Military – Page 11 – MILESFORTIS

The Army’s Personnel Crisis.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve attempted to identify the multiple sources of the Army’s personnel crisis, dive into the anticipated impacts of what will happen if nothing changes, and understand the short and long-term effects on the organization. This will be the last column, for now, on the Army’s personnel crisis, and it will focus on some ways to change narratives, structures, incentives/rewards, and develop new ways to appeal to the youth of America so they look at service in the Army as a good option for their future.

One aspect that always gets overlooked is most people who join the Army only stay for their initial enlistment. Because of this fact, there has to be an acceptance from the start that there are very few people who look at service within the Army as a career, rather, it’s an opportunity for personal betterment. Many people join the Army because it’s a way out of their hometown, it allows them to travel, or there is a wanderlust/adventure itch that needs to be scratched. So when it comes to narratives, and the marketing that supports those narratives, there has been a grandiose failure of imagination over the last 20 years from the Army and the advertising/marketing companies who have been awarded immense sums of money to attract people to the Army. The citizenry of the nation has had to suffer from such duds as “The Army of One” marketing campaign, with its narrative of individuality within a team focus. This was attacked immediately and pulled off the shelves after a short period of time. Recently, there have been a series of ads that try and appeal to the youth via their upbringing and non-traditional childhoods. It’s novel, it’s even daring, but it’s a flop. I’m not going to link to those videos, they are easily found on YouTube. The last video I saw, just a few weeks ago, may have been the worst. It showed a bunch of soldiers, junior enlisted personnel, standing around a pool table, talking a very lame version of smack between one another. The message seemed to be, “The Army is just like home when you are with your friends shooting the breeze and hanging out, just don’t look too closely at our uniforms.” And that’s a real problem because making the Army seem more like home is exactly what the Army does not need now, or at any time.

The dislocation a soldier feels when they go through Basic Training is deliberate and purposeful. Trying to craft a narrative that being a soldier is just like being a civilian is not helpful to the individual or the service. There are lots of reasons why Basic Training is designed to transform a civilian into a soldier, and yet the latest ad campaign is completely contradictory to that end.

When it comes to crafting appealing narratives about the nature of Army service and life in late 2022, there needs to be some really innovative and novel thought put into the cauldron. In an early column, I highlighted the fact that the GEN Z/Millennial generational cohorts are not motivated by money, can get college benefits elsewhere for less personal dislocation and discomfort, and want to stay close to family and friends. That’s a good starting point to start looking at changing the entire recruiting enterprise.

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Just to point out for those who may not know.

DoD Instruction 1334.1, “Wearing of the Uniform,”

1.2. POLICY.
a. The wearing of the uniform by Service members of Active and Reserve Components, retired Service members, cadets, midshipmen, auxiliary members, and members of organizations authorized to wear a military uniform by the respective service, is prohibited under any of the following circumstances:

(2) During or in connection with furthering political activities, private employment, or commercial interests, when an inference of official sponsorship by DoD or the Military Service concerned for the activity or interest may be drawn.

Now, the Marines in attendance at that political activity were almost assuredly under direct orders to attend that ‘speech’, but that doesn’t excuse them, or their commanders, from what they did (for they should know better), nor the politicians who abused the public trust, and the non-politization of the military, by inferring that the military would, or will ‘back up’ Biden’s rant by having them on stage. The only time uniformed military service members are permitted to attend a political activity is as a member of a joint Armed Forces color guard at the opening ceremonies of the national conventions of the Republican, Democratic, or other political parties
(DOD Directive 1344.10 -§ 4.1.2.15)

What Biden and his handlers have done is make a direct threat to his political opposition by showing that he feels he has the power to use the military for partisan political purposes.

Banana Republic, we have arrived.

REMEMBERING EXTORTION 17

On August 6th, 2011, a U.S. Boeing CH-47 Chinook military helicopter was shot down while transporting a quick reaction force attempting to reinforce an engaged unit of Army Rangers in Wardak province, west of Kabul, Afghanistan. With 38 people killed on board, it was the largest single-day loss of life in naval special warfare history and the largest single-day loss of life during the war in Afghanistan.

The events that unfolded that night are commonly referred to as Extortion 17, which is the call sign for the helicopter transporting the special operations personnel. It also became one of the most devastating death tolls of the U.S. Special Operations Forces in modern history…

…On August 6th, 2011, the helicopter was fired upon and shot down by a previously undetected group of Taliban fighters. The group fired 2-3 RPG rounds from a two-story building from a location some 220 meters south of the helicopter. The second round struck one of the three aft rotor blades of the helicopter destroying the aft rotor assembly. The helicopter crashed less than 5 seconds later, killing all 38 people on board. Some 30 seconds later one of the AH-64 Apache helicopters in the area reported: “Fallen Angel”

The crash is referred to as Extortion 17 by the callsign of the CH-47 Chinook helicopter involved in the crash. The crash killed all 38 people on board — including 25 American special operations personnel, five United States Army National Guard and Army Reserve crewmen, seven Afghan commandos, and one Afghan interpreter — as well as a U.S. military working dog. It is considered the worst loss of American lives in a single incident in the Afghanistan campaign, surpassing Operation Red Wings in 2005.

