My friend LH took this over the weekend at the Polish Memorial to the Unknown Soldier in central Warsaw.
You Never Know Where They’ll Show Up
September 5th, 2017Task Force Dagger Foundation And East Carolina University Team Up To Explore Underwater WWII Sites
September 4th, 2017Task Force Dagger Foundation partners with East Carolina University’s Maritime Studies Program to explore and research WWII sites in the western Pacific.
Dallas, Texas (PRWEB) August 01, 2017
Task Force Dagger, a nonprofit organization that supports all U.S. Special Operations Command service members and their families, is joining forces with the East Carolina University Department of History’s maritime studies program to explore and research WWII underwater archaeological sites in the western Pacific.
Dr. Jennifer McKinnon investigates a Kawanishi H8K Japanese seaplane. (Photo by Jon Carpenter)
The maritime studies program has several faculty and staff that work on military-related and WWII archaeological sites all over the world.
Associate professor Dr. Jennifer McKinnon has been working on military sites in the Pacific for nearly 10 years. In partnership with Ships of Exploration and Discovery and the local community of Saipan, McKinnon developed the WWII Maritime Heritage Trail: Battle of Saipan in 2009. The heritage trail consists of nine underwater U.S. and Japanese sites in Saipan’s crystal-clear, tropical lagoons. The sites include amphibious vehicles such as landing vehicles and tanks, aircraft, and shipwrecks, all lost in the 1944 Battle of Saipan.
McKinnon said that the partnership with Task Force Dagger is a boon for continuing to research these sites. “Active military and veterans have an incredible firsthand knowledge of warfare, tactics and military material,” she said. “Their knowledge and experience has the potential to contribute so much to the research we are conducting in the Pacific. It really is a reciprocal relationship.”
Charles “Keith” David, managing director of Task Force Dagger and retired U.S. Army Special Forces, said the organization is looking forward to solidifying the collaboration through a memorandum of agreement and seeking grant funding for the project.
The Task Force Dagger Foundation will join McKinnon and the maritime studies program next summer in a special recreational therapy adaptive event that trains special operations command service members in scuba diving and underwater archaeology. The team will then travel to Saipan to continue locating and recording WWII underwater archaeological sites.
TFD is looking forward to the relationship with ECU and building a program through which veterans and active service members can train in archaeological methods and assist in future efforts to recover lost service members whose remains are still lost at sea
For more information about Task Force Dagger visit www.taskforcedagger.org. For more information about the WWII Maritime Heritage Trail visit www.pacificmaritimeheritagetrail.com.
Contact: Dr. Jennifer McKinnon, mckinnonje(at)ecu.edu, 252-328-6788
BE Meyers to Attend MSPO Expo In Kielce, Poland
September 4th, 2017
B.E. Meyers & Co. Inc. will be attending the 2017 MSPO EXPOSITION in Kielce Poland at the Targi Kielce Exhibition and Congress Centre on September 04 – 07.
Visit us and CENREX at MSPO booth ZC-9 to learn more about the IZLID, GLARE, and MAWL series of lasers, as well as some new and exciting products that are scheduled for release soon.
To connect with the B.E. Meyers & Co. team to schedule a meeting, please contact us at: sales@bemeyers.com.
The International Defense Industry Exhibition (MSPO) is one of the largest military equipment showcase events in Eastern and Central Europe. It features appearances from over 400 exhibitors spanning a wide range of defense sectors, and is attended by representatives from across the globe. Since 1993, the MSPO has promoted innovation in the defense industry, and is a hub for featuring new technology and applications.
US Navy Announces NWU Type III Wear Rules and Distribution Plan
September 4th, 2017Late last week, US Navy personnel received a welcome Labor Day gift with the publication of NAVADMIN 214/17, which updates the wear rules as well as the Fleet distribution plan for the Navy Working Uniform (NWU) Type III. The NAVADMIN also offers a list of approved boots Sailors can wear with the uniform.
