Congratulations to Mr. David Geringer on his retirement after decades of service to the Army.
Mr. Geringer served 22 years as a Soldier, then began his civilian career as Assistant Product Manager, Soldier Clothing and Individual Equipment (SCIE), then served as Deputy Product Manager, SCIE and Supervisory Logistics Management Specialist for Headquarters, PEO Soldier.
Thanks for all of your hard work! Good luck on your second retirement.
Under development since the inception of ThruDark, the SF RAID Waterproof Trousers are coming next Fall/Winter.
Made in Italy from 3-layer waterproof Schoeller fabric, they contain an adaptive c_change membrane.
The SF RAID Waterproof Trousers are engineered to be worn over ThruDark’s current SF Charge trousers. The SF Charge’s pockets can be accessed via the YKK Aquaguard side zips of the SF RAID Waterproof Trousers.
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — Kombucha tea, a trendy fermented beverage, inspired researchers to develop a new way to generate tough, functional materials using a mixture of bacteria and yeast similar to the kombucha mother used to ferment tea.
With Army funding, using this mixture, also called a SCOBY, or symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast, engineers at MIT and Imperial College London produced cellulose embedded with enzymes that can perform a variety of functions, such as sensing environmental pollutants and self-healing materials.
The team also showed that they could incorporate yeast directly into the cellulose, creating living materials that could be used to purify water for Soldiers in the field or make smart packaging materials that can detect damage.
“This work provides insights into how synthetic biology approaches can harness the design of biotic-abiotic interfaces with biological organization over multiple length scales,” said Dr. Dawanne Poree, program manager, Army Research Office, an element of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, now known as DEVCOM, Army Research Laboratory. “This is important to the Army as this can lead to new materials with potential applications in microbial fuel cells, sense and respond systems, and self-reporting and self-repairing materials.”
The research, published in Nature Materials was funded by ARO and the Army’s Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The U.S. Army established the ISN in 2002 as an interdisciplinary research center devoted to dramatically improving the protection, survivability, and mission capabilities of the Soldier and Soldier-supporting platforms and systems.
“We foresee a future where diverse materials could be grown at home or in local production facilities, using biology rather than resource-intensive centralized manufacturing,” said Timothy Lu, an MIT associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science and of biological engineering.
Researchers produced cellulose embedded with enzymes, creating living materials that could be used to purify water for Soldiers in the field or make smart packaging materials that can detect damage.
These fermentation factories, which usually contain one species of bacteria and one or more yeast species, produce ethanol, cellulose, and acetic acid that gives kombucha tea its distinctive flavor.
Most of the wild yeast strains used for fermentation are difficult to genetically modify, so the researchers replaced them with a strain of laboratory yeast called Saccharomyces cerevisiae. They combined the yeast with a type of bacteria called Komagataeibacter rhaeticus that their collaborators at Imperial College London had previously isolated from a kombucha mother. This species can produce large quantities of cellulose.
Because the researchers used a laboratory strain of yeast, they could engineer the cells to do any of the things that lab yeast can do, such as producing enzymes that glow in the dark, or sensing pollutants or pathogens in the environment. The yeast can also be programmed so that they can break down pollutants/pathogens after detecting them, which is highly relevant to Army for chem/bio defense applications.
“Our community believes that living materials could provide the most effective sensing of chem/bio warfare agents, especially those of unknown genetics and chemistry,” said Dr. Jim Burgess ISN program manager for ARO.
The bacteria in the culture produced large-scale quantities of tough cellulose that served as a scaffold. The researchers designed their system so that they can control whether the yeast themselves, or just the enzymes that they produce, are incorporated into the cellulose structure. It takes only a few days to grow the material, and if left long enough, it can thicken to occupy a space as large as a bathtub.
“We think this is a good system that is very cheap and very easy to make in very large quantities,” said MIT graduate student and the paper’s lead author, Tzu-Chieh Tang.