Undermining Taliban narrative, US kills al Qaeda leader Ayman al Zawahiri in Kabul

The Washington Examiner can confirm that a U.S. drone strike over the weekend killed al Qaeda leader Ayman al Zawahiri in Kabul, Afghanistan. The news of al Zawahiri’s death was originally reported by the Associated Press. President Joe Biden will announce the news from the White House on Monday evening.

Al Zawahiri’s location was likely identified as he prepared to meet with Taliban officials. A formative member of al Qaeda, al Zawahiri succeeded Osama bin Laden on the latter’s death in May 2011. With long-standing roots in the Salafi-Jihadist movement, Zawahiri cut his teeth in the Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Lacking bin Laden’s personal charisma, he nevertheless remained a respected and capable commander. His ability to evade a persistent, nearly three-decade U.S. effort to locate him testified to his operational skill.

Yet even as this is a significant victory for the Biden administration, the circumstances of al Zawahiri’s death are ironically problematic for the administration.

After all, al Zawahiri was killed in Kabul, right in the citadel of Taliban power. Sources tell me that this is far from coincidental. In recent months, al Qaeda leaders have taken increasing steps to reconstitute their official interactions with the Taliban. Al Zawahiri was almost certainly in Kabul to further that interest. This obviously represents a clear breach of the Taliban’s commitment, via the Trump administration-Taliban peace accord, that it would disavow relations with al Qaeda in return for the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan. The nature of al Zawahiri’s death evinces how the Taliban remain al Qaeda’s active ally. The tentacles of ideology and ambition are once again coalescing. It is highly unlikely that al Zawahiri’s death will lead to the Taliban’s reconsideration of this relationship. Still, this is embarrassing for Taliban in the same way that bin Laden’s Pakistani residence was embarrassing for Islamabad: It reeks of duplicity.

Biden may address that duplicity in his speech. But a familiar problem remains: So-called over-the-horizon counterterrorism operations are far more complicated when said counterterrorism forces have a limited footprint from which to gather intelligence on the ground. While the United States will remain able to target individual terrorists successfully when and where they are found, many more will remain undiscovered. The decision by former President Donald Trump and Biden to withdraw U.S. forces from Afghanistan will thus remain a controversial one.

To have a volunteer force requires…..volunteers. When you have policies that insult and denigrate the largest group of people that volunteer, well…..
If a foreign government forced this on our military, it would righteously be called an act of war.

US Army Abandons Recruitment Goals, But Not Its Woke Policies

The Army cut its force size projections for 2022 and 2023 Tuesday in the midst of a historic recruitment struggle, raising questions about overall readiness as it clings to its “woke” agenda.

The Army could miss its recruitment goal for 2022 by 25%, Army Gen. Joseph Martin, vice chief of staff for the Army, told The Associated Press. Projected end strength, the total size of the Army including active and reserve components, is set to decrease by 10,000 troops this year and an additional 14,000 to 21,000 in 2023.

“Do we lower standards to meet end strength, or do we lower end strength to maintain a quality, professional force? We believe the answer is obvious—quality is more important than quantity,” Lt. Col. Randee Farrell, spokeswoman for Army Secretary Christine Wormuth, told the AP.

Investigations into extremism in the ranks, diversity quotas, rigid vaccination mandates and other “woke” policies have undermined military recruitment by alienating families, the military’s largest recruiting market, according to Center for Military Readiness founder Elaine Donnelly. The Pentagon’s insistence on social justice over meritocracy, lowering of standards and “anti-recruiting messages” pushes away potential recruits, Donnelly told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

“Secretary Wormuth is ignoring the ‘check engine’ light on her dashboard. She keeps driving on, failing to notice how the administration’s policies are making the recruiting crisis worse,” said Donnelly.

The Army has achieved only 50% of its overall recruitment goal of 60,000 soldiers for fiscal year 2022 that ends in October, according to the AP.

The Army attained 17,800 new recruits to active duty service out of a 2002 goal of 26,000 as of April, according to data from the Department of Defense. The recruitment objective fell 20% from 2021, when by April the Army had brought on 28,000 active duty recruits, well on its way to the yearly goal of 32,000.

For comparison, by April 2017, the Army had achieved nearly 100% of its active duty recruiting goal.

Addressing ways to improve Army recruitment, Martin focused on improving climate within the service, including on issues like extremism.

“To compete for talent, the Army must provide a workplace environment free of harmful behaviors, to include sexual assault, sexual harassment, racism, extremism, and the risk factors which lead to death by suicide,” he said at a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday.