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (Aug. 25, 2017) Lt. Cmdr. Jason Shell, left, executive officer of Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 2, discusses operational procedures with Lt. j.g. Mike Peribonio as part of the Navywide operational pause at EODMU 2 headquarters on Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek. EODMU 2 provides credible, combat-ready EOD forces capable of deploying anywhere, anytime in support of national interests. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Charles Oki/Released)
As you’ll recall, the Navy announced plans to transition from the NWU Type I, commonly known as Blueberries due to its distinct blue camouflage pattern said to be designed to hide stains common to shipboard life. Instead, the Navy is adopting the Type III which utilizes a Woodland camouflage pattern originally developed for use by USSOCOM and adopted by Naval Special Warfare as the AOR 2 pattern. The Navy also has an NWU Type II for desert use (below, left), which features the AOR 1 pattern. The NWU Type II is only used for deployments to the CENTCOM Area of Operations.
The 24-month Fleet fielding plan for the NWU Type III begins Oct. 1, 2017, and ends Sept. 30, 2019. However, the uniform is now available for purchase in Navy Exchange Uniform Centers at Newport, Rhode Island; Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; and at Navy installations in Europe, Africa and Southwest Asia.
Below is the Fleet distribution schedule for the NWU Type III:
* October 2017 – New accessions and Sailors assigned to commands at Recruit Training Command, Navy Officer Training Command and Navy Region Southwest
* January 2018 – Navy Region Southeast
* July 2018 – Navy Region Mid-Atlantic and Naval District Washington Region
* January 2019 – Navy Region Japan and Guam
* March 2019 – Navy Region Northwest
* June 2019 – NEXCOM uniform website and call center
* July 2019 – Other service exchange stores (i.e., Army and Air Force Exchange Service stores)
Naturally, manufacturing production rates could accelerate or delay uniform availability and would mean some adjustment to the implementation schedule. As it is, the Navy plans a relatively short transition period when both the NWU Type I and III will be authorized, with the Type III becoming the primary shore working uniform Oct. 1, 2019.
GULFPORT, Miss. (Aug. 13, 2013) Students fire M-4 carbines during a live-fire training exercise at the Center for Security Forces Learning Site. The course is designed to provide personnel with basic expeditionary combat skills training necessary to professionally and safely perform high-risk security operations when assigned to Navy Expeditionary Combat Commands. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Paul Coover/Released)
An interesting stipulation during the transition period is that Sailors can wear either the NWU Type I or NWU Type III until September 30, 2019, at the discretion of the unit commander or commanding officer (CO). The problem with this idea is that new Sailors won’t have the Blueberries after October of this year. It’s going to be difficult to tell Sailors to wear a uniform they weren’t issued and may not be able to purchase from the NEX due to limited availability of sizes.
Like the NWU Type I, the Type III is intended for wear ashore, in port and in environments that do not require special clothing (e.g., at sea, forward deployed during combat operations, areas requiring flame resistant uniforms) and when authorized as the uniform of the day. The NWU Type III may also be worn at sea for special events at the discretion of the CO.
While the NWU Type III will be issued to new recruits in Boot Camp, Enlisted Sailors already in the fleet will be required to purchase their own with their annual clothing replacement allowance which will increase beginning Oct. 1, 2017, and continue to expand in fiscal years 2018 and 2019. By law, commissioned officers are entitled to a one-time uniform stipend ($400) paid at the beginning of their careers. They’ll be buying their own as well.
The Navy also offers a Coyote fleece jacket as well as Type III pattern APECS Parka and Trousers for wear in inclement weather. However, according to the NAVADMIN, the older Black fleece jacket will remain the standard for this evening in the fleet.
NORFOLK (July 25, 2017) Electronics Technician 1st Class Gary Holton inspects an M2HB machine gun before Coastal Riverine Squadron 4 goes on an evening training patrol. CRS-4 is currently conducting a training cycle in preparation for a future deployment. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Patrick Enright/Released)
Additionally, Commands currently wearing the NWU Type III are authorized to issue a Coyote Command Ballcap which can be worn in lieu of the eight-point cover.
Finally, the Navy announced that 350 Sailors assigned to afloat units and shore installations are taking part in a three-month boot wear test to identify a replacement for the current NWU boot that is issued to Sailors. The completion of the boot study is expected by the end of this year. Be sure to review the NAVADMIN for a full list of alternative boots, authorized for wear with the NWU Type III.
