Feral Jundi

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Medical: Swine Flu–Reports in Iraq, Swine Flu Vaccination Campaign in the US

Filed under: Iraq,Medical — Tags: , , , , , — Matt @ 1:18 AM

   Interesting.  Notice the massive preparations the US is taking on, compared to some countries who do not have the resources or healthcare system to deal with this.  Will this become a problem this winter, who knows, but definitely keep tabs on this stuff.  Especially if you are working in those at risk countries. Although, it’s not like there aren’t enough things to worry about in these places, like bullets or IED’s or whatever. –Matt

——————————————————————

Iraq health ministry confirms 4 cases of swine flu among Iraqi students returning from US

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (CP) – 1 day ago

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s health ministry says four students returning to Baghdad from the U.S. have been diagnosed with swine flu.

Ministry spokesman, Dr. Ihssan Jaafar Ahmed, said Friday that the students have been quarantined at a hospital south of Baghdad. He says eight other students are under observation.

Ahmed says the youths had just returned to Iraq from the U.S. where they were invited to study.

The health ministry says there are now 52 confirmed cases of swine flu in Iraq.

Story here.

——————————————————————–

(more…)

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Podcasts: ‘Long, Hot Summer’ Ahead For U.S. Troops In Iraq

Filed under: Industry Talk,Iraq,Podcasts — Tags: , , , , , , , — Matt @ 11:00 AM

   We’ll see how it goes.  I think it is important to note our continuing work, which continues to be ignored by the main stream media, and that we will be impacted by the drawdown as well.  Supplies will still need to be brought in to the camps, and even more security contractors will be needed to haul equipment out along with those standard logistics runs.  And as U.S. troops are shuffled around, the civilian camp security elements will become more important to ‘buffer’ these movements. Oh, and don’t forget the fact that all the facility maintenance is highly dependent on civilian contractors, and without these folks.  These guys are really important when AC units or generators breakdown, or god forbid, any internet networks break down.

(more…)

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Training: ‘Mindless’ Basic Training Gets Some Smarts

Filed under: Training — Tags: , , , , , , — Matt @ 1:32 PM

“It’s a revolution,” said Col. Dan Kessler, who directs the training here. He’s one of the young Turks who’s come back from combat determined to change the old ways.

In addition to a sense of urgency, combat has brought one other influence back home: you have to innovate, take risks, and try new things. That’s always acceptable out in the field. It’s not been so acceptable in garrison, where promotions seemed to come from “following procedure” and not making mistakes. 

   An excellent little article about what we are doing differently in boot camp to make better soldiers for the war effort.  I posted this as an example as to what is required of today’s military, but it also has application to the way security contractors should think out there. Good stuff and it certainly highlights the importance of the kind of concepts being brought up under Jundism. –Matt 

——————————————————————

‘Mindless’ Basic Training Gets Some Smarts

06/12/09

FORT BENNING, Ga. — When seasoned combat soldiers began returning from the war to help train new recruits here, the first thing they did was to stop training for what the Army called “convoy live fire.”

Nobody actually does that in Iraq or Afghanistan, they explained.

In fact, they said, much of what the Army was teaching its new recruits at this premier training center was wrong or irrelevant to actual combat.

Instead, what was being force-fed to recruits seemed drearily familiar to old soldiers who’d gone through “basic” here a generation ago. Marching in formation, for instance; rifle bayonet training that dated to World War I (“Lunge! Kill!”). And convoy live fire, a technique invented after Jessica Lynch was abducted in 2003, which became dangerously outdated almost immediately.

That it took five years to get this stopped says something about the Army.

It also provides a glimpse into a struggle inside the Army and, indeed, across the entire U.S. military. Let’s call it the combat military versus the “garrison” or “headquarters” or “always done it this way” military.

(more…)

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Technology: The First InterComm™ Solution–A Communications System to Unite Contractors and Military?

Filed under: Technology — Tags: , , , , , , , , — Matt @ 12:28 AM

   Ok guys and gals, this is a good one.  I have always been frustrated with the lack of communications capability between all the companies and the military, while operating out there in war zones.  If everyone in the theater of operations had a First InterComm System set up in one of their convoy vehicles or at their FOB, then everyone should be able to communicate with one another, yet still use their current radio systems.  

   Companies could be issued these boxes, or it could be mandated that all convoy operations and sites have them as part of the contract.  That way, the company can still use their current communications systems, but with this device they can communicate with everyone else that has their own communications system, yet has the same device.  That way, companies interacting with other companies or even the military, will be able to communicate.  That is cool.

   For convoys that pass each other on the road, these devices could allow them to communicate with each other.  Especially if one convoy just blasted through an ambush or visually spotted a potential IED, and then they could pass on this information via radio–and instantly, yet not have to mess around with reprogramming or changing radios.  That is much better than going through a third party TOC that is miles away that might or might not get the information, and more than likely will get it too late to make a difference for the here and now.

(more…)

Friday, May 22, 2009

Sri Lanka: How Sri Lanka’s Military Won

Filed under: Sri Lanka — Tags: , , , , — Matt @ 9:10 PM

“So many factors have contributed to the success of the Sri Lankan forces. There was a clear aim and mandate from the political level to the official level and to the military level to destroy the LTTE at any cost. There was no ambiguity in that,” Gotabaya Rajapaksa told the BBC. “ The rebels thought the international community, especially neighbouring India, would intervene looking at the civilian suffering ” 

And from Boyd’s Patterns of Conflict:

Break guerillas’ moral-mental-physical hold over the population, destroy their cohesion, and bring about their collapse via political initiative that demonstrates moral legitimacy and vitality of government and by relentless military operations that emphasize stealth/fast-tempo/fluidity-of-action and cohesion of overall effort.*If you cannot realize such a political program, you might consider changing sides! Page 108 

     An interesting little article about a long and brutal little war and it’s conclusion.  The thing I picked up on was the split in leadership within the Tamils and how that helped to bring about their defeat in the Eastern Province. Actually there are all sorts of interesting little happenings that we can learn from in this conflict.  Bravo to the Sri Lankan military. –Matt

—————————————————————— 

How Sri Lanka’s military won

By Anbarasan Ethirajan

BBC News

2009/05/22 

Few believed him when Sri Lanka’s powerful defence secretary said he required three years to defeat the once invincible Tamil Tiger rebels.

When Gotabaya Rajapaksa made the assertion, the Tamil Tigers, or Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam [LTTE], controlled nearly one third of the country, had a well-organised, ruthless fighting unit, sufficient stocks of heavy weapons, a small navy and a rudimentary air force.

(more…)

« Newer Posts — Older Posts »

Powered by WordPress