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Soldiers Test New Army System to Increase Command Post Mobility

August 8th, 2021

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. — Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), conducted a Command Post Modernization Operational Assessment July 22-26, at the Kinnard Mission Training Complex on post.

Command Post Integrated Infrastructure, better known as CPI2, is a major modernization line of effort. It integrates emerging technologies and capabilities with mobile mission command platforms and command post support vehicles as a means of increasing agility and improving survivability on the battlefield.

“CIP2 will help units succeed in combat by providing mobility of the command post and getting after the signature aspects, like the electromagnetic and physical signature by reducing the number of vehicles and providing the workspace for units to be successful in their mission set,” said Lt. Col. Jeremy Rogers, product manager for CPI2.

The previous program that CPI2 is attempting to replace typically took between four and eight hours to set up and displace, says Rogers. The goal is to reduce this time down to approximately 30 minutes.

Utilizing this program has knocked placement and displacement times down to between an hour and an hour and a half, approximately 80% faster than before. This is done by reducing the footprint that the tactical command post, or TOC, normally creates.

“The TOC tents that we were used to in the past were a large footprint,” said Staff Sergeant Michael Prater, an operations and plans Noncommissioned officer for 3 BCT and battle NCO for the operation. “This is a more mobile, smaller, diverse footprint that creates a better way of getting into the fight and getting out of the fight.”

Prater’s focus, as the operational NCO, has been teaching the Soldiers, officers and other NCOs of his unit how to use, set up and tear down the equipment, focusing on increasing efficiency over time.

Being more mobile enables Soldiers to move, shoot and communicate with the efficiency they need to accomplish the mission. So far, other units that have tested this innovative system include, 2nd Stryker BCT, 2nd Infantry Division; and Headquarters, 4th Infantry Division, each with different command post configurations.

“As we take the unit feedback from both of our operational assessments, it will help inform not only our future requirements, but the baseline of the command post moving forward,” said Rogers.

Spc. Lance Lee, brigade air defense valve management systems operator for HHC, 3 BCT, says that CPI2 makes his life a lot easier because he is able to fall in on a pre-made shelter with network connectivity ports already allotted to him, eliminating time previously spent searching for a spot on the switch.

“CPI2 is a valuable asset for us because we’re able to fall in on an experimental software location where we can try new ideas, and essentially game plan to create new ways for us to affect the fight for the brigade commander,” said Lee. “I serve in the Army to make a difference, to innovate, and to get out there and try to find a new solution to currently existing problems. If I can be at the forefront of finding something that can affect the fight for the future, then I will be.”

By SPC Andrea Notter, 40th Public Affairs Detachment

Posted in Army, Comms, Guest Post | 10 Comments »

SOD – S.P.01 Shorts

August 7th, 2021

I received a note from Max at SOD. It’s always great to hear from him, particularly considering how hard Italy was hit with COVID-19.

How are you? Here it’s HOT! We are melting down… this summer is very tropical… and what better way to deal with than by wearing shorts?

Here is what our SF troops are wearing around the world! We have added US WOODLAND CAMO… original from the US… like the MultiCam Crye Original of course!

Max, you had me at shorts. Woodland Camo is just the icing.

So here they are, the SOD S.P.01 shorts. They features classic SOD styling with dual slotted buttons at the top of the fly , wide belt loops, and angled pocket placement for ergonomics.

They are offered in several camouflage patterns and solid colors.

Get yours at www.sodgear.com/product/series/sp01

Posted in Advertiser, Clothing, International, SOD | 4 Comments »

British Army Seeks New Special Operations Brigade Rifle

August 7th, 2021

Earlier this year the UK Ministry of Defence announced the formation of a “Ranger Regiment” which will be the core of a new Army Special Operations Brigade.

One interesting feature of this new unit is that it will not be issued the SA80 bullpup pattern L85A3 currently standard issue for UK forces. Instead, the MOD has issued a tender for a “Armalite Rifle (AR) platform Alternative Individual Weapon (AIW) System.” Sure, it’s a new rifle for the Bristish Army, but this isn’t as big of an issue as some might claim, considering certain UK Special Forces units already use several alternative rifles and the Royal Marines have adopted the Colt Canada C8.

The AIW system will consist of:

1. A Rifle System (comprising of a Rifle and Signature Reduction System); and

2. An Optic System

The AIW system will be a 5.56mm Armalite Rifle (AR) platform, optimised for use with L15A2, a 62gr 5.56×45 NATO ball round, equivalent to SS109. For the purposes of this tender, an AR platform is defined as being gas operated with a rotating, locking bolt.

