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FirstSpear Friday Focus – Field Flannel

Friday, December 1st, 2023

The All New Field Flannel is an update to our popular Stratton Flannel design. The Field Flannel is not as oversized as our popular Stratton flannel, accounting for 3% shrinkage we recommend getting the true to your size T shirt for a proper fit. The Field Flannel Yoke utilizes ambush material that’s found in our Wind Cheaters, for increased durability and style.

The Field Flannel is made from 100% cotton and comes in a heavier 9oz weight. The front features two oversized chest pockets with flap closures that lay flat. Throughout this iconic shirt, you will find smooth metal buttons that will stand up to the test of time. The Field Flannel is machine washable. Made in the USA with imported cotton.

Visit FirstSpear to find American Made kit and accessories, Built For The X.

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Looking Back, Program Manager Soldier Lethality Change of Charter

Friday, December 1st, 2023

Lindner Conference Center –

Project Manager Soldier Lethality held a change of charter ceremony, followed by a retirement ceremony, at Lindner Conference Center on Picatinny Arsenal, August 4.

Brig. Gen. Christopher Schneider officiated the exchange of responsibility of PM SL from the outgoing Program Manager Col. Scott Madore to Col. Jason Bohannon.

“There are three things I think are the secret sauce to being a great Program Manager,” said Schneider. “You have to lead fearlessly and with compassion. You have to have experience. The last thing I call stakeholder management, but it’s actually being a good teammate. Scott does all these things frankly better than most people I know.”

PM SL performs a pivotal role in equipping Soldiers with unparalleled proficiency in both individual and crew-served weaponry. By overseeing the development, production, deployment, and sustainment of contemporary and future weapon systems, along with target acquisition and fire control products, PM SL ensures a continual evolution. As a result, Soldiers are outfitted with advanced systems that significantly elevate their survivability and lethality, reinforcing their effectiveness in the field.

“I feel extremely honored to have been selected to come to Picatinny to be a part of PEO Soldier and to be part of the PM Soldier Lethality Team,” said Madore, giving his final remarks after handing the leadership reigns over to his counterpart. “I cannot imagine a greater group of teammates to finish my career working alongside.”

As the PM SL organization sends off Col. Madore and his family, a warm welcome is given to the leadership skills and technical expertise of Col. Bohannon. The newest member of the PM SL team here at Picatinny Arsenal is no stranger to this organization.

“My family first came here in 2012,” said Bohannon. “I’d like to thank everybody who contributed to putting me here today. This has been the homecoming for the Bohannon tribe…”

“So, when I talk to the Officers, men, and women of PM Soldier Lethality – you have the most consequential task of our generation for small arms development. We will field the most lethal small arms that ground forces have ever seen, those systems must be the most reliable tool a Soldier, Marine or operator can depend on are in a firefight, a tool that [they] can trust.”

This was not only a change of charter ceremony, but also an opportunity for Madore to celebrate his retirement ceremony. Madore served with honor in the military for 31 years. The entire organization wishes him and his family good luck and best wishes as they move toward future endeavors.

Be all you can be, Scott. Thank you for your service to the country and for everything you’ve done in your 31-year career.

Story by Luke Graziani, US Army

Photo by Jesse Glass

Posted in Army, Guest Post, PEO-Soldier | Comments Off on Looking Back, Program Manager Soldier Lethality Change of Charter

Homeland Security States LBT Commited Fraud – Agrees to Pay $2.1 Million for Violation of Buy American Act, Trade Agreements Act, and Berry Amendment

Thursday, November 30th, 2023

HSI Norfolk Investigation into Virginia Tactical Equipment Company Uncovers Fraud, Yields More Than $2 Million in Violations of the Buy American Act

An HSI Norfolk investigation revealed that the Virginia-based tactical equipment company London Bridge Trading Company sold foreign-made goods marked as “Made in the USA.” Its customers included the U.S. government, which purchased the equipment for uniformed service members through the DLA.

NORFOLK, Va. — An investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Norfolk, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s Mid-Atlantic field office, the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division’s Major Procurement Fraud field office, the General Services Administration’s Office of Inspector General (GSA-OIG); and Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) into a Virginia tactical gear and equipment company resulted in a settlement worth more than $2 million.

The London Bridge Trading Company, Ltd. (LBT) of Virginia Beach agreed to pay nearly $2.1 million Nov. 20 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio to resolve False Claims Act allegations that it failed to comply with the requirements of the Buy American Act, Trade Agreements Act and Berry Amendment when selling textile-based products to the Department of Defense. The company entered the settlement with the United States and qui tam relator Ann Keating.

