Max Carter

Max Carter Max Carter is currently serving in a European army.

Gallery: United States Navy SEAL Teams

The United States Navy SEALs ( SEa Air Land) are the U.S. Navy’s elite SOF. Today’s SEALs can trace their origins to WWII; the Navy needed a specialist unit for covert beach reconnaissance of potential landing areas. Rear Admiral Richard K. Turner directed the formation of nine Underwater Demolition teams. Nearly 200 troops trained at Waimanalo amphibious training base to form Underwater Demolition teams One and Two.

The UDTs first saw action in 1944, and eventually, 34 teams were created. In March 1961, the Chief of Naval Operations recommended the establishment of guerrilla and counter-guerrilla units, and the need for them to operate on sea, air, and land. The first two teams were formed and stationed on the East and West coasts. Today’s Navy SEALs have seen action all over the world and are at the tip of the spear in America’s GWOT.

*Photos courtesy of DVIDS

Photo Gallery: Poland’s elite counter terrorism unit, GROM

GROM is Poland’s elite counter-terrorism unit. GROM, Polish for “thunder”, is named after an elite Polish unit from WWII. In 1982, the Polish embassy in Bern was taken over by terrorists, and after the incident, it was suggested that an elite counter-terrorist unit is established, but the idea was rejected. It was not until 1990 after two Polish diplomats were shot in Beirut the previous year, that the unit was created.

GROM was established to deploy in a variety of special operations and unconventional warfare roles, including anti-terrorist operations and projection of force behind enemy lines. Sławomir Petelicki was the first commander of the unit. and he set up the training and selected the first group of personnel. The majority of the instructors for the initial training were trained by US and UK SOF. GROM’s selection is said to happen every day, and it never ends.

GROM have served with distinction in the War on Terror having been deployed to both Afghanistan and Iraq, and prior to that, the unit has also hunted war criminals in Kosovo.

Gerber Paraframe I Serrated-Edge Knife | Quick Look

Gerber make great knives and the Paraframe is another one of their cool designs. It is a simple design, open frame, titanium-coated knife with a serrated blade. It is very light and the duel thumb studs allow for one-handed opening. The locking mechanism keeps the blade solid when operating.

This knife is light, easily fits in your pocket or can be attached to your belt and its a slim design. Open the blade measures 7″ and just over 4″ closed so it really is a pocket knife, some claim to be pocket knives but are just too bulky to fit comfortably in a pocket. The blade also keeps its edge well and when sharpened it’s as good as new. Many people see the price of this knife and dismiss it as another cheap pocket knife but this is Gerber and their products have high standards, average price is $25 and its backed by Gerber’s Lifetime warranty.

What the manufacturer says:

Overall Length: 7.01″
Blade Length: 3.01″
Closed Length: 4.11″
Weight: 2.6 oz.
Lock Mechanism: Frame-lock
Blade Style: Clip Point
Blade Material: High Carbon Stainless
Blade Type: Serrated
Handle Material: Stainless Steel
Opening Style: One-handed opening

Images courtesy of Dominic Pellegrino YouTube Page

Quick Look: 5.11 Tactical Rush 72 Backpack

As the name says, this is 5.11 Tactical’s 72-hour pack, and yes there is plenty of space in there. The design of the bag is good and all the various pouches and pockets are well layed out.

The pack has a large internal compartment with different pockets inside to allow you organise your kit. There is also a smaller compartment to the front with even more pockets inside of it. Both the main and front compartments have a duel zipper. There is a heavy-duty handle at the top of the pack for quick bug outs.

For those of us who like to look cool and stylish when deployed, there is a fleece-lined sunglasses pocket. Both sides of the pack have large side pooches which are ideal for storing water bottles or quick grab items.

The shoulder straps are well padded, and once adjusted correctly, provide ample cushioning. There is also a waist and chest strap; the waist strap can be folded away when not needed.

One of the best features of the back is the Molle system, which covers most of the pack including the side pooches and shoulder straps. This feature allows you to add or remove extra pouches and webbing depending on the requirements of your task.

Specs From 5.11 Tactical:

Full-featured 72 hour backpack
Ideal for recreational use or as an operational bug out bag
Dual-zippered front and main compartments with molded grip pulls
Multiple integrated organization pockets
Admin organization pocket to store maps, pens, and documents
Fleece-lined sunglass pocket
Internal hydration compartment with hangers and toggles
Cinching waist strap and dual compression straps
Adjustable dual density closed-cell foam shoulder straps
Built from high strength, water-repellant 1000D nylon
2894 cu in, 47.5 liter capacity
Contour yoke system with grab and go handle
Rugged, self-healing YKK® zipper hardware
Integrated drainage grommet

Check it out on Amazon.

(featured image courtesy of offgridweb.com)

‘No Easy Day’ Special Missions Carbine Package

Mark Owens, author of the best-selling book No Easy Day, has worked closely with USM4 to create the No Easy Day Special Missions Carbine package. Owens has used his knowledge and experience as an operator at the “tip of the spear” for over 14 years to create the weapon. Every single piece has been selected by Owens personally and built to exact specifications. It has been built on the MILSPEC platform by Colt and USM4.

The package includes:

– Colt SOCOM upper receiver
– USM4 billet lower receiver etched with the No Easy Day logo.
– Geissele SSA trigger
– Magpul furniture
– Ergo grip
– Centurion rail
– EOTech HSS I sight with matching G33 magnifier
– SureFire M600U Ultra Scout Light
– AAC Blackout flash hider/QD 51T suppressor mount

A portion of the sales will be donated to the Special Forces Association and the Special Operations Care Fund.

Opening image courtesy of USM4.com

Rail Riders Bushwacker Weather Pants

I have been looking around the net for a hard-wearing pair of pants. To be honest, I had never heard of Rail Riders before, but stumbled upon their website and was impressed with their gear. The company is virtually unknown in Europe; I asked some of the guys on my team and they had never heard of them either. Of course, that little-known invention, “the Internet” soon answered a lot of my initial questions. They make quality gear that is tough and built to last. Check out their latest release, the Bushwacker Weather Pants.

Specs from the manufacturer:

2ply 3oz Duralite Nylon
Tough Railtex reinforced seat, knees and back of ankles
Deep front pockets with side-zippered security pocket
Two zippered back pockets
Slanted cross-quad zip-pockets on each leg for easy access and storage
Articulated cell phone pocket
Articulated knees for great fit
D-ring on front belt loop for clipping keys, carabiners, etc.
Boot-cut-width cuff
Slotted button closure with 7″ fly
Belt loops to fit a 2″ belt

Opening photo courtesy of railriders.com