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Archive for April, 2020
Agilite Easter Egg Hunt Hidden Mega Deals
Thursday, April 9th, 2020SureFire Field Notes Ep 57 – How to Mount Your Scope with Michael Baccellieri
Thursday, April 9th, 2020Michael “Buck” Baccellieri grew up in the Pacific Northwest where he started his military career at age 17. He joined the Army National Guard while still in high school, attending basic and AIT, and spent three years as an infantry rifleman. Upon completing a deployment to the Middle East, he cross-decked to the Marine Corps, where he spent four years as an infantryman, assault climber, CWSS swimmer, and Scout in an STA platoon. Baccellieri later returned to the Army National Guard, taking up a slot in a sniper section and, after completing sniper school, moving on to the role of sniper team leader. He finished his career as an instructor at the Fort Chaffee sniper schoolhouse in Fort Smith, Arkansas.
Baccellieri now works for Leupold & Stevens, Inc., as the lead optics and firearms instructor for all military/LE training. He fills his time between classes by performing military business development for the Oregon-based company.
Crye Precision Joins Brooklyn Navy Yard Emergency Response to COVID-19 Threat in New York City
Thursday, April 9th, 2020Ask anyone at Crye Precision and they’ll tell you they’re proud to be based in New York City and prouder still to be headquartered at the famous Brooklyn Navy Yard.
Just like the Brooklyn Navy Yard built ships to help win World War Two, the current tenants of the facility have risen to the challenge of facing this nation’s newest threat, COVID-19.
Mayor Bill de Blasio recently put out the call to New York businesses to help with the medical response to the pandemic, which is hitting the Big Apple hard. A natural fit to this response are those engaged in the textile business.
Although Manhattan is an island, the domestic textile industry isn’t. It stretches across this great land and Crye Precision was able to call upon them to provide materials critical to this response. As you’ll see below, the list is long.
In fact, it’s the American textile industrial base which has made this project, as well as similar responses across the country, possible. If it weren’t for the Berry Amendment and its mandate for American made materials and finished goods, our nation would be at the mercy of other countries. Hopefully, this is a wake up call and we see more investment in such capabilities, so that when push comes to shove, America can continue to stand on her own two feet.
In response to the Mayor’s call, Crye and others have begun manufacturing medical gowns for area hospitals.
This hasn’t been easy. Not all of their team is back to work and Crye remains committed to fulfilling military and law enforcement contracts, in addition to their COVID-19 response efforts.
Earlier this week, Mayor de Blasio thanked the members of the Brooklyn Navy Yard Emergency Response for their efforts while making a visit to the various facilities.
Crye Precision Executive Director Gregg Thompson put out this statement on Instagram yesterday:
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected us all. For the past month at Crye Precision, we have teamed up with the @bklynnavyyard & @lafayette148ny to help answer the City’s call for medial PPE.
This week alone, 2.5 million surgical gowns will be used across the City in hospitals and nursing homes. Our combined efforts will hopefully alleviate part of this dire need for medical PPE by manufacturing thousands of protective hospital gowns to supply the City’s health care workers. Our goal is to create 320,000 reusable surgical gowns by the end of April.
This endeavor has been made possible by our U.S. fabric supply chain partners that we have relied on for years to make our military and law enforcement products. Suppliers like @mmitextiles, @tweave_llc , @brookwoodcos , @american_e_thred, @narroflex, @murraysfabrics Fabrics and @VastestLabs have been vital to sourcing the necessary raw materials to make these medical gowns.
We are honored to partner with companies like Lafayette 148, Stitch NYC, @kaiminofficial , @kingbridgenyc , Kustin Paul, NY Ortho, Accurate Knitting, Martin Greenfiled Clothiers, Skillset, 1947LLC, Honeywell, Tencate, Lion Apparel, Matinal Safety Apparel, Milliken, Invista, @textilenetwork, Inkcups, UFP, Flextech, Mikan and the rest of the Brooklyn Navy Yard Emergency Response cooperative during this unprecedented time, bringing the highest ingenuity to work toward a common goal to help workers on the frontline of the crisis.
USAF Special Instruments Training Course Instructors 3D-Print Medical Supplies
Thursday, April 9th, 2020GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) —
The 312th Training Squadron’s Special Instruments Training course instructors have begun using their skills to 3D print prototypes to supply the medical facilities in the area with N95 face masks and face shields.
