Blending rugged waxed canvas with timeless grit, the Waterfowler’s Hat is built for long days, rough weather, and a touch of tradition.
armageddongear.com/product/waterfowlers-hat
Armageddon Gear – Waterfowler’s Hat
June 7th, 2025NEW Army Training Requirements Regulation – Doc Is Cut In Half!
June 7th, 2025The Army has just published a “major revision” to the draft version of AR 350-1 Army Training and Leader Development, which has been floating around in draft format for the past few months.
The new directive is half of the size it used to be!
This major revision, dated 1 June 2025—
• Removes “resilience” (common mandatory training) (table C–1).
• Incorporates guidance from Executive Order 14183 (throughout).
• Incorporates guidance from Army Directive 2018-02, Global Cultural Knowledge Network, 4 April 2018 (throughout).
• Incorporates guidance from Army Directive 2018-07-4, Prioritizing Efforts-Readiness and Lethality (Update 4), dated 26 April 2018 (throughout).
• Incorporates guidance from Army Directive 2018-07-05, Prioritizing Efforts-Readiness and Lethality (Update 5), dated 9 May 2018 (throughout).
• Incorporates guidance from Army Directive 2018-07-11, Prioritizing Efforts-Readiness and Lethality (Update 11), dated 26 June 2018 (throughout).
• Incorporates guidance from Army Directive 2018-07-17, Prioritizing Efforts-Readiness and Lethality (Update 17), dated 28 November 2018 (throughout).
• Incorporates guidance from Army Directive 2018-07-18, Prioritizing Efforts-Readiness and Lethality (Update 18), dated 4 January 2019 (throughout).
• Incorporates guidance from Army Directive 2018-22, Retention Policy for Non-deployable Soldiers, dated 8 November 2022 (throughout).
• Incorporates and rescinds guidance from Army Directive 2019-31, Integration or Refresher Training for Prior Service Personnel, dated 3 October 2019 (throughout).
• Incorporates guidance from Army Directive 2021-08, Implementation and Sustainment of Army Medical Department Individual Critical Task Lists, dated 19 March 2021 (throughout).
• Incorporates guidance from Army Directive 2021-17, Lateral Appointment to Corporal and Eligibility for Basic Leaders Course, dated 21 May 2021 (throughout).
• Incorporates and rescinds guidance from Army Directive 2022-05, Army Combat Fitness Test, dated 23 March 2022 (throughout).
• Incorporates guidance from Army Directive 2023-11, Army Body Fat Assessment for the Army Body Composition, dated 9 June 2023 (throughout).
• Incorporates guidance from Army Directive 2025-02, Parenthood, Pregnancy, and Postpartum, dated 24 February 2025 (throughout).
• Incorporates guidance from Army Directive 2025-04, Initial Entry Training for Reserve Component Soldiers, dated 25 March 2025 (throughout).
• Incorporates guidance from Army Directive 2025-06, Army Fitness Test, dated 17 April 2025 (throughout).
• Changes Army Combat Fitness Test to Army Fitness Test (throughout).
• Removes requirements for Home Station Master Plan, Army Training Strategy, and Army Leader Development Strategy (throughout).
• Deletes previous chapters on Culture and Language and Distributed Learning Program (throughout).
• Reduces Training Support System content in this regulation; rather referring to specific regulations (throughout).
I realize it won’t make everyone happy but it eliminates some extraneous mandatory training requirements and allows commanders flexibility to concentrate on more mission focused training.
Get your copy here.
Mountain Peak Prepares 10th Mountain Soldiers for JRTC Rotation
June 7th, 2025
FORT DRUM, N.Y. — In May, Soldiers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI), participated in Mountain Peak 25-01, a brigade-level, large-scale combat operation training exercise designed to prepare the unit for an upcoming rotation at the Joint Readiness Training Center in Fort Johnson, Louisiana, later this summer.
The exercise began with a joint forcible entry operation, in which units from the 2nd BCT and 10th Combat Aviation Brigade inserted forces into contested terrain. After the initial objective was secured, brigade elements shifted into a force-on-force scenario, in which supporting units took on critical roles throughout the operation.
Throughout the training, units maneuvered across rugged terrain and executed coordinated assaults to secure key objectives.
“It’s pretty impressive, just the level of planning that has to go into making sure logistics, tactics, maneuvering — all of it — comes together,” said 1st Lt. Rex Jones, a platoon leader with 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment. “And making sure every section gets something out of this, not just one or two.”