“The London Bridge Trading Company deliberately deceived their customers and the U.S. government into believing they were buying American made products, while selling them cheaper foreign merchandise,” said HSI Washington, D.C. Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon. “Furthermore, LBT potentially put the lives of our military personnel at risk by selling our government inferior protective equipment produced overseas. HSI Washington, D.C. will continue to work with our partner law enforcement agencies to ensure anyone attempting to defraud our government will be held fully accountable for their actions.”

The investigation detailed that since at least 2008, LBT submitted false claims in connection with the sale of “American made” products that were actually manufactured in foreign countries, including Peru, Mexico and China. The company marketed its goods as “100% made in America” and replaced the original foreign manufacturers’ tags with tags that read “Made in USA.”

LBT also offered its products for sale to all federal agencies on a government-owned website, “GSA Advantage!”, which permits government agencies throughout the United States to purchase products from contracted vendors.

The United States, including through the Defense Logistics Agency’s supply center in Columbus, Ohio, purchased a variety of textile-based products from LBT, including clothing, armor, boots, belts, bags, rope, slings, backpacks and medical pouches. The settlement specifically addressed load-out bags purchased from LBT that violated the Trade Agreements Act and the Berry Amendment.

“We greatly appreciate the steadfast, thorough and collaborative work on this case by each of the federal agencies involved,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “This office takes very seriously the duty of government contractors to meet all of their obligations under government contracts and we will pursue anyone falsely certifying compliance with the Buy American Act.”

The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought by an employee of LBT under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. These provisions allow a private party, known as a relator, to file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, the relator receives a share of the proceeds.

The relator in this case had a personal interest in the safety and security of the United States military. In 2004, her son was killed while serving in Iraq. The relator believes the scheme was a threat to the safety and integrity of U.S. military operations.

“We are very pleased with this resolution. This is a testament to the aggressive investigation we conducted, and now the public can see this.” said Andrew Johnson, special agent in charge of the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division’s Major Procurement Fraud field office. “Companies that do business with the government must comply with all of their obligations, and if they seek to circumvent the rules and regulations of what and how they supply our women and men in uniform, they must be held accountable for their actions.”

The Buy American Act was enacted in 1933 to protect U.S. manufacturing by creating a preference for domestic products when the federal government purchases supplies. The Berry Amendment requires certain items purchased by the Department of Defense to be 100% domestic in origin and mandates a higher level of domestic content than the Buy American Act. The Trade Agreements Act governs trade agreements between the United States and foreign countries and limits certain U.S. government procurement to U.S.-made products or products made in designated countries.

“GSA-OIG will continue to work with its investigative partners and the Department of Justice to protect the integrity of GSA’s Multiple Award Schedule program and hold accountable those who attempt to defraud the government,” said Special Agent in Charge Elisa Pellegrini with the General Services Administration’s Office of Inspector General.

This investigation was conducted with significant assistance from U.S. attorneys’ offices in the Southern District of Ohio and Eastern District of Virginia.

HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel and finance move. HSI’s workforce of more than 8,700 employees consists of more than 6,000 special agents assigned to 237 cities throughout the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’ largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.

Source – https://www.ice.gov/news//hsi-norfolk-investigation-virginia-tactical-equipment-company-uncovers-fraud-yields

Editor’s note: Although LBT has been a long-term advertiser on Soldier Systems Daily we were unaware of this activity and are particularly displeased that LBT did not disclose this issue from us, even as it was playing out in court. These aren’t mere allegations but rather, an admission of fact.

Hopefully, they will quickly institute measures to ensure that this sort of behavior is impossible in the future and make full restitution.

Update

I would like to provide an update. I have spoken with LBT about the situation and some issues have been clarified. I have asked them for a formal statement which I will share as soon as I receive it. The $2.1 million settlement with the US Attorney is over the sale of non-Berry compliant load out bags from 2014-2016 and nothing more, despite the content of this press release I shared from ICE. It is the conclusion of a situation which began in 2017 which was covered here:

https://ssdaily.tempurl.host/2017/04/27/lbt-inc-issues-statement-regarding-federal-investigation/

LBT responds at soldiersystems.net/2023/11/30/statement-form-lbt-inc-regarding-2-1-million-settlement-with-u-s-district-court-for-the-southern-district-of-ohio

Posted in Guest Post, Industry | 21 Comments »

TAK Stak from VK Integrated Systems

Thursday, November 30th, 2023

TAK Stack is the one stop shop for all things TAK related! Our application has multiple free features and resources to let users download the full CIV TAK api, the most updated Map Imagery, the latest versions of the most popular plugins, and how-to user guides. Along with the ability to subscribe to your own encrypted private server and access to the Mission After-Action Review System (M.A.R.S.)

