SIG SAUER - Never Settle

Max Velocity Tactical Announces New Training Courses

March 31st, 2021

Romney, WV, (March 31, 2021) – Max Velocity Tactical is pleased to announce two innovative training classes for responsible citizens, adapted to the current ammo shortage crisis. These fundamental combat tactics classes, taught at the Velocity Training Center in Romney, WV, are open enrollment with no training prerequisite.

Hostile Environment Advanced Tactics (HEAT 1) is an introductory four-day class that will teach you tactical marksmanship and team tactical skills, including reaction to hostile threats and maneuver under hostile fire. HEAT 1 is the basic building block of our tactical training. Emphasis is the safe use of your weapon as an individual and as a member of a team. HEAT 1 is offered in two versions: HEAT 1 Live Fire (Classic) and HEAT 1 Hybrid (Ammo Saver).

HEAT 1 Live Fire (Classic) consists of two 2-Day sections:

Section 1 (Day 1 & 2) is conducted on the Flat Range. You will begin with fundamental weapon safety training and confirming the zero of your rifle. Next, you will learn weapon manipulation, fundamental shooting skills and how to clear weapon malfunctions. Then you will proceed to hostile environment marksmanship and individual react-to-contact drills.

Section 2 (Day 3 & 4) is conducted on Tactical Ranges 1 & 2. You will spend two days on the tactical ranges working in two-man pairs and four-man teams learning tactical drills that utilize reactive electronic pop-up targets and other training aids to replicate a real threat environment. Adding to your weapon safety and individual shooting skills, you now will learn team communication, situational awareness, and how to maneuver in a simulated hostile environment including ‘movement to contact’ as well as ‘break contact’ maneuver drills.

HEAT 1 Live Fire (Classic) 4-Day:

Cost: $850

Ammo Requirement: 800 rounds

HEAT 1 Hybrid (Ammo Saver) consists of two 2-Day sections:

Section 1 (Day 1 & 2) is conducted on the Flat Range. You will begin with fundamental weapon safety training and confirming the zero of your rifle. Next, you will learn weapon manipulation, fundamental shooting skills and how to clear weapon malfunctions. Then you will proceed to hostile environment marksmanship and individual react-to-contact drills using a professional training gas-blowback AR AirSim rifle that operates just like your AR-15.

Section 2 (Day 3 & 4) is conducted on the AirSim Tactical Ranges. You will spend Day 3 working in two-man pairs and four-man teams learning tactical drills that utilize reactive electronic pop-up targets and other training aids to replicate a real threat environment. Adding to your weapon safety and individual shooting skills, you now will learn team communication, situational awareness, and how to maneuver in a simulated hostile environment including ‘movement to contact’ as well as ‘break contact’ maneuver drills. Day 4 will utilize a highly-controlled, live enemy to practice the drills you learned on Day 3. This is where you will experience the practical application of the tactical skills you’ve learned against a live, moving enemy.

HEAT 1 Hybrid (Ammo Saver) 4-Day:

Cost: $800

Ammo Requirement: 300 rounds

Optional AirSim Rental (bring your own gas blowback rifle if you have it): $150.

Max Velocity Tactical specializes in teaching combat-proven, light infantry tactics, techniques and procedures adapted for the responsible, law-abiding citizen. The training curriculum is informed by a background and experience in SOF / elite forces and close protection / paramilitary contracting work. MVT classes are the real deal, and the tactics, techniques and procedures are familiar to any graduate of Ranger School or SFQC. Tactical classes are not simply a regurgitation of basic military manuals or training but are based on real world operational experience in hostile / combat environments.

Spaces available for both classes. Please check the Training Calendar here to see all currently scheduled Max Velocity Tactical classes.

Beez Combat Systems ICE Hydration Carrier

March 31st, 2021

The Beez Combat Systems ICE Hydration Carrier allows the wearer to store the IcePlate Curve hydration bladder by Qore Performance comfortably on the exterior of a plate carrier as a low profile hydration carrier system. The design of the ICE Hydration Carrier by Beez Combat Systems also allows the wearer the choice of either left or right port exits.

The ICE Hydration Carrier by Beez Combat Systems offers GRIDLOK attachment technology eliminating the need to source a third party attachment technology. Beez Combat Systems’ GRIDLOK attachment technology provides the wearer with additional security and ease of attachment while simultaneously reducing the overall weight utilizing laser cut technology.

