The Army Public Health Center has released a preventative health guide for those deployed to disaster response in areas hit by hurricanes.
Get yours here.
Army Public Health Center – Deployment Health Guide: (Disaster Series) Hurricane Response
October 9th, 2022Air Force Introduces New, Foundational Ready Airman Training Program
October 9th, 2022
ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) —
The Air Force announced plans to transition foundational training for all Airmen beginning Oct. 1 ensuring they have the necessary skillsets to survive and operate during contingencies both at home station and deployed, including remote and contested environments.
Ready Airman Training will prepare Airmen to develop and demonstrate the mindset required to support the Air Force Force Generation, or AFFORGEN, deployment model.
“The vision for how Airmen train and deploy embraces an emerging culture of support maintaining and building readiness across the AFFORGEN phases,” said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr. “We must challenge the status quo to prepare our Airmen for operating in environments far more complex than we have in the past.”
Aligned with the Oct. 1 implementation of AFFORGEN, Airmen will begin receiving tailored training spread throughout the 18-month Reset, Prepare and Ready phases of the AFFORGEN cycle. Unit commanders may adjust the number of training events required based on an Airman’s level of preparedness and the deployment phase they are entering.
Previous deployment training, which at a minimum consisted of Basic Airman Readiness and Basic Deployment Readiness, was accomplished as just-in-time training, once notified of a deployment, and consisted of approximately 30 hours of training.
In March, a team of 70 experts gathered in San Antonio for a Ready Airman Training Design Sprint where they identified 12 focus areas, designated as Ready Training Areas, with specific desired learning objectives necessary for Airmen to deploy faster while simultaneously increasing overall expertise.
Ready Training Areas include: Law of War; Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape; Small Arms; Integrated Defense; Active Threat Response; Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Training; Explosive Ordnance Hazard; Tactical Combat Casualty Care All Service Members Course; Comprehensive Airman Fitness; Cross Cultural Communications; Information Environment Awareness; and Basic Communications.
The Ready Training Area associated training events will be spread over the entire AFFORGEN cycle incrementally over the next two years. The total estimated training hours required over the course of the two-year cycle – four years for Guard and Reserve – depend on whether the Airman is considered inexperienced (40 hours), experienced (24 hours) or staff (15 hours).
“Ready Airman Training serves as the continuum of combat learning for all Airmen while being adaptable to each individual Airman’s experience level and allowing commanders the flexibility to tailor training for specific operating environments,” said Maj. Gen. Albert Miller, Air Force Training and Readiness director.
Cross-functional training requirements and training packages for commanders were developed using validation methods that will present an Airman prepared to execute missions based on emerging operational timelines. Additionally, Ready Airman Training increases flexibility for commanders at all levels to tailor training requirements to their Airmen.
“This is the model and method needed to compete and deter where the adversary’s tactics and techniques have evolved in an effort to match ours,” said Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass. “Ready Airman Training is how we, as an Air Force, continue to outpace our strategic competitors and win the high-end fight.”
Specific training objectives for Ready Training Areas are available on the AEF Online and AFFORGEN Connect websites. Major commands are responsible for tracking and reporting readiness annually through myLearning.
Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs
The World Is Changing… EUROSATORY Reinvents Itself and Introduces Its New Brand Identity
October 8th, 2022PARIS, 6 OCTOBER 2022. Stretching back 55 years, the exhibition EUROSATORY ushers in a new phase in its history and reveals its new brand identity: a new logo, new colours, a new signature and a new key visual.
“Our decade is characterised by an acceleration in history, what with the global pandemic, the return of major inter-State conflicts, the re-examination of globalization, and the imperative need to engage in the ecological transition in order to address major environmental challenges. In this world order in a state of upheaval, Governments have a duty to strengthen their capabilities to deal with growing threats (humanitarian and environmental disasters resulting from health, natural or industrial hazards, violence within societies, terrorism, new paradigms of armed conflict, cyber-attacks). The world is changing, EUROSATORY must reinvent itself,” explains General Charles Beaudouin (retd), Exhibition Director of EUROSATORY.
“We wished to reflect these transformations in our brand identity, built around the four strategic pillars that constitute EUROSATORY’s strengths: an international show, and a true showcase for technology, combining business and insight,” adds Maud Carcy Bessette, Communications Director.
With this revised identity, EUROSATORY proposes a forward-looking vision and a new brand narrative around the signature “Protect your future”. The aim is to accomplish the show’s ambition to address current and future challenges:
“Invent the responsible Defence and Security of tomorrow’s world.”
