With Memorial Day 2019 just around the corner, and in honor of the fallen military heroes who gave the ultimate sacrifice to protect us, this post will offer a brief history of the origins of Memorial Day.
Memorial Day is officially a federal holiday in the United States. Its purpose is to remember and honor those who died while serving in the United States Military. It is observed every year on the last Monday in the month of May, and is considered the unofficial start of summer vacation in the United States.
Memorial Day History
There exists quite a bit of controversy regarding the origins of Memorial Day. In fact, its history is so unclear that this topic constitutes an area of research. For example, Columbus State University in Georgia has a Center for Memorial Day Research.
The custom of decorating the graves of fallen soldiers on an annual basis in the United States dates back to prior to the American Civil War, possibly reflecting the origin of the Memorial Day concept. Post-Civil War, both the North and the South began parallel customs from decorating the graves to honor fallen soldiers. As far back as 1866 various ceremonies were initiated by organizations such as the Ladies Memorial Association and the United Daughters of the Confederacy which would occur on different dates ranging from April 25 to mid-June. Continue reading Memorial Day – A Brief History
For employees who work around moving vehicles or equipment, it’s absolutely critical to be seen. To help prevent injuries and fatalities from hazards, OSHA established national standards for high-visibility garments which workers must wear to help alert vehicle and machinery operators of their presence, especially in low light situations.
ANSI/ISEA 107-2015 – Making Sense of the ANSI Class Ratings
In 2016, ANSI/ISEA 107-2015 combined two previously recognized high visibility safety apparel ratings (ANSI/ISEA 107-2010 and ANSI/ISEA 207-2011) into one rating. ANSI/ISEA 107-2010 had been for non public safety workers and ANSI/ISEA 207-2011 covered public safety workers. The new combined rating, ANSI/ISEA 107-2015, broke down hi-visibility workwear into types and performance classes, with the type of garment worn being dictated by the work environment. Continue reading A Guide to Hi-Visibility Safety Apparel Ratings
This observance dates back to August 31, 1949 when Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson announced the creation of an Armed Forces Day to replace separate Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Air Force Days.
This first Armed Forces Day celebrations were help on May 20, 1050 and was commemorated by parades, open houses, receptions, and air shows. It is now held on the third Saturday in May each year.
This purpose of Armed Forces Day is for citizens to come together to thank our military members for their service.
Here are a few quick facts about Armed Forces Day:
1962 – President John F. Kennedy established Armed Forces Day as an official holiday
The United States longest running city-sponsored Armed Forces Day Parade is held in Bremerton, Washington
2012 – Bremerton celebrated the 64th year of the Armed Forces Day Parade
More information can be found about Armed Forces Day here.
We here at Uniform Tactical Supply salute our brave men and women in uniform and we offer you our profound gratitude.
For those who work in public safety, extensive thought is not often given to protecting online privacy. We tend to focus more on physical threats. However, in this day and age, internet cyber security is becoming more of a threat. This doesn’t only affect large corporations. It’s not a very real threat to us as individuals and we need to take it seriously. In this post, I’ll offer suggestions for how to protect your online privacy and will explain a bit about what cyber security professionals do. That said, you don’t need to be a professional cyber security consultant to take control of your online privacy.
What Are the Most Common Cyber Security Threats?
According to Rob Holmes of IP Cybercrime, one of the most prevalent threats in the corporate realm is in copyright theft and counterfeiting. IP Cybercrime is based in Plano, TX and is run by brothers Rob and Jason Holmes, the sons of New Jersey State Trooper Bob Holmes. IP Cybercrime is a boutique firm specializing in corporate cyber security incidents such as data leaks, hack prevention, intellectual property theft, and a whole host of other issues.
IP CYBERCRIME specializes in preventing and addressing issues of corporate cyber security
Unfortunately, corporations aren’t the only targets of online threats. As individuals, we’re constantly being bombarded with phishing scams, notifications of our personal data having been leaked by those corporations we trust, identity theft, credit card theft, and much more. With all of these threats, what can individuals do to protect their online privacy?