Despite force size drawdowns and plans to increase personnel spending, service leaders have argued that Congress is underfunding military readiness accounts that deal with maintenance and operations, according to House Readiness Subcommittee Chairman Republican Rep. John Garamendi of California, who spoke at the hearing Tuesday.

“On the spending issues, Congress should start asking very specific questions about the costs of LGBT mandates, experimental training like the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) fiasco, replacements for personnel discharged due to COVID issues, etc.,” Donnelly told the DCNF. “Woke attitudes and mandates are not free.”

The Department of Defense did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s requests for comment. The Army declined to comment.

“…targeted the very Americans who traditionally enlist.”?
Hmm, maybe that’s not a bug, but a feature

NO ONE WANTS TO JOIN THE MILITARY ANYMORE
Our elites’ culture war has targeted the very Americans who traditionally enlist

Imagine you are an eighteen-year-old, white, Christian male in Georgia with a family history of military service. As you progressed through your teen years, you watched Confederate statues being torn down and military bases being renamed, endless media and elitist demonization of your culture as racist and deplorable and backwards, and military and civilian leadership that thinks diversity and inclusion (i.e. fewer white men) is best thing since sliced bread. Would you volunteer? Identity politics works both ways. Trash my tribe and I won’t associate with you, let alone risk my life. It shouldn’t be a shock, then, that those expressing a “great deal of trust and confidence in the military” dropped from 70 percent in 2018 to 45 percent today.

The long-term health of the all-volunteer force that began in 1973 now appears to be in serious jeopardy. The general public’s declining connection and trust in the nation and its institutions paired with the elites’ incessant culture war targeting the very Americans who traditionally served in the highest numbers spells trouble.

Last week marked the 246th birthday of the United States. This year also marks, according to Lieutenant General Thomas Spoehr of the Heritage Foundation, when we “question the sustainability of the all-volunteer force.” As reported in late June by NBC, all branches of the military are falling short of their 2022 recruiting goals.

The Army, for instance, has met only 40 percent of its enlisted recruitment target for the fiscal year, which for the military services ends on September 30. Those in the Pentagon tasked with attracting candidates have listed reasons they are struggling to meet their mission: lack of eligibility, Covid restrictions putting a damper on outreach, competition from a robust civilian employment market, and a lack of a desire to serve.

Despite unprecedented bonuses of up to $50,000 for enlistment and retention, the writing is on the wall. The youth aren’t lining up for Uncle Sam like they used to. And while all the above-mentioned reasons carry some weight, it’s the issue of desire that ought to be most alarming to the services. This crisis runs much deeper than a paycheck.

and unto this

Bad time for the army to cut off more than 60,000 soldiers for not wanting to get the jab.https://t.co/PYwJ1NmFge

— Jason R Cole (@jrcole) July 13, 2022

Army Creating Second Paratrooper Division as Service Forges New Identity for Arctic Troops

Soldiers stationed in Alaska will soon ditch the 25th Infantry Division’s “Tropic Lightning” patch and be redesignated the 11th Airborne Division, in what could be an important step in the Army’s recent focus on Arctic warfare.

Army Secretary Christine Wormuth told lawmakers that the move will give units in the state a clear identity. Soldiers there currently fall under the command of U.S. Army Alaska and wear the 25th Infantry Division patch. But that division is mostly associated with units in Hawaii that train for combat in the jungle, the opposite of Alaska’s mission and something leaders and junior soldiers told Military.com has been a point of confusion.

U.S. Army Alaska will be redesignated as the 11th Airborne Division this summer and issued a new patch.

“It would be a new common sense of identity for the soldiers there,” Wormuth told lawmakers on the Senate Armed Services Committee during a hearing Thursday.

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Biden Admin Super-Charged Military Recruitment Crisis With ‘Woke Policies

The U.S. military under a Biden Pentagon has sacrificed meritocracy for wokeness in recent years, sending a message that discourages new applicants and worsens the recruiting crisis, an expert told The Daily Caller News Foundation.

Military recruitment in 2022 has plummeted, NBC News reported, leaving the pentagon scrambling for ways to fill the ranks of U.S. forces. Alienation of traditional families, who constitute the military’s core recruiting market, through things like diversity quotas, refusing religious exemptions and teaching critical race theory at military institutions have all contributed to a growing unwillingness to enlist, according to Center for Military Readiness President Elaine Donnelly.

The result, she said, is a loss of prestige and meritocracy in the armed forces.

“The culture of the military has been eroded by several years of social engineering and woke policies. It’s been accelerated by the current administration,” Donnelly, who has been studying social issues in the military for over 30 years, told TheDCNF.

The Biden administration’s emphasis on “woke” ideas “sends a poor message” that discourages parents and other influencers from supporting careers the all-volunteer force, according to Donnelly.

