This release from Navy News proves the SEAL "only easy day was yesterday" motto applies to training environments too.
Here's part of the release:
SAN DIEGO - A San Diego-based Navy SEAL died Jan. 30 from gunshot wounds suffered during a live-fire close quarters combat training exercise at a training facility near the city of Lake Cormorant, Miss.
The incident occurred at approximately 2 p.m. CST and is currently under investigation.
The SEAL, whose name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin, was a Special Warfare Operator assigned to a San Diego-based SEAL Team.
"This is a terrible loss for the Naval Special Warfare community and his family," said Capt. Thomas L. Brown, commanding officer, Naval Special Warfare Group 1.
"I extend my deepest condolences and heartfelt sympathy to his family and friends."
-- Ward
New SEAL Boat
Spec ops guys love their toys, and SEALs especially love the idea of a new, smoother-riding boat. Here's some of the gouge currently running at Military.com:
Navy SEALs are tough by nature, but they take a beating from their patrol boats: bruises, bumps and sore backs, even sprained ankles and chipped teeth.
An all-composite version of the aluminum Mark V patrol boat constructed by luxury boat builder Hodgdon Yachts Inc. is aimed at reducing the wear and tear on boat operators and SEALs by absorbing the impact as the vessel crashes through the waves at 50-plus knots.
The goal is to deliver up to 16 combat-ready Navy SEALS in shape to carry out their missions and to reduce the boat operators' neck, back and joint injuries.
"The idea is to build a boat out of the best carbon-Kevlar composite that we can build to reduce those slamming forces," said David Packhem Jr., president and chief executive officer of Maine Marine Manufacturing LLC, a military spinoff of Hodgdon Yachts.
I caught a segment during this morning's "Today Show" that documented this jump and was blown away by the flight path control these jumpers have. The bald jumper went on to say that he's shooting for a "no parachute" capability with wing suits. Now, as any student pilot knows, a flared landing takes some practice, so you can imagine how tricky arresting a gigantic rate of descent with a wing suit would be - not to mention, unlike powered flight, if you mismanage your energy, you are totally hosed.
But if daredevils can standardize the move, the implications for special operations are tremendous. HALO is sneaky, but it still has a finite vul window. If you never slow down until the end of your landing skid (not rollout), your vul window is basically nil.
Here's a quick look at these dudes playing chicken with Christ. Check it out . . .
America's underwater special forces ops might not like it at first, but this dolphinlike device, PowerSwim, will let them reach targets fast -- and without having to catch their breath. The device is compatible with standard scuba gear, as well as the front-mounted rebreathers (artist sketch, above) used by special operations personnel to avoid telltale bubble trails.
Humans are terrible swimmers, converting roughly 3 percent of their kicks, strokes and general underwater exertions into forward motion. We can boost our efficiency to 10 percent by adding fins, but dolphins, by comparison, can turn 80 percent of their energy into thrust. Not to be outdone, the Pentagon's research wing, DARPA, is developing a contraption that lets Navy SEALs and other combat divers swim faster, and with less effort.
Instead of kicking, PowerSwim calls for a kind of undulation as its hinged foils pivot up and down. Similar to the way a dolphin or tortoise pumps its fins, this motion generates both lift and thrust. And while artificial fins operate within the swimmer's own wake (they form a kind of expanding cone, starting at a swimmer's shoulders), the PowerSwim's lead foil -- or propulsor foil -- sweeps through the water just outside that wake.
While the first Marine Osprey squadron floats its way to the Persian Gulf for a deployment to Iraq, Air Force Special Ops pilots are in the middle of a test, evaluation and training period to get their own CV-22s into the fight.
With all the previous disasters in the program, it's good to see the plane finally seems to be somewhat out of the woods. I know a clutch of defense reporters who have their pencils sharpened for the day an Osprey crashes in Iraq - that "see, we told you so" theme running through the story won't be hard to miss.
