Act of Valour: Boat Rescue Scene

Unquestionably, the best scene in the whole movie.

Photo: AK Bayonet and Spyderco Tenacious

Here's a photo I took recently for a competition and I thought I'd post it here too. AKM Type I bayonet and Spyderco Tenacious with a non-serrated blade. The plate carrier used as background is a Warrior Assault Systems DCS.

Photo was taken with a Sony Alpha 200 using the standard 18-70mm lens.

Movie Trailer: Soldiers of Fortune

Entertaining nonsense starring Christian Slater, Sean Bean, Ving Rhames and a hobbit.

USMC do Carly Rae Jepsen's 'Call Me Maybe'

Still not sure I believe what I just saw...

SEALS: Men With Green Faces

In these days of information technology and mass media coverage, we are all familiar with wars around the world, especially those in the Persian Gulf. The Vietnam War was probably the first to be covered by the media, albeit in a restricted and censored manner. Even then, there is precious little footage compared to what we are used to today.

I was just browsing the SOFREP website when I came across this documentary on the first Navy SEALS in Vietnam. If you're into this era of military history, it's well worth 23 and a bit minutes of your time.

Movie Trailer: End of Watch

Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena star in this police action-drama from the writer of Harsh Times and Training Day.

Dirty Laundry: A Punisher Short

No-one kicks ass like The Punisher and, much as I like Ray Stevenson, Thomas Jane is still the best big screen Punisher. \m/



Edit: more info on this Thomas Jane produced 'fan film' can be found at Collider.com.

EyePro: A Group Test

The other day, a friend of mine asked me about the eyepro I use for playing airsoft. He'd just bought a pair of Viper glasses and wasn't impressed. I've been using ESS ICE glasses for a while now and although the arms cut into the tops of your ears when worn for extended periods (easily cured by using some 'Croakies' retention straps), have taken all their hits well and not failed me yet.

Coincidentally, I got an email this morning from Paul William at LuckyGunner.com asking if I would repost his eyepro group test. This test covers a bunch of different eyepro, covers ANSI Z87 and military MIL-PRF-31013 standards.

The article was written by Andrew, a US Navy Corpsman, who has obviously seen his share of injuries. The tests carried out put this eyewear through much more punishment than would be encountered on the airsoft field, but obviously you can't put a price on your eyesight and it is nice to know that certain brands and models will actually withstand direct hits from high velocity projectiles. This is an excellent article and I highly recommend it to anyone concerned about this subject. The complete article can be found here.

See more analysis on our Eye Protection and Shooting Glasses Review

USSF Engagement (MSOT/ODA/82nd Airborne) Afghanistan 2010

US Non-MOLLE(ish) Load Bearing Gear

So, a while back I bought an olive drab Tokyo Marui M14. As with moving to any new gun platform, it comes with the dilemma of more magazines, more batteries, more load bearing gear to suit the size of magazines etc. etc.

As the M14 is more of an old school battle rifle, I decided to go with belt kit for it and, to cut a long story short, decided on an ALICE-style setup (most of which I had knocking around in the cupboard) and some new Tactical Tailor 308 pouches to go with the US woodland BDUs, boonie and jungle boots for a sort of late 80s/early 90s style SEAL greenside look. Obviously, this was the start of yet another slippery slope of getting the look and functionality of the belt absolutely right, going through several iterations until you get to the (possible) end result of what you see here. I dare say there will be a few changes when I start using it, but it looks good to go.

The reason for two sets is pretty simple. I was looking for a Blackhawk belt pad to finish off the belt kit. Someone was selling a Blackhawk belt, belt pad and H-harness on one of the forums, so I bought it. He very kindly threw in the rest of the kit he was selling so I effectively had two sets of belt kit, neither of which was ideal for what I wanted so last night I sat down with my new Blu-Ray copy of Act of Valour to sort out this big bag of olive green and US woodland camouflage.

As mentioned above, I bought an entire new ALICE rig from a UK airsoft forum. This consisted of two ALICE magazine pouches, two water bottle pouches, Blackhawk belt, pad and harness and a USGI buttpack. In the gear cupboard, there was already a 308 belt kit built on an ALICE belt and LC-2 suspenders, as well as an old LBV, some more water bottle pouches, another butt pack and some other odds and ends. All of this lot was immediately dismantled and scattered around the living room floor.

Without going into too much boring detail, the end result can be seen in the pictures below. I got the 308 ALICE-style belt that I was after in the first place, and had more than enough bits left over for an M4/M16 riflemans LBV as well.

The US load-bearing vest setup consists of 2 ALICE 5.56mm ammo pouches, 2 water bottle pouches, buttpack, first aid kit and a High Speed Gear Inc dropleg holster (for a Colt 1911).







The belt kit is built on a Blackhawk belt, belt pad and harness and features a Tactical Tailor triple pistol pouch, 4 Tactical Tailor .308/7.62 pouches, 2 water bottle pouches, buttpack, Bianchi M12 holster and a compass/dressing pouch.

Plus the kitchen sink

...is the title of this excellent article on an excellent blog. The article, by a guy called Eric Pfleger, a staff instructor at Suarez International, covers the kit required by a 'guerilla fighter'. It is basically a discourse on what you need to carry to fight and survive for an extended period of time. The rest of the Warrior Talk forum is equally worth checking out.

Over to Eric's article.

Travis Haley Talks About Dropleg Holsters

Some good ideas here, even if it is focused on the 6004 that he carries.

War Songs: 'Drive On' by Johnny Cash

I don't think I've ever posted a song about war on this blog. I was just listening to Johnny Cash's 'American I: American Recordings' album and this is track 4. It's called 'Drive On'. Johnny Cash explains the story behind the song at the beginning of the video so I won't bother.



Lyrics

I got a friend named Whiskey Sam
He was my boonierat buddy for a year in Nam
He said is my country just a little off track
Took 'em twenty-five years to welcome me back
But, it's better than not coming back at all
Many a good man I saw fall
And even now, every time I dream
I hear the men and the monkeys in the jungle scream

Drive on, it don't mean nothin'
My children love me , but they don't understand
And I got a woman who knows her man
Drive on, don't mean nothin', drive on

I remember one night, Tex and me
Rappelled in on a hot L.Z
We had our 16's on rock and roll
But, with all that fire, I was scared and cold
We were crazy, we were wild
And I have seen the tiger smile
I spit in a bamboo viper's face
And I'd be dead , but by God's grace

Drive on, it don't mean nothin'
My children love me , but they don't understand
And I got a woman who knows her man
Drive on, don't mean nothin', drive on

It was a real slow walk in a real sad rain
And nobody tried to be John Wayne
I came home, but Tex did not
And I can't talk about the hit he got
I got a little limp now when I walk
Got a little tremolo when I talk
But my letter read from Whiskey Sam
You're a walkin' talkin' miracle from Vietnam

Drive on, it don't mean nothin'
My children love me , but they don't understand
And I got a woman who knows her man
Drive on, don't mean nothin', drive on