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thedrifter
06-27-07, 06:35 AM
Local man's invention to make troops quicker on draw
By Seth Rosen
srosen@dailyprogress.com | 978-7245
Wednesday, June 27, 2007

The idea was born while John White was watching a news story about Marines taking heavy fire in Fallujah, Iraq, in the fall of 2004.

On his screen, White, a former Albemarle County police officer, saw a Marine struggling to unhook the three-point sling that held his weapon to his chest. In the heat of battle, the man could ill afford to lose precious seconds adjusting the gun, White said to himself. The time needed for such a cumbersome maneuver could mean the difference between life and death.

"He was tied up in that thing and it was a mess," said White, who runs a military gear company called Thunderbear Tactical. "He could have gotten himself killed."

"And I thought, 'You know what, I can make something better.'"

Six months later White had perfected a new device - a single-point sling - that enables soldiers to effortlessly swivel a machine gun from side to side, or easily throw it over his or her back. White's new sling would make soldiers more efficient in combat and, it's hoped, save lives.

Now, each of the members of the Virginia National Guard who left Charlottesville on Tuesday for a three-month training assignment before deploying to Iraq will benefit from White's invention. And the equipment is being provided for free, thanks to the largess of the local chapter of the American Legion.

A.B. Brown, commander of American Legion Post 74, had been searching for a way for his organization to help the civilians who would soon find themselves in harm's way in Iraq. After contacting Jim Pace, a retired city police officer who works for Thunderbear Tactical, Brown concluded that purchasing the slings for the Guardsmen would be the best use of the post's resources.

The legion's members unanimously approved the idea, and bought 175 pieces of equipment for the approximately 130 Charlottesville-based members of Company A, 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry of the Virginia National Guard, who left Tuesday for training in Mississippi. The remaining slings will be given to other soldiers in Iraq.

"This was something very much in demand by the individuals and was clear to me that as veterans we could do to support them," Brown said.

Thunderbear Tactical agreed to sell the slings to the legion at a significant discount below the $35 retail price, though White declined to say how much the total purchase cost. The important thing, White added, was making sure the troops had the equipment they needed to fulfill their missions.

"If I never made a dime but it saved one person's life, my business would be complete," White said, waiting outside a Piedmont Virginia Community College auditorium for the Guardsmen to arrive for a goodbye ceremony.

Troops who had previously served tours of duty in Iraq said the one-point slings would be a major upgrade over government-issued equipment, ensuring the soldiers can react more quickly during fighting.

"The one-point sling is very versatile," said Spc. Jordan Hamilton, who has served in both Afghanistan and Iraq. "It will help us out a lot."

Other Guardsmen said they were touched by the gift and grateful to the local veterans for the generosity.

"I'm really appreciative of this," Staff Sgt. John Atkins said. "It means a lot to know people care enough to donate money out of their own pockets."

Ellie