Now imagine each one of these quadrotors armed with a small explosive payload? Maybe even use their larger cousins that we saw being used in Libya. (imagine EFP’s mounted to the belly of a larger quadrotor?) Then use them ‘kamakazee style’ for a massive swarm attack or to support an ambush. In other words, it is research like this that is quickly making this stuff a reality. -Matt
Very cool. If you are a fan of Executive Outcomes or a student of private military companies and their uses for war fighting, then this is your book. I have not read this book yet, but this is definitely on my list for Christmas. lol
I would be interested to hear what others have to say if they have read it. I am particularly intrigued with the idea of leading a modern private military force for offensive operations, and all of the unique challenges associated with that endeavor. There is much written about modern military leadership during combat operations, but very little written about modern private military leadership as it applies to combat operations.
It is also a unique study on the true potential of PMC’s, and this kind of insight would give any author, film maker or video game developer some extremely valuable information as to how this type of force really works. The book will be in the Jundi Gear store if anyone wants to find it again in the future. -Matt
Four Ball, One Tracer: Commanding Executive Outcomes In Angola And Sierra Leone
By Roelf van Heerden as told to Andrew Hudson
Book Description
Publication Date: June 2012
Brutally honest and devoid of hyperbole, this is Roelf van Heerden’s Executive Outcomes. / Unapologetic, unassuming and forthright, the combat exploits of Executive Outcomes (EO) in Angola and Sierra Leone are recounted for the first time by a battlefield commander who was physically on the ground during all their major combat operations. From fighting UNITA for the critical oil installations and diamond fields of Angola to the offensive against the RUF in Sierra Leone to capture the Kono diamond fields and the palace coup which ousted Captain Valentine Strasser, van Heerden was at the forefront. He tells of the tragedy of child soldiers, illegal diamond mining and the curse of government soldiers who turn on their own people; he tells of RUF atrocities, the harrowing attempt to rescue a downed EO pilot and the poignant efforts to recover the remains of EO soldiers killed in action. Coupled with van Heerden’s gripping expose’, hitherto unpublished photographs, order of battle charts and battle maps offer unprecedented access to the major actions as they took place on the ground during the heydays of EO.
Buy the book here.
Last, but not least, comes security. Private security firms will have to protect the population in the new cities. Honduras is one of the world’s more corrupt countries, in 129th place out of 183 in a survey of outsiders’ perceptions by Transparency International, a Berlin-based lobby group. It also has the region’s highest murder rate. The local police have a poor reputation. Last month 176 police officers were arrested in a corruption crackdown.
This is the part that I thought was most relevant. Because without security, business will not come to this Charter City. If they cannot trust the police or have to worry about being extorted all of the time, then that won’t work as well. Not to mention the cartels and their interest in the city. So private security or a private police force will be essential to making this work.
Over at the Charter Cities blog, here is their statement on security for this deal. RED stands for la Región Especial de Desarrollo.
Q: Will the RED rely exclusively on private security?
A: Though the RED has the option to make use of private security, policing services will not come exclusively or even primarily from private entities. The RED government will establish an independent police force and can use several public channels to ensure fair and effective policing, including the option of enlisting a trusted foreign police authority to train officers and hold police leadership accountable.
Interesting stuff and I will keep an eye out on how this turns out. Who knows, maybe the RED will be the go to place for work in Central America, and this could turn into the next Hong Kong? -Matt
Hong Kong in Honduras
An ambitious development project aims to pull a Central American country out of its economic misery. Can it work?
Dec 10th 2011
TRUJILLO is a sleepy backwater, but one with a lot of history. The beautiful bay surrounded by lagoons and mountains on the northern coast of Honduras was where Christopher Columbus set foot on the American continent during his fourth voyage in 1502. But in a few decades, it might be known for something entirely different: being the Hong Kong of the West. Scores of skyscrapers and millions of people could one day surround the natural harbour. The new city could dominate Honduras, today one of the poorest and most crime-ridden countries in Central America, becoming a magnet for most of the region’s migrants.
Contractor Casualty Statistics
The Department of Labor Defense Base Act Claims Cumulative Report By Employer
From 09/01/2001 to 09/30/2011
Killed: 2,871 (DEA)
Wounded: 74,571 (NLT, LTO, LT4)
Companies: 1936
Today, there is much attention, respect and remembrance for military veterans of war across the world. And they deserve that. But what is not heard or given thought to, is the great amount of sacrifice, contribution, and heroism given by our civilian veterans around the world during times of war.
