Why of course you can! Here’s SIG’s Robby Johnson demonstrating the new Leupold D-EVO paired with the DeltaPoint Pro MRDS.
Last week I was with ADS Inc’s Army and SOCOM Teams for some new product training at the nearby Academi training center in Moyock, NC. We had a day on the range with SIG SAUER and Leupold Optics. I fired the combo and it works just fine as the Delta Point Pro is offered with a Picatinny riser mount.
Yesterday, I had the chance to sit in with the ADS Inc Army team for some new product training at Academi in Moyock, NC. One of the vendors was Wild Things Tactical and they introduced a new top loader called the Guide Light. It weighs just 17 oz.
It’s a minimalist pack (26 l) made from waterproof material (200 psi) normally used as sail cloth and with bound seams to keep them as waterproof as possible without full seam sealing. There is very limited daisy chain along the back of the pack but overall it is a very slick design.
This frameless model incorporates a padded, internal sheet. There are padded shoulder straps but no waist belt. Additionally, there is a central haul loop located at the top of the pack, between the shoulder straps. The single compartment top loader has a spindrift and drawstring. The bag also features a pass through for Comms cables or hydration although there are no internal pockets.
The removable lip is held in place via SR buckles and a thin Velcro strip. The lid compartment opens via a half moon zipper and there is a small zippered pocket on the underside.
Berry compliant and available in Coyote and Black.
Available for unit and agency purchase via ADS.
It was a warm, clear morning on Saturday, June 28th at Academi Training Center, Moyock, North Carolina. At 0930, a shot rang out from the 600 yard line of Range T10, the first shot made towards a commemorative target meant to honor each US Navy SEAL and member of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Attachment lost during Operation Red Wings.
For the 9th anniversary of Operation Red Wings, a retired SEAL friend of ours who previously worked on the 911 for 9/11 project decided to take a similar approach to honoring Operation Red Wings. A Chinook helicopter was traced onto a black target, and over the course of the morning 19 shots representing each servicemember lost was taken. Additionally, three of the shots made that day were taken by members of three of the SEAL members’ families:
GM2 (SEAL) Danny P. Dietz was represented by his wife Patsy Dietz
ITCS (SEAL) Daniel R. Healy was represented by his son Jacob Centeno-Healy
ET1 (SEAL) Jeffery A. Lucas was represented by his wife Rhonda Lucas
The weapon used during the shoot was a Mk 12 SPR, which was specially chosen for the shoot: 3 Mk 12s were utilized during Operation Red Wings by the SEAL teams. Also, the use of the 5.56 round from the 600 yard range required a greater deal of focus and dedication to effectively mark the target.
This was the view from the 600 yard mark. The target was situated underneath the ‘4’ position, and the traced Chinook strike area encompassed roughly a fourth of the total target.
The finished target is being sent to Ellwood T Risk to be turned into a piece of art in the same vein of the 911 for 9/11 piece. The finished art will be auctioned live Memorial Day weekend 2015 in Rosenberg, Texas, at the 3-day Danny Deitz Memorial Team Roping, Auction, and BBQ event. Reprints of the original will be able to be ordered before then and will be available through the Tommy Valentine Memorial “All in All the Time” Foundation. The prints will be produced in Hampton Roads, with all profits benefiting the Navy SEAL Foundation, helping to fund a 10th Anniversary retreat for the surviving families of the servicemembers lost on Operation Red Wings.
A press release from Constellis Holdings signals major news in the High Threat Security Industry. Academi, the company formerly known as Blackwater and Xe, will join Triple Canopy along with a handful of other high threat security companies under a new management structure named Constellis Holdings. All I can think of is “cats and dogs, living together.”
June 06, 2014
Constellis Holdings, Inc. has agreed to acquire Constellis Group, Inc., a leading provider of security, support and advisory services to government, multinational corporations and international organizations operating in challenging environments around the world. Constellis Holdings was formed by the founders of Triple Canopy and the private equity investors who formed ACADEMI.
The transaction brings together a global team of industry leaders, including: Triple Canopy, Constellis Ltd., Strategic Social, Tidewater Global Services, National Strategic Protective Services, ACADEMI Training Center and International Development Solutions.
Operating under the oversight of a distinguished Board and an experienced management team, the combination of these companies will enable a significant expansion of services within the global security market, delivering mission support, integrated security solutions, training and advisory services at home and abroad.
“This move allows us to create a suite of services to better provide critical support capabilities for government and commercial clients and will utilize ACADEMI’s world-class training facility, the largest and most comprehensive private training center in the U.S.” said Jason DeYonker, Managing Director of Constellis Holdings, Inc.
Constellis Holdings’ Board of Directors includes: Red McCombs (Chairman), former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft, former White House Chief Counsel Jack Quinn, Admiral Bobby Inman (Ret.), Russ Robinson, Jason DeYonker, Dean Bosacki and Triple Canopy co-founder Tom Katis.
“This combination of companies shares our core values of integrity and transparency, ensuring our clients of our ongoing dedication to oversight and good governance through our award-winning compliance practices,” said former U.S. Attorney General and current Board member John Ashcroft.