A neurosurgeon in Billings, Montana, worked with a dental company to create reusable plastic N95 masks using 3D printers. In an effort to help protect those caring for sick individuals around the world, he made a model available online for a free 3D printable, high-efficiency filtration mask with a design that allows reuse of the mask several times due to the replaceable filtration device.
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Donald Kramer, 312th Training Squadron Special Instruments Training course instructor supervisor, cuts the clear, plastic shield for the 3D printed face shields at the Louis F Garland Department of Defense Fire Academy on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, March 31, 2020. Many SPINSTRA instructors have personal 3-D printers home, providing more resources to the project. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Robyn Hunsinger)
Instructors got the idea from Air Force Quarantine University, a public Facebook group for innovative learners to connect during the COVID-19 crisis, where they saw other organizations modeling and printing these supplies.
“We saw other people 3D printing medical supplies and we thought we should try printing things like face masks and face shields,” said Master Sgt. Manuel Campo, 312th TRS SPINSTRA flight chief.
SPINSTRA has an innovation lab containing four 3D printers as well as 3D modeling software. Although they are unsure of the needs of the 17th Medical Group and surrounding hospitals, they plan to continue to create these medical supplies in case they are needed in the future.
“We plan to present what we have created to the medical group to see if we can meet their needs and print what they need,” said Staff Sgt. Jonathan Bahr, 312th TRS SPINSTRA instructor.
Medical professionals wear personal protective equipment to protect themselves and minimize exposure. This PPE usually consists of a face mask, gloves, and goggles or a face shield.
“The most realistic option for us to make was the face shields,” Bahr said. “The purpose of the face shield is to extend the use of the face mask. The goal is to reduce the number of masks being used and thrown out after one use.”
In the future, if more masks and shields are needed to be printed, they plan to allow students to begin assisting in this project. Instructors have also reached out to other facilities on Goodfellow AFB with 3D printers to provide more medical supplies. There are even instructors with personal 3D printers providing more supplies from home.
“If we can use our skills to help, we plan to do so,” Campo said. “We want to do everything we can to help.”
By Airman 1st Class Robyn Hunsinger, 17th Training Wing Public Affairs
ISAF TACP – From the Battlefield to the Ring, the Mission is to Win
Thursday, April 9th, 2020OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea —
With piercing blue eyes and unwavering confidence, a man walks into life’s arenas and envisions success. Whether exchanging blows in an octagonal ring or climbing snowy mountains to call in airstrikes, his visions of prosperous outcomes cancels out the deafening noises.
Being distracted can be the difference between life and death, or standing upright versus tumbling down. Knowing the severity of a miscalculated move, his passion and professionalism keeps him in the fight – one that parallels the worlds of MMA and being a U.S. Air Force TACP.
“Being in the ring and being a TACP are very similar,” said Staff Sgt. Mark Bunkley, 607th Air Support Operations Group tactical air control party (TACP). “The feeling I get going into the ring, is the same feeling I felt when I stepped out of my vehicle for the first time in Afghanistan and charged my weapon.”
Bunkley continued to explain the butterflies deep in his stomach from the uncertainty of what’s going to occur, which were flooded over by the trust he had in himself and the troops by his side.
“In combat, you don’t know if you’re going to hit an improvised explosive device or if you’re going to start taking contact,” Bunkley said. “You have to be on your toes the whole time. Same with in the ring, you don’t know what your opponent is planning. All you know is that they’re trying to defeat you.”
Whether Bunkley is observing his opponent from a higher terrain or is face to face with them, his goal is to be victorious. The amount of hours, days, months, and years of training can make or break him.
Life as a TACP
“As a TACP, you have to be able to multi-manage, which is something that doesn’t come naturally,” Bunkley said. “It’s not natural to talk to you, this guy over here and then three different people on the radio. You have to train a lot to obtain the ability to multi-manage in these situations. You have to be able to take information given and act in a quick manner that’ll make sense to get effects on the battlefield.”
His mission is to supply multilateral communication between aircraft and ground troops in the battlespace. He’ll either give the “cleared hot” order to aircraft for close air support or receive a bigger picture of the battlefield from intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft.
“The challenges of being a TACP drew me to the career field,” Bunkley said. “I was 18 years old going through the schoolhouse and all I wanted was to do something that would be meaningful and make a big impact on my life and others.”
Going into the initial stage of TACP training, Bunkley doubted whether he would make it through to graduation. He knew in the back of his mind there was an incredibly high attrition rate for special warfare Airmen.
Now after nine years of service, Bunkley has become extremely well versed in his job. He has deployed and has had the opportunity to be an instructor in the special warfare pipeline.
