Over the course of this winter, “The Originals” of 10th SFG(A) have conducted a wide variety of cold weather and mountaineering training both at their home base of Ft Carson, CO and in at various locations in Europe.
10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) Cold Weather Training
March 8th, 2020Congratulations D3
March 8th, 2020We are very happy for you and your new bride!
Nuclear Survival: What Are the Odds?
March 8th, 2020
This 1982 TV special on nuclear preparedness was produced by a local station in the Jacksonville, FL area. Co-hosted by longtime WJXT anchors Tom Wills and Deborah Gianoulis, the special covers the Freeze movement and city planning for an attack. There’s even a segment on Survivalists.
Watch the video at kaltura.uga.edu.
LMS Gear – Flannel in Inferno Red
March 7th, 2020
Last Man Standing Gear has introduced an Inferno Red version of their Flannel Shirt.
Made in Portugal from 250 gram Cotton flannel, these shirts feature the same pocket layout as the original Grey version.
You’ll get a standard flapped shirt pocket on the left side of the shirt and a small pocket with pen slot on the right which is accessible through the armpit of an armor vest. At the rear, just behind the seam on either side, are low-profile pockets which will accept a single 30 rd magazine. Additionally, midway down the front opening is a slot for sun glasses. The elbows are also patched with double fabric.
Offered in Small – XXXLarge.
Get yours at lmsgear.net/shop/LMSGear-Inferno-Red-Flannels.
The AFSOC Air-Ground team in action: How Precision Strike turned the tide of battle against ‘ISIS-K Pentagon’
March 7th, 2020
The aircrew of Spooky 41, an AC-130U “Spooky” gunship from the 4th Special Operations Squadron, was awarded medals for their role in a nine-hour mission over Nangarhar, Afghanistan. These medals included two Distinguished Flying Crosses and 12 Air Medals.
Maj. Wright, an Air Force Special Tactics officer, led a seven-man Special Tactics Team (STT) in support of the Army Special Forces company conducting the operation on the ground.
The following is his account of the mission from his perspective on the ground.
Vignette by Maj Jeffrey Wright, 24th Special Operations Wing (Air Force Special Tactics)
I served as the lead joint terminal attack controller and fire support coordinator for a major assault against a notorious Islamic State – Khorisan (ISIS-K) stronghold in Nangarhar, Afghanistan. This operation took place from 1 April through 6 April 2019, and the events below took place on the night of 3-4 April.
It would be inaccurate to describe this target as a village. Rather, this was a military installation literally dug into the side of the mountains, with a single path through which friendly forces could assault. The enemy consolidated their forces here in a warren of interconnected command and control nodes, operations centers, staging areas, and ‘on-base housing’ for ISIS-K leaders. This was no low-level commander and his men: this place was ‘ISIS-K’s Pentagon.’
I am aware of at least three previous assaults against this position that were quickly defeated by virtue of the enemy’s elaborate defense, high degree of training and commitment, and skillful application of firepower against friendly forces.
In my 20-plus years of training and experience in the art of attacking and defending ground objectives, I have seen few more formidable defensive positions – or ones more daunting to attack. I would have to reach for examples like Normandy, Iwo Jima or Hamburger Hill to appropriately convey the degree to which the enemy were prepared and ready for our assault.
The enemy stayed hidden until the assault force drew close. The result was an intense firefight where the lead elements found themselves under fire from not only all sides, but also three dimensions. The enemy had prepared apertures in floors and ceilings, and used barricaded shooters to devastating effect. By using networks of subterranean passageways, the enemy would re-appear behind our forces even after they’d cleared buildings.
Despite our numerical superiority, the situation was dire. From my support-by-fire position, I could do little to help. The safe evacuation of the growing numbers of wounded was up to my Special Tactics teammates in close-range gun battles with the enemy – literally fighting room-to-room. During the fight, the combat controller with the lead element of the assault force reached out for help, and got Spooky41 on the radio.
In short order, I heard the bark of the AC-130U’s guns. I distinctly remember wondering whether they were shooting at the right target, given the speed of their reaction – in 10 years as a JTAC, I’d never seen any kind of fire support as responsive. Sure enough, the first rounds were right on target – a good thing, because the enemy was so close to the assault force.
The enemy now had a problem on their hands. They had probably figured that their proximity to friendlies would mitigate our ability to bring fires to bear on them. Now, they were being heavily attacked by the AC-130U’s weapons.
The precise application of fires allowed friendly forces to establish a defensive perimeter and turn to the task of evacuating the wounded. The terrain prohibited the helicopter from landing, so they performed hoist lifts of the most critical patients. This entailed coming to a hover within machine gun range of dozens, if not hundreds, of enemy fighters keen to press home their advantage.
I watched this unfold with a sense that ‘this is how it happens…this is how aircraft get shot down.’ Yet, the enemy wasn’t able to get a single shot off as the patients were extracted, one by one. The reason there will be no memorials for three separate medical evacuation aircrews is because Spooky 41’s fires were so responsive and so precise that the enemy was effectively neutralized.
At least three members of my team were relaying information on two different nets in an effort to coordinate air and ground movement. Looking back, I am amazed that Spooky41 managed to track everyone so effectively. Even with my high degree of situational awareness as the man on the ground and with my degree of experience, I had a hard time keeping it all straight. At several points they were engaging different targets simultaneously and on different nets. I had one net in each ear – I watched and listened as they delivered salvo after salvo of fires with zero error.
