Green Berets with 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) lent their expertise during a combat marksmanship range where they mentored Soldiers from 4th Battalion, 4th Security Force Assistance Brigade, Nov. 18-21, 2019.
See the story and more photos at www.fortcarsonmountaineer.com
After removing TC 3-20.40 Training and Qualification, Individual Weapons for several months to make revisions, they’ve republished it with Change 1.
Download your copy here.
FRANKFORT, Ky. — The U.S. Army’s new Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) goes into effect on Oct. 1, 2020. In order to meet that timeline, equipment for the ACFT has started shipping – and the Kentucky National Guard is the first of all three Army components (active, Guard, Reserve) to receive the initial fielding.
“I’m appreciative of the Kentucky Guard being the first Army organization to receive this equipment as we go into the ACFT transition,” said Brig. Gen. Hal Lamberton, Kentucky’s adjutant general. “The ACFT will be a better assessing tool of our physical conditioning. By virtue of us being the first to get the equipment, we’ve set ourselves up to have more time to prepare for the new test.”
Leading the charge for equipment distribution across the total Army is the Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM), who had a hand in selecting Kentucky as the first location. TACOM is a subordinate command to Army Material Command (AMC).
“Our master plan for the distribution of ACFT equipment across the Army is regionally based. With Kentucky being part of the southeast and one of the first regions we were fielding in, it worked out perfectly,” said Col. Steven Carozza, military deputy for TACOM’s Integrated Logistics Support Center and the lead for the fielding of the ACFT equipment. “Kentucky was ready and expressed an interest. We had the sets available and ahead of schedule so everything just kind of aligned perfectly for us to use Kentucky National Guard as the first unit to receive the equipment.”
According to Susan Hubert, Program Manager for the ACFT, the 54 states and territories of the National Guard are getting enough equipment to run 15,533 ACFT lanes and Kentucky is getting 308 of them.
“This ACFT effort, a Chief of Staff of the Army initiative, is critical to the Army as it directly supports our individual Soldier readiness,” said Hubert. “Our team is positioned to field all 36,608 ACFT sets for the total army by May 15. The National Guard’s 15 thousand sets will be included in that fielding.”
The first shipment arrived at the United States Property and Fiscal Office (USPFO) in Frankfort on Dec. 11 and will begin pushing out to the units across the Commonwealth this week.
Critical to the success of Kentucky’s physical fitness program is Staff Sgt. Zach Casey who is the designated project officer for the Kentucky Army National Guard and spearheading the effort to effectively implement the ACFT across the organization.
“It is proven that the Kentucky National Guard is willing to adapt and take something head on,” said Casey. “We opened our arms and welcomed it as a challenge. It’s pretty neat to be the first state.”
The Kentucky National Guard hosted a ceremonial equipment signing on Dec. 17 at the USPFO with representatives from TACOM and the National Guard Bureau in attendance.
Capt. Ryan Short, ACFT project officer for the National Guard Bureau stated, “The Army is focused on the tactical athlete and the ACFT is really the first big step in that direction. This is a part of a cultural change that the Army is going to embrace so we can have well rounded Soldiers.”
Every unit in the U.S. Army is required to complete a diagnostic ACFT between now and Sept. 30 before the ACFT becomes the official test of record.
Lamberton stated, “Change is an ongoing dynamic and the Kentucky National Guard will be ready.”
By MAJ Stephen Martin
During each session of the Fort McCoy Cold-Weather Operations Course (CWOC), students spend several days in the field surviving in improvised shelters they built with materials they find and have with them.
Instructor Hunter Heard, who works for contractor Veterans Range Solutions, which supports the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security, or DPTMS, students spend nearly 20 hours during their 14 days of training learning about and building improvised shelters.
Heard said the most important factor for each shelter is making sure it’s well insulated. Some students have used evergreen boughs combined with leaves and debris. Others have incorporated Army ponchos with natural materials.
“They are all unique,” Heard said.
CWOC Class 20-01 student Sgt. Ty Laird of Fort Bragg, N.C., said learning about building shelters and more were especially good lessons.
“Most helpful part of this course was the field portion,” Laird said. “I can leave here knowing I can train my Soldiers on how to properly wear the cold-weather clothing, how to build shelters, and various ways to pull the ahkio sled.”
During CWOC Class 20-01’s field training with shelter building, the students built several lean-to-style shelters and others took advantage of already fallen trees to build shelters around.
Weather often helps determine how the students will build their shelters and what materials they incorporate into the build.
Each CWOC class training includes a wide range of cold-weather subjects in addition to shelter building, including skiing and snowshoe training, how to use ahkio sleds, setting up the Arctic 10-person cold-weather tent, cold-water immersion, and more. Training also focuses on terrain and weather analysis, risk management, proper wear of cold-weather clothing, developing winter fighting positions in the field, and camouflage and concealment, Heard said.
Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin.
The installation has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of more than 100,000 military personnel from all services each year since 1984.
Learn more about Fort McCoy online at home.army.mil/mccoy, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” and on Twitter by searching “usagmccoy.”
Story by Scott Sturkol, Ft McCoy PAO
In this episode, Kerry Davis discusses the importance of not only carrying an IFAK, but having solid medical training.
Kerry Davis founder of Dark Angel Medical, has been taking care of people more than half of his adult life. Born and raised in Mississippi, he joined the US Air Force in 1991 and trained as a medic, working in an ER, then moving on to special duty with the only Tac Evac unit in the active USAF. In that station he was a flight medic and an Aircrew Training instructor.
