I’ve had the short sleeve version of this shirt for awhile now and look forward to picking at least one of the long sleeve versions up for range sessions. They are made from a moisture-wicking, 4-way stretch.
Naturally, the Desert Tigerstripe caught my eye, but TD has them in several colors as seen in the image below.
Sizes Small – 3X-Large, these won’t break the bank at $29.99 each.
SAN ANTONIO (AFNS) —
An idea to deliver multi-capable equipment for agile combat employment operations won the 2023 Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center Innovation Rodeo July 21 in San Antonio.
Lt. Col. Brandon Baughman, 187th Operations Support Squadron commander at Dannelly Field, Alabama, will receive a share of at least $1 million in funding and resources from AFIMSC to move the HULK, WOLVERINE and KRAYT initiative, or HWK-i, forward.
“Winning this year’s Innovation Rodeo is awesome,” Baughman said. “We’ve been working really hard on our own and it’s a relief there’s an organization out there like AFIMSC to support us and help make it happen.”
HWK-i is a one-stop-shop package of capabilities providing commercial, off-the-shelf solutions for shelter, power, water, communications and security. HWK-i only takes up two-to-three pallet positions on an aircraft, does not require a forklift or cargo loader and resolves capability gaps caused by large equipment that is not multipurpose.
“Project HWK-i is three capabilities wrapped up in a package deal,” Baughman said.
HULK, or heavy utility lifting kit, is designed to load and unload palletized cargo. WOLVERINE is a multipurpose expeditionary platform to load and unload cargo, move aircraft, load weapons, pump fuel, generate electricity and more. KRAYT is an operational hub of integrated, interoperable modular capabilities including a hybrid power solution, redundant communications, security systems and a self-sustaining water generation capability.
“It’s the multi-capable Airman concept manifested into equipment,” said Col. Kelly Sams, AFIMSC vice commander and a judge for this year’s rodeo. “In a container – you drop it and you go – it’s very impressive. I’m also very impressed with all the ideas brought in together to create a containerized unit.”
Other 2023 Innovation Rodeo winners include:
Second Place: Tech. Sgt. Joshua Solomon, Air Force Services Center, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, with Automated Robotic Dish Room.
Third Place: Master Sgt. Michael Olsen, 325th Maintenance Group, Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, with Mission Readiness Training Scheduler.
“Thanks to all our innovators here and across the Department of the Air Force. Keep those ideas coming. We need your ideas in our greater Air Force,” Sams said. “Every single one of the finalists brought forward an idea that we need tomorrow – some of them we needed yesterday – so please keep going.”
Now in its fifth year, the annual AFIMSC Innovation Rodeo gives Airmen and Guardians an opportunity to partner with innovation experts and get funding and resources to pursue scalable ideas that will help the DAF deliver faster, leaner and more resilient capabilities, improve installations, or support families in a better way.
Over the years, AFIMSC has invested more than $17 million and landed more than $80 million in government and venture capital funding to pursue, develop, test and field projects pitched by finalists during each rodeo.
“It’s not just about funding,” said Dustin Dickens, principal innovation program manager. “It’s also about collaboration, mentorship, team building and the way AFIMSC can execute to move projects forward.”
Finalists spent three weeks learning from leading innovators and collaborating with peers and industry partners virtually before coming to San Antonio to pitch their ideas to a panel of senior-leader judges.
The top ideas were selected because of their potential impact on mission requirements and ability to scale across the entire enterprise, said Jadee Purdy, AFIMSC chief innovation officer.
“This year, we added an element to target projects we know our senior leaders are really looking for to improve warfighter capability,” she said. “We worked hard on targeting ideas that were mission focused and ready to scale.”
Innovation Rodeo gives all Airmen and Guardians a place to take an idea and have it heard by senior leaders, Purdy said. Support from the AFIMSC team can include a business case analysis to ensure ideas have value, connections to multi-functional teams and subject matter experts, and pathways to acquisition or connecting with other resources to move a project forward.
“Anyone who puts in the time and effort to submit to the Innovation Rodeo is going to walk away with support they didn’t have prior to the rodeo,” she said.
