SOF News Update 20170706 – July 3rd casualty identified, ex-Green Beret on North Korea, SOF Medic Field Guide, IDF Special Forces vet designs rotary UAV with machine gun, Glock not happy with Modular Handgun System competition results, college to honor SSG James Miller (Green Beret & MoH), U.S. Army needs more firepower, field guide for boosting Marines senses in combat, and more.
DoD Identifies U.S. Casualty from July 3. The Department of Defense announced the death of a Soldier who was supporting Operation Freedom Sentinel in Afghanistan. PFC Hansen B. Kirkpatrick, 19, of Wasilla, Arkansas, died on July 3rd, in Helmand province from wounds received during an indirect fire attack. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division based at Fort Bliss, Texas. Info from “DoD Identifies Army Casualty”, DoD, July 5, 2017.
Israeli Special Forces Vet Developed UAV for Machine Guns. Urban warfare will be going high-tech with the introduction of small multi-rotor drones modified to carry machine guns, grenade launchers, and other small weapons. A 20-year veteran of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and reservist in the Israeli Special Forces has founded a company that has developed and marketed the drone. Read more in “The Israeli Military is Buying Copter Drones With Machine Guns”, Defense One, July 5, 2017.
Glock – Not Happy with MHS Competition Results. The leadership at Glock, Inc. says that the U.S. Army’s decision to go with Sig Sauer for the Modular Handgun System (MHS) was driven by cost savings not the performance of the gun. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently decided to deny Glock’s protest of the Army’s MHS decision. Read more in “Glock Says It’s the Best Pick for MHS; Calls on Army for More Tests”, Military.com, July 5, 2017.
College of Dupage Honors SSG Miller of 3rd SFGA. Staff Sergeant Robert James Miller, a member of 3rd Special Forces Group, was killed in Afghanistan and received the Medal of Honor. The College of Dupage in Illinois – home state of SSG Miller – is naming a building on its campus after Miller. Read about the memorial ceremony and about the Medal of Honor award to Miller.
Army Increasing Fire Power Capability for Future Conflict. The most likely adversaries for the United States in a ground war is Russia and North Korea. Many of the Army’s leadership feel that the Army lacks sufficient firepower to counter these armies. However, efforts are now underway to correct that shortfall. See “As Global Tensions Rise, U.S. Army Beefs Up Firepower”, Real Clear Defense, July 6, 2017.
Field Guide for Marines – Enhancing Instincts. The Office of Naval Research has spent a good bit of money finding out unique ways to boost a Marines senses while operating in dangerous situations. A 23-page field manual breaks down training, mental exercises, and methods for enhancing natural instincts. Read more in “The Navy Developed a Field Guide for Marines to Boost Their Senses Downrange”, Task and Purpose, July 5, 2017.
Green Beret on North Korea. Special Forces officer Mike Waltz, a Fox News commentator, provides his thoughts on what comes next with the North Korean missile crisis. He thinks time is running out yet there really are no good military options. Read more in “Ex-Green Beret Commander: Time to Consider NKorea Regime Change”, Newsmax, July 6, 2017.
Medical Field Guide. The College of Remote and Offshore Medicine (CoROM) has updated its CoROM Field Guide. The CoROM Field Guide was designed for the medical practitioner working in remote and austere environments. The guide is being used by the NATO Special Operations Combat Medic Course. http://corom.org/field-guide/
