SylvanSport is known for their affordable pop-up campers. This year, they expanded their offerings by introducing a new trailer camper with a more traditional design as well a line of accessories for outdoor living, like the Cloud Layer Sleep System (above) and Over Easy Camp Kitchen System (below).
Learn more at www.sylvansport.com/gear.
NEMO Equipment has introduced the Flyer inflatable sleeping pad. You can see a cross section of the pad below. The design removes 60% of the foam but features no vertical cuts which often lead to thermal loss.
Coming Spring 20 from www.nemoequipment.com.
Diving in low visibility is one of the worst-case scenarios you can find yourself in whether it is in the day time or night time. Sometimes it is a lot worse in the day then at night. I say that because at night you can turn on the backlights on your gauges/ computers to help you see them. In the day, it doesn’t help as much as you would hope/ want. Many things can cause low visibility, bad weather, the type of water you are in diving in a bay, a harbor, swamp, river or third world polluted. It can also be caused by stirred something up. When you stir silt up, it is often called a silt out. This term is used more in the cave/ tech world. Silt-outs happen when you kick up the fine sediment that is found by piers or in enclosed underwater areas, like wrecks, caves, and on the bottom of open water as well, and in particular in lakes.
Silt is a type of granular material that is finer than sand and is often light, much like the type of flour. As it is very light, it is easily disturbed by movement, either from waves, current, or a diver’s body or equipment. It is carried by water currents and accumulates inside areas that are protected like in bays, harbors, and caves. In a combat environment, it is a bad thing for a couple of reasons, and it tells people on the surface that someone or something is disturbing the bottom of the water. If you are lost, it will throw you off your timeline.
Because the visibility decreases to next to nothing, it can cause buddy separation, free ascents or descents. Inside enclosed spaces, it can be near fatal. We were doing a training exercise in a local military area.
One of the swim pairs got lost inside a Conex box that was in about 20’ of water. It took them two hours to find their way out. With no visibility, it is hard to find your way out of something like that, which can cause panic, which in turn leads to more frantic movement patterns. They did not panic, they kept following seems and found their way out, but it wasn’t easy.
Avoiding silt-outs
The best thing to do about silt-outs is to avoid them. Buoyancy and trim control is the best way to avoid stirring up silt. Buoyancy will help you stay at a certain depth, and Trim is the ability to stay level in the water, and it will help keep your legs and fins off the bottom. Next is a proper finning technique that goes with the right fin. Try and use a good bent knee cave kick. Make sure you have a fin that can be used for a good cave and frog kick (jet fins and Go Sports) this will help
keep you from accidentally hitting bottom. Proper training and confidence in yourself and gear will help you if you find yourself in a low visibility situation.
Should you find yourself in a low visibility situation.
1. Trust your gear and your training.
2. Maintain your depth. Notice any pressure changes in your ears from increasing or decreasing pressure and try to bring your dive computer or depth gauge close enough to your eyes to read it.
Sometimes you have to dive in a low vis situation. Like if you are part of a dive team and you are looking for something or someone. Again day time is worst then the night time because it is hard to look at your gauges. However, there is new technology that is out there that can help. A Heads-Up Dive Computer (HUD) can make it a lot easier to read you’re your gauges. A good HUD can tell you your air pressure, depth, Total time of dive, and a lot more. SCUBAPRO’s new Galileo HUD is a full dive computer with a build in GPS. Galileo Heads-Up Dive Computer (HUD). Most HUDs mount to your mask or somewhere you can see it without having to look down at your arm. They help tremendously with low visibility situations. They help you maintain your depth and also help you monitor your air pressure. SCUBAPRO’s can be mounted to different types of masks, it is was designed to be mount to a dual lens mask mainly, but it can also be mounted to the Frameless mask and full face masks, used by most search and rescue teams. I have been diving the SCUBAPRO Galileo HUD for a while now, and nothing beats it when it comes to having to dive in low visibility. It can be used for Search and Rescue, military operations, tech/cave, and recreation.
For more information contact ecrazz@clannfive.com
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. – Those who have walked the grounds of Hurlburt Field know that the entire base is engulfed with Air Force history. The street names, buildings, airpark, and training complexes all tell a story and keep memories alive of perhaps a father, husband, son, daughter, or in many cases – a hero.
