Mattis, Qatar’s Defense Minister Discuss Mutual Security Interests

Defense Secretary James N. Mattis welcomed Defense Minister Khalid bin Mohammed Al-Attiyah of Qatar to the Pentagon to reaffirm the strategic security partnership between the United States and Qatar.

Speed Must Accompany Innovation, Pentagon Official Tells Senate

The U.S. must focus on getting technology into troops’ hands faster to maintain a technical advantage on the battlefield, the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering told a Senate panel.

DoD’s Underfunded Maintenance Backlog Exceeds $116 Billion, Official Says

The Defense Department is setting strategic goals to confront the maintenance challenges created by six years of sequestration, the assistant secretary of defense for energy, installations and environment told a House panel.

Service Members Seeing First Fruits of Army Acquisition Changes

Changes in the Army acquisition process mean new technology will get to the field faster, including enhanced binocular night-vision goggles, said Army Undersecretary Ryan D. McCarthy, who visited Fort Belvoir, Va., to see projects in development.

DoD Must Be More Agile in Technology Development, Official Says

The Defense Department must embrace a more agile approach to technology development to keep pace with rapidly evolving adversaries, the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering told lawmakers.

Increasing Global Threats Call for Capabilities to Deter, Defend, Officials Say

The undersecretary of defense for policy said before a House Armed Services Committee panel on strategic forces that in today’s increasingly complex and threatening environment, the Defense Department must sustain the capabilities needed to deter and defend against attacks on the U.S. homeland, its forces abroad and its allies and partners.

Air Force Inspectors Comb Aircraft for Potential Problems

Airmen from the 19th Maintenance Squadron’s nondestructive inspection shop at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., perform aircraft integrity checks using liquids and a variety of other methods to assist them in searching for cracks in aircraft parts and other imperfections.

Warrior West 18 – Magazine/152 Pouch by Back Bay USA

Back Bay USA showed me their new Magazine Pouch for 2 30 RD M4 magazines which doubles duty as a carrier for the AN/PRC-152 radio. Manufactured from laser cut DSM material, it features an internal divider. The magazine divider lays flat at the rear of the pouch when used to carry a radio. Available soon […]

ISIS Contained in Syria, Changing Tactics, OIR Spokesman Says

Iraqi security forces and Syrian Democratic Forces continue to contain Islamic State of Iraq and Syria fighters in areas of the middle Euphrates River valley, an Operation Inherent Resolve spokesman said.

Warrior West 18 – Northern Star Fire Compass

Although it’s less than 1″ in diameter, the Northern Star Fire Compass will alert you to your directional heading no matter what orientation it’s in. You could be leaving my sideways and the compass’ lights will indicate one of eight cardinal directions via NEWS as well as color. It was originally designed to be affixed […]

Service Dog Lends War Veteran a Helping Paw

What if you are screaming for help, but no one can hear you? What if your life starts to crumble? Do you know where to turn or what options are available to veterans and service members? That is exactly how retired Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brandon Jones felt as he reached a breaking point in his military career and decided it was time to reach out to military agencies to get the help he desperately needed.

Man Fatally Shot After Stabbing GA Deputy in Station, GBI Says

A man entered the Douglas County (GA) Sheriff's Office Tuesday night seeking shelter, but several hours later a deputy was forced to shoot him inside the facility, officials said.

According to the sheriff and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, 32-year-old Justin Oakes first entered the lobby of the sheriff's office about 10:25 p.m., where he was offered some water.

At some point, Oakes started making "numerous" 911 calls from the bathroom, according to the GBI. He said someone poisoned him, he gave a false name, and he said “I’m about to be killed,” reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

When two deputies went to check on him about 2:15 a.m. Wednesday, Oakes, authorities said, was barricaded in the restroom. The deputies pushed their way inside, only to discover he had a knife, authorities said.

Deputies deployed a Taser, but Oakes continued moving in their direction with the knife, according to the GBI.

One deputy shot him. Oakes, who had a history of mental illness and was on parole from state prison, died on the scene.

The deputy was stabbed at least twice in the process. The other deputy was also injured during the confrontation. Both were taken to a local hospital and later released.

"The deputy (did) what he was trained to do," Sheriff Tim Pounds said during a morning news conference.

 

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Video: Thousands Mourn Slain Massachusetts Officer

VIDEO: Thousands Mourn Slain Massachusetts Officer

A wake for slain Yarmouth, MA, K-9 handler Officer Sean Gannon was held Tuesday evening at St. Pius X Roman Catholic church in Yarmouth. A funeral Mass was held Wednesday morning at the church, followed by a private burial.

