Everyone in the tactical community knows of or has at least heard of the name Chris Kyle. Chris Kyle is arguably one of the US Military’s most effective Navy SEAL snipers with a large number of confirmed and unconfirmed kills. This has given him the nickname of “The Legend” or to some he is known as “The Devil of Ramadi.” What a lot of people don’t know is that Chris has a younger brother named Jeff Kyle. Jeff is a retired U.S. Marine, having served from 2000-2008. Earlier in his military career, Jeff was a pistol instructor that trained fellow Marines and foreign military members in many parts of the word including Tanzania, Uganda, Japan, Korea and Australia. Jeff was also deployed multiple times to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. After his military career, he continued to carry on a strong tradition and started his own tactical company (United States Tactical). They make several great products, but let’s take a closer look at their Operator Belt.
Tactical shooting belts are becoming more and more popular these days because they allow the user customize the belt with multiple configurations. No matter what level of marksman you are, a shooter’s utility belt can be a great tool to help you become a better shooter. The Operator Belt consists of an inner belt, that goes on first and provides a snug fit to the pants through the belt loops. Then the outer belt, which can often be padded, uses hook and loop velcro to attach to the inner belt for added safety and security. Many Law Enforcement officers use a concept like this everyday on their duty uniforms, and then add a variety of pouches and first aid equipment to better suit them for responding to emergency calls. There are many tactical belts out there on the market. Most of them are pretty good, I would say always go made in the USA, for many reasons, you’re helping out a local company and the quality is much better.
So my first impression of this belt is that it is lightweight but very well made. Multiple stitching points hold this velcro backed nylon material together to make the belt super stiff but still comfortable. A Cobra Buckle is used to adjust the belt as well as lock it into place so it doesn’t come undone or move around in you while in use. Some shooter’s belts belts can tend to chafe and become uncomfortable while being used, but this one does not. It’s thickness will allow enough room to add other accessories throughout the belt depending on your load out. I have added a tactical punching tool which I carry on the left front of the belt, near the buckle. This can be a great go to weapon for close quarters battle if everything else fails and I need some sort of weapon in a hurry.
I have been using a custom-made holster that I wear on my right hip. It too is made of webbed velcro so it attached for a solid tight fit. I can move pouches around if I need too, but once things are set, they don’t move. On the inside of the outer belt, there is a seam sewn into place so that once the molle gear loops are fastened they do not move from side to side. That’s what I like about it. It’s solid, can take a beating in the field or at the range, and will hold up through any weather condition you put it through. These tactical shooting belts come in a variety of colors and sizes. Everything from multi cam to your standard black. The inner belt runs true to size but keep in mind the outer belt is a little bit long to compensate for added gear. All in all , this is a great product made here in the USA. Follow them on their Facebook Page too!
Author – Chandler Brookins is a former US Navy Veteran with multiple deployments to SE Asia and The Middle East, while attached to many Tier 1 Special Operation Groups. Chandler has also served as a Dallas Police Officer for 3 years, before focusing his efforts on civilian SERE training and security assessments.
