Cloud Companion

An Air Force pararescueman conducts a high-altitude, high-opening free fall jump working during training at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, March 4, 2018. The airman is assigned to the 83rd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron. Air Force courtesy photo

PLATAGATO

Platypus Outdoors decided with the popularity of the Afagato in restaurants globally combining coffee, ice cream and Bailey’s liquor; it was time to bring the small creature comforts to soldiers in the field. Discovering the niche market, Platypus Outdoors saw the need to bring a packable, tactical Platagato Combat ration kit, Allowing soldiers to enjoy […]

Cloud Companion

An Air Force pararescueman conducts a high-altitude, high-opening free fall jump working during training at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, March 4, 2018. The airman is assigned to the 83rd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron. Air Force courtesy photo

Cloud Companion

An Air Force pararescueman conducts a high-altitude, high-opening free fall jump working during training at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, March 4, 2018. The airman is assigned to the 83rd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron. Air Force courtesy photo

Cloud Companion

An Air Force pararescueman conducts a high-altitude, high-opening free fall jump working during training at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, March 4, 2018. The airman is assigned to the 83rd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron. Air Force courtesy photo

US Marine Corps to Assess Boots at Parris Island

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. — In an effort to continually improve the clothing and equipment Marines are issued, Marine Corps Systems Command will conduct an assessment to see if lighter boots can improve recruit performance. Plans are to compare two lighter boots to the Marine Corps Combat Boot during a recruit training cycle at […]

Handgun Training: Grip Pressure

30-second tip: What is the handgun right grip pressure for each hand, to ensure accuracy and consistency? The answer might surprise you.

Episode 6 • Beers With Benchmade #940

Grab a beer with Benchmade every week! It won't be fancy, but it'll be a good time. LIVE on Facebook & Instagram at 4:30pm PST every Friday! Tune in to ask us your knife questions! https://ift.tt/2ApKEMU https://ift.tt/2ExE608 https://ift.tt/2HOavBN

Cloud Companion

An Air Force pararescueman conducts a high-altitude, high-opening free fall jump working during training at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, March 4, 2018. The airman is assigned to the 83rd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron. Air Force courtesy photo

North Dakota Police Department Selects the SIG Sauer P320

SIG Sauer Inc. has announced that the Bismarck (ND) Police Department has selected the P320 striker-fired pistol as its handgun of choice.

The city commission approved the purchase of 140 SIG Sauer P320 handguns equipped with X RAY3 pistol sights, for faster sight acquisition under all lighting conditions.

"The department needs to replace our handguns due to some documented malfunctions and reliability concerns over the last couple of years," said Bismarck Police Chief Dan Donlin, speaking of their current sidearm.

Employing its cadre of certified firearms instructors, the department conducted extensive testing of firearms from three manufacturers. According to Chief Donlin, the decision was quickly narrowed down to the SIG Sauer P320 based on performance and reliability.

"The SIG Sauer, in the majority of opinions, provided a lot more overall comfort and handling in the varying hand sizes of our officers," Donlin said, noting the modularity of the P320, with its three sizes of grip module to choose from. "The SIG, out of the box, was very accurate."

"SIG Sauer is very proud to have been chosen by the Bismarck Police Department," said Tom Jankiewicz, Executive Vice President, Law Enforcement Sales. "The P320 was chosen because of its modularity, accuracy, and most importantly its reliability. These officers put their lives on the line, and we're humbled to have our products chosen to help keep them safe."

 

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Cloud Companion

An Air Force pararescueman conducts a high-altitude, high-opening free fall jump working during training at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, March 4, 2018. The airman is assigned to the 83rd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron. Air Force courtesy photo

Innovation Showdown awards top prizes to Bounce Imaging, Veterans MFG and DetectaChem

COLLEGE STATION – Three companies won the top prizes in the “Under Fire Response Innovation Showdown,” an event which drew 20 innovative public safety technologies to College Station and Disaster City®. The winners were Bounce Imaging, Veterans MFG and DetectaChem. They were among the nine companies who made it to the final round in the […]

Cloud Companion

An Air Force pararescueman conducts a high-altitude, high-opening free fall jump working during training at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, March 4, 2018. The airman is assigned to the 83rd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron. Air Force courtesy photo

Cloud Companion

An Air Force pararescueman conducts a high-altitude, high-opening free fall jump working during training at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, March 4, 2018. The airman is assigned to the 83rd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron. Air Force courtesy photo

Air Force Secretary Wilson highlights space mission at AFA breakfast

Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson discussed the importance of space pertaining to national security during an Air Force Association Breakfast March 30, 2018, in Washington, D.C.