For the finalists, lessons learned and tools gained during the Innovation Rodeo will help them continue to innovate and motivate others after they return to their home stations.
“I have a long career ahead of me, so what I’m learning now, whether it’s asking questions, knowing what to look out for, anything innovation related … this is definitely going to carry on with me throughout the future,” said 2nd Lt. Kiara Nuevo, 305th Aerial Port Squadron Passenger Operations and Innovations program manager at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey.
“Innovation is crucial in today’s Air Force,” she said. “We can’t afford to be the ones trying to catch up; we have to be ahead.”
For full coverage of the 2023 AFIMSC Innovation Rodeo, including video of the full rodeo and individual project presentations, visit here.
By Shannon Carabajal, Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center Public Affairs
Chatsworth, Calif. July 2023 – Aitech Systems, a leading provider of rugged boards and system level solutions for military, aerospace and space applications, has announced that its SOSA aligned U-C8500 3U VPX SBC has successfully passed environmental qualification testing.
Aligned with The Open Group Sensor Open Systems Architecture (SOSA) Technical Standard, Aitech’s U-C8500 is based on Intel’s ground-breaking SWaP-C optimized Tiger Lake UP3(TGL-UP3) SoC, which combines a high-performing CPU with a strong internal GPU and an advanced Image Processing Unit. The SBC also incorporates highly integrated memory technology (LPDDR4X) for better graphics processing performance as well as high-speed PCIe Gen4 and 10 Gbps Ethernet.
The combination of the U-C8500’s high-performing technologies facilitates artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) processing capabilities in a wide range of rugged military and aerospace data-sensitive applications.
Alex Trigoub, Director of Board Level Product Line for Aitech, noted, “AI in military electronics continues to grow in complexity. Developed specifically with faster memory, PCIe and Ethernet connectivity, as well as to optimize SWaP-C and align with DoD MOSA initiatives, the U-C8500 is capable of processing large amounts of data without any loss of performance, while staying within an optimized power envelope. This combination ensures the SBC can meet the demands of military systems today and makes it capable of handling the needs of next-gen military technology tomorrow.”
Designed from the ground up with security in mind, the U-C8500 provides a comprehensive cybersecurity framework – AiSecure, which includes both standard and advanced system protection. The inherent security features enable both firmware and data protection as well as prevent reverse engineering and tampering with system integrity, while allowing secure transmission and storage of sensitive data.
Now that the U-C8500 has completed successful environmental qualification testing, the SBC can be effectively incorporated into several harsh military and aerospace applications that need highly integrated functionality and unique SWaP-C optimization to provide reliable data processing. These environments include unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned ground vehicles (UAV/UGV), cockpit/display and mission computers, digital signal and image processing as well as signal intelligence (SIGNT) and electronic warfare (EW).
The U-C8500 is part of Aitech’s U-C850X series that combines the three pillars of modern data processing on the same board: CPU, iGPU and optional large FPGA. Potential future enhanced variants include the U-C8501 (with PCIe Switch for enhanced Expansion Plane and XMC connectivity), the U-C8502 (with integrated Xilinx MPSoC FPGA) and the U-C8503 (with integrated TSN Endpoint).
For more information please visit bit.ly/U-C850xSeries or e-mail info@aitechsystems.com.
Jacksonville, Florida – Safariland®, a brand of The Safariland Group®, a leading global provider of safety products designed for the public safety, military, professional and outdoor markets and one of Cadre Holdings, Inc.’s (NYSE: CDRE) (“Cadre”) key brands announces new 6000 series fits for leading Staccato, Springfield Armory® and other 2011 firearms.
“Safariland continues to evolve as we deliver new holster offerings and innovative ways to provide protection for our customers,” said Eric Gasvoda, GM of Duty Gear for Safariland. “The collaboration with industry partners and firearm manufacturers remains ongoing to ensure a wide array of fits for the best holsters offered on the market.”
