Private Military Contractor - October 2014

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Darren FraserContributorDavid WestContributorDale StrawbridgeContributorCol. Gerry Schumacher (USSF Ret.) ContributorSimon ChambersAuthorScott Dube Mad4ArtArt DirectorDaniel EastesInternational EditorNigel StreeterUK Editor

Thanks to Fire Base Alpha for contributing to this issuse of PMCI.

PMCI Magazine is a digital-only publica-tion, published bi-monthly and available FREE OF CHARGE via the PMCI app on the following platforms: Apple iOS, Android, Windows 8, Windows Phone and online.

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Wyche Innovation Centre, Walwyn Road, Upper Colwall, Malvern,Worcestershire, WR13 6PLTel: 01684 878 003Web: www.pmcimagazine.com©Calibre Publishing Limited 2014

CLetter, idea or question?

Got something to say? A question for our experts? An article or article idea? Drop us a line and let us know. Either email the editor ([email protected]), write to us at the Calibre Publishing address above, or talk to us on Twitter or Facebook.

PHOTO CREDITS: Authors where applicable, Shutterstock.com, Istockphoto.com

Page 4 Kit Reviews: Gear Plate Minus 2

Page 5 Kit Reviews: Spped Cross / Pellican Case 1510 LOC

Page 6 Book Review: Desperate Glory

Page 8 Lifestyle Reviews: GPS, Laptops, Chargers

Page 10 Kabul Compound Attack

Page 14 Make The Right Turn, By Ben Hockman

0 Accessories: Flash Lights, Tourniquet, Shears, etc

Page 22 Sights And Optics

Page 24 Meet The Manufacturer: SNUGPACK

Page 30 Maritime and Security Jobs

Page 36 Fitness: Situps

Page 36 Training: Close Protection and First Aid Courses

October 2014, V1 N3

footwear

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tacticalkit clothingIf you wear 5.11 Tactical® you share a mindset of being prepared.

With any mission, threats and conditions often change quickly.

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Copyright © Calibre Publishing 2014. All rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocop-ying, recording or otherwise without the express permission of the pub-lisher in writing. The opinion of the writers do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. The editor reserves the right to edit submissions prior to publication.

Thank you for downloading this Edition of PMCI, the FREE digital publication dedicated to PMC Operatives. PMCI is written by individuals with first-hand knowl-edge and experience of the sub-ject they write about - people like Col. Gerry Schumacher (USSF Ret.), author Simon Chambers and ex-TL Dan E, all of whom have an intimate understanding of what the role entails and the day to day challenges faced by PMCs. Future issues of PMCI will provide a platform to review and discuss the things to matter to all of us, such personal equipment, training, employment and life-stylestyle management - and these are also our core fundamentals. We hope you enjoy this Sample Edition of PMCI and if you have any feedback or comments, or would like to contrubute to future issues, please let us know by email to: [email protected]

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KabulCompoundAttackBy Steve Barret

footwear

torches

bags

tacticalkit clothingIf you wear 5.11 Tactical® you share a mindset of being prepared.

With any mission, threats and conditions often change quickly.





TRIED AND TESTED BY MILITARY PROFESSIONALSWORLDWIDE

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Blue ForceGear Plate Minus 2

his plate carrier has been in our grubby mitts now for around two months and I have used it around the streets of Karbul and what a difference the new plate minus has made to my working day! The Version 1 was good but I am lov-ing the Verson 2 and right from the start you can tell it’s been made with Operators in mind.

The shoulder straps are thin enough that you don’t feel like

you are wearing anything and like the rest of the rig’s material, you know that it’s lightweight and strong. Like the old version this one has the same Molle system and if (like me) you are used to standard systems, you will think it looks a bit strange but after a while you can see that it makes sense to cut down on material and weight.

The sides come with the cummerbund already attached, so you don’t have to shell out more dosh and like the rest of the rigs from Blue Force it’s got velcro fastening - again good quality and will last you as long as you have the rig.

I have had a few different rigs in my time and this fits better than most and it’s very comfortable for a full day’s work. It sits high enough so it’s not sitting on your knee when you’re in a vehicle and the sides don’t cut in to you.

I am not going to go in the full specs of the rig as you can get them off the website from Blue Force Gear but it’s been cut right and has everything you need for a good rig. I am a large in most things in life and got a large Plate Minus and the fit is spot on. One thing though, if you are a kit monster like me you will have to get the pouches from Blue Force as well as they don’t look right if you mix and match but I didn’t care as I need everything new anyway. My hard plates fitted straight in and there is even room in this rig for side plates to all be 6x6.

All in all a good rig that will not let you down and 3 months down the line you will not be thinking “I wish I bought then other one!”

T

Soloman Speed Crosshave had these Cross Trainers for a couple of years now and they have never let me down. I was a bit sceptical at first about the difference between them and using a shoe for the specific task that I was doing and going for a cross shoe.

At first glance they look like any other trainer out there but you quickly spot the differences, like the tread which you can see it is good for not collecting a lot of mud in damp conditions and making the shoe heavy un-derfoot. The lacing system is pretty unique to Salomon, it’s a good tight fit and a lot easier to undo and put on - so it’s a thumbs up for the lacing system as well.

The makeup of the materials of the shoe have not been spared either. It’s lightweight and if you do end up running in a damp en-

vironment then yes, they do let a lot of water in and your feet get wet - but they also dry out very fast.

I have a wide foot and a high instep and the Speed Cross 3 takes both of these prob-lems in its stride (no pun intended) and you get the full support that you would expect from a fuller shoe.

If you like to do a lot of outdoor chal-lenges and you work in hostile environments, then you will not go wrong with this type of shoe. They last a long time and are worth the investment. One downside though, is if you have a heavy foot and are prone to wearing the tread down on shoes, then you will go through a few pairs.

Salomon are constantly making improve-ments to the shoe so watch this space for the military versions coming out.

Pelican Case 1510 LOC

f you are looking for a case that will last you years then look no further the PeliCase. It is the number one case in the world and 1510 LOC makes for a good cabin case. I’ve used this now on a few flights and never had a problem with getting it in the overhead lockers on the plane.

The case its self is made to the highest stan-dards, as you would expect from Peli and from the outside it looks no different from many of the other cases they make (apart from having a handle for easy walks around some of the ever growing size airports out there). The case is

made from strong polymer and has two securing buckles for keeping it shut - they can be a bit hard to lock but that says the case is air tight.

The difference with this case is on the inside; it has handy compartments for all your kit - in the lid you have two compartments, one large which will hold up to a 15 inch laptop and the other is for your power cable and it all fits nice and neat.

The other side is the deep-sided. There is one large compartment and this can be used for clothes and a few larger things like camera and chargers. You can fit a wash kit and one change of clothes in there and a pair of shoes but that’s it. Well, it is a cabin case.

Wrapped up in the same strong shock proof rubber lin-ing and once closed its going to take a lot for anything to get damaged inside. It’s airtight and waterproof so if like me you have around $3000 worth of kit in your case, you be assured it is safe and sound which, for around $200 is well worth it.

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LIFESTYLECOMMS & TIME

HELIKON-TEX_Level 7, AIRSOFT ACTION ISSUE 33 Marz, right pageCYAN, MAGENTA, YELLOW, BLACK

The LEVEL 7 is lightweight winter jacket which provides insulation and protection against frost, wind and light showers. Climashield® Apex™ provides thermal insulation and ultimate warmth. Two

chest pockets are lined with � eece to provide protection against frostbite.

