Tactical Tailor

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CAVEAT EMPTOR: Self-Defense Liability Coverage Providers

Sunday, March 19th, 2023

Caveat Emptor – the phrase is not just for physical products. It applies just as much to training, education, and legal protection. That includes what is commonly referred to as CCW insurance.

Flagstaff, AZ 

In simplest terms, CCW insurance is financial protection against the costs of possible criminal prosecution and/or civil lawsuits if you employ deadly force in self-defense or the defense of your family.

 

CCW Insurance Providers…Or No?

Recently Ryan Cleckner, a veteran of the 75th Ranger Regiment turned attorney who taught Constitutional law courses at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, wrote an analysis of concealed carry insurance providers. Among other things, he looked at such details as:

  • Coverage of criminal defense cost
  • The right to choose your own attorney
  • The provision of money up front
  • Availability of a daily allowance/per diem to replace lost income
  • Coverage of civil defense cost
  • Coverage of administrative cost
  • Coverage of Private Investigator fees
  • Coverage of expert witnesses
  • Bail bond coverage
  • Types of legal weapons covered

 

Ryan Cleckner testifying before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform and Antitrust on the topic of “Reining in the Administrative State: Reclaiming Congress’s Legislative Power.”

Ryan Cleckner testifying before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform and Antitrust on the topic of “Reining in the Administrative State: Reclaiming Congress’s Legislative Power.”

 

While researching the details of numerous prominent CCW insurance programs and comparing them, Cleckner realized several things. Three of them are of great significance.

  1. Many of these companies are “Self-Defense Liability providers”, now what you normally think of when you hear insurance: Many, if not most, “insurance” plans available for the CCW niche aren’t insurance plans at all. They’re either pre-paid legal coverage or self-defense liability plans.
  2. Some of these programs are not their “own” programs. They are white-labeled plans from other providers. What they claim to cover may not always equate to what they actually cover, though that disparity might be more misunderstanding-disconnect than intentional corporate animus
  3. You should always read the fine print: and be cognizant of the fact that your “insurance” provider might not have read it themselves.

Cleckner says, “It’s difficult, if not impossible, to determine what self-defense liability (CCW insurance) is best for any person and their specific situation and needs. Much like I can’t determine what level of coverage you need for homeowners insurance, I can’t tell you which firearms legal protection option to get.”

You can still perform due diligence, however, and while ultimately the decisions of if and which are yours, that comparison is a good place to start.

 

Self-Defense Financial Risks of Lethal Force

The two main financial risks after using your firearm in self-defense are the costs of defending yourself in a criminal trial (if you are prosecuted by law enforcement) and/or in a civil trial (if you are sued by someone).

A shooting you believe was justified may still result in prosecution or a lawsuit. Either the evidence doesn’t clearly exonerate you, an anti-gun prosecutor wants to make an example of you, an outraged, grieving, disbelieving, or just opportunistic family might file suit against you, or something else.

This may (and frequently does) occur regardless of the ultimate legal ruling on your shooting.

In the meantime, you may need bail money to get out of jail. You might need to hire a criminal defense attorney. You could have to deal with multiple lawsuits, particularly if a civil judgement is made against you. It is not unreasonable for a criminal defense case to cost a few hundred thousand dollars or more. Then there is the matter of lost wages/income suffered while the trials are ongoing.

You will incur those costs even if you “win” the case(s).

 

caveat-emptor-Soldier-Systems-Daily

 

One Provider’s Response: Improvements Made

One good thing that’s resulted from Cleckner’s study is the successful efforts by Right to Bear.

After a very critical review in the initial comparison, Right to Bear Insurance received the worst rating possible on the Gun University scale. They received an F, just like what you get in grade school.

However , after much communication with Cleckner and others, Right to Bear has claimed the “Best Value” spot, with an A.

Says Cleckner, “Right to Bear received a bad grade out of the gate. Thankfully, [they were] open to all our previous critiques and…changed their policy and coverage to address each and every single one.”

Does that mean Right to Bear is the program for you? Not necessarily. It’s not at the top of the GU recommended list. It’s just redeemed itself and earned a top score in the budget category; maybe that’s what you can afford. Maybe you want more options and more thorough coverage.

 

CCW Insurance: Caveat Emptor

CCW insurance is a small cost per month as protection against an insurmountable cost later – it certainly could be worth the expense. Do you need it? If so, what company should you choose?

Start with the GU study and begin the process of making an informed decision.

 

Ryan Cleckner
Co-Founder, Gun University
1/75 Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment 1998-2003
Juris Doctorate (J.D.) Quinnipiac University School of Law
Author, The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Precision Rifle Shooting

 

Ryan Cleckner in Asadabad 2002

Ryan Cleckner in Asadabad 2002

Kit Badger – The Q Collar by Q30

Sunday, March 19th, 2023

My friend Ivan goes over the the Q Collar by Q30 which is a collar worn to protect against Traumatic Brain Injury.

To read the entire article, visit kitbadger.com/the-q-collar-by-q30.