No longer will users have to source all the additional add-ons from across the web to get the maximum use of ATAK, everything is conveniently located in one location!

Download TAK Stack from the Playstore.

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MRF-SEA Sensing Team Advances Sensing EAB Concepts During Exercise SAMA SAMA 23

Thursday, November 30th, 2023

SORSOGON/LEGASPI, PHILIPPINES —

A Maritime Sensing Team with Marine Rotational Force-Southeast Asia completed a Maritime Domain Awareness training exercise at Lebanon Beach from October 9 to 12, 2023.

MDA refers to understanding anything associated with oceans, seas, and other navigable waters that could impact a nation’s security, safety, economy, or environment. The MRF-SEA MST, comprised of infantrymen, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems engineers, communications, and intelligence Marines, establish remote sensing sites to provide situational awareness, threat detection, and prevention and to enable decision-making within an area of operations. These expeditionary sensing sites play a pivotal role in enhancing the maritime domain awareness picture and the overall lethality of joint forces.

During the training exercise, the MST and 1st Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company’s Detachment Team 2 tested novel systems, software, and equipment that sharpened the cutting edge of what these mobile sensing units are capable of.

Throughout the exercise, communication Marines focused on establishing network and data services; the sensor operators set up a SIMRAD radar, a commercially available off-the-shelf radar, and hoisted it 30 feet into the sky. The SIMRAD radar is the primary sensor employed by the MST. Its small scale and portable size allow the team to maintain a minimal signature and footprint while still providing surveillance of the maritime domain.

“Maritime awareness and the Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations concept are tied hand-in-hand,”

-Capt. Philip Badrov, ADET Team Lead

“Employing the SIMRAD enables us to detect ship movement within straits and littorals,” said Capt. Philip Badrov, ADET Team Lead. “Using the data collected, we report suspected targets to higher echelons, contributing to the overall maritime awareness picture.”

Complementing the SIMRAD’s detection capabilities is the RQ-20B PUMA, a small, unmanned aircraft system equipped with a camera that provides essential visual data needed to identify suspected targets.

“[The PUMA] is a versatile collection tool that can be employed on-site,” said Sgt. Abigail Andrews, MST chief. “It’s hand-launchable with capabilities including a gimbaled camera capable of capturing full-motion video and photos.”

The MST combines these two types of sensors, the SIMRAD and the RQ-20B PUMA, to build a holistic view of the maritime domain.

The training culminated with a simulated close-air support scenario that validated the integrated capabilities of the SIMRAD and PUMA. Using the data from the SIMRAD to detect a target and the PUMA to identify it, Joint Terminal Attack Controllers from 1st ANGLICO could then coordinate close-air support attacks from a Hawker Hunter onto the simulated target. Moreover, the MST provided critical radar data directly to the U.S. 7th Fleet Maritime Operations Center, successfully demonstrating joint capabilities.

“Maritime awareness and the Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations concept are tied hand-in-hand,” Badrov added. “EAB with small teams and sensors en masse, we can eliminate gaps in radar coverage and further contribute to the awareness.”

MRF-SEA, an operational model under Marine Corps Forces Pacific, fosters planned exchanges with subject matter experts, promotes security goals with Allies and Partners, and strategically positions I Marine Expeditionary Force west of the International Date Line, solidifying its commitment to regional security and stability.

By Gunnery Sergeant Alexandria Blanche and 1st Lt. Charles T. Kimbrough | I Marine Expeditionary Force

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Green Berets Complete Dive Requalification

Wednesday, November 29th, 2023

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — In the uncertainty of the Pacific Ocean, combat divers assigned to 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) successfully completed their annual dive requalification exercise on Oct. 10 – 27, 2023.

With overcast skies, fast winds and cold waters, the combat diving teams planned and executed multiple maritime operations, enhancing their effectiveness in various tactics and procedures.

“We want to familiarize our divers [old and new] with different team tactics and procedures as well as exposing the team in a progression and operational glide path,” said a team captain. “We test ourselves in more advanced and punishing conditions such as intense surf, cold water, low visibility and an overall more demanding environment.”

During the 17-day training period, the two combat diving teams initiated their preparation by acquainting themselves with the Zodiac, a boat used within special operations, and diving equipment. This familiarization helps combat divers develop confidence and comfort with their equipment.

The teams then carried out a series of exercises focused on extensive swimming, beach landing techniques, infiltration, extraction, navigation at depths reaching up to 120 feet beneath the water’s surface and long-distance navigation. Some of these operations were conducted in daylight and under the cover of night.

