A new motorcycle training course is currently under development for members of the Marine Corps. According to Military Times, the new training will focus primarily on inexperienced drivers.
The new course is being developed by the Marine Corps' Safety Division and leaders from Marine Corps Installations West, Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California, and various other organizations.
The training will be called "REST," which stands for Riders Essential Skills Training. Safety is the essential concern of course organizers – this new initiative hopes to reduce the amount of Marine injuries and deaths caused by motorcycle use, noted the source. Monthly Marine Corps safety reports often cite motorcycle accidents as a large cause of serious wounds and even deaths.
Military Times reported that some of the key areas the lessons will touch upon include braking, cornering, tire contact and traction, personal protective equipment and hazard avoidance.
"The course is intended to function as an independent source for Marines to gain the skills required to function as safe, competent riders," stated a Marine Corps press release.
Current Marine Corps motorcycle rules require riders to take courses throughout their time using the bikes. According to Military Times, the branch is still unsure how they will incorporate REST into these pre existing lessons.
While the troops deployed to West Africa are there to strengthen the fight against Ebola and not for combat purposes, their families are still eligible to receive financial benefits while they are away.
According to Military Times, the nonprofit organization Operation Homefront will be extending its services to these families on the basis that, while their servicemember loved ones are not engaged in a war, they are in a uniquely difficult situation and may be gone for some time. The institution typically only works with cases where the solider is in a direct combat area, noted a press release.
Operation Homefront provides military families with grants to pay for essential items they may not be able to afford while one of their providers is deployed. The organization specializes in providing money for food, health care costs, baby items, home repairs and bills. They pay directly to the service providers 72 hours after the application for assistance has been accepted.
"Our service members have shown enormous courage and flexibility to face any threat, and we are going to be equally flexible to ensure that while they are deployed for this humanitarian mission, we are back home taking care of their families." stated Tim Farrell, chief operating officer of Operation Homefront, in the release.
The Army is testing super-repellent uniforms developed by internal researchers in collaboration with UltraTech International to see if they can stand up to harsh conditions. According to Military Times, they have created a material they describe as "omniphobic," meaning that it will resist stains, stickiness and even odor. The product has been named Ultra-Ever Shield.
Soldiers tested army combat uniforms made from the innovative fabric in Fort Riley, Kansas. Troops were clothed in the ACUs through gun skills training, weapon cleaning, an obstacle course, vehicle maintenance and a 4-mile march. At the end of the rigorous tests and 10 washes, the uniforms remained in excellent shape.
Liquid beaded nicely on the new fabric instead of being absorbed due to a carbon-flourine coating that reduces surface tension. This is important for keeping servicemembers dry and resisting toxic chemicals that could be dangerous if soaked up.
According to Military Times, these uniforms provide environmental benefits as well. Current ACUs contain chemicals deemed unsafe by the Environmental Protection Agency. The new material has no additional cost and is in accordance with the EPA's eco-friendly standards.
The new suits will reduce odor as well, noted the source. They contain an antimicrobial element that would keep them fairly fresh between washings – making them an excellent option for troops who are located in rural areas.
Researchers are unsure when Ultra-Ever Shield will be fully incorporated into Army ACUs, as further research needs to be completed. Tests will be conducted to see how the fabric performs when faced with other elements, such as fire and insects, noted Military Times.
Other uses for the material are expected to include civilian clothing, rain gear, diapers and even money, noted UltraTech.
As a part of the Soldier Enhancement Program, Army members will be involved in testing potential new gear in both Hawaii and Alaska.
According to Military Times, this program is in place to help test the quality of readily available gear instead of developing new gear, saving the service time and money.
As winter approaches, servicemembers will be examining the efficiency of cold-weather gear in Alaska. Items like stoves, tentage, gloves and sleep systems will be put to the test in the freezing temperatures. According to a statement made by Col. Tim Wallace, head of the SEP, at the Association of the United States Army's annual exposition, the military branch is in dire need of quality cold-weather items. He described the Army's current inventory as "very old."
The tropical climate tests will include trying out water purification systems, uniforms made from fast-drying material, uniforms with fewer pockets and a variety of new lightweight boot designs. These new products are being tested for troops who may deploy to humid, jungle regions such as Southeast Asia, noted the source. These trials, which will be done in Hawaii, are expected to begin January 2015.
As the Ebola epidemic in Liberia continues to spread, the Department of Defense extended the speculated time U.S. servicemembers will spend helping in Liberia from six months to one year. They have also increased the number of troops from 3,000 to 4,000, noted Military Times.
While the highly contagious disease has been rampant in West Africa since the summer, measures are being taken to eliminate the risk of American soldiers contracting the virus. Although the troops will be housed in tent cities, their food and water will be tightly monitored. Military Times reported that, as of now, U.S. servicemembers will not be in direct contact with Ebola patients, but will be working to construct health facilities and help existing medical workers. The source noted that U.S. officials are open to changing the roles of these soldiers as the situation evolves.
