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Ranger Whole Blood Program wins an Army’s Greatest Innovation Award

Wednesday, March 15th, 2017

(Photo Credit: 75th Ranger Regiment)

Yesterday, the Army Materiel Command recognized the 75th Ranger Regiment’s ROLO or Ranger O Low Titer Whole Blood Program as the individual military winner of the US Army’s Greatest Innovation Award at the Association of the United States Army Global Warfare Symposium in Huntsville, Alabama. The ROLO Program, developed in collaboration with international civilian and military providers of the Trauma Hemostasis and Oxygenation Research, or THOR, Network, was created to bring emergency blood transfusions from the hospital to the field.

Under the program, unit members with O-type blood are identified, and then tested for IgM titers to determine potential donors to be used as the POI, or Point of Injury. Due largely to the efforts of Lt. Col. Andre Cap, Chief of Blood Research at the Army Institute of Surgical Research, and Lt. Col. Jason Corley, Deputy Director of the Army Blood Program, the ROLO Program has been fully implemented at the unit level in just 18 months.

For more information on the US Army’s Greatest Innovation Award Program, visit www.amc.army.mil/amc/agiap.

Original Story: www.army.mil/article/184219/Ranger_Whole_Blood_Program_wins_an_Army_s_Greatest_Innovation_Award

Tags: US Army
Posted in Medical | 3 Comments »

A 3D-Printed Grenade Launcher? Meet RAMBO

Monday, March 13th, 2017

(U.S. Army photo by Sunny Burns, ARDEC)

The RAMBO or Rapid Additively Manufactured Ballistics Ordnance, is a 3D-printed grenade launcher developed as a collaborative effort between the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command; the U.S. Army Manufacturing Technology Program; and America Makes, the national accelerator for additive manufacturing and 3-D printing.

(U.S. Army photo by Sunny Burns, ARDEC)

The RAMBO, and the 3D-printed round it fires, is the result of a project to “demonstrate the utility of AM [Additive Manufacturing] for the design and production of armament systems.” Rather than try to determine if AM/3D-printing could result in less-expensive or superior manufacturing, the researchers wanted to test the validity of AM/3D-printing technologies in building a weapon system, as well as if the properties of the materials were robust enough for a functioning weapon system.

(U.S. Army photo by Sunny Burns, ARDEC)

RAMBO has proven itself initially successful: every component of the launcher, save the springs and fasteners, was developed using AM techniques and processes. The barrel and receiver were fabricated from aluminum processed using a Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) process, while other components were printed in 4340 alloy steel.

(U.S. Army photo by Sunny Burns, ARDEC)

The round, a M781 40mm training round chosen for its simplicity and lack of energetics, was manufactured using Selective Laser Sintering along with other AM processes to print glass-filled nylon cartridge cases and windshields. The projectile body underwent four separate manufacturing approaches, including printing the body in aluminum; steel with a urethane obturating ring; and zinc with a lost-wax casting process. Only the .38 cal cartridge case was not printed, as the capability to print cases isn’t quite yet feasible.

The RAMBO system and its accompanying 3D-printed rounds were test fired at both indoor and outdoor faculties, including the Armament Technology Facility at Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey, remotely fired for safety purposes, and recorded with high-speed video. 15 test shots showed no degradation of the system, and rounds met muzzle velocities within 5% of a production M781 round fired from a production grenade launcher.

While widespread adoption of AM/3D-printing processes is still a ways out, the RAMBO project has show that there is validity in these processes for developing weapon systems. If anything else, AM/3D-printing can be used to greatly expedite the production of prototypes, which will be of benefit towards better equipping our warfighters.

Original story: asc.army.mil/web/news-alt-amj17-rambos-premiere

Tags: US Army
Posted in weapons | Comments Off on A 3D-Printed Grenade Launcher? Meet RAMBO

Senator John McCain On The Army Modular Handgun System Program

Friday, October 30th, 2015

Click to view .pdf

Arizona Senator John McCain issued a five page report on the ongoing US Army Modular Handgun System selection, criticizing key points of the ongoing program. The report starts by establishing that the US Army is no stranger to expensive and ultimately ineffective weapon systems programs, and then goes on to detail what he feels are key errors in the ongoing handgun selection program, including:

An overly complicated 350 page requirements document, which among its contents specifies extraneous details such the size of the handgun’s exterior packaging and that “paper used for correspondence” must use “1” margins”.

The lack of a caliber study and unified caliber choice, and the lack of focus on caliber studies already conducted by entities such as the FBI and U.S. Special Operations Command, instead conducting “an open caliber competition” among vendors.

Conducing the Modular Handgun System in lieu of allowing for the selection of handguns, ammunition, and accessories already approved by USSOCOM and JSOC.