Exercise Obangame Express 2018 Starts

Exercise Obangame Express 2018, which is sponsored by U.S. Africa Command, is designed to improve regional cooperation, maritime domain awareness, information-sharing practices, and tactical interdiction expertise to enhance the collective capabilities of Gulf of Guinea and West African nations to counter sea-based illicit activity.

Combat Support Hospital Flexes Mobility, Ingenuity

The 256th Combat Support Hospital has been identified as a Ready Force X unit, which are Army Reserve units expected to maintain a readiness posture that would allow it to deploy within days or weeks. The 256th CSH is postured to be the next hospital to be deployed.

ADS Ft Bragg Warfighter Expo – Step In Visor by Ops-Core

Ops-Core has refined their Step-In Visor which is designed to work specifically with the geometry of the FAST line of helmets. The visor works like goggles, but without an edge seal, providing eye protection. It also sits very close to the eyes so they can be used with night vision systems. The new buckle allows […]

Marine Corps Commandant Looks to Improve Readiness

The defense budget will allow the Marine Corps to accelerate its modernization efforts in aviation and increase the number of Marines in the cyber and information warfare sectors, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Robert B. Neller said.

Baton Rouge Chief Fires Officer who Shot Alton Sterling

Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul has fired one of the officers involved in the 2016 fatal shooting of Alton Sterling, a 37-year-old black man, and suspended the other officer. 

Officer Blane Salamoni has been terminated effective today, and Howie Lake II has been suspended for three days, Paul said at a Friday evening press conference. 

The administrative decision came as the department also released the officers' body camera videos, which captured the shooting from start to finish, the Advocate reports.

 

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Video: San Francisco Police Release Footage of Deadly Barber Shop Shooting

VIDEO: San Francisco Police Release Footage of Deadly Barber Shop Shooting

San Francisco police have released body camera footage of a shootout that killed a suspect and injured five other people, including an officer, inside of a barber shop, CBS San Francisco reports. The video was shown during a tense town hall meeting where there was conflict even between members of the family of the 21-year-old man killed.

Police did not disclose who shot the four other people who were injured. It remains unclear from the chaotic and graphic body camera video. One of the victims suffered life-threatening injuries, however, police say all of victims have been released from the hospital.

According to Capt. Valerie Matthews, the shooting happened on March 21. Family members had reported that Jehad Eid was threatening them, flashed a gun and was trying to break into their garage. When police arrived, the family said he had gone to the barber shop. 

Eid stood up and shot at the officers upon their arrival. Two officers returned fire, shooting 26 bullets at Eid, who then shot nine rounds from a .40-caliber handgun. He was struck 18 times.

 

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Accused New York Cop Killer Said He Wanted to “Scare” Trooper

The Fort Drum staff sergeant accused of killing New York State Police Trooper Joel R. Davis last summer during a domestic incident is headed to trial in the fall.

On Wednesday, Justin D. Walters appeared in Jefferson County Court for an evidence suppression hearing in which a trooper testified that Walters told him he “was just trying to scare him” when he allegedly shot Trooper Davis in the driveway of the defendant’s County Route 46 home last July.

Walters also is accused of shooting his wife, Nichole V., 27, multiple times, killing her at their Theresa home on July 9 and injuring her friend, Rebecca Finkle. Trooper Davis was responding to a domestic incident. Finkle has since recovered from her injuries, the Watertown DailyTimes reports.

