B5 Systems

Posts Tagged ‘Whiskey 5’

Whiskey 5 – Carter Industries Inc.

Friday, May 5th, 2017

Who – Carter Industries Inc. was founded in the mid-1990’s and has become the primary manufacturer and provider of US military clothing. We have an outstanding customer service department that is highly qualified to assist you should you have a problem with your order. We take great pride in our merchandise and stand behind our product.

What – We specialize in the construction of the CWU-27P Nomex flight suits and the ICVC Coveralls which are distributed to the DSCP/DLA (Defense Supply Center Pliladelphia/Defense Logistics Agency). In fact, we are the only official supplier of 27/p Nomex® Flight Suits and ICVC Crewman’s Coveralls to the US Defense Force.

When – Our company was established in January 1995 and it has been growing ever since. Our company received an award from the Defense Logistics Agency in January 2009. We were honored and humbled to receive such recognition from the US Defense Department. We want to send a huge thank you to our US Armed Forces and to you, our newest customers. We would not be where we are today without your continued support as our faithful customers.

Where – Carter Industries Inc. is located in Olive Hill, KY. Olive Hill is nestled in the majestic Appalachian Mountains and is a small, rural town in the Northeast section of Kentucky. It is a quaint town full of history and features a beautiful state park nearby. The flight suits are made here in the US which created much needed jobs in northern Kentucky. Our head office is located in Brooklyn New York. To order your 27/P nomex flight suit or ICVC Crewman’s Coverall you can go to our website www.carterny.com.

Why – We founded Carter Industries Inc. because we wanted to safe, quality products to the US Defense force AND to the general public. Safety is our primary concern. Our Nomex flight suits are constructed with a variety of features that are meant to keep the wearers safe and comfortable. These suits are flame-resistant, breathable, and lightweight which makes them ideal for the duties associated with those in the military and aviation industry. In addition to the safety features, the Nomex flight suits are also equipped with 6 convenient pockets that are easy for wearers to access. Our flight suits and coveralls come in several different colors which make it easy for wearers to blend in with their environment whenever they may be in the company of their opposition.

Shop online at www.carterny.com.

Whiskey 5 – Gen Kit Exchange

Sunday, January 8th, 2017

Who

Gen Kit Exchange is created by serving British soldier Alex Miller. He has also recently collaborated with a group called Cooper’s Kit Corner to bring Kit Pest Reviews.

me-head

What

Gen Kit Exchange is an online marketplace where retailers or individuals can buy and sell new and used gear.

It’s intended to be an alternative to the high fees that sites such as eBay and Amazon can charge for this market. You can sell anything on GKE with only a small number of prohibited items and as long as they’re military related.

Kit Pest Reviews is a review blog with the intention of bringing unbiased, and relative gear reviews regularly. Anyone can send in reviews if you’d like to have them on the blog, however there is a handful of core contributors that are self confessed ‘kit pests’. Another aim is to bring ‘everyday’ bits of kit into the light rather than, out of this world cutting edge technology that we might never see.

w5

When

Alex started the Gen Kit journey nearing the end of the summer of 2016. It was crowdfunded over £1000 on Kickstarter which enabled Alex to create GKE much quicker and bring it out almost immediately at the start of December 2016.

Where

GKE is based in Newcastle Upon Tyne but is subject to move all over the UK, however if you’re in a different country you can still buy and sell items on the site. The actual initial brainstorming happened on a broken-down coach on our to way an exercise in Denmark.

Why

Alex has been in the Army for 6 years and created GKE after noticing a lack of refreshing options in the kit market. He did some research and couldn’t find anything like this available, instead only finding tired and old Facebook groups which just aren’t relative to the great industry that this is.

