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Defender Flag Field Exercise Tests, Validates Ground Defense Operations

Wednesday, November 8th, 2023

FORT BLISS, Texas (AFNS) —

U.S. Air Force Defenders tested and validated the career field’s operations for base defense in the New Mexico desert Oct. 23-27 during the inaugural Defender Flag field exercise.

More than 180 Defenders from every major command participated in the event, thanks to help from support agencies, Headquarters Air Force, the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center and the Air Force Security Forces Center.

The live-fire exercise provided realistic assessment and validation of base defense tactics, techniques and procedures during intense, realistic scenarios, said Lt. Col. Christopher Jackson, chief of the AFSFC’s Security Forces Training Support Division and event lead for both Defender Flag and Defender Challenge. It also tested and evaluated new concepts, TTPs and equipment, identifying potential gaps and needed changes to career field training curriculum.

The field exercise was conducted simultaneously with Defender Challenge, the security forces competition to determine the best-of-the-best in combat tactics, weapons proficiency and physical endurance. Both events, hosted by the Air Force Security Forces career field, were planned and executed by the AFSFC.

The team members who helped put together Defender Flag had a tremendous amount of pressure on their shoulders, Jackson said.

“The countless members of the team who helped put together Defender Flag knew how important the event would be to help us get ready for the next fight,” the lieutenant colonel said. “They knew the mission planning was absolutely critical and even more important was collecting data we can use for TTPs to inform training and equipment we’ll need for the future fight.”

“The fight of yesterday looks different than what is needed for the fight of tomorrow,” said Brig. Gen. Thomas Sherman, Air Force director of security forces. “Strategic competition is our primary national security challenge and events like Defender Flag and Defender Challenge are paramount to our career field’s success.”

The security forces career field is in an evolutionary period, he added, so holding Defender Flag at this time was important.

“This exercise is helping the career field assess Defender skillsets in challenging environments and testing innovative tactics to solve difficult problems,” Sherman said, with lessons applied across the force.

“We realize that the threats we’re seeing in strategic competition and the way the world is around us calls for a change. It calls for us to relook at ourselves and who we are, how we look at base defense and how we see ourselves as being the greatest contribution to the U.S. Air Force. What Defenders did during both events displayed our potential,” Sherman said. “We’re setting the course for the future … identifying what we are incredible at, the areas where we have gaps and how we need to sharpen our sword to be prepared for what lies ahead.”

Much has changed with security forces operations and training since 2015, said Chief Master Sgt. Donnie Gallagher, security forces career field manager, and “Defender Flag is arguably the most important thing going on right now in Defender Nation.

“We’re getting after things from a different mindset, trying to really see where we’re at,” the chief said. “Are we as good as we think we are, or do we have a lot of work to do? What we did last week will lay the foundation for things to come on how we evolve as a career field to get after the base defense mission, which has become our primary purpose.”

For the chief, Defender Flag was an eye-opening experience.

“It really pointed out some things we need to get after, maybe in our training environment at home station versus what we do at some of our readiness training venues,” he said. “It validated the importance of physical fitness. The sheer weight of our weapons, armor and heavy equipment points to the importance of being at the peak point of fitness. Therefore, we are looking at different physical training program options to reinforce this fact.”

For tactics and other aspects of security forces operations, “we need to get out the honing stone and sharpen the sword … but we’re looking pretty good,” Gallagher said.

Both Defender Flag and Defender Challenge are helping to make sure Defenders are trained and ready for the future fight.

They validated everything the Air Force did after the former Defender Next-32 Initiative, which directed a more challenging and realistic training curriculum for Defenders, the chief explained.

“The strategy General Sherman is forming today will reshape what we’re getting after and how we support air power throughout the world,” Gallagher said. “We’re more than any law enforcement agency. Our biggest mission is getting after our peer-peer, near-peer global competitors. Change is coming.”

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

Photos by Airman 1st Class Isaiah Pedrazzini

Posted in Air Force, Forces Focus, Guest Post | 1 Comment »

Human-Factors Engineering Modernizes Army Aviation Platforms

Tuesday, November 7th, 2023

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. — If a technology isn’t intuitive, chances are, it won’t be used.

