We’re always on the lookout for new products and makers and one of the best places is Instagram. Recently, we ran across this striking image from @grands_ducs_illustrations with this inscription:
“Tout comme il faut du feu pour forger une lame, il faut une flamme pour faire subsister l’âme.”
-Nicolas Robert
For those of us who don’t speak French, it means “Just as it takes fire to forge a blade, so it takes a flame to sustain the soul.”
Be sure to check out their other work as well.
Vests, love them or don’t, let’s agree they take up minimal room when packed and provide optimal performance when worn; making them a must-have cross functional piece.
Continuing to build on a core assortment for the Special Operations end-user, the newly added MLX Vest – MDWi from SITKA Arrowhead provides the optimal balance between warmth, weight and durability, without restricting mobility.
An active insulation mid-layer piece utilizing Polartec® Alpha® Direct insulation, the MLX Vest – MDWi (Midlayer Vest – Midweight Insulated), weighs in at a mere 8oz and can be compressed down to the size of a 16oz ‘Tall Boy’ beer can.
Taking up minimal room when packed and providing optimal performance when worn, makes it a must have cross functional piece when loading your Recce Ruck or Assault Pack for operations, or even within your EDC Bag when conducting administrative travel.
Utilizing Brookwood AEROLITE H600 30d Nylon ripstop face fabric creates a lightweight, durable façade with a mechanical stretch that allows for movement focused fit. Combined with Polartec® Alpha® Direct Insulation it provides warmth even when wet and dry’s fast.
Features:
• Wet Weather Jacket Compatible – allowing vest to be functionally worn as insulation with a Wet Weather Protective Jacket
• Full Zip Center Front Closure – enhancing ventilation when mobile and the ease of donning and doffing
• Left Chest Zip Pocket – allowing for the secure carriage of mission essential items
• Lower Torso Hand Pockets – allowing for the convenient and secure carriage of mission essential items
• TAA Compliant and available in Black, Lead and Coyote
Find your nearest dealer here.
DETROIT — In an historic first, U.S. Army Soldiers integrated a Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) surrogate into the opposing force during a recent rotation at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, Louisiana, in September. This event enabled the Army to gain valuable insight in how best to utilize robotic vehicles in combat and furthered its ongoing Campaign of Learning around RCV development.
During the exercise, Soldiers from the 1st Battalion (Airborne), 509th Infantry — known as Geronimo — used two Project Origin vehicles (RCV surrogates) in a simulated battle with the 3/101st (Air Assault). The Origin vehicles are an Army Development Command (DEVCOM) Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC) prototyping effort and provides the Army with the ability to conduct rapid technology and autonomous behavior integration that Soldiers assess during multiple touchpoints each year.
While on-site engineers and technicians collected technical data, the Soldiers in the field further validated the combat benefits of adding robots to a manned-unmanned teamed formation and identified new capabilities desired for the next Project Origin Soldier operational experiment.
“With these units, the human survivability rate increases significantly,” explained Sergeant First Class Eugene Lackey (Pathfinder Company). “This system allowed us to close with and destroy the enemy safely from a distance. It [also enabled] us to the find the enemy before he could find us. It is a great tool and I wish we could have it for little bit longer to really see how we can change the way wars are fought.”
The feedback from Geronimo Soldiers adds to the Army’s growing library of information on the use of robots.
“Project Origin’s key competency is its ability to collect Soldier feedback and technical data, use this information to rapidly iterate both its software and physical payloads, and evaluate the changes in relevant tactical environments,” said Todd Willert, Project Origin project manager at GVSC. “The lessons learned during Project Origin experiments directly support the development of the Robotic Combat Vehicle and the Army’s forthcoming Ground Autonomy Software, user interfaces (Warrior Machine Interface), and modular architectures.”
GVSC and the Army’s Next Generation Combat Vehicles Cross Functional team, both based at the Detroit Arsenal in Michigan, and the Army Capability Manager-Infantry Brigade Combat Team (ACM-I), based in Georgia, worked together to integrate the Project Origin platforms into the JRTC rotation.
