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Green Light for IWA 2021 – Preparations on Target

August 17th, 2020

Sophisticated hygiene concept facilitates re-opening

Good registration numbers seven months before the event

All eyes are on the future and so far, more than 900 companies have already signed up to participate. The sector will gather in Exhibition Centre Nuremberg from 12 to 15 March 2021. A detailed hygiene concept offers exhibitors and visitors a safe and successful trade fair attendance.

“From 1 September 2020, it will be admissible for trade fairs and congresses to be held in Bavaria. The basis for this development is the Bavarian government’s hygiene concept. The implementation of this concept will provide the underlying conditions to host a safe IWA OutdoorClassics 2021 here in Nuremberg,” says Petra Wolf from the NürnbergMesse management board. She continues: “NürnbergMesse is well prepared. Stricter hygiene standards are, as the name says, standards. Thanks to the ample space available at the exhibition centre we are planning to make the aisles wider to allow social distancing in the aisles as well. We are offering our exhibitors and visitors a separate catering hall, separate meeting facilities for exhibitors to allow them to conduct meetings away from their own stand in the event of bottlenecks at their own stand area. In addition, our ventilation concept ensures that the air in all halls is always fresh. We completely replace the entire volume of air several times an hour and do not use treated recirculated air.”

The Bavarian government’s hygiene concept stipulates that exhibitors are obliged to record the contact details of their interlocutors separately (in the case of discussions where face masks are not worn). NürnbergMesse is providing technical support to exhibitors in this context by making the lead tracking system “LeadSuccess” available. Contactless payment, which we have become used to meanwhile in our everyday lives, will be available in all areas (catering, kiosks, parking zones) and is another component of the hygiene concept.

NürnbergMesse has produced a separate hygiene concept for exhibitors and their stand design:

www.iwa.info/hygieneconcept

The IWA Event Team is on hand with expert advice in the event of any questions regarding implementation.

For information on the hygiene concept and protective measures for visitors and exhibitors please go to:

www.iwa.info/protective-measures

Exhibitor registration numbers inspire confidence

The excellent registration numbers seven months ahead of the event are testimony to the huge commitment the sector is making to its very own IWA OutdoorClassics: “The cancellation of IWA 2020 caught us all off guard. As a result, we are all even more delighted that more than 900 exhibitors have already committed to attending IWA 2021. This sends us a strong message about how much the sector wants to meet up and interact again and how important and valuable the annual gathering is for it. And we intend to do our utmost to bring this about! The event team is working extremely hard with passion and enthusiasm on the preparations for March 2021. Even if the coronavirus crisis is still not over by the beginning of next year, as things stand today the IWA will take place! Thanks to our hygiene concept we are ideally equipped to carry out an IWA trade fair even under the conditions imposed by the coronavirus. We are confident that we can offer all our customers a safe and successful event of the kind you know and love from your previous IWA industry gatherings! And if infection rates continue to decline, we also envisage the possibility of relaxing the obligatory mask wearing,” says Rebecca Schönfelder, Exhibition Director, IWA OutdoorClassics.

Trade visitors can therefore already look forward again to the numerous exhibits from traditional gunsmiths and cutlers with their centuries of history, as well as cutting-edge production technology for high-precision sporting firearms and sights. “The IWA will once again become the exciting experience and networking hub that we have all missed this year! We are looking forward to bringing the sector together again at IWA 2021,” says Schönfelder.

Trade visitors only

The IWA OutdoorClassics is organised by NürnbergMesse and sponsored by VDB (Association of German Gunsmiths and Gun Traders) and JSM (German Firearms and Ammunition Manufacturers Association). This event is exclusively for trade visitors. Children and young people under 18 years of age are not allowed to attend. Tickets for the IWA OutdoorClassics will be issued only to visitors from appropriate specialist suppliers, official agencies and security companies on presentation of relevant credentials.

The next IWA OutdoorClassics will take place from 12 to 15 March 2021.

