The Army to cut down on rotations to brigade-level training centers to give soldiers more time at home

Moar sensitizing of our troops…

The Army is finally putting its money where its mouth is when it comes to prioritizing people — and according to a new service action plan, that will include fewer combat training center (CTC) rotations and “heel-to-toe deployment rotations” to get soldiers more time at home.

An Army action plan sent out to Army leaders and obtained by Task & Purpose says that the service’s focus on readiness has “resulted in an unsustainable operational tempo (OPTEMPO) and placed significant demands on units, leaders, and soldiers and families and stress on the force.”

Now the Army is planning to reduce that tempo and coordinate with the Pentagon to decrease “our current continual heel to toe deployment rotations of brigade combat team-sized formations,” according to the new plan, signed by Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy, Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville, and Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Grinston.

It will also re-evaluate rotations for brigade combat teams through the Army’s combat training centers — the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif.; Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La.; and the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany.

https://taskandpurpose.com/news/army-training-rotations-ausa

Video: Happy Birthday Navy

An Oct. 13, 1775, resolution of the Continental Congress established what is now the United States Navy with “a swift sailing vessel, to carry ten carriage guns, and a proportionable number of swivels, with eighty men, be fitted, with all possible dispatch, for a cruise of three months.” Congratulations and thank you to all sailors, past and present - happy birthday.

https://www.airforcetimes.com/video/2020/10/13/happy-birthday-navy/

US Army conducts first-of-its-kind exercise for tactical information warfare unit

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army’s new tactical information warfare unit conducted its first training exercise specifically dedicated to maturing the formation’s concepts and tactics.

The 915th Cyber Warfare Battalion was officially created by Army Cyber Command in 2019. It consists of 12 expeditionary cyber and electromagnetic (CEMA) teams (ECT) that are solely meant to support brigade combat teams or other tactical formations with cyber, electronic warfare and information operations capabilities.

These “fly away” teams, as some officials call them, would help plan tactical cyber operations for commanders in theater and unilaterally conduct missions in coordination with deployed forces.

Expeditionary CEMA Team 1, or ECT-01 participated in the training event that took place in early October at Muscatatuck Urban Training Center in Indiana. The sprawling facility provides a robust digital training environment equipped with infrastructure that can be manipulated in the cyber realm without damaging actual operational systems used by the military or civilians.

While this unit and its predecessor through the CEMA Support to Corps and Below pilot at Fort Irwin, California, previously augmented brigades during training events at the National Training Center, the ECTs were not the primary training unit. They were there solely to augment the brigade that was training.

https://www.defensenews.com/show-reporter/ausa/2020/10/12/us-army-conducts-first-of-its-kind-exercise-for-tactical-information-warfare-unit/

The Air Force Is Stripping a B-1 Bomber Down to Its Bolts to Make a Digital Twin

One B-1B Lancer bomber is having a lengthy breakdown – but for good reason.

In partnership with Wichita State University's National Institute of Aviation Research, or NIAR, airmen with the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center have been stripping the supersonic heavy payload bomber down to its nuts and bolts and then scanning each part into a computer to make a perfect virtual copy of the aircraft, the Air Force said in a recent release.

The effort to make a B-1 digital twin which began in April and will take six years to complete will help maintainers understand which parts disintegrate fastest given the aircraft's operational wear and tear and how they can be improved.

"Through the scanning process, we will discover all the places that saw structural failure or damage. It will create a living medical record for the B-1," Lt. Col. Joseph Lay, B-1 Engineering Branch material leader, said in a release.

"We have been scanning the wings, and the wing scans have been helping us understand how to build new repairs for some of the cracks that we have seen in the wings themselves," he said of the aircraft, tail number 85-0092

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/10/13/air-force-stripping-b-1-bomber-down-its-bolts-make-digital-twin.html

Presidential Message on the 245th Birthday of the United States Navy

As Commander in Chief, I send my sincere gratitude to our Nation’s sailors on the 245th birthday of the United States Navy. Today, we celebrate the Navy’s unmatched position as the world’s preeminent naval power, and I encourage all Americans to reflect on the heroism of our patriotic sailors and the countless sacrifices they have made for our country throughout our history.

In 1775, the Continental Congress formally established the Continental Navy. Since its inception, the Navy has grown from two armed vessels into the most effective seafaring force in the history of the world. From the earliest days of our Nation and throughout the many conflicts we have faced, the United States Navy has valiantly protected our homeland, brought justice to our enemies, and ensured that the passageways of the seas remain open and accessible to American commerce.

Over the last year, we have added state-of-the-art warships to our fleet, revitalized our personnel and assets to meet current threats, and deployed our Navy’s mighty power to help meet today’s challenges. In March, I sent two Navy Mercy-class hospital ships, the USNS Mercy and USNS Comfort, to the front lines of our battle with the coronavirus. The Navy’s medical teams on board displayed immense bravery in the face of this invisible enemy, and I commend them for their service and dedication. Their resolve and willingness to rapidly adapt to the challenges facing the American people and our homeland are testaments to all of our Nation’s sailors, who are forged by the sea and serve with honor, courage, and commitment every day.

Today, I wish a happy birthday to our Navy and join a grateful Nation in thanking every Sailor—past and present—for their hard work, sacrifice, and patriotism. May God bless you and keep watch over those in peril on the sea, and may God bless the United States of America.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/presidential-message-245th-birthday-united-states-navy/