A two inch Velcro enclosure secures the IcePlate Curve by Qore Performance into place as well as a 3″ x 6″ Velcro ID loop can be found on the hydration carrier to support moral patches, blood type or ID patches. The ICE Hydration Carrier by Beez Combat Systems can be mounted to any MOLLE/Pals style plate carrier.

Available at beezcombatsystems.com.

TacJobs – Massif Seeks Director of Design and Development – Apparel

March 31st, 2021

Director of Design and Development – Apparel
Massif is seeking an experienced Director of Design and Development to provide direction and creative vision for the Company’s apparel and textile development while sustaining and communicating the Company’s design aesthetic and high-level performance across all products. Support the Company’s vision, strategies, and goals by working collaboratively through the design process using problem solving, relationship building and creative and critical thinking. This position reports to the Company’s Vice President & General Manager.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Owns and leads the 10+ person design and sample making team through working with cross functional teams to create performance apparel that meets or exceeds our customer’s expectations
• Creates and presents new product concept roadmaps, product designs, and line plans based on comprehensive knowledge of customers, technologies, and performance apparel industry
o In collaboration with Sales, researches and tracks new garment technologies to support the Company’s strategic goals and objectives. Ensures all risks related to growth are identified.
o In collaboration with Textiles & Technology and Sales teams, exchanges information regarding market analysis, trends, new technologies, and customer feedback for market growth. Ensures all risks related to growth are identified.
• Participates in executive level strategic planning sessions
• Accomplishes department and company objectives by effectively managing the Design and Development Team and evaluating department activities
• Develops and coaches team members to establish ownership of individual roles and responsibilities to meet deadlines
• Drives development of and adherence to Company’s Garment Design Language to ensure integrity of Company brand strategy
• Drives the evolution of product concepts to commercialization to achievable business strategies
• Prioritizes garment development projects in relation to the Company’s strategic vision.
• Participates with Sales in discussions with customers relating to product and program opportunities relating to new designs
• Sources new trims suppliers and manufacturing facilities as needed
• Assists with the evaluation of potential Cut and Sew facilities in accordance with Company requirements
• Collaborates with Sales on target garment costing and pricing
• Works closely with Compliance and Quality Assurance team to define performance metrics
• Recommends annual department budget and manages to approved budget
• Performs other duties as assigned
• Performs all duties in accordance with Company’s Quality Management System
• Domestic and international travel required

SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS:
• Bachelor’s Degree in Design, or equivalent education or experience
• At least eight years of experience in designing men’s technical apparel, including at least two years of experience in apparel merchandising
• At least five years of experience managing people
• Visionary team leader
• Excellent understanding of patternmaking, sewing, outerwear/technical garments, line plan development, and process planning
• Excellent creative problem-solving skills
• Demonstrated leadership capability, including ability to motivate, lead, negotiate and impact
• Strong project management skills with the ability to delegate when necessary
• Ability to write product specifications and be a technical resource for others
• Ability to organize and effectively prioritize multiple tasks to meet deadlines
• Strong leadership skills
• Collaborative team player
• Ability to influence without formal authority
• Flexibility and ability to adapt to changing priorities
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, including strong presentation skills
• Experience in developing and maintaining relationships with suppliers
• Strong computer skills (Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Indesign, Word, Excel, Outlook, MRP/ERP systems)

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT:
The physical demands described are those required to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

This position is primarily a sedentary position, which requires frequent use of a computer monitor and keyboard. It requires frequent walking and standing. It requires occasional reaching, bending, and fine manipulation. It requires the ability to talk and hear. It requires color vision (ability to identify and distinguish colors). There are no other special vision requirements. It rarely requires grasping and lifting up to 10 pounds

This position is in an open work environment with moderate office noise.

This position is in an open work environment with multiple sewing machines and moderately loud noise and vibration. This position requires work near equipment with moving parts and hot irons. It entails exposure to airborne particles related to fabric/fiber dust from cutting fabric.

This position occasionally requires driving a rental vehicle while traveling on Company business.

This position occasionally requires visits to manufacturing facilities, which may result in exposure to a variety of environments, conditions, and/or hazards which are not customarily part of the employee’s work environment, such as extreme temperatures, moving equipment, vapors, chemicals, and noises and vibrations.

To apply visit our website at www.massif.com/info/careers.

Massif is an industry leader in making advanced fabrics and protective clothing for professionals who work in extreme environments, from the U.S. military to wildland firefighters and law enforcement professionals. Our mission is to provide comfort and flame protection for people in the world’s most dangerous jobs. We accomplish this mission with integrity and a commitment to superior customer service.