The hood can be easily adjusted without removing hands from the chest pockets via

two drawstrings located there.

Climashield® Apex™ insulation (grammage: 100g body; 67g hood).

Desperate Gloryby Sam KileyBloomsbury Publishing PLC / RRP: £7.99 (paperback)

Kris Roberts reviews award-winning journalist Sam Kiley’s book about his time in Helmand with Britain’s

16 Air Assault Brigade

had been looking for a book detailing the British experience of the current conflict in Afghanistan for some time. For some unknown reason, most of the books I’ve read these past few months have focused on the American point of view and I was eager to re-dress the balance and bring my attention back to Blighty. I’d a copy of Desper-ate Glory sitting on my shelf for nearly a year, so I decided that this was the perfect time to dust it off and give it a go.

Sam Kiley is an award-winning journalist who, over a twenty year career, has covered conflicts around the world, including Somalia, Rwanda and Sierra Leone to name a few. With such a track record he was perfectly suited to

follow the 16 Air Assault Brigade into Helmand Province for a six month tour. A tour which would take him to the front lines of a vicious and ruthless combat zone.

Kiley was granted unprecedented access to all ranks, from the Brigadier in command down to the Rifleman on the ground. As such he was able to offer a broad view of the situ-ation that faces our troops on a daily basis, and the demands that are placed on them not only from the enemy, but from a government thousands of miles away.

“I’ll freely admit that I was in bits reading about the Corporal who kept talking to his dead friend as he dragged his lifeless body along a drainage ditch and away from enemy fire”

As a witness to the war rather than a participant, Kiley is able to provide the reader with a larger canvas to view than the one offered by a firsthand personal account. Because of this he can cover different events and details and combine them as a whole, so that what we are left with is not only a bigger picture, but a deeper perspective. What with him being in a position to observe soldiers in action, from aggres-sive patrols into enemy areas, the static defence of Forward Operating Bases, and the large scale convoys that are used to bring supplies, Kiley gathers together a wealth of information and experience from various fighting men and women.

The fighting itself takes centre stage throughout the book, and Kiley doesn’t shy away from highlighting the brutal reality and extreme violence that takes place. We are introduced to the soldiers, listen to their stories and opinions as the author interviews them, and then read in horror as some are killed in action just a few days later.

Kiley manages to deal with the matter of fact issue of life and death in a balanced and compassionate manner, taking time to show the emotional and psychological effects that the war has on the troops. I’ll freely admit that I was in bits reading about the Corporal who kept talking to his dead friend as he dragged his lifeless body along a drain-age ditch and away from enemy fire.

What becomes really apparent as the book moves on are the restrictions placed on the troops that, while serving to placate the gen-eral public back home in the UK, are nothing short of tactical lunacy. I appreciate the need for political consideration and that hearts and minds must be won at home as well as among the local population but for the soldier on the ground, whose life is at risk, the frustration must be unbearable, and Kiley does well to show these frustrations from a fighting man’s point of view.

Gripping, thrilling, insightful and often heart-wrenching, Desper-ate Glory manages to show the horrific nature of war and how, despite the odds, remarkable men and women thrive and excel themselves in the most adverse of human endeavours. A must read for anyone looking to further their understanding of what modern warfare entails.

I

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LIFESTYLECOMMS & TIME

HELIKON-TEX_Level 7, AIRSOFT ACTION ISSUE 33 Marz, right pageCYAN, MAGENTA, YELLOW, BLACK

The LEVEL 7 is lightweight winter jacket which provides insulation and protection against frost, wind and light showers. Climashield® Apex™ provides thermal insulation and ultimate warmth. Two

chest pockets are lined with � eece to provide protection against frostbite.

The hood can be easily adjusted without removing hands from the chest pockets via

two drawstrings located there.

Climashield® Apex™ insulation (grammage: 100g body; 67g hood).

8

Garmin Fenix he Fenix has been around for a while now but Garmin are releasing a military version all in black with a few upgrades. I have had the Fenix for around three months now and I can say that I am converted it’s a GPS and a watch all thrown in to one which saves me a hell of a lot of space, time and batteries.

The watch is charged up by USB from the mains or a laptop and a full charge in watch mode can last up to 4 weeks when used in conjunction with the GPS at times for things like grid references it knocks it down to around 2 weeks depending on how you use it but saying that all you do is put it on charge over night at the end of the week and its charged again ready to go.

The functions of the watch do take abit of getting your head around and the logic if not used to this type of device can get you a bit worked up but once you have got it then your set up. It has different ways of displaying the time and date to suit preference and you can set it up in different modes i.e. Mountaineer-ing and so on. You will need to have a play around with to find out which one best suits your needs but Mountaineering is the one I have put it on as it allows me to be able to have a one button press to get the grid up on screen. It has the normal stop watch func-tion time and date and compass, the best bit though is the GPS if like me you have had a watch and a decent one at that and a gps in your pocket of grab bag well this combines the two in one and the gps is very quick and very accurate. You can turn it on and off while leaving the watch function still active. When the GPS is on I have no problems in obtain-ing a gps signal while inside a B6 armoured vehicle and not with my are up against the windscreen it

Tgets while just sat in the car normally and it finds the satellites very quickly. You can set up which gps screens you want to see just like you do on a handheld and which order you want to see them in then it’s a simple case of just pressing the up or down buttons on the right hand side of the watch which makes it very simple indeed. I have mine set up for Afghanistan with the MGRS Grid system and the right datum’s and the screen is big enough unless you wear jam jars to be able to read it off the screen very well.

Maps can be found on the internet for the Fenix but I would advise to do some of your own testing first and load the maps on one by one as it can slow the watch down to a crawl and the more way points you put the worse it gets but just for a normal map say of Kabul of Kandahar will be just fine and you will get the roads up on the screen, it’s not a TomTom by any stretch of the imagination but it’s not supposed to be but you do get basic maps on it and way points but who needs that out there in this roll I don’t know, it’s the grid reference to hand or wrist in this case that matters and it will get you as close a grid reference then any GPS out there on the market. I good kit bag buy this watch you will not go wrong with it. For more info see Garmin’s website and for prices shop around abit I got mine for a very good price.

SurfacePro 3 aptops and tablets play a major role in the job we do today, they are a means of communi-cating with home and a place to order kit. If like me you have gone through a few laptops in your time working away, you must be sick and tired by all the new models that come out on a regular basis.

Out now is the new Microsoft Surface Pro 3 which combines a tablet and a Windows laptop. We have had one for a few weeks now and all I can say is its very impressive.

Until now a tablet has been very limited and you have not been able to do what you to with a normal laptop. Until the MS Pro 3. It’s a 12 inch tablet which, when combined with a keyboard, turns in to a fully functioning laptop. The tablet itself does not come with a keyboard and we would recommend the Microsoft keyboard that’s made for the Surface. It’s a bit pricey but worth it and works very well.

On the tablet you will find a USB 3 port and a Micro SD card slot; not the world’s gratest amount of ports but it just about does for what you will need when working away.

Starting up the machine (either in tablet form or lap-top) it boots really fast with the 8 GB of RAM onboard and Windows 8.1, then you are into normal Windows like before. With a built in webcam and headphone socket it makes for an all-round machine… Just what we have been waiting for!

It comes with Microsoft Office already installed so there is no need to buy and that’s a plus. Prices are still a bit steep but they should come down in time, like every new laptop that comes out. We don’t think you will go wrong with this little work horse.

