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Archive for October, 2008

Load Bearing Armor from Archangel Armor and Mystery Ranch

Monday, October 6th, 2008

Load Bearing Body Armor by Archangel Armor

Newcomer to the armor game Archangel Armor has teamed with load bearing genius Mystery Ranch to produce what we consider the next evolutionary step in body armor design; Load Bearing Armor. Take a look at the photo above. Mystery Ranch has adapted their pack frame system to distribute the load across the shoulders and waist like a pack. Additionally, this design provides for better air circulation and helps to eliminate injuries from back face deformation. The design utilizes life support capable Cobra buckles to bear the weight of the armor and any plates or packs attached to the frame. They are currently working on a single pull cut away system that will activate all of the buckles simultaneously and will simplify reassembly to, in the words of developer, Paul Carter, “20 Seconds”.

You really have to see it to believe it and this video shot by Marine Corps Times at Modern Day Marine gives you a pretty good idea of the concept.

Photo and video from Marine Corps Times.

Army Announces New Combat Dressing

Sunday, October 5th, 2008

THIS MESSAGE HAS BEEN SENT BY THE PENTAGON TELECOMMUNICATIONS CENTER ON BEHALF OF DA WASHINGTON DC//DASG-HSZ//DAMO-DASG//

THIS ALARACT MESSAGE IS SENT ON BEHALF OF THE SURGEON GENERAL//

SUBJECT: (U) NEW SOLDIER HEMOSTATIC DRESSINGS

REF/A/ALARACT 185/2005/INDIVIDUAL SOLDIER HEMOSTATIC DRESSING/SEP 05//

1. (U) THE COMBAT GAUZE DRESSING (NSN: 6510-01-562-3325) IS THE NEWLY APPROVED INDIVIDUAL SOLDIER HEMOSTATIC DRESSING. IN OCT 08, PEO-S WILL BEGIN REPLACEMENT OF THE CHITOSAN (HEMCON) DRESSINGS WITH ONE COMBAT GAUZE DRESSING IN THE IMPROVED FIRST AID KIT (IFAK) OF DEPLOYING SOLDIERS. SOLDIERS CARRYING COMBAT LIFESAVER (CLS) BAGS WILL CARRY THREE (3) COMBAT GAUZE DRESSINGS PER BAG. COMBAT MEDICS (68W) WILL CARRY THREE (3) COMBAT GAUZE DRESSINGS AND TWO (2) WOUNDSTAT (NSN: 6510-01-563-6628) PER MEDIC BAG. IN THEATER, PRIORITY OF ISSUE FOR COMBAT GAUZE DRESSINGS IS TO THE 68W COMBAT MEDIC, COMBAT LIFESAVER (WITH BAG) AND THEN THE INDIVIDUAL SOLDIER, IN THAT ORDER. ARMY CENTRAL COMMAND IS DEVELOPING DETAILED FIELDING PLANS FOR OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM AND OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM COMBAT THEATERS.

2. (U) WOUNDSTAT WILL REPLACE QUIKCLOT. USE OF WOUNDSTAT IS AS A BACK-UP TO COMBAT GAUZE, USUALLY IN THE EVENT OF INADEQUATE WOUND HEMOSTASIS WITH COMBAT GAUZE. INTENDED USERS OF WOUNDSTAT ARE MEDICAL CARE PROVIDERS TO INCLUDE 68W COMBAT MEDICS, IF PROPERLY TRAINED. TRAINING IS REQUIRED BECAUSE WOUNDSTAT GRANULES MAY ENTER THE LUMEN OF INJURED BLOOD VESSELS AND POSE A THEORETICAL RISK OF VESSEL THROMBOSIS. PROGRAMS OF INSTRUCTION FOR BOTH COMBAT GAUZE AND WOUNDSTAT ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE ARMY MEDICAL DEPARTMENT CENTER AND SCHOOL AT HTTPS://WWW.CS.AMEDD.ARMY.MIL. IN ANIMAL STUDIES CONDUCTED BY THE INSTITUTE OF SURGICAL RESEARCH, BOTH COMBAT GAUZE AND WOUNDSTAT WERE SHOWN TO BE SUPERIOR TO HEMCON AND QUICKCLOT IN SURVIVAL AND HEMORRHAGE CONTROL.

