CF: Changes at the top

The Torch has a blog post about a series of recent changes at the top of the Canadian Forces.

That means new heads for two of the three services, and three of the four "commands" around which the CF is now organized

CF Howitzers Clear the Way

The Lookout has an article about Canadian Forces artillery clearing avalanches from passes in the Rocky Mountains.

For 50 years, the soldiers from CFB Shilo, Manitoba’s 1 Royal Canadian Horse Artillery (1RCHA) have rotated through the winter months, securing 105mm Howitzer guns to platforms and shooting into the mountains to stimulate an avalanche.

US Small Boat Sailors

The Virginian Pilot has an article about the US Navy's Special Warfare Combatant Craft units, or SWCCs. These are the small boat sailors who deliver SEALS to their targets.

The article has an interesting picture of a small craft being hooked to the underneath of a helicopter.

Obit: Colonel David Smiley

The Telegraph has the obituary of Colonel David Smiley. Smiley was a British Army officer who worked in special forces and intelligence from the Second World War onwards.

During WWII he served behind enemy lines in Albania, Greece, Abyssinia and Japanese-controlled eastern Thailand. After the war he ran operations in Albania and Poland then moved to the Middle East where he worked in Oman and Yemen.

He also found time to command the Royal Horse Guards and rode beside the Queen as the commander of her escort at her coronation.

Followup: The Independent also has his obituary.

USS Freedom

Danger Room has some articles (links below) about the new American littoral combat ship USS Freedom.

One, which has a picture of some of the workstations on the bridge, talks about how empty the ship seems. Another talks about the "hybrid sailors" that make of the crew - each is trained in multiple trades.

The Hampton Roads Pilot also has an article about the ship (with a small slide show of pictures). The article discusses the ships capabilities:

Combined with a semi-planed monohull and a mere 14-foot draft, which drops to 8 feet at higher speeds, the ship can practically fly across the water, as it did Monday on its way south. A black burp of diesel fumes wafted overhead, the Bay churning gray and white behind it. Top speed for the day: 47.2 knots.

Mentions the empty space:

On board, roughly 40 percent of the 379-foot ship is empty space, designed to accommodate myriad "modules" in a plug-and-play system. These modules vary by mission - for enemies on the surface, in the air or under water - and can live on the ship's flight deck or water-line deck.

And discusses the crew responsibilities:

With such a small crew, everyone has multiple jobs.

Lt. Rob Briggs, for example, is the ship's main propulsion assistant. He's also trained as a navigator and helps drive the ship. And he helps clean it and he does his own dishes after he eats, just like everyone from the commanding officer on down.

CF adds global supply bases

The Toronto Star has an article about the Canadian Forces opening a series of bases around the world to support future operations. The first base will be in Germany and negotiations are underway with other countries.