Author Lance Bacon

Lance Bacon

A Navy brat who spent eight years in the Marines (two years aboard the carrier Independence). Worked in journalism in Eastern North Carolina through the latter part of the 90s, then became editor of Air Force Times in 2000. Stayed there five years, then took a break to finish some school. Now back in the game with Navy Times.

Expeditionary Army is here to stay

By Lance Bacon on October 29, 2010 Outside the wire

Officials speaking at the 2010 AUSA Convention and Expo this week gave no indication that the deployment rotations you’ve come to know and love will change in the near future. The good news is they will ease. As the U.S. military completes the withdrawal from Iraq, the typical dwell time should go to 1 year away, two years at home for active duty and a 1:4 ratio for the reserves. By fiscal 2015, the goal is to be at 1:3 for the active and 1:5 for the reserves, officials said. This, of course, is assuming no other hot spots erupt,…

Who told you to think?

By Lance Bacon on October 29, 2010 Outside the wire

Who told me to think? My drill sergeant! That’s a key goal of basic training, according to Command Sgt. Maj. John Calpena, the top enlisted soldier at initial military training. Calpena said the post-Vietnam Army sought blind obedience and instilled fear of authority. The problem was soldiers went from a place where drill sergeants had total control to a place where they were expected to take total responsibility. Now, the focus is to produce soldiers who are trained to think. That means instead of simply shouting “Yes, drill sergeant!” when you have no idea what he means, these trainees will…

Focus on drill families

By Lance Bacon on October 29, 2010 Outside the wire

Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling, deputy commanding general for initial military training, tells Outside the Wire that he is keenly aware of the price drill sergeants and their families pay. He said the command is working hard to “debunk the myth that going to TRADOC is taking a knee.” While it may seem a nice break from the high ops tempo the Army has faced for nine years, the fact is drill sergeants often work 16-18 hour days. It is a duty that is professionally rewarding, but challenging. As such, the three-star said he is looking at Quality of Life initiatives…

The cost of defeating IEDs

By Lance Bacon on October 22, 2010 Outside the wire

Global spending on counter-IED systems hit $7.7 billion in 2009, according to this report. But that amount is expected to decline. U.S. spending is expected to hit a decade-low by 2020, according to the report. This is due to a number of reasons. First, many projects will have been completed. Also, full withdrawal of 50,000 remaining troops in Iraq is expected by the end of 2011, and withdrawal from Afghanistan is also scheduled to start next year. And budget constraints always play a role. If the use of IEDs remained a constant, that might be true. But there is a…

Helpful Hints from Full Spectrum, Round 1

By Lance Bacon on October 22, 2010 Outside the wire

We were given exclusive access training at Fort Polk this week, as the Army honed skills that have endured necessary neglect for the past nine years. You can read the full report in Army Times’ AUSA Special Edition, which hits newsstands Monday, Oct. 25. In the meantime, Outside the Wire offers these few helpful hints for all soldiers who will soon partake in full spectrum training: 1. Bring a shovel Not because you’ll be knee-deep in a particular creek, but because you’ll be preparing fox holes and defensive perimeters – something the Army hasn’t done for nearly a decade. We…

Stand up, buckle up, shuffle to the door …

By Lance Bacon on October 22, 2010 Outside the wire

Ring Tone The days of big jumps are back! The 3rd Brigade of the 82nd dropped more than 1,700 paratroopers into Fort Polk Monday night. It was the biggest jump since 9/11, and the largest in base history. The brigade suffered 64 injuries, 24 of which required evac. None were life-threatening. Outside the Wire couldn’t help but notice that everyone jumped with the T-10. The entire 82nd was supposed to already have the new T-11 static-line, nonmaneuverable parachute. The first 10,000 T-11 jumps have seen parachute-landing fall injuries cut by more than half. It cuts the PLF by 50 percent…

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