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Soldier Systems Daily
EditorEric Graves
Staff writersRichard Graves[1]
CategoriesDefense industry
FrequencyDaily posts
FounderEric Graves, US Army and USAF Ret.[1]
First issue17 May 2008 (2008-05-17)[2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Websitesoldiersystems.net

Soldier Systems Daily (SSD) is an online news site focused on the defense industry. It was started in 2008 by Eric Graves, a retired SOT-A and later US Air Force officer. SSD describes itself as "the premier daily web publication covering the tactical industry".


Overview

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Soldier Systems Daily focuses primarily on the defense industry. Many of its posts are about weapons systems, tactical gear, vehicles, training opportunities, etc. and aim to inform government or military officials about recent advances and innovations. They also post news of contracts (including RFI, RFQ, RFP, sources sought, and awarded contracts)[3] as well as insightful commentary and predictions about the industry and upcoming decisions.[4] A number of the articles are also written for civilian readers who may be interested in the tactical industry, outdoors activities,[5] or other similar pursuits.[6] The blog also posts about current events,[7] historical events or groups,[8] nonprofit groups,[9] and information relevant to current service members.[10]

Most blog posts are written by Eric Graves himself but some posts may be written by Richard Graves (his son and primary backup writer), guest authors, journalists of the official US military, or are corporate press releases.[1][11] Some of these are from guest article series which make cover specific subjects like diving,[12] leadership,[13] and fitness.[14] SSD did not initially post press releases verbatim as Graves would rewrite these releases in his own words, however, after 5-6 years, he began to post the press releases as is (with attribution) since he often made minimal changes to them.[15] SSD is primarily funded by commercial advertising on the site and does not charge readers or businesses to read or have news posts published respectively. They also carefully make clear that none of the news posts provide endorsements for particular brands or products unless specifically stated as such and, in those cases, such comments are not solicited or monetarily rewarded.[16][17] They do, however, carefully choose their advertising partners and fully support those companies.[17]

Soldier Systems Daily has been acknowledged as a leading source of news for the tactical industry and has broken many important stories.[6] These include news of SOCOM adopting 6.5mm Creedmoor,[6] Leupold's successful protest over SIG's win of an optics contract,[18] a modernized FG-42,[19] the components of the ECWCS Block 2,[20] NSWC testing of carbine-length and mid-length gas systems,[21] the optic chosen for the M110A1 SDMR,[3] SIG's submission for the Next Generation Squad Automatic Rifle,[22] the US Army's enhanced performance magazine,[23][24] consideration of using 7.62mmx51mm NATO as an interim cartridge,[25] the first fieldings of the M17/M18 MHS (Modular Handgun System),[26] the updated rifle qualifications tests in the military,[27] among many others.[28][29][30][31][32][33][34] Eric Graves, the founder of SSD, has also been consulted on numerous stories by US News and the Chicago Tribune.[35][36][37]

The blog is run on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT, also called "Zulu" time), due to the editors' travel schedules,[17][1] and is typically updated with 7 articles per day Monday through Friday, 3 articles on Saturday, and 5 articles on Sunday.[38] As a result, SSD has published thousands of posts over the year, marking its 32,000th post on 10 November 2021.[39]

Soldier Systems Daily's logo depicts da Vinci's Vitruvian Man illustrated in a style reminiscent of Olympic Games pictograms. The logo was created by Mil-Spec Monkey in 2008 shortly after the blog's launch and is meant to illustrate the combination of art and science necessary to equip the modern warfighter. The use of the pictogram is also a nod toward the athletic nature of warriors.[17]

History

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The blog was founded on 17 May 2008[2] by Eric Graves, a former SOT-A who had been embedded with 3rd SFG.[1] Graves had subsequently been commissioned by the Air Force and assigned to the 720th Special Tactics Group, serving as an intelligence officer with the 21st STS and 23rd STS before later being appointed as a technical adviser to an unnamed/unspecified AFSOC unit.[40] After retiring from the military, Graves worked in the private industry for a short time, including doing IED testing against armored vehicles for Blackwater.[1][41] He had done some writing while in the military and had maintained a gear website in the late 90s called the GearGuru but was reluctant to attempt coding and maintaining a complex website on his own. However, after reading an article in Wired about the tech blog Gizmodo, he decided to begin a blog about tactical gear and committed to making at least one post per day.[1][42] As of 2018, Graves reported having missed posting only on one day in 2008 while at a family reunion where he did not have access to Wi-Fi.[43][1]

The blog was originally named Soldier Systems but this was less than desirable given its acronym's similarity to the Schutzstaffel. Approximately 6 months after its start, Graves added "Daily" to the blog's name; though he worried that some might confuse SSD with the USMC Force Recon's motto "Swift, Silent, Deadly", most problems actually arose from confusion with Solid State Drives (SSD).[1][43] He did not initially advertise the blog but word of it soon spread.[44] When Graves was laid off from Blackwater in 2009, he decided to devote himself to the blog full time.[45]