According to Politico, a select few Americans who are trained in chemical and biological warfare will be interacting with the virus in controlled lab settings. These troops will be in charge of diagnosing patients whose symptoms also resemble malaria or the flu in order to expedite necessary isolation and treatment. The source noted that if a servicemember does contract the disease, he or she will be taken home to be quarantined and treated in an American hospital.
After their son, Lance Cpl. Donald Hogan, was killed in Afghanistan in 2009, Jim and Carla Hogan found comfort in his friends from 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment.
According to Military Times, the couple wanted to give back to the soldiers who showed them kindness as they dealt with grief. When they asked what they could possibly send overseas to show their gratitude, the answer was overwhelming – socks, socks and more socks. Soldiers are required to purchase their own socks before deployment, and after being overseas for a while they tend to run low on their supply.
After personally buying a number of socks for these servicemembers, the Hogans founded Socks for Heroes, a nonprofit dedicated to their cause, noted the source. Since the couple began this initiative, they have helped send over 330,000 pairs of socks overseas to two Marine Infantry Battalions, many Marine Support Units and Army Units.
According to the organization's Facebook page, the group partners with retailers to cheaply provide large amounts of black and brown socks to soldiers. Socks for Heroes is located out of San Clemente, California, and is always looking for volunteers and donations.
U.S. soldiers prepare to head to Liberia this month to help in the ongoing fight against Ebola. The Pentagon announced on Sept. 30 that they anticipate landing in the West African nation by late October, according to Stars and Stripes.
The troops will be divided into groups focusing on different tasks. A team of 700 combat engineers will work to construct 17 new Ebola treatment facilities. The rest of the servicemembers will be responsible for preparation and helping African medical personnel, noted Stars and Stripes.
Ebola is transmitted through contact with infected bodily fluids. American troops will not offer medical treatment or have any contact with individuals infected by the virus, according to Military Times. Soldiers will be trained in how to protect themselves from contracting the disease before they are deployed.
Stars and Stripes noted that U.S. troops are estimated to remain in Liberia for at least six months.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this outbreak of Ebola is the largest in history and is considered an epidemic. The World Health Organization reported that there have been 3,000 deaths from the outbreak so far and nearly 7,000 people have been infected.
The Army has implemented a competitive program for enlisted servicemembers who want to become physician assistants.
According to Army Times, this new training will be extremely long and demanding, even by Army standards. It will consist of two phases over the course of 116 weeks. Successful completion of the course will result in a master's degree in medical care, courtesy of the University of Nebraska.
According to the United States Army Recruiting Command, well-qualified officers, enlisted soldiers and warrant officers are welcome to apply to receive the PA degree. Soldiers with more than 13 years of federal active service and officers with more than seven years of federal active service as of 2016 are not eligible. Regular Army servicemembers who intend to participate must be set to complete the training before their 42nd birthday. Members of the Army Reserves must do so before their 47th birthday.
If accepted, servicemembers will spend 64 weeks at the Army Medical Department Center and School in Houston, Texas, for classes. They will then be placed at an Army medical facility for a year-long clinical, reported Army Times.
Graduates of the PA program will have a 54-month service obligation if they are regular Army servicemembers and eight year obligation if they are from the Army Reserves.
The Air Force's explosive ordinance disposal mission in Afghanistan is officially over. The U.S. branch of service has been a presence in the country for the past 12 years, assisting with Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
According to Military Times, EOD airmen first began their service on Sept. 27, 2002, and went on to complete missions in both Afghanistan and Iraq. The Air Force noted that throughout their time overseas EOD servicemembers responded to nearly 20,000 improvised explosive devices and completed just under 56,000 missions.
Over 100 Purple Hearts have been awarded to EOD soldiers in the past 12 years. The Air Force lost 20 airmen during this time, eight while serving in Iraq and 12 in Afghanistan.
"Knowing we didn't accomplish this alone, I think about our families, their sacrifices, keeping the home front going, growing up with dad or mom (in several cases both) gone on multiple trips to the AOR (area of responsibility) and the stress they went through," said Chief Master Sgt. Martin Cortez, EOD career field manager, in an American Forces Press Service article.
Military Times reported that the last airmen returned to a base in Florida on Sept. 14.
A new program being developed by the Army Research Laboratory and using Microsoft's Kinect video game technology has turned regular sandboxes into 3-D maps. According to Marine Corps Times, it is being called augmented reality sand, and will be used to create topographical maps of battle areas.
Tech website DVIDSHub.net noted that the system made an appearance at the Modern Day Marine expo in Quantico, Virginia. According to the source, augmented reality sand takes existing processes to a new level. While military branches have used sand tables to plan tactics for years, the addition of the video game software will increase precision immeasurably. Kinect technology is shown on sand using a projector, and color codes the areas based on elevation, making it easy to create a detailed and customizable interactive map.
Marine Corps Times reported that officials hope the system will help with obstacles such as language barriers: Showing foreign soldiers small-scale maps of their terrain will eliminate having to explain complicated measurements. According to the source, if the augmented reality sand proves efficient, it could translate into larger scale projects, for example, filling a full-size gym for training exercises, or smaller scale projects like mobile applications. Currently, the program is being researched and developed.