Not allowing rank and file Soldiers the opportunity to test and provide feedback on the handguns.

Senator McCain’s report is relatively brief, yet does a good job of touching on all the ongoing issues with the current Modular Handgun System program. I’ve got to say, I agree with much of Senator McCain’s criticisms. However, while I agree that the Army should just adopt a pistol already in the system, placing the decision on which one to use on a Brigade commander, is not the best course of action.

It’s worth a read. You can check it out by clicking the image above.

Tags: US Army
Posted in Contracts | 76 Comments »

The Computer That Saved The Soldier’s Back, And The Helmet That Saved His Life

Sunday, October 4th, 2015

Army.mil recently published a story detailing a motorcycle accident involving SPC Nicolas Laboy, and his subsequent recovery. Thanks to wearing a motorcycle helmet, and a laptop in his backpack, Laboy’s injuries were made much less severe. He not only avoided a fatal accident, but is on the road to a full recovery.

You can read the full story at www.army.mil/article/156472.

Tags: US Army
Posted in Media | 7 Comments »

US Army Issues ALARACT For OCP Transition

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2015

The US Army has finally officially issued the long awaited ALARACT for the OCP transition. The ALARACT in its entirety can be read below, along with the uniform issue waves.

ALARACT 085/2015

DTG: R 012016Z JUN 15

UNCLAS

SUBJ/ALARACT 085/2015 – TRANSITION TO OPERATIONAL CAMOUFLAGE PATTERN ARMY COMBAT UNIFORM (ACU) ENSEMBLE

THIS ALARACT MESSAGE HAS BEEN TRANSMITTED BY USAITA ON BEHALF OF HQDA DCS G-4//DALO-SUT//

(U) REFERENCES.

A. ARMY POSTURE STATEMENT, 2013

B. ARMY CAMPAIGN PLAN, 2013

C. AR 670-1, 10 APRIL 2015

D. DA PAM 670-1, 10 APRIL 2015

E. HOUSE REPORT 111-151, SEPTEMBER 2009

1. (U) THE PURPOSE OF THIS MESSAGE IS TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ON THE TRANSITION FROM THE UNIVERSAL CAMOUFLAGE PATTERN AND OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM CAMOUFLAGE PATTERN ACU TO THE OPERATIONAL CAMOUFLAGE PATTERN ACU. THIS MESSAGE ALSO PROVIDES GUIDANCE ON THE WEAR OF THE OPERATIONAL CAMOUFLAGE PATTERN ACU ENSEMBLE AS APPROVED BY THE SECRETARY OF ARMY AND CHIEF OF STAFF OF THE ARMY ON 1 MAY 2014. POLICY CONTAINED IN THIS MESSAGE IS EFFECTIVE 1 JULY 2015. PREVIOUSLY GRANTED EXCEPTIONS TO POLICY FOR WEAR OF THE OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM CAMOUFLAGE PATTERN UNIFORM OUTSIDE OF COMBAT AREAS OF OPERATIONS REMAIN IN EFFECT.

2. (U) DURING THE TRANSITION PERIOD, SOLDIERS ARE AUTHORIZED TO WEAR ANY OF THE THREE CAMOUFLAGE PATTERNS OF THE ACU (UNIVERSAL CAMOUFLAGE PATTERN, OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM CAMOUFLAGE PATTERN, AND THE OPERATIONAL CAMOUFLAGE PATTERN). ALL COMPONENTS OF THE UNIFORM MUST BE OF THE SAME CAMOUFLAGE PATTERN UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED IN THIS MESSAGE. COMMANDERS WILL NOT REQUIRE SOLDIERS TO PURCHASE SPECIFIC UNIFORM ITEMS PRIOR TO THE MANDATORY POSSESSION DATE LISTED IN PARAGRAPH 10 BELOW.

3. (U) THE OPERATIONAL CAMOUFLAGE PATTERN ACU ENSEMBLE CONSISTS OF THE FOLLOWING ITEMS:

3.A. COAT
3.B. TROUSERS
3.C. UNDERSHIRT (TAN 499)
3.D. BELT, RIGGER (TAN 499)
3.E. DRAWERS (TAN 499)
3.F. SOCKS, TAN, GREEN OR BLACK, CUSHION SOLE
3.G. BOOTS, COMBAT, COYOTE COLOR
3.H. HEADGEAR

4. (U) ACU WEAR POLICY. THERE IS NO CHANGE TO CURRENT WEAR POLICY (AR 670-1) EXCEPT AS NOTED BELOW.