General Charles Beaudouin (retd) continues: “This brand identity is fully in line with the geopolitical swing that we are experiencing. It establishes our position as a global leader and our propensity to present in an exhaustive, tangible and innovative way the solutions, services and expertise to tackle all types of crises, from high-intensity conflicts to the humanitarian and environmental disasters specific to our century.”
He adds: “This approach illustrates the strategic transformation of EUROSATORY, both internally with the buy-in of our teams, and externally to expand our expertise in the Defence and Security fields (in their widest sense); to harness our knowledge of diplomatic and ministerial circles, all in the aim of supporting our clients in their international development.
Today, the EUROSATORY brand more strongly asserts its mission: to enable Governments, supranational organisations, NGOs and businesses to anticipate and reinvent the way they deal with new and increasingly frequent crises that they face owing to both international tensions and global warming.
In this respect, EUROSATORY’s signature, “Protect your future” is the expression of the mission statement of the global event for Defence and Security.
This visual identity reinvents the brand, with a purposefully streamlined logo in the form of a shield: the embodiment of defence and security. This shape bears the mark of a stylised Eiffel Tower in a nod to French excellence.
The creative concept of the 2024 key visual represents a land theatre incorporating the capabilities offered by the sea, air, space and cyber fields.
Its overall symbolism with a woman’s face turned towards the future embodying the notion of foresight, illustrates the show’s promise: “The guarantee of finding and discovering all the global expertise and emerging trends to address the challenges of today and tomorrow.”
The choice of a female face also celebrates the women and men dedicated to providing peace and security in the world.
Win or Die: Air Mobility Command Commander Presents Mobility Manifesto
October 8th, 2022NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. (AFNS) —
Gen. Mike Minihan, commander of Air Mobility Command, presented his case for the state of air mobility to a packed audience of Airmen at the 2022 Air, Space and Cyber Conference, Sept. 21.
His problem statement was direct, if provocative: the joint force is not as ready as it thinks it is, and the time to act is now.
“Nobody is going to care what our plans are for five to 10 years if we lose tomorrow,” Minihan said. “Our toys, our training, our desires are meaningless unless we maneuver them to unfair advantage and unrepentant lethality.”
During the 40-minute talk, Minihan laid out the role of the mobility air forces in projecting, connecting, maneuvering and sustaining the joint force. He cited both historical and recent examples, including AMC’s role in Operation Allies Refuge, that showed the need to rapidly employ lessons learned and strategically invest in mobility.
In doing so, he highlighted four critical gaps AMC has focused on closing to be ready for a pacing challenge: command and control, navigation, maneuvering under fire, and tempo.
He left no ambiguity about the urgency of the challenge faced.
“If we don’t have our act together, nobody wins,” he said. “They are tailor-making an air force to kill you. Not ‘you’ hypothetically … you. Look in the mirror.”
Similarly, he left no doubt about America’s resolve to face challenges now, even with work still to do.
“We have to make the best of what we have,” Minihan said. “If [my intelligence team] were to walk in my office tomorrow and say ‘[an adversary is] getting ready to go,’ what am I going to do now? I’m going to take roll of who we’ve got, we’re going to take roll of the toys we have, and we’re going.”
He also presented the challenges of geography through the lens of his joint experience in the Pacific, which AMC is preparing for on the road to Exercise Mobility Guardian 2023, set to take place next year within the Indo-Pacific region.
“There’s just too much water and too much distance for anyone else to deliver mobility at pace, at speed, and at scale like we do,” Minihan said. “I’m not interested in being the best Air Force on the planet. I’m interested in being the most lethal force the world has ever known. Mobility Guardian will be the crown jewel where we rehearse the winning scheme of maneuver.”
To get after the problem he presented, Minihan cited the need for a Mobility Manifesto, which he described as a public declaration of intentions, opinions and objectives of mobility as an organization. He argued the document is needed to best position mobility Airmen and their tools to present a scheme of maneuver for the joint force to win.
“Lethality matters most, and I’m coming at you like an Airman,” Minihan said. “This is about us and about our culture – it’s about Airmen. We’ve been here before. You will get zero sympathy from me about having to do big things quickly and about the significant challenges that exist.”
The presentation was a preview of the manifesto document that will be made available to mobility Airmen publicly at the end of October.
Over the last year, AMC has taken a deliberate approach to rapidly prepare for a high-end fight with a pacing challenger. Operations, activities and investments have all been focused on extracting maximum value out of existing capabilities and exploring how the mobility air forces can address gaps across communication, survivability and agility.
“In order to generate the tempo required to win, I’d rather check things out now,” he said. “Victory language comes into sharper contrast – the stakes are incredibly high.”
Minihan had words of advice for the audience: “Generate your courage, point the pointy end at the scary place, and execute.”
He concluded the discussion by putting the challenge ahead in contrast with Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr.’s readiness charge.
