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AFSOC Spark Tank Finalists to Compete at Air Force-Level

Wednesday, November 23rd, 2022

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. —

Since the inception of Air Force Special Operations Command, Air Commandos have been pathfinders, breaking new ground and laying the foundation for others to find innovative ways to solve problems, some not yet considered.

Spark Tank, an annual, Air Force-wide program that solicits solutions to operational problems, allows Air Commandos to use their innovative and pathfinding spirit to get after Air Force and AFSOC-wide problems. The program is focused on empowering Airmen at all levels by providing a platform to pitch innovative solutions.

Of AFSOC’s 31 submissions, six semi-finalists were selected to compete at the major command level.

The six finalists presented their ideas to a panel of AFSOC senior leaders who selected two to compete at the Air Force level.

“The innovative spirit of our Air Commandos is part of what makes AFSOC so unique, so it’s no surprise to see such a large turnout of great ideas,” said Mr. Donald Plater, AFSOC executive director. “This competition is about recognizing our Airmen and making the Air Force better, so let’s give them our full attention.”

The Advanced Maintenance and Troubleshooting Suite (A-MATS), submitted by Master Sgt. Aaron Cordroch, wing avionics manager for the 1st Special Operations Maintenance Group, and Project OREGON TRAIL created by Staff Sgt. Michael Sturtevant, air transportation and aerial delivery supervisor for the 353rd Special Operations Support Squadron, were the two finalists.

Cordroch’s A-MATS proposes the development of an information database which will provide access to aircraft data using cyber security monitoring tools. These tools currently provide access to previously unavailable data. This data can be used to significantly reduce maintenance costs associated with replacing parts that are still serviceable and predicting future potential maintenance issues.

“A-MATS will offer more accurate fail data to maintenance technicians, saving thousands of hours in aircraft downtime currently being used to troubleshoot maintenance problems,” said Cordroch. “It will offer more detailed and accurate aircraft historical data, while also providing current system health statuses to allow for enhanced maintenance scheduling and forecasting.”

Sturtevant’s Project OREGON TRAIL aims to create a quick and space-reducing solution for moving pallets and equipment in austere environments in lieu of a forklift.

“Fork-lifts can take 95-man hours to disassemble and reassemble and can also take up five pallet positions plus a pallet needed for fuel,” said Sturtevant.

“The goal is to deliver more mission critical equipment for those down-range who are getting the mission done and to also ensure their safety. If a forklift is down and a mission must go, our people must carry that heavy equipment themselves, and this eliminates that problem.”

“Without our Airmen, we are nothing and this is a stark reminder of how important it is to invest in our human capital,” said Plater. “I appreciate all who submitted their ideas and am truly impressed with the bright and innovative Airmen we have in this command.”

From here, the two finalists will go on to compete at the Air Force level, where a board of innovation and functional experts from Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force, Management, and AFWERX, a Technology Directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), will select the best submissions and compile a slate of Semi-Finalists for presentation to the Semi-Finals board.

If selected, the Semi-Finals board, co-chaired by the Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and consisting of Vice Chief of Space and Department of the Air Force Executive subject-matter experts, will select up to six to be pitched at the Spark Tank Finals, which are planned to be held in conjunction with the Air and Space Forces Association’s Warfare Symposium in Aurora, Colo., in March.

By Capt Alicia Premo, Air Force Special Operations Command

Posted in Air Force, Guest Post, SOF | Comments Off on AFSOC Spark Tank Finalists to Compete at Air Force-Level

AFSOC Hosts Mission Command Summit

Tuesday, November 22nd, 2022

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. —

Air Force Special Operations Command hosted leaders from the LeMay Center for Doctrine Development and Education, the Army Mission Command Center of Excellence, Air War College, Air Command and Staff College, the Barnes Center, and Squadron Officer School at a Mission Command Summit last week to better understand the Air Force’s concept of Mission Command and how it applies to AFSOC.

