Editorial KASOTC’s 6TH Annual Warrior Competition – a Global Event David Reeder May 3, 2014 Join the Conversation At RECOIL, we review every product fairly and without bias. Making a purchase through one of our links may earn us a small commission, and helps support independent gun reviews. Learn More The 6th Annual Warrior Competition here at KASOTC is literally a global event, making problems likely (if not probable). We expected some drama on the ground, if not a full on Charlie Foxtrot. After all, there are nearly 40 teams competing – Special Operations Forces and Counter Terror units, some military, some police, from 19 different countries. They're speaking over a dozen languages and who knows how many dialects. Throw in some bureaucrats and you're almost certain to see incoordination and confusion. Happily that has not been the case so far. This appears to be in large part due to the caliber of the Jordanian military personnel administering the Competition. The commander of KASOTC, Brig. Gen. Aref Alzaben seems to have things very squared away. Mission X, the company tasked with overseeing the individual events, is running them improbably well. Any time you have this many A type personalities and meat eaters in one place there will be tension. Interestingly almost all the head-butting we've seen has been between teams of the same nationality. There are a couple of teams here from Saudi Arabia, 3 each from China and Kazakhstan and several from Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan. Those who are countrymen don't always get along and play well with each other. Similarly the Dutch, Canadians and Slovakians are far more critical of themselves than anyone else on the field. We've learned some interesting things so far – the Russians look like US “operators” and are unfailingly polite. The Chinese are fast and unsociable. A surprising number of teams use some sort of M4 platform. The standards for acceptable weapon handling and trigger discipline vary widely from country to country. There are some very dangerous Canadians in the world. There will always be complainers; handful of teams continued to moan about technical penalties incurred or times assessed even when shown pictures or video of their infraction(s). Oh, and there appears a lot of camaraderie between special operations personnel. Many – not all – teams cheered for their competitors, even when they couldn't understand one another. Check the gallery to get a look at some of the competitors we saw today. Q took some great pictures today. Good photos by Quoc Ha. The rest by David Reeder. Why you can trust RECOIL Since our founding in 2012, RECOIL remains the premier firearms lifestyle publication for the modern shooting enthusiast. We deliver cutting-edge coverage of guns, gear, accessories and technology. We go beyond basic reviews, providing no B.S. buyer’s guides, hands-on testing and expert analysis on everything from firearms and survival equipment to watches and vehicles. Our reviewers are the backbone of our operation and come from diverse shooting backgrounds: Former law enforcement, military veterans, competitive shooters, seasoned hunters and plain old firearms enthusiasts. Furthermore, we’re not just gun experts, but dedicated journalists who adhere to the strictest standards of our profession. At RECOIL, editorial independence is the foundation of everything we publish and the cornerstone of reader trust. Our editors, writers and content creators make all editorial decisions independently, free from outside influence. That boils down to: advertisers don’t dictate our coverage, the outcomes of our reviews or what we recommend in our buyer’s guides. First and always, our commitment is to our audience—ensuring every review and article is accurate, unbiased, and driven by real-world experience. Whether you’re selecting your next firearm, upgrading your gear, or exploring the latest innovations in the shooting world, RECOIL provides the trusted insights you need to make informed decisions. Learn more about our Editorial Standards and how we review products. NEXT STEP: Download Your Free Target Pack from RECOILFor years, RECOIL magazine has treated its readers to a full-size (sometimes full color!) shooting target tucked into each big issue. Now we've compiled over 50 of our most popular targets into this one digital PDF download. From handgun drills to AR-15 practice, these 50+ targets have you covered. Print off as many as you like (ammo not included). Get your pack of 50 Print-at-Home targets when you subscribe to the RECOIL email newsletter. We'll send you weekly updates on guns, gear, industry news, and special offers from leading manufacturers - your guide to the firearms lifestyle.You want this. Trust Us.