By being proficient in these skills, combat divers can use their abilities as a method of infiltration to access target points in real life operations.

“For us [combat divers], diving is an ability and a skill to apply on unconventional warfare settings, which is our expertise as Green Berets,” said one of the team sergeants. “It makes Green Berets calmer and more lethal underwater and even more in any real-world situations.”

The divers also had the opportunity to work alongside the U.S. Navy, performing long range movement. This tactic is used to infiltrate target points within the intercoastal or coastal waters.

The teams also took advantage of practicing with a landing craft air cushion, or LCAC. The LCAC is a type of hovercraft used to carry out smaller boats for longer distances in more demanding conditions to complete this exercise.

“We are always looking to do joint exercises with other U.S. military branches and even with partner allies,” said a team captain. “Today, we had the opportunity to work with the U.S. Navy in this operation and it was a success.”

Lt. Col. Matthew Mesko, 2nd Battalion, 10th SFG (A) commander, emphasized the importance of mastering different operation domains as the special operations command finds new ways of mitigating operational strategic threats in the maritime domain.

Green Berets defy the belief that they excel only on land; they excel in maritime environments too, proving their expertise in any conditions.

“Our teams here are practicing their mastery in waterborne infiltration methods, improving their lethality across all kinds of domains,” said Mesko. “10th SFG (A) has a proud track record of presenting the best maritime dive capabilities. These gentlemen right here work hard to foster and cultivate that reputation within the country and with our allies.”

An old saying tells that water is unforgiving, however, these elite warriors operate silently and unseen in both, the shadowy depths of the water, and the unpredictable demanding surface. They represent a unique and highly specialized branch of the U.S. Army and the Special Forces Operations Command.

Photos and Story by SGT Luis Solorio

Photos by SSG Isaih Vega

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Unmanned Aerial Systems, Emerging Technology Showcased at Annual Maneuver and Fires Experiment

Monday, November 27th, 2023

By SGT Luis Santiago, 24th Theater Public Affairs Support Element

FORT SILL, Okla.– Nearly 30 government organizations and industry partners from across the defense enterprise gathered to identify, integrate, and leverage new tactical capabilities using cutting-edge technologies during the annual Maneuver and Fires Integrated Experiment, simply known as MFIX, from Oct. 23 to Nov. 3, 2023.

Established in 2014, MFIX is the primary live experiment spearheaded by the Fires Battle Lab, under the Fires Capabilities Development and Integration Directorate or Fires CDID based at Fort Sill, Okla. MFIX is part of a series of experimental events as part of the U.S. Army’s overarching effort to remain at the forefront of technological innovation and warfighting ability for the Army of 2030 and beyond to maintain superiority over any potential adversary.

The two-week event brought Department of Defense partners and defense industry leaders from across the U.S. to experiment on various programs of record with emerging technology to seek possible solutions in today’s operating and complex environment.

Soldiers from across different Army organizations, to include the famed 1st Armored Division, took part in this year’s MFIX to provide industry partners with the Soldier’s perspective.

As part of MFIX, Soldiers directly handle and experiment with new and improved technologies and give direct feedback to industry, government partners to gather key insight and reduce the time it takes to get technology into the field and in Soldiers’ hands to operate in the field.

“Every technology gets an assessment based on Soldiers’ touch points, and we have our report, which is an analysis and observation, based on the collected data points,” said Robert Muniz, a Fires Battle Lab targeting expert. “The industry partners will come in, and they have new technology that gets assessed for a year and the end state of all of this is to reduce the time it takes to get technology into the field and in Soldiers hands.”

As the primary orchestrator of the event, the Fires Battle Lab aims to foster innovation and facilitate the rapid integration of promising technologies into the Army’s capabilities.

“This year’s MFIX featured several new technologies, including unmanned aircraft systems, advanced fire control systems, laser technology, and a defeat system against intelligent UAS detection,” Muniz added.

In previous years, the participants were immersed in a simulated combat environment, allowing for the real-time analysis and assessment of various technologies and strategies. However, this iteration of MFIX was used as an observational period as the Army runs a series of exercises designed to coordinate data collection, communication, and decision-making leading up to U.S. Army Futures Command’s centerpiece event ‘Project Convergence-Capstone 24 (PC-4)’ being held in early 2024.

“This year is a little bit different,” said Muniz. “The Soldiers we have this year have been used more as data collectors and observers on the system,” Muniz continues. “In previous years, Soldiers got new equipment training, they got an understanding of the capability of each technology or what each system can do, and they used it at MFIX.”