“When he says accelerate change or lose, we say we win or die.”
By Air Mobility Command Public Affairs
Photo by TSgt Zachary Boyer
You Never Know Where They’ll Show Up
October 8th, 2022
Our friend Grzegorz sends “greetings from Spain” as he visits the statue of Christopher Columbus in Sevilla.
SAAB – A Powerful Pairing, Camouflage and JLTV
October 7th, 2022
Armed forces will find it easier to combine world-leading tactical vehicles with advanced signature management solutions thanks to a new deal between Oshkosh Defense and Saab’s Barracuda business unit.
An agreement signed by the two entities in June makes Saab a preferred supplier for Oshkosh Defense’s portfolio of vehicles. Cooperation is already underway on integrating Saab’s Barracuda Mobile Camouflage System (MCS) onto the Oshkosh Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV).
The partnership is good news for armed forces who are looking to increase the level of signature management on the advanced tactical vehicles they purchase as a result of the rapidly changing geopolitical situation.
“Oshkosh and Saab’s Barracuda systems are both respected market leaders in their segments. Working together, we can provide customers with an extraordinarily powerful range of solutions that optimise their ability to engage the enemy and their chances of battlefield success.” says Niklas Ålund, Director Strategy and Business Development at Saab’s Business Unit Barracuda.
John Lazar Photo: Oshkosh Defence
“The Barracuda Mobile Camouflage System is a state-of-the-art approach to signature reduction for personnel and vehicles on the twenty-first-century battlefield,”
John Lazar, VP and GM of International Programs, Oshkosh Defense
“The Saab Barracuda Mobile Camouflage System is a state-of-the-art approach to signature reduction for personnel and vehicles on the twenty-first-century battlefield,”says John Lazar, VP and GM of International Programs, Oshkosh Defense. “We are proud to integrate this solution, which combines leading-edge camouflage innovation with the Oshkosh JLTV – the industry’s most advanced light tactical wheeled vehicle.”
Responding to customer demand
In 2015, Oshkosh Defense won the contract to supply the US Army with an initial 17,000 JLTVs. The Army is now negotiating a follow-on contract to supply an additional 15,000 vehicles, with Oshkosh a leading contender. There is also expanding interest in Oshkosh JLTVs internationally, with commitments from seven NATO and allied forces including, Belgium, Lithuania, Slovenia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Brazil, and Romania.
Photo: Oshkosh Defence
Wherever you go in the world, the battlefield is more transparent than ever been before. The number of sensors and the performance of sensors is growing exponentially.”
Niklas Ålund, Director Strategy and Business Development at Saab’s Business Unit Barracuda
Niklas Ålund says advances in sensor technology in recent years mean that armed forces are increasingly exposed, and effective signature management has become essential for all platforms. “Wherever you go in the world, the battlefield is more transparent than ever been before. The number of sensors and the performance of sensors is growing exponentially. To maintain a strategic advantage, armed forces need to invest in signature management.”
Niklas Ålund
Saab’s Barracuda unique Mobile Camouflage System relies on advanced blends of pigments, coatings, and designed materials to reduce the chances of detection by as much as 90 percent. Solutions can be tailored to counter sensors looking for ultraviolet, visual, near infrared, short-wave infrared, thermal infrared, and radar signatures.
Saab´s Barracuda Mobile Camouflage System
JLTV and beyond
“We are working on integrating MCS systems for both woodland and urban environments.”
Johan Stjernfeldt, Head of Marketing and Sales at Business Unit Barracuda
Johan Stjernfeldt, Head of Marketing and Sales at business unit Barracuda, says following the agreement, work has begun on two Barracuda MCS integrations for JLTVs. “We are working on integrating MCS systems for both woodland and urban environments.
Interest in MCS is growing across NATO, Europe and within the US Department of Defense. Many US allies already have the MCS system in use on their existing land vehicle platforms—expanding this offering to include the light, medium and heavy platforms of Oshkosh Defense is an exciting growth opportunity for Saab.”
Johan Stjernfeldt
While the initial focus of cooperation is around the Barracuda MCS and Oshkosh JLTV, the agreement also has scope for Saab to provide other products for integration into Oshkosh vehicles.
The proven quality and range of technology in the various Saab business units paired with the Oshkosh Defense current and prospective user communities suggests there will be increased collaboration between the two companies. The modular approach to mission system integration by Oshkosh Defense is to assure its customers that their preferred new or legacy systems will operate seamlessly on their Oshkosh vehicle.
Some examples of Saab products that could potentially be suitable for integration include MSHORAD systems, CBRN systems and medical solutions.