After many hours of research he found a viable option for GKE which is where its at today. In the future it will develop into a new platform that will still hold the core principles that it does today yet bring many more exciting features to all that use it.

genkitexchangebomblogo

Whiskey 5 – 37 PSR Gun Club

Monday, November 7th, 2016

SSD’s Whiskey 5 is a recurring feature that asks industry organizations, “Who, What, Where, When, and Why?” It’s a column intended to give you a more in-depth look at those manufacturers, trainers and individuals that make this industry unique. Today we’ll be taking a look at the 37 PSR Gun Club, which we originally talked about back in 2012.

range37psr-gunclub-cover

Who

The 37 PSR Gun Club is a shooting range and training facility run by Retired Special Forces NCO Frankie McRae. McRae also operates Raidon Tactics, a fundamentals-to-Special-Operations training organization which holds most of its open-enrollment courses at 37PSR.

range37psr-gunclub-1

What

37 PSR Gun Club is a full service low restriction outdoor shooting range and training facility featuring covered firing lines with handgun, rifle and shotgun shooting positions, tactical training, competition bays, and a 360-degree ballistic rated shoot house. 37 PSR also houses a gun shop with full gunsmithing services. 37 PSR is open to shooters of all skill levels from beginners to special operations troops, and offers families everything from a Woman’s Only Shooting program to a Youth Shooting Program and Family Steel Challenge Matches. 37 PSR’s staff and firearms instructors have many years experience in either Special Forces or the US Special Operations Command.

range37psr-gunclub-2

When

McRae bought the facility in 2009, when it was barely recognizable as a range. Using his own and an investor’s funds, he recreated the facility from the ground up and opened it for training later that same year.

range37psr-gunclub-3

Where

37 PSR Gun Club is based in Bunnlevel, North Carolina, between Fayetteville and Lillington, just off HWY 210, 45 minutes from the Fairgrounds in Raleigh and 15 minutes from Fort Bragg.

range37psr-gunclub-4

Why

Initially planned as a DoD-specific training site, 37 PSR evolved into a civilian-friendly range offering everything from firearms fundamentals classes for children to advanced skills courses for special operators.

range37psr-gunclub-5

McRae realized the Fort Bragg area, home to numerous highly-trained troops and their families, lacked a low-restriction range where those troops and families could actually train rather than just shoot (no more than two rounds at a time, no drawing from the holster, no movement, nothing but sterile, square range noisemaking). 37 PSR Gun Club filled a dire need for a real place to train, from cradle to adulthood, without the mind-numbing restrictions of the typical shooting range. Despite detours from the original plan, and a near-catastrophic “hoarding instead of shooting” lull after Sandy Hook, 37 PSR continues to build its client base and expand both its facility and services offered.

range37psr-gunclub-6

37 PSR Gun Club is online here: 37psr.com

You can learn more about Raidon Tactics on SSD here: soldiersystems.net/2016/10/17/whiskey-5-raidon-tactics

Read up on Frankie McCrae, who we’ve known here at Soldier Systems Daily since some time spent with him in the Philippines a few years back, in this interview: www.recoilweb.com/preview-zeroed-in-frankie-mcrae-81521

Whiskey 5: Raidon Tactics

Monday, October 17th, 2016

Whiskey 5 is a recurring Soldier Systems Daily feature that asks “Who, What, Where, When, and Why” of industry leaders, manufacturers and instructors — to let you hear how they describe themselves. It’s intended to give you a close and thorough look at some of the people that make our industry unique. We’ve found these basic 5 questions to be the basic keys to understanding. Past Whiskey-5s have included business from Provengo to Kryptek, and all sorts of other companies in between.