The Multi-Functional Reconnaissance Company operated forward of friendly lines, providing commanders with battlefield intelligence throughout the operation. Teams conducted close reconnaissance while avoiding detection to collect information and report on enemy positions.
“We bring a lot of diverse experience to the table,” said Staff Sgt. Austin Tyson, senior team chief with MFRC. “That gives us the operational freedom to make autonomous decisions and exploit weaknesses in the enemy wherever we find them.”
The 10th Mountain Division’s G3 team managed exercise planning and control.
“Mountain Peak is the only force-on-force event of this scale that we do here on Fort Drum,” said senior G3 exercise coordinator Will McNutt. “It’s a heavy lift to support from an exercise control perspective. Nothing else approaches the size and scale of Mountain Peak — many posts don’t even run an event like this for their brigades.”
Units conducted air assaults, coordinated movements across complex terrain, and integrated with aviation, reconnaissance, and multinational support assets.
Drone operators from the Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre supported the opposing force with unmanned aerial systems. Their integration added complexity to the training and increased the realism of simulated threats.
“The scope and scale of this exercise have been instrumental in enabling our drone teams to build skills, push system limits, and foster seamless integration between units,” said Capt. Wesley Morfoot, staff officer, Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre.
“Through trust, commanders and their teams have truly empowered them with the freedom to innovate in the field.”
Training emphasized mission command, unit-level coordination, and adaptation against a live opposing force.
The exercise allowed Soldiers to rehearse key tasks under realistic conditions while gaining experience across the brigade.
Mountain Peak allows Soldiers to put their skills to the test and hone in on their proficiency. This ensures every 10th Mountain Soldier maintains readiness and lethality, ultimately preparing these Soldiers for real-world operations.
By SGT Samuel Bonney
Introducing NAS3 6mm ARC – A New Era of Performance, Exclusively by BlackArc Munitions
June 6th, 2025BlackArc Munitions is proud to announce that we are the exclusive licensee of the NAS3 6mm ARC program, in partnership with Shell Shock Technologies.
This program, built on Shell Shock Technologies’ NAS3 hybrid case design, elevates the 6mm ARC to new performance levels. With an 8% increase in case capacity, the NAS3 6mm ARC delivers significant velocity gains while meeting SAAMI safety standards. Newly designed platforms are being developed across the industry, and BlackArc Munitions will offer a range of loads at optimized pressures that maximize the cartridge’s advanced potential with significant increases in velocity.
The new NAS3 6mm ARC will initially be offered in loads for precision and competition applications, as well as for defensive and hunting needs. Our R&D efforts are ongoing, and by the time the product is released, we are committed to introducing heavier projectiles that will redefine the ballistic capabilities of the 6mm ARC.
BlackArc Munitions is honored to bring this exclusive partnership with Shell Shock Technologies to life.
We are committed to our loyal customer base – your trust drives us to expand our lineup and push the limits of precision ammunition.
Stay tuned. Standby for serious results.
– John Wright
Owner and Former US Army Sniper
RBX Tactical – Velcro Covers
June 6th, 2025RBX Tactical thinks you deserve to have matching camouflaged Velcro on your FRACU, ACS, IHWCU, and G3 uniforms so they are offering loop covers.
These covers attach directly over the preexisting single-color Velcro hook fields on your uniform, offering a simple upgrade.
rbx-tactical.com/collections/shoulder-velcro
UF PRO Launches Waist/Flex Belt Designed for Enhanced Fit and Functionality
June 6th, 2025KOMENDA, SLOVENIA (05.06.2025)
UF PRO, part of Mehler Systems and a leading provider of advanced tactical clothing, has introduced the Waist/Flex Belt—a new accessory engineered to work seamlessly with the brand’s compatible pants.
Designed with end-user comfort and operational practicality in mind, the Waist/Flex Belt enhances overallfit, stability, and compatibility with holsters and over-belts.
The Waist/Flex Belt securely holds UF PRO pants in place while allowing for flexible movement and breathability in the lower back area. Its soft, flat buckle and side reinforcements make it well-suited for users who require reliable gear integration without unnecessary bulk or discomfort.
A key feature is the adjustable stiffness: users can remove the side reinforcements when flexibility is preferred or leave them in place when extra support is needed. The belt also functions as an under-belt, providing a non-intrusive foundation beneath an over-belt or load-bearing gear.