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By Steve Barret

n July 2nd 2013 at 04:30am Taliban at-tacked the compound in which myself and my colleagues live in and this is my point of view of the events as they happened. If someone reading this knows of other details I have omitted I apologise.

The night before the attack hap-pened our PM (Project Manager) bought us all pizza and soda drinks as a “Thank you” for a good rotation,

as he was due out the next morning on his leave. He also encouraged us to be extra vigilant whilst he was gone due to the fact we had seen several different people dicking (watching) our movements in and out of our base location.

After sitting with the full team and with banter flowing really well, we decided to call it a night, at which point we dispersed back to our rooms in two different accommodation blocks to do whatever it was we needed to do. I went away and phoned my wife and children and then went to bed.

At 04:30hrs I was wo-ken by a massive blast and it took me a couple seconds to realise what happened. At the time, I thought it was an IDF rocket or mortar attack as

O I had woken up and seen my window fly across the room and smash into the wall next to my bed. The roof tiles came falling around me, everything was smashed and glass and kit lay everywhere with dust filling the air outside and inside the building.

Hurrying to get all of my kit on, I remember I could not find my trousers (which would have been embarrassing had I gone without them), so I grabbed a baggy pair of shorts - which was certainly not ideal but I had no time as rounds where already being fired at close quarters to my position. Once kitted up and ready I moved to my room door and opened it a crack to get eyes on down the corridor. I saw a colleague doing the same drills as myself across the corridor, we both had no idea what had happened however the attack alarm was sounding. I think the explosion

and two way range said it all.

Having practiced this drill many times there was no need to ask for orders or look to see if the other people were doing their jobs correctly, so leaving my col-leagues to tend to the clients I moved for-ward to the exit door to get eyes on the area outside. Once my col-league had the clients in place and ready to

Having practiced this drill many times there was no need to ask for orders or look to see if the other people were doing their jobs correctly, so leaving my colleagues to tend to the clients I moved forward to the exit door to get eyes on the area outside.

12

move we moved out to secure the bunker for them, then we signaled to the lads to bring the clients forward to the bunker. Once all our clients were in position and we had moved out to positions around the area of the bunkers to lock the place down, we were then faced with dealing with various casualties coming to our location in different states of shock and a range of injuries. These people were pushed back to our medic who was doing a sterling job dealing with all these people.

At the same time this was happening our second block (where the rest of our clients and rest of our Pro-tection team lived) was going through the same drills and once everyone was in place and all clients had been checked for injuries and a roll call had been taken, our PM started cutting about putting his own mind at ease that everyone was where they were meant to be.

Information starting filtering through to our position via different means that our perimeter had been breached by a very large VBIED (Vehicle Born Improvised Explosive Device) and two insurgents had made it through the breach. They were running around that area throwing grenades and causing as much death and destruction as possible. The QRF had split into two flanking teams and while the insurgents were being held in that area by a heavy rate of fire by other security personnel, they moved around outside the insurgent’s field of view allowing the lads to engage from multiple positions.

We had to deal with some requests that I personally had not thought of i.e. escorting clients to a safe area so they could relieve themselves in relative privacy. Also one of the main requests was to find the client’s phones, which had been lost in the confusion, so they could inform the necessary people (and loved ones) as this incident was already on the news and we were stuck in the middle of it.

One of the lads then pointed out that there were a few body parts lying around the area and we had to make sure the clients where not exposed to this, as there was no need to make it worse for them than it already was. Whilst all this was happening there was a heavy fire fight going on where the Camp QRF and spate Security personnel where being engaged by further insurgents outside of the camp perimeter. Two of our lads moved forward to the edge of the closest building to check the state of the lads defending the wall, as the

wall had been breached over a section roughly 40 meters long, up to the tower that separated that area from our blocks (which was very lucky for us). As soon as they looked around the cor-ner they were greeted with a burst of heavy machine gun fire. I must reiterate at this point, that the firefight between our blue forces and the insurgents that had not managed to get through the breach was still going strong.

Our PM then made the decision to pull all of our clients and security team back to the rear bunker, situated about 40 meters further back from the first bunker and, as practiced, we fanned out to form a secure perimeter for them to move. When we were all positioned some of the lads started escorted the clients back and our PM oversaw the movement.

Once every one was counted into the bunker and a new perimeter was pushed out we could reevaluate our situation and position. At this point we were informed of some of the fatalities that had fallen in the initial explosion and immediate attack thereafter. Some known to us better than others but there was still a great sorrow felt by all and I am sure their memory will live on with us.

All the while we were making sure the clients where as happy as could be and a constant supply of cigarettes and water was main sought-after thing.

It was now roughly 08:00hrs and the external fire fight had come to a close. The QRF teams started the sweep of every single inch of camp and buildings to ensure that all threats had been terminated within our camp.

We then had two teams of lads detach from the bunker defense to do our own room to room clearance in our blocks. Once every single room had been cleared and the QRF had given the all clear after dealing with the two insurgents inside the perimeter, everyone was called forward to the area designated for the US Military QRF call sign for another casualty check. There was also a Chaplain here who was consoling people who needed help dealing with everything they had just been through and witnessed.

Given the threat of a secondary device with so many people in one area straight after an incident of this size, we pulled back to our block areas and after making sure everyone was OK we pooled our resources and everyone donated for a makeshift breakfast outside. I must say mine consisted mainly of smokes and coffee and after we had eaten we carried supplies to the lads who had manned the breach in the wall throughout this incident.

I would like to take this opportunity to hit home the point that had it not been for the quick reactions of all persons involved and the training carried out to react to such an incident, the end result could have been vastly different and much worse.

14

have got off plenty of planes in hotspots around the world, particu-larly in Latin and Central America and I never feel quite as uneasy as I do in Caracas.

The sultry Venezuelan Capital is a witches’ brew of simmering apathy, chaos, resentment and exhaustion, making it one of the world’s most dangerous cities, with an estimated murder rate of 122 in every 100,000 citizens. Like so many far-flung des-tinations, it´s actually a beautiful city.

Business or holiday travel has never been easier, or

more dangerous.

Colombia based security expert and consultant for a leading global risk management firm, Ben Hockman, shows how staying safe is all a matter of being smart

By Ben Hockman

I Mountainous, near the sea and sunny all year round. Not that I ever have any time to enjoy it!

Every business traveller has their own “Caracas”; that particular corner of the world that you know reasonably well and yet where the feeling of uneasiness that hits when you touch down never leaves you.

The endless search for alpha takes business into ever more obscure, dangerous reaches of the planet, where the lure of a first-mover advantage can outweigh concerns for personal safety. Cheaper air travel has also never made it easier to hop on a plane to close a deal and spending on business travel will rise about seven per cent this year, to roughly USD1.18 trillion, according to the Global Business

Travel Association. Likewise, holiday destinations have become ever more exotic as couples and families seek to escape the crowds and find themselves that unforgettable pearl not yet “spoiled” by the mass market.

Pandering to this, too often the economists will package countries as “emerging” or “frontier markets” and Travel Agents will coo over yet another palm-fringed paradise, with no indication of the civil and societal challenges these destinations face; their huge imbalances of wealth, high unemployment and disillusioned youth, embedded corrup-tion and maladministration, the lack of transport and health infrastructure. All those factors that make visiting them not simply challenging, but potentially hazardous. That is where people like me come in.