Now personally, I am a military veteran and war veteran, but I am also a civilian veteran whom has worked extensively in the war. I have also lost co-workers in this war as a civilian veteran, and those losses and their sacrifice will never be forgotten to me. It is the same for all civilian veterans whom have worked in the war zones and lost friends and co-workers. On Memorial Day, and days like this, contractors all go through the same process mentally of recognizing our military veterans, but also recognizing the work of their fellow contractors in this war.
And one of the more interesting facts of the war is that there are a percentage of contractors that are not military veterans at all. Danger Zone Jobs was able to get a statistic about such a thing. Out of the group of contractors polled in their survey, 37.3% of them did not have any prior military service. Now how closely this matches the overall contractor history in this industry, is up for debate.
The other data point of interest, that no one has really been able to figure out, is how many civilian have served in the war over the last ten years. Although it would be safe to say that those numbers probably match that of the military. The current numbers of contractors in the war zones are at about 175,000. So that is 175,000 folks that deserve our thanks for stepping up and serving in the war zone, despite the dangers and hardships. That is also 175,000 civilian veterans that have friends and families, all praying for their safety every day. Wives, husbands, girlfriends, boyfriends, sisters, brothers, daughters, and sons–all proud and supportive of their loved one’s service in the war. And they should be.
Not to mention all of the civilian veterans out there that have been wounded, and some grievously. It troubles me that my nation, or any nation out there, is not taking the time to recognize the service of these civilian veterans that I speak of.
I am here to give thanks to our military veterans. But on this day, I will also recognize our civilian veterans, and that is the least I can do. -Matt
Ed Stiles, 91, said better pay and the whiff of possible adventure prompted him to overlook the risks of volunteering for combat duty with the famed Flying Tigers of World War II.
BALAD, IRAQ. An Australian doctor in the Balad Air Force base in Iraq photographs United States private contractor Jake Guevara. Insurgents ambushed Guevara, along with his team, when they went to pick up people from the embassy, and one of his team was shot and killed instantly. Hundreds of wounded soldiers have come through the military hospital for emergency treatment since the siege of Falujah began in early November.
Remembrance Day (also known as Poppy Day, Armistice Day and Veterans Day) is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries since the end of World War I to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. This day, or alternative dates, are also recognized as special days for war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth countries. Remembrance Day is observed on 11 November to recall the official end of World War I on that date in 1918; hostilities formally ended “at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month” of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice (“at the 11th hour” refers to the passing of the 11th hour, or 11:00 a.m.)
The day was specifically dedicated by King George V on 7 November 1919 as a day of remembrance of members of the armed forces who were killed during World War I. This was possibly done upon the suggestion of Edward George Honey to Wellesley Tudor Pole, who established two ceremonial periods of remembrance based on events in 1917.
The red remembrance poppy has become a familiar emblem of Remembrance Day due to the poem “In Flanders Fields”. These poppies bloomed across some of the worst battlefields of Flanders in World War I, their brilliant red colour an appropriate symbol for the blood spilled in the war.
Thanks to Kyle for sending this over at Facebook. It’s not every day where you get to see a cop actually PIT a plane. lol I don’t think they teach that at most driving courses? Good on them though, and they got their guy! -Matt
Thanks to Chad for letting me know about this awhile back. This group will actually convert your ashes into ammunition. For the rifle rounds, they put the ash in a bullet, and then I think they swage the thing. Although I am not sure about the ballistics of these bullets, but still, I thought it was pretty cool.
The reaction on FJ Facebook was pretty amazing as well. Numerous guys were all about converting their ashes into some kind of munition that could be sent back to the war and be used by the troops. Check it out. -Matt
Holy Smoke LLC
About Us
We offer a way to honor your deceased loved one by giving or sharing with him or her one more round of clay targets, one last bird hunt, or one last stalk hunt.?The Concept?Several years ago I was talking with my friend and co-worker at work one evening. We were discussing the passing of one of our relatives and the topic of conversation turned to our own demise and whether we preferred burial or cremation. I told my friend that I had some cost, waste of space and ecological issues with burials and that I thought I wanted to be cremated and in some fashion, have my ashes tossed into a river or spread through the woods. ?My friend smiled and said “You know I’ve thought about this for some time and I want to be cremated. Then I want my ashes put into some turkey load shotgun shells and have someone that knows how to turkey hunt use the shotgun shells with my ashes to shoot a turkey. That way I will rest in peace knowing that the last thing that one turkey will see is me, screaming at him at about 900 feet per second.