On 18 July 2021, SSD closed its comments section to any readers who did not already have an approved account. This was in response to longstanding issues with disruptive behavior and trolling by commenters who did not contribute to meaningful discussion.[16]

Tactical Fanboy

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Tactical Fanboy is a spin-off blog from SSD which is edited by Richard Graves, the son of Eric Graves.[1] It was launched in January 2011 and posts recreational tactical-related content appealing to their core readership. This also includes humor and mildly risqué topics which might not be relevant for the strictly government readers.[46]

Keep Calm and Return Fire

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Soldier Systems Daily's informal motto "Keep Calm and Return Fire" (KCRF) was first seen in February 2012.[47] The phrase is a callback to the pre-World War II British "Keep Calm and Carry On" motivational posters[48] and is often represented alongside SSD's logo (see Overview). The motto and logo are used in several T-shirt designs[49] and morale patches. A longstanding tradition has been for SSD to post user-submitted images of the KCRF patch at various places throughout the globe. These locations have included the Vinicunca mountain,[50] on a flight 20,000 ft above over Afghanistan,[51] underwater,[52] and in various countries worn by service members of different militaries.[53]


References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Graves, Eric (11 March 2015). "Please welcome Eric Graves of Soldier Systems Daily, and Richard Graves of Tactical Fanboy. Ask them anything!". Reddit.com. Archived from the original on 9 July 2022. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Hello World". Soldier Systems Daily. 17 May 2008. Archived from the original on 31 October 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  3. ^ a b Horner, Candice (10 May 2018). "SIG TANGO6 Optic Selected by US Army for Squad Designated Marksman Rifle". Recoil Magazine. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  4. ^ "UPDATED – CSASS Update". Soldier Systems Daily. 22 September 2017. Archived from the original on 4 March 2021. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  5. ^ "ORSM 22 – Skillzboard". Soldier Systems Daily. 13 June 2022. Archived from the original on 9 July 2022. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  6. ^ a b c Recoil Staff (20 May 2013). "Happy 5TH Anniversary Soldier Systems Daily". Recoil Magazine. Archived from the original on 7 August 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  7. ^ "President Biden to Award Four Soldiers the Medal of Honor". Soldier Systems Daily. 2 July 2022. Archived from the original on 9 July 2022. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  8. ^ "Walkie-Talkies and "Operation Gold Rush"". Soldier Systems Daily. 25 June 2022. Archived from the original on 9 July 2022. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  9. ^ "Tasmanian Tiger Supported TEAM5 Medical Foundation Returns From Nepal". Soldier Systems Daily. 29 June 2022. Archived from the original on 30 June 2022. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  10. ^ "US Army Updates Tattoo Policy". Soldier Systems Daily. 23 June 2022. Archived from the original on 28 June 2022. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  11. ^ Brittingham, Kevin; Graves, Eric (25 October 2018). "Q & A**: Episode 16 - Eric Graves, Soldier Systems". SoundCloud (Podcast). Live Q or Die. Event occurs at 4:00. Archived from the original on 9 July 2022. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  12. ^ "SCUBAPRO SUNDAY – Full-Face Masks". Soldier Systems Daily. 20 March 2022. Archived from the original on 25 March 2022. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  13. ^ Baldwin, Terry (16 October 2021). "The Baldwin Files – Drugs, Alcohol, and Discipline". Soldier Systems Daily. Archived from the original on 9 July 2022. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  14. ^ MGunz (11 July 2020). "Corps Strength – A Body in Motion Tends to Stay in Motion". Soldier Systems Daily. Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  15. ^ Brittingham, Graves 2018, 26:00.
  16. ^ a b "Admin Message Regarding Comments on SSD". Soldier Systems Daily. 18 July 2021. Archived from the original on 18 July 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  17. ^ a b c d "Soldier Systems Daily – About Us". Soldier Systems Daily. Archived from the original on 26 June 2022. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  18. ^ D'Costa, Ian (14 August 2019). "Leupold goes after Sig Sauer over SOCOM scope contract". Defense News. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  19. ^ Reeder, David (5 March 2016). "Soldier Systems Daily on the ground at IWA". Recoil. Archived from the original on 22 January 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  20. ^ "PCU - Protective Combat Uniform, Creation History and Clothing System Overview". Punisher ВІЙСьКОВА ФОРМА ТА СПОРЯДЖЕННЯ. 