the U.S. Army. The insights from this event will directly inform future readiness and modernization efforts, ensuring that the Joint Force remains at the forefront of military innovation.

By David Miller

Posted in Army, Guest Post | Comments Off on Project Convergence Capstone 5 Returns to California; Expands to Indo-Pacific AOR

Soldiers Experiment with Next-Generation C2 at Project Convergence

Thursday, March 20th, 2025

FORT IRWIN, Calif. (March 11, 2025) – The Army’s Next Generation Command and Control effort is reaching a critical milestone at Project Convergence Capstone 5, where commanders and Soldiers are employing new capabilities in realistic mission scenarios and conditions.

Next Generation Command and Control, known as NGC2, aims to provide the integrated information framework that commanders need to make rapid decisions across warfighting functions, giving them an edge over adversaries. NGC2 will also enable Army tactical units to operate faster and more dispersed by providing lighter, more mobile and survivable network and C2 equipment.

“What we’re trying to do is take these emerging technologies where we can get this data better and faster to execute,” said Lt. Col. Tad Coleman, commander of the 2-37 Armor Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division (1/1 AD). “The technology in Next Generation C2 is the stuff a majority of people are seeing and already doing (in their daily lives). It’s just that now, it’s at the fingertips of the commander.”

After a year of NGC2 technical experimentation in lab and field environments, the Project Convergence Capstone 5 (PCC5) experiment taking place within the operational rigors of the National Training Center is serving as a “proof of principle” for the Army to assess progress with the approach before transitioning to prototyping.

NGC2 is focused at the 3-star headquarters and below to provide a “full stack” of capabilities from applications to edge compute and tactical communications links. At PCC5, the 1/1AD, 82nd Airborne Division, and 18th Airborne Corps are utilizing elements of NGC2 experimental capabilities to execute offensive and defensive operations at speed, scale, and distance, attempting to achieve shared understanding of the battlefield and improve decision-making at all echelons.

Although early in the experiment, Soldiers and leaders at PCC5 said they saw the value of NGC2 in providing faster communications, smaller form factors, more complete data across warfighting functions, and ease of training and use as compared with legacy systems.

“It is really good information that is passed a lot faster,” said Staff Sgt. Paul Johnson, a section sergeant in Alpha Company, 2-37 Armor Battalion.

At PCC5, NGC2 experimental technology – including applications, data infrastructure, software, and hardware such as tablets, end user devices, and mobile communications equipment – has been integrated onto the armor battalion’s tactical vehicles, as well as brigade, division, and corps nodes. However, Army officials emphasized that the equipment at PCC5 is not a final product, and solutions will continue to evolve based on upcoming prototype contract awards and continuous iteration of requirements and user input.

The ability to avoid vendor lock, and flexibility to make quick changes to functionality based on Soldier needs, are key Army priorities in developing the NGC2 approach. Even ahead of PCC5, Army Futures Command made updates based on Soldier feedback received from 1/1 AD at a touchpoint in January.

“We were able to generate more Soldier feedback, and since we’ve been out here (at Project Convergence) we’ve actually seen a lot of that integrated and incorporated,” said Capt. Nathan Kraemer, brigade AS3 (operations officer), 1/1 AD. “It’s very intuitive, the functionality of it. That really opened our eyes, and everyone was excited to use this. Now, we are just seeing how it can contribute, take effect, and change the way we fight.”

Breaking down information siloes and stovepipes across warfighting functions, locations, and echelons for a common understanding of the battlefield has the potential to significantly change operations, users said.

“I fully believe that you cannot win any war without communications,” said Sfc. Victor Norman-Morris, a communications section chief in 2-37 Armor Battalion. “I don’t care if it’s bullets, logistics – if you can’t talk to whoever you’re trying to, to get whatever you need, you’re not going to be able to do it. At every echelon, everybody (must be) able to talk and sync and be on the same page so we can continue moving forward and completing our missions successfully.”

For example, Sfc. Joshua Holland, a platoon sergeant in Alpha Company, 2-37 Armor Battalion, said using NGC2 at PCC5 enabled him to gather more real-time data to “paint a picture” of the battlefield that provided greater situational awareness to his platoon leader.

“She can control everything that she has to control, and I can continue to paint that picture, and the system I’m [using] right now is making it a lot easier to do that in a quicker time,” Holland said. “You can get a visual image of something and simultaneously share that with your counterparts. Even if it’s something simple like sending a message saying, ‘Hey, can you see this?’ and you share it and it’s an immediate response back and forth.”

Project Convergence is the Army’s premier experimentation event that brings operational units and industry teams together in a complex real world operational environment to test ideas, concepts, and promising technology. The lessons and observations captured during PCC5 will directly inform Army decisions to refine requirements documents, prioritize funding, and invest to accelerate promising technologies.

