Feral Jundi

Monday, March 15, 2010

Industry Talk: GAO Sides With DynCorp, The Dutch Are Leaving And Afghan Training Time Is Reduced..Hmmm?

Filed under: Afghanistan,Industry Talk — Tags: , , , , , , , , — Matt @ 11:40 PM

   This is funny. If you take a step back and look at all the pieces–Xe, DynCorp and others are fighting for a chunk of a training contract that is vital to the war effort. But then the government decides to cut the already condensed training schedule from 8 weeks to 6 weeks.  All I know, is that for the next review that the IG does of this training program, it should be well documented that the government set up this contract for failure.

    How can they possibly expect a quality product with this kind of training program? All I know is that whatever companies get involved with this contract, they are going to be earning every penny of their contract. And the Coalition in Afghanistan should do a little more to support this industry in the media, seeing how we are ‘coming to the rescue’ it seems. All I know is that I certainly hope the industry can pull this off, and I will be cheering them on.

    Which makes me wonder.  Is this an outcome of the Dutch leaving, and is this an example of contractors ‘picking up the slack‘?  Boy, if it is, I think the Obama Administration, and the war planners, should do a little more to show their thanks to this industry.  Politically and militarily speaking, we are absolutely vital to the war effort right now.  Especially if any other NATO folks decide to bail out last minute. –Matt

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GAO blocks contract to firm formerly known as Blackwater to train Afghan police

By Joby WarrickTuesday, March 16, 2010

Federal auditors on Monday put a stop to Army plans to award a $1 billion training program for Afghan police officers to the company formerly known as Blackwater, concluding that other companies were unfairly excluded from bidding on the job.

The decision by the Government Accountability Office leaves unclear who will oversee training of the struggling Afghan National Police, a poorly equipped, 90,000-strong paramilitary force that will inherit the task of preserving order in the country after NATO troops depart.

GAO officials upheld a protest by DynCorp International Inc., which currently conducts training for Afghan police under a State Department contract. DynCorp lawyers argued that the company should have been allowed to submit bids when management of the training program passed from State to the Army. Instead, Pentagon officials allowed the training program to be attached to an existing Defense contract that supports counternarcotics efforts in Afghanistan.

Xe Services, the new name of Blackwater, was poised to win one portion of a much larger group of contracts, shared among five corporations, that could earn the companies more than $15 billion over five years.

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Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Training: Maritime Academy To Offer Field Training On The Use Of Small Arms

Filed under: California,Maritime Security,Training — Tags: , , , , — Matt @ 11:58 AM

   This is cool, and thanks to David for sending me this link.  Now what would really be cool, is to use your GI Bill for this training.  Also, if you follow the link to the academy, there are other interesting courses and licenses that you can get that relate to maritime security and boat work.

   The other significance in this, is that CMADEL, along with other maritime academies, are now starting to focus on this stuff.  I think it is a sign of the times, and this focus on teaching crews to use something a little more substantial than water cannons, starts with teaching weapons handling during the education process. Although like the Captain said in the earlier article I posted, if vetting is an issue on these boats, then you will still need professionals that you can trust to do this work.  But some armed crew members on a boat, is better than no armed crew members on a boat, and this is a good step in the right direction. If any of the readers have other academy links to training similar to this, feel free to post away in the comments section. Especially if you have any educational stuff that can be paid for by the GI Bill. –Matt

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Maritime Academy to offer field training on use of small arms

Times-Herald staff report

03/08/2010

California Maritime Academy’s Department of Extended Learning is a three-day practical field training course on appropriate use of small arms on government-chartered and commercial vessels worldwide.

The certified small arms training course will be held March 22-24 and April 13-15 on the Vallejo campus, with range instruction in Richmond.

The new course is focused on the specialized challenges of deploying small arms in the maritime environment, Dean of Extended Learning James Burns said.

Class participants must either have a Transport Workers Identification Card (TWIC), a current U.S. Coast Guard MMD/License or be a certified peace officer, and must have no felony convictions.