In an ideal world, we are employed to ensure problems

never arise. In this world, we are sadly too often employed once things have already gone beyond the point of no return. In the first half of this year alone, risk management firms have assisted hundreds of clients in crisis situations, from Latin and Central America to Africa, the Ukraine and the Middle East. Civil unrest in Venezuela; tourist attacks in Kenya; foreign missions evacuating from Libya; separatism in the Ukraine; indiscriminate violence in Israel and Gaza; a coup in Thailand; street protests in Hong Kong; drug-related violence in Mexico; an Ebola virus in west Africa… As well as the catastrophic impact on local populations, these events in the past few months have caused a series of knock-on risk management related issues for thou-

sands of foreign tourists and expatriate personnel. Apart from direct physical risk, being on the ground increases the chances of cancellation of flights and legally questionable detention.

Yet the world keeps on turning and you have to keep on travelling further afield. China is likely to surpass the United States in business travel spending by 2016. In such an interconnected world, it is es-sential not to leave your trip planning to somebody else. You have to be involved in how you are going to manage your own and your family’s safety. The purpose of this article is to try and provide a few things to think about before you leave, so that you don’t ever have to face a worst-case scenario when you’re abroad.

LogisticsJust like the Private Equity industry, think in

terms of “exits”. If you know your route into a coun-try, you should plan your route out simultaneously and give yourself plenty of backup exits and means of transport, if the primary route fails.

Do your homework before you travel and make your baseline the advice of your Foreign Ministry, which will likely have a presence on the ground. Understand the kind of terrain you will be travelling to and through; the tragic loss of MH017 is a harsh reminder that even the skies are not secure. Check the safety record of the airline you are travelling with and the route it will fly. What is the age of its fleet, for example?

The endless search for alpha takes business into ever more obscure, dangerous reaches of the planet, where the lure of a first-mover advantage can outweigh concerns for personal safety.

16

If you are travelling with a Security Detail, will they un-derstand the operating environ-ment at your destination and act within it? You have every right to challenge every single one of their assumptions, until you are happy with their approach.

A businessman friend of mine recently travelled to La-gos and after shopping around, he eschewed the high-profile (and expensive) armed police, screaming-siren escort usually offered to visiting executives and opted instead for a single ex-pat Nigerian, who lived outside the country but knew the operating envi-ronment perfectly. The guy was not al-lowed by local law to carry a weapon but compensated for this with a low-key approach and ability to sniff out trouble before it happened. A pre-trip planning meeting in Europe, to run through all routes and meeting locations so that they could be reconnoi-tred in advance, gave added confidence to the client during the operation and the in-dividual gained his trust quicker than a local operator would have done if he had only been meeting them for the first time on getting off the plane.

Establish primary, second-ary and tertiary routes wherever possible for all ground trans-portation during your visit (on one operation in the US I had to rely on a sixth choice evacu-ation route!). Ensure that any particular security hotspots and support points, such as Hospitals and Police Stations, have been

identified in advance on all your routes. Finally, don’t be so naïve as to think that a Security Detail will solve all your problems and that you can switch off. One of the major findings to come out of Statoil’s investigation into the In Amenas Refinery attack in Algeria, was the asset’s over-reliance on local military and not enough attention paid to strong management processes and systems, training within the company and intelligence-sharing with other international bodies.

CommunicationsEfficient communications are not only vital during the planning and realisation

of any trip but also in your ability to respond effectively in the event of an emergency. Calling for help is arguably the single most important thing you can do in a crisis; newspapers love stories of family members being able to effect dramatic rescues of loved ones, once notified of their distress by Facebook, Twitter or SMS from a remote location. On the flip side, when communications fail the results can be disastrous.

Following a shooting spree at Los Angeles International Airport in late 2013, what hindered first respond-ers was not knowing which Terminal the firing was com-ing from. The phone system and some panic buttons in-side Terminal 3 were not working properly and the first call to airport police was not completed because the caller ran for safety before they could say exactly where they were (and the phone system itself could not track where the call came from).

Many of us will simply be relying on our cell phones but a spare, portable, fully charged phone is the least

you might want to include. If you know your destination, identify any cell or other data black spots in the area you are visiting and make sure you have a backup plan if your cell phone fails to function effectively when you reach where you are going.

Before you leave, establish agreed communication procedures with your office or your family back home. These do not need to be complicated – simply a promise to text or call at a prearranged time. Furthermore, brief them on what to do if they do not hear from you. Not always a nice conversation to have, but essential.

In remote, high-risk locations, you will probably be using satellite communica-tions rather than GPRS but you need to have a plan for what happens if your phone is taken off you. Make sure that whoever is sending you has the ability to continually track your whereabouts. A range of easily affordable, commercially-available and unobtrusive personal tracking devices are now on the market, enabling data to be sent over GPRS and satellite networks to trusted contacts. On one particularly risky job, I spent three days with a tracker wedged into a fairly intimate part of my anatomy. I´m sure its location didn´t facilitate the signal but it was the only option! I’m not saying that you should go that far but you could consider putting a small tracker into an item of clothing or luggage when working in or travelling to hostile environments.

Efficient communications are not only vital during the planning and realisation of any trip but also in your ability to respond effectively in the event of an emergency. Calling for help is arguably the single most important thing you can do in a crisis.

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Personal SecurityWhen I read about the tragic death of Venezuelan

beauty queen Monica Spear and her British ex-husband Thomas Berry, in January 2014, I felt physically sick. It was a tragic example of being in the wrong place at the wrong time and underlined the vulnerability that travel-lers face, even when they know the local terrain well. I had travelled that road myself - an eight-hour ribbon of danger linking Caracas with Punto Fijo - on numer-ous occasions, always with an armoured vehicle and driver. The road was notoriously bad, dotted with crime hotspots and slums on either side. At night, the risk of violent assault increased and so did the danger of wild boars and cows wandering into the path of fast-moving cars. Worst of all, the 3G signal regularly dropped. I did that journey out of obligation, with all other transport options exhausted.

Some aspects of a trip you may have relatively little control over but the one thing you are in charge of is your own conduct and you should always be thinking how to decrease the risk of being singled out as a target. Leave the Guidebook in the hotel if you are heading to an unknown area – tear out or print maps and other pages that you think you may need. When out and about in urban environments, think about your positioning on the street (not too close to the curb, but not hugging build-ings either). Try and minimise conspicuous displays of wealth: Do you really need to take that chunky Rolex out with you, or can it be left at home in favour of a less showy timepiece, such as a good old Casio Mark I? And don’t overindulge in a public place that you will need to navigate your way home from.

If trouble arrives, don´t be a hero. A football pundit at Brazil’s World Cup found himself haring down the street after a petty criminal although given the level of gun crime in Sao Paulo, I can’t endorse this course of action. Reaction, or self-defence, arguably encourages reaction as opposed to prevention. In contrast, when I was held up at knifepoint in Bogota I gave my mugger exactly what he wanted, mainly to get him away from my wife. This included my passport, three days before I was due to fly home to see my family for the first time in more than a year. While a passport is replaceable, no matter how annoying the bureaucracy may be, a perfo-rated stomach is not.

Whoever you are and whatever your background and experience, understand the law as it relates to self-defence in the country you´re visiting. Consider attending a workshop in the basics of personal security awareness. If you are working for a large corporate in a part of the world, such as Venezuela or Russia, where the state and business interests are intertwined, you might want to think about switching it up a notch and understand how

to spot basic surveillance and strategies to counter it. Having spent time on protective security details in parts of Central and Latin America knowing that you are being watched and that one false move could cause problems, is not a pleasant feeling but one I would rather know about in advance than not.