For example, one of the first things Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin did upon assuming office was announce a full stand down to investigate what Donnelly claimed were over-hyped instances of extremism in the ranks, focusing on ideologies that fall to the far right and ignoring instances of far left and Islamist extremism. “It sends a message that if your son or daughter joins the military, if they’re not of a certain skin complexion or sex, they might be investigated for extremism,” she said.

A highly competitive employment arena, decrease in the population of individuals eligible to serve and general disconnect between the Army and broader U.S. public have all contributed to the Army’s recruitment struggle, Army public affairs officer Maj. Charles M. Spears told TheDCNF. Propensity to serve, a measure of “whether an individual indicates an interest in military service” according to the Military Leadership Diversity Commission, hit 9%, the lowest since 2007, Spears said.

Donnelly compared the Biden Pentagon to Disney, who lost financial privileges in Florida partially because of its “gay agenda” and produced a LGBT-promoting film that flopped in the box office, according to the Washington Times.

“They alienated their constituency,” Donnelly explained. “When you see the U.S. military make the same mistakes and losing their audience, it becomes a matter of national security.”

The Pentagon attributed a poor recruiting environment to a “disconnected and disinterested youth market” that is unfamiliar with military service, resulting in an overreliance of military stereotypes,” Maj. Charlie Dietz, a Department of Defense spokesperson, told TheDCNF.

The Army announced a plan to in March temporarily reduce the size of the active-duty force, from 485,000 soldiers in fiscal year 2021 down to 473,000 by 2023, for “quality” considerations, Army Undersecretary Gabe Camarillo said in a press briefing.

“We made the decision to just temporarily reduce end strength, as opposed to lowering our standards,” said Camarillo.

However, recruitment standards have changed. The Army dropped the high school diploma or GED-equivalent requirement for new recruits in June, according to a statement, and relaxed tattoo guidelines, Task and Purpose reported.

Donnelly predicted the recruiting environment would get worse under the Biden administration, especially as up to 60,000 troops are up for discharge for refusal to take the COVID-19 vaccine according to The Washington Post. “What effects will these individuals have on recruiting?” she asked.

“The military belongs to everybody and is there to defend the entire country, not to enforce political agendas or teach exotic ideas that cannot be defended by science,” Donnelly said.

The specter of a shrinking military comes as the U.S. faces a growing threat from China and seeks to bolster overseas deployments as a deterrent to Russian aggression.

“It’s not the end of the all volunteer force, but it’s going into a very dark place now,” said Donnelly.

Nobody wants to die for these leftist nut jobs. https://t.co/rm2Eeb0dNX

— Iraqveteran8888 (@Iraqveteran8888) June 28, 2022

They’ve made several movies on this theme, and none of them were good for humans.

Ukraine Unveils Mini “Terminator” Ground Robot Equipped With Machine Gun.

The latest war machine headed to Ukraine’s front lines isn’t a flying drone but a miniature 4×4 ground-based robot — equipped with a machine gun.

According to Forbes, Ukrainian forces are set to receive an uncrewed ground vehicle (UGV) called “GNOM” that is no bigger than a standard microwave and weighs around 110lbs.

“Control of GNOM is possible in the most aggressive environment during the operation of the enemy’s electronic warfare equipment.

“The operator doesn’t deploy a control station with an antenna, and does not unmask his position. The cable is not visible, and it also does not create thermal radiation that could be seen by a thermal imager,” said Eduard Trotsenko, CEO and owner of Temerland, the maker of the GNOM.

“While it is usually operated by remote control, GNOM clearly has some onboard intelligence and is capable of autonomous navigation. Previous Temerland designs have included advanced neural network and machine learning hardware and software providing a high degree of autonomy, so the company seems to have experience,” Forbes said.

The 7.62mm machinegun mounted on top of the “Terminator-style” robot will provide fire support for Ukrainian forces in dangerous areas. The UGV can also transport ammunition or other supplies to the front lines and even evacuate wounded soldiers with a special trailer.

Temerland said the GNOMs would be deployed near term. The highly sophisticated UGV could help the Ukrainians become more stealthy and lethal on the modern battlefield as they have also been utilizing Western drones.

Killer robots with machine guns appear to be entering the battlefield, and this one seems as if it was “WALL-E” that went to war.

MEMORIAL DAY: Remember Those Who Paid The Ultimate Price For Our Freedom.

Monday, May 30th is Memorial Day, formerly called Decoration Day. Remember what it’s all about.

Memorial Day is a holiday of recognition and remembrance. It means so much more than hot dogs, parades, and the start of the summer. On Memorial Day, all Americans should take time to remember what the day is about. Honoring the people who laid down their lives to save our lives, protecting America and our freedoms. Please remember those who sacrificed, praying that God protects their souls and comforts their bereaved loved ones.

Think about this for a moment. In the past few years, many of our freedoms have been restricted because of a virus. Over-zealous politicians tried to keep those and other freedoms. However, an election can restore what we lostlwhat we lost. If those heroes paid the ultimate sacrifice and did not serve, we would be permanently bowing down to a tyrant w8ty no chance to vote them out; Freedom would never have an opportunity to return.

