Feral Jundi

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Company Spotlight: Oryol

Filed under: Company Spotlight,Iraq,PMC's,Russia — Tags: , , , , — Matt @ 5:52 PM

   This is a continuation of the video I posted earlier about this company.  This kind of reminds of another article I wrote in regards to PMC versus PMC. Not in the way of Blackwater fighting Oryol on the battlefield, but in the way of competing with them on the battlefield of market share. That the German Landsknecht defeated the Swiss Guard back during the Italian wars, by copying the Swiss (all the way down to the uniforms), being cheaper than the Swiss (thus gaining more experience with more jobs), and finding an innovation that gave them an edge over the Swiss (firearms).

    In this case, this company wants to take market share in Iraq by doing a better job of the task than the top British and American companies. Competition is what drives innovation, and these guys sound hungry. Although I will have to say that they will have to work very hard to find the one or two innovations that will make them competitive in this market.  They are dealing with some very advanced and successful companies in this industry, and Oryol will definitely have to find a niche to get a seat at the table. –Matt

—————————————————————–

Former Russian soldiers ready to take on Blackwater in Iraq

06 October, 2009, 19:50

A group of former Russian soldiers is involved in an intense military training program in preparation for Iraq. They believe they can compete with their British and American counterparts by adopting a unique approach.

The training of the Oryol anti-terror centre may seem like an intense action scene from a Hollywood blockbuster movie, but in fact it is to prepare Russian men to work in Iraq…

“Before we send people there, we put them through some serious training. This includes psychological training and an educational program,” says Sergey Epishkin, head of Oryol anti-terror training centre. “In our classes, we even speak the way they speak in this particular region. If you can’t master local slang, you can run into a serious trouble sometimes.”

And to avoid such trouble is the chief responsibility of this group. These men are from the anti-terror group Oryol and, much like their infamous, American counterpart “Blackwater”, they provide private security for Russian engineers and businessmen operating inside Iraq.

(more…)

Jobs: Protective Services Agent Level I-IV, Hawaii

Filed under: Executive Protection,Hawaii,Jobs — Tags: , , , — Matt @ 4:46 PM

    How cool is this?  EP in Hawaii would be interesting to say the least.  Although the cost of living would definitely be something to consider before going after this gig.  Please go through SMR Group for this job, because I am not the recruiter or POC. Good luck. –Matt

——————————————————————

Protective Services Agent – Level I – II

Confidential

Posted 10/9/2009

Location Honolulu, HI

Salary $70,000+

Position Sec Exec Prot

Department Security

SUMMARY

The primary duty of the Protective Services Agent (PSA) is to provide executive protection and physical security for the client(s). The PSA also serves as a liaison with local, state and federal police agencies; to include corporate staff.

COMPETENCIES/ABILITIES

1) Local, qualified candidates in Oahu preferred.

2) Must be a detail oriented, low key professional with the ability to accomplish tasks and understand the importance of teamwork.

3) Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills; able to handle sensitive and confidential situations.

4) Must be in excellent physical condition.

5) Able to work both nights and weekends.

(more…)

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Military News: An Earwitness Account of The Battle at COP Keating

     This was a memo passed on to retired General Barry McCaffery in regards to the recent battle in Nuristan, and Thomas Ricks posted it on his blog over at Foreign Policy.  For me, I read these notes and tried to envision what these guys were up against.  I also read this and tried to understand what the camp defenses were, and how they faired.  From the sound of it, it looks like a lot was riding on Close Air Support (CAS) in the plan. It looked like the enemy knew about how long it took for CAS to show up, and the enemy also knew that if it fought close quarters with us, that CAS could not be used. Pretty basic stuff, when it comes to guerilla warfare type tactics and it sounds like this was the method in this battle.

     Our guys burned up their 7.62 fast, and their Ammo Supply Point was in the hands of the enemy early in the battle.  Not good.  That, and the ANA forces assigned to the COP ran off out of fear.  Not good either. Luckily CAS did show up, and our troops did fight bravely and was able to kill many of the enemy. But luck is nothing to depend upon.

     What gets me on this one, is what would have happened if this assault went down when the weather was crappy?  Which brings me back to my original thought about depending upon CAS in your defensive plan.  If anything, you must have multiple plans that stand the test of the ‘what ifs’.  There should be a plan in place that should account for CAS not being able to show up.

(more…)

DIY: How to Make a Shim for Combination Locks Out of a Can

Filed under: Cool Stuff,DIY — Tags: , , — Matt @ 10:29 AM

Friday, October 9, 2009

Cool Stuff: Off Duty Gamers

Filed under: Cool Stuff,Technology — Tags: , , , — Matt @ 3:24 PM

   I picked up on this over at Blackfive, and thought it was pretty cool.  There are a few games now that revolve around PMC’s, and if you want your voice heard about what they are getting right or wrong with these games, then sites like this are the place to go.

    You are probably wondering why would security contractors want to hang out on a site like this?  Well for one, there are a lot of guys out there that play these games during their off time out on contract. This is the kind of stuff we do to pass the time or to let out some steam, and the games are pretty fun.  The military guys are the same way, and on all of the FOB’s and Outposts, gaming is a huge thing.

   But what is even more important, is that these first person shooter and strategy games, are what influence these guys that play them.  If PMC’s are portrayed negatively in these games, then you as the security contractor gamer on a site like Off Duty Gamer could express your opinion or enlighten others about what the real deal is.  You can also be a source of information for other Off Duty Gamers that might be interested in getting into this industry.  It is also important that we make sure these game designers make a good product.

   Of course there are plenty of forums that guys can go to now, but a site like this is designed specifically for our kind, and it’s purpose is to seek out our opinions.  Now that is some shared reality.

   I have no idea when they will be up and running, but when they do I will put the word out. –Matt

Edit: 01/04/2010 – Off Duty Gamers is fully operational and check it out.

——————————————————————

Off Duty Gamer

Off Duty Gamer

The concept is pretty simple and goes like this. A lot of games in the console and PC market are either directly or indirectly military related yet the primary people who would know this genre best are the least polled or heard from.

In a time when gaming has gotten very realistic it is time for those of us who know the material to have a place to go and be among our own community. The site will cover things such as:

(more…)

« Newer PostsOlder Posts »

Powered by WordPress