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Tag: US Army

  • Congress Deals Blow to Microsoft’s HoloLens Combat Goggles

    Congress Deals Blow to Microsoft’s HoloLens Combat Goggles

    Congress has dealt a major blow to Microsoft’s HoloLens combat goggles, refusing to authorize funds to purchase more of the devices.

    Microsoft has been working with the US Army to develop combat goggles that could provide troops with valuable information in battle. The contract was one of the biggest attempts to integrate the tech in a real-world setting.

    Unfortunately for Microsoft, Congress has declined the Army’s request for $400 million to buy an additional 6,900 googles, according to Bloomberg. Lawmakers did approve a transfer of $40 million of the requested funds toward developing a new, improved model.

    At the heart of the issue — both for the denial of procurement funds and the funding for developing a better version — are evaluation tests that have uncovered major issues with the current generation HoloLens. Tests revealed that the HoloLens were leading to “mission-affecting physical impairments” in 80% of soldiers after less than three hours of use. Given that the goggles are designed to be worn in the heat of battle, possibly for hours on end, the tests raised major concerns.

    There’s no doubt that AR will play a significant role on future battlefields, but Congress clearly doesn’t want to invest money in a version of the technology that is more of a liability than asset — at least at this stage of development.

    In the broader scheme of things, Microsoft’s challenges with the HoloLens illustrate the bigger issues companies are going to have with AR, VR, and the metaverse. Until people can use the technology in a meaningful way without experiencing negative side effects, the metaverse will remain a pipe dream.

  • Microsoft’s AR Ambition Meets Reality as US Soldiers Experience Nausea and Headaches

    Microsoft’s AR Ambition Meets Reality as US Soldiers Experience Nausea and Headaches

    Microsoft’s AR goggle test program with the US Army has hit some bumps, with soldiers reporting headaches and nausea.

    Microsoft scored a $21.9 billion contract to provide the US Army with augmented reality (AR) goggles. The contract is one of the biggest for augmented reality integration in a real-world application.

    Unfortunately for Microsoft, the tests are not going well, according to The Seattle Times, with more than 80% of soldiers experiencing “mission-affecting physical impairments” after less than three hours of usage.

    Nickolas Guertin, director of Operation Test and Evaluation, also noted that the Microsoft HoloLens is still failing too much with essential functions.

    Despite the concerns, Guertin does not believe the project is a failure. Instead, he believes the Army should “prioritize improvements” before deploying HoloLens to more soldiers in an effort to minimize the “physical discomfort of users.”

    Ultimately, the issues the US Army is facing are not uncommon with virtual reality (VR) and AR, with many users experiencing dizziness, headaches, and nausea when using VR equipment for any length of time. While that may not be a deal-breaker for a home user, someone who can simply take off the headset and take a break, it’s a major problem for soldiers that will be relying on the headsets for critical information.

  • Google Cloud Scores US Army As Google Workspace Customer

    Google Cloud Scores US Army As Google Workspace Customer

    Google Cloud scored a major win in the cloud market as the US Army chooses Google Workspace for online collaboration.

    Google Workspace is the company’s suite of tools that compete with Microsoft 365. Google recently announced Google Public Sector, a new division aimed at helping government agencies and organizations adopt the company’s cloud services.

    According to Will Grannis, Google Public Sector CEO, the US Army plans to deploy Google Workspace to 250,000 personnel.

    Today, I’m proud to announce one of our first big partnerships following the launch of this new subsidiary, as Google Public Sector will provide up to 250,000 active-duty Army personnel of the U.S. Army workforce with the Google Workspace. The government has asked for more choice in cloud vendors who can support its missions, and Google Workspace will equip today’s military with a leading suite of collaboration tools to get their work done.

    The contract is a big win for Google Cloud and will no doubt pave the way for other public organizations to follow suit.

  • Microsoft Scores $21.9 Billion US Army Contract for Augmented Reality Headsets

    Microsoft Scores $21.9 Billion US Army Contract for Augmented Reality Headsets

    Microsoft may lose out on its $10 billion JEDI contact, but it just scored a $21.9 billion contract to provide the US Army with augmented reality (AR) headsets.