To demonstrate the potential of their microbe culture, which they call Syn-SCOBY, the researchers created a material incorporating yeast that senses estradiol, which is sometimes found as an environmental pollutant. In another version, they used a strain of yeast that produces a glowing protein called luciferase when exposed to blue light. These yeasts could be swapped out for other strains that detect other pollutants, metals, or pathogens.
The researchers are now looking into using the Syn-SCOBY system for biomedical or food applications. For example, engineering the yeast cells to produce antimicrobials or proteins that could benefit human health.
The MIT-MISTI MIT-Imperial College London Seed Fund and the MIT J-WAFS Fellowship also supported this research.
This will come in handy for those of you working in a joint environment. Late last week, US Space Force issued a memorandum outlining the rank structure for their Guardians with an effective date of 1 February 2021.
E1 Spc1 Specialist 1
E2 Spc2 Specialist 2
E3 Spc3 Specialist 3
E4 Spc4 Specialist 4
E5 Sgt Sergeant
E6 TSgt Technical Sergeant
E7 MSgt Master Sergeant
E8 SMSgt Senior Master Sergeant
E9 CMSgt Chief Master Sergeant
E9 CMSSF Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force
You may address the junior enlisted specialist ranks as “Specialist.” Alternatively, you may use “Spec” or “Specialist” and the grade, as in “Spec4” like they used to do in the Army.
Sergeants are of course addressed as “Sergeant,” which can be used for TSgt and MSgt as well. TSgt may be also addressed as “Tech Sergeant” or “Technical Sergeant” although a MSgt may be only alternatively addressed as “Master Sergeant.” Interestingly, a SMSgt may be called “Senior” and a CMSgt “Chief.”
This convention is an interesting break in logic for Senior NCOs. Of course, in the late ’50s the Air Force was so enamored with the so-called “super grades” of E8 and E9 that they traded their Warrant Officers in for more of them. In fact, until 1995, Air Force enlisted rank insignia kept the MSgt and below visually distinct by only putting SMSgt and CMSgt stripes above the star. I guess in the mid-90s something finally made them give in and acknowledge MSgts as Senior NCOs. But I digress. I almost let you off by tiptoeing earlier around the fact that you can call a CMSgt just “Chief,” but you can’t call a MSgt just “Master.” Marinate in that one for awhile.
Having said all of that, there’s still no word on what USSF enlisted rank insignia will actually look like aside from this temporary CMSSF insignia.
Although Officer ranks were also mentioned in the memorandum, there is no difference from the Air Force, Army or Marines. Alas, USSF seems to have taken the Air Force’s lead and chosen to forego Warrants.
No matter what you are doing, you should have as many tools stacked in your favor or in your toolbox as you can to help back up your gauges and also make it easier on you. If all else fails, you can use your depth gauge and the depth around the target to find out where you are and where you need to go. It can be as simple as swimming with a reef on one side on the way out and the other on the way back.
Contour lines are used on charts and maps to represent the shape of the land and the ocean’s bottom. By using these lines, you can get a three-dimensional picture of what the bottom should look like. It is hard to overstate the importance of contours when it comes to navigating. This can also be said about using the background from the water looking towards the land as a form of contour navigation. Knowing things that can help you tell where you are, like the piers’ compass heading, what direction does it go. What will the background look like behind your target, even the silhouette of the buildings? The movement of the moon will be in front or behind the target. If you have to use contour navigation, what would that look like?
You can also use the direction of the waves to find your way back to shore (along shorelines, waves will usually move in the direction of the shore) or using the contours of the bottom to make sure you’re moving in the right direction.
Good navigation begins long before you get into the water. You and your dive buddy should do a target and map/chart study to become very familiar with the target and surrounding area. Valuable information about the site, its features, depths, currents, moon phases, and surrounding features will help build a good dive plan. Discuss constitutes for your profile and which safety precautions you’ll take and agree on a primary route—lastly, walking thru what the dive will be like and what to do if you are lost or come up to different points.
