The FReeper Foxhole - Military Related News in Review - August 11th, 2003

various

[snippy_about_it]

Lord,

Keep our Troops forever in your care

Give them victory over the enemy...

Grant them a safe and swift return...

Bless those who mourn the lost.
.

FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer
for all those serving their country at this time.

God Bless America
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News Round-Up

COALITION EFFORTS AID IN REBUILDING IRAQ

SOLDIER DIES FROM APPARENT HEAT STRESS

1ST ARMORED DIVISION SOLDIER FOUND DEAD

ANOTHER MEMBER OF "IRAQI TOP 55" IN COALITION CUSTODY

MISSILES, WEAPONS CONFISCATED

SOLDIER DIES IN SLEEP

SOLDIER DIES OF GUNSHOT WOUND

TASK FORCE IRONHORSE ENGINEERS HELP IRAQI TOWN

COALITION AND IRAQI PEOPLE WORK TO MAKE IRAQ SECURE

TWO SOLDIERS KILLED IN FIREFIGHT

SOLDIER DIES AFTER SEIZURE

SOLDIER KILLED IN ACCIDENTAL FALL

SOLDIER DIES FROM APPARENT HEART ATTACK

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Clic on the Iraq banner for detailed information.


Clic on the Afghanistan banner for detailed information.

Iraq's 55 Most Wanted - Status Link

DoD News Releases

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Casuality Identification List for the past week from the DoD

August 8, 2003
DoD Identifies Army Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Pvt. Kyle C. Gilbert, 20, of Brattleboro, Vt., was killed on Aug. 6 in Baghdad, Iraq. An Iraqi vehicle opened fire on Gilbert's unit. Gilbert died of injuries received during the ambush. Gilbert was assigned to C Company, 2nd Battalion, 325th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

Sgt. Leonard D. Simmons, 33, of New Bern, N.C., died on Aug. 6 in Mosul, Iraq. Simmons died of a non-combat related cause. Simmons was assigned to C Company, 3rd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

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August 7, 2003
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today that Staff Sgt. Brian R. Hellerman, 35, of Freeport, Minn., was killed on Aug. 6 in Baghdad, Iraq. An Iraqi vehicle opened fire on Hellerman's unit. He died of injuries received during the ambush.

Hellerman was assigned to C Company, 2nd Battalion, 325th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

There were two soldiers killed during this ambush. The identity of the second soldier is being withheld pending next of kin notification.

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August 7, 2003
DoD Identifies Army Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Spc. Farao K. Letufuga, 20, of Pago Pago, American Samoa, died on Aug. 5 in Mosul, Iraq. Letufuga fatally fell from the top of a building while he was performing guard duty. Letufuga was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

Spc. Zeferino E. Colunga, 20, of Bellville, Texas, died on Aug. 6 at Homburg University Hospital in Germany. Colunga was initially evacuated to the 28th Combat Support Hospital in Iraq on Aug. 4. He was then evacuated to Landstuhl Army Regional Medical Center and later to Homburg hospital for further evaluation. He remained at Homburg until his death. His death was unrelated to the recent cases of pneumonia in Southwest Asia. Colunga was assigned to 4th Squadron, 2nd Armored Calvary Regiment, Fort Polk, La.

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August 7, 2003
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today that Staff Sgt. David L. Loyd, 44, of Jackson, Tenn., died on Aug. 5 in Kuwait. Loyd was on a mission when he experienced severe chest pains. The soldier was sent to the Kuwait hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Loyd was assigned to the 1175th Transportation Company, Army National Guard, Brownsville, Tenn.

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August 4, 2003
DoD Identifies Army Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the identities of three soldiers who were killed while supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom:

Pvt. Michael J. Deutsch, 21, of Dubuque, Iowa was killed on July 31 in Baghdad, Iraq. Deutsch was in a vehicle that was struck by an explosive device. Deutsch was assigned to 1st Squadron, 1st Armored Cavalry Regiment, Armstrong Barracks, Germany.

Spc. James I. Lambert III, 22, of Raleigh, N.C. was killed on July 31 in Baghdad, Iraq. Lambert was struck by a stray bullet fired during what was believed to be a celebratory event by local nationals. Lambert was assigned to the 407th Combat Support Battalion, Fort Bragg, N.C. The incident is under investigation.

Spc. Justin W. Hebert, 20, of Arlington, Wash., was killed on August 1 in Kirkuk, Iraq. Hebert was on patrol when his vehicle was struck by a rocket propelled grenade. Hebert was assigned to the 319th Field Artillery, 173rd Airborne Brigade, Camp Ederle, Italy.

