Air Force

Gear in the Wild: Every party needs a smoke machine

U.S. Marines with 3rd Platoon, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, run during a simulated chemical, biological, radioactive, and nuclear attack for the Command Sponsored Corporals Course (CSCC), at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, June 19, 2019. The CSCC was hosted by 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, to provide students with basic knowledge and skills to become successful small-unit leaders.

U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Lance Cpl. Alexa M. Hernandez

Watch U.S. Marines conduct CBRN Training below:

Happy Birthday to the greatest nation on Earth

An A-10 Thunderbolt II from the 25th Fighter Squadron sits on display during the 4th of July Liberty Festival at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, July 4, 2018. More than 4,500 service members and their families attended the festival to enjoy food, entertainment and a fireworks show hosted by the 51st Force Support Squadron and various supporting organizations.

Image courtesy of the Dept. of Defense

Here’s a look at some military-style fireworks to commemorate this special day!

Gear in the Wild: The Carl Gustaf recoilless rifle is one mean piece of kit

U.S. Army paratroopers assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, rehearse firing a Carl Gustaf recoilless rifle during the blank iteration of a combined arms live fire excercise in support of Swift Response 19 in Novo Selo Training Area, Bulgaria, June 24, 2019. Swift Response 19 is a U.S. Army Europe multinational exercise led by the U.S. Global Response Force to demonstrate the ability to deploy high readiness forces into a designated area, as well as advance airborne interoperability among NATO allies.

U.S. Army photo by Spc. Justin W. Stafford

See the Carl Gustaf recoilless rifle in action below:

Gear in the Wild: Getting all dressed up to go for a ride

A U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) rescue swimmer hangs of the side of an MH-65 Dolphin off the coast of Tybee Island Coast Guard Station, Georgia, June 21. 2019. The rescue swimmer aided pilots from Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, during a search-and-recovery exercise with the USCG.

U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Sean Sweeney

Check out Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers in action below:

Professionals Playbook: Learn what it takes to become the commander of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds

Lt. Col. John “Brick” Caldwell is the Commander and Leader of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. I had never met Brick before this interview, but several pilots I’ve flown with have a tremendous amount of respect for him. After our conversation, I do as well. He is an accomplished warrior with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. He has over 660 combat flight hours, a Distinguished Flying Cross, and is a graduate of the USAF weapons school. He served for several years in the Air Force’s Test and Evaluation Squadron, overseeing the latest fighter aircraft technology. He now leads the 130-person Thunderbird organization and flies the number 1 jet.

Brick is a world-class professional who is also a great communicator. He talks about some emotionally difficult topics as well lessons he’s learned along the way. I think everyone can take away something from this interview. Feel free to share this episode with someone who you think would benefit most.In this episode, we talk about, in order:

His first passion for aviation (minute 0:00)
Turning a dream into reality (minute 5:00)
Lessons learned (minute 6:00)
Deployment to Iraq (minute 07:00)
Losing a friend in combat (minute 10:10)
Taking enemy life (minute 19:15)
Deployment to Afghanistan (minute 21:15)
The mission he received a Distinguished Flying Cross (minute 24:00)
Combat Lessons learned (minute 28:15)
Test and evaluation experience (minute 31:00)
F-16 Viper evolution (minute 37:15)
Decision to join Thunderbirds (minute 41:45)
Being Thunderbird #1 (minute 50:15)
His crazy schedule (minute 53:00)
Thunderbird debriefs (minute 57:00)
Looking forward to most this season (minute 58:30)

Honoring the fallen: Air Force special operators (AFSOC) to ruck 830 miles

In a feat of extreme endurance, 20 operators from throughout the Air Force Special Operation Command (AFSOC) Special Tactics community will ruck an astounding 830 miles to honor their 20 Special Tactics brothers who have made the ultimate sacrifice since the War on Terror began in September 2001. The airmen will march from the Medina Annex, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, to Hurlburt Field, Florida.

Extreme physical toughness and stamina make up the core of all special operations forces (SOF). They provide the base upon which every other specialized capability is built.

The inspiration for the undertaking came after Staff Sergeant Dylan J. Elchin, a combat controller (CCT) assigned to the 26th Special Tactics Squadron, was killed by an improvised explosive device (IED) in Afghanistan in November 2018. Alongside Sergeant Elchin, two Special Forces operators—Captain Andrew Ross and Sergeant First Class Eric Emond from the 3^rd Special Forces Group—and an infantryman, Sergeant Jason McClary, were killed by the blast.

The 20 operators will be divided into 10 teams of two Special Tactics airmen. The whole team will depart from the Medina Annex in the early morning hours of February 22 and plan to arrive at Hurlburt Field on the afternoon of March 4. Consequently, they have planned for a joint-aching 75-mile pace for the duration of the 11 days. However, after the first five miles, teams will rotate, each rucking 12 miles.

Such commemorative events are becoming a tradition in the Special Tactics community. This will be the fifth march; the first Special Tactics Memorial March occurred in 2009 in memory of Staff Sergeant Timothy Davis. The men will carry a memorial baton, which will be engraved with the following names of fallen Special Tactics airmen:

Master Sgt. William McDaniel of Greenville, Ohio, Special Tactics Pararescueman, Feb. 22, 2002
Staff Sgt. Juan Ridout of Oak Harbor, Special Tactics Pararescueman, Feb. 22, 2002
Master Sgt. John Chapman of Windsor Locks, Connecticut, Special Tactics Combat Controller, Mar. 4, 2002
Senior Airman Jason Cunningham of Camarillo, California, Special Tactics Pararescueman, Mar. 4, 2002
Staff Sgt. Scott Sather of Clio, Michigan, Special Tactics Combat Controller, April 8, 2003
Derek Argel of Lompoc, California, Special Tactics Officer, May 30, 2005
Jeremy Fresques of Clarksdale, Arizona, Special Tactics Officer, May 30, 2005
Staff Sgt. Casey Crate of Spanaway, Washington, Special Tactics Combat Controller, May 30, 2005
Senior Airman Adam Servais of Onalaska, Wisconsin, Special Tactics Combat Controller, Aug. 19, 2006
Technical Sgt. Scott Duffman of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Special Tactics Pararescueman, Feb. 18, 2007
Technical Sgt. William Jefferson of Norfolk, Virginia, Special Tactics Combat Controller, Mar. 22, 2008
Staff Sgt. Timothy Davis of Aberdeen, Washington, Special Tactics Combat Controller, Feb. 20, 2009
Senior Airman Daniel Sanchez of El Paso, Texas, Special Tactics Combat Controller, Sep. 16, 2010
Senior Airman Mark Forester of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Special Tactics Combat Controller, Sep. 29, 2010
Technical Sgt. John Brown of Tallahassee, Special Tactics Pararescueman, Aug. 6, 2011
Technical Sgt. Daniel Zerbe of York, Pennsylvania, Special Tactics Pararescueman, Aug. 6, 2011
Staff Sgt. Andrew Harvell of Long Beach, California, Special Tactics Combat Controller, Aug. 6, 2011
Matthew Roland of Lexington, Kentucky, Special Tactics Officer, Aug. 26, 2015
Staff Sgt. Forrest Sibley of Pensacola, Special Tactics Combat Controller, Aug. 26, 2015
Staff Sgt. Dylan Elchin of Hookstown, Pennsylvania, Special Tactics Combat Controller, Nov. 27, 2018

AFSOC is comprised of pararescuemen, combat controllers, tactical air control party airmen, and special operations weather technicians, though the lattermost military occupational specialty (MOS) is soon to be replaced by the new special reconnaissance MOS.

Originally published on NEWSREP