The summit was co-hosted by Col. Stewart Parker, 492d Special Operations Wing vice commander, AFSOC’s lead wing for education and training, and Col. Eries Mentzer, director of AFSOC Force Development. Lt Gen Jim Slife, AFSOC commander, kicked off the summit explaining why understanding mission command is so critical at this time.

“To deliver the Air Force Special Operations Command we need in today’s increasingly complex and uncertain environments, we must decentralize and empower Special Operations Task Units (SOTU) and Special Operations Task Groups (SOTG) with mission command,” said Slife.

Today’s challenges demand multi-capable Airmen deployed through a sustainable Force Generation model, empowered to take on current and emerging threats. Integrating the culture of mission command makes that model possible.

U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff, Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr., discussed mission command as one of the Air Force’s five cultural focus areas at the Air Force Association’s Air, Space and Cyberspace Conference in September 2022. Brown identified mission command, force generation, agile combat employment, multi-capable Airmen, and the wing A-staff construct as key cultural shifts essential to deliver the Air Force we need in today’s dynamic operating environment.

The Mission Command Summit hosted at the U.S. Air Force Special Operations School, reviewed the definition of mission command to ensure a shared understanding and discussed ways to promote mission command throughout AFSOC. Attendees also discussed barriers the command may face including culture, key behaviors and value systems that must evolve. Additionally, attendees discussed resources needed to deliver a mission command culture aligned with AFSOC’s warfighting functions and competencies, both in garrison and deployed.

Recommendations from the three-day summit were briefed to Maj. Gen. Wolfe Davidson, deputy commander of AFSOC, to deliver at the upcoming Force Development Council hosted by Headquarters Air Force.

“To be survivable in the fight and adaptive in garrison, we must execute mission command’ said Davidson, “To make this possible, AFSOC is committed to delivering the necessary resources. We need command teams at every level to deliver this command culture.”

Col. Mentzer and Col. Parker will reconvene the Mission Command Summit in Spring 2023 to receive feedback from the first Airmen to deploy under the newly fielded SOTG and SOTU Command Teams and review progress on shifting AFSOC’s culture to support and facilitate mission command.

“Pride is the fuel of human accomplishment,” said Slife. “We want to give our Airmen missions—and not simply tasks or functions—for which they can be accountable and proud of succeeding in accomplishing.”

By TSgt Jonathan McCallum, 492d Special Operations Wing

Posted in Air Force, Guest Post, SOF | 2 Comments »

AFSOC Conducts Live-Fire Exercise with Rapid Dragon

Wednesday, November 16th, 2022

ANDøYA SPACE DEFENSE RANGE, NORWAY (AFNS) —

Two Air Force Special Operations Command wings partnered in a total force initiative to conduct the first live-fire demonstration of Rapid Dragon, a long-range palletized munitions system, in the U.S. European Command theater over Andøya Space Defense Range, Nov. 9.

During U.S. Special Operations Command Europe exercise ATREUS 22-4, two MC-130J Commando IIs assigned to the 352nd Special Operations Wing flew the Rapid Dragon package to a Royal Norwegian Air Force training range and deployed it over the Atlantic Ocean. An MC-12W Liberty assigned to the 137th SOW, Oklahoma Air National Guard, used its manned intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to collect and disseminate information about the release.

This is the first time Rapid Dragon has been employed using cargo aircraft in the USEUCOM theater, and precision munitions capabilities for medium-sized or larger cargo aircraft allows U.S. and NATO forces a flexible rapid response option.

“It’s really easily exportable to our partners and allies around the globe that may want to increase the utility of their air force,” said Lt. Gen. Jim Slife, AFSOC commander, during a recent Air and Space Force Association event. “When you look at partner capability, we have a lot of partners around the globe that don’t have heavy bomber-type platforms that would be traditional carriers of those types of munitions, but they’ve got plenty of C-130s proliferated around the world.”

More than 40 countries operate C-130 Hercules, but AFSOC has been the only U.S. Air Force combatant command to demonstrate this system.