Today, U.S. Air Force Lt. Col William “Bill” Schroeder’s name was bound forever to Special Tactics and Hurlburt Field history when the Special Tactics Training Squadron annex building, which formerly housed the 10th Combat Weather Squadron, was dedicated in his namesake.
A crowd of family and friends amidst a sea of berets gathered as key leadership within the 24th Special Operations Wing, alongside members of Schroeder’s family, unveiled the new name of the STTS annex building which now reflects “Schroeder Special Tactics Training Facility.”
“The STTS forges and refines the next generation of America’s Special Operations Warriors,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Matt Allen, presiding officer of the ceremony and incoming commander of the 24th SOW. “The men and women who walk these halls are preparing to take their place in the front lines of the most powerful Air Force and Special Operations Command in our nation’s history.”
Schroeder’s name, now prominently displayed on the front-side of the building, next to the doors of the entryway, will stand as a reminder to future generations of Special Tactics Airmen of Schroeder’s gallant devotion to country and duty.
As a career Special Operations Weather Officer, Schroeder commanded the 10th CWS from June 2013 to May 2014, when it was inactivated.
Susan Schroeder, mother of Bill, described Bill as being dedicated to the Air Force since he was only 12 years old, but Bill’s family has fond memories of his time served as the commander of Thor’s Legion, taking care of Airmen.
“And in this building, in particular, when he took us through it when we first came to visit, he was so proud of everything that was in there,” said Susan.
When the squadron inactivated, special operations weathermen integrated into the 720th Special Tactics Group, adding special reconnaissance capabilities to Special Tactics teams.
Following the 10th CWS, Schroeder commanded the 342nd Training Squadron, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, until April 2016 when he was fatally wounded.
Schroeder, with complete disregard for his own safety, placed himself in direct danger to defend his first sergeant against an armed assailant. Schroeder’s gallant actions allowed the first sergeant to escape and to notify security forces, preventing additional loss of life.
Schroeder was posthumously awarded the Airman’s Medal, which is given to those who distinguish themselves by heroic acts outside of combat.
“Bill gave his life defending his teammates in San Antonio on 8 April 2016, but he lived every day of his life reminding us of the importance of service to others, love of country, and love of his fellow man,” said Allen. “And it’s in this legacy that the ST community proudly dedicates this building to Bill.”
Alongside the building dedication, Schroeder is also memorialized through a recent career change within Special Tactics.
On April 1, the Special Operations Weather Team career field transitioned into Special Reconnaissance, or SR, shifting their primary focus to reconnaissance capabilities brought to a Special Tactics team. “SR” is the operator-initials of Schroeder, an intentional renaming to memorialize a former leader.
Special Reconnaissance Airmen have been an integral piece of Special Tactics with unique training to conduct multi-domain reconnaissance and surveillance across the spectrum of conflict and crisis. As SR, they will continue to maintain their application of lethal and non-lethal air-to-ground integration of airpower.
Susan spoke about what the building dedication means to their family.
“We want you all to know how much gratitude we feel towards all of you who are recognizing our son, our husband, our father, at this very time, with this very, very unique dedication,” said Susan.
24th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
NEWINGTON, N.H., (June 20, 2019) –SIG SAUER, Inc. congratulates Team SIG Captain Max Michel on his two first place finishes in European competition. At the European Steel Challenge Championship, Max placed first in the Open Division held May 30 – June 1 in Winterswijik, Netherlands, and at the Infinity Open, he placed first in the Production Optics Division held June 7-9 in Phillippsburg, Germany.
“As Max begins to prepare to defend his titles at the IPSC World Shoot in 2020, it’s great to see him go into these European competitions and come away with first place finishes,” said Tom Taylor, Chief Marketing Officer, and Executive Vice President Commercial Sales, SIG SAUER, Inc. “His performances continue to dominate across the various divisions he competes in and his ability to compensate for various styles of shooting, depending on the match, is really impressive.”
For competition Max used a SIG 1911MAX at the European Steel Challenge, and a SIG P320X5 at the Infinity Open. In both competitions he used the soon-to-be-released ROMEO3MAX, and SIG SAUER 9mm Match Elite Competition Ammunition.