The latest additions to the Safariland 6000 series most notably include fits for the 2011 Staccato XC and Springfield Prodigy™, both featuring a 5-inch barrel. These new fits maximize reliability and performance, catering to law enforcement professionals and everyday carriers’ needs.
Holster models available include both RDS and RDSO options. Safariland RDS holsters are designed for firearms equipped with red dot sights and incorporate the Automatic Locking System (ALS®). Securely locking the firearm from every angle, these holsters provide secure retention and an intuitive draw. For those wanting additional retention capabilities, there are also ALS/SLS combination holsters available, which in addition to the ALS, comes standard with the Self-Locking System (SLS®), pivoting hood. Safariland’s RDSO (Red Dot Sights Open) holster line has an open pocket that protects the optic without the use of a flip-up dust cover.
Safariland’s dedication to innovation and collaboration has once again raised the bar for holster performance. To learn more about Safariland’s holsters and how Safariland is committed to building lifesaving equipment, visit Safariland.com.
The Resource Center’s Manufacturing Division, Allied Industries, has been working with local and regional manufacturers supplying issued military products to the U.S. Armed Forces since 1978. The function, quality, and durability of Allied products have been battle tested for decades. Most of our forces have used items from TRC/Allied during their service such as 3-Mag pouch, Entrenching Tool Pouch, Casualty Kits, Tourniquet, Barrel Bags, the list is extensive. Several top tier Tactical Brands currently leverage Allied’s experience for the making of their commercial products.
Whether your company needs to refine an existing product or develop an entirely new one, TRC has the experience and expertise to deliver the solution you need. We specialize in sewing and kitting, allowing us to provide a variety of items to satisfy the requirements of your contracts and/or commercial customers. After four decades, we know how to respond to the demands of the Armed Forces. We understand how quickly the military’s needs can arise and how quickly they can change. Our capabilities include kitting, packaging and assembly. Short-term or permanent. We’ve completed hundreds of jobs for dozens of manufacturers, there’s very few challenges we have not achieved.
Allied Industries is not your typical manufacturer. Yes, we provide labor and product development solutions for our customers. But we also provide education, training and employment opportunities to people with disabilities in Chautauqua County, New York. Our mission is to help people with disabilities achieve maximum independence, contribute to their communities, experience lifelong growth and enjoy a high quality of life.
One of the ways we do that is by helping people—who otherwise wouldn’t have an opportunity to work—secure meaningful employment. We teach them the skills they need to succeed in the workplace. Then we put them to work in one of our manufacturing facilities or help them find competitive jobs in the community.
Allied Industries customizes its solutions to customers’ unique circumstances.
Our competitive advantages are:
Experience and Innovation. Need a prototype for a new product? Looking to enhance an existing one? We leverage our military experience and expertise to develop new products and make improvements to existing ones that meet stringent military guidelines. Taking projects from design to production, including materials research, is our specialty.
Fast Response Times. You can’t always predict when you’ll need a product shipment. Natural disasters, military action and other world events can happen with almost no warning. When they do, you have to respond. And, so can we. We’re accustomed to ramping up production at a moment’s notice without sacrificing quality, so you get the products you need quickly.
Superior Quality. When the products you make are used in life or death situations, there’s no room for error. You’re serious about quality control, and so are we. We’re certified to ISO 9001:2015 standards by American Global Standards Registrar, and our manufacturing process has been approved by the U.S. military for decades.
Made in the U.S.A. These aren’t just buzz words to us. Our employees take pride in creating products the men and women who serve our country use every day. Our items are produced by U.S. workers, using only American-made materials.
Large Workforce. No job is too big. When your workload exceeds your employees’ capacity, and you don’t want to hire temporary workers, we act as an extension of your workforce to get the job done.
Extra Space. With 105,000 square feet of floor space spread across two facilities, we can add additional jobs to our pipeline when your capacity is maxed out.
Creating customized solutions to meet the unique needs of our manufacturing customers is what we do. Let’s start solving your production challenges today.
If TRC/Allied can help support your company product or kitting objectives Please contact TRCGOV@RESOURCECENTER.ORG.