 

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Exercise Obangame Express 2018 Starts

Exercise Obangame Express 2018, which is sponsored by U.S. Africa Command, is designed to improve regional cooperation, maritime domain awareness, information-sharing practices, and tactical interdiction expertise to enhance the collective capabilities of Gulf of Guinea and West African nations to counter sea-based illicit activity.

Combat Support Hospital Flexes Mobility, Ingenuity

The 256th Combat Support Hospital has been identified as a Ready Force X unit, which are Army Reserve units expected to maintain a readiness posture that would allow it to deploy within days or weeks. The 256th CSH is postured to be the next hospital to be deployed.

Marine Corps Commandant Looks to Improve Readiness

The fiscal year 2018 budget will allow the Marine Corps to accelerate its modernization efforts in aviation and increase the number of Marines in the cyber and information warfare sectors, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Robert B. Neller said.

Cloud Companion

An Air Force pararescueman conducts a high-altitude, high-opening free fall jump working during training at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, March 4, 2018. The airman is assigned to the 83rd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron. Air Force courtesy photo

Air Force Secretary Wilson highlights space mission at AFA breakfast

Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson discussed the importance of space pertaining to national security during an Air Force Association Breakfast March 30, 2018, in Washington, D.C.

ADS Ft Bragg Warfighter Expo – Wild Things Active Flex Jacket

I observed several visitors to the Wild Things booth and everyone was interested in the Active Flex Jacket. The jacket is highly breathable and intended to keep you warm and dry in spite of high aerobic activity. Weighing in at 2 lbs, it features a Tweave Durastretch Soft Shell and Polartec PowerStretch liner, but the […]

Strikes Continue Against ISIS in Syria, Iraq

Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve and its partners continued to target the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, conducting 11 strikes consisting of 12 engagements, Inherent Resolve officials reported.

AF Week in Photos

This week's photos feature Airmen from around the globe involved in activities supporting expeditionary operations and defending America. This weekly feature showcases the men and women of the Air Force.

ADS Ft Bragg Warfighter Expo – DRIFIRE

DRIFIRE exhibited their newly improved FR Sports Bra and Boy Short. In addition to some design changes for increased comfort and support, they also introduced their Prime Fabric with increased stretch to the garments.

How Cities Should Handle Ransomware Attacks

First it was Atlanta, then Baltimore. In a matter of days, hackers launched cyberattacks in both cities, hobbling the 911 emergency response system in Baltimore and crippling a wide swath of city services in Atlanta, knocking out Wi-Fi at the nation’s busiest airport and forcing city workers to keep records with pen and paper.

No evidence has emerged suggesting the attacks are connected. But in both cases the hackers used ransomware, which encrypts a victim's files and then sends a digital ransom note demanding money to decrypt them.

In Atlanta, hackers demanded $51,000 in the cryptocurrency bitcoin. City officials declined to say whether they made the payments. Baltimore officials didn’t release details on the ransom amount.

The attacks are part of a fast-growing market in computer hacking. In a 2016, the FBI reported major uptick in ransomware attacks, with more than $200 million in payments to hackers in the first three months. That's almost 10 times the amount paid during the same period in 2015. Since the beginning of 2018, the SamSam ransomware -- which was used in the recent Atlanta attack and shut down the Colorado Department of Transportation for several days last month -- has raked in more than $1 million from 30 organizations.

The FBI advises organizations hit by ransomware not to pay. There are no guarantees the hackers will return the hijacked data. And the agency argues that paying off hackers only encourages more attacks, Governing reports.

Government agencies, says Tom Gilbert of cybersecurity firm Blue Ridge Networks need to do a better job of partitioning their networks. Not every piece of data needs to be shared and not every department needs to be open to the internet.

“The absolute critical aspects of an operation really have no business being directly connected to the internet," Gilbert says.

 

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Taiwanese Exchange Student Accused of Planning School Attack

An 18-year-old exchange student from Taiwan was arrested Tuesday night for allegedly "threatening to shoot up" a Pennsylvania high school, local police said.

According to the Upper Darby Police, the suspect, An Tso Sun, had a slew of items in his home including: a military-style ballistic vest; high-powered crossbow with scope and light; arrows; 29 rounds of 9mm ammunition; a strangling device; a "military" ski mask; and ear protectors for firing.