“The IPSC style of shooting is very different in the fact that they use a target which is 30% smaller and a different shape than the USPSA target that I am accustomed to. The courses are also formatted in a way that accuracy is more heavily weighted that raw speed unlike U.S. matches,” added Michel. “Overall, despite the differences in style, I accomplished everything I wanted to and my SIG equipment was a huge factor in elevating my performance to these first place finishes.”
The ROMEO3MAX used by Max Michel in competition is a compact, open reflex sight featuring a 30mm Max round lens design for superior field-of-view, a special red-notch filter for a vivid red dot and unrivaled optical clarity, 6 MOA dot size for rapid target engagement, twelve illumination intensity levels, MOTAC activation, and up to 20,000 hours of runtime. The sight is machined from aircraft grade aluminum in a matte black finish, with a side-loading battery tray, and waterproof (IPX-7 rated).
The SIG SAUER Match Elite Pistol Competition Ammunition used by Max Michel at the European Steel Challenge and Infinity Open is available for purchase at sigsauer.com/store.
(Fort Leavenworth, Kan.) The U.S. Army Combined Arms Center (CAC), in a collaborative effort led by the Combined Arms Doctrine Directorate (CADD) and supported by the Army Training Support Center (ATSC) – Mobile Learning Division (MLD) and Enterprise Multimedia Center (EMC), released its first doctrine audiobook as part of a pilot program today. The first publication produced as an audiobook is Field Manual (FM) 3-0, Operations, a manual that marked the shift in the Army’s focus towards large-scale combat operations when published in October 2017.
Audiobooks are not new to the publishing industry; however, this marks the first time the Army has ventured into this medium as a way of delivering Army doctrine.
“Doctrine audiobooks give Soldiers another way to receive information and learn by letting them increase their professional knowledge while doing other things, like working out or commuting,” said Col. Rich Creed, director, CADD. “We are pleased by the flexibility the audio format provides to the majority of people in the Army, who don’t usually carry doctrinal manuals around with them every day.”
Army doctrine audiobooks are produced from published and authenticated doctrine, but abridged for the audio format. Like print publications, online presentation of audiobooks follows a standardized format that includes the publication’s introduction, each of the chapters, and the appendices. Army doctrine audiobooks use industry standard .mp3 files that can be accessed by users across multiple platforms, including laptops, e-Readers, tablets, smartphones, and other mobile devices.
The Combined Arms Center is currently working on audiobook versions of FM 2-0, Intelligence, and ADPs 3-90, Offense and Defense, and 7-0, Training, that will be available later this summer. The viability and use of the audiobook format, as well as future production of additional doctrinal publications, will be evaluated as part of this pilot program.
Audiobooks join the CADD lineup of digital interactive publications available to Soldiers via the U.S. Army Central Army Registry. To access the FM 3-0 audiobook, visit rdl.train.army.mil/catalog-ws/view/FM3-0Audiobook/index
By Ted Crisco and Maj. Christopher Parker, Combined Arms Doctrine Directorate
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Delray Beach, Fla. – (June 17, 2019) – Canik, manufacturer of handguns and accessories used around the world and imported to the U.S. exclusively by Century Arms, has received the 2019 Industry Choice Award for Handgun of the Year for the TP9 Elite Combat.
Presented by Rockcastle Shooting Center, the hands-on, unbiased, multi-day testing and evaluation phase is conducted by some of the most influential people in the business. These hand-selected evaluator delegates include firearm retailers, distributors, professional shooters, gunsmiths, law enforcement and military personnel, members of the outdoor media, and recreational shooters. Categories include rifles, handguns, shotguns, optics, accessories and ammunition.
“Canik handguns represent the very best in value and performance. Every TP9 Elite Combat features exceptional performance elements with upgrades designed by Salient Arms International and offered at a remarkably accessible price,” says Jason Karvois, Director of Sales. “We thank Rockcastle for this recognition and welcome everyone to take a look at a Canik at their local sporting goods store.”
Canik previously won the ICA Handgun of the Year in 2017 with the TP9SFX and placed second in 2018 with the TP9SF Elite. In 2018 Canik handgun magazines won the ICA Firearm Accessory of the Year. Experience true handgun superiority with Canik. Learn more at canikusa.com.