On Memorial Day, remember their sacrifices, appreciate your freedom, and offer a prayer:

A Memorial Day Prayer

Lord who grants salvation to kings and dominion to rulers, Whose kingdom is a kingdom spanning all eternities; You place a road in the sea and a path in the mighty waters – may you bless the President, the Vice President, and all the constituted officers of the government of this land. May they execute their responsibilities with intelligence, honor, and compassion, and may the United States continue to be the land of the free and the home of the brave.

May God bless the members of our armed forces who protect us from harm, on the land, in the air, and on the sea. May the Almighty cause the enemies who rise up against us to be struck down before them. May the Holy One, Blessed is He, preserve and rescue our fighters and their families from every trouble and distress and from every plague and illness, and may He send blessing and success in their every endeavor.

On this day of remembrance, may the God of overflowing compassion, who lives in the highest and all worlds, give eternal rest to those who are now under the holy sheltering of his spiritual wings, making them rise ever more purely through the light of your brilliance. May the Lord bless their souls forever, and may he comfort the bereaved. May those of us who remain free never forget their ultimate sacrifice, and may the memories of those who gave their lives to protect America always be for a blessing.

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Apropos of nothing and no one whatsoever

The Delta Force Explains Why Ukraine’s Special Forces Are So Good

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has seen an abundance of special operations. Both countries, after all, possess competent — for the most part — special operations forces. The Russian military has the famed Spetsnaz, while the Ukrainian special operations forces have been trained and equipped by the U.S. and the West.

However, despite the pre-war expectation of daring raids behind enemy lines, there have been few accounts of special operations in the war. Both sides have managed to keep any under wraps. But there seems to be one notable exception. In early March, Ukrainian special operations forces allegedly rescued the mayor of Melitopol from Russian captivity.

The operation

In early March, Ukrainian special operations forces rescued the mayor of Melitopol Ivan Fedorov from Russian captivity, according to the Ukrainian government. Melitopol is located in southeastern Ukraine and has been in Russian hands since early March.

In the first days of the invasion, the Russian troops were very careful not to alienate the Ukrainian population, even allowing protests in occupied towns and in some cases, famously, allowing civilians to stop or turn Russian tanks back. But after more than a month of fighting, the masks have fallen, and the Russian military has shown the world its true colors by committing war crimes and other atrocities throughout occupied Ukraine.

After the Russian military captured the town, the Russian security services started a campaign of repression, arresting Ukrainian officials and other persons of interest who could prove a nuisance. Fedorov was one such person, and CCTV footage showed Russian troops marching him away.

Before the invasion, Western intelligence services had warned Ukraine and the world of the Kremlin’s plans to abduct Ukrainian politicians, academics, administrators, and other officials that might pose a threat to their plans. Ukrainian officials are claiming that the Russian security services have abducted at least three Ukrainian mayors.

Kirilo Timoshenko, an adviser to Zelensky and the deputy of the Ukrainian presidential office, said that the mayor of Melitopol was freed following a “special operation,” but he didn’t provide any additional details about the operation or what Ukrainian units were involved.

Following the operation, Fedorov spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the video of the correspondence a proof of the successful mission. After the initial pleasantries, the Melitopol mayor thanked the Ukrainian president for not forgetting him, with Zelensky simply saying that Ukraine doesn’t leave its own behind.

“We have finally managed to release the mayor of Melitopol from captivity,” Zelensky said during a national address. “Ivan Fedorov is free. I talked to him today. The Russian military abducted him on March 11, trying to persuade him to collaborate. But our man withstood. He did not give up. Just as we all endure.”

How special operations prisoner rescues work

Prisoner or hostage rescues are one of the toughest special operations mission sets. Surprise, speed, and violence of action are key in rescuing the objective before the enemy moves or kills it.

“A hostage rescue and a kidnapping (snatch operation) are fundamentally the same operation; that is, the principles of action are the same though some smaller details may be different. I have been on more snatches than hostage rescue [operations],” retired Master Sergeant George Hand IV told Sandboxx News.

Hand spent a decade in the elite Delta Force. As the Army’s tier 1 special missions unit, Delta Force specializes in hostage rescue, counterterrorism, and direct action operations, among other mission sets.

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Under Putin, Russia is transforming itself from a Third World nation with a First World military to a Third World nation with a Third World military.

Syria’s barrel bomb experts in Russia to help with potential Ukraine campaign.

Technicians linked to the Syrian military’s infamous barrel bombs that have wreaked devastation across much of the country have been deployed to Russia to help potentially prepare for a similar campaign in the Ukraine war, European officials believe.

Intelligence officers say more than 50 specialists, all with vast experience in making and delivering the crude explosive, have been in Russia for several weeks working alongside officials from Vladimir Putin’s military.