Project Convergence is rebranding as a culmination of several exercises across the force as the event shifts from tactical level to theater level operations with full divisions and a focus on global military integration for command and control. The testing conducted at MFIX is just one small part of a concerted effort to incorporate knowledge gained from training ventures as part of the PC-4.

Army Col. Osvaldo Ortiz, chief of the Army G-3/5/7’s mission command division, told reporters during a June 2023 media interview that “all those exercises are going to inform what the Army Futures Command is going to get after at PC-4 capstone.”

As the U.S. Army continues to train for potential near-peer conflicts, exercises like MFIX allow industry and government partners to offer state-of-the-art solutions as the Army changes the way it organizes, equips, and fights.

” The goal of MFIX is for [Soldiers] to get an understanding of what these new technologies can do, and they’ll have an understanding of what it will be able to do in the future,” said Muniz.

Posted in Army, Guest Post, UAS | Comments Off on Unmanned Aerial Systems, Emerging Technology Showcased at Annual Maneuver and Fires Experiment

Female Vietnam Vet, Journalist, Reflects on Battlefield Experience

Sunday, November 26th, 2023

By Shannon Collins, Army News Service

WASHINGTON – Growing up in a newspaper and military family, Karen King-Johnson wanted to serve her country.

In 1965, as the Vietnam War escalated, she attended Officer Candidate School and commissioned into the Army as a public affairs officer.

She said she was inspired to join the Army by her father, a World War II infantry officer who fought with Gen. George Patton’s 3rd Army before being killed by a mortar blast Nov. 11, 1944.

While in Vietnam, King-Johnson served as the command information officer for the U.S. Army Vietnam in Long Binh and circulation manager for the Stars and Stripes newspaper, publishing 100,000 copies each day. She led a team of 43 enlisted photographers and combat correspondents.

She led a team that distributed the publication in five shops in Vietnam. King-Johnson and her staff also produced another publication, “The Army Reporter.” If a pallet didn’t get delivered, she and her team personally delivered it via a helicopter.

“We were in the field every day, taking pictures and riding with the units,” she said. “Two of my guys are on the Vietnam Wall [Memorial].”

King-Johnson and her staff often embedded with U.S. troops in the field and worked with civilian media. They escorted dozens of media, including legendary American reporter Walter Cronkite.

“We flew almost everywhere we went, and I had a jeep with a [.50-caliber] machine gun,” she said. “There were 754 correspondents in Vietnam. Our job was to escort them safely in and out. We were out in the field, delivering papers. If troops were moving, we were moving.”

They also dealt with logistical challenges in the field. King-Johnson and her staff wore 75-pound wet cell pack radios on their backs that weighed 75 pounds to sustain battery life.

“The radio had to have a 10-foot antenna on it,” she said. “I had a clip on the back of my helmet so it wouldn’t hit me in the head. The young guys would climb the trees and get the antennas up higher so we could communicate with the Air Force. We didn’t want [enemy forces] dropping bombs on us.”

She said they had to “shoot, scoot and communicate.”

“Our job was to make sure everybody back home knew what the guys were doing over there and tell their stories, to make sure no one was forgotten,” she said.

She served in Vietnam with back-to-back tours from 1970 to 1972.

“The VC [Viet Cong] would try to come over the wires at night. They’d turn our ammo around against us, the mortars we had on the outer fence. If we ran out, then they blow back on us. We had to get smart about that,” she said. “They attacked at night.”

Her cousin was a medical evacuation helicopter pilot who flew night and day. He was shot down in 1968. The POW/MIA team is still looking for his remains.

From medical evacuation pilots to nurses to infantrymen, everyone loved the newspapers. If people didn’t get the paper, she heard about it from the three-star general down.

“Everybody loved us,” she said. “We were their favorite thing. They liked us better than food trucks with hot meals. We always gave them extra film. We were using 35-milimeter. My guys would take pictures, and they’d send the extra photos home to their parents. They thought we were great.”

When she returned from Vietnam, she served at Army Recruiting Command and then at Army Training and Doctrine Command, writing field manuals like her father. While there, she met her husband, who served in the Air Force as a Titan II missile commander but retired from the Army and became a federal judge.

King-Johnson, who retired as a major, said she highly recommends serving in the military to the next generation. She said the military provides unique professional training experiences.

“Name a commercial pilot that didn’t get their training in the military,” she said. “You can get so much on-the-job training for free. There are so many different career fields. They’re doing sub training; you’re not going to do that anywhere else in the world. I’m amazed that the American people don’t know what their military does. The military is decades ahead in planning. They knew they were going into the Middle East back when I was in Vietnam.”

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