Members of the community, wearing blue, lined Route 28 Tuesday afternoon as police escorted Gannon from the funeral home in Hyannis to the Yarmouth church. Thousands of officers from around the country were there for a walk-by and a moment of silence, reports WBZ-TV.

The 32-year-old Gannon was shot and killed last Thursday while he and other officers were serving an arrest warrant at a home in Barnstable, MA.

Thomas M. Latanowich, 29, has been charged with murder in the shooting. He pleaded not guilty and is being held without bail, reports the Boston Globe.

Gannon is survived by his wife Dara. He was an 8-year veteran of the department and the department's first full-time drug detection K-9 patrol officer. He was remembered in his obituary for his "high moral integrity, infectious humor, and collaborative work with colleagues," reports WBZ-TV.

Gannon was posthumously promoted to the rank of sergeant by his department Wednesday, reports the Boston Globe.

 

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COLD STEEL- IRON PROOF 2018- Chinese War Sword Machete

Warning: The tests and cutting feats performed in this presentation constitute abuse of the product and are potentially very dangerous. Any knife can be broken or damaged if subjected to sufficient abuse. These destructive tests constitute GROSS ABUSE of a knife. Duplicating these tests or altering your knife will void your warranty. Cold Steel’s warranty covers defects in materials and/or workmanship. It does not cover abuse, or the effects of normal wear and tear. DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME. All meat was carefully preserved and donated to the Ventura County Rescue Mission. https://ift.tt/2GerRqI The American Bladesmith Society’s guidelines for Master Smith and Journeyman Smith applicants require that (s)he cut through hanging manila or sisal rope, a minimum of one (1) inch in diameter. The applicant must sever the rope in two with one stroke to test the blade’s edge geometry and sharpness. Be sure to subscribe @csknives to get the latest videos as we post them! For more product info, or to purchase, visit ColdSteel.com

Increasing Global Threats Call for Capabilities to Deter, Defend, Officials Say

The undersecretary of defense for policy said before a House Armed Services Committee panel on strategic forces that in today’s increasingly complex and threatening environment, the Defense Department must sustain the capabilities needed to deter and defend against attacks on the U.S. homeland, its forces abroad and its allies and partners.

Air Force Inspectors Comb Aircraft for Potential Problems

Airmen from the 19th Maintenance Squadron’s nondestructive inspection shop at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., perform aircraft integrity checks using liquids and a variety of other methods to assist them in searching for cracks in aircraft parts and other imperfections.

ISIS Contained in Syria, Changing Tactics, OIR Spokesman Says

Iraqi security forces and Syrian Democratic Forces continue to contain Islamic State of Iraq and Syria fighters in areas of the middle Euphrates River valley, an Operation Inherent Resolve spokesman said.

Service Dog Lends War Veteran a Helping Paw

What if you are screaming for help, but no one can hear you? What if your life starts to crumble? Do you know where to turn or what options are available to veterans and service members? That is exactly how retired Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brandon Jones felt as he reached a breaking point in his military career and decided it was time to reach out to military agencies to get the help he desperately needed.

Warrior West 18 – Bushnell XRS II

The XRS II is an update to Bushnell’s flagship optic. It incorporates ED Prime Glass to deliver colorful, high-contrast images in any light, with 4.5-30x zoom and wide 50mm objective lens to acquire targets well beyond 1,000 yards. Additionally, it features lock windage turret and an elevation turret featuring a RevLimiter Zero Stop that will […]

Face of Defense: Doctor Builds Partnerships Through Global Health Engagement

Air Force Lt. Col. (Dr.) Elizabeth Erickson’s experiences in military health outreach around the world allows her to build strong partnerships, and her position as a female officer and physician has given her the unique opportunity to work with and learn from inspiring women around the globe.

Warrior West 18 – Titan Retention

I found Titan Retention in the Phokus Research Group booth. The concept (and small business) were created by a Team Guy who wanted a better mousetrap. In this case, his mousetrap was a weapon retention device. Titan Retention uses a ratchet system to retain weapons and equipment with 500 lbs of force. It’s also PALS […]

Warrior West 18 – Wiley X Orion Glove

This is Wiley X’s answer to the GI flight glove. The Orion Glove is NAVAIR & US Army approved as well as US Air Force Safe-to-Fly certified. It is made from a Nomex/Kevlar knit and Sherman skin leather, making it at least 4x more durable than the issue glove. Available in Coyote and Foliage Green, […]

Gold Star Children Take on Business World Thanks to TAPS

With the help of a Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors initiative, 12 Gold Star children traveled to New York City, where they met Wall Street executives on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange for the opening bell, toured CBS News headquarters with producers and news anchor Jeff Glor and visited National Football League headquarters with commissioner Roger Goodell.