3. (U) WITHIN THREE TO SIX MONTHS AND BASED ON INDUSTRY SUPPLY, PEO-S WILL PROCURE 277,832 COMBAT GAUZE. AS OF 23 SEP 08, THE FIRST SHIPMENT OF 60,000 COMBAT GAUZE HAS ARRIVED IN THEATER AND IS CURRENTLY PROCESSING THROUGH HOST NATION CUSTOMS TO ENTER THE MEDICAL SUPPLY DISTRIBUTION CHAIN. WOUNDSTAT WILL BE PROCURED BY THEATER VIA USAMMCE. HEMCON DRESSINGS SHOULD BE TURNED IN TO THE MEDICAL SUPPLY SYSTEM ONCE THE UNIT/INDIVIDUAL HAS RECEIVED COMBAT GAUZE AND, FOR WHOM APPROPRIATE, WOUNDSTAT. UNIT SUPPLY PERSONNEL WILL TURN IN HEMCON TO THEIR SUPPORTING MEDICAL SUPPLY SUPPORT ACTIVITY (SSA). THE ARMY MEDICAL SSA WILL REPORT THE EXCESS IAW AR 710-2, AR 40-61, DA PAM 710-2-2, SB-8-75-11 AND THEATER POLICY BY LOT NUMBER, QUANTITY, DOLLAR VALUE AND SERVICEABILITY CODE (A-H) TO DEPARTMENT OF ARMY FOR DISPOSITION INSTRUCTIONS. THIS TRANSITION IS FUNDED BY ARMY GWOT AND SUSTAINMENT REQUIREMENTS FOR COMBAT GAUZE AND WOUNDSTAT WILL BE THEATER FUNDED.

4. (U) POC: COL PAUL R. CORDTS, DIRECTOR HEALTH POLICY AND SERVICES, OFFICE OF THE SURGEON GENERAL, COM: 703-681-0104, E-MAIL: PAUL.CORDTS@AMEDD.ARMY.MIL.

5. EXPIRATION DATE CANNOT BE DETERMINED.

For information on Woundstat visit TraumaCure’s website.

AMK Introduces New Survival Bivies

Friday, October 3rd, 2008

Adventure Med Kits

Adventure Medical Kits has released the Thermo-Lite® 2 Bivvy and Heatsheets® Emergency Bivvy (sic). “When you’re in the outdoors, you have to remember that you’re playing by nature’s rules,” says AMK’s marketing director Frank Meyer. “Whether it’s a hurricane, snowstorm or an avalanche, you have to be prepared that things can and will go wrong and that, when they do, help may be hours or even days away.” “Having a contingency plan for the outdoors,” Meyer added, “and the right gear, like the items contained in AMK’s Essentials line, is a away for our customers to prepare now to survive later.”

AMK Bivy Stuff Sack

The Thermo-Lite® 2 Bivvy
AMK’s best-selling survival item of the last few years has been improved by making it 1.5 oz. lighter and 30% stronger than the material used in the original. The bivvy sack is a light-weight replacement for a sleeping bag, when nighttime temperatures are 50° F or higher or as an emergency survival bivvy for wintertime activities. The new bivvy features the stronger Thermo-Lite® 2 material on the bottom to withstand rocky terrain and hard-packed snow conditions. It is easily repaired with duct tape should it ever sustain a tear. The 6.5 oz. Thermo-Lite® 2 Bivvy’s design retains 80% body heat and can be opened at top, bottom and side to allow moisture and heat to escape.