That duty station gave Kerry the opportunity to go to the U.S. Army’s Airborne school and work with Airborne units at Pope AFB and Ft. Bragg. After leaving North Carolina, he moved to Maxwell AFB, AL, where he instructed several thousand new Air Force officers at Officer Training School’s Medical Readiness Indoctrination Course at Gunter AFB Annex over a two and a half year period.
Kerry also taught, during his tenure in the USAF, ACLS, PALS, BCLS and Paramedic Cardiology. During that time he worked as a paramedic and after separation from the Air Force, he completed his training and certification as an RN. He has now been in the Critical Care and ER field since 2003. He separated from the Reserves in 2007. He is an avid shooter and has instructed with Magpul Dynamics. Today he is currently an adjunct instructor with SIG Sauer Academy where he teaches weapons manipulation as well as “Bullets and Bandages”.
Columbia, SC, December 20, 2019 – Panteao announces the release of a new video title with instructor Jamey Caldwell. Jamey recently joined Panteao’s cadre of instructors. Jamey spent more than 21 years in the United States Army, serving his entire career in Special Operations. He served 7 years with the 75th Ranger Regiment then spent the following 14 years in a Special Missions Unit that maintained a high operational tempo in Bosnia, Iraq, Afghanistan, and numerous other countries in the world. He has deployed to combat 14 times and has conducted well over 500 missions. Jamey has been awarded three medals for valorous actions in combat while under direct fire from the enemy.
“Panteao is very fortunate with being able to work with Jamey Caldwell as one of our new instructors,” said Fernando Coelho, President/CEO of Panteao Productions. Fernando continued, “Jamey will be providing valuable content to our viewers that is backed by years of real-world experience.”
Jamey Caldwell said, “After spending so many years in a Tier 1 unit that was constantly engaged in combat I took for granted how much we used Night Vision, laser’s, thermals, and all the equipment that goes with them. It wasn’t until I retired that I learned how fortunate I was to have this knowledge. I felt it was important to share my experience and knowledge with those that want to learn more. Whether it’s for home protection or a law enforcement officer looking to better equip themselves to protect us on the home front. I am glad to share this information and hope that you learn a little something from it.”
The first video to be introduced with Jamey is Intro to Night Vision. Understanding night vision and the gear associated with it is imperative for successful operations in limited visibility. Educating yourself can be a daunting task, till now. In Intro to Night Vision, Jamey Caldwell presents night vision gear and use in a clear and concise manner. He reviews the history of night vision, light spectrum, the image intensifier tube, figure of merit, white versus green phosphor tubes, head mounted systems, weapon mounted systems, lasers, helmets, IR marking devices, digital night vision systems and more.
Panteao greatly appreciates the support of the sponsors that help make this video happen: Black Rifle Coffee, CORE Survival, Streak Ammo, Oakley, Nitecore, Princeton Tec, Emerging Tactical Solutions, Trijicon, Surefire, and TSE Recon
Make Ready with Jamey Caldwell: Intro to Night Vision is now available streaming for Panteao subscribers. It can be watched online via a PC or Mac, on a smartphone or tablet using the Panteao Make Ready Android and iTunes apps, or on television with the Panteao Make Ready channel on Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV. For more information on how to stream the Panteao videos, visit: panteao.com/streaming-video-ways-to-watch
The video will also be available shortly on DVD and Digital Download formats. For more information on this title, visit Panteao at: panteao.com/product/caldwell-intro-to-night-vision
Chris Sizelove has joined Chappy and John Spears as a principal instructor and Breaching Program Manager for Forge Tactical, a full service government and law enforcement training and consulting firm.
Chris joins Forge after retiring from the Army after twenty years of service; sixteen in the 75th Ranger Regiment as an infantryman, followed by four years with the Defense Intelligence Agency.
While in the 75th Chris became an SME and instructor for carbine, pistol, CQB, and forced entry TTP’s as well as joint operations in general as an assaulter and strike force senior NCO. He was a sniper, and served in a Sniper/Reconnaissance element; and was the Master Breacher for 75th. Chris also developed and instructed covert carry and vehicle TTP’s for specific roles.
Prior to joining the Army, Chris was fortunate in that he was local to Gunsite Training Center where he worked while in high school as a range hand and professional brass picker-upper. It was there that he met men like Jeff Cooper, Louis Awerbuck, Chris Dwiggins and Pat Rogers – and his decision to join the military was sealed.
Twenty years and thirteen combat deployments and overseas tours later, Chris is returning to the training industry and is honored to work with Forge Tactical in an effort to provide training and expertise to those that seek it in order to benefit themselves, their teams, and their communities.
To learn more about Forge Tactical, visit the website at forgetactical.com; or email chappy@forgetactical.com.
Bill Rapier of Amtac Shooting discusses the necessity of a one handed draw and how to create space in a combative scenario.
Bill Rapier spent 20 years in the U.S. Navy SEAL teams with the last 14 as a member of the Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU). His assignments included assaulter, breacher, sniper, team leader, troop chief, and military working dog department senior enlisted adviser. Bill is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Gustavo Machado (Virginia Beach), has been training in Sayoc Kali since 2006, and has trained in western and Thai boxing as well. Bill is now the owner/operator of American Tactical Shooting Instruction & Amtac Blades.
www.amtacshooting.com
amtacblades.com
www.surefire.com