Hat tip to Soldier Systems for this one. Police Mag did a story on this stuff as well. I like it, and simple little tricks like this could really give you an edge out there. Especially if you are wanting to track movements through specific areas of your AO, or track someone to see where they go.
The thing with this stuff is it is an infrared or IR tag that looks like dirt/sand/concrete. So no one is going to know they are walking through it unless they are looking for IR dirt specifically. This is great for criminal forensics as well, just because you could prove instantly that a person is the guy that walked through your target area. Or imagine sprinkling this all over a specific jungle trail’s foliage, and everything that moves through it is marked? Very cool stuff and check it out. -Matt
Cyalume website here.
Now just as a disclaimer, I am not at all saying that this thing is safe or a good magazine to use for actual field work or the range. But, what it is good for is modeling and giving life to an idea.
On the other hand, this technology and the materials used are only getting better/cheaper/stronger/lighter. So there might be a day where you are hanging out on a forum like Lightfighter, and exchanging notes with other ‘makers’ about how to make cool new weapon and equipment parts using a 3D printer. You already see that on forums like this when it comes to textiles and sewing.
I also mentioned in the past about using a 3D printer to make UAV’s, or how SOCOM was interested in using this technology. With the examples below, the thing I was thinking about is using these printers to make the obscure little plastic parts that are essential in all types of equipment being used out there. Lots of ideas for this stuff and we will see how it evolves. -Matt
AR-15 Rifle Magazine
by crank
This thing is a Work in Progress.
Expect the files and instructions for this thing to change.
Description
Print at YOUR OWN RISK, Neither the creator of this object nor thingiverse.com is responsible for anything that happens because you printed this object! ?This is a near fully printable 5.56mm X 45mm or .233 REM AR-15 magazine. It is current only a 5 round magazine. I left my printed spring design out on purpose for saftey reasons. However, with a little printing experimention and some range time it can be made easily.?What is included is the magazine body, anti-tilt follower, and floorplate. ?I have used this magazine, no jams or feed problems….. YET. It works, but be reminded it is only a printed ABS magazine. If you end up using a printed ABS mag spring be prepared for stress relaxation of the polymer over time, especailly if it is kept loaded over a long period of time.
Instructions
Print at YOUR OWN RISK, Neither the creator of this object nor thingiverse.com is responsible for anything that happens because you printed this object! ?Well, the zombies are at it again………and you forgot your magazines out in your vehicle. Doh!?1) You Have a need for an 5.56mm X 45mm AR-15 magazine.
Doug recently sent me a review of Palladium boots that I thought was pretty cool. They are old school canvas boots. I remember the Israeli Combat Boots which were pretty popular for desert wear when I was in the Marines, and before that, canvas boots were made popular by the French Foreign Legion as they wore them in Indochina and Africa. Palladium was one of the original companies that made these things.
The other thing to mention is that Palladium was bought out by KSwiss. So these boots were probably reintroduced to be a cool retro boot. But looking at them, they seem just fine for what they were originally made for, and that was a cost effective, light weight, comfortable boot for wet or arid climates.
Now personally, I have never worn these boots so I cannot vouch for them. Although I know if I were to wear these boots, I would definitely invest in a good pair of insoles. Something like Superfeet insoles which happen to be my preferred insole for all of my footwear.
The other thing to mention is that there were several companies that made canvas boots during the Indochina days. I have heard the terms ‘sneaker boots’, or ‘Bata’ boots to refer to these things. I am sure folks have all sorts of names for canvas boots, and from different periods of time. It is also interesting to me that we are seeing more modern updates of the theme of the lightweight boot with such boots as the Inov-8 Roclite 288 GTX. Although if you are looking for something that costs a little less than the Roclites, then the Palladium’s might be your thing. Thanks to Doug for the review and check them out. -Matt
Edit: 09/06/2011- Doug wanted add one more deal to his review which I think is really cool. These are modifications to the boot he made. Quote: “The one thing I should add to the Palladium boots was a modification I performed.
I cut off the heel for a neutral sole (neutral soles are much better for folks with spinal injuries). the Second modification is the key bit. Since the shoes are made out of cotton canvas & the fact I wear them with either thin socks or no sock I was concerned with all the salt from sweat rotting out the materail.