Think about your digital footprint in a world where cyber-theft and illicit exchange of personal information is becoming the fastest-growing criminal frontier. Consider how you make your travel reservations, how you pay for them, what information you include on your lost luggage labels. Limit, as far as is possible, the amount of details you either actively or passively divulge to third parties, as you never know where they may end up. You should actively engage with the local community, of course, but beware of persistent requests for personal details or patterns of behaviour. They are most likely completely innocent but can equally be easily deflected to minimise risk. Finally, never, ever travel by road at night through known trouble spots, unless no other options are open to you.

EmergencyResponse Procedures

In the unlikely event all your planning fails you, it will be vital to devise an emergency response plan that ensures that the unexpected has already been planned for. Your response plan should consider, first and foremost, communications and health-care. Part of the reason I feel safer when at the office in Bogotá is not because it is intrinsically any less dangerous that other places in Latin America but because I know where the 3G network func-tions (and where the blackspots are), I know where the Hospitals are located, which ones have advanced trauma facilities and how long it´s going to take me to get to them. That is some reassurance in an unpredictable operating environment.

“Crisis Management” may sound excessive but you have to go down the road of contingency planning, no matter how inno-cent your trip may appear. For a business, a crisis management team would be made up of senior individuals from various areas of the business (a Board Director, Head of Security, HR, various specialists). For a family holiday, your “team” would be your family back home, who know where you are and know what is expected of them in the event there is a crisis while you´re away. Families can be left with detailed lists of instructions, emergency procedures and contact numbers. A professional crisis manage-ment team should have formalised procedures and receive regular training, including red-teaming a variety of scenarios. The first twelve hours following any crisis are critical, and knowing what actions you will take is essential.

Evacuation PlanningAt the extreme end, evacuation might be called upon

in the event of anything ranging from a medical emergency to a military coup. However, “evacuation” could also in-volve safely leaving a vessel. Do not assume that people in positions of authority will give you the right advice, or will have practiced drills for the kind of crisis situation you are facing. The evacuation of the Sewol ferry off the coast of South Korea in April 2014 was badly botched by senior officials, who failed to recognise the scale of the problem. The Captain of the Costa Concordia, rather than manage the orderly and safe exit of passengers from his ship, decided to leave them to their own fate in the waters of the Mediterranean while he fled the scene.

During the recent unrest in Venezuela, I supported various clients in building safe rooms and creating country evacuation plans by land, sea and air. One of the scenarios we had to consider was a military shutdown of ports and land borders, as well as the refusal to allow aircraft to refuel. If this had materialised, with no easy route out, the recommended course of action may well have been be to “hunker down” rather than attempt evacuation im-mediately.

If you decide to stay put, you need to be secure and have access to some sort of safe room, with its own internal locking system and multiple modes of communication. It needs to be well-stocked with non-perishable food and bottled water and you will need to keep with you copies of all your relevant travel documents, visas, and tickets, for the moment you decide to leave. Having reviewed the residences of some extremely high net-worth clients to check their safety, I am always surprised by how frequently such easy, positive, security measures are overlooked.

I have two final pieces of advice. First, in spite of any training course you have ever

been on, no matter how much advice has been thrown at you, forget everything you have learnt in a classroom and trust your instincts. They will most likely be right. But here’s the funny thing; the more experienced I get, the more my instincts change.

Finally, the world is a stunning, beautiful, exciting place that is there to be experienced and enjoyed. As communications improve and distances shorten, we are able to get to places only accessible to a select few a generation ago.

Never lose that sense of hoping for the best, otherwise there is no point boarding the plane - but always plan for the worst.

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PETZL Tactikka + eadlamp with CONSTANT LIGHTING technology for hunting and fishing. 140 lumens max

The TACTIKKA + headlamp is designed for activities where stealth is key: hunting, fishing, nature watching...

Its mixed beam (wide base with fo-cused component) is adapted for proxim-ity lighting and movement. Red lighting for stealth when necessary.

CONSTANT LIGHTING technol-ogy: brightness does not decrease gradually as the batteries are drained. Maximum brightness is 110 lumens, with a range of 50 meters. Boost mode allows temporary access to a brightness of 140 lumens (60 meters).

www.petzl.com / £35

Surefire G2X Tacticalhe G2X Tactical is a compact yet powerful polymer-body flashlight designed specifi-cally for tactical use.

Providing simplicity of operation and tremendous il-luminating power in a small package, it uses a high-effi-ciency LED - virtually im-mune to failure since there’s no filament to burn out or

break - to generate a brilliant, penetrating, per-fectly pre-focused 320-lumen beam.

The G2X is activated by our classic tactical tailcap switch - press for momentary-on, twist for constant-on. The tough Nitrolon® polymer body is smoothly sculpted for a comfortable, secure grip and resists scratches, abrasion, and corrosion. A polycarbonate micro-textured reflector deliv-ers a comparatively wider beam with generous peripheral light.

We also make an aerospace aluminium-body version of this light, the 6PX Tactical and a dual-output version with a two-stage click-type tailcap switch, the G2X Pro.

Features• Virtually indestructible LED emitter regulated to

maximize light output and runtime• Precision micro-textured reflector creates smooth,

optimized beam• Tough polycarbonate window resists impact• Tough Nitrolon® body, anodized aluminum bezel• Tactical tailcap switch—press for momentary-on,

twist for constant-on• Weatherproof—O-ring and gasket sealed• Includes high-energy 123A batteries with 10-year

shelf life

www.surefire.com

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Blue Force Gear Tourniquet NOWStrap M-TNS

ne of the most effective and sim-plest life saving devices - every warrior, no matter what field of operation, should have at least one tourniquet readily available.

The Tourniquet NOW!™ Strap provides a low profile, se-cure and quickly accessible tour-niquet holder that can be mounted on any MOLLE platform where 3

vertical MOLLE loops are available. The elastic loops can fit a variety of NATO style tourniquets such as the SOF-T, CAT and other similar sized tourniquets.

The elastic loops of the TNS can fit smaller sized tourniquets, or other items such as flex cuffs. The Tourniquet NOW! can be installed on top of the Trau-ma Kit NOW! or on either side of the Admin Pouch.

www.blueforcegear.com

Leatherman Medical Shears edical shears with multiple tool. The Leatherman Raptor features the necessary tools for uniformed professionals to safely and quickly go to work in an emergency situa-tion. Developed with the input of special operations medics, EMTs and fire professionals the Raptor has just the right balance of features for medical - specific ops without an overkill of tools to complicate

sometimes life-threatening situations.

Tools:• 420HC Stainless Steel Medical Shears• Strap Cutter• Ruler (1.9 in / 5cm)• Oxygen Tank Wrench• Ring Cutter• Carbide-tip Glass Breaker

Measurements:• Shear Length: 1.9” (4.8cm)• Closed Length: 5” (12.7cm)• Weight: 5.8oz (164g)

www.leatherman.com

MT

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AimpointMicro T-1 4 MOA Night Vision Compatible Sight

No matter the mission, law enforcement officials and soldiers know that the size and weight of their equip-ment i s a

critical factor. With the Micro T-1, Aimpoint has created an aiming system that provides the performance of the company’s renowned full-sized sights in an incredibly compact package.

The small device can be used as a standalone sight and can also be piggybacked on top of larger magnifying scopes, night vision, or thermal imaging optics.

www.aimpoint.com

Bushnell AROptics 2x MP Illuminated Red/Green T-Dot Reticle Riflescope, 2x32mm

he ultimate low-light performer; easily fits on tactical rifles and shotguns with an in-tegrated mount for Weaver-style rails.