But after flying in it myself - and flying in a lot of different helicopters as well - let's just say it's good to see a bit of "normalcy" descending on a program that is going to take vertical take-off and landing flight tactics to a whole new level.
"There are a couple of routes out there," said Lt. Col. Todd Lovell, commander of the 71st Special Operations Squadron at Kirtland Air Force Base. "On the route from Clovis to Albuquerque, Moriarty is right under the route."
The Ospreys practice landings and takeoffs at the local airport as they fly the routes.
Lovell, who started training at Kirtland in the summer of 2006, is the head of the training force for the CV-22 Osprey.
"Anyone who will fly an Osprey comes through here," Lovell said in a phone interview.
The CV-22 is an Air Force modified version of the U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey. The Air Force first tested the aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base in California in September 2000. Lovell was part of that team.
Lovell said the unique aspect of the Osprey, in addition to its speed and range, is the fact that it can land in the same amount of space as a helicopter.
At almost 60 feet long, 22 feet tall and with a wingspan of 84 feet, the Osprey's cruising speed is 277 mph.
The crew is two pilots and two flight engineers.
"There are very few planes with navigators anymore," Lovell said. "With GPS and inertial navigation systems it simplifies the task ... One of the (pilots) is flying while the other is doing the navigation function, helping to think ahead as to where the mission is going. You work as a team."
One flight engineer sits in the back and is responsible for the troops while scanning the area for anyone who might shoot at the aircraft. The other engineer sits in the jump seat in the front and helps with navigation functions.
Training for the pilots lasts 10 months.
"Training is done in two phases," Lovell said. "First phase is that pilots go to North Carolina and train with the Marines for four months on an MV-22, then they come back here for the CV-22 course. The first phase is how to fly a tiltrotor. Then what we do here is mission training, getting them ready for combat flying at night, flying low level and threats."
The Osprey is uniquely helpful for transporting up to 24 troops into battle.
"An airplane would have to land in an airfield," Lovell said. "Or the guys would have to parachute out the back. (The Osprey) is a lot safer for troops and they can all land in the same area. Twenty- four guys running off together is much safer than twenty-four guys separated by 50 yards, even."
Lovell said the CV-22 Osprey is a complex machine for complex missions.
"The airplane is absolutely unique," Lovell said. "There's nothing else in the world that can do the things that it does. We're quite lucky that we've got it finally in service. We absolutely love flying it."
Estancia Valley residents can expect to see them overhead again as they train in the area.
The U.S. Special Operations Command was created in the wake of the the failed hostage rescue attempt in Iran in 1980, commonly known as "Desert One." Analysis after the fact revealed that the services were unable to effectively interact to fight low intesity conflicts.
Here's how Paulette Risher describes SOCOM in the 1st Quarter 2006 issue of JFQ:
"Established by Congress in 1987, USSOCOM was envisioned as a unified command with service-like responsibilities to oversee all Special Operations Forces. Designated responsibilities outlined in Title 10 of the United States Code included resource allocation and budget management, ostensibly to bolster special operations capabilities in such areas as joint doctrine and training, personnel management, and mission planning. The law also mandated that, should the President or Secretary of Defense direct, the commander of USSOCOM would exercise command of a selected special operations mission. Thus, although most of the command’s effort would support the other combatant commands, under certain circumstances it could become a supported command."
The GWOT has given SOCOM myriad opportunities to be the supported command. Special operators traditionally complained that regular forces were too "heavy handed" when dealing with the locals in a counter insurgency environment, but in the supported command role over the years has the distinction between special operations and the regular forces eroded? And further, has what made each service's special ops capability unique gone away in the face of counter insurgency warfare? Is mission tasking simply plug and play with little concern regarding the difference between, say, SEALs and Green Berets? Is there a difference? Does it matter anymore?
(Note: The DT staff is flying back from San Francisco, so we'll be post light for the balance of today. We'll hit it hard once we get through security and find an overhead bin for our carry-ons and finish fighting rush hour on the Beltway, etc., etc.)