The Massif team is hardworking and energetic, focused on doing whatever it takes to get the job done. Our employees appreciate the outdoors and pride themselves on understanding the needs of our customers. Massif is dedicated to supporting its team members’ whole-hearted engagement in accomplishing Massif’s mission by recognizing the need for work/life balance. Our team works hard and plays hard. We aspire to be contributing members of our local community and the communities of our customers such as the U.S. military.

Located in the beautiful resort town of Ashland in Southern Oregon, Massif offers a casual, open work environment with opportunities for personal and professional growth.

Massif is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability, veteran status, genetic characteristics, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Stolen Valor in AETC?

March 31st, 2021

This photo by Kemberly Groue was posted last week to the US Air Force Facebook page under the heading Freestyle Friday!

The caption:

335th Training Squadron freestyle drill team members performed during the 81st Training Group drill down on the Levitow Training Support Facility drill pad at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi. Airmen competed in a quarterly open ranks inspection, regulation drill routine and freestyle drill routine. Keesler trains more than 30,000 students each year. While in training, Airmen are given the opportunity to volunteer to learn and execute drill down routines.

Here is a screenshot of the full post:

Just take the dubious activity depicted in the top photo out of the equation for a moment and concentrate on the headgear of the participants. This is where the question of stolen valor originates.

The Gray berets worn in the photo have long been solely authorized for wear by Weather Parachutists and the new Special Reconnaissance Air Force specialty.

It’s difficult to tell from the photo but the darker berets are either Blue or Black which belong to the Security Forces and Tactical Air Control Party AFSCs respectively.

Here are the appropriate passages from Air Force Instruction 36-2903 “Dress and Personal Appearance of Air Force Personnel” which governs who wears what.

Either way, it is highly unlikely that any, let alone all of the Airmen depicted in these photos are from the AFSCs in question.

This begs the question of how long this has been going on and who authorized the behavior. It’s an Air Education Training Command base and unit, a command which is generally hypersensitive to following Air Force Instructions and yet, here we are, AFI 36-2903 out the window.

I’ve got a lot of friends in all three of those communities who are proud of their careerfield heritage. Naturally, they don’t want their beret worn as an ornament for someone who isn’t in their AFSC. I can respect that. Apparently, AETC doesn’t.

Some will say it doesn’t matter. If it doesn’t, then I suppose it would be okay for troops to just put on any old doodad they think would look great in uniform. Imagine A1Cs putting stars on their caps and Master Pilot Wings on their chests.

But, it does matter, and AETC needs to put a stop to this buffoonery.

Robot Dogs Arrive at Tyndall AFB

March 31st, 2021

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFNS) —

The first official semi-autonomous robot dogs were delivered to Tyndall Air Force Base March 22 for integration into the 325th Security Forces Squadron.

The purpose of the Quad-legged Unmanned Ground Vehicles, or Q-UGVs, is to add an extra level of protection to the base. The robot dogs, designed by Ghost Robotics and Immersive Wisdom, are the first of their kind to be integrated onto a military installation and one of many innovation-based initiatives to begin at Tyndall AFB, coined the “Installation of the Future.”

“As a mobile sensor platform, the Q-UGVs will significantly increase situational awareness for defenders,” said Mark Shackley, Tyndall AFB Program Management Office security forces program manager. “They can patrol the remote areas of a base while defenders can continue to patrol and monitor other critical areas of an installation.”

Features applied to the robot dogs allow for easy navigation on difficult terrains. The robot dogs can operate in minus 40-degree to 131-degree conditions and have 14 sensors to create 360-degree awareness. They are also equipped with a crouch mode that lowers their center-of-gravity and a high-step mode that alters leg mobility, among other features.

Tyndall AFB’s Program Management Office, the 325th SFS, the 325th Civil Engineer Squadron, Air Force Research Laboratory, communications and other organizations have been working since July 2020 to ensure the Q-UGVs are assembled properly before reaching Tyndall AFB. The installation is considered an ideal base to host the new robot dogs with its ongoing rebuild.

“Tyndall (AFB) is a perfect test base as it was deemed ‘The Installation of the Future,’” said Master Sgt. Krystoffer Miller, 325th SFS operations support superintendent. “Across the base, every squadron has been pushing the envelope of how we do things and expanding our optics of what is possible. One huge attraction piece of the robot dogs is that it’s highly mobile and with the amount of construction we will face over the next few years, it helps us maintain and increase our security posture.”

This new technology has the capability to revolutionize the way base security operates. Tyndall AFB is expected to set the benchmark for the rest of the Defense Department when it comes to Q-UGV usage.