AMK Thermo 2 Bivvy

NEW! Heatsheets® Emergency Bivvy
Weighing in at a meager 3.5 ounces, the Heatsheets® Emergency Bivvy is now available with an ultralight stuff sack, allowing for repeat use. It is made from a newly developed polyethylene material that is vacuum-metalicized to reflect back 90% body heat. Also in the Heatsheets® line, AMK has added the Heatsheets® Emergency Blanket. The compact 2.5 oz. Blanket is quiet, durable and easy to fold out and fold up, even when you’re wearing gloves; suitable for one person, the Emergency Blanket can also be used as a temporary shelter during inclement weather. Featuring a bright orange color, the Blanket is 20% larger than many other survival blankets and comes with survival and first aid instructions printed in English and French on the back.

To order contact Adventure Medical Kits.

Images courtesy of Adventure Medical Kits.

Writing for Soldier Systems Blog

Friday, October 3rd, 2008

If you want to write for Soldier Systems Blog its pretty simple. Just contact the Editor with your article idea. Seriously, that’s all you have to do. Generally, we want an article that is a couple of paragraphs long and answers the basic who, what, where, when, why, and how. Pictures are also helpful but make sure you have the permission of the owners. We are happy to give you a by-line but since thus far, this is a non-wealth generating pursuit, there will be no payment. However, so far everyone has wanted to keep it anonymous. One caveat for vendors, we will happily post press releases but the impact is much greater if someone checks out your product and writes an article on it.

Interested parties can contact Soldier Systems Blog at admin@soldiersystems.net.

The admin stuff:

Inclusion of products or information on Soldier Systems Blog is for informational purposes only and in no way construed as an endorsement unless otherwise stated.

All content is copyright 2008 Soldier Systems Blog unless otherwise credited. Further use of content is prohibited unless specific permission is provided by Soldier Systems Blog. Corporate logos for companies featured on Soldier Systems Blog are the property of their respective owners and are used solely for illustrative purposes.

New Battle Gear Improves Capabilities for Combat Airmen

Thursday, October 2nd, 2008

by Staff Sgt. Andrea Thacker
Air Forces Central Public Affairs – Combined Air and Space Operations Center

9/25/2008 – SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFPN) — Battlefield Airmen will soon receive a new equipment item that will improve their ability to execute their combat duties.

The new airman battle system-ground is a tactical ensemble, or equipment item, for Airmen who perform their mission outside the wire in close coordination with ground forces.

“It will provide Airmen with the right level of safety combined with a fully functional, tactically proficient ensemble, thereby, increasing their confidence and ability to perform their mission,” said Chief Master Sgt. Scott Dearduff, the 9th Air Force and Air Forces Central command chief.

Airmen are operating outside the wire in an increasing number of ground-centric traditional and nontraditional Air Force missions. The ABS-G was created to fulfill an urgent operational need to enable Airmen to function effectively in ground combat operations.

“The safety and confidence provided to our ground combat Airmen from the development of the ABS-G is a key “outside-the-wire” priority,” said Lt. Gen. Gary L. North, the Air Forces Central commander.

“Today, more than ever, we have Airmen conducting operations in the ground battle space, ” General North said. “Our effort to provide them with our airman ground combat ensemble provides them with the highest level of utility, comfort and protection. This is key to our ability to work outside the wire in an ensemble that is optimized for the environment our Airmen are facing.”

Traditional battlefield Airmen who had experience operating outside the wire contributed to the ABS-G development by providing suggestions and feedback during the first prototype phase.

The ensemble was designed with the tactical configuration in mind, said Col. Lawrence Jackson II, the Air Forces Central expeditionary ground combat support adviser.

“We spoke to members in the field to find out what changes would be tactically efficient. These inputs guided the design,” he said.

The airman battle ensemble is comprised of the coat, pants and battle shirt. It is basically a tactical fire resistant adaptation of the current ABU. The ABE is the core of the ABS-G.

“It wasn’t designed to replace the airman battle uniform,” Chief Dearduff said. “It was designed to give us a fire-retardant tactical ensemble that is fully integrated through multiple layers of clothing and equipment to provide maximum fire protection, warmth and tactical functionality.”