NASA Unveils Next Generation Spacesuit

Friday, March 17th, 2023

A spacesuit prototype of what NASA Astronauts, including the first woman, plan to wear on the surface of the Moon during the agency’s NASA Artemis III mission was revealed today by Axiom Space.

The Artemis III spacesuit, the AxEMU, is showcased in a dark gray cover material, but the final version will likely be all-white when worn by NASA astronauts on the Moon’s surface, to help keep the astronauts safe and cool while working in the harsh environment of space.

NASA selected Axiom Space to deliver a moonwalking system to land the first astronauts near the lunar South Pole. By working with commercial partners, NASA is enabling a growing space economy that leverages industry capabilities and NASA’s expertise to provide spacewalk and moonwalk services as safely, effectively, and efficiently as possible.

New spacesuits allow humans to explore the lunar surface and advance our capability for human exploration in space. Under Artemis, new exploration spacesuits and other human surface mobility systems, along with the Space Launch System rocket, the Orion Spacecraft, Exploration Ground Systems facilities, Gateway lunar space station, and human landing systems, will enable NASA to return humans to the Moon and establish a long-term presence there for scientific discovery. This experience prepares us for the next giant leap: sending astronauts to Mars.

– Johnson Space Center

FirstSpear Friday Focus: Skirmisher Firearms Training Bag

Friday, March 17th, 2023

The Skirmisher Firearms Training Bag facilitates transportation and organization of your firearms and ammunition along with related accessories. The bag can be transported backpack style, single strap style or carried from a continuous-length webbing handle. Discreet and smartly arranged, this system can hold up to 3 full-sized handguns with or without lights in protected pockets.

It will also fit 1 AR style take-down rifle which can be secured with an included retention strap. There is also room for associated training gear such as ear/eye pro, magazines, boxed ammunition, and a top center bin for loose “top up” ammunition. 

The Skirmisher also comes with 4 magazine attachment straps to contain magazines. Each strap is capable of holding multiple magazines and secure to the bag with hook and loop. Available in 4 colors and patterns.

Visit FirstSpear to find America’s premier tactical gear and equipment.

US Army, Thai Paratroopers Supported by US Air Force During Cobra Gold 23

Friday, March 17th, 2023

PATTAYA, Thailand — The U.S. Air Force’s 15th Wing successfully supported a personnel drop operation while in an eight-ship formation on Mar. 3, 2023, during one of the largest multilateral theater security operation exercises in the Indo-Pacific.

Operation planning took place on Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory, from Feb. 27 to Mar. 2, 2023, before dropping over a combined 600 U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division and Royal Thai Army soldiers over the Kingdom of Thailand as part of Exercise Cobra Gold 2023.

U.S. Army Col. Todd Burroughs, commander, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, mentioned that nearly 150 Thai soldiers were integrated to jump alongside the U.S. army.

“They are very proficient and they are ready to roll as part of Task Force Falcon,” said Burroughs.

To support the 82nd Airborne Division, aircrew assigned to the 535th Airlift Squadron and the 204th Airlift Squadron coordinated flight and personnel drop plans for the aerial operation, creating the majority of products needed for the event within two days.

“For an operation of this size, the planning timeline is typically nine months long,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Mike Hank, 204th Airlift Squadron chief of tactics. “The Air Force planning team, in conjunction with the Air Mobility Division, accomplished this in 20 days.”

Of the eight C-17s that arrived on Diego Garcia, three were assigned to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii; two to Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina; and three to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.

“We’ve amassed seasoned pilots and loadmasters across all of our jets, and we have a robust maintenance team with participation from both the active duty, guard, U.S. Pacific Air Forces, Air Mobility Command, and integrated support from the Joint Communications Support Element and the AMD,” said Hank.

A joint mission brief was held the morning before the operation, highlighting important information needed for all participating parties, including weather conditions, aircraft rosters and drop zones.

“It’s in our DNA as air droppers — from joint forcible entry operations into Iraq in 2003 to the annual swift response exercises on our eastern flank — delivering the 82nd Airborne Division’s global response force concept is our bread and butter,” said Hank. “This time we get to conduct with the 82nd Airborne Division and our allies, the Royal Thai Army, always delivering our promise of anywhere, anytime and on time.”

Cobra Gold, now in its 42nd year, is a Thai-U.S. co-sponsored training event that builds on the long-standing friendship between the two allied nations and brings together a robust multinational force to promote regional peace and security in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.

By SSgt Alan Ricker, U.S. Air Force

Soldiers Improve Equipment Safety, Effectiveness

Thursday, March 16th, 2023

FORT PICKETT, Va. — While accomplishing the mission is among the top priorities in the U.S. Army, the importance of keeping Soldiers safe in the midst of dangerous situations cannot be understated.

According to research published in a 2007 peer-reviewed journal article in the Society of Federal Health Professional’s Military Medicine Journal, between 2003 and 2005, 3% of the Department of the Navy and Department of the Army causes of death during Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom were drowning.

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Brandon Laspe, first sergeant of the 511th Engineer Dive Detachment, discovered a potential cause and solution to prevent some of these casualties.