    Unlike virtual reality (VR), which creates a completely immersive environment, AR augments the real world with virtual reality overlays. The US Army wants to use AR headsets to improve battlefield communication and awareness, providing soldiers with important information.

    Microsoft and the US Army will work to quickly move the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) program from prototype to production.

    The IVAS headset, based on HoloLens and augmented by Microsoft Azure cloud services, delivers a platform that will keep Soldiers safer and make them more effective. The program delivers enhanced situational awareness, enabling information sharing and decision-making in a variety of scenarios. Microsoft has worked closely with the U.S. Army over the past two years, and together we pioneered Soldier Centered Design to enable rapid prototyping for a product to provide Soldiers with the tools and capabilities necessary to achieve their mission.

    Microsoft’s announcement is the latest example of the many ways VR and AR are poised to revolutionize multiple industries.

  • Sarah Cudd: Inspiring Viral Video Shows Soldier Finishing A Grueling 12-Mile Trek

    Army Captain Sarah Cudd showed the world what “never quitting” looks like in a viral video of her crossing the finishing line after a grueling race.

    The video showed Cudd struggling to finish the final 50 feet of a brutal 12-mile run while being cheered on by her fellow soldiers.

    The 12-Mile Foot March is the last in a line of rigorous tests that soldiers who want to earn their Expert Field Medical Badge have to pass.

    The trek had to be finished in three hours while carrying a 35 lb. rucksack and a 5 lb. weapon.

    The EFMB is only awarded to those who have attained a high degree of professional skill and proficiency as a field medic.

    And Cudd, who works as a veterinarian, has shown that she definitely deserves the badge.

    In the video, Cudd could be seen physically struggling to reach the finish line and even looked like she wouldn’t be able to get up the second time she fell down.

    But with her fellow soldiers surrounding her yelling encouragements, she then used the butt of her weapon to get up.

    “When I fell the second time and could look up and see the finish line, that was really good motivation to get up,” the 29-year-old captain told ABC News.

    Cudd crossed the finish line with 14 minutes to spare.

    EFMB Program Manager Lloyd A. Manson of the US Army posted the video and Capt.Cudd’s achievement on his Facebook page.

    He wrote “this EFMB candidate wanted it, and she got it. It took heart, guts, determination, falling down and getting up, and a little motivation from the crowd to get across the finish line.”

    But Cudd, who said she “was about five feet from failure” at the end of the march, is just grateful to earn the badge and serve her country.

    The captain is one of the 46 out of 239 candidates who earned the badge last April 27, 2015.

  • Bowe Bergdahl: Was It A Mistake To Free Him?

    Obama is facing backlash for his decision to free Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl in exchange for the release of five top Taliban leaders from Guantanamo. The initial reaction was relief, but now many are questioning the President’s decision.

    Bergdahl had been in Taliban custody for almost five years before his release. When Bergdahl was released on Saturday, soldiers came forward and stated that Bergdahl abandoned his Army unit in Afghanistan in 2009 during a combat deployment.

    Bergdahl disappeared from his observation post on June 2009. Three men from his 30-man platoon said that they found his night-vision goggles, body armor, helmet, and rifle neatly stacked inside his tent.

    Before his disappearance, several soldiers said that Bergdahl had expressed his dissatisfaction with the Army, and had made statements about walking to India or China. Fellow soldiers have called Bergdahl a deserter, and say he should be charged with violating the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

    The military is now investigating Bergdahl’s reason for leaving his post. According to Army General Martin Dempsey, the U.S. military is being accused of turning their eyes away from misconduct. However, Dempsey said that Bergdahl’s case is “premature.” “Like any American, he is innocent until proven guilty. Our Army’s leaders will not look away from misconduct if it occurred,” he said.

    Obama officials are defending their decision to release Bergdahl by saying that he could have soon been killed by his captors.

    Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby said that the Pentagon does not qualify whom they try to recover. “It doesn’t matter how he was taken captive. It doesn’t matter under what circumstances he left. It doesn’t matter what his persuasions were, political or otherwise. We have an obligation to recover all of those who are missing in action.”

    The soldiers insisted that Bergdahl is a deserter, and many lives were lost while searching for him over the past five years. “More than a handful of soldiers got Purple Hearts looking for him,” former Army Spc. Cody Full, a former roommate of Bergdahl said.

