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Archive for June, 2014

Extreme Outfitters – 4th Of July Sale

Monday, June 30th, 2014

4th of July

Extreme Outfitters is holding a 4th of July sale. Starting today, and running until July 6th, all in-store and online items are 15% off. Use offer code Freedom for online orders. Any already on-sale items are excluded from the discount.

www.extremeoutfitters.us

Now, THAT’S Some Expensive Camo

Monday, June 30th, 2014

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Granted, ERDL camouflage is one of the most collectible out there, but no one expected this 22 yard remnant to go for a whopping $1613.88 on an eBay auction.

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The Engineering Research and Development Laboratory pattern was developed in 1948 and adopted for operational use during the Viet Nam war. Several color variants were produced including the Green dominant version in this auction. It remained in use for many years and eventually used as the basis for the Woodland camouflage pattern (ERDL was blown up 60% and the colors altered) adopted in 1981.

Haley Strategic Partners – July 4th Sale

Monday, June 30th, 2014

HSP July 4 Sale

Haley Strategic Partners’ July 4th sale has begun. Save big on items including the D3CR Chest Rig, WML-HSP Lights, and the Thorntail SBR Mount. Discounts are applied when select items are added to cart.

Sale ends July 3rd, 2014, so take advantage of the pricing while you can.

www.haleystrategic.com

Operation Red Wings Memorial Shoot

Monday, June 30th, 2014

Academi

It was a warm, clear morning on Saturday, June 28th at Academi Training Center, Moyock, North Carolina. At 0930, a shot rang out from the 600 yard line of Range T10, the first shot made towards a commemorative target meant to honor each US Navy SEAL and member of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Attachment lost during Operation Red Wings.

Red Wings Memorial Shoot

For the 9th anniversary of Operation Red Wings, a retired SEAL friend of ours who previously worked on the 911 for 9/11 project decided to take a similar approach to honoring Operation Red Wings. A Chinook helicopter was traced onto a black target, and over the course of the morning 19 shots representing each servicemember lost was taken. Additionally, three of the shots made that day were taken by members of three of the SEAL members’ families:

The shooters

GM2 (SEAL) Danny P. Dietz was represented by his wife Patsy Dietz

ITCS (SEAL) Daniel R. Healy was represented by his son Jacob Centeno-Healy

ET1 (SEAL) Jeffery A. Lucas was represented by his wife Rhonda Lucas

DSC04294

The weapon used during the shoot was a Mk 12 SPR, which was specially chosen for the shoot: 3 Mk 12s were utilized during Operation Red Wings by the SEAL teams. Also, the use of the 5.56 round from the 600 yard range required a greater deal of focus and dedication to effectively mark the target.

The Range

This was the view from the 600 yard mark. The target was situated underneath the ‘4’ position, and the traced Chinook strike area encompassed roughly a fourth of the total target.

Finished Target

The finished target is being sent to Ellwood T Risk to be turned into a piece of art in the same vein of the 911 for 9/11 piece. The finished art will be auctioned live Memorial Day weekend 2015 in Rosenberg, Texas, at the 3-day Danny Deitz Memorial Team Roping, Auction, and BBQ event. Reprints of the original will be able to be ordered before then and will be available through the Tommy Valentine Memorial “All in All the Time” Foundation. The prints will be produced in Hampton Roads, with all profits benefiting the Navy SEAL Foundation, helping to fund a 10th Anniversary retreat for the surviving families of the servicemembers lost on Operation Red Wings.

woundedwear.org

Latest Info On US Army Transition To Scorpion Camouflage Including Accessory Colors and Schedules

Monday, June 30th, 2014

This is the latest info shared with industry during a recent briefing. Everything is subject to change but most of it jives with what I have heard elsewhere.

-The Army selected a new camouflage pattern o/a 5 May 2014 as previously reported here on SSD.

-There is still no formal announcement from Army leadership but PEO Soldier and Natick are working very closely with industry to make this happen.

-Official, Berry Compliant, Scorpion W2 fabric is being printed. It is Scorpion W2 and not the W1 variant that everyone keeps searching for on the internet. I do not have photos of the pattern yet but a friend has seen it at the printers and describes it as similar to MultiCam but with very distinct differences. Attention Chinese printers attempting to flood the market with knockoff Scorpion fabric; you’re printing the wrong pattern!

-The ACU will continue to be the style of uniform. It will just have a new paint job but also incorporate modified sleeve pockets with zippers from the Army Combat Shirt. No other changes have been announced.

-Boots and gloves will be solid Coyote 498. No definitive word yet on t-shirts.

-Pulls such as loop and hook, thread, zippers and so on, will be Tan 499 as is currently used with MultiCam OCP. I still have no word on Scorpion printed webbing or hook and loop.

UPDATE

Tan 499 Chip from ITW Nexus Coyote Color Chip from ITW Nexus

These are Tan 499 (left) and Coyote (right) color chips from ITW which we first shared in 2010 when the Army had just adopted OCP and wanted to let you know what was going on.

-Currently, a tentative mandatory possession date for Scorpion clothing bag items is 3 years from the decision date. However, mandatory wearout/possession dates traditionally have fallen on Sep 30/Oct 1 to coincide with the fiscal year. No word yet on the wearout date for UCP or MultiCam/OCP. Despite assertions to the contrary by some, DLA continues to purchase items in MultiCam/OCP and the Army is fully aware that OCIE items in a modified UCP (Coyote overdye) as well as the MultiCam variant of OCP will remain in service for years to come.

-The goal is for clothing bag items in the new Scorpion W2 pattern to be available in 128 military clothing stores by May 1, 2015 and in clothing bag issues to new accessions starting Oct 1, 2015 at the 4 major Basic Training Central Issue Facilities. This is different than previous transitions to new patterns which saw issue to new accessions and their Drill Sergeants first with slightly delayed availability to the rest of the force.

-The Army is working closely with DLA Troop Support to only procure fill in sizes of ACUs in UCP. They have to continue to purchase them so long as they continue to issue them to new accessions in the clothing bag. This is one reason that making Scorpion W2 available first to the existing force through the Clothing Sales Stores makes little sense. The sooner they transition Basic Trainees to Scorpion, the sooner they can stop purchasing UCP. This plan would waste taxpayer dollars by purchasing unneeded uniforms that do not perform.

-The Army anticipates that at least 1/2 of its Soldiers will possess Scorpion ACUs within the first year. They are also anticipating a run on the clothing sales stores and are working hard to create a sufficient stock.

-Planners have prioritized clothing and equipment into 4 tiers. Tier 1 is everything that goes into the clothing bag and these are the main priority as the Army wants these available at Clothing Sales by May 1, 2015. Tier 2 includes all combat clothing items that have been purchased through RFI. Tier 3 and 4 products such as sleeping bags are considered less critical items.

-A large amount of money is planned for the transition (I am told up to $370 million) starting 1Q FY 2015. The Army plans to acquire Scorpion print equipment in one of two ways. First, they plan to modify current DLA Troop Support contracts that have approximately 2 or more option years remaining. On other items, Natick will issue new contracts, especially for those items that have traditional long lead times through DLA Troop Support.

-The primary means of transitioning from MultiCam OCP to Scorpion for TA50 will be through RFI/Deployer Equipment Bundles. MultiCam and UCP kit will remain in some parts of the force for some time to come. Yes, expect some mixing of patterns with OCIE for the near term. It’s going to happen. Hopefully, it won’t be uniform coats and trousers.

