SOF News Update 20180621 – Syria, EC-130H Compass Call (video), new online magazine, MACV-1 Jungle Rucking Boot, JCOC 88 (AFSOC video), 2nd Recon Bn jump (video), French SOF in Yemen, LTG Miller on Afghanistan, busting myths about BUD/S, Navy casualty in Djibouti, beefing up SO/LIC, new SOCEUR cdr, and more.
SOF News
MACV-1 Jungle Rucking Boot. The folks at GoRuck have come out with a redesign of the old Vietnam-era jungle boot.
https://www.goruck.com/creating-macv-1/
Video – 2nd Recon Jump. U.S. Marines with the 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion perform free fall jumps at Camp Lejeune, N.C. in June 2018. (1-min, 13 June 2018, II Marine Expeditionary Force).
Busting Myths About BUD/S. Two Navy SEALs provide the real dope about what happens at Basic Training Command, BUD/S. Posted on SEAL / SWCC official Naval Special Warfare website on June 6, 2018.
http://sealswcc.com/navy-seal-podcast-episode-8.html
Relieved AF Colonel Going to AFSOC. The commander of a Air Force security forces group who was relieved due to lost grenades and a machine gun is going to the Air Force Special Operations Command at Hurlburt Field. (NWF Daily News, June 18, 2018).
AFSOC Surgical Team and ‘Blood Warmers’. An Air Force special operations surgical team wants blood warmers to save lives downrange. (Military.com, June 16, 2018).
“CT Disruptive but Fleeting”. LTG Scott Miller testified before the Senate during his confirmation testimony. He stated that the effects of counterterrorist operations in Afghanistan were “disruptive but fleeting” . . . and that the TAA efforts will have a greater effect in gaining greater security in Afghanistan. Watch his 1 1/2 hour long testimony before the Senate Committee on Armed Forces on Tuesday, June 19, 2018.
Beefing Up SO/LIC. Congress is requiring DoD to report on the progress being made to step up oversight process by SO/LIC over USSOCOM. Read “Senate votes to boost civilian oversight of special ops, reinforcing earlier mandate”, Federal News Radio, June 19, 2018.
New SOCEUR Cdr. MG Mark Schwartz (USSF) relinquished command of Special Operations Command Europe to MG Kirk W. Smith (USAF). (SOCEUR DVIDS, June 12, 2018).
Navy Casualty in Djibouti. A U.S. Navy sailor who was deployed in support of Special Operations Command Forward – East Africa died Sunday, June 17th at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti as a result of a non-combat related incident. (DoD, June 19, 2018).
Video – JCOC. A short 1-minute long video about the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference that took place in June 2018.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WfeDIA6myI
Women Compete Against Men in TV (SAS) Show. A popular British TV series that has men competing for a place in ‘special operations’ has now opened its show to women. (Irish Mirror, June 16, 2018).
“Artificial Blubber’ for SEALs. MIT researchers have come up with a way to keep U.S. Navy SEALs alive in frigid waters. (Futurism, June 20, 2018).
SF Deaths in Africa – Opinion. Doug Scott writes that Special Forces casualties will continue in Africa until . . . (The Havoc Journal, June 19, 2018).
International News
French SOF in Yemen. Special operations forces from France are on the ground in Yemen working with military units from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). (Middle East Monitor, June 16, 2018).
Manbij, Syria Update. Turkish and U.S. military units have started independent patrols along the line separating Turkish military personnel and Kurdish militia fighters. The Kurdish YPG militia will soon withdraw from Manbij. See “Turkish, U.S. units begin patrols near northern Syria’s Manbij”, Reuters, June 18, 2018.
Russia and the Arctic. Russia is making some significant improvements to its military posture in the Arctic region. See “Russia’s Push for Militarization of the Arctic Continues”, The Jamestown Foundation, June 18, 2018.
Non-SOF Military Stuff
EC-130H Compass Call. Watch a short video about the Hercules aircraft that disrupts enemy command and control communications.
https://vimeo.com/262844745
Mattis Speaks to Merchant Marine Academy. Secretary of Defense James Mattis address the graduates of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. Some good advice to young mariners. (DoD, June 16, 2018).
New Magazine. The folks at Black Rifle Coffee Company have launched a new online publication entitled “Coffee, or Die Magazine”. The editor is Marty Skovlund, Jr. Could be interesting reading. The company is founded and staffed by ex-SOF people.
The Catcher Was a Spy. The story of a baseball player who worked for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during World War II. (NY Post, June 16, 2018).
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Photo: 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion performs free fall jump at Camp Lejeune, NC. Photo by CPL Kenney Gomez, II Marine Expeditionary Force, June 13, 2018.