Posted in IWA, Press Release | Comments Off on Green Light for IWA 2021 – Preparations on Target

Versace – For The Sophisticated NCO

August 17th, 2020

I present, the Versace Greca Rhegis Boot

Posted in Boots | 25 Comments »

MATBOCK Monday Skeeter Patch Kit

August 17th, 2020

Skeeter Patch Kit

Good morning and Happy MATBOCK Monday!

The internal of each patch is a super absorbent anti-microbial lining for deet or any other anti-bug spray. The absorbent liner will hold the bug spray for hours to prevent insects from bother you or from you spraying some of these very harmful chemicals onto your body directly.

Each kit comes with your choice of 2 American Flag patches or 2 Dot and 2 smaller patches. The 2 smaller patches are perfect to place around the ankles or below the knee. The larger patches are great to wear on your shoulders or hat.

Don’t forget to tune in this week at our new time 1:00 PM EST as we go live to show how to use the Skeeter Patch Kit and its many uses from jungle missions to weekend hikes.

www.matbock.com/products/skeeter-patch-kit

Posted in Advertiser, Guest Post | 8 Comments »

Drill Sergeants to Start Receiving Army Greens This Month

August 17th, 2020

WASHINGTON — Along with their iconic round brown hats, drill sergeants will soon be donning the Army’s new, long-awaited everyday business uniform, a project manager confirmed Tuesday.

The Army Green Service Uniform, which is based on the dress uniform worn by Soldiers during World War II, will be delivered to basic combat training drill sergeants at Fort Sill, Oklahoma; Fort Benning, Georgia; Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; and Fort Jackson, South Carolina, later this month with general sales at those installations’ post exchanges beginning this fall.

The full wave of AGSU sales throughout the Army is slated to be implemented by March 2021.

Trainees in basic training and one-station unit training are scheduled to begin receiving the new uniform starting from October through December. Soldiers must fully transition to the new uniform by Oct. 1, 2027.

“The everyday professional look of the AGSU will complement Soldiers of today and in the future,” said Col. Stephen Thomas, project manager of Soldier survivability for Program Executive Office Soldier, during a media event Tuesday.

With its olive-colored top and light brown trousers, a similar dress uniform gave Soldiers a unique look during WWII. Army senior leaders pushed for a revamped design to connect today’s Soldiers with the service’s past.

Former Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley met with designers at the Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center in Natick, Massachusetts, in 2017 to discuss possibilities for a new service uniform. The command’s design team fashioned uniform options for Milley and made recommendations to PEO Soldier.

“[Milley] spoke of the pride and heritage of that uniform in our Army’s history and wanting to bring it back,” said Annette LaFleur, design team lead at CCDC Soldier Center. “He wasn’t very specific in terms of the exact design detail. He just spoke about the fit, the aesthetic, and the look of it and uniting everybody together with this uniform.”

Extensive testing followed with as many as 1,200 test uniforms worn by Army recruiters and 700 prototype models used during a limited-user test last year. For nearly two years, Milley and former Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel A. Dailey campaigned for the new uniform, even donning the AGSU at nationally-televised events such as the annual Army-Navy game.

The updated service uniform is intended for all Army ranks, while the WWII-era uniform was only authorized for officers to wear. The average cost varies depending on the combination of clothing, but the standard price hovers around $500 per uniform. The yearly clothing allowance, which officers do not receive, will help cover the cost of the uniform for enlisted Soldiers.

The shelf life of the clothing will span six years — two years longer than the Army Service Uniform, or commonly known as Dress Blues.

LaFleur added that designers adjusted the original WWII design for everyday wear. The uniform is made from a high quality, wool blend designed to make it last longer.

“Designers put together illustrations of different design options for various coat styles. These were early concepts where we started thinking about how we could actually modernize the designs,” LaFleur said. “The current configuration of the uniform really is very close to what you would have seen during the World War II-era. It really speaks back to that heritage and we haven’t changed that much in terms of the aesthetics of the uniform.”

Brown jump boots will eventually be added as options and prototypes are still being tested, Thomas said. Like its predecessors, the uniforms will have options for women, who can choose between trousers and knee-length skirts. An all-female board helped design the intricacies of the female AGSU.