Online Privacy Tips for the Individual
How to Protect Your Online Privacy
There are a number of things that we as individuals can and should do to protect our online privacy. I’ll detail several here.
Use a Password Generator Application
It’s extremely important to have strong passwords. The days of using your birthday combined with your dog’s name are over. You need to be using 16 digit passwords with a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols. Also, you should have a different password for every login AND you should change your passwords on a regular basis.
If all of this sounds incredibly difficult, don’t worry. There’s an easy way to generate and keep track of all of those passwords. I use an app called 1Password. It’s available for Mac or Windows, and iOS or Android. You only need to keep track of one password, which you’ll use to unlock the app. The app will generate passwords for all of your logins using whichever format you choose (number of digits, number of letters vs numbers, whether to include symbols, etc). You’ll then just copy and paste the password from the app to whichever login you’re accessing. The app will back up and sync across your devices via Dropbox, which makes it very easy. 1Password is relatively inexpensive and very easy to learn. I consider it essential to security my online privacy.
Use a VPN Whenever You’re Accessing Private Information In a Public Place
A VPN (virtual private network) gives you online privacy and anonymity by creating a private network from a public internet connection. It will mask your IP address so your online actions are virtually untraceable. This is especially important if you need to log into your email or bank account while sitting in your favorite coffee shop.
I like to use the VPN service called ExpressVPN. It’s very reasonably priced, easy to use, and doesn’t slow down your connection too much. This will make it more difficult for someone on the same network to access your data in a public place. I also use ExpressVPN when I travel to China as Google and Facebook are blocked there. This is how most people get past the “Great Firewall”.
Place a Freeze on Your Accounts With the Major Credit Bureaus
This one can be a major pain in the butt, though it’s incredibly helpful. You can do this online by visiting the websites for TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian. This blocks anyone (including yourself) from taking out any credit in your name. This means that whenever someone (including you) wish to take out a loan, apply for a credit card, or anything which requires pulling your credit report, it will be denied and you’ll be contacted by the credit bureau being used. If you need to do anything which requires accessing your credit report, simply contact the agencies and lift the credit freeze temporarily. It’s a pain, but it’s effective. It’s also easy and free.
What Does Rob Holmes Recommend?
Rob Holmes of IP Cybercrime was interviewed on the Legal IQ Podcast and this is what he had to say.
Cyber Security Summary
This may all seem like a daunting task, especially if you’ve not given cyber security much thought, but it’s absolutely essential nowadays. Try to take on each of these online privacy tips one week at a time and soon you’ll be well on your way to protecting your online privacy. We spend so much of our time assessing physical threat levels, but in today’s world, we need to give internet cyber security just as much consideration.
When attending a ceremonial event, you want your department to look their best in their Class A Dress Uniforms. This conveys a sense of authority and pride to the community you serve, and you want your department to look and feel their best. However, depending upon your needs and budget, it can be difficult to decide whether to purchase your uniforms made to measure or off the rack. In this post, we’ll help you make that decision.
Off-the-Rack
For most, the off-the-rack option will work the best. This is usually the most cost effective unless your department requires many garments that would incur oversize charges or if you require extensive modifications or alterations. This is also the best option for departments will limited use for their Class A Uniforms.
There are many excellent options for Class A Uniforms which will fit quite well off-the-rack and will look great with minimal tailoring. For example, Anchor Uniform manufactures an extremely high quality product which has become an industry standard. If budget is an option, opt for a 100% polyester garment instead of a poly/wool blend. This will allow you to outfit your entire department within a reasonable budget and still provide quality garments which will fit well and last for many years. For not much of a price difference, Anchor Uniform also manufactures a poly/wool Class A Uniform which is completely made in the USA.
