Costa Ludis has released a slightly improved version of their “Catalyst” mag release for the M&P. It was created in collaboration with 21st Century Gunfighter, LLC. According to a statement by Chris Costa, “Small invisible changes were made to the Catalyst. Different materials were explored and internal contour changes made for a better fit.”
Order yours from www.costaludus.com or www.21stcenturygunfighter.com
Blue Force Gear announced today that John Felushko will join the company as Product Line Manager, reporting to Blue Force Gear CEO Ashley Burnsed. Felushko comes to Blue Force Gear from Canadian outdoor brand Arc’Teryx LEAF, where he has been Business Unit Coordinator since 2008. He will be responsible for Blue Force Gear’s product strategy and the expansion of retail presence in domestic and global markets.
“Our passion is building game-changing products for the world’s best customers and John shares our vision for the future like no one else we’ve met,” said Ashley Burnsed, Blue Force Gear’s CEO. “His exceptional experience bolsters our commitment to deliver the best products and we are thrilled to have him join our team.”
Before joining Arc’Teryx, Felushko’s background includes extensive outdoor retailing experience with companies including The Expedition Shoppe and Bushtukah Great Outdoor Gear where he gained valuable insights into improving the customer experience with high performance outdoor equipment. Among other International travels, he taught English in Istanbul Turkey and holds a Bachelors of Arts degree in Political Science from Carleton University with concentration in International Relations.
Congrats to Blue Force Gear and John!
US Patriot was established in the year 2000 by military veterans. Since then, it’s operations have grown to retail locations outside of Fort Jackson, SC, Fort Stewart, GA, Fort Sill, OK, Fort Sam Houston, TX and Kings Mountain, NC. The newest stores are located in San Antonio, TX (Fort Sam Houston, Randolph AFB & Lackland AFB) and Lawton, OK (Fort Sill home of Field Artillery and Air Defense).
The Fort Sill, OK store sets itself apart with its very own “man cave”. Soldiers can relax in gaming chairs and play a variety of Xbox games. Additionally, on Graduation and Family Day, soldiers in uniform and their families can enjoy a free beverage of choice. Finally, some US Patriot locations, including Fort Jackson and Fort Stewart, have on-site embroidery/alterations and a barber shop.
It’s good to see that Olympic security officials are adopting a full continuum of force options from the Long Range Acoustic Device to more lethal solutions more often associated with SWAT teams. According to Fox News, the Olympics will in part be protected by the LRAD system.
It sounds pretty lame, but if you’ve ever been on the other end of this thing it can be quite persuasive. And, it will be backed up by other force options as well Actually, the LRAD has a long history of effectiveness including deployments to deter pirates off the coast of Africa and crowd control during the G20 summit in Pittsburgh.
Strike Industries has introduced the Ricci Ankle Medical System. Designed by a SWAT officer, it is an ankle mounted medical pouch intended to ensure that every LE officer can have life saving medical gear on him at all times.
The pouch has three pockets, one of which is secured with a Velcro cover. The smaller pockets can carry the major tourniquets on the market with the main pocket able to carry hemostatic agents, gauze or chest seals.
There is a wide variety of military tech featured in the hot movie, ‘The Avengers” but most of it is pure Hollywood. However, there’s a whole slew of kit that is the real deal.
According the Tactical Pro Shop, LLC who outfitted the team in this photo, gear included “Ops-Core Fast Base Jump helmets, decked out with Princeton Tec Quad-Nod Kits and MPLS.” Matt Kime went on to say that, “We also involved a leading Halo equipment manufacturer for the O2 mask systems.” He went on, “Also utilized in accomplishing the “look” of the SHIELD agents were:
Blade-Tech holsters (tactical and concealment) Surefire Flashlights Magpul Magazines and Slings Inova 24/7 Lights Crye Apparel.” Matt added that “The Princeton Tec / Ops-Core paring in particular has been an amazing relationship, and we continue to work with them extensively in regards to our film customers. They understand very clearly what Tactical Pro Shop does for them, and appreciate the way we do it.”
When asked about how this works, Matt related to SSD, “This project was another great example of developing an opportunity that had the potential to be a win/win/win for everybody.
– The show won by bringing equipment that was extremely current (actually not yet commercially available yet) to the big screen first.
– The manufacturers/vendors won by getting some exposure for their gear.
– And Tactical Pro Shop wins by continuing to prove ourselves as the go-to company in Hollywood that can leverage our outstanding relationships with our vendors, to accomplish the extremely difficult for a very demanding film industry customer base.
Avengers is a perfect example of why our team spends a lot of time during SHOT in back meeting rooms, being shown prototypes and forward-looking products that assorted manufacturers know we have the ability to place in a major motion picture.”
While they are EOD, these guys aren’t training for dive school. No, this is all about water survival and they are using their PT time to focus on a threat that has taken the life of one of their own. Air Force EOD techs don’t attend dive school.
Photo – SSgt Sara Csurilla
Here you can see members of the 380th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron during PT. “We do the pool training because the only Air Force EOD officer to have died in the current conflicts was Capt. Kermit Evans, who passed away when he was forced to bail out from a helicopter over a lake in Iraq,” said Capt. John Fuson, 380th ECES EOD officer in charge. “This just proves that we must be ready for any situation at any time while deployed. In addition to the survival point of the training, pool PT provides an added avenue for fitness and calorie burning.”
EOD techs also conduct CrossFit training in order to maintain top shape for dismounted operations with the US Army. In a DVIDS news article explained, “We do this training because we have to be able to pull our weight, carry our gear and, if necessary, carry a teammate to safety in any situation we may encounter, whether that be rucks on dismounted patrols, water survival, or surviving a blast from an [improvised explosive device]. Mental and physical recovery is significantly more effective when one is physically fit.”
Liberty Bottle Works has introduced a new sport cap featuring one-handed operation, spill-proof design and compatibility with their full line of recycled aluminum bottles. As with all Liberty products, they are Made in the USA. This will make a great companion for the “Keep Calm and Return Fire” water bottle.