Laspe was invited by U.S. Training and Doctrine Command to help photograph an Army Combat Water Survival Test at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. During the test, two of the three Improved Outer Tactical Vests, or IOTV, used failed to properly quick-release, keeping the weight on the Soldier.

Normally, when the quick release tab is pulled, the four cables linked to the buckles disconnect, allowing the IOTV to fall apart in two pieces. When submerged in water, the hook and loop fastener may lose grip and the cables never release. Upon this discovery, Laspe realized this could contribute to the problem of Soldiers drowning. His team went to work expeditiously to fix the problem.

Through some trial and error, they discovered the most basic solution was proper training and use of the quick release. If the Soldier pulls the tab all the way down instead of away from the body, the quick release functions perfectly, even under the water.

“The problem is that when Soldiers are submerged under the water and are in a panic, pulling the tab away is the most natural motion,” explained Laspe. “We’re not setting the Soldiers up for success if the equipment is not robust, simple and they are not properly trained to use it.”

The first solution they were able to engineer was applying two safety pins to the sides of the quick release. This keeps the hook and loop fastener in place, preventing mechanism slippage, and allowing the tension needed to unhook the cables internally in the IOTV.

The ultimate solution, Laspe suggested, is to redesign the IOTV so there is sewn stitching along the seam of the fastener. Laspe, in conjunction with the XVIII Airborne Corps Dragon Innovation team is working with Program Executive Officer product managers and engineers through the Soldier Enhancement Program to initiate a change in the IOTV Gen IV quick release mechanism. The PEOs have piqued interest with this new innovation, meeting with Laspe March 2 to discuss the next steps.

When Soldiers identify shortcomings, it is the creative minds within the ranks that can find the solutions and develop innovative ways to push the U.S. Army forward. With a simple change to the IOTV, Sergeant 1st. Class Brandon Laspe discovered a simple way to keep our Soldiers safer on the battlefield.

By SGT Jameson Harris

Register for Varusteleka’s Remote Military March

Wednesday, March 15th, 2023

Spring is upon us, and it is time to put on a backpack, and punish your feet again in a fun way. The South Karelian Military March (EKS) is on April 28–29, 2023. During this weekend, you can also take part in the Varusteleka’s Remote Military March!

This year the Remote Military March registration is done in advance.

All participants who complete the challenge can redeem the coveted Varusteleka’s Remote Military March patch and will enter a raffle for 1 pcs of 100 € gift card and 2 pcs of 50 € gift cards. The patch is the same for all divisions and marching distances.

Register on April 15th at the latest!

www.varusteleka.com/en/event/varusteleka’s-remote-military-march

Army Moving Forward with Next Generation Squad Weapons (NGSW) Program

Wednesday, March 15th, 2023

The Army is continuing its rigorous testing and evaluation of small arms systems to meet their requirements and deliver increased lethality to the Soldier. Last April, the Army awarded a contract to Sig Sauer to produce the NGSW Rifle, Automatic Rifle and a 6.8mm family of ammunition to replace the M4A1 Carbine, M249 Squad Automatic Weapon and 5.56mm family of ammunition within the Close Combat Force.  Since that time, PEO Soldier, JPEO Armaments & Ammunition, Product Manager (PdM) Next Generation Weapons, PdM Small Caliber Ammunition, Soldier Lethality – Cross Functional Team, Sig Sauer, and the collective Army enterprise have worked feverishly to get this new capability ready to field to the Army.

During the competition to award the contract, the team conducted over 100 technical tests, fired over 1.5 million rounds of 6.8mm ammunition and executed over 20,000 hours of Soldier testing across three different vendor weapon systems.  The team continued this pace by conducting a Soldier Touch Point last fall with a squad of National Guard Soldiers and a squad from the 75th Ranger Regiment.

“The Soldier Touch Point allowed the program and Sig Sauer the opportunity to solicit direct Soldier feedback on the systems post-contract award and inform simple design changes to improve the weapons before going into Production Qualification Test and Operational Tests in the coming year,” said Capt. Tyler Morgan Assistant Product Manager, NGSW

A Soldier with the 75th Ranger Regiment said on the XM7, “Absolutely would take this weapon to combat in a heartbeat. It is light, functions very well, has an awesome load system, and is easy to handle and engage targets with.”

The next step in the NGSW program will be Production Qualification Testing (PQT), May-July 2023. PM Soldier Lethality is preparing to accept delivery of two dozen XM7 Rifles and XM250 Automatic Rifles in preparation for testing. Once these deliveries are received, the Aberdeen Test Center (ATC) will conduct 31 tests including weapons reliability, immersion, cook-off, flash and blank fire performance. The ATC will also test environmental conditions like extreme hot and cold, sand, dust, salt fog and mud.

Following PQT, the Army will conduct an operational test focused on setting the conditions for the First Unit Equipped scheduled in the second quarter of FY24.  Future operational testing is planned for FY24 to assess natural environments and airborne qualifications.

-PEO Soldier, Public Affairs