It’s rare to lace up a brand new pair of tactical boots only to discover that they don’t require any breaking in. It’s even rarer to find a pair of boots that are also lightweight, waterproof, warm in the winter, breathable in warm weather, scuff resistant, and all with the comfortable fit of a sneaker.
In another post, I did a wear test review of the ALTAI MFT100-Z waterproof tactical boots. I mentioned how comfortable they are to wear and how they didn’t require any breaking in period. In this post, I’ll discuss the magic ingredient which makes this all possible: ALTAI’s proprietary SuperFabric®.
I was first exposed to this book by a fellow martial artist who recommended it as a means to better understand violent situations. My primary interest was to gain knowledge with regard to the psychology of violence, how and when to de-escalate, and how to determine when it’s essential to fight back as opposed to retreating. Rory Miller’s book certainly doesn’t disappoint. Rather, it provides insight based on Miller’s many years of real world experience as a corrections officer and martial artist.
Miller divides the book into seven sections that each address a different aspect of facing violent encounters. He draws upon his vast experience working in a maximum security prison to provide the ready with a wealth of information.
Today I had the opportunity to unbox and try on my new pair of MFT100-Z waterproof tactical boots from ALTAI. I had been eagerly awaiting a chance to walk around town with these and to try them out on various terrains. The Inwood neighborhood of Upper Manhattan provided the perfect setting. For this wear test, I walked through the streets of Manhattan, the trails of Inwood Hill Park, and toured through the medieval art exhibits of The Met Cloisters in New York City’s Fort Tryon Park. It quickly became apparent that the MFT100-Z waterproof tactical boots from ALTAI are some of the best and most comfortable tactical boots I’ve ever tried.
ALTAI MFT100-Z Tactical Boots Front View
INITIAL IMPRESSION
The MFT100-Z waterproof tactical boots arrive in a beautiful looking box with a handle in packaging that inspires great confidence that you’re about to unbox a quality product. I wasn’t surprised to discover that this confidence is completely justified. The side zipper works flawlessly, the entire shoe appears extremely rugged, and the product design is top notch.
It can be incredibly difficult to stay in shape with the busy lifestyle and inconvenient hours that many officers experience. However, exercise is absolutely essential for any law enforcement officer, firefighter, and other first responders. We need to maintain strong cardio and strength for both performing the duties required as well as for injury prevention. This becomes even more important as we age.
KETTLEBELLS
My absolute favorite way to stay strong and mobile is by using kettlebells. These are excellent tools for training full body compound movements that often mimic the types of movements we do in real life. Additionally, this type of training is especially effective for the types of movements law enforcement officers must utilize when restraining a suspect as they often replicate natural body movements used in common combatives techniques.
A fantastic kettlebell program that addresses strength, cardio, and mobility is Pavel Tsatsouline’s Simple & Sinister program. It consists of Goblet Squats, Turkish Get-Ups, and Kettlebell Swings. This workout can be done in 20-30 minutes, addresses the entire body in compound movements, and leaves the practitioner with plenty of strength and energy to go about their daily routines. I find that it’s an excellent complement to my Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training as it give me enough strength and endurance to stay competitive in my training, assists with mobility, and helps with injury prevention.
The flagship model of ALTAI™ tactical boots (MFT100) was designed in direct collaboration with local law enforcement professionals in Minnesota. ALTAI boots have been known to outperform any other boots on the market in the combined areas of comfort, light weight, and durability. In addition to the comfort provided by lightweight, flexible, U.S.A.-made SuperFabric® material, ALTAI™ boots are built using a custom last that fits and feels just like a sneaker; that backed with EVA midsole and Vibram® outsole makes for arguably the most comfortable boots on the market. Most other boot brands claim to have a speed lacing system. ALTAI™ will challenge any of those brands to a race. The precise combination of Cordura® gussets, sausage link laces, metal eyelets (open eyelets at the top), and a secure, advanced rubber mudguard ensures the quickest tie, in a one-and-done fashion.
