The term “tactical,” when used to describe anything worthy of being sold in specific parts of the outdoors industry, actually means “sort of like stuff used by soldiers and cops.” In the Merriam-Webster On-Line Dictionary, it means “a device for accomplishing an end,” or “a method of employing forces in combat.”

A small, powerful lithium powered flashlight that you can always carry could meet that “device for accomplishing an end” definition, just as a properly set-up service pistol could.

The term “tactical” is vastly overused. Along the lines of the joke oft-told at the HK International Training Division, known for training special response units, SWAT and the like; “Why do SWAT teams wear black?” When the victim made it obvious that he didn’t know, the answer would come, “It’s the ‘CDI’ factor.”

Still in the dark, the rest of the story would be told. “Chicks dig it.”

I thought SWAT guys wore black because it tends to be slimming.

When it came time to name this newswire, Jim Shepherd and I quickly came to name it The Tactical Wire. His other efforts of this type were known as “wires,” in the sense that the old news services -- like Associated Press and United Press International -- were known as news wires. The difference is that AP and UPI were sent via teletype – actual “wires.”

Like Shooting Wire and The Outdoor Wire, The Tactical Wire uses the current medium of electronic mail. I envision people opening their email while the coffee’s cooking in the morning and checking the news of the day on our wire services.

Our objective: to get the news out to you quickly, before you can see it in print, while still reporting accurately. Before it’s said that we can take the place of print, that’s not our objective. Print’s specialty is the ability to delve deeply into a subject – whether it’s testing a new gun or a new technique. Print was our home; we don’t want to see it go away.

We need to get the word out about what’s happening in our industry; what’s new and what’s going away, as well as reporting on legal changes and challenges. Above all, we need the input of the people who sign up to read the wires.

“Tactical,” in the sense of The Tactical Wire, most appropriately identifies the segments we seek to cover: personal defense, private security, law enforcement and military.

In the coming (years), expect to see commentary by nationally known trainers – “Guest Shots” and “Skill Set” – which back in 2008, was followed by a “Voices from the Field” segment, this one from an active law enforcement practitioner who offered a bit of paradigm-busting advice that wasn’t for the faint of heart.

First and foremost, we sought to get it right; if it’s right, we want to get it to you first. And we don’t mind shaking things up a bit. Standing still isn’t for us. It’s not good business.

So, there it is, the credo of The Tactical Wire.

And, in the words of our publisher, we’ll keep you posted.

--- Rich Grassi