| From The Editor July 10, 2006 |
Paying It Forward: Helping those that help usIn the year 2000, a movie entitled "Pay It Forward" was released. The movie was about a young boy attempting to make the world a better place after his teacher gives him that chance. One of the taglines for promoting the movie was, "sometimes the simplest idea can make the biggest difference." I recently met two ladies that embrace that idea of "paying it forward." Leslie and Noemi created a company named LEONIDAS. The name was spawned by Leslie's then eight-year-old son after he read about Leonidas, King of Sparta. According to Greek history, Leonidas sacrificed his life at the Battle of Thermopylae so that Athens could be saved and the Greeks would live to fight again. Both women felt that Leonidas was the ideal role model of service and self-sacrifice; this is the image they wanted their company to project. Leslie and Noemi have altruistic motives. Both are grateful Americans -- grateful to the men and women in public service that make sacrifices every day so that all Americans can enjoy the freedoms that others only dream of having. Both want the satisfaction that comes from helping others. The whole thrust behind their company is to facilitate a means by which those in public service can stay fit and enjoy their recreational time. To accomplish this, Leonidas has contracted with top shelf companies that make the best adventure related and fitness products available. The end result is that those companies now offer their products to U.S. public service employees and their families at a professional discount. Why do they make this offer? Simply because many companies, just like Leonidas, are looking for a way to pay it forward. They need to have a vehicle by which they can show how much all of us support and appreciate everything that public servants do.Full Article Gary Jackson President Blackwater |
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK |
| A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both.
Dwight D. Eisenhower |
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PROFESSIONAL ARTICLES, EDITORIALS AND OPINIONS |
Post "7/7"The London bombings a year ago brought to light several fundamental counterterrorism related issues affecting the United States and Europe. On the eve of the anniversary, and based on the release of a terrorist anniversary video today, the Terrorism Research Center offers three terrorism-related observations for a post-Terrorism Research Center Tactical Search TechniquesCurrently there are two widely accepted forms of searches; slow and deliberate and dynamic. Dynamic searches are split into different categories according to the mission at hand, such as, hostage rescue or evidence recovery, including narcotics. With regards to dynamic searches, as it pertains to narcotics or evidence recovery, there are two common formats now; the historical dynamic search and the newer hybrid search. The purpose of this article is not to speak to the dynamic formats of clearing a residence, but rather, the slow and deliberate formats. Consider the following two scenarios and think of the type of clearing search your team would utilize: SWAT Digest From SWAT to Counter Terror UnitNo one in law enforcement doubts that terror will eventually rear its ugly head in the U.S.A. Given that unfortunate certainty, will today's well trained U.S. SWAT and SRT Teams be able to tackle terrorists in the same way they valiantly handle some of the worst criminals? Are the tactics for terror the same? To make things more difficult, SWAT teams must deal constantly with different situations and adapt quickly to new equipment and weapons both lethal and less lethal. Even if that were enough, there is always policy and procedure.Officer.com |
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BREAKING NEWS FOR THE PROFESSIONAL |
Authorities Say Gangs Using InternetSome of the country's most notorious street gangs have gotten Web-savvy, showcasing illegal exploits, making threats, and honoring killed and jailed members on digital turf. Crips, Bloods, MS-13, 18th Street and others have staked claims on various corners of cyberspace. "Web bangers" are posting potentially incriminating photos of members holding guns, messages taunting other gangs and boasts of illegal exploits on personal Web sites and social networking sites.Full Story FBI: Thwarted Plot Involved 'Martyrdom'The terrorist plot, in the words of one FBI official, involved "martyrdom and explosives": suicide bombers who would attack train tunnels used by tens of thousands of commuters in an effort to bring death and flooding to lower Manhattan. Eight suspects had hoped to pull off the attack in October or November, federal officials said. But federal investigators working with their counterparts in six other countries intervened before the suspects could travel to the United States and become a more