So I took some mink oil & tooth brush and worked it in real good to the canvas and the laces of the boots. Let them sit outside in the sun for a day.”
Palladium Boots
By Doug
This link is to a Canvas boot/shoe from Palladium. It is a super light weight, extremely comfortable and unbelievably durable.
I’ve only been doing walks in them but so far my pair has about 350 miles on them and they are holding up great. They are dirty as hell, but the stitching & glue holding the soles on look as good as the day they arrived.
The soles are very cheap rubber, but that is a good thing when sneaken & creepen. One can really feel the ground before putting weight on them. It is like a modern day moccasin which does not stretch when wet.
For a light weight inexpensive scouting boot I give them two thumbs up.
They do have a down side though.
The soles are so flexible, it is impossible to kick start a motorcycle without bruising ones foot. They simply are not stiff enough to give that support.
Also the local Honey Locust tree thorns 3″ average length, cut through the soles like they weren’t even there. On average I get one full foot impalement every 100 miles. Doesn’t sound like much but when a thorn goes completely through your foot it…well it just sucks.
The Pampa in the Moss color.
FFL boots, Indochina.
Product description
Pampa Hi Canvas
$55.00
-BOTTOM One-piece molded rubber outsole.
-SOCKLINER Two-piece; hugging heel cup and thick die-cut EVA create a comfortable stepping ground.
-MATERIALS 20oz, 100% cotton canvas, dyed and stonewashed, create a vintage look and soft feel.
-BRANDING Woven label on the tongue. Uniquely applied rubber patch on medial side of both shoes.
-13 different colors
—————————————————————
History of Palladium Boots.
Palladium was founded in 1920 to make tires for the fledgling aviation industry. Tires were made by layering canvas bands underneath vulcanized rubber. Palladium’s expertise was so advanced that soon the majority of Europe’s aircraft were using Palladium tires.
After World War II, with aircraft manufacturing screeching to a halt, the demand for tires decreased dramatically. Palladium decided to open a plant in Pont De Cheruy, France, to start producing footwear that was as hard wearing as their tires. In 1947 the legendary Pampa boot was born, and the functionality, comfort and durability were so outstanding that the French Foreign Legion adopted it for their use. The Foreign Legion put the boot to the test in the harsh desert conditions of North Africa, and throughout the rugged terrain of the Atlas Mountains.
Today, the original design, classic lines and time tested utility are as relevant as they have ever been. Combining over 60 years of authenticity with modern manufacturing, premium materials and cutting edge styling, Palladium boots are ready to help you explore your street, your city, or the world.
Website for boots here.
—————————————————————
Same As They Ever Were (Almost)
On October 29, 2009
Words like “history” and “authenticity” get thrown around a lot in fashion. But here’s that rare find that actually has ‘em both in spades: The Palladium boot—equally adored by photographers, urban explorers, and the French Foreign Legion for more than 70 years—whose recent relaunch has us psyched.
Yep, you heard that correctly. One million page views! This is great milestone for the blog, and I couldn’t have done it without such a fantastic readership. It also shows how important a brand is, and having the right architecture to support that brand.
I would have to say that the most important lesson learned is focusing in on really good content. Then use the blog’s RSS, Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin to get it out there so people know the post exists. That is extremely important these days, just because there is a ton of information for the user to access these days, and the reader’s time and attention can be difficult to capture. This blog definitely competes with the media in this regard, but I am grabbing market share or readership.
The future is only looking on the up and up for the blog. I recently did some work to improve upon the mobile version of FJ, and I expect that to pay big dividends. My theory with this is that everyone is carrying smart phones these days, and it is very easy for someone to pull out their device during the little breaks in their life and check out what is going on at the blog. Standing in the line at the supermarket, sitting down at a doctor’s office, taking a break at work, etc., all of these are the times when folks look for something to keep them occupied or are just curious about what is going on in the industry.
What is also interesting is that more and more contractors and soldiers are using these devices out there. As long as they have access to a wifi point, they can surf the web and check out their favorite spots online. So it is a pleasure and an honor to provide a place for this industry to hang out at and stay informed.
As to the chart below, the one spike downward was when I had to switch to a new theme and upgrade the platform. But as soon as everything was up and running again, the blog did just fine. It was kind of hectic though, and it was the equivalent to doing brain surgery–or so it seemed. lol -Matt
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