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Sneak Peek – Boston Coin Purse
Tuesday, June 1st, 2021InVeris – BlueFire Wireless Training Weapons
Monday, May 31st, 2021
InVeris Training Solutions‘ BlueFire wireless weapons provide realism by maintaining form, fit, and function. Weapon recoil and cycling is achieved with a rechargeable magazine of compressed gas. Additionally, the weapons utilize wireless Bluetooth technology to communicate with the system, allowing the same control as FATS legacy tethered weapons but with full range of motion.
There are over 300 versions of BlueFire weapons available, including Glock 17, Glock 17 Gen4, Glock 19, Sig P226, Sig P229, Beretta M9, S&W M&P 9 and 40, H&K G36E, M4, M16A2/A4 and SRS Rifle (M16 type) simulators. There are also taser and OC trainers.
BlueFire training systems are available for units and agencies through Atlantic Diving Supply.
SCUBAPRO Sunday – Memorial Day
Sunday, May 30th, 2021Shortly after the Civil War, what is now known a Memorial Day began as Decoration Day. The reason for that name is because it was a day on which Americans, both North and South, would decorate the graves of soldiers who died in the Civil War.
Maj. Gen. John A. Logan, who lead a group for Northen Civil War veterans, declared in 1868 that Decoration Day would be observed annually on May 30. The date was chosen only for the reason that it didn’t coincide with any battles fought. It was a day for the North and South to honor their fallen and decorate their graves. After World War I, the holiday was broadened to include service members who died in all of the country’s wars, not just the Civil War.
Multiple cities claim to be the birthplace of this holiday, but President Lyndon Johnson formally gave the honor to Waterloo, N.Y. in 1966. Up until 1971, Memorial Day was observed on May 30th, the date Logan had selected for the first Decoration Day, but in 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May to create a three-day weekend for federal employees. The same law also declared Memorial Day as a federal holiday and created a day for everyone to take time to reflect and honor the fallen. That did not go into effect until 1971.
Most people look at the Memorial Day weekend as the unofficial start of summer, mattress and furniture sales, or a day for cooking out. I know most of the people that read SSD will understand the real meaning. This is a day to remember the fallen service men and women of the military who have gone before us. Like most holidays in the U.S., it has been turned into just a weekend for sales and people to try and make money. But please take the time to think about the fallen and their families who have, as President Lincoln said, “Laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of Freedom.” We truly are lucky to live in the greatest country in the world, where “the pursuit of happiness” is a guaranteed right. You are never asked to do anything for it other than maybe do jury duty. But some people chose to serve for whatever reason and some died because they chose to serve.
There are a couple small things you can do. One is, if you fly an American flag, lower it to half staff until noon. Then at noon raise it all the way up until sunset. Second, in the year 2000, the National Moment of Remembrance was passed by Congress that says at 3pm local time, take a moment in your own way to remember the fallen.
Memorial Day is not Veterans Day. I have heard so many people say, “oh, this weekend, we should really thank a veteran”. This isn’t for us; it is for the people who never came home and for their families.
Lastly, I wanted to say something about what to say to someone else on Memorial Day as a greeting. Please do not say “Happy Memorial Day”. This is a little thing, but it’s like saying happy funeral day. So, if you feel like “Happy Memorial Day” isn’t appropriate, try saying, “I hope you have a nice/good Memorial Day”. Never forget that, for some people, every day is Memorial Day.
Long Live the Brotherhood
Comp-Tac Revisits CTAC…the Original CT Holster
Friday, May 28th, 2021HOUSTON, May 26, 2021 – Comp-Tac® released its updated and enhanced CTAC™ V2 Holster May 26.
The original CTAC™ is an inside-the-waistband (IWB) holster first introduced at the beginning of Comp-Tac in 1999. Since then, it has been a favorite among customers because of its thin design and resistance to sweat in hot and humid climates.
The CTAC V2 is an updated version that takes the knowledge and technology Comp-Tac has gained in the last 22 years to become even better. The CTAC V2 maintains the same functionality but now incorporates some new features, including a narrower overall design with the two mounting clips brought in closer to the body of the holster. Additionally, the holster body has been updated to accommodate micro-red dot optics and the color options have been expanded from only black to include coyote brown, OD green and wolf gray.
