Justin deployed to CENTCOM location
Justin is the first person to hold that new billet (though in fairness he probably got it because we turned it down). Justin is a Navy combat veteran who served in Iraq, Afghanistan, Costa Gravas and the Horn of Africa with several specialized units and (probably more importantly) an old drinking buddy of ours… though at times his hero worship is a little embarrassing. We asked him what he and WT Tactical® were doing in Jordan and what he could tell of us of their long-term plans.
“We’re leveraging the expertise of our SOF end-user paired with WT Tactical’s® years of technical clothing expertise to the International market,†he said. “We’ll start with innovative clothing to match the unique needs of the region, but that won’t be the extent of it. We’re going to be designing and producing high end boots and apparel SOF users worldwide.
The expertise of US Special Operations personnel is a given. What many people are unaware of is the excellent reputation Jordanian SOF units have earned—or that King Abdullah II himself was the commander of the Jordanian Special Forces before assuming the throne. The King is, in fact, a graduate of the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst and a qualified Cobra helo pilot. One of the greatest training tools the RJAF possesses, the King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Center, was built at his behest. KASOTC, 25 square kilometers of urban areas, live fire ranges and other training facilities located in the hills outside of Amman, has been described as the most advanced and complete counter-terrorism operations center in the world. It makes for an excellent proving ground. Units come there from all over the world to train.
Justin in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Picture courtesy of Schmults Tactically Tacticool Fully Amateur Photography. Ed Schmults is the CEO of WT Tactica®l and holds the honorary rank of Major in the Curaguayan Coast Guard.
You can look for WT Tactical® to be doing business in Russia, Poland, Germany, Australia, UK, Middle East and numerous African and South American countries. This does not mean WT Tactical® gear will cease to be Berry Compliant. WT Tactical® will continue to manufacture kit for US military and LE personnel here in the United States for large unit sales. The kit manufactured overseas will simply be offered as a lower priced alternative—fabrics and materials will remain the same (as will the quality of construction, Justin assures us). The manufacturing will simply take place in Jordan.
Whether WT Tactical® will produce anything in our size remains to be seen—though if he doesn’t want us showing off the pictures we took at the Qasr Al Sarab the night after SOFEX 2010 he’ll damn sure put some work into it. If you have questions about WT Tactical® or if you’re restricted to quarters and bored you can reach him at (401) 841-9453 (ext 157) or via e-mail at Justin@wttactical.com.