“JRTC stressed the systems to their breaking points, allowing us to identify problems that would undoubtedly arise in the future,” said MAJ Cory Wallace, RCV lead for NGCV CFT.
During the exercise, the Soldiers and the robots also endured a tropical storm, further adding to its complexity.
Among the highlights of the exercise, the Geronimo force used the Project Origin platform to block a key intersection for 36 hours, an effort that benefitted from Origin’s low heat signature while conducting long hours of battery-powered “silent watch.” In addition, Geronimo used the project Origin vehicles to deny helicopter landing zones and conduct route reconnaissance. Using the robots to conduct these operations – the two platforms were controlled by four operators and an NCO – allowed the Soldiers who would have been assigned those tasks to be assigned different missions.
“This validated the notion that if we assign the dumb, dirty, dangerous missions to the robots, we can re-assign our Soldiers to the high-priority complex missions and tasks,” Wallace said.
The Army has additional Soldier Touchpoints, with Project Origin and other RCV platforms, scheduled throughout 2022 as it prepares to make future decisions on the potential acquisition of RCVs.
By Dan Heaton
Ripley: The original action girl. Don’t let ’em forget.
The Royal Marines are a maritime-focused, amphibious light infantry unit that can deploy on short notice to support the United Kingdom Government’s military and diplomatic objectives worldwide. They are designed for highly maneuverable operational situations. The Corps provides lead element expertise for the NATO Northern Flank and are optimized for high altitude operations as the United Kingdom Armed Forces’ specialists in cold-weather combat.
The Royal Marines were formed to serve as the infantry of the Royal Navy. On 28 October 1664, the first unit of what would become the Royal Marines was formed. The Duke of York and Albany’s Maritime Regiment of Foot was renamed the Admiral’s Regiment after the Duke of York and Albany’s Maritime Regiment of Foot was disbanded. In 1672, the title ‘Marines’ first appeared in records. The Marine Regiments were then disbanded and re-established whenever the United Kingdom’s overseas colonies were threatened. His Majesty’s Marine Forces were established in 1755 and placed under Admiralty authority at Chatham, Plymouth, and Portsmouth. For many years after that, the Marines were connected with these communities. They were given the title Royal Marines by George III in 1802. The Royal Marines engaged in the ill-fated Gallipoli landings during World War One. The Royal Marines fought in several battles on the Western Front. During the conflict, the Royal Marines were awarded five Victoria Crosses.
The Royal Marines fought against the Chinese in the two opium wars, the Crimean War and the Boxer Rebellion in China during the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812. The Royal Marines engaged in the ill-fated Gallipoli landings during World War One. The Royal Marines fought in a number of battles on the Western Front. During the conflict, the Royal Marines were awarded five Victoria Crosses. The Royal Marines’ artillery and infantry units were combined in 1923 to become the Corps of Royal Marines. During World War II, the commando role so closely identified with the Royal Marines was developed. The Royal Marines commando groups that had fought in Norway, North Africa, and Dieppe were combined with the Army commandos. In 1943, the Special Service Brigade was formed, and the overall command structure was designated as the Special Service Brigade. During WWII, there were four Special Service Brigades, and the Royal Marines served in each of them. During the conflict, nine Royal Marines Commandos units were formed, ranging from 40 to 48 men.
During WWII, these commando battalions took part in numerous wars, including Italy, D-Day, and Antwerp.
During World War II, the Royal Marines received one Victoria Cross. The Army Commandos were abolished in 1946, leaving the commando function to the Royal Marines. The Royal Marines served in the Korean War, Malaya, Suez in 1956, Northern Ireland, and the Falklands War in 1982 after 1945. Together with the Parachute Regiment, the Royal Marines were regarded as the Task Force’s spearhead in the effort to expel Argentine soldiers from the Falkland Islands. The Royal Marines fought at Mount Kent, Mount Harriet, and Two Sisters before ‘yomping’ into Port Stanley after San Carlos Bay. In the Falklands, the Special Boat Service (SBS) played a major, if more hidden, role, successfully attacking a key Argentinean stronghold at Fanning Head, which overlooked San Carlos Bay. Since the Falklands War, the Royal Marines have served in the Balkans, Sierra Leone, East Timor, Afghanistan, and Iraq.