“When we first started making holsters, it was a thrill to see our products loved and used by so many,” said Gordon Carrell Comp-Tac general manager. “After 22 years of learned experience, bringing on new technology and staying current with the changes in firearm design, we knew we needed to show our original holster some love. The CTAC V2 is a fresh take on a popular holster that doesn’t lose any of the draw of the original.”
For more information about the CTAC V2, visit www.comp-tac.com/ctac-v2
FirstSpear Friday Focus: OEM Spotlight Shaw Concepts
Friday, May 28th, 2021It’s Friday and this week is our third installment of our OEM Partner Series. We’ll take a look at an OEM company that FS has partnered with and the equipment they produce. Check out all American company, Shaw Concepts.
How did Shaw Concepts originate?
Shaw Concepts, LLC. started after emailing a custom gear maker (before the boom in gear markers this past year) to get a quote for a carrier I designed only to find out they wanted a thousand dollars to do it. I talked with one of the riggers at the paraloft who mentioned I could just get a sewing machine for that much and do it myself, so I did just that. I made my own carry and some other equipment and that generated interest around the barracks. So I made some gear for people around the barracks and sewed name tapes to cammies. Eventually I decided to make an Instagram page to showcase some of the work. On April 16, 2019, I started the IG page and that’s when it really started took off.
Why was the ARC series created?
The ARC Series of equipment started due to dissatisfaction with gear on the market and a belief that I could improve it. The ARC Carrier was the first product and was born from identifying some issues and missing features in other plate carriers. I created a carrier that featured solutions to the previous carriers challenges. Some of those issues were comfort, a lack of placard acceptability, maritime ditch capability, expanding plate bags and aftermarket adaptability. Other items joined the ARC suite that resolved other issues and bridged gaps in the market. The ARC Suite continues to grow today.
There are many options for private label manufacturing all around the world, how did you select FirstSpear?
I knew of FirstSpear already having used some of their equipment and during my search for a manufacturer was pleasantly surprised to discover they also offered OEM manufacturing. I was familiar with the quality of the equipment and wanted to find an OEM that would be able to offer consistent quality sewing. It also was great that FirstSpear has the FirstSpear Tubes™ as I am a fan of them and I use them in a good number of my products.
Why was made in the USA important to Shaw Concepts?
American Manufacturing is important for several reasons. The first is Berry Compliance to meet military regulations. Some may view it as an obstacle, but we believe the military should utilize American made goods as this is a supply security issue and a matter of national integrity. The second is the providing of good paying American jobs. This ties into the third reason, which is American Self Reliance. The world and especially the global market is extremely interconnected, which has left America extremely dependent on foreign goods and labor, which is a glaring security issue. This leaves us vulnerable to sabotage or simple bad luck as Shaw Concepts holds an “America First” belief and approach.
Why did you select Tubes™ as your fastener of choice for your carrier?
There are a decent amount of hardware options on the market and most of them are great at certain tasks. FirstSpear Tubes are another great option that are also unique in how they are designed and how they can be implemented. The key difference we’ve noticed is how minimal the distance is between the two items the Tube marries up. This can best be seen on cummerbunds and our RAID Pouch. Other buckles would leave a much larger gap and when it comes to gear the more real estate you can open up to be used the better.
Another aspect is the ease AND intentionality of connecting and disconnecting. Other buckles exist that can be easily disconnected but are difficult to reconnect. The impressive thing about FirstSpear Tubes is that they are designed in a way that requires intentional directional disconnection that is also easy to perform while also making it simple to reconnect one handed. There are some alternatives to FirstSpear Tubes that are more economically attractive but lack this functionality.
What sets your product apart from others on the market?
What sets Shaw Concepts products apart is a mix of personal investment in the quality of the equipment as well as unique designs introduced. Some ideas are based on a wishlist of items I wish I had at different points in Force Reconnaissance and other ideas are based on trying to make certain items more comfortable to wear or easier to use. We were the first to introduce the Tubed Hanger Pouch and have since been copied by other companies. The same goes for a good number of our other designs as well.