The developers stressed the ABE is considered a personal protective ensemble and not a uniform. The ABE will be unit controlled, issued equipment and will only be worn by select Airmen based on their assigned mission. The Air Force will issue an ABE only if it is needed. It will not be for sale in the military clothing sales stores.

Two fundamental warfighter requirements drove the ABE configuration: the need for fire resistance and the tactical integration with body armor, Colonel Jackson said.

“The ABE was designed for ground combat Airmen by ground combat Airmen,” said Colonel Jackson, who spent a year commanding Airmen of the 732nd Air Expeditionary Group during the Operation Iraqi Freedom 2006 to 2007 surge. “We spoke with ground combat Airmen, we lived with ground combat Airmen, we are ground combat Airmen.”

Since ground combat is a full spectrum business, wearing the ABE in layers allows for maximum temperature and weather adaptability across the full range of climate and weather conditions.

Pockets were configured for access while wearing full body armor, including shoulder and side plate protection. Each layer of the ABS-G has identical sleeve and leg pocket configurations.

The ABS-G will be distributed in the February 2009 timeframe. The testing phase will most likely last 18 to 24 months. Several Airmen are wear-testing the ensemble in selected units in the area of responsibility now.

“We will use the constant feedback from the test phase to improve the ensemble accordingly,” Colonel Jackson said. “We want to get it right. Your feedback will help us make it so.”

Blauer Tactical Systems Opens New Facility

Thursday, October 2nd, 2008

Blauer Tactical Systems (BTS) has opened the world’s largest hand-to-hand & scenario training facility in Virginia Beach, VA. BTS invested six months and $250,000 to transform the 28,000 square-foot facility into a world class complex. The center includes an extensive combatives area, classrooms, conference rooms, scenario training rooms, a MMA Training area and the largest Crossfit training facility in the US, featuring 20 full Crossfit workstations. We recently visited the facility and it is in fact, top notch. Not shown in the photo below is a CQB “shoot” house with a few surprises in store for students.

Blauer Tactical Grand Opening

BTS specializes in customized scenario training, as well as research and development of close quarter tactics for the military, law enforcement and professional self-defense instructors. Many companies provide training in how to react once you are in a given situation. BTS takes a more in-depth approach. After speaking with Tony Blauer about his training philosophy it quickly became apparent that his goal is to educate his students in how to recognize situations as they deteriorate and how to react by providing the proper force or technique to attempt to avert further escalation by the adversary.

The facility’s inaugural event (August 15-16, 2008) attracted over 100 military personnel including representation from Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Naval Air Station Oceana (Dam Neck), Ft. Meade, Ft. Lee, Ft. Eustis, Ft. Bragg, Ft. Campbell, Ft. Story, Langley Air Force base, along with a 50 hand selected self-defense instructors & citizens who were treated to an outstanding weekend of training that included CrossFit, S.P.E.A.R. System combatives, and MMA training.

BTS welcomed very special guest, Coach Greg Glassman, the founder of CrossFit, as the keynote speaker. CrossFit is the principal strength and conditioning program for many police academies and tactical operations teams, military special operations units, champion martial artists, and hundreds of other elite and professional athletes worldwide. MMA fighter Joe Lauzon from the UFC also treated the group to ground fighting training.

CrossFit and Blauer Tactical have partnered up to combine unprecedented training opportunities for those interested in practical & tactical fitness & extreme close quarter fighting skills. ADS Tactical from Virginia Beach offers both training programs on their GSA schedule.

For more information on the new training center and future courses visit Bluer Tactical Systems or email combatives@blauertactical.com

Support Solios for Soldiers

Wednesday, October 1st, 2008

Solios for Soldiers

We recently wrote about the Solio charger. Every time a customer purchases a $150 kit for a Soldier, an additional kit will be sent to a second Soldier – at no extra cost.

To learn more check outSolio for Soldiers.