Looking for a minimalist glove that won’t burn through your hands during those intense fast rope insertions? Look no further than the Fast Rope Mitt (FRM). Not only does it fold flat for easy transport, but its advanced two finger pattern allows for quick access to your trigger finger as soon as you hit the ground. This fast rope glove puts all other gloves to shame. Don’t believe us? Give it a try and feel the difference in quality American “roper” cow leather and ultra-high performance Kovenex.
Visit FirstSpear to find American Made kit and accessories, Built For The X.
NIOA’s CEO for Australia and New Zealand, Ben James, has called on Defence to rally behind industry in the wake of revelations that thousands of contractors face the axe.
James’s plea was triggered by a recent media report which revealed that Defence is planning to purge contractors in a raft of budgetary measures.
NIOA Australia and New Zealand CEO Ben James, at last night’s AIDN Queensland dinner, has called on Defence to back local industry in challenging times.
The boss of the biggest Australian-owned supplier of munitions to the ADF last night (Eds: Thursday, July 27) told Queensland’s premier defence gathering in Brisbane that Defence’s cost crackdown risked undermining industry engagement and confidence amid a regional environment which he described as “an increasingly rough neighbourhood”.
“Properly harnessed, motivated and engaged industry partners bring market expertise, private capital and investment and superior agility to capability delivery that is beyond the capacity of government agencies acting in isolation,” James told AIDN Queensland gala dinner guests.
“In that sense, there will need to be a degree of calibration and nuance in what the AFR described last month as Defence’s ‘War on Contractors’.
“A vibrant, viable and functional defence industry base is a critical pillar in achieving the strategic depth we seek in an increasingly rough neighbourhood.
“Conversely, a weak, short-sighted and bureaucracy-bound industry base could represent a harbinger for a catastrophic failure of credibility in deterrence.”
With Australian defence and foreign ministers and their American counterparts in Brisbane this week for the annual AUSMIN talks, James seized upon the timing to emphasise the critical role of allied sovereign capability.
Regional defence and security will be high on the agenda when Defence Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong meet with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin.
“One of the stated aims of this week’s AUSMIN dialogue is to establish a combined logistics, sustainment, and maintenance enterprise to support high?end warfighting and combined military operations in the region,” James said.
“The US is currently pursuing changes to Title 3 of the Defense Production Act which would allow Australian based production and manufacturing to be listed as a US domestic source.
“The Defence Strategic Review itself calls out the need to manufacture munitions in Australia.
“If all of these initiatives are important and central to Australia’s defence posture, I would contend Defence needs to go to war in partnership with industry, rather than declaring a jihad against contractors in the wake of Major Service Provider misconduct and an urgent need for budget savings.”
James’s address resonated with more than 345 stakeholders, including industry leaders and SMEs from throughout Queensland, many of whom were at the same event last year when he warned Australia “is well off the pace” in building a reliable defence industrial base.
The former Brigadier said the defence industry was navigating through challenging times, and the importance of collaboration between government and industry was greater than ever.
“From a Defence industry perspective, the DSR was scathing of CASG, finding ‘the current approach to capability acquisition as unsuitable in our strategic circumstances’,” he said.
“Similarly, the review found that the Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) enterprise, established after the Strategic Update in 2020 to ‘support missile and guided weapons manufacturing for use across the Australian Defence Force’, lacks required workforce and is yet to produce a strategy.
“Now, the DSR informs us, the GWEO Enterprise has until quarter two 2024 to determine options for the increase in guided weapons and EO stocks, including the rapid establishment of domestic manufacturing.
“So, four years after the Strategic Update identified the ‘military modernisation faster than we had expected’ in our region, the ‘deployment of new weapons by our adversaries that challenge Australia’s military capability edge’ and ‘greater intensity in major power competition’, we will have options presented to Government to increase EO stocks an rapidly establish domestic manufacturing… without a penny of new money to achieve as much.
“The misalignment between how we see and describe our region and the pace at which we are implementing necessary changes to industry settings are a case of ‘talking the talk’; but not ‘walking the walk’. Our audio is not matching our video.”