“Sometimes I think to myself, ‘I can’t believe I get paid for this,’” Bunkley said. “We get to call in airstrikes, shoot guns, go skydiving and experience many different combat courses. But with all that comes the sucky moments, like hiking up a snowy mountain to get a good observation point. You can stay in the field for days at a time in extreme heat or cold; it can be wet or dry. Through the good or the suck, I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else.”
Bunkley’s two worlds meet
In January 2020, the Las Vegas native was one of nine U.S. Air Force special warfare and combat support Airmen to receive an opportunity to visit the Ultimate Fighting Championship Training Center. During this visit he was able to meet and train with some of the top UFC fighters.
“It was totally awesome to get the opportunity to go out to the UFC Training Center and train with Dustin Poirier, Forest Griffin and Stephen Thompson,” Bunkley said. “We were able to hear their stories of past fights, how they came up and some of their challenges they’ve faced.”
The goal from this opportunity was for the U.S. Air Force Recruiting Service to strengthen their partnership with the UFC, which provided the Airmen and fighters a look into each other’s worlds.
“I’m definitely not able to be a top UFC fighter and be a TACP at the same time.” Bunkley said. “Being a MMA fighter is a full-time deal. My plan is to continue fighting amateur and get my experience up and hopefully fight at the pro level in the future.”
Bunkley’s experience in the ring includes three amateur MMA fights, more than 80 jiu jitsu competitions and a couple of Army combative matches.
“I grew up wrestling and didn’t get into MMA until my deployment to Africa,” Bunkley said. “I had a group of friends who trained a few times a week and started to join them. I got addicted to it. I started training once a week, then twice a week and later found myself training almost every day.”
“Took my first fight on a seven hour notice”
“I was back home and a buddy of mine, who helps promote amateur and pro-level fights, noticed me competing in jiu jitsu,” Bunkley said. “He called me and said, ‘Hey man, I know you do jiu jitsu but do you want to fight in the cage tonight.’”
Bunkley surprised and confused, ended up agreeing to the fight.
“I just went for it,” Bunkley said. “I took my first fight on a seven hour notice in Las Vegas on the strip.”
At this point in Bunkley’s experience, he had primarily done ground combatives and only two or three sessions of striking.
“The whole feeling of having my music played while walking up has no comparison,” Bunkley said. “The adrenaline and excitement overcomes you before you start throwing fists. And it’s all very real. These dudes are straight up trying to knock your head off.”
As soon as the bell rang, Bunkley’s nervous feeling faded away. His focus was on how he could defeat his opponent.
“Very quickly, I realized this guy’s striking was a lot better than mine,” Bunkley said. “I was getting hit over and over, but I just kept watching him looking for my edge. When I got the chance, I took him to the mat. It was over. I knew that’s where I had him. From there, every round I took him down.”
The years of high school wrestling and jiu jitsu payed off for Bunkley in this match, which came down to the very end.
“I played my strength,” Bunkley said. “I was tactical about the fight and it all came down to the judge’s decision. Standing there felt like forever for them to announce the winner. And with a unanimous decision, they raised my arm in victory.”
Story by By SSgt Ramon A. Adelan, 51st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
Photos by SrA Denise M. Jenson
DroneShield Ships Remainder of DroneGuns to Middle Eastern Customer
Wednesday, April 8th, 2020DroneShield Ltd (ASX:DRO or DRO.AU) (“DroneShield” or the “Company”) is pleased to have released the following ASX announcement today.
The Company advises that, following a request by its governmental customer, it has shipped the remainder of the DroneGun Middle Eastern Ministry of Defence order.
Oleg Vornik, DroneShield’s CEO, commented, “Middle Eastern customer order flow processes are often less structured than those involving their Western counterparts, however DroneShield has a close relationship with this governmental customer and has received multiple payments from this governmental customer before, and therefore has a high degree of confidence in the process. DroneShield’s supply chain and manufacturing capabilities have remained intact through the current global crisis, and in fact have ramped up, following the opening of a new manufacturing facility in western Sydney earlier this quarter. We are continuing to see a strong level of engagement with our customers, as defence and security remain key priorities of Governments around the world.”
Caveat Emptor – CDC Warns of Counterfeit PPE
Wednesday, April 8th, 2020Counterfeit items are always out there, but during a pandemic, with demand so high for Personal Protective Equipment by government and individuals alike, they are particularly reprehensible.
The Center for Disease Control has created an online resource to help you identify counterfeits and genuine items. Remember, NIOSH approves medical PPE.
