Project Active Armor was created following the success of Project Rolling Armor. Both projects fall under one of Below 100’s five tenets to get line-of-duty deaths below 100 within a year.
What's Below 100?
The idea of Below 100 began at a dinner table at the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA) Conference in 2010. A candid discussion about law enforcement deaths and how to lower the number evolved into the Below 100 Program, an initiative that aims to reduce the line of duty deaths to below 100–a number not the seen since 1944. The five tenets of Below 100 are 1) Wear Your Belt; 2) Wear Your Vest; 3) Watch Your Speed; 4) W.I.N.–What’s Important Now?; and 5) Remember–Complacency Kills!
What's Project Rolling Armor?
Project Rolling Armor started in January 2013 and was initially intended to be a one-time event for Law Enforcement United, a non-profit organization consisting of more than 500 active and retired LEOs and survivors representing 39 states. The organization completes an annual “Road to Hope” event, a 250-mile cycling journey beginning in Chesapeake, Va., and Northern Pennsylvania. Wallace Chadwick (President of Law Enforcement United and a Detective with Chesapeake, Va., PD) took up a challenge by Law Officer's Editor-in-Chief Dale Stockton to wear a ballistic vest provided by Safariland and Mocean.
The 250-mile bike ride that Law Enforcement United does each year raises monetary donations for the Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS) and the Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP.org). The whole purpose of the ride is to support fallen LEOs and their families left behind after tragedy of a line-of-duty death. So it was only fitting to do something that would possibly prevent a law enforcement death. Wearing the vest for 250 miles through hills, rain, 85-90 degree heat was grueling and challenging, but the mission was accomplished successfully on May 12, 2013, at the Jefferson Memorial.
How Did Project Active Armor Start?
Upon Law Enforcement United’s “Road to Hope” arriving in Washington, D.C., for National Police Week, Josh Klaus, (a member of Law Enforcement United’s Ride Security Team and a full-time Federal Law Enforcement Supervisor), wanted to continue the project and expand the mission of Below 100 by doing additional events to show what can be accomplished while wearing body armor. After Klaus’s first few conversations with Chadwick on how to proceed, they began conversations between Law Enforcement United and Law Officer magazine to gets the wheels turning to strengthen the relationship. As soon as Stockton and Chadwick agreed to move the project forward, a logo was developed to showcase the cooperation, patches were made for events and a Facebook page was created to document and share the Below 100 mission and Project Active Armor’s success.
The idea behind Project Active Armor is to show that every LEO should be wearing the ballistic vest regardless of the circumstances. Most members of Law Enforcement United aren't SWAT or physical fitness/control tactic instructors, but men and women who work their 8-12 hour shifts, go home to friends and family, and try to find time to train and stay in shape for the next shift on the streets.
Project Active Armor Events
With Law Officer magazine and Below 100’s support, and with the assistance of Mocean and Dyneema 360, Project Active Armor’s inaugural event was June 29th, 2013, at the Massanutten Ski Resort in Virginia. The event, GORUCK Light, took place over 7 hours, covered roughly 7-10 miles, and was similar to team based Special Operations training found in the military. All participants were required to wear a Ruck, or backpack with taped bricks weighing approximately 40 lbs. during the entire event. Some of the activities included scaling an 8 foot walls, carrying a telephone pole (as a group), bear crawls, pull-ups and climbing a 1.1 mile ski slope in 90 degree heat. All of these activities were successfully completed while wearing a ballistic vest (what activities do you do on patrol?).
Project Active Armor will continue to do additional events throughout the year to show no matter what the location, how bad the weather gets or even complexity of activities. Everyone should wear their vests while working.
You can follow Project Active Armor and their upcoming events and photos at their Facebook page.
Project Active Armor events through the end of the year currently include but will not be limited to:
July 27th – FCHC Twilight 5 km – Virginia
July 27th – VA Military Challenge 5k – Virginia
August 18th – Marine Corp Sprint Triathlon – Virginia
September 28th – Neptune Festival 5k – Virginia
October 12th – Deputy Dean Riding 5k Memorial – Virginia
November 23rd – Marine Corp Turkey Trot 10k – Virginia
December 7th – Surf n Santa 5k – Virginia
December 8th – Blue & Gray 5k – Virginia