The rifle should have a non-reciprocating charging handle.

The rifle’s controls are to include: a magazine release, working parts release and a rotating selector lever that incorporates a safe setting.

The rifle is to have a standard configuration, not bullpup, with the magwell in-front of the trigger housing.

The rifles upper and lower are to be mated using industry standard pivot / takedown pins located at the front and rear of the lower receiver.

Signature Reduction System: The Signature Reduction System is to be detachable, to enable the operator to configure the Rifle System to meet operational requirements.

Optic System: The Optic system is to complement the Rifle and should be ballistically matched to the stated ammunition nature and supplied barrel length.

Offerors, which are referred to as Economic operators, may only submit a Rifle System from one OEM and an Optic System from one OEM. The Rifle and Optic do not have to be the same OEM.

This is a relatively short notice tender. Economic operators only have until 18 August to submit their basic proposals. The MOD will then evaluate proposals and select a maximum of six Economic operator systems to evaluate with a minimum quantity of 88 and maximum quantity of 528 AIW per type.

The MOD states that anticipated delivery of the trial AIW Systems to a UK MOD Location is required by December 2021 or March 2022 at the latest.

One successful economic operator will be awarded a contract for the Rifle and One successful economic operator will be awarded a contract for the Optic. This could be the same economic operator being awarded the contracts for the Rifle system and Optic system to enable the Authority to procure the Full Operational Capability (FOC) circa 3,000 systems with options for the Total Fleet Requirement circa 10,000 Systems for a period of 10 years.

Posted in Contracts, International, Optics, weapons | 16 Comments »

AFSOC Stands Up New Mission Sustainment Team at Cannon AFB

August 7th, 2021

CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. —

A new unit has been generated on base in support of mission readiness and efficiency. Mission Sustainment Team 1 is a group of individuals with diverse skill sets selected from the 27th Special Operations Mission Support Group, with the intent that they will cover and provide every asset required to sustain livable conditions in austere locations for an extended period of time.

The Mission Sustainment Team concept provides a way forward in building small, scattered teams capable of operating independent of main operating bases – a focus area highlighted by Lt. Gen. Jim Slife, Air Force Special Operations Command commander, during his 2021 Special Operations Forces Imperatives Forum earlier this year.

“This idea is not new or unique to the Air Force as a whole, but it is to the Air Force Special Operations Command,” said Senior Master Sgt. John Spencer, 27 SOMSG, Detachment 1 MST 1 team lead. “AFSOC is used to providing for the operators for a short duration, but something like this has never been done before in this Major Command.”

AFSOC currently does not have an on-demand capability to provide and sustain a livable environment in areas without pre-established facilities. To fix this issue, the MST consists of Airmen from different MSG specialties, and trains them all on necessary expeditionary functions.

“We are taking roughly 60 people from different shops in the MSG and making them work together to create livable conditions for a base worth of personnel,” Spencer said. “We have to try these things, see where they fail, then learn from our failures and do it better the next time.”

There are many unknowns surrounding the MST, as with any new unit. The team hopes to benefit from these unknowns however, documenting their experiences and applying the lessons learned to ultimately teach and train those who follow in the future.

The team had the opportunity to test themselves recently in an Operational Readiness Exercise. Select individuals from Cannon AFB were involved in a mock deployment to an austere location and required support from MST 1. This entirely new scenario helped participants as it was an ideal testing ground for the capabilities of sustained support for multiple personnel.

Within a limited resourcing environment, MST 1 gives AFSOC the ability to enable the larger joint force with unique capabilities; things that no one else can do.

The opportunities to blaze new trails are plentiful for MST 1. As the first of its kind in AFSOC, there is no manual or guidebook to follow. Instead, the team will take the knowledge and practices of similar groups in other MAJCOM’s and tailor them to their needs.

During the 2021 SOF Imperatives Forum, Slife spoke on the necessity for the development and continuous acceleration of SOF and AFSOC forces, including those a part of MST 1.

“The standards of yesterday were applicable to yesterday,” Slife said. “The question is, what are the standards of tomorrow and how do we build the force we need, to be most effective in the future? Our competitive advantage will continue to be the men and women who make up our formation, but the challenge for leadership is ensuring… those men and women in AFSOC know that they are relevant to the nation.”

Not many in support roles have the opportunity to see how their work directly affects the mission downrange. The work of this new unit provides Airmen a tangible link between their efforts and the final product, something that boosts morale while transforming them into a team of lethal, multi-faceted Airmen.