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DefendAmerica.mil Photo Essay

Clic on the picture for Photo Essay

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August 7, 2003


Air Force plans new special forces BDUs

8/7/2003 - WASHINGTON -- Air Force officials announced Aug. 6 plans for the wear test of a new utility uniform to possibly replace the current battle dress uniform.

The blue, gray and green tiger-stripe camouflage ensemble is a departure from the current woodland pattern uniform and includes many new features that are intended to increase functionality and provide a distinctive look for airmen of the 21st century, officials said.

Three-hundred uniforms will undergo wear testing from January to July at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska; Hurlburt Field, Fla.; Langley AFB, Va.; Luke AFB, Ariz.; McChord AFB, Wash.; Ramstein Air Base, Germany; Robins AFB, Ga.; Vandenberg AFB, Calif.; and Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. The test will generate feedback about fit, durability and functionality.

“Our intent is to create a uniform that will be distinctive, practical, easy to maintain, comfortable and, most important, a uniform you will be proud to wear,” said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper.

“We have become a more expeditionary force, with less time at home to spend caring for the uniform,” Jumper said. “In the last 20 years, material technology has improved greatly. As a result, we have designed one uniform that can satisfy our various climates and utility needs, while eliminating the need for professional ironing to provide a polished appearance.”

Jumper said the distinctive Air Force uniform is designed to fit well, look sharp and require much less maintenance than the current uniform.

“We (also) need to ensure our airmen have a uniform that fulfills our unique air and space missions,” he added.



Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray, explains that great care is being taken to ensure the best possible uniform is created to meet future needs.

“I believe that one of the great strengths of our Air Force and its airmen is the ability to adapt to new missions, new technologies and an ever-changing world landscape,” he said. “This new utility uniform is another example of seeing a need for improvement and moving forward.”

A key step in bringing any new uniform item into service is feedback from airmen in the field, Murray said.

“I believe it’s a uniform fitting of the world’s greatest expeditionary Air Force and one that we will be proud to wear,” he said. “We want your feedback as well -- not shoot-from-the-hip feedback, but feedback that comes from seeing the uniform in action and thinking about how it will meet your needs based on your work environment.

“It’s important to remember that this is a wear test, and the decision about whether or not to adopt some, all or none of this uniform will be made after considering the results of the test and feedback about how it meets airmen’s needs,” Murray said.

According to officials, the wash-and-wear uniform will be easier to maintain and will not require professional laundering or starching. Officials estimate that home laundering will potentially save between $180 and $240 in laundry costs over the course of a year.

Unlike the current BDU, the new version comes in men’s and women’s cuts. The separate women’s uniform reflects the growth in the number of women in the service. In the late 1980s women comprised less than 13 percent of the total force; today nearly one in five airmen are women.

Officials said that preliminary study shows other possible advantages to the uniform include:

-- Using the same fabric identified by the Marines as the optimum material for wash-and-wear characteristics;

-- A camouflage pattern that corresponds to the jobs airmen do in most situations that require a utility uniform,

-- Recalling the “tiger-stripe” camouflage pattern used during the Vietnam War, but with the distinctive Air Force logo embedded into a color scheme that preliminary testing indicates may provide better camouflage.

Officials are also considering maintenance-free boots and alternative T-shirts.

The uniform patterns are being cut, with production to begin in November. Data collection and analysis, and any potential adjustments, will occur from August through October 2004. A final decision on the uniform is expected in December 2004. If approved, production could begin as soon as 2005, with a phase-in date to be determined.

by Tech. Sgt. David A. Jablonski - Air Force Print News

SEE FR RELATED FR THREAD

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Select any button below to go to the respective Military homepages for more news and information on our Armed Forces.

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[Darksheare]

Didn't they retire the rest of that class afterwards because of concerns about the aluminum burning?

[Darksheare]

I would hope so, but still..

[SAMWolf]

Was nearly desperate enough to try Darksheare's coffee this morning but managed to stop in time :)

You must have had a angel on your shoulder this morning, that was a close call!

[Darksheare]

If you'd tried my coffee, you'd still be awake in two days.
Just ask snippy and Sam..

[SAMWolf]

I had a plastic toy of the B-58 Hustler when I was a kid, It had a spring loaded "atamic bomb" you could fire. Very Un-PC toy today.

[SAMWolf]

There are currently 11 x Type 42 Guided Missile Destroyers (DDG) whose primary role is to provide air defence for naval task group operations.