“An MC-130J is the perfect aircraft for this capability because we can land and operate from a 3,000-foot highways and austere landing zones whereas a bomber cannot,” said Lt. Col. Valerie Knight, 352d SOW mission commander. “Additionally, a crew qualified to execute heavy equipment airdrop could employ this operationally. After the successful execution of this airdrop, we have now proven we can employ the same weapons system — creating a dilemma for our adversaries. As the only U.S. Air Force Special Operations Wing in Europe, this capability provides our allies, partners and the joint force an additional response option, strengthening our deterrence capabilities in USEUCOM.”

Developing relationships between allies and partners extended to the total force with the inclusion of an Oklahoma Air National Guard MC-12Ws. Two U.S. Air Force pilots and a combat systems officer were part of the MC-12W aircrew to conduct the mission, with support from aircrew flight equipment and special operations communications Airmen.

“The 137th SOW actively seeks out exercises where we can demonstrate our unique capabilities and create relationships with our partners — not just within AFSOC and the total force, but across a multi-national coalition,” said Maj. Murray Ludwig, a 137th SOW combat systems officer. “Thanks to the assistance of our Norwegian allies, our integration into this exercise has been seamless. We were able to demonstrate that our wing can provide top-tier ISR support and a wide array of sustainment capabilities for our joint partners.”

Members of the 137th Mission Sustainment Team also participated, conducting pre-deployment site surveys and airfield assessments. While it is not the first time the team has worked with coalition forces, it is the first time the MST has conducted their mission in a setting realistic to the austere environments they will operate in as they support global SOF operations.

“The multi-capable Airman concept allows us to become completely self-sufficient anywhere in the world,” Ludwig said. “The training our operations Airmen and Mission Sustainment Team are receiving here will be critically important to their future war-fighting potential.

As AFSOC postures its forces for the future fight, developing unconventional, innovative capabilities to protect against near-peer adversaries is critical.

“This rapid roll-on, roll-off capability extends America’s ability to project firepower around the globe,” Knight said. “It doesn’t require any aircraft modifications, making it incredibly easy to employ any place, any time.”

By TSgt Brigette Waltermire, Air Force Special Operations Command Public Affairs

Video by SSgt Izabella Workman

Posted in Air Force, Guest Post, SOF, weapons | 3 Comments »

SOFWERX to Host USSOCOM PEO-Maritime Undersea (PEO-M) Battery Charger Assessment Event

Wednesday, November 9th, 2022

SOFWERX, in collaboration with USSOCOM Program Executive Office-Maritime Undersea (PEO-M), will host an Assessment Event (AE) to identify solutions for the submersible vehicle programs Battery Charger 10-12 January 2023.

The PEO-M submersible vehicle programs requires a charging solution to be installed on a host vessel to charge the Main Batteries on the submersible during transport. The Power Supply shall have well defined interfaces and will need to meet current and planned future capabilities. The solution will need to fit in a predefined space and interface with existing host vessel infrastructure.

Details at events.sofwerx.org/charger

U.S. Citizens Only. Submit NLT 02 December 2022 11:59 PM ET.

Posted in Maritime, Power, SOF | Comments Off on SOFWERX to Host USSOCOM PEO-Maritime Undersea (PEO-M) Battery Charger Assessment Event

Special Air Warfare and the Secret War in Laos: Air Commandos, 1964-1975

Monday, November 7th, 2022

“Special Air Warfare and the Secret War in Laos: Air Commandos, 1964-1975” is a historical monograph written by COL Joseph D. Celeski (US Army, Ret) and published by Air University Press. COL Celeski describes his work thusly:

