Category Archives: SWAT

Revision Military Announces Batlskin Modular Head Protection

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Randall

Revision Military has sent out a press release debuting their new Batlskin Modular Head Protection.  This gear may seem pricey, but I think it will be the future of helmets for the Military and SWAT teams.  As with most new technology, the cost per unit will probably come down as there are advances in materials and production processes.  I think this will be a more common look in ten years. Randall Essex Junction, VT, USA (May 4, 2012) – Revision Military, a world leader in protective soldier solutions, announces the much anticipated retail debut of its Batlskin Modular Head Protection System. Designed for use with the Advanced Combat Helmet (ACH), … Continue reading →

Posted in SWAT, Technology | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

A Few Words on the SWAT Attitude

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Randall

I have been talking lately with a few SWAT guys about their perspectives of their different tactical teams.  What I am hearing is nothing new.  While I won’t go into politics or particulars, I will say a central theme in my many discussions has revolved around attitude. Not as in Attitude with a capital “I’m a badass SWAT guy, so blah, blah, blah.”  Attitude, as it relates to a positive approach to training for and execution of high-risk operations.  A shared bad morale will destroy a Team from the inside out. To address some of the myriad complaints I have heard, if you are focused on your agency’s shortcomings related … Continue reading →

Posted in SWAT | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Video Games Can Aid Police Training

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Randall

Do you wander around your house, punching out your finger-gun from the low ready, practicing room clearing?  Sure you don’t; neither do I.  And I’ve only been embarrassed about it a couple of times.  I think many of us seek out opportunities to practice our skills whenever we can. First-Person Shooter video games take us on exciting missions in exotic locales.  The danger is not real, but the format is much like a simulator for teaching search techniques.  While not a scenario trainer like, say, a FATS machine, an FPS game can give you reps in considering tactical angles and problem solving. In the confines of a video game, you … Continue reading →

Posted in SHOT Show, Street, SWAT, Tactics | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

New Benchmade 176BK SOCP Knife Review

Posted on March 6, 2012 by Randall

U.S. Military Special Operations Forces operators needed a purpose-designed knife for urban close quarters battle, based on their experiences with house-to-house fighting in the Sandbox.  Special Forces Combatives Program (SOCP) developer Greg Thompson made it happen. Thompson, a trainer of SF soldiers for over 12 years and Director of Training for the XVIII Airborne Corps in Ft. Bragg, NC, collaborated with the Benchmade Knife Company, Inc. to produce what he felt was the solution to an edgy problem. The Benchmade 176BK SOCP dagger is made for low profile carry, ease of accessibility on a combat load-out, and pure function in CQB.  Sounds like something useful to domestic SWAT operators and … Continue reading →

Posted in Knives, Officer Safety, Street, SWAT | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Miami SWAT Officer Cleared in Shooting; State Attorney Questions Policy

Posted on February 24, 2012 by Randall

It was New Year’s Eve 2011 and Ofc. Maurice Sodre was part of a mobile nine-man Miami Police Department SWAT team detailed to assist MPD road units with shots fired calls or other emergencies based upon the holiday. At approximately 0145 hrs on 1/1/2011, the detail, driving in two black unmarked Ford Excursion SUV’s, responded to the area of 1st Place and 15 Street in Overtown for a report of shots fired.  As they approached the area, the officers saw four males at the intersection, one of whom began to walk, and then run, northbound. The male, Lynn Weatherspoon, was ordered to stop by several of the responding SWAT members.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal, SWAT | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

What Do You Carry In Your SWAT Gear?

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Randall

I was rummaging through my very old SWAT ballistic vest the other day in the garage.  Some odds and ends in the main MOLLE pouch included: A Gerber Multi-Plier, Benchmade A.F.O. autofolder, two AR-15 mags, two Sig .40 cal. mags, flex cuffs, Streamlight Stinger, two spare TASER cartridges, ballistic glasses, ear protection, Nomex gloves, Nomex balaclava, latex gloves, window punch/seat belt cutter, lensatic compass, AA Mini-Maglite with red lens, notepad and pen, about 50′ of black paracord, spare flashbang pin, chalk, and a black Sharpie marker. Most of this gear, or older stuff just like it, had been my standard load-out for over twenty years of tactical operations.  Though I … Continue reading →

Posted in SWAT | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Spyderco Previews New Pygmy Warrior Knife

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Randall

Back in May 2011, I attended the Special Operations Forces Industry Conference in Tampa, Florida.  At the Vendor Exhibit, I spied the familiar profile of the Warrior combat knife in the Spyderco Booth.  Kristi Hunter, Spyderco’s Government Sales Specialist, allowed me to handle the prototype for their Pygmy Warrior, a scaled down version of the Warrior. I liked the size, weight, and overall ergonomics of this small fighter.  It being the sole prototype at the time, I was more than a little proud to have examined and manipulated it.  The Pygmy Warrior has a definite place as a back-up knife on a SWAT operator’s vest. The Warrior knife has a … Continue reading →

Posted in Knives, SHOT Show, SWAT | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment