According to a story in the Arizona Republic, in 2009, Barrier Wear, subcontractor to ADS Inc for military issue cold weather clothing systems like ECWCS Gen III, manufactured cold weather trousers in a factory in Mexico, yet passed them off as Berry Compliant, in violation of federal law. Their actions were unknown by ADS. In fact, Barrier Wear created a ruse to fool ADS inspectors when they visited the US facility by adding machinery and workers. Barrier Wear also falsified reports to ADS and the Army.
The violations were first noted in 2009 when inspectors at the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales noticed the country-of-origin labels on the trousers were not permanently affixed. Instead, the ‘Assembled in Mexico of U.S. components’ labels could easily be removed, which was accomplished at night in Barrier Wear’s factory in Nogales, Arizona. Investigation eventually revealed that about 320,000 trousers supplied by Barrier Wear were made in Mexico. All told, the company made $48,000,000 in the deal.
In December, 2016, Barrier Wear owners Paul Grillo and Raymond Lawson pleaded guilty to one felony count of obstructing a federal auditor. Although the maximum penalty for this violation is a $250,000 fine, five years in prison and three years of supervised release, in their plea deal, Grillo and Lawson agreed to pay a $2.1 million fine and serve probation. Sentencing is scheduled for March 7.
UPDATE : Barrier Wear is currently not debarred from doing business with the government but does appear in the database when you do a query for their company name. They have no active exclusions.
For this week’s Maker Monday, we’re running a piece by S&S Precision on their recommended Maritime Kit based on their product line.
We often hear, “What should I include in my maritime kit?” Here’s an overview of what we recommend for maritime or other potentially hazardous high moisture environments.
PlateFrame
The PlateFrame is a rigid minimalistic plate carrier unlike any other on the market. Designed to be strong and light weight, the PlateFrame is deceptively modular and scalable to meet operational requirements. (Patents Pending)
Non-hygroscopic
Mission adaptable
PALS/Webbing compatible
Custom molded to any ballistic plate
Custom text/logo cutouts available
Weight: 1 lb 6 oz
Release System
This intuitive design is a single pull release from any direction with the user’s dominant or non-dominant hand detaching the shoulder strap and cummerbund in an instant. The PlateFrame Release System is retrofitted to any S&S Precision PlateFrame and can be installed on the left and/or right hand side depending on user preference.
Injection molded shoulder and cummerbund buckles
Low Profile Pull handle
Stainless steel swage balls and coated cable
Simple cable management sleeve
Closed Cell Floatation
The closed cell floatation system is made from closed cell foam and serves to counter the weight of a ballistic plate for neutral buoyancy. The floatation system is capable of neutralizing up to 5 lbs per plate, 10 lbs per set.
Cummerbund Adapter
The Cummerbund Adapter is a modular attachment platform for use with S&S Precision’s minimalist PlateFrame. Designed for reinforced strength and modularity, it attaches via simple buckles for reliability.
The cummerbund’s inner webbing provides additional space for PALS/Webbing accessories. Finally, it’s made from a water resistant material for use in maritime or other high moisture environments.
Additional Cummerbund Adapters available: Cummerbund Adapter with Flap, & Cummerbund Adapter with Flap and Radio
Pouch
Magazine Pouches
3 Mag with Bungee, 3 Mag with Flap, Dump Pouch, SMR, ELOS 5.56
Non-hygroscopic materials
Drain holes
MOLLE/PALS or GRT adaptable
ELOS 5.56
The ELOS 5.56, is a flexible magazine holder providing maximum magazine retention. The ELOS is manufactured from an injection molded elastomer to provide excellent tear resistance, noise reduction, and the ability to withstand severe impact forces preventing cracking or crushing through a wide range of temperatures and environments. Additional pistol and rifle caliber will be available in the future. (Patents Pending)
Flexible injection molded elastomer
Tear, crack, and weather resistant
Reduces noise
GRT adaptable
Modular design allows for multiple configurations
Stackable design
Non-Hygroscopic
Includes drain holes, drain hole plug coming soon
Weight: 2.91 oz
LiftR Series Modular Floatation
The LiftR-40 is intended to be used in surface and subsurface operations. The LiftR-40 is attached to existing combat equipment by slipping it on and over the shoulder straps and cummerbund of the operator’s plate carrier. The LiftR-40 is self-packing and modular to fit most brand’s plate carriers. The LiftR-40 provides the appropriate amount of lift necessary to bring a diver/swimmer to the surface and float them in a face up orientation. The Depth/Lift Requirements are assuming the operator is wearing a full operational equipment load.
The LiftR Series Modular Floatation can be worn with or without armor using one of the two attachment systems below. The Stand Alone Harness is used when armor is not needed but floatation is critical. The Rebreather Attachment System allows the operator to easily connect rebreather systems to the S&S Precision PlateFrame and LiftR.
I know we posted this during SHOT Show but I just had someone ask me about pouches for the Magpul D60. I haven’t seen any aftermarket pouches come out yet, but Magpul has one on the way that uses Tactical Tailor’s MALICE clips for PALS compatibility.