Authorities also found a school-issued iPad that allegedly showed Sun was searching weapons like AK-47s and AR-15s, Yahoo News reports..

 

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Former FBI Agent Charged with Leaking Classified Information to Press

A former Minnesota FBI agent has been charged with leaking classified information to a journalist, reportedly pertaining to a series of articles published by online news site The Intercept.

Terry Albury, an airport counterterrorism liaison, was charged this week by the Justice Department for “knowingly and willfully” transmitting documents and information relating to national defense to a reporter, Minnesota Public Radio reports.

He was also charged for refusing to hand over documents to the government, MPR News reports.

Albury’s attorneys, JaneAnne Murray and Joshua Dratel told Time their client was “driven by a conscientious commitment to long-term national security and addressing the well-documented systemic biases within the FBI.”

 

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Team MultiCam Releases Next Video in Ambassador Profile Series Â

Brand Ambassador, JD Potynsky Documentary Profile Premiers this Month Brooklyn, NY, March 30, 2018 – MultiCam®, the combat-proven, complete family of concealment solutions for those who demand the best, has announced the next video in their Team MultiCam® Brand Ambassador series with the release of the JD Potynsky Documentary feature. This next video in the […]

Clark Family Plans to Sue Over Fatal Police Shooting

Lawyers for the family of Stephon Clark said they plan to file a federal lawsuit as soon as Friday over his death in a police shooting, CBS News reports.

Clark, a suspect in vehicle break-ins was killed March 18 in a low-light confrontation with two Sacramento police officers at the end of a foot pursuit. The officers reportedly mistook his cellphone for a gun.

The family also announced Friday the results of an autopsy performed by a specialist they hired. Clark was hit eight times out of the 20 shots reportedly fired, the independent expert reported, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Dr. Bennet Omalu conducted an autopsy days after Clark was killed by police. He told reporters that his examination showed that Clark was hit by eight bullets, and all but one entered while his back was facing police.

The county coroner's official autopsy results are not expected to be completed for several weeks.

 

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Alien Gear: The Modular Holster

The ShapeShift Modular Holster System from Alien Gear is just that, a system. The ShapeShift starter kit comes with all the parts necessary to make four holster configurations: a standard inside-the-waistband (IWB) holster, an appendix IWB holster, an outside-the-waistband (OWB) belt slide holster, and an OWB paddle holster. Reviewers have compared the system to a Lego kit for people who need concealed carry options.

Alien Gear founder and CEO Thomas Tedder says the ShapeShift modular holster concept grew out of the company's switch from thermoforming its holsters to making them from injection-molded polymer. "At the same time that we started using injection molding, we also built an engineering department with the goal of making our parts better, and we started experimenting with design," he says.

The company's expanded engineering capabilities also included rapid prototyping on high-end 3D printers. Tedder says he set a goal of producing a stronger shell with a smaller footprint than thermoformed shells. The shell is the envelope of material that actually covers the gun in a holster. "The shell we developed was barely larger than the handgun itself," he says. "And once we got that shell shrunk down, we came to realize that it could do just about anything really well. It could be mounted in a variety of configurations." That shell was the foundation for the ShapeShift concept.

But it took about two years from idea to engineering to prototyping to create the ShapeShift system that is now on the market. "We went through hundreds and hundreds of iterations of designs," Tedder says. "That's the benefit of our fast prototyping capabilities. We can have an idea, 3D model it, 3D print it, test it, and later that day reject it and have a new prototype to test."

One of the reasons the ShapeShift went through so many iterations is that Tedder insisted that it be comfortable to wear. "That was the main project of one of our engineers for a whole year," he says. "We wanted to get the cut of the fabric and the design of the plastic just perfect. So I'd wear it for a while, and I'd tell him it was 'pinchy.' He got really tired of hearing that. But the result is that this is the most comfortable and concealable holster system on the market."