True in everyday life and especially true in aviation when creating technology to support Army aviators. Partnering with Program Executive Office – Aviation’s project offices, the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center conducts government-executed Crew Station Working Groups to assess the avionics requirements through human-factors engineering, utilizing early Soldier evaluations.

The key mission of the DEVCOM AvMC Aviation Crew Stations Branch is conducting CSWGs comprising Army and industry partner stakeholders, all with a vested interest in ensuring that Army aviators have the best solution at their fingertips.

“We support the end user,” said Jena Salvetti, lead human factors engineer for the Crew Stations branch. “We evaluate prototype interfaces, with users-in-the-loop, while addressing human factors principles, aviation mission tasks, and sub-system conventions to ensure that final designs are intuitive. The CSWG process was designed to ensure aviators have a say in their interfaces rather than pushing an interface to the field and saying, ‘You’ll figure it out.’ One of the things we hear from the field is that systems are not being used because they’re too hard to use. The CSWG was created to mitigate this issue.”

For more than 25 years, AvMC has partnered with the Utility and Cargo Helicopter Project Offices leading the working group activities. With the demonstrated success of more than 115 CSWG activities across 13 project offices and seven airframes, the Apache Helicopter Project Office joined the partnership with the fielding of the AH-64E.

One of the ways that the Aviation Crew Stations Branch ensures that they are designing with the user — or pilot — in mind is utilizing former Army pilots to lead the process. They have seven.

“This is a really unique branch in the number of users we have in the group,” said Kevin Bieri, aerospace engineer. The Aviation Crew Stations Branch, totaling 10 civilians with contracting support, is divided into three teams: platform leads, human factors and engineering.

“There’s a lot of experience in the room,” Ross Lewallen, AH-64E Crew Station Working Group lead, said.

Of course, anyone familiar with Army aviation knows that pilots won’t hold back when it comes to talking shop — or how to make the aircraft better.

“You have two pilots in a room and get three opinions,” Bieri said with a laugh.

The team agreed the reason why the CSWG works so well is due to the rapid prototyping that takes place during those Soldier evaluations. When the pilots give their evaluation, often the engineers will immediately make the adjustments to the technology. In the world of engineering, to have that instant impact is immensely rewarding, they said.

The challenge is that sometimes they work too fast, Lewallen said, evaluating technology for the CSWG that is not yet mature. It’s a unique challenge but one that they accept, to continue to bring the best capabilities to the Soldiers.

“We are three to five years ahead of the product line,” said Lewallen. “Which is good because some of the things that we’re working on, we’re given a blank slate. They ask, ‘How do you think this will work?’ And that’s when we use the experience we have in the lab — former pilots, engineers, aerospace guys, all of our talents — to come up with something. Then we fly and make some modifications to it to fit with the users want. We know a long time ahead of the airframe what it’s going to look like. I think that is that is a unique part of our job. I love it. It’s one of my favorite parts — getting out ahead of the conception line.”

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

Posted in Army, Aviation, Guest Post | Comments Off on Human-Factors Engineering Modernizes Army Aviation Platforms

Army Researchers Receive Patent for Pocket-Sized Chemical and Biological Assessment Kit

Monday, November 6th, 2023

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. — Army researchers have developed an innovative design for immediate on-the-ground chemical and biological assessment, giving traditional everyday laboratory equipment a new purpose for Soldiers in the field.

The invention, known as the pocket detection pouch, or PDP, was granted a patent on July 26, 2023, for its unique design that enables a one-way flow of a chemical or biological liquid sample that can be assessed and preserved in a lightweight, pocket-sized pouch.

The invention itself was deliberately designed to be “low-tech,” with the purpose to provide simple, immediate, and easily readable test results in the field while reducing the size, weight, and burden that traditional detection equipment imposes on the warfighter.

The idea for the PDP began at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center and was brought forward through the collaboration of two researchers at the organization — Ms. Kelley Betts and Dr. Jennifer Sekowski.

Betts, a research scientist and an Army wife, understood that every ounce carried by a Soldier during deployments matters, and wondered if there was a way to combine both a chemical and biological detection capability into a single, easy-to-use platform using something readily accessible — like an inexpensive plastic bag.