For NGC2, the operational feedback received through PCC5 will inform updates to requirements including the Capability Characteristics of Need (CoN) document, which is consistently updated to reflect the evolving needs of the warfighter and technology progress.

NGC2 is executed in partnership by the Army Futures Command (AFC) and the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology (ASA(ALT)). The AFC product owner and ASA(ALT) program manager will work together to plan and rapidly execute capability drops in concert with the operational force.

By Claire Heininger, U.S. Army Futures Command C2 CFT

Posted in Army, C5ISR, Guest Post | Comments Off on Soldiers Experiment with Next-Generation C2 at Project Convergence

Jacobite Solutions – Back on Track

Wednesday, March 19th, 2025

Following a couple years of sickness and recovery, Jacobite Solutions has moved into a new shop in their home town of Aberdeen, Scotland.

Bigger Space, Bigger Projects-

The new space not only features a better space for JS branded kit, but also a more elaborate display for their TUFF DUGZ brand of heavy-duty dog equipment, as well as more space for their ever growing offering of surplus/pre-owned kit.

But the new premises isn’t just a shop, having more space to work means Jacobite Solutions now has room to work on bigger, more substantial projects.

“I’ve always wanted to push more into the equipment manufacturing side of things, but never really had the space to do so. Now, with the new shop, it not only gives greater shelf space that also lets customers come in and browse, but also space for me to really lay out projects, both product and R&D wise.” -Rob, Director of Jacobite Solutions

S.E.R.E Kit updates-

One of the things JS is best known for (aside from the memes) is its offering of S.E.R.E kit. With the new shop, what plans does JS have for this area this year?

“In terms of S.E.R.E kit, this year will be solely focused on re-visiting the current line-up, seeing where things can be improved or perhaps even designed altogether. The S.E.R.Espace has been really busy the past couple of years, with all the ongoings in Europe and the Middle East. Now the mad rush for kit has settled, I can finally sit down and pick at ideasthat I never got around to before I became ill.”

What else is to come?-

With a new found health and momentum, what else does Jacobite Solutions have in the pipeline?

“This year will certainly busy. Outside of the S.E.R.E kit, our belts have proven popular, especially with local Law Enforcement, so there’ll certainly be more to come in that area. There’s also our brand of heavy-duty dog accessories that’s really starting to mature now, both in terms of the off-the-shelf stuff and the custom work. Of course, we’ll still continue to offer our 3D printing and repairs service, as well as all the other custom work we do and our surplus/pre-owned kit catalogue is also growing more and more, so it’s really a war on all fronts this year that may even involve employing someone and, with the way things are going, potentially a bigger space. Obviously, considering not too long ago I was near death in hospital with an illness that has taken me almost 2 years to return to some kind of normal, it’s been crazy how things have grown and I don’t think I’ll get over just how supportive and understanding both my customers and others in the community have been.”

Jacobite Solutions can now be found on Summerhill Drive, Aberdeen, Scotland. They ship internationally and offer both off-the-shelf and custom work, as well as consultancy services.

jacobitesolutions.com

Posted in Guest Post, Industry, International | Comments Off on Jacobite Solutions – Back on Track

Improving Warfighter Readiness Using Augmented Reality

Tuesday, March 18th, 2025

FORT DETRICK, Md. – The Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs’ Traumatic Brain Injury and Psychological Health Research Program recently awarded a $3.4 million grant to a team of Cleveland Clinic researchers to develop an innovative augmented reality tool for assessing whether Warfighters recovering from concussion are ready to return to duty. The new tool, called Troop Readiness Evaluation with Augmented Reality Return-to-Duty, or Troop READY, promises to provide answers more quickly and reliably than existing methods.

Concussion, also referred to as mild traumatic brain injury or mTBI, is a relatively common injury in the military. According to the DOD Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence, over 80% of the TBI injuries sustained by Service Members between 2000 and 2024 were classified as mTBI. Service Members can experience an mTBI while on deployment, during training, and even when participating in a sport. Most injured Service Members are able to return to duty within two weeks. Military doctors currently follow a six-step protocol called the Progressive Return to Activity for safely returning an injured Service Member to duty, but the PRA has some shortcomings.

“The PRA is not 100% objective,” explains Dr. Dwayne Taliaferro, CDMRP’s TBIPHRP program manager. “While a medical professional guides the Service Member through the protocol, progress is dependent on the Service Member’s self-assessment of the mildness or severity of their symptoms. Troop READY offers an opportunity to provide more objectivity in the PRA protocol.”

Troop READY uses a Microsoft HoloLens 2 augmented reality headset and simulated M4 carbine assault rifle to generate a series of realistic and increasingly intensive scenarios that a patient must complete in order to simultaneously assess their cognitive and physical readiness. The exercises involve marching, shooting while standing and kneeling, and breaching and clearing a room. The patient’s cognitive, motor, and task performance capabilities are then analyzed using specially trained machine learning algorithms to determine the severity of any detected symptoms.