Search for landmarks so you can reset yourself. Distinct underwater features can be found, including coral formations, objects, or differences in the bottom contour. Make sure to note any insights that stand out, and make sure to document every detail. Use what you have learned from the harbor’s contour or where you are diving as you pass through one of the following thresholds: 10 feet, 15 feet, or 20 feet, also. How is the bottom running? Remember to look for landmarks also along your dive route. Follow the light, look for lights, and even the moon if it is out. Check the angle of the moon at the start of your dive or if it hasn’t come up yet, which way will it raise and try to confirm this when you begin your descent. Before you go under, if you are turtle backing, you can use the moon or stars to help you navigate, so you don’t have to look at your navigation board continually. Before I went to BUD’S, I was a boat guy, and I learned to use the stars and moon to help me navigate, many times in the water and on land; this helped because I didn’t always have to be taking my compass out to make sure I was going the right way.
Depending on your dive computer, some like the SCUBAPRO Galileo 2 (G2) allows you to store pictures, so you can store a route card or a picture of the bottom, you can look at what the bottom should be looking like or have a picture of other things around the target to help. The G2 can also be used as a navigation/ attack board. Lastly, don’t be afraid to slow down a little. There is no reason to rush to be further lost than you are. Stop, and come up with a plan and then work that plan.
ATHENS, Ala. – January 26, 2021 – Shoot Like A Girl has introduced a new look on the Shoot Like A Girl mobile shooting range tractor trailer for the 2021 Home of the Brave Tour. The new wrap displays the impressive list of sponsors on a TrueTimber Strata camouflage backdrop with accents of the notorious Shoot Like A Girl pink. The mobile shooting range trailer will make 20 stops across the country over the course of the tour, giving women nationwide the opportunity to learn, experience and practice using the state-of-the-art mobile shooting range. The Home of the Brave Tour is set to begin February 6 in Fort Myers, FL.
“We are thrilled to reveal the new truck wrap and we are really excited to see this truck hit so many destinations in 2021,” said Karen Butler, Founder and President of Shoot Like A Girl. “We want to say a special thank you to TrueTimber, JR Motorsports and Bass Pro Shops for helping us secure this amazing truck. We can’t wait to get it on the road to kick off our Home of the Brave tour.”
The Shoot Like A Girl mobile shooting range gives women ages 16 and older the opportunity to gain experience in handling and shooting handguns, longs guns and compound bows using advanced technology. Inside the mobile range, women are guided through a revolutionary introduction process, called the Test Shots™ and Test Flights™ by certified National Rifle Association instructors and archery coaches. Onsite, at the Shoot Like A Girl Gun Counter, people can also compare a variety of firearms including revolver’s, semi-automatic pistols, shotguns, and rifles from Shoot Like A Girl’s firearms partners. New and experienced shooter are invited to attend.
To see the list of tour locations, please visit ShootLikeAGirl.com/events.
For more information on Shoot Like A Girl and empowering women in the hunting and shooting industries, please visit ShootLikeAGirl.com. Additionally, fans are encouraged to follow Shoot Like A Girl on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube for news, instruction, information and much more.
Empowering Women in 2021
The Shoot Like A Girl experience is truly unique, giving women the opportunity to shoot a pistol, rifle and bow in a safe, controlled environment with the guidance of female NRA-certified instructors and archery coaches. In 2020, the tour included stops at Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s, conservation events
and corporate events—with several events having lines out the door and record numbers of attendees. Looking ahead to the 2021 Home of the Brave Tour, Shoot Like A Girl is anticipating continued momentum from the previous year. The tour will begin in early February, and a full event schedule is available online.
JOINT BASE LEWIS MCCHORD, Wash. – Advisors from 5th Security Force Assistance Brigade took part in an intensive test of their physical fitness and tactical expertise in the inaugural Tactical Advisor Readiness Program assessment at Joint Base Lewis McChord, Washington, Jan. 21, 2021.
“We trust teams, filled with great Non-Commissioned Officers, to build and sustain mastery of the fundamentals of combined arms warfare in garrison, so that these teams can operate alone as our ambassadors in foreign countries,” 5th SFAB Commanding General, Brig. Gen. Curtis Taylor said.