Here’s just one example of a counterfeit product currently on the market.
Make sure you are buying genuine products that will actually provide the protection you demand.?. Visit www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/usernotices/counterfeitResp for full details, more examples of counterfeit items, and link to a list of approved manufacturers.
DPS Skis, Goal Zero, Petzl and Eastman Partner to Produce Face Shields for Healthcare Workers in Utah
Wednesday, April 8th, 2020
Respected brands combine resources to help combat COVID-19
SALT LAKE CITY – April 8, 2020 – DPS Skis, Goal Zero, Petzl and Eastman Machine Company have joined forces to manufacture medical-grade reusable polycarbonate face shields for the Utah Department of Health. The combined efforts and resources of the four highly-respected brands has resulted in the expeditious manufacturing of key Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the medical community in response to the COVID-19 crisis.
“Our entire team is proud to be contributing to the nationwide effort of PPE production and are humbled by the enthusiastic support of key partners – Goal Zero, Petzl, and Eastman Machine Company – that are helping make this possible. With a 15 year history of rapid prototype-to-production manufacturing, we are in a unique situation to convert a major portion of our operations to produce protective medical face shields,” said Alex Adema, DPS President and CEO. “We are inspired by the healthcare workers who dedicate their lives to helping others. Their selfless sacrifices deserve recognition as they continue to mitigate the risk of COVID-19’s spread. We are humbled to have found ourselves in a position to mobilize this project with the passionate, soulful team at DPS and our amazing partners.”
Production of the face shields has commenced at DPS Skis’ Salt Lake City factory, with the first shipment of shields expected to be delivered in the coming weeks to Utah’s medical community. The four brands have come together in a unique way to make this possible, with tooling donated by Eastman, raw materials purchased by Goal Zero and by utilizing retrofitted Petzl headlamp headbands.
“Giving back in an impactful way is in Goal Zero’s DNA,” said Goal Zero’s General Manager, Bill Harmon. “We’re honored to support the efforts being made by our friends in the outdoor industry who share the same concerns as we do in helping to safeguard frontline medical professionals as they serve the community.”
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is in short supply and necessary in keeping medical workers protected as they test and treat those affected by the virus.
For more information, please visit the respective brand websites below.
About DPS Skis
Located at the base of the Wasatch Mountains in Salt Lake City, Utah, DPS designs the world’s most advanced ski products by fusing space age carbon technology with groundbreaking shapes. DPS is responsible for the world’s first and only pure pre-pregnated carbon fiber sandwich ski, the first 120mm-waisted powder pintail, the first rockered ski with sidecut, the Spoon – a convex three-dimensional shoveled ski with radical edge bevel and PHANTOM, a paradigm-shifting permanent, one time application base-coating that forever eliminates the need for waxing skis and snowboards. DPS products are sold on five continents and are the trusted brand of choice for serious skiers worldwide. For more information visit www.dpsskis.com or call +1.801.413.1737.
About Eastman Machine Company
Eastman has been manufacturing manually-operated cutting machines, automated (CNC) cutting systems, CAD/CAM software programs and material handling equipment in Buffalo, New York since 1888. Over a century ago Eastman introduced the world’s first electric fabric cutting machine which revolutionized the textile industry in the process. Today, the family-owned, small-cap manufacturer is a trusted supplier to global businesses that require manual or automatic cutting of flexible materials. Our promise to craft reliable, quality, American-made solutions means that every Eastman machine is guaranteed to perform. For more information visit www.eastmancuts.com or call +1-716-856-2200.
About Goal Zero
Goal Zero is the industry leader in sustainable, portable power. From emergency outages to camping to off-grid projects and events, our solar panels, power banks, power stations, and accessories give you the power to keep your gear charged through any situation. We were born out of the desire to empower people everywhere, and as an NRG company we’re working to change the way people think about and use power by pioneering the development of smarter energy choices. Power. Anything. Anywhere. For more information, visit www.GoalZero.com.
About Petzl
For over 40 years, Petzl has developed innovative tools and techniques used by those who work and play in the vertical world. Today, the Petzl brand is closely associated with adventure, exploration, rescue, and many notable exploits in the worlds of rock climbing, caving, and alpinism. In the professional market, Petzl is a world leader in work-at-height, fire and rescue, and tactical equipment and techniques. A family-owned business, Petzl is committed not only to quality and innovation, but also to giving back to the communities that have made us so successful. For more information, visit www.petzl.com.