Board member and Triple Canopy founder Tom Katis reinforces, “This combination will provide our customers with the best possible service at the most competitive price. We share a commitment to flawless delivery of mission critical services. We share a bond with our employees, who are mostly decorated veterans who continue to serve their country in the private sector. We share a willingness to do the toughest jobs in support of the efforts to make our world a better place.”
The combined ownership group will employ more than 6,000 of the industry’s most experienced and best-trained employees and will be led by CEO Craig Nixon.
You may recall our lead story on 9/11 about a retired SEAL Sniper who was creating a one-of-a-kind piece of art to commemorate his fallen brothers in arms. Now, the piece is complete and the organizers have provided us with this statement:
Wounded Wear is honored to be working with internationally recognized artist Ellwood T. Risk. Ellwood is a self-taught artist who has been living and working in Los Angeles since the spring of 1992 and has become famous for The Pistol Target series. His Target Series have been showcased on primetime shows and he is currently represented by galleries in the U.S. and the United Kingdom.
On September 11, 2012, a Navy SEAL Sniper (SOCS Dave Hall, USN, Ret.) fired a .308 Remington 700 custom built for him by another former SEAL Sniper (SOCS Chris Higgins) at a humanoid target from 911 yards. The goal was to strike the black (scoring) part of the target 79 times (once for each fallen NSW member since 9-11). The first shot (which commemorated fallen SEAL Neil Roberts) was fired at 8:45::30 AM EST, to mark when the first World Trade Center Tower was struck, and thus essentially when America and Naval Special Warfare went to war. The bullets were fired in commemorative and chronological order for each NSW member lost in training or combat from 9-11-01 to 9-11-12. The target was pulled down each time the black portion was struck and the name of who the bullet was shot for was written next to the impact hole.
Ellwood Risk then took the target and did what he does best; he turn targets into art, this time in honor of America’s fallen SEAL brothers. He completed this amazing work of art and has donated it to Wounded Wear to auction online. This auction will begin on approximately two weeks prior to our event and will close at 1030 PM EST Feb 9th at the Toast to the Heroes event. This one of kind piece of art aptly named “Until it Hurts” is valued at $20,000. Starting bids begin at $5000.
We are, all of us, Targets in one way or another.
Even before we are old enough to understand them in any meaningful way, or the role they will play in our lives; we are targeted by social norms, religions, various forms of print and electronic media, corporations, advertisers, and governments.
None of us are exempt from exposure to these fixed cultural elements of our existence, or the means by which they attempt to impose their will upon us.
-Ellwood T. Risk
We will soon announce the website to place your bid on “Until it Hurts”
It’s a calm cool morning at Range 19 on Moyock, North Carolina’s Academi Training Center. At 0846:30, a shot rings out. 911 yards from the commerative target, the M118 round is fired from a custom built Remington 700. It strikes home at the exact time Flight 11 hit the World Trade Center North Tower (One) in 2001. This time is significant for today’s purpose as it symbolizes the moment that America and by extension its NSW forces realized we were under attack and began to go to war.
In early August a retired SEAL friend approached me about a project he had under development. He envisioned an innovative fund raiser that would help turn 9/11 from a grief based day into a positive event to raise awareness and funds to support our Wounded Warriors. In particular, he wanted to support Wounded Wear which helps out our troops with prosthesis and other medical conditions that require specialized clothing.
The plan was to adapt elements of today’s date as well as the sacrifices of Naval Special Warfare personnel into the event. Over the course of the day our shooter will accomplish 79 shots on target, one for each NSW member lost in action or training since 9/11. He will fire the rounds from a custom built Remington 700 built by a SEAL Sniper. Each shot will be from 911 yards. The expended brass will be organized into bags with the name of the NSW individual that the scoring impact was fired for and be presented to the relatives of the fallen. The name of fallen warrior that the shot commemorates will be annotated on the target beside the hit.
Once the firing is completed later today, the target will be sent to artist Ellwood T Risk to be turned into a unique piece of art. He is known for incorporating targets into some very amazing stuff. The Original will be auctioned off at the upcoming Hold ’em for Heroes poker run sponsored by Wounded Wear in order to raise money for that cause.
Look for additional details here on SSD about the original art, the auction, and the Hold ’em for Heroes Poker Run.
The company formerly known as Blackwater has once again changed its name. Prior to selling the company to its current owners, Erik Prince changed the name to the innocuous “Xe.” The point was to adopt a low profile name that didn’t stand for anything in particular in order to help soften public opinion of the company. It didn’t work.
The history of names used by Blackwater is monumental – Blackwater aka Blackwater USA aka Blackwater Worldwide aka Xe (services) aka US Training Center. There are a couple of other entities that are affiliated with Blackwater as well, like Paravant and Greystone.
But, the new owners have been working hard behind the scenes to change the lineup in the firm and how it does business. Their bid at a name change comes only after a lot of internal hard work. This new name is intended to signal to the world that this isn’t the same old Blackwater.
In a statement to CNN, CEO Ted Wright said, “The message here is not that we’re changing the name. The message is that we’re changing the company, and the name just reflects those changes. We have new owners, a new board of directors, a new management team, new location, new attitude on governance, new openness, new strategy – it’s a whole new company.”
Their latest name? Academi.