US Army Paratroopers Testing Airborne Tactical Assault Panel
September 4th, 2017
The Airborne Tactical Assault Panel (ABN-TAP) rigging configurations. (Photo Credit: Photo courtesy of PEO Soldier)
Fort Bragg, North Carolina — For the first time since their inception, Army Airborne forces will soon be fielding a new fighting load system tailored to the paratrooper’s unique requirements.
“The Airborne Tactical Assault Panel (ABN-TAP) was developed with the paratrooper in mind and will allow the paratrooper a greater degree of comfort, mobility and safety during static line airborne infiltration operations,” said Rich Landry of the U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center laboratories in Natick, Massachusetts.
Rich Landry of the U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center laboratories in Natick, Massachusetts, demonstrates key design features included in the Airborne Tactical Assault Panel (ABN-TAP) based on Soldier input. (Photo Credit: Photo courtesy of Natick Research laboratories)
Typical Airborne troops say the legacy load carrier systems have some drawbacks.
Previous designs must be worn under the T-11 parachute harness, which is less than optimal because it does not allow for a proper fit of the main parachute harness, and moves the T-11 reserve activation handle further away from the paratrooper’s grasp.
ABN-TAP enables Soldiers to rig the fighting load under the parachute harness but below the reserve parachute.
Soldiers from the 57th Sapper Company, 27th Engineer Battalion, 20th Engineer Brigade, assemble the Airborne Tactical Assault Panel (ABN-TAP) during New Equipment Training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, before putting it through operational testing. (Photo Credit: Jim Finney, Combined Technical Services, Airborne and Special Operations Test Directorate, U.S. Army Operational Test Command)
“This will allow paratroopers to properly adjust the T-11 parachute harness to their specific sizing requirements and keep the T-11 reserve parachute handle well within reach,” said Sgt. 1st Class Ian Seymour, Test NCO from the Airborne and Special Operations Test Directorate (ABNSOTD) here.
The ABN-TAP design actually draws its lineage from the older Load Bearing System (LBE) used with the T-10 and MC1-1 parachute systems by paratroopers for decades.
Soon after the Global War on Terror began, all branches of the armed services rushed to modernize field equipment to meet the rigors of modern combat and allow for the constant presence of body armor, according to Mike Tracy, deputy test division chief at ABNSOTD.
“With the vest/plate carrier systems seeing overwhelming Soldier acceptance, the task of providing the paratrooper with a modern design compatible with current parachute systems is challenging to say the least,” Tracy said.
Paratroopers assigned to the 57th Sapper Company, 27th Engineer Battalion, 20th Engineer Brigade, Fort Bragg, N.C., practice “buddy rigging” the Airborne Tactical Assault Panel (ABN-TAP) at the 82nd Airborne Division Advanced Airborne School during New Equipment Training. (Photo Credit: Michael Zigmond, Audio Visual Production Specialist, Airborne and Special Operations Test Directorate, U.S. Army Operational Test Command)
The ABN-TAP bridges this gap by providing both new and old capabilities to the paratrooper.
Tracy explained that ABN-TAP allows not only for rigging under the parachute harness and reserve, but can be rapidly adjusted to serve as a “chest rig” design upon landing.
“Ground troops consider this to be the most efficient design under current operational conditions,” said Tracy.
“Operational testing using Airborne paratroopers, collects data which truly allows the Army to evaluate the suitability and safety of the ABN-TAP when worn during static line Airborne operations and follow-on missions,” Tracy said.
Before testing Soldiers participated in New Equipment Training (NET), which included familiarization with the system, fitting and proper rigging of the ABN-TAP with the T-11 parachute system.
Following NET, Soldiers conducted live parachute jumps from a C-17 high performance aircraft at 1,250 feet above ground level over Sicily Drop Zone here.
More senior Soldiers participating in testing were optimistic about the proposed rigging procedures.
“Having jumped the LBE system earlier in their careers, this proven rigging method signals a simple approach to a complex problem,” said Leon Price, senior ABNSOTD test officer.