Today we’ll be sharing an overview of North Carolina’s Raidon Tactics Inc.

raidon-tactics-teaching-after-green-beret-proam-1
 
Who
 
Raidon Tactics is a training company located in North Carolina. It is run by Frankie McRae, a former Ranger and Special Forces NCO who instructed at the U.S. Army Special Warfare Center and School. McRae’s experience alone would make Raidon worth looking into, but Raidon’s entire instructor staff is comprised of seasoned professionals, with an aggregate total of over 100 years of Special Operations experience. Raidon offers one-on-one instruction for classes ranging from firearms fundamentals for new shooters to advanced skills for highly-trained special operations troops. Because McRae and so many of his instructors were Special Operations senior leaders who held positions in SF schools, and they’re close to Army SF’s heartland, Raidon maintains working relationships with military units to facilitate needed training.

raidon-tactics-teaching-after-green-beret-proam-2
 
What
 
Raidon Tactics is a go-to company for those requiring realistic, relevant training from skilled, experienced instructors. Raidon offers individual and team training in rifles, pistols and shotguns, Tactical Casualty Combat Care/EMT/paramedic training, counter-ambush and PSD driving, surveillance, sniper/observer skills, aerial marksmanship, hand-to-hand combat, K9 handling, edged weapons, corporate and travel threat mitigation, and many other courses. Raidon trains military, law enforcement and private citizens of all ages.

raidon-tactics-tccc-stage-during_match
 
When
 
Raidon bought their facility in 2009, made improvements and opened the facility for training a year later.

raidon-tactics-teaching-kids
 
Where
 
Raidon Tactics is based in Bunnlevel, North Carolina, minutes from Fort Bragg. Raidon operates a low-restriction training facility almost 365 days a year, minus Christmas and Easter. The facility has numerous live fire training bays, a 360-degree ballistic shoot house, and 100- and 25-yard shooting ranges for the public. “Low restriction” means exactly that; Raidon students shoot from elevated positions, vehicles and other barricades. Firearms classes offer a full complement of steel targets to challenge shooting skills. Raidon also leases a 1000-acre farm for realistic scenario-based training; for example, students learning Sensitive Site Exploitation will get many false positives from explosives and other chemicals used for farming. Raidon has a hardball road for Vehicle Interdiction training, which is used often by Special Forces units on near Ft Bragg. Language skills can be tested in realistic scenario-based training exercises that employ multilingual role players to enhance realism. 

raidon-tactics-iraq-blacktigerbasecamp-trainingkurds
 
Why
 
Because the military makes it hard to get good training.

McRae dealt for years with the Army’s policy of ruining good training opportunities with bureaucratic obstacles and overbearing safety rules. After retiring he decided to open his own facility where he could provide the best training possible with the least red tape.  There are very few military facilities where a unit can incorporate evasive driving, CQB, hand-to-hand combat, TCCC, and small unit tactics into one exercise, without having to deal with an old-school sergeant major waving a reflective belt. Instead of drowning troops in unnecessary hurdles, Raidon Tactics has perfected the turn-key method of providing training to Special Operations units. Raidon Tactics even provides all weapons, ammo and gear to all of students in order to make training as painless and smooth as possible.

Find Raidon Tactics online at raidontactics.com.

Also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RaidonTactics

You can read more about Raidon Tactics chief instructor Frankie McRae in this interview here:
www.recoilweb.com/preview-zeroed-in-frankie-mcrae-81521

Whiskey 5 – American Cord & Webbing Co., Inc.

Monday, March 7th, 2016

ACW-Soldier-Systems-Intro-Art.FEB2016

Who
For over 100 years, American Cord & Webbing Co., Inc. (ACW Co., Inc.) has been a leading designer and manufacturer of narrow fabrics, sewn strap assemblies and injection molded plastic hardware produced for both military and commercial use. We take pride in offering quality products that exceed government specifications. ACW is recognized in the industry for its’ innovative design and engineering abilities when developing custom products. Our combined years of experienced industry professionals, along with our commitment to service and quality, is unequaled in today’s marketplace.

When
ACW opened its doors in 1917 and will celebrate its’ 100th Anniversary this coming year. You will see that even after a century of business, ACW continues to maintain the same level of commitment to its customers. Our highly trained and experienced customer service and sales representatives work together to provide our customers with top-notch sales and support, while fulfilling orders with efficiency and speed.