She decided to use her knowledge and expertise to develop a customizable chemical and biological assessment tool that was small, lightweight and could fit easily in the pocket of every warfighter. Betts developed the initial prototype in her kitchen using everyday resealable sandwich bags and a heat-sealer. “I found a way to come up with multiple individual chambers within the bag, and that’s how the one-way flow for liquids was born,” said Betts.

In this episode of CB Defense Today, public affairs specialist, Jack Bunja, interviews Doctor Jennifer Sekowski, a molecular toxicologist at the Center and inventor of the Pocket Detection Pouch (PDP), and Yusuf Henriques, founder and CEO of IndyGeneUS AI.

DEVCOM CBC Video by Ellie White

Betts then introduced the idea to Sekowski, who further helped to develop the prototype and proposed the technology to the Innovative Development of Employee Advanced Solutions program at DEVCOM CBC where she was awarded $50,000 over the span of six months to further develop the technology.

Gathering information and garnering feedback from other scientists, researchers, and warfighters within the Center allowed Sekowski and Betts to further refine their invention by increasing the size of the flap opening, reducing the size of the pouch and including a self-loading feature that allows the end user to tailor the PDP for different scenarios.

During refinement, the pair maintained the idea to reduce the burden to the warfighter by making the asset easy to use, lightweight, inexpensive, power-free with little debris footprint, and enabling the ability of containment. “It is one of the least expensive projects I’ve ever done, and one of the most successful,” said Sekowski.

The final design allows for a pouch that collects a sample into a main chamber which then flows into individual testing channels that are perforated at the bottom and housed in an external chamber. It is essentially a bag within a bag. “Other people have developed other, small form factor platforms, but in the end, we were able to demonstrate that our device is worthy of a patent because of the design,” said Sekowski.

The design has been able to gain further support and funding for production on a larger scale. The team has been able to partner with IndyGeneUS AI, a veteran- and minority-owned business dedicated to the field of medical technology, to further the development of the PDP. “We’re very fortunate that we were able to patent it and that allowed us to work with IndyGeneUS AI. They are going to help us find funding to do that engineering work to make it a commercial product,” said Sekowski.

With both the patent and partnership in place, Betts and Sekowski plan to continue developing the product further, working with IndyGeneUS AI to make the PDP commercially available. “I would like to see it in the hands of Soldiers, in the hands of people, where it can make a big difference in the world,” said Betts.

By Aeriel Storey

Posted in Army, CBRNE, Guest Post | Comments Off on Army Researchers Receive Patent for Pocket-Sized Chemical and Biological Assessment Kit

Cannon Service Member of the Year: Air Commandos Test Their Grit

Sunday, November 5th, 2023

CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. —

The 27th Special Operations Wing hosted its annual Service Member of the Year Competition Oct. 10-13 at Cannon Air Force Base, N.M.

Twelve Air Commandos tested their technical prowess, grit and leadership abilities during a week of competitions that included the Air Force Physical Fitness Test, weapons qualification and assembly, a written academic test and a six-mile ruck/run.

Senior Master Sgt. Adam Hardy, 6th Special Operations Squadron senior enlisted leader, stated that he believes the individual selected as the 27th SOW Service Member of the Year must exemplify pride in being an Air Commando, possess the physical fitness required to complete any mission, and demonstrate exceptional performance and superior leadership.

During the events, Air Commandos from a range of career fields were pushed to their limits as they vied for the title of 27th SOW Service Member of the Year and the chance to represent the 27 SOW at the U.S. Special Operations Command level, where they will compete against other joint service members in similar events.

“The point of this competition is to identify the individual from our Wing who most embodies the Warrior Ethos. Professional, credible and capable Airmen deserve to compete against the finest warriors in the DOD, and I’m incredibly excited to be able to put Cannon AFB’s Airmen on the radar of our sister services,” Hardy said. “Our nominees are not from Special Tactics; they are from career fields all over the base, and the Wing’s nominee will compete in an environment that is unfamiliar, against opponents who are incredible in their own right.”

27th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs

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LEAP: The Solution to Language, Culture Barriers in Large-Scale Military Exercises

Saturday, November 4th, 2023

MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. (AFNS) — Large-scale military exercises across all branches focus heavily on integration with allies and partners as a cornerstone of the National Defense and National Security strategies. While seamless execution of this integration can pose a challenge when differences in language and culture are present, the Air Force Culture and Language Center offers a solution to overcome those barriers — the Language Enabled Airman Program.