“I can say that there is definitely a lot of interest in the capabilities of the technology,” Miller said. “I’m hopeful that other units will see some of the successes at Tyndall (AFB) and will continue to explore the use of non-conventional tactics.”

By Airman 1st Class Anabel Del Valle, 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

Tactical Distributors – New Neptune 4.0 Pant Color and Restock

March 30th, 2021

Now offered in Woodland camouflage pattern, the Neptune 4.0 Tactical Pant has evolved over the past four years and remains the second most popular design from TD.

It’s made from a lightweight boardshort-style stretch fabric that dries quickly. They’ve integrated breathability and moved pockets so they don’t get in the way when you take a knee.

Features:
• New & improved laser cut vents & drain holes
• Bigger Belt Loops
• Updated ergonomic pocket bag shape
• Back Pocket Redesign: Larger & Zippers
• Ultra Lightweight Fabric 96% Nylon, 4% Lycra
• Quick dry fabric, Abrasion resistant
• 2way stretch
• 8 Pocket design, Left/Right hand leg mag pocket
• Back secure zip wallet pocket
• Mesh Pocket bags for venting and water dispersion
• Slot button fly
• YKK locking zippers
• Articulated knees
• 1/2″ Belt loops with carabiner loop in the back
• Laser perforated Gusseted Crotch

Offered in waist sizes 30-42.

Plus, the original colors are restocked.

Dark Urban Grey
Dark Desert Sand
Flat Dark Earth
Ranger Green

www.tacticaldistributors.com/products/td-neptune-tactical-pants-3-0

Blackhawk Adds ‘Real World’ Experience With Tony Sentmanat as New Brand Ambassador

March 30th, 2021

VIRGINIA BEACH, Virginia – March 30, 2021 – Blackhawk®, a leader in law enforcement and military equipment for over 20 years, announced today its newest brand ambassador: Tony Sentmanat of Real World Tactical.

Sentmanat is a Marine Corps veteran and law enforcement SWAT operator with over 22 years of ‘Real World’ experience. A lifelong practitioner of mixed martial arts, Sentmanat also has extensive experience as a law enforcement combative trainer and as a firearms instructor for over 20 years. He has received numerous law enforcement awards and more than 40 commendations throughout his career for meritorious service.

“I am honored to partner with a company like Blackhawk, who has been an industry leader for so many years,” said Sentmanat. “Blackhawk has a longstanding legacy of providing superior products to our military and first responders and I’m excited to help continue that tradition.” 

Sentmanat spent most of his career in SWAT where he was involved in over 800 real-world operations before retiring in 2016 to pursue his dream of starting his own business, Real World Tactical. He now travels the world teaching fitness seminars and tactical training to civilians, military personnel and police departments. In the virtual world, he serves as an avatar in the Call of Duty video game, season five.

“Anytime you can partner with someone like Tony who not only understands the importance of having quality gear but is also highly respected in the community, you move fast,” said JD Dulaney, Vice President and General Manager for Vista Outdoor Tactical. “Tony’s story and extensive background in the industry speaks to the heart of the Blackhawk brand and we look forward to working with him on the development of new products that will benefit firearms enthusiasts at every level.”

For more information on Blackhawk, visit www.blackhawk.com.

Mission First Tactical (MFT) Introduces the React™ M-LOK Compact Foregrip

March 30th, 2021

Designed to minimize material and dimension, this compact, textured vertical grip provides a positive grip surface for any shooter.

Horsham, Pa. (March 2021) – Mission First Tactical, LLC (MFT™), a leader in USA-made rifle/carbine accessories, is proud to introduce the React™ M-LOK Compact Foregrip (SKU: RCG-MLOK). This compact, textured vertical grip is designed to minimize material and dimension, all while providing a positive grip surface for the shooter. It allows the support hand to apply rearward pressure, keeping the weapon shouldered, yielding better muzzle control and accuracy.

The React M-LOK Compact Foregrip provides an ultra-low-profile design while maintaining a wide grip that will fill the palm of the shooter’s hand providing maximum comfort. Its contoured shape and texture keep the grip firmly in the palm of even the sweatiest of hands, preventing any sort of potential slippage. Complimenting various shooting grip styles, the React M-LOK Compact Foregrip’s vertical length maximizes stability.

Available in Black and Scorched Dark Earth. MSRP $22.95. International shipments do not require an export license as this item ships freely.

Mission First Tactical products come with a Lifetime Warranty. For more information on Mission First Tactical, visit www.missionfirsttactical.com.