What
ACW began with the development of a single buckle, which was introduced into the flotation industry almost 40 years ago. Since the beginning, they have continued to redesign and improve their product lines to be able to offer its customers the latest improvements and advancements plastics and weaving technology. ACW continues to meet and exceed customer demands through streamlining operations and expanding facilities as necessary. Our dedicated facility for custom design and manufacturing places ACW above its competition. Designing and manufacturing in-house allows for efficiency in all phases of product development, allowing ACW to be able to provide innovative, cost-effective solutions for our customers. An emphasis on value-added services, such as pre-production samples, and a problem-solving approach, complements our long-standing industry reputation. ACW raises industry performance standards and will continue to do so for years to come.

Where
ACW is located in Woonsocket, Rhode Island in a state-of-the-art weaving and molding manufacturing facility. You are also able to reach us at www.acw1.com.

Why
In the marketplace today, there is a need for certified & approved, Berry-compliant products that maintain the highest strength and quality. ACW is able to provide those products all the while exceeding market expectations. Our representatives provide customers with relevant product information necessary to make an informed buying decision for our application needs. Simply put, ACW puts its customers first, while supplying the marketplace with high quality products and service.

acw1.com

Whiskey 5 – Elite Defense

Tuesday, July 31st, 2012

Who
Elite Defense

What
Elite Defense offers a turn-key service for distribution management, license processing, and logistics. They specialize in unique, top of the line product distribution with an emphasis on ITAR related exports. Elite Defense combines resources, relationships, and expertise into one company that is qualified to service manufacturers and clients in defense and small arms markets worldwide.

Where
Located outside of Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, the Elite Defense team is comprised of industry veterans with the greatest of expertise in their specific fields, who work synergistically with top-tier manufacturers to directly affect a company’s bottom line. Elite Defense is in the process of moving to a new facility which will not only provide additional warehouse space but be better suited to house their operations.

When
Elite Defense was founded in 2007 to help small to medium size manufacturers in the small arms industry sell and distribute their products internationally. Elite’s initial model helped its partners maintain compliance with export regulations and manage the logistic difficulties of representing and moving their products internationally. Since then, Elite has grown to include a domestic wholesale side of its business while it continues to partner with top tier manufacturers.

Why
Elite Defense provides top-to-bottom, worldwide logistical support to help facilitate the distribution of non-competing product lines in order to maximize efforts and utilize marketing expertise to develop new business opportunities within Law Enforcement, MoD, and MoI entities worldwide. Even if Elite doesn’t carry your product line or work with your company’s dealer/distributors directly, Elite can help your company with the export of your controlled products to ensure your company is within compliance of all ITAR and EAR regulations.

elite-arms.com

Whiskey 5 – Grey Ghost Gear

Wednesday, July 25th, 2012

Whiskey-5 is a recurring Solider Systems Daily feature that asks “Who, What, Where, When, and Why” of the industry. It is intended to give you a more in-depth look at those manufacturers, trainers and individuals that make our industry unique. We have found that these basic 5 questions are the most basic keys to understanding. Past Whiskey-5s have included such industry heavyweights as Kryptek, Wild Things Tactical, ADS Ventures, HyperStealth and even Tactical Fanboy. Today we’ll be sharing an overview of Grey Ghost Gear.

Who
Grey Ghost Gear is a company that doesn’t spend much time touting the leadership team’s background. They seek credibility without chest thumping, dick measuring or tab checks, preferring to remain low key to avoid the sort of personality-driven perception that often trumps gear truth in other companies. This doesn’t mean they lack the background, to the contrary. They just prefer to let quality, flexibility and a nimble response capacity to customer’s demands establish their bonafides.

What
GGG is best defined as a ‘boutique’ tactical manufacturer, place where someone goes to get specialized gear instead of cookie cutter built kit. Make no mistake, there is some good equipment being built out there, but overall it’s mass manufactured and not absolutely focused on the end user.