serious threat, officials said Friday.Full Story Bush Toughens Immigration StancePresident George W. Bush is adopting a tougher line in the contentious debate on overhauling US immigration laws, putting an emphasis on border control and strict enforcement measures favored by his conservative base. The new approach was evident as the US leader made an appearance Wednesday at a coffee shop in Alexandria, Virginia, touting enforcement measures meant to catch illegal immigrants when they try to apply for work.Full Story CIA Reportedly Disbands Bin Laden UnitA CIA unit that had hunted for Osama bin Laden and his top deputies for a decade has been disbanded, according to a published report. Citing unnamed intelligence officials, The New York Times reported Tuesday that the unit, known as "Alec Station," was shut down late last year. The decision to close the unit, which predated the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, was first reported Monday by National Public Radio.Full Story |
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JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE PROFESSIONAL |
| TO FILL OUT AN APPLICATION AND SUBMIT YOUR RESUME AND DD-214 CLICK HERE |
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SECURITY FOR THE PROFESSIONAL |
U.S., Iraqi Forces Raid Shiite StrongholdIraqi troops backed by U.S. jets raided a Shiite stronghold in the capital Friday, killing and wounding dozens of people in a crackdown on militias blamed for much of Iraq's worsening sectarian violence. At least 17 others died in a wave of bombings and mortar attacks against mostly Sunni mosques in the Baghdad area and northern Iraq. A Sunni cleric was also kidnapped in the capital, a Sunni official said.Full Story Ahmadinejad Warns of Islamic 'Explosion'Iran's hard-line president warned Friday that continued Israeli strikes against Palestinians could lead to an Islamic "explosion" targeting Israel and its Western supporters. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told thousands of demonstrators gathered in the capital, Tehran, to condemn the strikes in the Gaza Strip that Israel's supporters could be the target of revenge by Muslims. "They should not let things reach a point where an explosion occurs in the Islamic world," he said. "If an explosion occurs, then it won't be limited to geographical boundaries. It will also burn all those who created (Israel) over the past 60 years," he said.Full Story Navy Pledges to Safeguard Hormuz StraitThe United States would ensure the free flow of oil and trade through the Strait of Hormuz if passage was threatened, its top navy commander in the Gulf told Reuters on Monday. Iran has a commanding position on the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic channel at the mouth of the Gulf that is a conduit for close to two-fifths of globally traded oil. "What you are looking for here is confidence and relying on us to provide clearance of the straits, to ensure the strait remains free," Vice Admiral Patrick M. Walsh, in charge of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, said in an interview.Full Story Rules of War of Value to SoldiersWhether it's firing a rifle from 100 feet away or directing a bombing raid from a mile or more in the air, the military objective is the same: Kill the enemy. Troops get instruction in deadly skills from the first time they put on a uniform. But there's another lesson they're taught, one that's rooted in philosophy and old-fashioned values like honor and courage. Call it the morality of war: how to kill, but not murder.Full Story |
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TRAINING FOR THE PROFESSIONAL |
Mirror Image Training: Training to Combat TerrorismMirror Image is a tactical and strategic training course developed and owned by the Terrorism Research Center. TRC instructors have trained hundreds of military personnel that are subsequently deployed to active combat operations, as well as large numbers of first responders, law enforcement, and security professionals. Mirror Image is an intensive one-week classroom and field-training program, designed to realistically simulate terrorist recruiting, training techniques, and operational tactics. During the course, participants will receive insight into the mindset and rationale of the terrorist through hands-on experience with the methods and means terrorist employ, education about terrorist ideologies and the cultural dimensions that influence their decision making process. Military, law enforcement, intelligence, and security professionals will, in turn, be able to see themselves as the terrorists see them and understand the weaknesses in their own environment that the terrorists will seek to exploit, and which all too often they miss. Armed with these insights participants will leave the course better able to anticipate, prevent and respond to multiple terrorist threats.September 17-22, 2006: Blackwater Training Center Moyock, NC A detailed brochure may be downloaded at: www.terrorism.com Registration form can be downloaded here: www.terrorism.com Questions on TRC training, please contact Betty O'Hearns-Hines, Training Coordinator for the Terrorism Research Center. Email: betty@terrorism.com Phone: (727)360-4302 voice or (727)409-1754 |