    According to Full, Bergdahl mailed home all his personal effects before moving to the observation post in Afghanistan. “Why would you mail your stuff home unless you were not going to ever need it again?” he asked.

    The investigation was not completed, since Army officials were not yet able to talk to Bergdahl. He is being treated at a military hospital in Germany. In the investigation, military officers have gathered information that Bergdahl may have walked off voluntarily, but they are still open to the idea that he may have been taken prisoner while using the latrine.

    Andy Andrews, whose son was killed while looking for Bergdahl said, “Where is the honor in any of this?” His wife said, “Honorable soldiers risked their lives for someone who was a deserter, a traitor. It devalues their lives.”

    Many are now asking if the five Taliban leaders were released in exchange of a hero, or a deserter.

    If hard evidence of desertion is found, Bergdahl could face court-martial. If convicted, Bergdahl could face a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a dishonorable discharge.

    The five Guantanamo detainees swapped for Bowe Bergdahl

    Image via YouTube

  • Army Tattoo Policy: We Want YOU To Join The Army… Unless You’re Inked

    The United States Army is looking for fine, upstanding citizens willing to come forth and lay their lives and well being on the line for the good and betterment of their country, land of the free, because of them, the brave. The Army sees beyond your race, religion, and gender (or so they say) and cares only about the ferocity and passion in one’s heart for their country– unless, of course, you have tattoos. Those are a no-go.

    The changes to Army Regulation 670-1 concern things such as hygiene and personal appearance for soldiers in the Army, and the proposed legislation would only effect them; other branches of the military have individual guidelines and rules when it comes to appearances. The bill has not yet passed; it awaits the last step of receiving a signature from the Sergeant Major before it is put to action.

    While the proposed changes involved other aspects of appearance, such as make up, hair styles, and nail polish, the only confirmed changes to the policy were about tattoos. While the army already prohibits tattoos that are sexist, racist, or otherwise blatantly problematic, the new rules could enforce restrictions prohibiting tattoos visible below the elbow or knee, and anything above the neckline.

    The new regulations, if passed, could make protocol for soldiers to cover the costs for removing any tattoos that would break the new dress code, and could even lead to higher-ups having the authority to order soldiers to remove tattoos that didn’t adhere to the code.

    The large consensus is that the incoming stricter guidelines are to make soldiers seem more uniform, and would act as a form of “sacrificing for the sake of the force.” Any changes enacted are expected to be implemented in thirty to sixty days.

    Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

  • New Army Training Simulations Licensed To Use Unreal Engine

    Using video game-like simulations to train fighting forces is not a new concept by any means; however, what is normally discussed in science fiction lore is also a very real capability used by the United States military. In this case, we are focusing on the United States Army, but such training is certainly not restricted to that particular branch of the service. When designing these simulations, clearly, a sense of realism is goal, something improved graphics and presentation can certainly provide.

    With that in mind, Intelligent Decisions, a company that develops training simulations for the United States Army, has secured a license to use the Unreal Engine 3 to improve and refine upcoming training simulations. Intelligent Decisions will be using Unreal’s graphic capabilities in its Dismounted Soldier Training System, which looks something like this:


    The idea behind securing the Unreal Engine 3 license is to improve the look and feel of these simulations, something the ID press release indicates quite clearly:

    “Unreal Engine 3 will give ID’s training scenario composers the ability to integrate an incoming fire haptic feedback system, full skeletal controls, and to customize terrain, weather, enemy forces, and other treacherous aspects of real life combat missions,” said Clarence Pape, Vice President of Simulation and Training at Intelligent Decisions.

    Who knows, perhaps the people at Intelligent Decisions had a sensitive reaction to some of the YouTube comments that accompanies their video is what spurred the product improvement. Whatever the case, when it comes to anything involving video games, even ones the general public won’t get access to, the trolls will come out from underneath the bridge:

    Brian E. 18 hours ago

    Should have used Frostbite 3 instead

    This is not Unreal’s first foray into helping the US Army improve its products. The Unreal Engine also drives the graphics in the America’s Army game, which is still free and still available for anyone who’s interested.