A co-located teammate directed a few F-16 strikes during this time and I worked with Spooky41 to integrate the fires. It felt almost like a weapons school exercise, in that the degree of difficulty was so high and the number of assets so numerous that it far exceeded normal training scenarios.
I don’t know exactly how many of the wounded would have died without immediate medical evacuation, but I can say with certainty that the medical evacuation aircrew would have been among the casualties if it weren’t for the fires provided by Spooky 41.
I personally took fire the following day and the enemy’s expert gunnery put the bullets within arm’s reach. Had they been allowed to get a shot off at the MEDEVAC helicopters, we’d have lost aircraft. But again – after the initial gunshots and IED blast injuries, no further harm befell Americans or our Afghan allies that night.
Spooky 41’s legendary airmanship is the reason why – period.
I resolved that the first thing I would do upon getting back to Bagram was to seek each of them out and thank them for what they did for us that night. I’ve been to far too many memorials and seen far too many folded flags. I didn’t have to do that on this trip because instead of Americans giving their lives for their country that night, Spooky41 made the enemy die for theirs – on time, on target, and in the most complex environment I’ve ever seen – training, or combat.
1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
U.S. Air Force photo by SrA Joseph P. Leveille
TacJobs – Wounded Warrior Fellowship Program
March 7th, 2020Multiple Congressmen seek wounded warriors or medically retired veterans for two-year paid fellowships in various offices across the country.
To qualify, veterans must meet all of the following requirements: Honorably discharged, released from active duty within the last five years, terminal pay grades at or below E-5 or O-3, 20% or greater service connected disabilities (waived if you have a Purple Heart). Veterans who are in receipt of a 20-year or Temporary Early Retirement Authorization (TERA) retirement are not eligible for the program.
Interested veterans should go here.
DLA, DOD Partnership Provides Operational Meal Options
March 7th, 2020PHILADELPHIA, March 3, 2020 —
For 40 years, warfighters have feasted on the “famous” Meal, Ready-to-Eat. But thanks to a partnership between the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support Subsistence supply chain and the Department of Defense Combat Feeding Directorate, that is not the only individual combat ration available.
Today, there are several different types of individual rations with varying menu options to fuel the body for warfighters serving in traditional field locations, on the front line of an initial encounter and in locations with extreme temperatures.
As operational environments and warfighters’ physical demands change, so do the requirements that begin a ration’s life cycle.
“The service will determine that they need a specific ration to fulfill a specific need,” Harry Streibich, Subsistence Operational Rations division chief, said. “Then Natick [Department of Defense Combat Feeding Directorate] conducts research to test and develop a meal that meets the services operational and nutritional requirements.”
According to a representative from the Combat Feeding Directorate, the life cycle of an individual ration, can span a decade from concept to the field.
The MRE
“In general, most changes require from 24-36 months when you consider product development, nutritional analysis, accelerated storage and sensory evaluation, field testing with soldiers, Joint Service Operational Ration Forum (JSORF) review, technical data and procurement documents finalized and transitioned to Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support,” a Combat Feeding Directorate representative said.
Once the service approves the new ration, the Subsistence supply chain procures it.
“Individual rations are provided by three to four primary vendors who make the entrees and assemble the rations in-house,” Streibich said. “Through a network of subcontractors, the vendors provide the individual components of each ration.”
The MRE is the longest standing individual ration, and the most purchased ration from DLA.
“At the beginning of the year we buy at least 2.5 million cases of MREs,” Streibich said. “Based on usage we buy additional cases half way through [the year]. This year alone we are expecting to buy an additional 650,000 cases.”
Streibich said that for fiscal 2019, Subsistence bought $434 million of individual rations. Of that, the MRE represented $421 million, which represents 96 percent of all individual ration sales.
Dynamic needs, specialized options
For warfighters finding themselves in the initial stages of conflict, they have the option of the First Strike Ration – a compact, eat-on-the-move meal.
The FSR was created about 10 years ago, and Subsistence purchases approximately 60,000 cases each year, according to Streibich.
“It is a stripped down version of MRE that meets the immediate needs of the warfighter for the first 72 hours of battle,” Streibich said.
Another individual ration that units can request is the Modular Operational Ration Enhancement for warfighters operating in environments of extreme heat or cold, Streibich said. The MORE provides extra calories to account for strenuous activity in high altitude, cold weather or hot weather environments.
“This meal supplements the MRE, and provides higher calorie foods such as dehydrated items that will not freeze in colder climates such as in Alaska or Norway, “Streibich said.
Subsistence also provides rations for Warfighters with religious dietary restrictions.
The Troop Support rations team procures about 40,000 cases of Halal and 8,000 cases of Kosher meals to meet the yearly demand, Streibich said.
Global, dynamic readiness
Regardless of the warfighters’ mission, each individual ration is designed as a packaged, shelf-stable item intended to provide complete and balanced nutrition, the Combat Feeding Directorate representative said.
“These rations are typically used to sustain individuals during operations that prevent the use of organized food service facilities,” the Combat Feeding Directorate representative said. “They may be consumed continuously and exclusively for several days, or longer, based on mission requirements and logistics infrastructure within an area of operations.”
For more information about Operational Rations, visit DLA Troop Support’s Operational Rations web page.
By Alexandria Brimage-Gray
Knife, Combat, Multi-Tool Authorized For Army Survival Kits
March 7th, 2020
The Knife, Combat, Multi-Tool (NSN 1095-01-670-1865) has been authorized for US Army Aviation Survival Kits under CTA 50-900.