The $1,500 cost includes use of weapons, targets and training aids. Another $300 is needed to cover ammunition. Upon completion, participants receive a certification form DD 2760 and 2.4 continuing education credits from the University.

For more information visit www.maritime-education.com or call (707) 654-1157.

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Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Arizona: The Owner Of Gunsite Is Running For Governor

Filed under: Arizona,Training — Tags: , , , , , — Matt @ 10:31 AM

   Right on and thanks to Matt for sending me this.  I am sure this Marine will give the competition a run for their money in this race. I know he would probably out shoot whomever he is running against. lol –Matt

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About Buz Mills

A leader who has served our country.  A businessman who has created hundreds of jobs.  A defender of our freedoms and liberties.  Buz Mills believes the trying times in Arizona call for new leadership, new ideas, and a committed philosophy based on conservative principles.  Low taxes, limited government, individual liberties.

Owen Buz Mills was born in Texas and grew up in a loving household with his mom and dad, a World War II Navy veteran.

When he was 17 years old, Buz took the oath to protect and defend our Constitution and our country.  He spent six years serving in the United States Marine Corps and Marine Corps Reserve.  His service to our country taught Buz about leadership, about commitment, about sacrifice.

Following his service to our country, Buz became an ironworker.  He built bridges, got his hands dirty, and earned an honest living.  Buz learned much about the value of hard work and sweat equity and decided to go to work for himself.

In the years to follow, Buz became a successful communications entrepreneur developing public emergency communications systems.  He helped design and build 911 emergency operations centers and Emergency Medical Communications Systems.  Buz created hundreds of jobs, built many successful businesses, and became an example of an American success story.

In 1999, Buz bought Gunsite Academy, a firearms and self-defense training facility in Paulden, AZ.  He has since trained thousands of our country’s law enforcement officers, members of our nation’s military, and citizens from all over the world.  Buz still offers Gunsite Academy classes to military veterans, free of charge.

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Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Training: University Of North Dakota Offers Degree Program In UAV Piloting

Filed under: Technology,Training — Tags: , , , , , , , — Matt @ 11:49 AM

   How cool would that be, to get a degree in UAV piloting?  Although I do think that a four year degree is a little excessive for the task.  I do think UAV’s will become easier to fly and will be more intelligent as time goes by.  I could see maybe a two year degree or something like that, just to give some kind of a foundation for this stuff.

   What is interesting about the future of our industry, is that UAVs will become more common on jobs, and knowing how to use them, will definitely give you a leg up for that contract.  It is much like how many guys end up operating CCTV or XRay Machines on gigs, along with all the other duties of security operations. There might even come a day where this skill will be a requirement of a company, along with managing other robotics and fancy devices. I am sure security specialist felt the same way about GPS or high tech radios some thirty or forty years ago, when they were told that they might have to use that stuff on a job.  All I know is keep playing those video games guys and gals. lol –Matt

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A first: UND offers degree program in UAV piloting

5 January 2010

The number of unmanned aircraft systems has jumped from a fleet of about 50 vehicles nine years ago to more than 2,400 in use today; these UAVs need trained operators to operate them, and the University of North Dakota offers the first-in-the-U.S. degree program in UAV piloting.

The UAV market is exhibiting all the characteristics of a maturing market. There are four steps to this maturation process: first, innovative start-ups and entrepreneurs dominate the sector; in the second phase, the big guys move in, buying up smaller companies; in the third phase there is litigation over intellectual property infringement; in the fourth phase, colleges and universities begin to offer degrees in the field.

In evidence: The University of North Dakota is offering the world’s first bachelor’s degree for pilots who will never leave the ground. Discovery news’s Irene klotz reports that these pilots are not afraid of flying. There is just less of a need to be airborne with the rapid growth of so-called unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs. “College students like to be employable when they graduate,” said Jeffrey Kappenman, director of the school’s Unmanned Aircraft Center. “This market is a growing market.”

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Monday, December 7, 2009

Congo: Conrad Thorpe Trains Anti-Poaching Units in the Virunga NP

Filed under: Africa,Congo — Tags: , , , — Matt @ 9:53 AM

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