Air Force opens space training to allies, accelerates Space Acquisition

Citing the National Defense Strategy, Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson announced that beginning in 2019 the Air Force is opening its space training to allies during her keynote speech at the 34th Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colorado. April 17, 2018.

FLIR Provides Thermal Imaging for Next Generation Drone Camera

FLIR Systems, Inc. has announced that DJI, a world leader in civilian drones and aerial imaging, will integrate a FLIR thermal imaging sensor technology into its new DJI Zenmuse XT2 drone camera. The DJI Zenmuse XT2, DJI’s first dual-sensor and its most advanced gimbal-stabilized camera for commercial drone applications, furthers the collaboration between FLIR and DJI. The Zenmuse XT2 also joins the ‘Thermal by FLIR’ partner program, which FLIR created to fuel thermal innovation.

Built with industrial and public safety applications in mind, the DJI Zenmuse XT2 expands upon the benefits in the first thermal-equipped camera jointly developed by FLIR and DJI, the DJI Zenmuse XT. The new drone camera includes both a high-definition 4K color video camera and a high-resolution radiometric thermal camera, allowing operators to switch between thermal and visible cameras in flight. The Zenmuse XT2 also uses FLIR’s patented MSX technology, or multispectral dynamic imaging, that embosses high-fidelity, visible-light details onto the thermal imagery to enhance image quality and perspective.

The Zenmuse XT2 is compatible with the DJI Matrice 600 and Matrice 200 Series platforms and integrates with DJI’s data transmission technology for live video display. Full integration gives drone operators plug-and-play installation, real-time control, and recording during flight in thermal, visible, or thermal/visible picture-in-picture. This flexibility allows operators to acquire double the data in a single camera and stay focused on mission-critical tasks.

“The arrival of the DJI Zenmuse XT2 with a FLIR sensor signifies an important technological advancement for drone operators who need both a visible camera and the superpower benefits of thermal imaging in one product,” said James Cannon, president and CEO of FLIR. “Now drone operators can capture data without landing—an important advantage for search-and-rescue operations—monitor the health of mechanical and electrical equipment remotely, and identify potential problems in buildings. Our collaboration with DJI perfectly aligns with our mission to use our thermal technology to help save lives and livelihoods.”

Roger Luo, president of DJI, says, “Since the introduction of our first FLIR camera in 2015 we have seen strong demand for thermal imaging-based products because they have helped transform DJI drones into essential and often lifesaving tools across a wide variety of industries. We are excited to introduce our next generation product together, the Zenmuse XT2, which is easier and more efficient to operate, and further demonstrates our commitment to innovation in the commercial drone industry.”

DJI is one of multiple partners involved with the new Thermal by FLIR program, which was created to support original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and product innovators interested in using the FLIR thermal imaging sensors to "deliver the benefits of the World’s Sixth Sense." The program ensures that original equipment manufacturers and entrepreneurs can carry the Thermal by FLIR brand and receive additional product development and marketing support from FLIR to build and market their respective products. Additional Thermal by FLIR partners include Cat Phones, Casio, Panasonic, ARSENZ, and TinkerForge.

To learn more about the Zenmuse XT2, visit www.flir.com/xt2. For device manufacturers interested in learning more about integrating FLIR sensors, please visit http://www.flir.com/thermalbyflir/.

 

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Envisage Releases Feature-Rich Update of Acadis Readiness Suite

Envisage Technologies, a leading provider of law enforcement and public safety training and compliance solutions, recently launched a significant update to its Acadis Readiness Suite training management software. This update to Acadis enhances and adds new functionality that automates training assignments based on career roles, workflow support for training operations, and marks the launch of the new Acadis Accounting module, which adds new fiscal management functionality to the robust administrative management options already included in Acadis. . 

The new career role functionality assigns training to an individual in pursuit of a career trajectory. For example, if a police officer is pursuing the rank of Captain, Acadis will now assign all mandatory training required to fulfill that role. Assigned training will include the initial training required to hold the rank, ongoing annual in-service requirements to maintain certification, and applicable testing necessary to ensure initial and ongoing aptitude. This functionality, among the most highly requested by the Envisage customer base, streamlines the career paths for individuals across all first response and public safety disciplines. Career role automation features will be included in the Acadis Training, Acadis Compliance, and Acadis Workforce Portal modules.