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FRANKS REVIEW |
Service Equipment ReviewTaurus 24/7 .45ACP PistolAt SHOT Show this past February I got to handle the display model of this pistol. I can't say I had been an early fan of the Taurus 24/7 line because the rubber inlay on the polymer frame felt mushy in my hand and it just didn't appeal to me. The first thing I noticed when I picked up the 24/7 .45ACP was that the mushy soft rubber inlay was gone. It was regular polymer but with the same ergonomics that have made the 24/7 so popular. The next thing I noticed was that the grips didn't feel overly large in my hand (like some other staggered-column magazine fed .45ACP pistols do). In fact, it was quite a comfortable grip that fit my hand well. I have medium-size hands and have, in the past, had to do a lot of grip shifting to push magazine releases, slide stops, etc. For a staggered-column magazine fed .45ACP, the Taurus 24/7 felt pretty good. My interest went up a little more when I discovered it had a thirteen round (12+1) capacity.Full Story Can Be Viewed At: http://www.borelliconsulting.com/evals/footwear/bhwarriorwear.htm Recreational Equipment ReviewColeman 10Ãx10Ã Dome TentThis section of the reviews is titled "Camping & Backpacking". Think briefly about the difference: For camping, you can put all your stuff in your truck and drive up to your campsite. "Truck" could be replaced with car, jeep, ATV, etc. The point is that you're not walking or hiking to your campsite. Backpacking involves putting everything you are going to take with you on your person - mostly in that backpack - and walking or hiking into your campsite. Actually, most often, you find your campsite somewhere along the path of your planned route. For camping, weight isn't usually a consideration. Who cares how much your tent weighs if you're not carrying it? For backpacking, weight is a primary consideration on what you can and can't take with you and often how much comfort you'll have during your down time. The Coleman 10'x10' Dome Tent is (in my opinion) just a shade too much for backpacking, but excellent if you're driving to your campsite.Full Story Can Be Viewed At: http://www.borelliconsulting.com/recevals/campback/uarmor.htm |
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CHAPLAINS CORNER |
DutyNothing can be more useful to you than a determination not to be hurried. -Henry David ThoreauAs I went on duty last night I was stopped at a side street corner by a young man inquiring as to why I was there and what did I do. As I finished talking with him I was approached by yet another person with the same inquiry... When their curiosity was satiated there came three young women asking the same question... and they were very happy to receive the explanation and went away rejoicing. These three passed me again, later, on my duty station and shouted thank you as they passed. Another young man came forth from the crowd to shake hands and voice his thanks... This is something he does every time I see him. Most of the supervisors and officers on duty last night in the area of my duty have been working every night straight through since the last half of last week... that will work out to being more than ten days straight for most of them... and they were worn and tired. Full Story Can Be Viewed At: http://www.blackwaterusa.com/btw2006/article/071006chaplain.html |
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BUMPER STICKER |
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LEGAL NOTICE |
| Blackwater USA (the "Company"), provides this Newsletter as a source of diverse information to its readers. The Company does not warrant or endorse the products or services advertised in or reviewed in the Newsletter. The views and statements of the reviewers and commentators presented in the Newsletter are entirely their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Company or its affiliates. The Company does not monitor or warrant the accuracy or reliability of the material provided in this Newsletter or presented at any of the third-party websites to which links are provided in this Newsletter. WARNING: Use of certain of the products and services discussed or reviewed in this Newsletter can lead to personal injury or death. It is critical to follow manufacturers' instructions in using such products or services. The Company will not accept any liability for damages, injuries, or death resulting from the use or misuse of any such products or services. |
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