Available for pre-order at www.magpul.com
2015 Magpul Calendar – Behind the Scenes
October 22nd, 2014The Safariland Group Appoints Chad Appleby As Vice President, Tax
October 22nd, 2014The Safariland Group has recently appointed Chad Appleby as the Vice President, Tax. The full release can be read below:
JACKSONVILLE, Florida – The Safariland Group (“the Company”), a leading global provider of a diverse range of safety and survivability products designed for the public safety, military, professional and outdoor markets, announced today that Chad Appleby has joined the Company as the Vice President, Tax based in Jacksonville, Florida. Appleby will be responsible for leading the global tax strategy and tax operations of the Company and will report to Scott Harris, Chief Financial Officer. Appleby is a certified public accountant with more than 15 years of experience working on a wide range of domestic and international tax matters.
“Chad joins The Safariland Group at a pivotal time as we continue to execute our plan for growth through acquisitions and international expansion,” said Scott O’Brien, President. “We are looking forward to Chad’s involvement and leadership managing the complex tax issues and tax planning opportunities we face across the Company’s global operations.”
Appleby joins the Company after spending the last nine years leading the tax department as the Senior Director, Income Tax at PSS World Medical, Inc. a publicly traded distributor of medical supplies and equipment. Prior to that, he held roles of increasing responsibility in the Denver, CO; Honolulu, HI; and Jacksonville, FL offices of KPMG (the U.S. audit, tax and advisory firm) advising clients on all areas of tax planning, reporting, and compliance. Appleby received his BBA in Accounting from the University of Wisconsin and his Masters in Taxation from the University of Denver Graduate Tax Program.
“I’m thrilled to join The Safariland Group’s financial leadership team,” said Appleby. “The Company has a proven track record in the public safety market and has a solid plan for growth. I look forward to contributing to its continued advancements both in the US and internationally.”
For more information about The Safariland Group, visit www.safariland.com.
Strohman Enterprise – Buy An Aimpoint Micro, Get A Free Mount
October 21st, 2014
Strohman Enterprise is offering a special deal for Aimpoint Micro sights. Purchase either the T1, T2, or H1 through Strohman, and receive one of several mounts at no additional charge. The Sampson mount comes with a combat optic tool and free shipping. The other mounts come with an offer for flat $10 shipping.
The 50 Jacket On Kickstarter
October 21st, 2014
The 50 is a US-made jacket created by a company called Dirtball, which deals exclusively in 100% US-made, 100% eco-friendly products. It is called The 50 because it is made entirely from 50 recycled water bottles. Post-consumer plastic bottles are sorted, stripped of their labels and caps, and ground down to shavings, which are melted and formed into a polyester fiber that is chemically and functionally similar to virgin polyester.
The 50 is a puffer jacket, intended for colder climates. The shell fabric is 70D 4.5 oz/sq yd treated with DWR. The body fill is 6D 11.5 oz/sq yd polyester, and the arm fill is 6D 8.5 oz/sq yd polyester.
The 50 is 100% recyclable. Customers will be able to send The 50 back to Dirtball for reprocessing, receiving a discount on future Dirtball purchases. Additionally, production of The 50 employs up to 150 American workers during the jacket’s three-month production cycle.
For more information, and to fund the project, visit www.kickstarter.com/projects/1670083643/the-50-jacket-made-in-the-usa-from-recycled-water
Kalash Life from Snake Hound Machine
October 21st, 2014
High Speed Gear – TACO Belt-Compatible Pouches
October 21st, 2014High Speed Gear announced a new line of TACO pouches, featuring a belt mountable configuration without the need for an additional attachment system. The full release can be read below:
SWANSBORO, NC – 20OCT2014 – High Speed Gear® is pleased to announce a new line of TACO® pouches. Select TACO® magazine pouches will now be available in a belt mountable configuration without the need for any other attachment systems. Utilizing the Velcro® Brand One-Wrap®, the TACO® pouch secures to our 1.75” Cobra Riggers belt, which is also available now without a d-ring. These pouches will also attach to a wide variety of law enforcement sized duty belts.
By demand, High Speed Gear®, is also providing a solution for handcuffs. The Handcuff TACO® can be either open or closed top via the removable strap. While maintaining the adaptability of the original TACO®, the Handcuff TACO® easily accommodates handcuffs from most major restraint manufacturers.
Belt Mounted TACO® pouches include: Original TACO®, Pistol TACO®, Extended Pistol TACO®, Double Decker TACO®, and Handcuff TACO®.
For more information, please visit www.highspeedgear.com.
Airtronic USA – MK 777 Lightweight Rocket Launcher
October 21st, 2014
At AUSA we got to take a look at the new MK 777 lightweight RPG launcher from Airtronic.
JTAC Simulator – Close Air Solutions
October 21st, 2014UK-based Close Air Solutions has been experimenting with the Oculus Rift Virtual Reality device for use in JTAC training. In this video, consultant Daniel Meeks wanted to try out the use of Head Mounted Displays for role players in Close Air Support scenarios. They used the Oculus Rift with MetaVR’s VRSG (Virtual Reality Scene Generator) for the aircrews but it can be used by the JTAC as well. As Oculus Rift decreases latency, it’s going to become a great tool for training and simulation.
Close Air Solutions has a developmental simulator called iCASS (Immersive Close Air Support Simulator). It’s a lower cost solution for countries that may want something greater than a desktop simulator and less than the full Advanced Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) Training System (AJTS) dome simulator used here in the US. The software in the simulator is almost identical, however it uses a MACE/VRSG based sim. This is the software used by all the STSs, JTACQC, and soon to be all active duty ASOS’s. The ANG, as usual, is using something a little different, AAJTS.
Any JTAC will tell you, nothing beats doing the real thing like going to the range and controlling live aircraft, but the reality is that will happen less and less over the next few years for just about everyone around the world. Close Air Solutions is working on solutions that will keep a JTAC tuned up so he will get the most out of any actual range time.
The simulator is only going to get better over the next coming years as Virtual Reality consumer products come online making training very affordable and dependable. The software is continually improving as well. Meeks has suggested that omnidirectional treadmills and motion tracking will eventually be incorporated leaving a student sweaty and tired after a session in the dome, yet hopefully, smarter.
Until we get there, this video from Exercise Ample Strike 2014 in the Czech Republic shows you what is possible in the now with iCASS.