A recent article in defense trade publication highlighted the cultural and language challenges U.S. Air Force leaders faced during exercise Northern Edge 2. U.S. Air Force pilots worked with their Japanese and French pilot counterparts during this exercise to demonstrate the concept of agile combat employment, which relies on working with allies and partners in the region for success. Exercise leaders emphasized the need to overcome language barriers before they could effectively accomplish the mission.

While focus is often placed on the tactical process of working side by side with ally and partner nations, many military leaders now recognize the critical importance of having cultural and language understanding along with technical expertise for true integration.

“The Department of the Air Force seeks to strengthen international relationships and work with our partners to build shared air and space capabilities and capacity, but we can’t stay connected and continue to strengthen relationships with our allies and partners if we don’t understand them,” Brig. Gen. William Freeman, Air War College commandant, said during a recent Facebook live event. “We need Airmen with language, regional expertise and culture skills to accomplish this.”

That’s where LEAP comes in. The program serves as a force multiplier throughout the Department of Defense with a bench of more than 3,400 multi-capable, language-enabled Airmen who have proficiencies in language, regional expertise and culture across 97 strategic languages.

LEAP scholars are ready to deploy, at a moment’s notice, with the language, culture and technical skills needed in diverse environments to strengthen strategic connections with partners and allies and enable agile combat employment, or ACE.

“Language, regional expertise and culture skills are an enabler of ACE because it’s the only path to the type of integration that produces dominance in operational tempo when we’re working with our partners and allies,” said Howard Ward AFCLC director. “To defeat the strategy of our adversaries, our operational output as a team must be greater than the sum of the parts. LREC skills, in the hands of a force integrated by design with partners and allies, are required to produce that level of winning capability.”

Recently, LEAP scholars have supported several large-scale missions in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command region across all branches of service to help advance a “free and open Indo-Pacific,” as instructed in the Department of Defense Indo-Pacific Strategy.

Gen. Mike Minihan, commander of Air Mobility Command, utilized LEAP scholars to enhance understanding and integration with partners and allies during the command’s largest-ever full-spectrum readiness exercise, Mobility Guardian 23.

“Mobility Guardian 23 focused heavily on enabling ACE with our allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific, which cannot happen if we don’t understand each other. Having LEAP scholars in the mix during the exercise helped us take integration and understanding to a new level to lay the groundwork for a fortified, integrated and agile joint team ready to fight and win against our adversaries,” he said.

Cope North is another large-scale annual exercise held in the Indo-Pacific region where LEAP scholars played a key role in facilitating partnership building for the Air Force. Cope North 23 was a multilateral field training exercise focused on integration of large-force employment, ACE and humanitarian and disaster relief training. During this event, two Japanese LEAP scholars worked alongside Air Force airfield experts to facilitate an exchange of skills with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force and Royal Australian Air Force partners.

“Having support from language-enabled Airmen for this event is invaluable and vital for mission success. Cope North is historically the number one or two highest priorities in Pacific Air Forces out of roughly 47 annual exercises, and the linguist support enabled the Air Force and Royal Australian Air Force to further interoperability with our Japan Air Self-Defense Force allies,” Cope North lead planner Lt. Col. David Overstreet said.

During Kamandag 6, a large-scale Marine Corps exercise held in the Philippines, LEAP scholars provided critical culture and language support along with their technical expertise from their career fields to completely transform the way servicemembers connected by bridging language and cultural gaps to strengthen the strategic bond between the two nations.

Brig. Gen. Jimmy Larida, Philippine Marine Corps, 3rd Marine Brigade, commanding general, emphasized the positive impact LEAP scholar support had on this exercise.

“In the 34 times that I have performed exercises with the U.S. Marine Corps, this is the first time that they’ve attached [LEAP] linguists — linguists who are truly one of us. And it has made a huge difference. My Marines trust them, and my Marines are drawn to them. This needs to happen, every single time from here on out,” he said.

Marine Corps Col. Thomas Siverts, commander, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit/Marine Rotational Force-Southeast Asia, also highlighted the critical importance of LEAP support to the success of Kamandag 6.