In addition to a different color scheme, the AGSU has curved pocket flaps and a more rugged look than the Army Service Uniform, which the AGSU will eventually replace.

To accelerate delivery, Army & Air Force Exchange Service, or AAFES, used Army funds to directly procure the initial run of the new uniform at the Army’s request. In July, AGSUs were issued to about 70 Army Recruiting and Retention College students at Fort Knox, Tennessee.

“The Exchange procurement office was able to speed up the traditionally longer process typically required for the procurement of new uniforms,” said Daniel Koglin, AAFES divisional merchandise manager.

By Joseph Lacdan, Army News Service

Posted in Army, Clothing, Guest Post | 29 Comments »

Special Operations Wounded Warriors Bike Raffle

August 16th, 2020

SOWW and America’s Mighty Warriors are raffling a Custom Harley motorcycle with proceeds split between both charities equally.

1st Prize: Bike
2nd Prize: Remington 700 .308
3rd Prize: Mossberg 20g

Winners will be drawn soon as all 5000 tickets are sold and tickets are $100.00 each.

Get your tickets for a chance to win at sowwcharity.com/product/bike2020.

SOWW believes that we can truly make a difference in the life of a service member who has chosen to put their safety at risk while defending our freedoms and that has suffered a personal injury. SOWW feels that there is not a more deserving group of individuals than our Special Operation Forces members that frequently stand in harm’s way for the protection of our freedoms, often with little or no recognition.

AMW’s mission is to honor the sacrifice of our Troops, Veterans and their families by providing programs that improve quality of life, healing, resiliency and recovery. Our Helping Heroes Heal Program is providing therapies that heal those with PTS, TBI or suicidal thoughts.

Posted in Charity, Fundraising | Comments Off on Special Operations Wounded Warriors Bike Raffle

SCUBAPRO Sunday – The D-Mask

August 16th, 2020

The new SCUBAPRO D-Mask is a, premium mask designed for all types of diving. It is equipped with UV+420cutTM lenses that filter out high-energy visible (HEV) light and UV light without affecting how colors appear underwater. It is the only premium mask that features an interchangeable lens system for optional optical lenses.

Mask has rotating buckles that work with a new black-on-black Comfort Strap to optimize range of motion and achieve a comfortable, watertight fit. The D-Mask has all the standard features you would expect in a quality mask, such as a double feathered edge silicone skirt, wide strap design, easy to reach nose pocket for ear equalization, dual tempered glass lenses for safety and ribbed skirt and nose pocket for sure grip even when wearing thick gloves.

The lenses of the mask are made from an ultra-clear glass. Standard glass has a green tint. The green tint you see is the result of iron impurities left over in lower quality float or window type glass. That green tint distorts true colors and blocks-out some of the light that reaches the eye. Ultra-clear is a new and exciting optical quality tempered glass with exceptional clarity and high light transmission, with no color distortion. The exceptionally high light transmittance and lack of distortion in the ultra-clear lens maximize the light available for improved visual acuity, especially underwater in low light conditions. Better vision and more accurate colors are what you get with SCUBAPRO ultra-clear lenses.

The mask comes in a durable molded fabric protective box, a HUD hands-free dive computer mount, and an all-black Comfort Strap.

CHOICE OF SKIRTS Three skirt sizes – Small (Narrow), Medium, and Wide – ensure a perfect fit for a range of divers and face shapes.

COLOR KITS Are available to match perfectly to SCUBAPRO suits, masks, HYDROS BCDs, and Seawing Nova fins.

UNRIVALED LENS CLARITY
True color UV protective lenses offer protection from UV light on the surface without affecting colors underwater.

OPTICAL ENHANCEMENT
Interchangeable lens system makes it easy to install optional optical lenses (ranging from -1.5 to -5.0 or +1.5 to +4.0 in .5 diopter increments).