Grey Ghost Gear evolved from Grey Ghost Outlet when the leadership recognized a significant void in the market. Rapid prototyping in the industry has largely gone away and massive consolidations were taking place. Many manufacturers, now frequently part of much larger organizations supplying huge contracts, have lost focus on the operator. GGG knew it could bring better, lighter weight gear to the market faster than anyone else—they could (and have) rapid prototyped it and gotten it to the end user in a quarter of the time anyone else could.

The background of the Grey Ghost team isn’t necessarily different than many other manufacturers operated or influenced by military personnel.What sets them apart is their constant active engagement with operators still using the gear on the ground. How many companies have leadership that can drop in on and attend a Designated Marksman course at Ft. Bliss, or visit a 4 star command group then have a beer with the Command Sergeant Major afterward? For that matter, how many companies remain as actively engaged with enlisted personnel via constant e-mail traffic, frequent phone/Skype calls and social media?

Grey Ghost Gear offers a way to eliminate bureaucracy and serve the shooters (and not just them). Regardless of what they say, a significant portion of the industry fails to listen to the end user. They may not ask for feedback at all, or they may ask for feedback and then fail to implement changes in a timely fashion (if at all)—this is often the case in companies with restrictive bureaucracies.

GGG does not suffer from this sort of inanity. An example of this is the LiteLok packs, which were manufactured and made available to the AO faster than anyone else, or a large scale rifle manufacturer who requested a modification to the rifle case they provide with their equipment on a military procurement contract. GGG had the change implemented and approved within 24 hours. More recently Grey Ghost was advised by men in the field of a very specific need for a low profile medic pack to be used for trauma and treatment kits by vehicle mounted medics. GGG took it from concept to first prototype in 72 hours. 72 hours after that they had accomplished the customer’s modifications. 48 hours later it was in production and they were getting purchase orders. Eight days from first phone call to ship-to-APO.

GGG is also less afraid than its competition to try new things. It makes short runs on patterns and styles and responds quickly to niche requests. They were the first company to build gear in the PenCott patterns (Badlands, Sandstorm and Greenzone and intend to use whatever camouflages don’t win in the Army selection this December short runs of specialty gear.

Future plans include distributing UK sourced Karrimor SF gear as well as manufacturing Karrimor SF here in the US so it is Berry compliant. They soon bring out a covert carry, low profile series of gear that will be truly low pro, unlike nothing else that’s out there and of course will continue developing specialized gear for unique units and missions as needed.

When
Grey Ghost Gear has been around for a little over 18 months now.

Where
Grey Ghost Gear is based in Idaho, however the equipment is manufactured at vetted local locations with stringent quality control. They’ve never had a warranty related construction repair or replacement in their entire history. GGG is also working with industry partners for offshore manufacturing options for international sales (they’ve sold supplied 16 allied/Coalition countries to date).

Why
Because the principals of the company are former soldiers with operational experience engaging the enemy. They’re actively engaged with the full spectrum military, and not just in the abstract. They work with all Tiers, literally, having sought response from Delta to mess hall cooks—true story. GGG routinely joins soldiers in MOUT sites, on the range and in classrooms, at dinner or a bar or a more visually appealing locale to hear what they have to say.

Many companies are focused (or say they are) on Tier One operators. Grey Ghost Gear doesn’t want just the snake-eaters to be using their kit. They want the guys with boots on the ground for months to afford and share the benefit of the use of their gear. As one GGG principal says, “We want an E-4, before he deploys, to be able to buy some gear from us and still be able to take his wife out to dinner.”

GGG remains dedicated to the end user and their communities. It is actively involved in the Point du Hoc Foundation, a supporter of the TACP Association and other organizations. They hope the customer loyalty earned by their philosophy continues to grow and are fully aware of the responsibility that loyalty entails. They intend to remain worthy of that loyalty or to get out of the business altogether.

www.greyghostgear.com