“It brings me real joy to see how folks who, before joining this group, had never worked with a services Airman, and then see them training on a field kitchen three days later,” Spencer said. “This is what I like to do. I like building teams, being out in the field, and doing what the Air Force trained me to do in defending airfields. Seeing all this [come together] from my personal perspective is unique and amazing. It also helps the Air Force as a whole as it takes someone from their regular unit for a while, and then returns them 100% better than when they left because they got to learn all the things they would normally never do.”

MST 1 may be new, but they have their work cut out for them. Providing support for active personnel at austere and un-furnished locations is no easy feat, but it means the work done by MST 1 will be vital in helping similar units in AFSOC for years to come.

Story by Senior Airman Christopher Storer, 27th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs

Photos by Senior Airman Vernon R. Walter III

Posted in Air Force, Forces Focus, Guest Post, SOF | 2 Comments »

Hard Medication Case from CRO Medical

August 6th, 2021

Made in Montana, the CRO Hard Medication Case features:

• Lid retention for syringes

• Hard case design with tether attachment point

• Velcro dots for vial retention

• Loop field for vial placement

• External hook tape for kit integration

L8.5″ x W1.5″ x H3″

www.cromedicalgear.com/products/medication-case-hard

Posted in Medical | 2 Comments »

USMC PFT Update for Calendar Year 2022

August 6th, 2021

In 2020, the Marine Corps adopted the plank as an alternative to crunches for the annual Physical Fitness Test (PFT) as a means to measure core stability, strength, and endurance while reducing risk of injury. For PFTs conducted in 2022, Marines will still have the option to conduct the plank or the crunch just as in 2021, with slight scoring adjustments. The plank will be mandatory in 2023, replacing the crunches as an authorized PFT exercise.

For decades, the Marine Corps has used sit-ups and crunches to both improve and assess abdominal endurance. However, research has shown that sit-ups and crunches with the feet restrained require significant hip flexor activation. This has been linked to an increased risk of injury, including lower back pain due to increased lumbar lordosis.

The plank presents numerous advantages as an abdominal exercise. The plank’s isometric hold requires constant muscle activation, activates almost twice as many muscles as the crunch, and has been proven to be most reliable in measuring the true endurance required for daily activity function. With increased core strength, Marines are less likely to experience injury or fatigue during functional tasks like hiking, lifting and low crawling.

The new time for the maximum score will 3:45, reduced from 4:20. The time for the minimum score has also been adjusted, increasing from 1:03 to 1:10.

For more information and resources, including a four-week core strength training plan, visit www.fitness.marines.mil and reference MARADMIN 404/21 at www.marines.mil/News/Messages/Messages-Display/Article/2719680/forthcoming-changes-to-the-physical-fitness-test.

Direct link to the Plank Progression Program: www.fitness.marines.mil/Portals/211/Cache/Plank%20Progression_Wk1-Wk4

Posted in Guest Post, Profession of Arms, Training, USMC, Warrior Athlete | 4 Comments »

Air Force Says “Bye-Bye Superintendents, Hello Senior Enlisted Leaders”

August 6th, 2021

When I transferred from the Army to the Air Force in the late 90s I was struck by how deeply commercial business practices had infiltrated the air component. There was Total Quality Management and references to the “corporate Air Force” along with a slew of other tells.

One of the most subtle points remained long after I had retired. It is how enlisted personnel are categorized. They are referred to as a “helper,” “apprentice,” “journeyman,” “craftsman,” or “superintendent” depending on their skill level.

This spilled over into duty titles and it struck me as odd that the senior NCO in a Flight was referred to as a Superintendent even in the ground Combat units I was assigned to. I think it undermined, at least on some level, the concept of enlisted leadership, replacing it with a civilian management title.

But lo and behold, with a simple memo, the Air Force has done away with the duty title of “Superintendent,” replacing it with “Senior Enlisted Leader” for senior NCOs at the Detachment, Squadron and Group levels. Hopefully, other duty titles will change as well to reflect the significant role the incumbent is expected to fulfill.

A lot is broken in the Air Force’s enlisted promotion system and its associated trouble with growing leaders, but this is a good start at making amends. The title is now Leader and they need to put leaders in those jobs. It’s time to focus on the mission and subordinates instead of the “what’s in it for me” mentality created by WAPS.

Posted in Air Force, Profession of Arms | Comments Off on Air Force Says “Bye-Bye Superintendents, Hello Senior Enlisted Leaders”

See SureFire at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market

August 6th, 2021

Posted in Advertiser, Outdoor Retailer | Comments Off on See SureFire at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market