“During retirement, I was intrigued by the lack of comprehensive historical research devoted to one of the long wars fought by the USAF Air Commandos, the Secret War in Laosa gap in written Special Operation Forces SOF history. It is a story of the growth of the Air Commandos from a detachment-level operation sent to Thailand to the later establishment of the 56th Special Operations Wing. The lack of coverage can in part be attributed to the secrecy surrounding the war and classification restrictions on relevant documentation. Further, many special operators remain reluctant to discuss the details of their involvement in classified operations. Although peeling back the cloak of secrecy can be difficult, it is important to the special operations profession to capture the legacy of the Air Commandos involvement in the Secret War in Laos and provide an open-source history for the Air Commando community. Much of the motivation and desire to complete this work is in their honor and sacrifice in this endeavor. Work on this project began with a two-year research plan to develop an irregular warfare course for use in military schools focused on the dynamics of strategic and operational art in a war, conducted vis-a-vis a covert interagency environment. The preliminary preparation for the course consisted of gathering as many books on the war in Laos as possible over sixty at the time as well as what could be uncovered through online research. Museums with a primary focus on USAF Special Operations and offices of SOF historians provided material and sound advice about how to contact Air Commando veterans who served in Laos. Although research material was gathered from national to local archives as well as major universities and air museums, the two definitivesources for a book of this kind were the Air Force Historical Research Agency, at Maxwell AFB, Alabama and the command history office of the Air Force Special Operations Command at Hurlburt Field, Florida.”

You can download it for free here.

Posted in Air Force, History, SOF | Comments Off on Special Air Warfare and the Secret War in Laos: Air Commandos, 1964-1975

USSOCOM Looks to Add Capability to Fire 7.62×39 Ammo from SIG MCX Rattlers

Monday, November 7th, 2022

Recently the United States Special Operations Command awarded a 5-year IDIQ contract to SIG SAUER for MCX Rattlers in .300BLK to be used as Reduced Signature Assault Rifle (RSAR)/Personal Defense Weapons (PDW).

However, the MCX SPEAR-LT and its variants can quickly be converted to the initially offered 5.56 NATO caliber, or more recently 7.62×39, which has been in service with allied units for some time now. Although envisioned since its inception, the 7.62×39 capability was first publicly shown in 2015.

In light of this capability, USSOCOM has issued a Sources Sought Notice to industry for “7.62 x 39mm upper receiver caliber conversion kits that are compatible with the SIG SAUER Rattler Lower Receiver. The upper receiver caliber conversion kits shall integrate with the SIG SAUER Rattler and RSAR/PDW converted M4A1 Lower Receiver Groups. The conversion kits shall include all required hardware and ammunition magazines that will fit with the SIG SAUER Rattler and RSAR/PDW converted M4A1 Lower Receiver Groups….the vendor shall provide spares for the whole RSAR/PDW system to include but is not limited to bolts, springs, 7.62 SLHC suppressors, UTM training kits, stocks, carrier groups etc.”

They are seeking a 7.75″ barrel with a weapon featuring an Overall Length with Stock folded of 18.4″. The Upper Receiver with flash hider installed must not exceed 16.4″.

Posted in Advertiser, SOF, weapons | Comments Off on USSOCOM Looks to Add Capability to Fire 7.62×39 Ammo from SIG MCX Rattlers

SOFWERX – AIM Micro Sensors Assessment Event Update

Friday, November 4th, 2022

SOFWERX, in collaboration with the USSOCOM, U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center (DEVCOM CBC), the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), and the Accelerator for Innovative Minds (AIM), will host a series of events leveraging their hybrid accelerator model to identify Micro Sensor technologies available now, under development, or anticipated to be developed in the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRNE) areas.

There’s been a change to the timing of the AIM Micro Sensors Assessment Event (AE). Now, it’s takes place on 18-20 January. Subsequently, other event phases have been revised. Please visit events.sofwerx.org/aimmicrosensors for the most up-to-date information and to submit.

Interested parties must submit NLT 23 November 2022 11:59 PM ET.

Posted in CBRNE, Sensors, SOF | Comments Off on SOFWERX – AIM Micro Sensors Assessment Event Update

AFSOC Receives Final AC-130J

Friday, November 4th, 2022

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. —

Air Force Special Operations Command received its 31st and final AC-130J Ghostrider, completing the command’s transition from the legacy AC-130W, AC-130U and AC-130H fleets.

