Distinguished SWC Members, I Need Your Assistance Please
Dear SWC Members,
I could use your help with the following:
During a recent MILIPOL exhibition in Paris, our EOD technicians were approached by Hazard Management Solutions (HMS Ltd.), offering Basic IEDD training, high threat training, special operations (assault IEDD) training (for those working with Special Forces personnel) and weapons intelligence team training.
According to their Business Development Manager, HMS has taught various bomb disposal courses to LE and Military organizations globally. Examples provided were Sweden, Denmark, NATO, Norway and the USAF.
I’ve never heard of or seen these folks and my contacts with MET-SO13/15 have not used HMS. Does anyone have any information or experience, personal view or opinion, good or bad news they are willing to share ?
Regards, Stan
EDIT: Another link with brief explanations is here
From Nichols: What's Driving This ?
I thought that this question from Paul needed to be up front and center.
Few of us realize just how much the former east bloc (newly NATO and EU member States) are being bombarded with widgets and gizmos that don't work, and offers of first-class-save-the-planet training visits that would bankrupt a small nation.
Fact is there is no requirement. Over the last 10 years, our members have been trained by ATF, FBI, US Army and Navy, and the UK's MET. 90% of those were free and included functional equipment.
Visits and conferences from Western Europe intentionally place potential (naive) clients with willing (hungry as hell) GWOT widget providers. The well-dressed man handing out CDs and fantastic color brochures has done his homework; reciting passages from history about terrorism, the Red Army and the host country.
I try to weight in as a western sounding board, but in order to convince the upper echelon, I need something they can chew on.
JC, Thanks a ton ! That’s exactly what I needed :)
we are screwing ourselves
Stan,
You're last post segues into something that has been bothering me for a while.
Our middle leaders have lost the training edge.
Past training was done primarily by the junior officers & NCOs with the seniors overseeing and mentoring.
GWOT has produced the contractor/GS SME trainers. Small unit leadership for training has turned into only troop movement.
There is a bond that we are losing and training experience that the junior leaders aren't getting.
I'm concerned.