Tedder says the key to making the ShapeShift comfortable is not just its smaller size compared to similar holsters. "It's flexible and it's breathable," he says. "We put a neoprene backer on our holsters to make them easier to wear, and the neoprene is perforated so it breathes."

In addition to its comfort benefits, Tedder says the ShapeShift offers substantial economic benefits to Alien Gear customers. "Why buy four complete holsters for as much as $200 (total) when they are the exact same shell with different backs? For under $100, our starter kit lets you carry in four different configurations with one shell and four backs."

Alien Gear offers much more in the ShapeShift line than just the starter kit. The company currently offers all the holsters in the starter kit for individual purchase as well as an ankle holster, a MOLLE holster, a drop leg holster, and a backpack holster. "You can buy one holster and every expansion kit will work with it," Tedder says. "People really love buying the expansion kits. We have customers that buy each expansion kit as it gets released." Tedder says the company plans to release five or six new ShapeShift expansion packs later this year.

www.aliengearholsters.com

 

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LE Victories: Score 2 for the Good Guys

There's a line in the Leonard Cohen's song "Everybody Knows" that says: "Everybody knows the war is over. Everybody knows the good guys lost." Fortunately, that's not always the case. The good guys don't always lose the war.

Last month the good guys in law enforcement scored two major victories in the war against evil. I say evil because these victories were not over street criminals looking to make an easy buck or gain power; they were over people who just wanted to inflict as much death, terror, and pain on society as they possibly could.

I'm referring to the victories over the serial bomber who killed and injured people in Austin, TX, out of no known motive and the active shooter who was stopped by a school resource officer before he could rack up a major body count at a Maryland high school.

We can't officially call the Austin serial bomber a "terrorist" because we have no evidence that he acted out of ideology, but he clearly terrorized the people of the city and its suburbs. There's nothing more frightening than knowing someone in your city is killing people at random because the next victim could be you. And there's nothing more difficult for the good guys to investigate than random killings because… Where do you start? Most murder victims knew their killers; they had personal or business relationships with them or they were rivals for personal or business relationships. Most other murder victims were killed in the act of another crime such as a robbery. The random killer is a great rarity. Thank God.

A massive amount of resources were poured into finding the Austin bomber. More than 500 officers were involved in the hunt for clues and suspects. The team was led by the Austin Police Department, but it also included officers and agents from the Texas Department of Public Safety, the FBI, the ATF, and other agencies. These officers got their man through a combination of dogged police work that involved long hours of examining evidence and the use of high-tech equipment to track the suspect and process the clues. On the human side, you can imagine how bleary-eyed the investigators were as they searched through mountains of receipts looking for someone who bought the components used in the bombs. On the high-tech side, the team used forensic tools, cellphone tracking, and even a Texas DPS aircraft that was designed for watching the border.

In the end all of this work and technology paid off, as the team was able to identify a number of possible suspects. And they were able to narrow in on a prime suspect when he was recorded on video shipping packages at a FedEx store. That video taken the day before a package blew up in a FedEx plant outside of San Antonio was the break the officers needed to close the case. They were able to locate the suspect in his SUV in a parking lot. He drove away and Austin SWAT made a felony stop on I-35. As they closed in to make an arrest, the suspect killed himself with a bomb that was fortunately not powerful enough to harm the officers. Score one for the good guys. POLICE salutes all the officers who worked this case.

The Maryland high school incident involved a single school resource officer from the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office engaging a school shooter. Unlike a Florida SRO who I won't mention by name in this commentary on law enforcement victories, Deputy First Class Blaine Gaskill responded to the shooter by running to the sound of gunfire. Sadly his response was too late to save one student from being killed and another from being wounded. But he likely saved many lives when he opened fire on the 17-year-old gunman who shot and killed himself during the confrontation.

There are those who want to say Gaskill didn't end the threat at Great Mills High because the gunman shot himself. Those people are idiots. Gaskill used every bit of his training to engage the gunman, forcing him to choose from three options: surrender, shoot it out with the officer, or kill himself. Score two for the good guys. POLICE salutes Deputy Gaskill and all the other SROs who would charge toward the sound of gunfire to save kids

 

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