For fast target ac-quisition and accura-cy in dim conditions,

there’s nothing like a red dot and no one makes them like Bushnell. Fea-tures include illuminated red/green T-dot reticle, 2x optics for fast target acquisition in low light, built-in mount for Weaver-style rail, multi-coated op-tics, Amber-Bright high contrast lens coating, 100% waterproof/fog proof/shockproof construction, dry-nitrogen filled and CR2032 battery.

www.bushnell.com

TrijiconACOG TA01

he concept is simple; a durable scope with a reticle that illuminates in low light situations - and the best part is that it doesn’t require batteries.

Over 25 years lat-er, the original ACOG stands the test of time and remains one of our

most popular items. ACOG 4x32 Scope with Full Line Red Illumination fea-tures black crosshairs during daytime and tritium illuminates reticle at night.

The reticle ranges out to 800 me-ters for 5.56 (.223 cal).

The TA01 also includes:

• 1 Carry Handle Screw and washer set (TA30)

• 1 4x32 Scopecoat (TA64) 1 Lenspen (TA56)

• 1 Trijicon Logo Sticker (PR15)• 1 ACOG Manual• 1 Warranty Card

www.trijicon.com

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EOTech EXPS2ffering true 2 eyes open shooting, a transversly mounted lithium 123 battery and 7 mm raised base offering iron sight access, the new EXPS2 features easy to adjust side buttons and an adjustable, locking, quick detach lever for easy attachment and removal.O • Reticle is a 65MOA circle with 1 MOA aiming dot

• Single transverse 123 battery to reduce sight length• Shortened base only requires at most 2 3/4 inch of rail space• Battery cap and latch are eliminated and replaced with a simple O-ring, teth-

ered cap; better sealing is achieved• Battery compartment is now separated from the base to allow it to hover over

the delta ring of the rifle• Average battery life at brightness level 12 is roughly 600 hours• Side buttons with an adjustable, locking, quick detach lever for easy attach-

ment and removal

Operation• Optics: Transmission holography - parallax free• Magnification: 1x• Eye Relief: Unlimited• Length/Width/Height: 3.5”x2.4”x2.8” (91.4X 60.9x71mm)• Weight: 11.2 oz (317grams)• Temperature: -40 to 150 F• Waterproof: Submersible to 10 ft depth• Sealing: Fogproof internal optics• Adjustment (per click): 0.5 MOA (1/2” at 100 yds)• Adjustment Range: +/- 40 MOA travel• Mount: 1” Weaver or (MIL-STD-1913) rail. Adjustable for width variation• Return to Zero: Repeatable to within 2 MOA after re-mounting

Heads-Up-Display Window• Optical Surfaces: Anti-glare coating• Window Dimensions: 1.20” x 0.85” (30 x 23mm)• Front Window Material: 1/8” solid glass• Rear Window Material: Shatter resistant laminate (3/16” thick)• Field of View (100 yds): 30 yds (28m) at a 4” eye relief

Electrical• Brightness Adjustment Range: 146,000:1 brightest to lowest• Power Source: (1) 123 lithium battery• Battery Life: 600 continuous hours at nominal setting 12• Brightness Settings: 20 settings with scrolling feature• Auto Battery Check Indicator: Flashing reticle upon start-up• Auto Shut-down: At 8 hrs- programmable to 4 hrs

www.eotechinc.com

24

A WorldwideSuccess Story

It all began with a deep sea diver in the 1970s. Bill Thom-

as takes a look at a British company that has grown from

a kitchen table to become World-renowned brand.

f you want a British… No, make that a Global success story, then you really have to look no further than Snug-pak. Relied upon by civilians and military personnel around the world for their technically advanced sleeping systems and clothing the Yorkshire based manufacturer continues to innovate in their specialist fields.

Where did this story begin you may ask? In the late 1970s a deep-sea diver working on the oil rigs took note of the trend amongst American col-leagues for their love of body warmers and insulated vests. He and

his wife believed that this would be something that would also catch on in the UK and taking a leap of faith, they decided to start making similar garments themselves. Bryony Harris, Director and Co-founder of Snugpak, taught husband Brett Harris, Com-pany Chairman to sew. Together they produced some experimental body warmers and jackets.

The couple both had full-time jobs so every spare minute of their downtime was spent making as many garments as possible. With the help of outworkers a cottage industry was born. In those early days production stood at just 15 jackets per week, but in 1977 the couple decided to invest what money they had into G & H Products Ltd (which later became Craghoppers) to gain more outdoor business experience. Two years later they made the decision to branch out on their own with Snugpak. Although still making insulated clothing they realised that if the new company was going to be successful they would need to manufacture products with year round appeal, rather than the

seasonal body warmer. Sleeping bags were the logical choice.By 1984 the company had grown and the number of

machinists had increased to seven; by 1986 sales had grown so strong the company had to move to larger premises. The company moved down the road to a Grade II listed old woollen mill in Silsden where they remain to this day.

Brett knew that the way forward for the company was through innovation. Man-made sleeping bags using synthetic

fill rather than traditional down were large, heavy and bulky. Down though loses most of its insulative properties once wet - not an ideal product for the ends envisaged - so a synthetic alternative had to be found. Brett wanted to produce a cheaper, man-made equiva-lent to the expensive down filled sleeping bag and in 1987 Snugpak launched their Softie 6 and Softie 12 sleeping bags into the market. I recall seeing one of the original models and being amazed at the tiny pack size and light weight in comparison to their competition. The two bags were the smallest synthetic sleeping bags on the market and sales rocketed. Today

the Softie range consists of many different models all based on this initial idea but they have been constantly upgraded as new insulation and fabric technologies have emerged.

Now firmly established in the camping and outdoor mar-ket, word started to spread within the military about the superior

I Now firmly established in the camping and outdoor market, word started to spread within the military about the superior performance of Snugpak sleeping bags and insulated clothing and it was not long before olive green options of the products were widely available.

26

performance of Snugpak sleeping bags and insulated clothing and it was not long before olive green op-tions of the products were widely available. When first launched in 1989 the Softie 3 Merlin sleeping bag caused a sensation. A combi-nation of state of the art insulation and a highly breathable space age reflective barrier technology giving 0°c performance with a minimal weight of just 750g and packing to the size of a of a 24 hour ration pack was a revelation! The Origi-nal Sleeka jacket now being used worldwide by tens of thousands of forces personnel is also from this era and is probably still the most popular jacket in the Snugpak range; although it has been updated over the years it still offers an ideal bal-ance between warmth, weight and pack size.

With some superior products and a reputation for performance Snugpak entered the 2000’s in a massively strong position, moving from being a well reputed British manufacturing company into being an internationally recognised brand, twice winning the Queens Award for Enterprise in International Trade. In 2009 Snugpak were visited by Prin-cess Anne. Armed Forces minister Andrew Robathan followed and visited the company in 2013.

Key Models and New Technology

With such a vast range of products, from sleeping bags to bivvis and shelters, rucksack covers and accessories, clothing and hats it would be impossible to cover what Snugpak offer in just a single article so I’ll break things down into two parts, clothing and then sleeping systems to give sufficient detail.

I mentioned earlier that the original Sleeka jacket first came into being nearly thirty years ago now but this jacket model has a huge reputation and fans worldwide. De-signed with every possible benefit

in mind, the Sleeka Original has become a best-seller and for good reasons. The Paratex Light outer shell makes this jacket lightweight, windproof and water repellent but importantly, it’s also breathable with great moisture wick-ing away from the body. The inside is filled with Softie Premier for warmth with a finer, softer, more durable insulation. Fondly known simply as “The Softie”, this jacket has been tried and tested in every kind of outdoor activ-ity and in every conflict since the Falklands War. Many have tried to emulate it, but there is only one truly original, high performance, mid layer insulated jacket. I would guess that many of you reading this will have a “Softie” of your own already!

Not content with this though, Snugpak were soon making jackets and salopettes that would become market leaders in their own right, and we’ve seen such models as the Sasquatch, the Blizzard and the Ebony enter the range over the years. A new series of products brings things bang up to date with the very latest fabrics and technologies available.

Building on the success of their thor-oughly “tried and tested” jackets Snugpak have worked hard to bring an inspired new innovation to its clothing collection. The latest generation of insulated jackets are manufac-tured using their exclusive Softie Premier insulation. The mid-layer jackets are warm, water resistant and windproof, making them the ideal choice for a variety of situations.

The warmest jacket in the collection is the SJ9, which uses “Softie 9” Insulation. It features a full time insulated hood and Snugpak’s Softie® Premier insulation for ultimate warmth, making it ideal for extreme winter conditions or when stationary for long periods of time. It is available in olive, military black, MultiCam and A-TACS camouflage. I’ve been really pleased to have this model on test and it’s fast proving to be a “keeper”. Over the winter months 2013/2014 I was able to try it in various conditions and, especially when the temperature has plummeted it’s re-ally performed!

Two other models are also available. The SJ6 uses “Softie 6” insulation and has a roll away hood with a brushed polyester inner; it is available in olive, military black, MultiCam and A-TACS camouflage, and is designed to keep the wearer warm in temperatures down to -5°c. The lightest jacket, which keeps the wearer comfortable down to 0°c, is light enough to keep in a pack for use when night falls. The SJ3 uses “Softie 3” insulation and it is available in the same colours as its “big brothers”. The new range is full of innovative features and all have some unique design slants

28

as well as being made to the highest standard with the best fabrics and technologies currently available.

Highly DynamicNot content to offer just thermal garments though, Snugpak

have been using their own, in-house technologies to develop into new areas recently, adding to their already extensive and compre-hensive range with garments designed to take into account more dynamic activities.

Their “2nd Skinz” Coolmax base layers offer direct, next to the skin comfort and performance and are a welcome addition to any clothing system. Perfect for training in wet and windy conditions, The Vapour Active Windtop is a lightweight jacket with exceptional shower proof properties; although there is a neatly fitting hood integrated into the high collar the seams them-selves are not taped so it cannot be called completely waterproof. That said, it’s extremely quick drying and is just a superb piece of emergency “snivel gear” when a fine day turns bad!

Made from Snugpak’s own tried and tested Paratex Micro 100% Nylon fabric, this jacket is breathable and hardwearing but still soft to the touch and extremely light weight (just 280g in XXL!) The design is extremely stream-lined with just a main full length YKK zip closure, two YKK zipped base pockets, elasticated cuffs, and an adjustable bottom hem which means that it can be sealed to keep the cold wind out.

The Vapour Active Windtop compresses down to a tiny size and is easily stuffed into a pouch or cargo pocket until needed; it even comes with its own mesh bottomed stuff sack and when fully compressed is small enough to carry in the palm of your hand. Once again Snugpak have created a piece of gear that should be a part of everyone’s everyday carry kit. Available in Black, Olive, Blue, Mul-ticam, A-TACS AU, and (Range) Red, this is a perfect lightweight jacket that’s not going to break the bank!

Moving it up a notch, the new Vapour Active Soft Shell Jacket is a piece of gear that takes the Windtop shell and adds to it. It’s absolutely perfect for the range on a wet, windy day and it has the same excellent moisture management properties as the Vapour Active Windshirt but in the Soft Shell version. The Paratex Micro outer is teamed with TS1, Snugpak’s’ Thermal Suede lining, which significantly boosts the thermal properties of the jacket by trapping precious still air. Its fine hairs actively seek moisture within the garment to wick it away and aid evaporation.

Worn with a good, long sleeved base layer shirt not only does

the Soft Shell keep the elements out but it really is extremely breathable making it perfect for full speed dynamic training. It’s really two garments in one, and the Thermal Suede Lining is both lightweight and extremely comfortable. The Jacket pares back features to a necessary minimum with just two base pockets, neatly trimmed cuffs and a hood that rolls away into the collar when you don’t need it. All of this weighs in at just 440g in a size Large so it really doesn’t add any significant weight to your overall load. The Vapour Active Soft Shell Jacket is available in a full range of sizes, XS to XXL, and comes in Black, Olive, Multicam, A-TACS AU, Blue, and “Range Red” so there’s literally something for everyone!

This is an extremely versatile jacket that offers excellent weather pro-tection, and it even comes with its own stuff sack should things warm up! It looks to me like Snugpak have another winner on their hands here, and I’m also looking forward to getting “hands on” with their new Proximity Soft Shell as the weather turns even cooler.

Looking to the Future

Throughout their history Snugpak have never been afraid to “take the leap” and continue to innovate on an almost daily basis. Their gear has been tested to the extreme, and is trusted and revered by anyone that has ever used it.

Their clothing range continues to expand and improve year on year, and it’s very interesting to see them revisiting certain technolo-gies, giving them a completely new slant as they do. In addition to the windshirts and soft shells they’ve also recently released three jackets and an over trouser in Ventile fabric; Ventile in itself is not a new technol-

ogy but what Snugpak have done with it is certainly different! I look forward to testing this and reporting back in due course.

It has been my real pleasure to work with the team at Snugpak over the years, and although they have grown into a world recognised brand they are still some of the nicest and most approachable people in the industry; in the past I’ve gone to them with some strange requests for kit and not once have they let me down. They are a company that continues to do things their own way, and in my mind they are all the better for that!

For further information on the entire range of Snugpak products and the technology behind them please visit www.snugpak.com. You’ll also find full stockist details on their website as well.

Bill Thomas has over 25 years experience working in the outdoor performance sector, more recently dedicating his time to the tactical gear arena. He has worked alongside some of the biggest brands in the market, and tested clothing, footwear and equipment in some of the harshest envi-ronments on the planet, from rain forests to the high mountains. He brings a vast knowledge of the technical and practical aspects of “good gear” and we at PMCI are certainly glad to have him on board.

Throughout their history Snugpak have never been afraid to “take the leap” and continue to innovate on an almost daily basis. Their gear has been tested to the extreme, and is trusted and revered by anyone that has ever used it.

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Maritime Risk Internationalhttp://www.maritimeriskinternational.com/Marsechttp://www.marsec.eu.comMASThttp://www.mast-commercial.comMcRoberts Maritime Securityhttp://www.mcrobertsmaritime.com/Merchant Maritime Warfare Centrehttp://www.mmwc.org/Minimal Riskhttp://www.minimalrisk.co.uk/MSShttp://www.mss-uk.comMTResolutionhttp://www.mtresolution.com/

MUSChttp://www.sps-global.comNaval Guardshttp://www.navalguards.comNeptune Securityhttp://www.neptunemaritimesecurity.com/NNK Grouphttps://www.nnkcorporation.comNYA Internationalhttp://www.nyainternational.comOcean Marshallshttp://www.oceanmarshalls.comOcean Protective Serviceshttp://oceanprotectionservices.com

Oceaneering Internationalhttp://www.oceaneering.com/Olchonhttp://www.olchon.co.uk/Olive Grouphttp://www.olivegroup.com/Orchid Securityhttp://www.orchid-office.com/Oxberry Risk Strategieshttp://www.oxberryrisk.com/maritime_servicesPilgrim Grouphttp://www.pilgrimsgroup.comPilgrim Securityhttp://www.pilgrimsgroup.comPistrishttp://www.pistris.com/Index.html

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If you wear 5.11 Tactical® you share a mindset of being prepared. With any mission, threats and conditions often change quickly.