During the Falklands War, SHEFFIELD was hit by an Argentine Exocet missile which among other things disabled the fire fighting mains, and although the fires were put out she sank under tow several days later. COVENTRY was sunk by Argentine bombs during the same campaign. The oft repeated story about the loss of these ships due to the use of aluminum in their superstructures is a myth. As a result of these two losses, the remaining ships of the class were fitted with additional guns and countermeasures and a Phalanx CIWS.

Not sure about the myth part, sounds like an excuse to me.

[Darksheare]

I dunno, aluminum burns rather well.
Had a campfire that was mostly aluminum once.
Rather hot, rather vicious to try and put out too.
It sounds like they're trying to downplay the danger.

[GailA]

[snippy_about_it]

Thanks Gail. Those look like yummy apples and I'm ready for some fall weather to pick some!

[Soaring Feather]

#50

Hey snippy are you having trouble with the web??

[snippy_about_it]

Nope, but SAM is. Don't you have comcast too?

[Soaring Feather]

No I don't have that. I have cable, Road Runner.

[snippy_about_it]

Oh, I thought you were involved in the conversations SAM and Meek had about comcast cable, sorry, my mistake.

[Soaring Feather]

No problem snippy!! :-)

[PhilDragoo]

B-2 drops 80 test bombs

CLICK FOR HIGH RESOLUTION

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- A B-2 Spirit drops Joint Direct Attack Munitions separation test vehicles over Edwards in an earlier test. On Aug. 6, a B-2 dropped 80 inert JDAMs during a test to increase the B-2's operational capability. (Courtesy photo)

by 2nd Lt. Brooke Davis
Air Force Flight Test Center Public Affairs

8/8/2003 - EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFPN) -- In an effort to increase the B-2 Spirit's operational capability, a test force here conducted an airborne release of 80 Joint Direct Attack Munitions separation test vehicles. The separation test vehicles are inert weapons used to collect data.

The Aug. 6 test was one of more than nine sorties flown as a build-up toward equipping the aircraft to carry and release up to 80 JDAMs on a single missions, according to Mark Burke, 419th Flight Test Squadron project manager. The purpose of the build-up approach is to reduce the risk of aircraft collision with the weapons, explained Burke.

"The overall objective of this program is to integrate the Smart Bomb Release Assembly and JDAM-82 into the B-2," said Burke. "This improved capability will allow the B-2 to carry 80 JDAMs."

The brains of the SBRA are the Smart Bomb Rack Controller and the Stores Management Operational Flight Program. This allows the weapons to be released at specific intervals, according to Burke. The JDAM-82, a 500-pound smart bomb, is able to communicate with the aircraft through a cable, instructing the weapon to strike a specific target.

The vehicles used during the drop are not considered smart weapons because target data will not be passed to the weapon, said Burke. Data collected from each sortie will be analyzed by the Air Force Seek Eagle Office at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Officials use this data to certify the safety of new weapons on aircraft, and the B-2 test program is required to have AFSEO clearance before progressing to the next release sortie.

"Once all of the data collected from the STV release is analyzed by AFSEO, the program will progress into the demo phase," said Burke. "The demo phase will be an end-to-end test that proves the capabilities of the SBRA and JDAM-82 weapons load."

The demo phase is a two-part mission that will be flown from Edwards to the Utah Testing and Training Range at Hill AFB, Utah, Burke explained.

The demo phase will mark the first demonstration of an airborne platform with the maximum amount of mass-precision capability achieved by the B-2 test program, according to Maj. William Power, 419th FLTS project pilot.

The first demo test, scheduled for late August, will be the released 32 inert JDAMs onto the JDAM complex, which is set up to represent an operational airfield. The final demo test, scheduled for September, will release 80 inert JDAM-82 weapons at once with the potential of striking 80 different targets on the JDAM complex.

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Due to budget constraints, the next sequence of tests will be conducted using members of the White House press corps who persist in framing their coverage of Operation Iraqi Freedom in terms of a "quagmire".

[Victoria Delsoul]

Evening friends! Thanks for the thread, Snippy.

click on the graphic

[snippy_about_it]

Thanks for the information on the B-2. However, looking at that face this late in the evening will likely result in my having nightmares tonight! ;)

[snippy_about_it]

Good Evening Victoria. Good song.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Hey, there you are! :-)

[snippy_about_it]

Just an FYI-

SAM is having major computer problems and is busily trying to fix things. He'll be back to the Foxhole as soon as possible.