4.A. DURING THE TRANSITION PERIOD, CLOTHING INITIAL ISSUE POINTS ARE AUTHORIZED TO CONTINUE TO ISSUE TO INITIAL ENTRY TRAINING SOLDIERS THE TAN/SAND COLORED UNDERGARMENTS WITH THE OPERATIONAL CAMOUFLAGE PATTERN ACU. SOLDIERS ARE AUTHORIZED TO WEAR THE SAND UNDERSHIRT; WHITE, TAN OR BROWN DRAWERS; SAND RIGGER BELT; AND TAN COMBAT BOOTS WITH THE OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM AND/OR OPERATIONAL CAMOUFLAGE PATTERN ACU COAT AND TROUSERS. THE TAN 499 UNDERSHIRT, TAN 499 RIGGER BELT, AND COYOTE COMBAT BOOTS ARE NOT AUTHORIZED FOR WEAR WITH THE UNIVERSAL CAMOUFLAGE PATTERN COAT AND TROUSERS.

4.B. THE EXCEPTIONS OUTLINED ABOVE ALSO APPLIES TO THE COMBAT VEHICLE CREWMAN UNIFORM, MECHANIC COVERALLS, AND THE ARMY AIRCREW COMBAT UNIFORM (A2CU).

5. (U) INSIGNIA AND ACCOUTERMENTS WORN ON THE ACU MUST BE OF THE CORRESPONDING CAMOUFLAGES PATTERN COLOR. THE BACKGROUND MATERIAL OF NAME TAPES, SHOULDER SLEEVE INSIGNIA, TABS, GRADE INSIGNIA, FORMER WARTIME SERVICE, AND SEW-ON BADGES WILL MATCH THE CAMOUFLAGE PATTERN OF THE UNIFORM.

6. (U) THE RAPID FIELDING INITIATIVE WILL CONTINUE TO ISSUE SOLDIERS FLAME RESISTANT ARMY COMBAT UNIFORMS IN THE OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM CAMOUFLAGE PATTERN UNTIL INVENTORIES ARE EXHAUSTED.

7. (U) THE ARMY’S PLAN TO TRANSITION TO THE OPERATIONAL CAMOUFLAGE PATTERN ACU STARTING 1 JULY 2015 AND END 1 OCTOBER 2019. THE OPERATIONAL CAMOUFLAGE PATTERN ACU WILL BE AVAILABLE AS FOLLOWS:

7.A. (U) IN ARMY MILITARY CLOTHING STORES (AMCS) BY INSTALLATION IAW THE ENCLOSED APPENDIX. DA FORM 3078 PERSONAL CLOTHING REQUESTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED FOR OPERATIONAL CAMOUFLAGE PATTERN ACU UNTIL JANUARY 2016. EXCEPTIONS TO POLICY PRIOR TO THE START DATE WILL ONLY BE GRANTED BY THE CLOTHING AND SERVICES OFFICE.

7.B. AT THE CLOTHING INITIAL ISSUE POINT LOCATIONS FOR INITIAL ENTRY TRAINING SOLDIERS IN 2QFY16.

7.C. FOR SOLDIERS (ACTIVE DUTY AND UNITED STATES ARMY RESERVE (USAR)) ON ORDERS TO PERFORM DRILL SERGEANT DUTIES AND ADVANCED INDIVIDUAL TRAINING PLATOON SERGEANTS ARE AUTHORIZED TO OBTAIN THEIR SUPPLEMENTAL ISSUE OF THE OPERATIONAL CAMOUFLAGE PATTERN ACU FROM THEIR LOCAL AMCS BEGINNING ON 15 DECEMBER 2015 (1QFY16) AND HAVE 90 DAYS TO DRAW THEIR SUPPLEMENTAL ISSUE IN ACCORDANCE WITH COMMON TABLE ALLOWANCES 50-900, TABLE NUMBER 3.

7.D. AT THE CLOTHING CENTRAL DISTRIBUTION FACILITY AT THE KENTUCKY LOGISTICS OPERATIONS CENTER FOR ARMY NATIONAL GUARD, USAR, AND SENIOR RESERVE OFFICER TRAINING CORPS IN 4QFY16.

8. (U) THE WEAR OUT DATE FOR THE UNIVERSAL CAMOUFLAGE PATTERN ACU IS 30 SEPTEMBER 2019.

9. (U) THE MANDATORY POSSESSION DATE FOR THE OPERATIONAL CAMOUFLAGE PATTERN ACU IS 1 OCTOBER 2019.