  • DARPA To Fortify Military’s Phones And Tablets

    Security in the military is getting harder and harder to maintain in this day and age with the advent of smart phones and tablets that can go just about anywhere and do just about anything. With the Chinese cyber security threat becoming more prevalent every day, the need for a sandbox style operating system for the soldiers in the field is needed now more than ever.

    So now the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has assigned Invincea to fortify Android based phones and tablets so they are safe for soldiers to use without the fear that the innocent apps that use GPS data to find out where they are (Facebook, Yelp) will give away their position. The hope is that Invincea will be able to create virtual environment in which applications can run in a “sandbox” or virtual environment.

    “By separating untrusted apps and content we are preventing the compromise of the operating system,” said Anup Ghosh, a professor at George Mason University and the founder of Invincea. “Part of the problem is that soldiers often want to use their mobile devices to communicate with families back home, and to entertain themselves when possible.”

    Invincea’s next project is to make sure that malware does not get in through an application, and that sensitive data does not get out. “The risks can be unexpected. Soldiers playing games on an Army base in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, can easily and unknowingly transmit the names of their friends. A piece of malware can penetrate the operating system and suck out location information.”

    This does seem like pretty good technology which begs me to wonder, why doesn’t the military already have tech that can detect cell phone signals that come from phones? Like a metal detector. Can’t hide out in a cave with a cell signal now can you?

  • US Army Trying To Harness Weapons Grade Lightning

    Zeus may have had it right after all. The god of thunder uses lightning to strike his opponents down and now the United States Army is trying to harness the power of lightning for its own purposes. They are experimenting with laser-induced plasma channel that basically uses a laser as a pathway to shoot bolts of plasma down the stream to the target. The laser-guided lightning weapon could precisely hit targets such as enemy tanks or unexploded roadside bombs, because such targets represent better conductors for electricity than the ground.

    “We never got tired of the lightning bolts zapping our simulated (targets),” said George Fischer, lead scientist on the project at the U.S. Army’s Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center at Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey. “During the duration of the laser pulse, it can be putting out more power than a large city needs, but the pulse only lasts for two-trillionths of a second.” I bet it is enough to fry an enemy combatant though.


    Photo courtesy the US Army.

    Using directed energy weapons, while used in this scenario to disable tanks and IEDs, could theoretically be used one day to incapacitate an other human combatant and not just kill them.

    Army researchers used an “ultra-short-pulse laser of modest energy” that keeps the laser beam focused through its own intensity. In doing this the laser’s electro-magnetic field can harvest electrons from air molecules to create the plasma pathway for electricity to follow. These laser-induced plasma channels could also be used to shoot direct high-powered microwave pulses. These microwave pulses are already being used by the US Air Force. They put them in missiles and use them to burn out the electronic systems of air defense centers, military jets or drones.

    The future is bright for new military technology. This great lightning weapon could potentially join the US Navy’s railgun, and the US Army’s hypersonic weapons. If this weapon does come to the battlefield, look for it to be in 20-30 years. Now if I can only figure out how to shoot lightning out of my fingertips.

    Main photo courtesy of Lucas Arts

  • Journalist Risks Life To Tweet About Taliban Attack

    The life of a foreign journalist can be a little tough sometimes. Not every country has the freedom of press rights that we have here in the United States. It can be even tougher to be a journalist in a war torn country like Afghanistan. So when you get an extremely brave one who runs to the action to cover it on Twitter, it becomes a big deal.

    Mustafa Kazemi is a Kabul based journalist who does just that and he is becoming somewhat famous for his live tweeting. You can follow him here: @combatjourno. He went into overtime recently when he live tweeted during a Taliban siege on a lakeside hotel near Kabul that lasted for 11 hours.

    His tweets started out small about him heading there and eventually moved to the fact that he was laterally ducking for cover because he was being fired at.

    A lot of his posts during this time were about bullets flying overhead. Then this one came out grenades landing a little too close for comfort:

    One of the great parts about what Mustafa did, is that he continued to do his job and talk to witnesses all while he was being shot at.

    The fighting got pretty intense and at one point in time he was convinced that the Taliban that were in the hotel were intentionally aiming at him.