TRIED AND TESTED BY COVERT PROFESSIONALSWORLDWIDE

Radios can alsobe carried convertly

in most clothing

footwear

torches

bags

tacticalkit

cove

rt c

loth

ing

2

If you wear 5.11 Tactical® you share a mindset of being prepared. With any mission, threats and conditions often change quickly.





TRIED AND TESTED BY COVERT PROFESSIONALSWORLDWIDE

Radios can alsobe carried convertly

in most clothing

footwear

torches

bags

tacticalkit

cove

rt c

loth

ing

34

Protect Asia Grouphttp://www.protectasia.com/PVI Ltdhttp://www.pviltd.com/Raven Special Projects Ltdhttp://www.ravenspecialprojects.comRed Cell Securityhttp://www.redcellsecurity.co.ukRedfour-MSShttp://www.redfour-group.comSaladin Security Grouphttp://www.saladin-security.com/Saladin Securityhttp://www.saladin-security.com/Salama Fikirahttp://www.salamafikira.com/SMSwww.specialistmarineservices.comTor Internationalhttp://www.torinternational.com/Trojan Securities Internationalhttp://www.trojansecurities.com/Orchid Securityhttp://www.orchid-office.com/Blackstone Consultancyhttp://www.blackstoneconsultancy.com/Pilgrim Grouphttp://www.pilgrimsgroup.com/Maritime Risk Internationalhttp://www.maritimeriskinternational.com/International Maritime Securityhttp://www.intmarsec.co.uk/Raven Special Projects Ltdhttp://www.ravenspecialprojects.com/Salamanca Risk Managementhttp://www.salamancarm.comSea Marshalls Ltd UKhttp://www.seamarshals.com

SEALhttp://www.sealsecurity.com/Securescothttp://www.securescot.comSecurewest Internationalhttp://www.securewest.com/Security Networking Eventshttp://snespecialprojects.com/Security Networking Eventshttp://snespecialprojects.com/Securoquesthttp://www.securoquest.co.zaShield Risk Consultinghttp://www.shield.eu/services/maritime-security/Shipguardhttp://www.mss-uk.comSMSwww.specialistmarineservices.comSPShttp://www.sps-global.comTactical Intelhttp://www.tacticalintel.com/Thalassichttp://www.thalassic.co.uk/Tor Internationalhttp://www.torinternational.com/Torcusshttp://www.torcuss.co.za/Triskle TSLhttp://www.triskelservices.comTriton Securityhttp://www.tritoninternationalltd.comTrojan Securitieshttp://www.trojansecurities.comVeritas Internationalhttp://www.veritas-international.com/

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Close Protection Courses recommended by us (UK)http://www.roninconcepts.co.uk/training-courses/info.php?id=590http://www.longmoor-security.com/specialised-training/sia-hostile-environment-cp-training.htmlhttp://www.controlrisks-training.com/http://www.hartsecuritytraining.com/http://www.g4sspecialisttraining.com/training-courses/course-outline/close-protection-officer/

First Aid courses recommended by us (UK)http://www.exmed.co.uk/product/the-medicine-in-remote-areas-course-tm/http://www.merit-training.com/courses/exmed-medicine-in-remote-areas/http://www.paxmondial.com/services/specialist-training-capacity-building/medical-services-training/https://www.specialisttraining.g4s.com/medical-courses/course-outline/tier-1-medic/

If you would like to be added to the list please contact PMCI [email protected]

Muscles Used: Rectus Abdominus (Abdominals or Abs)Equipment Needed: Mat or towel Instructions:

• Lie with your back flat against the floor.• Bend your knees and place both feet on floor.• Place hands behind ears, gently supporting your head, but not holding or lifting your head up. Do

not interlace your fingers together.• Push your lower spine flat against the floor. Pretend there is a zipper holding your lower spine to

the floor (starting position).• Slowly lift your shoulders off the floor, using the strength of your abdominal muscles. As you lift,

imagine you are squeezing your belly button into your spine (lifting position).• Exhale (breathe out) as you lift up.• Inhale (breathe in) as you slowly lower your shoulders back to floor (starting position).• Repeat exercise for required sets.

Situps

Close Protect / First Aid

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Glock Cleaning with TomThe Glock is one of the most popular pistols in the world, and is widely carried by many law enforcement and contractors. The disassembly takes only a few moments and is fairly simple compared to other handguns.

1. Firstly, remove the magazine and make sure the firearm is not loaded. Point the gun in a safe direction and do a visual inspection of the chamber. Also, do a physical inspection with your finger to make sure there is no round. Remember, safety first.

2. With the firearm pointed in a safe direction, pull the trigger and pull the slide back a quarter inch.3. With your right hand holding the slide a quarter inch back, use your left hand to pull down the slide release lock on both

sides. The slide should be unlocked after this.4. Gently release the slide with the right hand, and remove the slide from the receiver. Depress the recoil spring and remove

it from the barrel.5. Remove the barrel.6. Inspect your barrel to make sure your bore is clear. Use a proper size bore brush or a cloth patch with gun sol-

vent to go through the chamber and out of the muzzle side of the gun. You may have to perform multiple passes through the chamber.

7. Use a small toothbrush with solvent to clean the lug areas and all other surfaces of the barrel. Wipe dry with a clean cloth.8. Check your slide for residue. Use a toothbrush to clean the breech face and extractor area. You may have to hold up the

firing pin channel to prevent the cleaning solvents from getting inside.9. Scrub the extractor hook and brush down all other surfaces of the slide. Wipe down the slide with a clean cloth to remove

all solvent.10. Examine the recoil slide and guide assembly for wear and residue. Use a cloth or brush to clean all surfaces. Remember

to remove the solvent when you are finished.11. Use the toothbrush or cloth

to clean all surfaces of the receiver and magazine. Follow with a clean cloth to remove all cleaning residue.

12. Use quality gun oil to gently lubricate the barrel, hood, barrel lug and the inside of the slide as well as the frame rails or slide grooves. This oil can be found at any sporting goods or gun store.

13. Place a single drop of oil under the connector hook (just above the right rear receiver rail) so the oil can travel down to where the connector and trigger bar meet. If not properly oiled, this can lead to “hard” trig-ger pull that can damage the components.

14. Put the pistol back together in the reverse order you took it apart.

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For full details please visit our website at www.hasptraining.co.uk or call Rupert on 07884 001600 or 01202 729068

Have you or your company ever been approached by clients or colleagues to run Hostile or Complex Environment courses?

At HASP, we organise successful training for our own clients, but we are also happy to train your customers under your own banner.

This means that you can outsource to a specialist, professional and discreet company ensuring the highest level of training without diluting your own brand.

All our residential course delegates receive an Emergency First Aid Certificate.

2.5 day course (5 people - £3,800 includes accommodation, all food + EFAC)4 day course (5 people - £6,700 includes accommodation, all food + EFAC)

By prior arrangement we can supply individual Med Packs as well as our bespoke “grab bag”, saving the delegates time and money.

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Private Military Contractor - October 2014

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Transcript of Private Military Contractor - October 2014