Dr. Jay Alberts, director of Cleveland Clinic’s Concussion Center, is leading the three-year project to further refine Troop READY, which he originally developed and tested under a previous CDMRP grant. In partnership with Microsoft Federal, Alberts and his team will use the new grant to improve the tool’s ability to detect signs of mTBI and to recommend personalized treatment plans for patients that streamline their return to duty.

Under the TBIPHRP grant, Alberts and his team will conduct a usability study with volunteers to refine the simulation modules, which will then be tested on a larger cohort of volunteers to identify baseline performance levels. Those baseline data will be used to train the machine learning algorithms to ensure a high degree of accuracy when assessing a patient’s current condition and guiding their continued treatment.

Taliaferro says that Troop READY offers several potential advantages over existing methods for assessing mTBI recovery in Service Members. For example, doctors use a battery of neurocognitive tests called Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics to assess a Service Member’s readiness to return to duty. The computer-based ANAM assesses changes to a Service Member’s attention, reaction time, memory, and decision-making abilities based on their answers to a series of survey questions. However, as a sit-down multiple-choice test, ANAM lacks the fidelity of an active 3D simulation.

“The Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment Laboratory at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence blends virtual reality with a treadmill, immersive video, surround sound, and even smells,” Taliaferro says. “It is very powerful, but it’s in a fixed location and not very portable. Whereas with Troop READY, you can deploy the goggle set and the mock weapon anywhere quickly.”

In addition to helping Warfighters return to duty, the Troop READY tool has the potential to be adapted for use in other fields where mTBI is a risk, such as professional sports, construction, and law enforcement, says Taliaferro.

Before it can be deployed with the military or other users, Troop READY will need to be assessed by both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the DOD for its safety and readiness for use.

“CDMRP’s role is to accelerate the development of products like Troop READY so that they can be properly evaluated to determine how, when, and where they can be deployed,” explains Taliaferro. “We do not always put things directly in the hands of Warfighters at the end of a study, but we get them as close as we can. That is a great use of taxpayer dollars.”

By Paul Lagasse, USAMRDC Public Affairs Office

Posted in Army, Guest Post, Medical | Comments Off on Improving Warfighter Readiness Using Augmented Reality

Air Force Aims to Instill Warrior Ethos, Increase Lethality

Saturday, March 15th, 2025

WASHINGTON (AFNS) —

The Air Force is making progress toward Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s priorities, which will ultimately result in giving the president more options, said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin, who provided a keynote address, March 3, at the 2025 Air and Space Forces Association’s Warfare Symposium in Aurora, Colorado.

Allvin mentioned those priorities — restoring the warrior ethos, reestablishing deterrence, meritocracy, reforming acquisition, passing an audit, matching threats to capabilities and defending the homeland — and how the Air Force is executing them.

Reviving the warrior ethos means letting every Airman know what it means to fight as a unit, what’s going to be expected of them, and focusing on the threat, he said.

“Your Air Force continues to kick butt. Our Airmen are doing amazing things every day. They make it look just normal,” he said, noting how Airmen, along with allies and partners, controlled the skies over the Middle East and are increasing interoperability with allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region.

Also, every day, Airmen protect the skies over the homeland through exercises and nuclear deterrence, he said.

“We’re a well-used Air Force, and we’ve been used well and used often. Every time we ask them to do more, they continue to do more,” Allvin said.

Ensuring all of the service’s investments increase combat readiness and effectiveness is now the focus, he said.

For example, the Air Force maintains excess infrastructure, approximately 20-30% too much, he said.

“All of that is not adding to combat capability. All of that is infrastructure that needs to be maintained, sustained and doesn’t necessarily provide more combat lethality,” he said.

Greater lethality, he said, has been degraded by a drop in aircraft availability as the fleet ages and needs more maintenance. Also, weapon sustainment costs are growing, and the nuclear triad needs to finish its modernization efforts.

As threats continue to evolve, the Air Force is racing toward adding unmanned fighters to the fleet, training for human-machine integration and using autonomy more effectively, he said. 

When the new Air Force secretary and undersecretary get confirmed, they will examine how effectively the force is executing the defense secretary’s priorities, Allvin said.

“I have a hunch that when they see some of these things we’re doing, we’re going to be told to go faster,” he added.

Lastly, he pointed out that “Americans keep signing up, saying they want to join the team. And the team that is the United States Air Force continues to be the best in the world. They show up every day. They do what they’re asked. They do it with excellence. They do it in a way that makes us all proud.”

The Air Force is ahead of its annual recruiting goal, with more recruits currently in the delayed entry program than at any point in nearly 10 years.