For more information about Shaw Concepts, check out: shaw-concepts.com
For more information about FirstSpear and OEMs, contact sales@first-spear.com.
High Speed Gear Extends Cost Savings to Customers for Lightweight Pouches
Thursday, May 27th, 2021SWANSBORO, N.C. – May 26, 2021 – High Speed Gear® recently reduced the price of its entire lightweight LT line of TACO® magazine pouches.
The company decided to pass on the savings to its customers after manufacturing and technological advancements reduced the cost to make these pouches. The change in price brings the LTs down to nearly the same price as the originals. The TACO LTs are constructed from proprietary materials to decrease their weight by 25 percent compared to their counterparts without sacrificing any of the functionality or versatility of the originals.
The TACO LTs were designed for users who need to save weight wherever possible. This family of products includes the TACO LT, Double Decker® TACO LT, Pistol TACO LT and Extended Pistol TACO LT.
“These pouches are meant for anyone who believes in the ‘ounces equal pain’ axiom and we’re very pleased to make them even more accessible to our customers,” explained Bill Babboni, HSGI® vice president of sales and operations. “The LTs have been a phenomenal seller for us for years and it means a lot that we can give back in this way. We pride ourselves on serving those who serve and passing on the savings on products like these is a great, if small, way to do exactly that.”
You can watch the official product video for the LT family at vimeo.com/highspeedgear/tacolt.
Ron Cohen Might Be On To Something
Thursday, May 27th, 2021
I spent a few days this week at SIG SAUER during a Defense Products Group media event. We were invited into CEO Ron Cohen’s office and I spied a plaque with models of their machine gun variants and the words, “Suck Less,” a mantra that many of us heard in the military on how to be better. It was cool to see it being used by SIG’s team.
SENTRY Products Group Expands Special Operations Division
Wednesday, May 26th, 2021Will Dewilde, retired Command Master Chief U.S. Navy SEAL joins SENTRY Products to lead expanding the Special Operations Division focused on military and law enforcement customers.
Virginia Beach, Va. (May 2021) – SENTRY Products Group™, a leading manufacturer and distributor of products focused on protection, storage, and transportation of outdoor, military, and law enforcement equipment, is proud to announce the expansion of its Special Operations Division and the hiring of retired Navy SEAL Command Master Chief, Will Dewilde.
The Special Operations Divisions (SOD) focuses on building relationships and supporting the development and distribution of SENTRY products across the military and law enforcement channels. “I had worked directly with Will both as a US Navy SEAL and after he had joined the private sector, it was clear that his exceptional leadership skills along with his ability to forge relationships throughout the SOF community made him a logical choice to lead the expanding SOD team” Mike Noell, Founder and CEO of SENTRY Products Group, explained. “We are excited to have him on board as this role is critical to translating the needs of the end user to our product development and production teams. Our endpoint vision is to simple; to create and supply the best, to the best.”
Command Master Chief Dewilde retired from the United States Navy in 2017 after serving more than 30 years in various operational and strategic leadership roles across USSOCOM. He has completed 17 overseas deployments and has planned and led numerous sensitive national combat and crisis response missions worldwide. His operational assignments and executive level leadership tours include the Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGROUP), SEAL Team Two, Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM), Naval Special Warfare Center and Naval Special Warfare Group Two. He has been awarded the Silver Star and four Bronze Stars for Valor along with many other medals and various unit and campaign awards. Prior to joining SENTRY, he served as Vice President of Operations for The Honor Foundation (THF), a nationwide educational institution assisting U.S. Special Operations service members in their career transitions.
Dewilde added, “It’s a privilege to be able to continue to serve the military and law enforcement communities as part of a team that is dedicated to designing, manufacturing, and distributing the very best and most innovative products in the industry. I really embrace SENTRY’s vision of ‘Live to Protect’ it represents the passion of our people, the products we create and sums up what we bring to the customer through the SOD Division.”
Over the next 18 months SENTRY will scale the SOD division with representatives in locations across the US and International. If you are interested in acquiring SENTRY products, or becoming a dealer we can be reached at info@sentryltp.com.