Johan Stjernfeldt says there are a range of similarities between Saab and Oshkosh beyond being market leaders, and these lay a solid footing for collaboration going forward. “Oshkosh Defense and Saab are committed to serving our customers, carrying out business to the highest standards of ethics and compliance, and providing continued focus on latest technologies to keep our global warfighters safe and returning home.”
Horses and Swords of Lightning: the Book of ODA 595
October 7th, 2022September 11th is a date widely – and rightly – recognized in the US. It is also observed (sometimes celebrated) by other nations and n0n-state actors.
Less well known are the late October dates when the men of ODA 595 put boots on Afghanistan ground to begin working with the Northern Alliance. Happily, a new book provides a first person account of that operation.
Swords of Lighting
David Reeder, reporting for SolSys LLC.
That anniversary is coming up fast. If you’re interested in knowing more about the mission, check out Swords of Lightning, the (tacitly) official account of the Horse Soldiers. This is not the story made famous by Hollywood.
[12 Strong is]..gripping, symbolic, and, according to the advertising and hoopla, based on a true story.
Except, no.
Then-Captain Mark Nutsch, the commander of ODA 595 on that mission), contributed to that book in partnership with then-CWO2 Bob Pennington (Assistant Detachment Commander), and author Jim DeFelice. It is a first person account rendered by and about some of the first SOF and OGA units deployed to Afghanistan after the attacks of 9/11.
GW Ayers, COO of Rainier Arms Firearms Academy with Mark Nutsch, one of the authors of Swords of Lightning. Nutsch was a guest speaker at Triggrcon 2022.
Nutsch spoke to a packed audience last night at Triggrcon 2022, discussing a wide range of topics from the mission, the book, and some of the Horse Soldiers’ more recent missions, including the recently launched charity Badger Six (named in memory Johnny “Mike” Spann) and his involvement in The Pineapple Express (q.v.).
Triggrcon’s Jim Lambert with Mark Nutsch, Swords of Lightning, and a bottle of Horse Soldiers bourbon.
Here’s an excerpt from…
Swords of Lighting
A rocket-launching truck appears amid a pack of Soviet-era tanks and armored personnel carriers in the Afghan mountains…Just when all seems lost, American Green Berets on horseback brave a hail of bullets and ride into the enemy position, firing shots at breakneck speed with an accuracy that would make John Wayne weep. Dodging bullets to the left and RPGs to the right, the SF soldiers overwhelm the armored column…clearing the way for an unparalleled victory of man and horse over machinery and evil. Martial music swells..
It’s a great scene, roughly the climax of the movie 12 Strong, ending the Taliban’s reign as protectors of Islamic terrorism. It’s gripping, symbolic, and, according to the advertising and hoopla, based on a true story.
Except, no.
There was a massive battle, and the good guys did win, but it didn’t happen that way.
Swords of Lightning (swordsoflightning.com), was written by is available in a variety of formats (including the old-fashioned paper ones).
Triggrcon staffer Shawn Johnston with Nutsch – and a bottle of Horse Soldiers Bourbon .
DRW
Blackhawk’s Rodman, Halbert Take Second at Tactical Games Panthera
October 7th, 2022VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – October 5, 2022 – Blackhawk®, a leader in law enforcement and military equipment for over 20 years, congratulates Blackhawk tactical athlete Zach Rodman and teammate Jared Halbert on their second-place finish in the Men’s Elite division at the Tactical Games Panthera in Old Fields, West Virginia.
Eighty-five total teams plus 25 individuals competed at the Tactical Games Panthera, with 48 teams competing in the Men’s Intermediate, Tactical, Master’s and Elite divisions. The team format gives competitors a unique opportunity to leverage their teammates’ strengths as well as a unique challenge to overcome weaknesses as they carry weights, shoot through courses of fire and navigate obstacles.
“It was a great event and the pieces really fell into place for me and Jared,” Rodman said. “Having gear you can always rely on is critical in the Tactical Games, and I think the T-Series and Foundation Tac Nylon gear do a great job of keeping my sidearm secure and accessible in addition to keeping me mobile.”
Rodman, a 15-year veteran of the Kokomo, Indiana, police force and SWAT team, equipped himself throughout the competition with Blackhawk’s T-Series® L3D holster as well as best-in-class Foundation Series Tac Nylon gear, including lightweight plate carrier, belt and pouches. Halbert, owner of The Tactical Games and seven-time Tactical Games Men’s Elite winner, ran the T-Series L2C holster.
Rodman’s next competition will be the Tactical Games National Championship taking place November 4-6 at the Texas Shooting Academy in Florence, Texas.
Watch this video to learn more about how Rodman utilizes Blackhawk’s Foundation Series plate carrier throughout the Tactical Games.
