Written by / Compiled by KMI Media Group staff
SOTECH 2010 Volume: 8 Issue: 2 (March)
U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command graduated its second class of the Marine Special Operations Individual Training Course (ITC) on February 11, 2010 aboard Marine Corps Base, Stone Bay.
Forty Marines, who began the course on July 6, 2009, graduated from the seven-month course. The individual training course consists of four phases focused on Marine Special Operations Forces skills sets and fundamentals of special operations and indirect approaches, which provided the Marines with the required capabilities as identified by U.S. Special Operations Command and the MARSOC commander. The ITC prepared Marines for a broad spectrum of special operations missions in support of the global war on terrorism.
The curriculum provided entry-level, full spectrum special operations training for the graduates, including advanced medical and communications skills, amphibious operations and light infantry tactics, close quarter battle and special reconnaissance skills, and counterinsurgency / foreign internal defense doctrine.
This course is part of MARSOC’s larger effort to standardize the basic capabilities of Marine Special Operations Forces producing a MARSOF Marine. The course is a single training track, which provides a baseline of skills including essential special operations tactics, techniques and procedures.
HDT International Acquires Airborne Systems Group
HDT International Holdings Inc., which is majority owned by Metalmark Capital, recently announced the acquisition of Airborne Systems Group Limited, a developer and manufacturer of parachute systems and related products. HDT is a holding company that also owns HDT Engineered Technologies, a provider of highly-engineered mobile military and emergency response solutions. The two companies will be separately operated under the leadership of HDT. Elek Puskas, who has led Airborne since 2005, and Airborne’s current senior management team, will continue to lead the company under HDT’s ownership.
“During its 90 year history, Airborne and its predecessors have earned a strong reputation for designing and delivering innovative, high quality products to a global military customer base,” said John Gilligan, chairman of HDT. “In recent years, Airborne created the bulk of nextgeneration products adopted by the U.S. Army, including the T-11 and MC-6 troop parachutes as well as the Joint Precision Airdrop Systems ( JPADS) that allow for the high altitude air drop of cargo and precision-guided delivery to targeted drop zones. We look forward to working with Elek and his exceptional team to assist Airborne as it continues to provide such products and services in support of highpriority programs.”
“Airborne’s products and engineering expertise complement the full HDT line of deployable, expeditionary solutions and broaden the range of products and services that we are able to offer our customers,” said Vince Nardy, chief executive officer of HDT. “The acquisition also expands HDT’s global footprint and customer relationships, augments our product development and engineering service capabilities, and adds a number of very talented and experienced professionals to our leadership team.” ♦