Airborne Combat Engineer

Combat fashion trends

FORT BELVOIR, Va. (Army News Service, May 4, 2007) -- The Army Program Executive Office Soldier will soon provide an improved Army combat shirt (for the Advanced Combat Uniform, or ACU) to Soldiers deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan.

The flame-resistant long-sleeved shirt, which retains the moisture-wicking capability, breathability, and durability of other components in the ACU, also has many of its other features, including cargo pockets, infrared identification tabs, and hook-and-loop fasteners for the American flag.

The new shirt has a foliage green torso and sleeves in the universal camouflage pattern, and sports seamless shoulders and side panels for comfort, along with integrated anti-abrasion elbow pads, and a small Army Strong logo centered on the chest.

Army News

Curious about how that will look under the old-style armored vest? See the continuation for an image, optional ACE comments, and more military fashion news.

Top 10 Army inventions for 2006

The US Army held its 5th annual "top 10 greatest inventions" ceremony recently in Arlington, VA, recognizing the Top 10 inventions of 2006.

The top picks were chosen by Soldiers from active-Army divisions and the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command according to three criteria: impact on Army capabilities, potential benefits outside the Army and inventiveness.

DID

Can you believe a modified M113 made the list? See link or continuation

Is the Army developing the wrong future?

"The Army is developing the most expensive and complex weapons system in its history, but it's based on some very questionable concepts.

... the Army's own experience of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan further debunks concepts central to FCS."

[GG, GovExec] [h/t David Axe, Ares]

A more fundamental question might be whether the efforts of many great minds shouldn't be redirected toward improving battlefield conditions in the short term, given we have had two ongoing wars for years, and problems like IEDs have still not been adequately addressed. 

Day 7 of search for missing Soldiers

As the search continues, the Los Angeles Times is reporting that the military has detained people it believes were "directly linked" to the weekend attack that killed four Fort Drum soldiers and left three others missing.

[News 10, Syracuse]

FORT DRUM, N.Y. | Fort Drum soldiers said an ambush in Iraq that left Spc. Alex Jimenez and two other soldiers missing will only work to unite America and strengthen the military's determination.

"If this is a scare tactic to undermine our resolve, they need to realize our soldiers are trained killers and don't scare," said Spc. Dorothy Drake of Los Angeles. "This is more incentive to finish the job.

[WK, AP]

Friday AM Update:  The U.S. has identified a fourth soldier killed in the ambush south of Baghdad in which three other troops went missing, a relative told CNN Radio on Friday. The Army told family members Thursday that the killed soldier was Sgt. Anthony J. Schober, 23, of Reno, Nevada... [CNN]

Evidence shows the men were dragged away from the scene. The most probable speculation is that they were already dead or injured. Conflicting evidence makes it unclear if they are alive or dead, but commanders are expressing "cautious optimism." We can only hope and pray.

This has been extremely disruptive to efforts to establish stability, as 4K troops have been diverted from their missions to join the search; so we can expect additional attempts to capture our troops.

New Army OPSEC reg

The Army has issued stringent new regulations about how information is supposed to be handled.  Everything from blog posts to e-mail to resumes must now get prior approval from a supervisor.  And everyone from soldiers to civilians to contractors to family members is covered.

The regulation says that a Soldier or other U.S. Army personnel must consult with their immediate supervisor and OPSEC officer prior to posting information in a public forum.  However, this is where unit commander or organization leadership specifies in orders, policies, or directives how this will be done.  Some units may require that Soldiers register their blog with the unit for identification purposes with occasional spot checks after an initial review.  Other units may require a review before every posting.

A private e-mail message to Family Members is not considered posting information in a public forum, but U.S. Army personnel are informed that unclassified e-mails can be intercepted and that they shouldn’t write anything that they wouldn’t say on an unsecure phone. While it is not practical to check all communication, especially private communication, the U.S. Army trusts that Soldiers and U.S. Army personnel will do the right things to maintain proper security when they understand their role in it.   

[Wired's Danger Room]

Noah Shachtman notes this is putting a crimp on blogs by active troops in theatre.

Defense Tech posted about this on 13OCT2006.

It might be advisable, but it will reduce our ability to understand the war from the view of the boots on the ground.

Foreign complications in US bullet production

After winning a five-year contract worth up to $1.2-billion for small arms ammo, the St. Petersburg subsidiary of defense contractor General Dynamics did what has almost become a reflex in corporate America. It outsourced some of the work to Asia, to a unit of the armed forces of Taiwan, the 205th Arsenal.

... the Taiwanese military unit has stopped producing bullets little more than a year into the agreement. It allegedly refuses to resume production until General Dynamics agrees to cover some unanticipated increases in raw material costs... Even if General Dynamics prevails in court, getting the Taiwanese military to submit to the ruling of a U.S. court may be no slam dunk.

The case raises questions about entrusting the making of ammunition to a unit of a foreign army.

[St. Petersburg Times]

Call ACE old-fashioned, but firearms and ammo for the US military should be produced in the US, even if by a foreign company. We can always take it over if necessary.

At least the Lake City plant is owned by the US.

Army tours extended to 15 months

Stretched thin by four years of war, the Army is adding three months to the standard yearlong tour for all active-duty soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, an extraordinary step aimed at maintaining the troop buildup in Baghdad.

[Fox News]

Maybe necessary, but not good.

The Army's new body armor

The Army is set to field a new body armor vest that the service says is lighter and offers more protection from bullets and shrapnel than the current design.

The key difference from the current Interceptor is the IOTV's over-the-head entry system, similar to armor used by special operations forces. Army testers claim the vest has a more comfortable fit, with an inner cummerbund that helps distribute the weight of the vest onto a Soldier's waist rather than his shoulders and a mesh liner that helps keep Soldier cool under the burden of the heavy armor.

There's more protective coverage as well. The IOTV has a higher cut under the arms, which means Soldiers won't need the extra under-arm protection of the Deltoid Axillary Protector set. And the vest incorporates a lower back flap that increases ballistic coverage by 52 inches, the Army said.

The vest will continue to use the current-issued Enhanced Small Arms Protective Insert plates in the front, back and sides.

[Christian Lowe @ Military.com] [Christian @ Defense Tech]

Big Green makes blue fashion statement

WASHINGTON (Army News Service) -- Army service uniforms will be streamlined to one blue Army Service Uniform, the Army announced today.

“World-class Soldiers deserve a simplified, quality uniform. The blue Army Service Uniform is a traditional uniform that is consistent with the Army’s most honored traditions,” said Sgt. Maj. Of the Army Kenneth O. Preston.

“We have all of these variations of uniforms – green, blue and white,” said Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker. “It makes sense for us to go to one traditional uniform that is really sharp and high quality and which Soldiers will be very proud to wear. And that’s what we’ve done by adopting this blue Army Service Uniform that reflects simplicity, quality, utility and tradition.”

Army Blue as a uniform color traces its origins back to the National Blue and was first worn by Soldiers in the Continental Army of 1779.

[Army] see images at link [History of Army uniforms]

ACE still has his dress blue uniform, which he only wore to formal functions.

Keeping incoming from coming in

The US Army is seeking countermeasures to defeat incoming enemy rocket, artillery and mortar (RAM) attacks. As part of the Extended Area Protection & Survivability (EAPS) program the Army plans to evaluate gun-based countermeasures currently under development at Alliant Techsystems (NYSE:ATK).

The company received a $4.6 million contract from the U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC), to develop and demonstrate a 50mm gun and ammunition system that will be fired from a derivative of the ATK's Bushmaster cannon. The projectile will employ course-correction techniques based on commands received via data-link.

[Defense Update]

Things are really changing.