10. (U) HQDA G-1 POC FOR UNIFORM WEAR POLICY IS SGM EVA COMMONS, DSN: 312-225-5473, COMMERCIAL: (703) 695-5473, OR E-MAIL: EVA.M.COMMONS.MIL@MAIL.MIL. HQDA G-4 POC IS MAJ DANNY PADELLO, DSN: 224-2718, COMMERCIAL: (703) 614-2718, OR E-MAIL: DANIEL.E.PADELLO.MIL@MAIL.MIL.

11. (U) THIS MESSAGE HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED BY THE ARMY G-1 AND ARMY G-4.

12. (U) THE DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF, G-1 IS THE PROPONENT OF WEAR AND APPEARANCE OF ARMY UNIFORMS AND INSIGNIA POLICY AND WILL INCORPORATE THE GUIDANCE IN THIS MESSAGE INTO REFERENCE D BY 1 JULY 2015.

13. (U) THIS MESSAGE EXPIRES 15 MAY 2016.

Click to view .pdf

Tags: US Army
Posted in Camo, OCP, PEO-Soldier | 59 Comments »

US Army Issues Implementation Details For OCP Transition

Monday, June 1st, 2015

Today, the Army officially announced that OCP uniforms would be available in US Army clothing sale stores 1 July, 2015. They also released these slides which detail how the uniforms are to be worn. The information is in line with the draft ALARACT we recently spoke about except they’ve relented on headgear for the OCP variants which can now be worn with the MultiCam or Scorpion versions. You really need to go back and read the draft ALARACT story if you want to get in the weeds on this.

These slides are from the SMA’s OCP transition pocket guide.

UCP ACU

OEF-CP ACU

OCP ACU

OCP ACU Design Changes

ACU Summary of Changes

For more information, read the US Army published article found at www.army.mil.

Tags: OCP, US Army
Posted in Camo | 103 Comments »

US Army Issues Update On OCP Transition

Wednesday, November 19th, 2014

The US Army has issued an update on the pending OCP transition. This message validates what we’ve been saying about the bookend patterns as well as the transition to a Coyote Boot and Tan 499 Belt and T-shirt. The 75th Ranger Regiment is the only unit to be issued the new OCP ACU. Serving Soldiers will be required to purchase the uniforms with their annual clothing allowance. New accessions should see OCP in their clothing bag beginning in FY 2016.

Operational Camouflage Pattern

What is it?

After a thorough, fair and scientific camouflage tests, the U.S. Army is adopting the Operational Camouflage Pattern as an Army-wide base pattern for uniforms and personal equipment. The use of Operational Camouflage Pattern will be gradually phased in to minimize the cost to Soldiers and the Army.

What has the Army Done?

Camouflage – In 2009, after Soldier feedback revealed dissatisfaction with the performance of the Universal Camouflage Pattern (UCP) in Afghanistan, Secretary of the Army Peter Geren approved the execution of a four-phase camouflage improvement effort. The first three phases, conducted from September 2009 to January 2010, resulted in the selection of Crye Precision’s MultiCam pattern as the Operation Enduring Freedom Camouflage Pattern for uniforms and Organizational Clothing and Individual Equipment (OCIE) for Afghanistan.

The objective of the last phase (Phase IV) was to determine a long-term multi-environment camouflage strategy for the entire force, so the Army continued working on testing a family of camouflage patterns (arid, transitional, and woodland/jungle patterns with a single matching OCIE pattern) and established the Army’s most rigorous and scientific study of camouflage to date. The Army employed important lessons from a decade of combat experience to ensure the selection process was sound and thorough.

Soldiers deployed to Afghanistan will continue to be fielded with uniforms and OCIE in Operation Enduring Freedom Camouflage Pattern until inventories are exhausted. In coming months the Army will conduct operational testing and user evaluations of existing Service arid and woodland patterns for possible adoption by the Army.

Phase-in Strategy Reduces the Cost to Soldiers – The financial impact on Soldiers will be minimal. The gradual introduction of the Operational Camouflage Pattern uniforms will allow Soldiers to phase in uniforms as their UCP patterned ACUs and OCIE wear out. The Army will begin introduction of the Operational Camouflage Pattern during the fourth quarter of Fiscal Year 2015 in Army Clothing and Sales Stores.

Why is this important to the Army?

Camouflage is a centerpiece for Soldier Force Protection. An effective camouflage provides Soldiers concealment which is critical for Soldiers in the close fight with the enemy. The Army will continue to provide the Soldiers with the best possible camouflaged uniforms and equipment.

What other related uniform efforts does the Army have planned?

To correspond with the introduction of the Operational Camouflage Pattern starting in the summer of 2015, the Army will change the color for the Army Combat Boot to a coyote brown color, and change the color of the belts and t-shirts to a tan 499 color.

This article was originally featured on the November 19th, 2014 edition of ‘Stand-To! The Official Focus of the US Army’.