Compatible exclusively with select UF PRO pants—such as the P-40 Urban Gen.2 Pants, P-40 Blu-Flex Jeans, P-40 Ranger Shorts, Striker X Gen.2 Combat Pants, and Striker TT Combat Pants—the Waist/Flex Belt ensures a tailored fit through UF PRO’s Waist/Flex system. The design supports long-wear use and adaptability in high-mobility scenarios.
For more product details and availability, visit: ufpro.com/accessories/waist-flex-belt
RTK, LLC Offers World’s first Anti-Bloom GPNVG from L3Harris
June 6th, 2025Southern Pines, NC (June 5, 2025)- Research Technology Keystone, LLC., introduces the L3Harris GPNVG with Anti-Bloom tubes.
The L3Harris Anti-Bloom tube (10160UW-SA-C00-24UMH/1225) was manufactured briefly at L3Harris and discontinued due to the high cost of manufacturing. RTK, LLC secured an allocation of L3Harris Anti-Bloom High FOM (2376+) Unfilmed White Phosphor Aviation Spec tubes and scheduled the upgrade of several GPNVG units for these special tubes, and they just started delivering this month.
NVG users know that when viewing bright sources of light with standard night vision tubes, the lights will appear to “bloom” with a halo around the light, making it impossible to observe anything behind the halo. L3Harris ANTI-BLOOM tubes do exactly what the name implies- they will not “bloom” with a halo, so you can see beyond the light source.
RTK has a limited number of units available in both ANVIS and BNVIS configuration for the most discriminating of GPNVG users. These are the only known GPNVG units in this configuration, and because the tube is discontinued, it will not likely ever be seen again. Price on request- serious inquiries only.
Please direct inquiries to cs@rtkllc.com.
Celebrating 40 Years of Arktis
June 6th, 2025I’ve been an Arktis customer for 35 of their 40 years. To celebrate these four decades of service, they have set up a special page on their website to showcase the high points of their history as well as offering several exclusive 40th anniversary products.
I’m (re)sharing an article I wrote in 2021 recalling how I became an Arktis customer.
In the Spring of 1990, I was on the downhill side of a two year tour in Germany that had been involuntarily extended to 30 months due to lack of retainability. Rather than extending my enlistment and accepting an involuntary assignment to Fort Carson, I was waiting for my re-enlisted to window to open so I could go to Bragg. At the time I was working outside my SIGINT MOS as a radio operator in 3rd ID’s Long Range Surveillance Detachment and preferred to go to an airborne assignment rather than another heavy division.
I had picked up this copy of Soldier of Fortune magazine featuring a story about the British Pathfinders at Leighton Kaserne’s Stars and Stripes bookstore. In the story was a sidebar about the members’ kit with a couple of photos and it mentioned a company in Exeter named Arktis.
I was already highly interested in British aftermarket gear having obtained two books entitled, “Combat” and “Survival” which had been published in Great Britain and based upon the weekly serialized imprint called “Combat & Survival,” also on post.
Now that I had a company name, the real fun began. This was 1990, there was no internet to look things up, and I was relying on the very expensive German phone system to make overseas calls to the UK to track Arktis down.
I used phone booths during my search because it was easy to track how many German Marks I used for calls. You inserted as many as were needed for the call in the phone’s slot.
I eventually got on the phone with Arktis’ founder and proprietor at the time, former Royal Marine Major David Ross, OBE, who had served in the Falklands. He explained that he had started the company due to his dissatisfaction with issue kit. And for me, his military service explained the location of the company in Exeter. Fortunately, I lived off post in an apartment so I could use the German Post for shipments rather than the US mail which would have resulted in any parcels heading from the UK to NY and then back to Germany and the unit mailroom.
David sent me a catalog and I shared it with the other members of my LRSD. I bought a 42 pattern chest rig and a few pouches. A few of the other guys bought 45 pattern chest rigs. At the time we could get away with wearing either OD or DPM pouches. DPM blended in pretty well with Woodland, but I always felt self conscious about it. Regardless, the gear was only worn in the field.
A few years later, David Ross sold the company and it has changed hands a couple of times, becoming Arktis Outdoor Products and now Arktis Limited. These days, it seems that they concentrate more on clothing than kit but they still produce a few of the original items that put the company on the map.