SFAB teams are designed to be highly-modular and independently deployable in configurations ranging from 4-12 personnel depending on the advisory function of the team such as logistics, communications, maneuver, medical, engineering or field artillery.
“The TARP is where we bring our teams together to compete against one another so that we can reward our very best and validate our training,” Taylor said.
The TARP event began at 6:30 a.m. on a dark and rain-soaked Vanguard Field where 5th SFAB NCOs like C Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th SFAB’s 1st Sgt. Anthony Fuentes, took on a challenging physical training event designed to test the stamina and strength of his team.
“I started an all-volunteer 5 a.m. team train up event the day we received the concept of operations for the TARP event,” Fuentes said. “We used the TARP CONOP as an objective and built our team mission statement with key tasks each team member had to hit for us to be successful.”
The day continued with a timed ruck march which led to an obstacle course; followed by multiple stations which included an SFAB Advisor knowledge test followed by lanes testing weapon assembly and disassembly, treating a casualty, operating tactical communications equipment, call for fire, and a lay out of all required equipment.
It was Fuentes team, Battalion Advisor Team 520, that outlasted the other teams from across the brigade at the end of the day.
“It’s hard to build a team when isolated in a hotel room during COVID-19 restrictions or during large scale exercises,” Fuentes said. “We just needed to focus on bettering each other, and this event allowed us to do that.”
The 5th SFAB will send its first teams into the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s Area of Operation in the coming weeks. This monthly TARP event becomes increasingly critical in preparing Advisors for a challenging operational environment.
“Across the formation today, I saw young sergeants leading their team in hard PT, shouldering the load when the litter got too heavy and serving as subject matter experts for their team on the communication lane.” Taylor said. “I have great confidence that these superb NCOs will represent our Army and our Nation with pride across the Indo-Pacific.”
One of these young sergeants was Sgt. April Mullins, a maintenance advisor and wheeled vehicle mechanic from 3rd Squadron, 5th SFAB.
“During the TARP event, I realized that while we are great as a team, we also need to know how to do things on our own when our teammates are absent,” Mullins said. “This really showed us that we need to train to know each other’s job as well as we know our own.”
This was part of the Commanding General’s intent during the development of this first TARP event, as Taylor emphasized that SFABs are built on a foundation of autonomy and accountability.
The task of putting this together, fell to 3rd Squadron, 5th SFAB Operations Sgt. Maj. Thomas Wrinkle.
“We modeled the event after an Expert Infantry Badge/Expert Soldier Badge/Spur Ride competition and included all of the units within 5th SFAB to execute,” Wrinkle said. “We chose events that would allow the teams to operate as a team and also test them as individuals.”
The winning team received recognition from Brig. Gen. Taylor and the 5th SFAB’s senior enlisted advisor, Command Sgt. Maj. Robert Craven at a ceremony later that day. The monthly winning team will also have their team’s achievement enshrined in unit folklore with their team number engraved on a unit trophy.
Until then, NCOs will continue to train their teams beginning with 90 minutes of hard PT every morning preparing for next month’s TARP event and any mission that lies ahead.
By MAJ William Leasure, 5th Security Force Assistance Brigade Public Affairs
I received this note the other day from longtime contributor MGySgt Paul Roarke (USMC, Ret) who has provided our monthly feature “Corps Strength” for the past decade.
“I think it’s probably a good time for me stop writing for SSD. I think I pretty much covered about everything I could in the last ten years. It has been a great run and I can’t thank you and your readers enough for their support over this time. I especially enjoyed the comments (especially the nasty ones LOL).
I will remain a daily reader of SSD and continue to recommend it to everyone, it’s a great site. So thanks again brother, take care and if I can do anything for you, let me know.
Like I always say:
Be Safe Always, Be Good when you Can
Semper Fi
Paul”
I want to thank MGunz for his contributions to our nation and to our tiny corner of the Internet.
May you and yours remain healthy, wealthy and wise.
-EG