Their arrival is understood to be one factor behind US and European warnings that the Russian military may have been preparing for the use of chemical weapons in the conflict, which has entered its fourth month with little sign of slowing.

Barrel bombs – crude explosives packed in to a drum and dropped from a helicopter – were used to devastating effect throughout the Syrian war. The regime was also regularly accused of filling canisters with chlorine and dropping them on opposition held towns and cities, causing hundreds of deaths and sparking widespread alarm.

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The SiG Board of Directors is going to be stacked with Generals in the coming years.
Personally, even in .300 Blackout, without a suppressor on it, I wouldn’t want to be near one of these little fireball makers.

SOCOM finally found its next-generation personal defense weapon

After years of searching, U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has picked Sig Sauer to provide its next personal defense weapon for U.S. special operations forces.

On Thursday, SOCOM released a notice of intent to award a five-year fixed firm price contract to the firearms manufacturer. The new personal defense weapon of choice for SOF troops? The Sig Sauer MCX “Rattler,” which can be chambered in both .300 Blackout and 5.56mm calibers.

“After years of continuous market research, USSOCOM HQ has concluded that Sig Sauer is the only vendor that can fulfill USSOCOM’s need for the Commercial PDW requirement. USSOCOM HQ has been researching and reviewing different systems since 2017,” the notice of intent said. “We have meticulously reviewed each system for technical acceptance and whether it fits the commercial definition. Except for Sig Sauer, the vendors did not meet the technical requirements and/or the weapons do not meet the commercial definition.”

The size and cost of the order were not disclosed.

SOCOM started its hunt for a new personal defense weapon in 2017, hoping to get a new weapon built around the M4 carbine’s receiver, giving SOCOM operators more firepower while still being compact and portable. The command procured 10 Rattlers in 2018 for testing and evaluation, but kept its search going, issuing another search for weapon system designs in 2019. The goal was to find a new PDW with “a highly concealable .300 Blackout upper receiver group (URG) and buttstock kit solution for the M4A1 platform.”

Turns out that, after all of that searching, it was back to the MCX Rattler. SOCOM noted that requirements meant no prototypes or weapons were in limited development, and Sig Sauer’s new weapon fit the bill for rapid fielding.

“The PDW system will allow Operators to have maximum firepower in a concealable weapon,” SOCOM said in the notice. The order will include the guns themselves plus suppressors, magazines and cleaning gear, plus additional parts and training on the new platforms.

It’s worth noting that .300 Blackout round is designed to be quieter than regular ammunition, while still being powerful, and that personal defense weapons are meant to provide more firepower than a pistol while being much more portable and compact than carbines or rifles, making them ideal in close-quarters scenarios.

Sig Sauer has called the MCX Rattler its most “discreet platform,” and the 5.5-inch barrel certainly makes it short. The MCX Rattler is also designed to quickly switch between the types of ammunition.

The pick by SOCOM was another major contract for Sig Sauer, which previously snatched up high-profile (and lucrative) contracts for the Pentagon-wide Modular Handgun System contract and Army’s Next Generation Squad Weapon rifle and automatic rifle variants.

It’s unclear when the Sig Rattlers will go into the field with SOCOM operators, or if some of the initial orders are already in use.

Russian warship Admiral Makarov ‘on fire after being hit by Ukrainian missile.’

Russia’s massive Admiral Makarov warship has reportedly been hit by Ukrainian missiles causing it to burst into flames.

The Admiral Grigorovich-class frigate was on fire this morning in what would be a fresh blow for warmonger Vladimir Putin, a number of unconfirmed reports suggest.

It was said to be close to Snake Island in the Black Sea, where a rescue operation was underway involving multiple aircrafts and rescue boats.

Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko took to his Telegram channel to report the ship had been hit by Ukrainian neptune missiles.

He said that the ship had been hit by Ukrainian attacks and was “badly damaged”, but remained afloat for now.

In his post, he wrote: “Yes, yes, you understood everything correctly! The God of the seas takes revenge on the offenders of Ukraine.

The Russian Navy’s frigate Admiral Makarov ( Image: REUTERS)

“The Admiral Makarov frigate was laid down in February 2012 at the Yantar shipyard in Kaliningrad, launched in September 2015. And in 2022- oh, when he took part in the murder of Ukrainians, he went towards the cruiser “Moskva”, where he was supposed to!”

His reports were backed up by Ukrainian official Anton Gerashchenko who said: “Admiral Makarov frigate is on fire off the coast of Snake Island.

“According to preliminary data, the ship was hit by Ukrainian Neptune missiles.

“Now enemy aviation is operating in the ship’s disaster zone, and ships of the Russian Navy have come out of the temporarily occupied Crimea to help the sinking ship.”

Alongside that, a number of unconfirmed reports said the warship was hit by Ukrainian missiles near the Sevastopol naval plant in Crimea, on the Black Sea.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine added a ‘+1’ to their boats column in their daily report on Russian losses this morning, which they tweeted out.