    Soon though the fighting ended and what follows is probably a byproduct of living in a war torn country and seeing this stuff all the time. He started to give accounts of the people he saw dead in the hotel after the fighting stopped.

    Mustafa had one Tweet of his many that stood out. It goes to show that this man who risks his life to bring us the news, fully expects to die because of it. Must be a hard job that I’m not sure I could ever do….

  • Army To Unveil Exoskeleton For Soldiers

    In something straight out of scifi we get the news that the Lockheed Martin and Ekso Bionics are getting close to deploying their Human Universal Load Carrier (HULC) hydraulic exoskeleton for testing on the front line. The exoskeleton, which has been in development since 2000, is a backpack with hydraulics along the legs of the soldier, would give them the ability to carry heavier loads and walk for longer periods of time with out feeling fatigue. The system also features a pivoting arm that’s capable of holding heavy weapons, allowing the wearer to fire them with a substantially reduced recoil.

    This is the newest in the line of exoskeletons and is significantly lighter and can last significantly longer. Lockheed originally rolled out HULC in 2010, but in a heavier, bulkier form that tended to run down its batteries in just an hour. The current model can go for up to eight hours “on the march,” and lasts “days and days” on a single charge if you’re just standing guard with a machine gun. Lockheed is still working on a fuel cell meant to provide 72 hours of power in even the most strenuous conditions.

    On of the cooler things about the HULC is that it also has an arm that you can attach a machine gun to. The arm helps reduce the recoil to about 1/3 of normal. This means that they can use higher caliber rounds, say a .50 cal in the field.

    In September, the Army will take the exoskeleton out for it’s field trials and if all goes right, a Lockheed Martin rep said that it could see combat in Afghanistan by the end of the year!

    Check out this video form Lockheed Martin about the HULC:

  • Facebook Starts Suicide Prevention For Veterans


    Courtesy of good.is

    In the light of increasing suicides by veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, Facebook today announced new military crisis content, developed in partnership with Blue Star Families and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
    . Because Facebook is so widely used, it is in the unique position to help Veterans. A survey conducted by Blue Star Families found that nearly 8% of veterans and 10% of military family members have contemplated suicide and of those 8%, 86% use Facebook on a daily basis.

    Face book already features a suicide tool. All you have to do is report a post, File a report, then choose why you are filing a report. If it is about violent content with suicidal behavior, then it will take you to a page that lets you either contact the person directly, or it gives you a list of suicide numbers based on what country the person lives in.

    Now, the system has the ability to identify military personnel and their families and direct their friends to information from the Veterans Crisis Line when they report content as harmful or suicidal.

    Now that we can more actively combat suicide, we need to try to find out why so many veterans want to commit suicide. “If you think you know the one thing that causes people to commit suicide, please let us know,” Army Vice Chief of Staff General Peter Chiarelli told the Army Timesin 2011, “because we don’t know what it is.”

    Cover photo courtesy of the US Army Facebook page

  • Wife Witnesses Deployed Husband Die Over Skype

    An Army wife talking to her deployed husband over Skype is not that strange of an occurrence. Watching her deployed husband die while talking to him over Skype is. This is exactly what happened to the wife of Captain Bruce Kevin Clarke. On one of their weekly Skype chats, Capt. Clarke passed away.

    A spokesman at the William Beaumont Army Medical Center said that Capt Bruce Kevin Clark’s death on Monday came from natural causes and was not combat-related or suicide. The Army is still investigating the cause of death.

    The family released a statement regarding what happened: “Bruce’s wife tragically witnessed her husband’s death during one of their regular Skype video chats,” the statement said. “At the time of the incident, the family was hoping for a rescue and miracle, but later learned that it was not to be. Although the circumstances were unimaginable, Bruce’s wife and extended family will be forever thankful that he and his wife were together in his last moments.”

    Captian Clarke was deployed in March to Afghanistan to support the men and women fighting there. He was assigned to A Company, Troop Command at Beaumont. Capt. Clarke was decorated during his time in service with the Army Commendation Award, Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Army Service Medal. He is survived by his wife and 2 kids.

    The photo of Capt. Clarke with his beautiful wife and children is courtesy of Facebook.