SCUBAPRO Sunday is a weekly feature focusing on maritime equipment, operations and history.
I was browsing around Duluth Trading Co the other day looking for a birthday gift for Tactical Fanboy and ran across the Victorinox Angry Beaver Knife.
Along with Brown scales, it features a pair of scissors, small blade, file, straight screwdriver, toothpick, tweezers and keyring. In addition to the angry beaver, the other side features the Duluth Trading logo.
I got quite a kick out of it, and while Tactical Fanboy isn’t getting one, someone else on my life is.
www.duluthtrading.com/victorinox-angry-beaver-knife-79294
ARLINGTON, Va. —
The Deputy Commandant for Information established the Information Development Institute, the IDI Portal and available learning and development resources for information technology, cyber and intelligence civilian Marines reflected in MARADMIN 457/21 released on Aug. 31.
Recruiting, developing and training top talent with the right skills needed to fight and win in the information environment is a top priority for DC I.
Since the inception of the program to the beginning of FY22, more than 350 individuals, stationed in the US and aboard, assigned to various units have leveraged resources available to refine their skills and capability in support of the Marine Corps Team.
“As described in the Force Design Annual Update, we need to seek new approaches in training and education that will serve as a force multiplier,” stated Lt. Gen. Matthew Glavy, Deputy Commandant for Information. “Success starts with people. Developing and managing talent is a top priority for the Marine Corps. Information Development Institute is just one way DC I is enabling our civilian workforce to learn the skills needed in support of Force Design.”
The IDI provides a program for continuous development of Marine Corps civilians who deliver information systems, services, and products critical to the Fleet Marine Force. In practice, the IDI provides a centralized one stop shop for training and education opportunities for all Information Civilian Marines at scale.
Within the IDI, information civilian Marines have access to a learning network to include the IDI Pluralsight learning platform, technical training, learning partnerships and learning opportunities.
The newly established learning network is comprised of the IDI Pluralsight learning platform enabling unlimited access to over 10,000 on-demand technology courses and skill-based learning content organized specifically for work roles.
“Information Development Institute is just one way DC I is enabling our civilian workforce to learn the skills needed in support of Force Design.”
Lt. Gen. Matthew Glavy, Deputy Commandant for Information
“The learning platform has provided me with the flexibility to participate in both lecture format training and practical labs without the restrictions of a rigid schedule or location. It is this flexibility, mixed with the short lessons, that let me continue to learn when there are lulls in my daily work,” said Andrew Kosakowski, Information Systems Security Manager assigned to Marine Corps Information Operations Center, DC I. “Overall, I believe this learning platform is a good resource for developing new, refreshing old, and retaining current technical skills I do not use daily.”
Also part of the learning network is Marine Credentialing Opportunities On-Line to supporting credentialing voucher support for IT and cybersecurity civilians.
The IDI learning network is a centralized platform, accessed via the MarineNet eLearning Ecosystem.
Learning experiences and partnerships within the IDI enables industry exchanges and rotational opportunities that encourage cross training. Additionally, the IDI enables collaboration with academic institutions to bring degree-based programs of instruction.
In support of certification and technical training in security, networking, and applications skillsets, IDI has partnered with Naval Information Warfare Center and General Services Administration to provide courses.
“Our IT, cyber and intel civilian Marines are vital to the mission at DC I and enabling the force to operationalize information as a warfighting function,” said Jennifer Edgin, Assistant Deputy Commandant for Information. “We value the diverse skills our civilian force brings to the team and I am proud that we can provide them access to additional training and opportunities to continue to equip them with the skills for the future.”
All IT, Cyber and Intel Civilian Marines who would like to request access to an IDI course or Pluralsight subscription should request via the link: portal.marinenet.usmc.mil/IDI, or email IDI_Team@usmc.mil.
The referenced published MARADMIN: 457/21 can be found at the following link: www.marines.mil/News/Messages/Messages-Display/Article/2759437/announcement-of-the-information-development-institute-idi-learning-resources-fo
By Maj Gregory Carroll, Headquarters Marine Corps