The new Acadis Accounting module allows client agencies to create accounts and appropriations in order to track departmental funding and expenses. This provides an easy and effective method for accounting managers to track and manage fiscal accounts, including the allotment and allocation of funds. In addition, clients can now create expense categories to be included in Acadis List Management functionality. This provides accounting managers and budget analysts with an easy way to manage lists of expense categories and subcategories used for budgetary classification and/or to group expenses.

Acadis Conduct and Performance Reports now allows authorized users to perform comparative analysis for organization or person performance reports that have been configured to show an average score by group. Now, analysts can quickly assess performance trends for an organization or person over a specific range of dates.

The Acadis Training module now includes Workflow Management options, including a new Workflow Tasks Monitor that provides administrators with an easy method for viewing all current workflow tasks and assignments. Training administrators will appreciate being able to add Workflows in Acadis to support their business processes and the additional support of critical process management. In addition, the inclusion of new Workflow Templates provides administrators with the ability to ensure the tracking of all defined tasks and processes as part of the Class Record. Other new features of Acadis Training include single payer billing options for training academy classes, class date-based automated emails, support for international addresses and classes, and the ability to export and inactivate learning objectives.

Acadis Scheduling now includes options for adding Planned Events to a class schedule and assigning a coordinator to manage such events. This provides an easy, streamlined way to add events and their required resources directly through Acadis. In addition, now included in Acadis Scheduling is the ability to set Instructor-to-Student Ratio Scheduling rules allowing efficient utilization of available resources based on class size without compromising curricular goals.

Additions to the Acadis LMS module include the ability to add tests to online learning events, allowing learning managers and instructional designers to leverage the features, reporting and analytics available in Acadis Testing when publishing online coursework. Automated email functions for broadcasting new online training events are also now included in the Acadis LMS providing an automated way to confirm that online coursework is successfully completed while also supporting required accreditation goals.

Enhancements to the Acadis LMS Training Monitor include an easy-to-use dashboard to view key metrics and other important data for online training courses. Significant additions to Discussions features of Acadis LMS include the ability to view discussion forum metrics, add documents to discussions, and email discussion forum activity allowing moderators to stay current on discussion forums of interest in accordance with their preferred automated email notification schedule.

Other additions and enhancements to Acadis include viewing student survey results for multiple classes and expiring access to surveys in the Acadis Surveys module, help text for test questions containing multimedia in the Acadis Testing module, and filtering enrollment requests as part of the Acadis Registration module.

Additional information about Envisage and Acadis is available at www.envisagenow.com and www.acadis.com, or by calling (888) 313-8324.

 

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Agencies Engage in "Wage War" to Fill Recruit Ranks

Like many law enforcement agencies, the Utah Highway Patrol has lots of vacancies to fill as officers leave for higher-paying jobs. It also has a lot of competition. Salt Lake City recently announced plans to hire 50 additional officers for its police force. This prompted the city council in nearby Ogden to approve pay raises and extra bonuses for many of its officers as a preemptive measure to thwart departures to the larger department in Salt Lake.

Highway Patrol Col. Mike Rapich has observed what he calls a “wage war” among agencies competing for personnel. “We’re in a really aggressive recruiting effort,” he says, “probably more so than I’ve seen in the 25 years I’ve been with the agency.”

Law enforcement officials across the country say they’re struggling to fill vacancies, largely due to retirements and moves to the private sector. A national survey by the Center for State and Local Government Excellence found last year that governments are having more trouble hiring police than any other category of personnel. Agencies are scrambling to attract and retain talent, often by boosting compensation packages or ramping up recruitment, Governing reports.

 

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Honor Cordon

Defense Secretary James N. Mattis stands with Defense Minister Dr. Khalid bin Mohammed Al-Attiyah of Qatar while hosting an honor cordon welcoming him to the Pentagon, April 18, 2018. DoD photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Vernon Young Jr.

Service Dog Lends War Veteran a Helping Paw

What if you are screaming for help, but no one can hear you? What if your life starts to crumble? Do you know where to turn or what options are available to veterans and service members? That is exactly how retired Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brandon Jones felt as he reached a breaking point in his military career and decided it was time to reach out to military agencies to get the help he desperately needed.

Face of Defense: Doctor Builds Partnerships Through Global Health Engagement

Air Force Lt. Col. (Dr.) Elizabeth Erickson’s experiences in military health outreach around the world allows her to build strong partnerships, and her position as a female officer and physician has given her the unique opportunity to work with and learn from inspiring women around the globe.