12 August 2020. Archived from the original on 25 September 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  21. ^ Roberts, Patrick (17 May 2018). "Mid-Length Gas System Better Than Carbine Length? NSWC-Crane Testing Suggests Yes". Recoil Magazine. Archived from the original on 5 January 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  22. ^ Graves, Eric (9 October 2018). "SIG SAUER Unveils Belt-Fed Machine Gun, Carbine and Hybrid Ammunition – Next Generation Squad Weapon Candidates". Recoil Magazine. Soldier Systems Daily. Archived from the original on 1 March 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  23. ^ S, Nathan (19 August 2016). "Soldier Systems Gets First Look at US Army's New Enhanced Performance Magazine". The Firearm Blog. Archived from the original on 9 July 2022. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  24. ^ "U.S. Army to Introduce Enhanced M4 Magazine". Military.com Kitup. 25 Jul 2016. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  25. ^ F, Nathaniel (5 April 2017). "BREAKING: US Army Considering Going Back to 1954 with Interim 7.62mm Infantry Rifle". The Firearm Blog. Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  26. ^ F, Nathaniel (9 May 2017). "US Army Names First Unit to Receive M17 Modular Handgun System – 101st Airborne". The Firearm Blog. Archived from the original on 9 July 2022. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  27. ^ Moss, Matthew (23 May 2018). "US Army's Proposed Rifle Qualification Course of Fire and Standard Changes". The Firearm Blog. Archived from the original on 18 June 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  28. ^ E, Doug (13 March 2019). "FK BRNO's New Multi-Caliber Version Of 7.5FK Field Pistol, The PSD". The Firearm Blog. Archived from the original on 3 April 2019. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  29. ^ Miles (14 October 2016). "First adoption of M-Lok by the U.S. Military". The Firearm Blog. Archived from the original on 19 June 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  30. ^ Moss, Matthew (14 March 2018). "New Photos: Latest Version of Heckler & Koch's HK433". The Firearm Blog. Archived from the original on 9 July 2022. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  31. ^ Crane, David (21 September 2010). "Colt CM901 Modular 7.62mm NATO (7.62x51mm NATO) Battle Rifle/Carbine/SBR: It Exists". Defense Review. Archived from the original on 20 April 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  32. ^ Christian (10 November 2009). "Stitching a Stretchy Crotch". Military.com. Archived from the original on 9 July 2022. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  33. ^ "BHI Foreign Weapons Course". Military.com Kitup. 17 May 2012. Archived from the original on 9 July 2022. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  34. ^ "Nett Warrior not 'Cancelled' Just -- hmmmm?". Military.com Kitup. 2 August 2011. Archived from the original on 9 July 2022. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  35. ^ "Fashion error: Misadventures in camouflage". Journal Star. Chicago Tribune. 10 July 2012. Archived from the original on 9 July 2022. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  36. ^ Reeder, David (1 March 2013). "Assault Weapons Ban Could Hurt Military, Police". US News. Archived from the original on 20 November 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  37. ^ Shinkman, Paul D. (13 June 2013). "Navy Secretary Slams 'Blueberry' Camouflage". US News. Archived from the original on 28 December 2019. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  38. ^ Brittingham 2018, 4:00.
  39. ^ "32,000 Posts!". Soldier Systems Daily. 10 November 2021. Archived from the original on 10 November 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  40. ^ Brittingham 2018, 7:00.
  41. ^ Brittingham 2018, 9:20.
  42. ^ Brittingham 2018, 11:00.
  43. ^ a b Brittingham 2018, 2:00.
  44. ^ Brittingham 2018, 11:10.
  45. ^ Brittingham 2018, 10:00.
  46. ^ "Announcing TacticalFanboy.com". Soldier Systems Daily. 18 January 2011. Archived from the original on 12 October 2011. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  47. ^ "The Best I've Seen". Soldier Systems Daily. 18 February 2012. Archived from the original on 12 July 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  48. ^ "The Story Of 'Keep Calm And Carry On'". Soldier Systems Daily. 29 October 2013. Archived from the original on 28 April 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  49. ^ "Keep Calm and Return Fire – The T-Shirt". Soldier Systems Daily. 23 March 2012. Archived from the original on 29 January 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  50. ^ "You Never Know Where They'll Show Up". Soldier Systems Daily. 18 August 2016. Archived from the original on 23 August 2016. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  51. ^ "You Never Know Where They'll Show Up". Soldier Systems Daily. 6 April 2014. Archived from the original on 9 July 2022. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  52. ^ "You Never Know Where They'll Show Up". Soldier Systems Daily. 30 July 2014. Archived from the original on 27 March 2015. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  53. ^ "You Never Know Where They're Going To Show Up – Norway". Soldier Systems Daily. 28 May 2014. Archived from the original on 26 April 2015. Retrieved 9 July 2022.

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Category:Military-themed websites Category:American news websites

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