-The Army has currently contracted 5 printers with each concentrating on a different type of material such as NYCO, Cordura, FR, etc. Already, 1,500 to 2,000 yards of NYCO and Cordura have been printed. That is but a drop in the bucket. The long pole in this tent is getting the materials to pass the shading process and then to get different printers to learn how to do more than one substrate (type of material). Each type of material or substrate absorbs dye differently and the adoption of multiple patterns by DoD over the past 10 years has taught us that this process isn’t easy for companies to perfect. Specialists at Natick must examine fabric samples from each run and ensure that they meet quality standards for color and print. The Army desires to add additional printers but the bench is only so deep and the their missteps regarding a camouflage path forward and subsequent curtailing of purchases of combat clothing and equipment have sent the supply chain into disarray. Several years ago, shading process issues with USAF Digital Tigerstripe almost ran one company out of business. Some companies may not recover.

-There is no word on whether Scorpion W2 will be an unrestricted pattern meaning it could be printed and sold commercially. Based on some legal issues, Scorpion W2 may well not be available for use by manufacturers for commercial use or for outside of program buys. If it is not, no commercial products in Scorpion W2 will be available. The Army will have to decide whether it will allow Soldiers to use commercial products such as day packs in MultiCam. The patterns are similar in nature and use similar colors but they are not exact.

-Air Force deployers: You get your clothing and equipment from the Army’s stocks. You’ll get what the Army is issuing, when it issues it. This may be MultiCam OCP or Scorpion OCP.

Daniel Defense Sues Remington/DPMS For Trademark Infringement

Monday, June 30th, 2014

Georgia-based Daniel Defense has filed suit in US District Court against Remington Outdoor Company and DPMS for alleged trademark infringement and deceptive trade practices. DD seeks unspecified damages and recovery of legal costs as well as an injunction preventing Remington or DPMS from using the marks in the future and to destroy all materials bearing them.

Daniel Defense claims trademark of the term “Lighter. Stronger. Better.” which it has used since 1996. It has also trademarked the “>>” chevron, a V-shaped pattern in use since 2012.

DD Xray

Remington’s subsidiary DPMS has been using the term “Lighter, Stronger and even more badass” and “Lighter, Stronger and every bit as accurate as the original” which DD alleges confuses consumers due to the similarity of products.

DPMS GII AP4

(DPMS Advertising Brochure)

High Leg Pilgrim Boots from AKU

Sunday, June 29th, 2014

You asked for it, so they built it. Italian brand AKU has been making some great militarized trekking shoes for many years now and about a year-and-a-half ago they teamed up with Trekkit Mountain Sports, an outdoor specialty shop in Hereford, UK to introduce the Pilgrim. Now, they’re offering up High Leg versions of the very popular Pilgrim.

High Leg Pilgrim from AKU

Based on the successful NS564 Bosco (despite assertions to the contrary, the 564 was not designed for the SEALs but rather an Army unit), the Pilgrim is designed to carry pack loads over 55lbs and incorporate several technologies. This includes an Internal Midsole System which uses an anatomically shaped 3D midsole that mimics the natural foot shape to increase support and minimize slippage. Above the IMS midsole is a 3mm layer of high density EVA which protects the user from loading forces particularly when carrying heavy packs. It also provides a layer of protective support for foot rather than it resting on a hard material. Below the IMS midsole is a thicker layer of 5mm (under the forefoot) and 17mm (under the heel) high density EVA which absorbs impact forces from the ground. The Pilgrim continues to integrate the AIR8000 upper materials found on the Bosco. The two styles are designated by Pilgrim DS for dry, hot climates and Pilgrim GTX for wet, temperate climates. The real change here is the High Leg 9″ upper, making them more palatable for wear with uniforms and to provide increased protection above the ankle.

Pilgrim HL Group

www.akupilgrim.com

ECHO NiNER Patch Pouch

Sunday, June 29th, 2014

ECHO NiNER Patch Pouch

This 3.5″ x 2.25″ envelope-style pouch features Velcro on both sides so that it can be sandwiched in between the platform (clothing, vest, etc) and ID placards, Flags or other patches. The Patch Pouch allows you to hide small objects in plain sight.

ECHO NiNER patch pouch - Rear

Available in Black, Coyote and MultiCam.

ECHO NiNER patch pouch - Colors

store.eniner.com/patch-pouch