Early reports suggest these images show the burning frigate ( Image: Twitter)

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Russian explosions point to Ukraine’s embrace of the British special forces model.

Storage tanks at a major oil depot in the Russian city of Bryansk exploded early on Monday. Was Ukraine responsible?

Russian explosions point to Ukraine’s embrace of the British special forces model
Before you answer, consider first that this is only the latest disaster to afflict Russian critical infrastructure near the Ukrainian border. Another oil depot on Belgorod was targeted by a Ukrainian helicopter strike in early April. Prior to that, Russian railway lines near the border were sabotaged. A Russian missile research center and a chemical plant also recently suffered explosions.

These incidents all appear to fit well with Ukraine’s military strategy.

Bryansk, 62 miles from the Ukrainian border, is beyond the range of most drone systems in Ukraine’s possession. Unconfirmed video from the Bryansk incident indicates the sound of a missile in the terminal attack phase. Considering this noise and Bryansk’s relative distance from Ukraine, short-range ballistic missiles may have been responsible. Regardless, the explosion will disrupt energy replenishment efforts for Russian military forces in Ukraine.

The explosion also dilutes Putin’s credibility in claiming that his war on Ukraine is not a war, but rather a limited “special military operation.” When stuff keeps blowing up in Russian cities, it’s hard to convince the residents of said cities that Russia isn’t at war.

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On this day in 1960, President Eisenhower signed the law into effect making Wilson’s Creek a national battlefield monument

The Battle for Wilson’s Creek’s recognition

In southern Greene County, there is peace.

You can’t hear traffic. The wind howls through the trees, birds chirp, and a creek churns through the hills.

But as soon as you hear the name of this creek, your opinion of this place will change. This is Wilson’s Creek and in 1861 peace was far from here.

“The Battle of Wilson’s Creek is the second major battle of the Civil War,” superintendent of Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield Sarah Cunningham said. “It’s also the first major battle west of the Mississippi.”

“It was a five or six-hour bloody battle that took place,” Cunningham said.

A few hours into the fight, General Lyon was killed while positioning his troops. He becomes the first Union general killed in action in the Civil War.

“For years, veterans of this battle would come back to remember,” Cunningham said, “and commemorate the battle that occurred here.”

Those veterans would lay rocks at the spot where their leader, General Lyon died. In 1928, the rocks were replaced with a stone marker made by the University Club of Springfield. But to see it, visitors would have to trespass on the private land.

“Schoolchildren would go to school and they would bring pennies, nickels, anything that they could save,” Cunningham said, “and contribute to the preservation of the Battle of Wilson’s Creek.”

In 1951, the Foundation purchased the 37-acres of land known as Bloody Hill. Over the next few years, the property would grow in size but not in status.

With 16 Civil War sites as National Parks, the government didn’t need another. The Pea Ridge National Military Park in Arkansas was added in 1956. One account mentioned the National Parks thought Pea Ridge was enough to tell the story of the war west of the Mississippi.

“On April 22, 1960, President Eisenhower signs into law the establishment of Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield,” Cunningham said.

Over the decades, a tour road was built around the site as well as a horse riding trail and walking trails. Signs were placed telling stories about this battle and taking you to the points of interest.

In 2021, a $3.5 million renovation was made to the Visitor’s Center and Museum.

The Arts in the Park Music Series is back on Saturday nights in May at Wilson’s Creek. It’s also planning a large event over Memorial Day weekend. And, the National Parks just launched a Wellness Challenge you can do while at Wilson’s Creek. Just visit the Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield website for more information.

The U.S. has fielded the launcher as the M320. It’s a much more robust, dependable and easier to maintain weapon than the M203 and has the advantage of being able to be a separate weapon, akin to the old M79, as well as be attached to a rifle. But every one of my guys who had one on his HK had it removed within a very short span of time because it is a hefty beast and the combo, with all the gear added, weighs nearly 15 pounds.

POTD: HK416N with Grenade Launcher in front of Royal Norwegian Air Force F-35A

F35

Photo Of The Day and we have a guard ahead of the F-35A aircraft from the Royal Norwegian Air Force at Evenes Air Base during exercise Falcon Deploy 2021. The F-35A is a single-seat, single-engine, stealth, fifth-generation, multi-role combat aircraft ordered by several NATO allies. The Heckler & Koch HK416N has a AG-HK416 Grenade Launcher.

Army selects Sig Sauer to produce Next Generation Squad Weapon and ammo
The wait is over. The Army has selected Sig Sauer to build the Next Generation Squad Weapon’s rifle and machine-gun variants that are intended to replace the M4 and M249 Squad Automatic Weapon.

Sig Sauer was awarded a $20.4 million contract to build the XM5 Rifle and the XM250 Automatic Rifle as well as the 6.8 mm ammunition that they chamber, Army officials announced on Tuesday.

