This photo from the Panama invasion depicts a US SOF Soldier getting some rest during a lull in the fighting. Love the Colt carbine with the massive flashlight attached to the handguard and the optic mounted to the carrying handle.
Archive for the ‘History’ Category
A Quick Nap
Saturday, December 3rd, 2016You Never Know Where They’ll Show Up
Thursday, December 1st, 2016
This photo was taken at the John Frost Bridge, one of the centres of gravity during Operation ‘Market Garden’ in September, 1944.
Thanks JP!
Be A Man Among Men This Christmas
Tuesday, November 29th, 2016OC Tactical is making camouflaged Christmas Stockings again this holiday season, but this year, they’re offeeing Rhodesian Brush Pattern.
Use coupon code RHODESIA for 15% off your entire order from now till 11/30.
stores.octactical.com/rhodesian-camouflage-christmas-stocking
This Isn’t Your Typical Wartime Photo
Tuesday, November 22nd, 2016
It’s got a little bit of everything going on.
SSD Saturday Night At The Movies – RAF Cold War Nuclear Bomber Force
Sunday, November 20th, 2016This documentary covers a rather interesting subject, the Royal Air Force Bomber Force which for several decades centered around the Vulcan and served as a Nuclear deterrent during the Cold War.
Private SNAFU
Saturday, November 19th, 2016It was a different time.
WL Gore & Associates, Inc – ECWCS Prototype
Friday, November 18th, 2016
I’ve seen Extreme Cold Weather Clothing System prototypes. Hell, I was issued one while assigned to 3ID LRS in the late 80s, but the ones I’m familiar with were all made by Raven Industries in South Dakota. During my visit to the WL Gore & Associates, Inc mothership in Maryland, I spied this garment on display.
It shares many of the traits of the ECWCS parka prototype I wore, although the face fabric was a better print, with true Woodland pattern coloring instead of the bright Green and light Brown of the prototypes we used at 3ID LRS. Interestingly, the hung liner is Green, rather than Brown, but the front closures are Velcro and the shoulder pocket is on the right side rather than the left like other developmental variants. While the rank tab has an exposed snap rather than the covered ones in later variants, the pocket layout was also true to the issue garment with handwarmer pockets and internal Napoleon pockets.
What’s really interesting about this garment, dating from 1983-84, is who made it.
Marmot did quite a bit of work early in this war, but I had never seen any of their work for the military dating back that far. Has anyone else run across one of these?
Update: This jacket was owned by Marine Nick Allen, formerly on the Gore military team and currently with Camelbak. It’s a Marmot jacket, referenced in the comments. Love the seam sealing.
Kickstarter – Last Flight Of The Vulcan
Sunday, November 13th, 2016As a kid the RAF Vulcan was my favorite bomber. Probably because of its huge batlike structure, but also because I got to check out the cockpit on quite a few occasions because my dad’s wing would deploy to RAF Waddington regularly and they’d send a Vulcan across to our annual airshow so he knew many of their maintainers.
Fans of the Vulcan know that the type made its last flight just over a year ago with airframe XH558. Artist Nick Harrison commemorates the event with this Kickstarter campaign. It’s a great looking print.
