SOF News Update for 20161016 – The ‘woobie’ gets an upgrade, small drones used by special operations forces, new Jungle Boots, India’s maritime SOF and CT unit, fattest service in U.S. military, book review of Rogue Heroes, spinal injury center run by Green Beret in Tampa, FL celebrates first year in business, and more.
Small Drones used by SOF. The Switchblade has been in use by U.S. special operations forces for a few years. It provides its users with a real-time view of the battlefield from above like other drones. However, it is also used to fly directly into a target and detonate a small charge. Read more in “Forget the Predator – Military Drones are Getting Smaller”, Air & Space Magazine, October 4, 2016.
Woobie Upgrade. The best friend of the infantryman in inclement weather is the ‘woobie’ – or more officially known as the ‘poncho liner’. The Marines and Army are coming out with an upgrade – to include a zipper and better insulation. Read more in “The beloved ‘woobie’ gets a much-needed update’, We Are The Mighty, September 30, 2016.
TF 44. New reports say that the Italian Special Forces are doing a “Train, Advise, and Assist” mission in Iraq.
Story on the Air Force “Horsemen” of 9/11. In the fall of 2001 U.S. Army Green Berets entered northern Afghanistan – infiltrating by helicopter. Many of the SF teams linked up with units of the Afghan Northern Alliance. Some 30+ members of these teams were quickly put on horseback to move from one location to another or to participate in offensive maneuvers against the Taliban. Attached to the SF teams were Air Force combat controllers. Read more in a news story by the U.S. Air Force, October 14, 2016.
“Golden Division” Prepares for Mosul Assault. News reports are stating that all three brigades of the ISOF division are staged close to the second largest city in Iraq in an attempt to dislodge the Islamic State. As always, the Iraqi SOF will lead the offensive.
Book Review – Rogue Heroes. Ben Macintrye has wrote a great book about the founding of the British Special Air Service (SAS). In the book is a sprinkling of the unorthodox characters that were the original members of the SAS during World War II. The book also covers some of the secretive years just after World War II where covert missions were conducted around the world by the British special operatives. Read the review – “Review: ‘Rogue Heroes,’ the Birth of Britain’s Elite Special Forces”, by Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times, October 3, 2016.
Green Beret & Wife Run Spinal Injury Center. A paralyzed veteran and his wife are providing medical care for those with spinal cord injuries in the Tampa, Florida area. (Tampa Bay Times, Oct 3, 2016).
New Jungle Boots. The Army has a quick need for Jungle Boots to field to two Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs) over the next two years. A Request for Information (RFI) has been issued to determine the industry’s capability to deliver lots of boots. Read more in “PdM-SCIE Issues RFI for US Army Jungle Combat Boot”, Soldier Systems, October 5, 2016.
Fattest Service? That would be the U.S. Army. Read more in “And the fattest U.S. military service is . . . “, Military Times, October 9, 2016.
MARCOS – The Indian Navy’s special forces unit excels at counter-terrorism operations. MARCOS does amphibious warfare, close quarter combat, counter-terrorism, direct action, special reconnaissance, and unconventional warfare. Read more in a news report by News Nation (India), October 4, 2016.