“Both weapons provide significant capability improvements in accuracy, range and overall lethality. They are lightweight, fire more lethal ammunition, mitigate recoil, provide improved barrel performance, and include integrated muzzle sound and flash reduction,” an Army news release says. “Both weapons fire common 6.8-millimeter ammunition utilizing government-provided projectiles and vendor-designed cartridges. The new ammunition includes multiple types of tactical and training rounds that increase accuracy and are more lethal against emerging threats than both the 5.56mm and 7.62mm ammunition.”

The XM5 Rifle weighs about 8.3 pounds — slightly heavier than an M4, which typically weighs about 7.3 pounds. Sig Sauer’s design for the machine gun variant weighs 12 pounds, and that is lighter than both the M249 and M240 machine guns, which weigh 18 pounds and 28 pounds respectively.

The Sig Sauer design chambers a 6.8 x 51 mm round with a maximum chamber pressure of 80,000 pounds per square inch that extends the weapon’s range without the need for a longer barrel or heavier ammunition. That is a much higher pressure than the 5.56 x 45 mm NATO round chambered by M4 carbines and M249 machine guns, which has a maximum chamber pressure of 62,000 pounds per square inch.

Ian McCollum, a gun expert and host of the “Forgotten Weapons” YouTube channel, told Task & Purpose during SHOT Show 2022 that he didn’t think an infantry rifle could have a long service life if it fired such a high-pressure round.

But Sig Sauer President and CEO Ron Cohen told Task & Purpose in January that his company’s design for the Next Generation Squad Weapon could fire up to 12,000 rounds before needing to change barrels, whereas soldiers typically need to replace the barrels on their M4 carbines after firing 6,000 rounds.

Sig Sauer’s submission for both Next Generation Squad Weapon variants and ammunition was selected over a design offered by LoneStar Future Weapons, owned by True Velocity. The LoneStar design for the weapon featured a “bullpup” configuration, in which the magazine is behind the trigger control assembly, and a reciprocating barrel that moves backwards with each shot to absorb recoil.

The most innovative feature of LoneStar’s design was the composite 6.8 mm ammunition made by True Velocity, which is an average of 30% lighter than brass cartridges.

Soldiers have been waiting for five years to get their hands on the Next Generation Squad Weapon.

In May 2017, Gen. Mark Milley, then Army Chief of Staff, warned Congress that newer types of body armor sold for just $250 by “adversarial states” could stop the 5.56 mm round chambered by the U.S. military’s M4 carbines, M16 rifles, and M-249 machine guns.

After looking for a commercially available weapon to serve as an interim rifle, the Army decided in October 2017 to find a replacement for the M4 and M249.

The Next Generation Squad Weapon rifle and machine gun variants are expected to be fielded to soldiers in the “Close Combat Force,” a term that encompasses several frontline military occupational specialties including infantry, cavalry scouts, combat medics, forward observers, combat engineers, and special operations forces.

The Army expects to have a better idea this summer about how long it will take to field the Next Generation Squad Weapon to soldiers.

Well, after sinking their Black Sea Fleet Flagship, I’d think talks would collapse too.

UKRAINE INVASION UPDATE 23

April 15

“Negotiations: Ceasefire negotiations have effectively collapsed.”

The Ukraine Invasion Update is a weekly synthetic product covering key political and rhetorical events related to renewed Russian aggression against Ukraine. This update covers events from April 8-14. All of the ISW Russia’s team’s coverage of the war in Ukraine—including daily military assessments and maps, past Conflict Updates, and several supplemental assessments—are available on our Ukraine Crisis Coverage landing page.

Key Takeaways April 8-14

Ukraine and Russia are both unlikely to advance ceasefire negotiations until the ongoing Russian campaign in eastern Ukraine develops further. The Kremlin likely seeks to capture at minimum the entirety of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, while Kyiv seeks to further degrade the Russian military and potentially conduct major counteroffensives.
Russian President Vladimir Putin may be purging elements of his intelligence service and blaming close allies for Russian intelligence and planning failures in the lead-up to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The Kremlin is likely falsely blaming Ukrainian forces for planning or conducting provocations in areas where Russian forces intend to commit or have already committed atrocities.
Independent actors are unlikely to be able to verify Ukraine’s April 11 claim that Russian forces used chemical weapons in Mariupol, but Russian forces retain the capability to use chemical weapons beyond this specific instance.
The Kremlin is reframing the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a Western war against Russia in a likely effort to maintain Russian domestic acceptance of the war.
Belarus and Russia are increasing economic ties—and likely Kremlin influence over Belarus—as sanctions cut off both states from international markets.
Finland and Sweden are increasingly reconsidering their non-aligned status and may move to join NATO in the coming months.
Western countries continued to search for alternatives to Russian energy while the Kremlin tried to downplay the effects of Western sanctions on its economy and energy sector.
NATO countries continue to secure their eastern borders and provide military assistance (including several high-end capabilities) to Ukraine to counter Russian aggression.

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