ADD-ON BI-FOCUS
Optional magnifiers can be bonded to standard lenses with a range of +1.0 to +3.0.

www.scubapro.com

Posted in Advertiser, Guest Post, Maritime | Comments Off on SCUBAPRO Sunday – The D-Mask

National Airborne Day

August 16th, 2020

Several years ago one of my children asked at dinner, “Dad, what’s a leg?” I replied, “that’s your mother’s side of the family, son.”

Posted in History, Parachuting | 2 Comments »

Special Tactics Airman Awarded Silver Star Medal

August 16th, 2020

POPE FIELD, N.C. – A Special Tactics Airman was awarded the nation’s third highest award for valor, the Silver Star Medal, during a ceremony at Pope Field, N.C., Aug. 14, 2020.

Master Sgt. John Grimesey, a Special Tactics combat controller with the 21st Special Tactics Squadron, 24th Special Operations Wing, was recognized for his efforts in Afghanistan in 2013. He not only saved the life of a fellow special operations troop, but called in multiple airstrikes while being under attack by the enemy.

It was supposed to be a routine mission. Then again, no mission in Afghanistan in 2013 was “routine.” The objective was to clear and secure a village in Ghazni Provence to establish local Afghan police presence without the threat of opposition forces. Grimesey and his team partnered with the local Afghan police and together they set out to clear the area. Until one of the teams encountered a large band of Taliban fighters.

“Our Afghan team got separated and started to take on enemy fire,” said Grimesey. “Myself and an Army Special Forces Solider maneuvered to provide assistance and quickly found ourselves engaged with the Taliban.”

When Grimesey peered around the wall to gain situational awareness, he noticed the wounded and dead Afghan police officers, to include the police chief. It was then Grimesey was struck by a rocket propelled grenade. “I remember the ringing in my ears,” recalled Grimesey. “I knew I was concussed from the blast because of the ringing, my vision was blurry and I was fatigued.”

Despite suffering a concussion and shrapnel wounds, Grimesey was able to drag his Army Special Forces teammate away from the immediate danger zone and assess the situation. “I snapped into a problem solving mode,” he said. “The situation was dire and the only way to solve it was to rely on my extensive training and attempt to break down the large problem into small chunks. I had to prioritize with what I was being faced with.”

The Special Tactics combat controller was able to call in additional support from other Army Special Forces units, and from aircraft for close-air-support; all the while engaging in a fire fight with opposition forces. “Eventually we were able to gain control and eliminate the Taliban resistance while also finishing the mission to secure the village,” he said.

Grimesey said it was later discovered there was a Taliban training team who had made their way to the village thus drastically increasing the number of fighters they encountered.

Lt. Gen. James Slife, commander, Air Force Special Operations Command, presided over the ceremony and remarked on Grimesey’s actions.

“You may not call yourself a hero Master Sgt. Grimesey, but I do,” said Slife. “Because of your actions that day, families and friends did not experience loss. The men whose lives you saved will continue to positively impact those around them creating a chain of reaction that ripples across generations.”

“I think about it every day. I even dream about it,” reflected Grimesey. “It’s an event that left an impression on me. While it was a harrowing experience, I look back with great pride and believe that my team and I were able to save lives and help ensure the security of the village.”

Grimesey’s Silver Star Medal was upgraded from an Army Achievement Medal. During the ceremony he also received the Bronze Star Medal, second oak leaf cluster with Valor for another battle in the Middle East in 2017.

As Grimesey looks ahead to start his medical retirement process, he remembers his time in the Special Tactics community fondly, “If there are any other young men and women out there looking for a community with a sense of purpose and opportunity to make a positive impact on the world at large, they don’t have to look any further than Air Force Special Tactics.”

Special Tactics Airmen are U.S. Special Operations Command’s tactical air to ground integration force, and AFSOC’s special operations ground force, leading global access, precision strike, personnel recovery and battlefield surgery operations. Since 9/11, Special Tactics Airmen have received one Medal of Honor, 11 Air Force Crosses and 49 Silver Star Medals making Grimesey’s the 50th.

By Capt Katie Spencer

Posted in AFSW, Air Force, Guest Post, SOF | 2 Comments »