Feral Jundi

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Industry Talk: Former SOCOM Commander Admiral Eric Olson Joins MEP And Iridium Communications

Filed under: Industry Talk — Tags: , , , , — Matt @ 7:32 PM

This is cool. Retired Admiral Eric Olson and former SOCOM commander has gone ‘full contractor’, and has joined up with MEP and Iridium Communications. It must be nice to feel ‘wanted’? lol

Also congrats to MEP. They have definitely collected some heavy hitters for their Board of Advisors. Last year I posted that MEP picked up Dr. David Kilcullen to their Board of Advisors, and that was a very impressive addition to the team. Now with Olson joining, we will see what they do with all of this talent? –Matt

 

 

Mission Essential Personnel Adds Former SOCOM Commander Admiral Eric Olson To Board of Advisors
10/24/2011
Chantilly, VA – Mission Essential Personnel, LLC (MEP) today announced that Adm. Eric T. Olson, who recently retired as Commander, US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), has joined its Board of Advisors. Olson was the first SEAL to command USSOCOM and will share his unique global perspective with MEP leadership as the company continues to expand its current services and create new offerings to government, commercial, and multi-national customers.
“I am honored that Adm. Olson has joined our Board of Advisors,” said MEP CEO Chris Taylor. “He has dedicated his life to the security of the United States, ensuring that all people have the opportunity to live freer, safer, and more prosperous lives. His incomparable knowledge of global affairs will help MEP better understand the interdependencies of a complex world and drive our growth strategy toward creating shared value and solving seemingly intractable problems.”
“I have developed a deep appreciation for Chris Taylor’s vision and approach.  The services that MEP provides are important to our government, our forces, and our international partners,” said Olson.  “I look forward to helping Chris and his great MEP team expand and enhance their strategic contributions.”
Olson graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1973 and qualified as a SEAL officer in 1974.  He was both the first three-star and the first four-star SEAL.  Until his recent retirement, he was the “Bull Frog”: the longest-serving SEAL on active duty.  In addition to USSOCOM, he commanded Naval Special Warfare Development Group and Naval Special Warfare Command.  His overseas assignments include service as a United Nations military observer in Israel and Egypt, and as Navy Programs officer in Tunisia. He served on the Navy staff as assistant deputy chief of Naval Operations (Plans, Policy, and Operations) and as Chief of Staff at the Joint Special Operations Command.   Olson was awarded the Silver Star for his actions in the battle of Mogadishu in 1993. He earned a master’s degree in National Security Affairs at the Naval Postgraduate School and studied at the Defense Language Institute.
Press release here.
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Iridium Communications Appoints Admiral (Ret.) Eric T. Olson to Board of Directors
December 6, 2011
Iridium Communications Inc. today announced that it has expanded its board of directors from ten members to eleven members and appointed Admiral (Ret.) Eric T. Olson as a new director. Admiral Olson brings nearly forty years of broad leadership, management and military operations experience to Iridium.
Most recently, he was the commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command (“USSOCOM”), responsible for the readiness of joint special operations missions worldwide. Prior to that, he led operational units within every component of the Naval Special Warfare community and served in senior positions within USSOCOM and the U.S.

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Monday, August 8, 2011

Military News: 38 Killed In Helicopter Crash In Afghanistan

Filed under: Afghanistan,Aviation,Military News — Tags: , , , — Matt @ 3:19 PM

Til Valhall to those who perished in this incident. You will not be forgotten, and your contribution to the cause in Afghanistan was profound and honorable. My heart also goes out to the friends and family of the fallen, both in Afghanistan and in the US.

As far as what exactly happened is up to the military investigators to reveal. So I will not get into any speculation as to the weapons used by the Taliban, or who to blame for any operational screw ups. It could be that this shot was the Golden BB, or the lucky shot. Or it could be something that was planned and well coordinated using advanced weapons. Who knows, and it is all speculation until the final reports come out as to what exactly happened. –Matt

 

Monday, June 6, 2011

Afghanistan: New Century Contractors Credited For Stopping Attack On 3-Star SEAL’s Osprey During Jailbreak

McGonigle was a retired Irish police officer serving as a consultant with New Century, a private security firm based in London that advises Afghan forces. He and another unidentified British contractor are credited with opening fire on the escaped detainees after seeing one of them aiming the RPG launcher, forcing them to take cover and abandon targeting the Osprey.
“The initial actions of [name redacted] and Ken McGonigle diverted a potential disaster by engaging the armed individuals leaving the DETFAC,” the report said. “The individual carrying the RPG was in a launch posture aiming in the direction of the LZ.”

When this happened last year, there wasn’t a lot of details about the incident. I did a post about the death of McGonigle, and found a little information about New Century. But now that a FOIA was filed and these details are front and center, I think it is appropriate to recognize the heroic actions of these contractors whose actions ‘diverted a potential disaster’. –Matt

Edit: 06/09/2011 – I received an email from a reader that identified a mistake in this newspaper. Here it is:

Ken was a member of the Royal Ulster Constabularly (RUC), he was from a village outside of Londonderry.  He was not an Irish police officer but a British one.

Ken McGonigle

3-star SEAL’s Osprey targeted in jailbreak
By Dan Lamothe
Monday Jun 6, 2011
Two detainees escaped from a detention facility on a Marine base in Afghanistan, then used a grenade launcher to target an MV-22 Osprey about to take off with a three-star Navy SEAL on board, Marine Corps Times has learned.
Vice Adm. Robert Hardward was in the Osprey on base Aug. 7 after visiting the headquarters of 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines, in the Musa Qala district of Helmand province. He heads Joint Task Force 435, which oversees detainee operations in Afghanistan, and has been nominated to replace Marine Lt. Gen. John Allen as the deputy commander of U.S. Central Command. Allen is expected to become the top commander in Afghanistan this fall.
The details are outlined in an investigation report obtained by Marine Corps Times through the Freedom of Information Act. Marine officials in Afghanistan said last summer that two Marines and a contractor were shot to death by a detainee who escaped from an Afghan-run detention center. However, it was not disclosed that a detainee had taken aim at the landing zone with a grenade launcher, or that Harward was on base when the detainees escaped.

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