“The LEAP team enabled us to quickly establish trust with the 3rd Marine Brigade, and they facilitated an exceptional environment where both forces could learn from each other using our native languages,” he said. “The result was a great exercise that developed relationships, trust and interoperability at an unmatched pace. I will never do another bi-lateral exercise without requesting the language and cultural expertise that LEAP was able to provide.”

All DOD and intergovernmental agencies can utilize LEAP scholars for interpretation and translation support in exercises, conferences and other missions. To request LEAP scholar support, visit the Air Force Culture and Language Center website and select the Training Partnership Request option in the sidebar menu.

Story by Mikala McCurry

Air Force Culture and Language Center Outreach Team

Photo by Airman 1st Class Spencer Perkins

Posted in Air Force, Guest Post | Comments Off on LEAP: The Solution to Language, Culture Barriers in Large-Scale Military Exercises

215 GEAR – MK-4 Adpater

Friday, November 3rd, 2023

Designed as part of our Sniper/Observer ecosystem, for mounting the Leupold™ MK-4 direct to RRS tripod, as well as to our Sniper Attachment Platform (SAP). The adaptor is machined to match the contour of the scope, allowing for a rock solid, solid swivel free connection for the scope. The bottom of the adaptor is machined to the RRS standard, for quick attachment to any RRS mount. When you need to mount the MK-4 and other optics and lasers, pair the MK-4 Adaptor with the SAP. The adaptor allows for top or bottom mount of the MK-4 to the SAP, for personal preference.

Includes: 6061 Aluminum Adaptor, one 1/4-20×3/8 thumb screw.

Does not include: Installation tools or 1/4-20×3/8” screws for mounting to the Sniper Attachment Platform.

Additional accessories for purchase:

1/4-20×3/8”screws for mounting your item to the Sniper Attachment Platform.

Made in the U.S.A/ Berry Compliant Made with 100% U.S.A 6061 Aircraft Grade Aluminum.

Anodized matte FDE or Black.

Product total weight: 3 3/8 oz. Product dimensions: 3.0”L x 1.9”W x 0.87”H

Currently available in Black.

www.215gearstore.com/mk-4adaptor

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AXL Advanced Releases Gen II RAC Links and Helmet Fuzz

Friday, November 3rd, 2023

The Helmet Fuzz Covers by Dynamic Fuzz are cut to the same shape and size as the loop on the MTEK Flux, OpsCore SF, & Hard Head Veterans helmets and can be used to cover any unused sections of loop as well as for cable management systems. These are meant to be user-trimmed to fit the end users’ needs.

The Gen II RAC Links are available for the Comtac 7s. Additionally, the P+ Gen II RAC Links are available for the 2s, 3s, 5s, XP/XPI/SWAT-Tacs, and VIs, which were designed to accommodate and integrate the mic arm of the Peltor headset without the need for any additional parts.

www.axladvanced.com

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FirstSpear Friday Focus – Hoodlum Hoodie

Friday, November 3rd, 2023

If you’re not already in the know, then we’ll introduce you to the Hoodlum Hoodie. When it comes to hoodies, one might think that they are all pretty much the same, but perhaps you’re looking for a hoodie that is the ultimate in both comfort and utility. Designed with the wearer in mind, this hoodie is made from a unique blend of materials that will quickly wick away sweat and keep you dry and comfortable. The Hoodlum Hoodie is constructed from ACM-MID 400, a blend of polyester and merino wool that is designed to be both lightweight and quick-drying. This makes it perfect for outdoor activities like hiking and camping in changing weather conditions. The exterior is 100% merino wool, while the interior is 100% polyester, which helps to wick sweat away from your skin and keep you comfortable.

The form-fitting hood and thumbholes in the cuffs give it a stylish look, while also providing extra warmth and protection from the elements. This hoodie is designed to be comfortable and stretchy, while still providing a close and snug fit. The full-length front zipper makes it easy to get on and off. The sleeves are long enough to provide extra coverage, while the thumbhole cuffs keep your hands warm without sacrificing mobility. The merino wool exterior is naturally resistant to wear and tear, while the polyester interior is designed to withstand repeated washing and drying. And with its form-fitting design, you won’t have to worry about it losing its shape or stretching out over time. Why settle for an ordinary hoodie?

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

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