Following a commemoration ceremony at the Lockheed Martin Gunship Modification Facility in Crestview Nov. 2, the final AC-130J was delivered to the 27th Special Operations Wing at Cannon Air Force Base, N.M.

During the AC-130J Ghostrider Dedication and Delivery Ceremony, Lt. Col. Joe Allen, Gunship Program manager and narrator for the event, briefly discussed the history of nose art and how it became a common way of depicting the name of an airplane. He also explained how pilots would stencil names or call signs on their aircraft, providing a sense of connection and further a feeling of pride for themselves and the crew that kept the airplane flying.

“Aircraft #31 is no different [than previous World War II aircraft] and is being named in honor of Mr. Stan ‘Sluggo’ Siefke who was instrumental in the developments of the precision strike package prior to cutting first metal on the MC-130W,” said Allen. “Sluggo’s impacts on Whiskey and Ghostrider have been nothing short of outstanding and we are honored to have him in attendance today.”

Lt. Gen. Jim Slife, AFSOC Commander, represented the command at the ceremony and spoke about his experience with acquiring and receiving the AC-130J.

Slife recalled that it had been “only a few years back,” when then Col. Slife working at the Pentagon for the Office of Secretary of Defense, began the messaging and formative language that initiated the program that he’s seeing come full circle.

“In the fall of 2009, the Secretary of Defense decided to recapitalize [the AC-130] with C-130Js to build the platforms we see behind us today,” said Slife.

He also spoke about seeing the first J model go into combat in the summer of 2019 while serving as the AFSOC commander.

“The airplane and its predecessors have exceeded all our expectations and kept more Americans alive than any other airplane on the battlefield,” said Slife.

“The future is going to be different than what we have experienced for the last 20 years, but one thing I’m certain of is this airplane will be relevant to whatever the future operating environment brings, so thank you all for delivering such a magnificent capability to today’s warfighters,” he said.

Capt. Katie Tiedemann, 73rd Special Operations Squadron Weapons Systems Officer, shared operational vignettes of the AC-130J during the event. She specifically shared her own experience deployed in Afghanistan when she supported Operation Allies Refuge.

“Over two weeks, my own crew, and two others, continued to employ our aircraft for countless hours, reopening the [Kabul] airport and evacuating 123,000 refugees,” said Tiedemann. “Much of the rest of the story you have seen and heard, but our two crews who flew during the evacuation will be recognized this fall with the MacKay trophy for accomplishing the most meritorious flight of the year.”

Following Capt. Tiedemann’s presentation, William Innes, Deputy Director for Acquisition, United States Special Operations Command, spoke about USSOCOM’s part in navigating the acquisitions process to get the weapons systems from industry to the warfighter.

“When we can see firsthand that it [the acquisition process] works, it delivers the best weapons system the nation can get, it is truly inspirational,” he said.

Vic Torla, Lockheed Martin Vice President of Special Operations Forces Global Logistics Support Services, expressed his gratitude for the partnership between Lockheed Martin and the Air Force.

“A great example of a government and industry partnership to stand up this facility,” said Torla. “A ten-year journey to deliver what is now 30 combat capable aircraft to Special Operations Command.”

At the conclusion of the ceremony, Gen. Slife along with aircrew stepped onto the new AC-130J and took off for Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., where the final AC-130J will become part of the 27th Special Operations Wing.

He concluded with his gratitude for all who contributed to making the AC-130J the success it is today.

“For the whole team today, for the team that maintained the airplane, that built the airplane, that acquired the airplane, that fly the airplane, that tested the airplane, thank you for what you’ve done.”

The AC-130J is a transport aircraft modified for special forces operations and has been used to support AFSOC in missions around the world. It is a fifth-generation gunship that can provide close air support, air interdiction and armed reconnaissance.

By Capt Alicia Premo

Air Force Special Operations Command

Posted in Air Force, Aviation, Guest Post, SOF | 1 Comment »