“I think I benefitted personally by being a part of this,” said Spec. Aaron Adams, a Combat Engineer with the 57th Sapper Company, 27th Engineer Battalion, 20th Engineer Brigade. “I enjoyed participating in the testing because it allowed me to provide direct input into the test and I will get to see it once it is fielded to the Airborne force.”
“Any time Soldiers and their leaders get involved in operational testing, they have the opportunity to use, work with, and offer up their own suggestions on pieces of equipment that can impact development of systems that future Soldiers will use in combat,” said Col. Brad Mock, the director of all the Army’s Airborne testing.
Upon completion of testing, the ABN-TAP could potentially be issued to Army Airborne forces worldwide, signaling the first steps in modernizing the combat loads of thousands of paratroopers.
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The U.S. Army Operational Test Command is based at West Fort Hood, Texas, and its mission is about making sure that systems developed are effective in a Soldier’s hands and suitable for the environments in which Soldiers train and fight. Test units and their Soldiers provide feedback, by offering input to improve upon existing and future systems with which Soldiers will ultimately use to train and fight.
The Fort Bragg, North Carolina-based ABNSOTD plans, executes, and reports on operational tests and field experiments of Airborne and Special Operations Forces equipment, procedures, aerial delivery and air transportation systems in order to provide key operational data for the continued development and fielding of doctrine, systems or equipment to the Warfighter.
Fire Control Unit – X01 for the SIG P320
September 4th, 2017The EXO ONE (X01) is pretty slick. It takes advantage of the SIG P320 Fire Control Unit (FCU) as a plug-and-play component. This multi-caliber exoskeleton accepts the FCU, barrel, slide assembly, and magazine release and can be configured in 9x19mm Parabellum, .357 SIG, and .40 S&W by transplanting the corresponding P320 components (.45 ACP is in development, as the changes in magazine well dimensions require a specialized lower receiver).
It features a non-reciprocating charging handle locks the action open (the slide to the rear) with an upward motion when fully retracted. The action can then be released with a downward motion (akin to HK-style weapon systems). In addition, if the charging handle is in the forward position, the slide can be released via the FCU slide release during reload procedures. The X01 features three M-Lok slots near the muzzle for accessory and grip attachments. The upper receiver features a 19-slot milspec M1913 picatinny rail.
Like the SIG MCX and MPX, the rear of the lower receiver features a vertical M1913 Picatinny rail to accept SIG MPX/MCX buttstocks and arm braces.
MAPA Camo Clothing Equipment To Be Displayed At MSPO
September 4th, 2017
These are components of the “DROMADER” equipment system designed for Polish Territorial Army (Wojska Obrony Terytorialnej) that will be presented during MSPO trade show, this week in Kielce.
MAPA camo has also been applied to ballistic plates and holsters.
PGZ is Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa, the largest Polish defence company, which is state owned and sponsors this project with the Territorials.
Please Support The Family Of Cst Mark Neville
September 4th, 2017
I just received news of a tragic car accident which took the life of Constable Mark Neville and injured his wife and sons. Mark was a member of the RCMP and the friend of a friend which makes him family. I know this news is shocking and has hit a lot of people very hard. You all have our deepest condolences, especially his family.
His colleagues have started a Go Fund Me Page to help his family during this trying time. If you knew Mark please consider donating to this cause.
www.gofundme.com/cst-mark-neville
This is the note which I have been authorized to share.
“Eric…. It is with great sadness that I am writing to you to let our brothers-in-arms know that one of our snipers and cherished friend, Mark Neville, has sadly perished in a vehicle accident in British Columbia on September 2nd. While travelling with his wife and 2 young sons, another vehicle crossed the center line and impacted Mark’s truck. He succumbed to his injuries at scene. His wife and two sons survived the incident and are recovering in hospital. Words cannot describe what our team is feeling right now.
Growing up in Canada’s north Mark was the embodiment of an easy going, humble, hard working, salt of the earth farm boy. He put people at ease with his demeanour, would give you the shirt off his back, and truly loved being a Mountie. In short, a man and a father that we all hope our sons will become.
Mark worked and trained extensively over the years with a number of your readers. In support of his family we have established a site to help his sons and wife. It can be found at;
gofundme.com/cst-mark-neville
Best Regards, Corporal James McLeod, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Emergency Response Team
