As readers of SFTT News are aware, I had previously reported on the blithering incompetence demonstrated by the US Army and DoD in the procurement of spare parts for the M2 Heavy Machine Gun that is essential to the survival of our troops in Afghanistan. “Blithering incompetence” are my words, but reading the Department of Defense Inspector General (“DoDIG”) on the Defense Logistics Agency (“DLA”) handling of critical spare parts for the M2, my words seem mild compared ...
Continue Reading →Wreath Ceremony in Arlington Cemetery for Col. David Hackworth
On May 22nd, Eilhys England Hackworth, the widow of Col. David Hackworth celebrated his legacy with a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. Found below is a video of the wreath ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown.
As we approach Memorial Day, we give thanks to the many who have sacrificed their lives to keep this country free.
Continue Reading →A Salute to Real Heroes this Memorial Day
Lest we forget. A moving tribute by Toby Keith to the real heroes who will be on duty this Memorial Day.
Thank you for serving.
Continue Reading →More on Military Helmet Recall
We had previously reported that the US Army had recalled 44,000 military helmets that failed to meet the required government mandated test standards. The manufacturer, ArmorSource in Hebron, Ohio, is now under investigation by the Department of Justice. To determine if you have been issued a defective helmet, please consult the guide below that was furnished by Stars and Stripes:
In an interesting, but by no ...
Continue Reading →44,000 Military Helmets Recalled
Just when you thought it couldn’t get much worse, it has now been reported that the US Army has recalled 44,000 helmets which failed to meet US Army testing standards. In an article reported in Yahoo news, helmets manufactured by ArmorSource in Hebron, Ohio currently issued to troops serving in Afghanistan were recalled following an investigation by the US Justice Department.
According to Brigadier General Pete Fuller, who is quoted in the article, the helmets were issued ...
Continue Reading →M-14, AK-47 seem better than M4
The recent disclosures that the standard issue M4 may not be the best military carbine for US troops in Afghanistan has prompted considerable debate both within and outside the military community. I recently visited the Fox News Site which currently has 58 comments to an article which compared the AK-47 to the M4.
Now I am not a gunsmith and have little intelligent commentary to add to the debate, but I was struck by the knowledge and ...
Continue Reading →DoD Waste and Incompetence Cited by IG in sourcing spare parts for M2 Heavy Machine Gun
Thanks to Mother Jones writer Adam Weinstein who brought this item to our attention, SFTT has reviewed a recent DoDIG report (Department of Defense Inspector General) that documents yet more absolutely blithering incompetence inside the multi-billion dollar DoD Procurement bureaucracy. The issue in this case is spare parts for the M2 .50-caliber Heavy Machine Gun (“HMG”), better known as “Ma Duece” by those who rely upon it to reach out and “touch” Jihad ...
Continue Reading →USMC General Cartwright argues for change in military procurement
In a refreshing but somewhat rambling presentation, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, USMC General Cartwright, suggests diverting money from high-tech military procurement programs to give our troops the proper combat equipment to fight the “low-end wars” that we are in for the “next five to ten years.” In an article published in the Army Times, staff editor John Bennett writes that General Cartwright ...
M-4 Rifle Not Suitable for Afghan Battlefield
In yet another alarming sign that US troops do not have adequate combat gear, the US Stars and Stripes now reports that the US Army standard-isssue M-4 rifle may not be the best weapon of choice for Afghanistan’s mountainous terrain. This disclosure comes on the heels of a new Congressional inquiry on body armor procurement and testing procedures.
Slobodan Lekic of the Associated Press reports that the “U.S. military’s workhorse rifle (the “M-4″) is proving less effective in Afghanistan ...
Continue Reading →SFTT featured in Greenwich Newspaper
The Greenwich Post featured a front-page article in this week’s edition describing Eilhys England Hackworth’s heroic campaign to help insure that our frontline troops have the best body armor, helmets, combat boots, rifles and sidearms available. In an article entitled “Col. Hackworth: Soldiers’ Group Notches Victory,” staff writer Chris Davis describes some of the successes that SFTT has achieved to make sure that our brave heroes have the best combat gear possible. It is a cause worth fightling for and, I ...
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