By David Vergun, DoD News

Photos by Master Sgt John Hillier, Airman 1st Class Koby Mitchell, and Airman Elijah Van Zandt

Posted in Air Force, Guest Post, Profession of Arms | Comments Off on Air Force Aims to Instill Warrior Ethos, Increase Lethality

Army Introduces Industry to Squad as a System Concept

Friday, March 14th, 2025

ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA – During the Industry Stakeholder Engagement Forum here last week, the U.S. Army Chief of Infantry encouraged more than 400 representatives from across the military industrial enterprise to reconsider how they conceptualize the end user as they develop capabilities for front-line Soldiers.

Brig. Gen. Phil Kiniery, Chief of Infantry, Commandant of the U.S. Army Infantry School and the director of the Soldier Lethality Cross Functional Team at Fort Benning, Georgia, introduced the concept of Squad as a System, the Army’s new systematic and holistic approach to enabling and enhancing close combat squads.

“My goal this morning is to convey to you just how much we need you, what we need from you, and that the need is urgent,” said Kiniery, who spoke March 4 to an audience of representatives from traditional and non-traditional industries.

Decades of “kitting and equipping” Soldiers piecemeal and through various traditional “stovepipes” has resulted in redundancies, excessive weight, and cognitive overload, Kiniery said.

“Squad as a System is the way forward, a new approach,” he said. “It is a formation-based approach, because we fight formations.”

His message to those interested in partnering with the Army to facilitate Squad as a System: We need to rapidly deliver reliable technology and reduce redundancies.

“Going forward, we must focus on a common architecture to optimize the performance of the squad, not just the individual,” he said. “How can we effectively maximize combat power with packaged capabilities that are better designed, developed, and integrated to provide stable and predictable modernization?”

How do we reduce redundancy and increase combat power?

How do we reduce weight and increase combat power?

How do we reduce cognitive load and increase combat power?

How do we improve efficiency and increase combat power?

Currently, Kiniery said, the individual Soldier carries or wears more than 80 items with redundant power sources and cables. The goal is to reduce the fighting load to no more than 30 percent of the Soldier’s body weight, or about 55 pounds.

“Excessive load will degrade the Soldier’s cognitive and physical performance if we don’t do something about it,” he said.

Presently, as each capability is developed individually, the process lacks an integration architecture, and there’s no synchronizing function for information flow in and out of the squad.

“I believe the application of Squad as a System is going to change all that,” said Kiniery, who invited his audience to “join us as we seek solutions to redundancies, weight, tactical power burden, cognitive overload, and lifecycle costs.”

To do that, he said, industry leaders will make sure individual items – wearable, non-wearable and weapons – are compatible and synergistic.

“Through Squad as a System, we will establish a sustainable, adaptable architecture with validated metrics and structural standards. This will facilitate an expectation, a standard, of what the future force will look like.”

By Bridgett Siter

Posted in Army, Guest Post | 4 Comments »

36th AS Flexes Agility, Conducts Airdrop Operations Under Limited Visibility

Thursday, March 13th, 2025

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan (AFNS) —

As the sun set over the Yokota Air Base flightline, four C-130J Super Hercules assigned to the 36th Airlift Squadron revved engines in preparation for a routine, yet convincing, demonstration of world-class agility, Feb. 6.

This night time sortie – also known as a night tac – would take aircrews over the Mount Fuji drop zone for the swift and synchronized delivery of container delivery system bundles and heavy equipment.

“This particular one was a multi-element formation lead flight,” said Capt. Zachary Norton, 36th Airlift Squadron C-130J pilot. “We also trained on airdrops, so we did visual low-levels over the Mount Fuji drop zone with heavy equipment and CDS bundles.”

Night tacs present unique challenges and provide pilots and loadmasters an opportunity to implement tactics and techniques under limited visibility. These missions rely on critical tools such as aircraft station-keeping equipment, avionics systems used to maintain formation flight in low-visibility or night operations. Aircrew also utilized night vision goggles during the flight.

“NVGs bring a whole different challenge because you lose depth perception when using them.” said Senior Airman Blake Janssen, 36th AS loadmaster. “We do this because in the event we have to conduct night operations, we’re just as proficient as we are at day operations.”

Such exercises are part of the squadron’s unwavering commitment to meet the demands of region-wide airlift support. Their rigorous training schedule includes drumbeat, scenario-based events, and exercise injections to ensure that pilots and loadmasters meet their training objectives and maintain peak proficiency.

“We aim for at least one student on all of our training flights so they can meet all of their requirements,” Janssen said.

The 36th Airlift Squadron champions synchronized logistics by continuously refining their capabilities, ensuring they remain capable of delivering rapid and precise airlift support across the Indo-Pacific.

By SSgt Spencer Tobler, 374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

Posted in Air Force, For the Ladies, Guest Post | Comments Off on 36th AS Flexes Agility, Conducts Airdrop Operations Under Limited Visibility

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »