You recognize people in everyday life who probably have a similar mindset to you.
Or as Trey Sprinkle put it in his podcast when he interviewed the founder of “The War Club” (these guys and the company “The War Club” also count as an offshoot of our very special pop culture):
“If you're in another state or country or whatever and you see a dude with a "War Club [-shirt, cap, etc.]", okay - we can at least be friends a little bit, 'cause we're... the same thing. You know - kinda fans of the War Club.”
Now let's take a closer look. Who is behind the different groups, companies and teams? What are the approaches of which groups?
In the second part, we look at the best-known players in hypebeast culture: “GBRS”, “Forward Observations Group” and “Finance and Maneuver”. It is highly recommended to find out what the individual focal points are and whether you can identify with them, BEFORE you purchase the stuff they offer.
FORWARD OBSERVATIONS GROUP
As far as can be determined, it was founded by Derrick Bales alias “Raoul Duke”. Duke, presumably a US Army Ranger, entered the US Army Special Forces Q-Course but did not finish it, according to the FOG Coffee Table Book. Duke's brother is also on the move in the FOG haze circle. There is also “Doc”, an 18D (US Army Special Forces Medic), who is probably one of the main designers of the “Roll 1 Pouch”.
Basically, it's a Medic Pouch made by Ferro Concepts and is the only item you can permanently order on FOG's website. All other items (T-shirts, patches, stickers, hoodies) are only released in limited quantities in drops. There is nothing permanently available. On the caps there is only the “F”, which, as already mentioned, now characterizes many labels: “Dad Caps” with a single letter of the company name. They have caught on and have now become a distinctive feature within the scene. Just like the typical patches with the modified Blackbeard-flag.
Forward itself is characterized by the fact that they not only upload pictures to Instagram every day with the same filters (which are strongly reminiscent of VHS tapes from the 90s - for good reason). Forward “gets shit done”. Stays in Syria and several times in Ukraine are well known. So well known, in fact, that the Wagner Group took notice. So aware that (presumably) Wagner himself had anti-FOG patches made.
You have to let that melt in your mouth. We have often read statements from Wagner-friendly sources that (quote:) “FOG Pigs” have been eliminated in Ukraine. Can this be confirmed or denied? No. Since then, do we regularly find posts on Raoul Duke's Instagram page that are an ironic obituary of him? Yes. What exactly they are doing in Ukraine is not entirely clear - reading between the lines (or rather: behind the pictures), one can infer drone reconnaissance and/or the training of local forces.
This thesis is based on the fact that the so-called "MICH team" (Special Forces of Ukraine) seems to have links to FOG. So we're way beyond the “we-sell-T-shirts-with-our-designs” thing. But what goes on behind the scenes is also worth a look: FOG regularly donates very large sums of money to the Green Beret Foundation and the Firearms Policy Coalition, for example. In other words, they do things and donate proceeds to SOF Veterans Assistance and one of the most relevant gun rights organizations. Yup, nice. That's the way to go.
GBRS - Global Battlefield Research Solutions
S4 Supplies describes GBRS as follows: “Who is GBRS - if you don't know that right now, you probably don't have internet. GBRS is a Tier 1 training and service-hub run by veterans of SEAL Team 6. GBRS offers training and provides “proven concepts” for deployment.” Specifically, this primarily involves DJ Shipley and former SEAL Cole Frackler. Both are from Virginia and were first members of SEAL Team 10 and then DEVGRU. Together, they have 34 years of experience from the Seal Teams. Both medically retired in 2019 and 2020.
GBRS has become known for two things in particular: their YouTube videos and the “Hydra Mount”. Shooting tactics and shooting training are discussed in the “Knowledge Transfer”, while the “Rundown Series” mostly discusses equipment and weapons. Even though GBRS offers many products on a permanent basis and would therefore fall less into the classic definition of “hype beast” culture, their aggressive trend setting gives them a nominally special status, which is why they appear here.
But the public image of GBRS is controversial in the community. DJ Shipley married Patsy Dietz. Who is she again? Anyone who has seen the movie “Lone Survivor” will be familiar with the name “Dietz”. She is the wife of SEAL Danny Dietz, who died during Operation Red Wings. There have also been incidents in the past in which Shipley was extremely “rough” with employees. And last but not least, it is the nature of Shipley himself that offends some people. He is sometimes described as aloof, out-of-touch and not down-to-earth, and many of the things he teaches are viewed harshly.
F/M -Finance and Maneuver
The F/M team consists mainly of former members of the US armed forces or special forces who are now trying to earn a living in the civilian sector. And that's exactly the point. In addition to selling merchandise, Finance and Maneuver tries to pass on something else: financial know-how. Something that is being lost more and more these days.
F/M is characterized above all by courses in which they train active public officials in dealing with investments such as shares, ETFs and financial basics. The fact that they themselves are absolutely successful is demonstrated by the raffles alone: Sometimes a Tesla, wrapped in Multicam Black, sometimes NVGSs (night vision goggles). The founder, a former US Marine, therefore chose this name: Based on the term “Fire and Maneuver”, one of the basic principles of modern gunfighting, similar to the German “No fire without movement, no movement without fire.”
Their message: bank- and system-critical. Jumping out of airplanes naked, dressed only in OPSCORE FAST helmets and GPNVG. And again and again: “Where the goth girls at?” And always jokes about foot pictures. Are you confused? Don't know what all this is about? Neither do I. Welcome to the subculture. After a while, it pays to stop asking questions and just enjoy the show instead. Or as Gnarls Barkley sang in the 2000s:
„Yeah I was out of touch – But it was't' because I didnt know enough. I just knew too much. Does that make me crazy...?“
Conclusions
Principles that seemed to have been set in stone for decades are increasingly being eroded by social media. And they are doing so rapidly. In the field of firearms training, for example, very few people today are interested in your military background. It may be the cherry on the cake, but it's no longer a real selling point. What counts is the present and how well you can adapt. Direct performance. How can you shoot TODAY? How do you behave TODAY in social media and towards your fellow human beings, especially within the scene?
Another example: The blending of civilian and military culture is increasingly noticeable. Influences from one into the other (and vice versa) are now normal. We see more and more people on social media showing themselves shooting in civilian clothes with plate carriers and helmets. Groups like FOG, GBRS, WHTPSPHR and others are pushing the scene and normalizing new standards. The days of complete “tactical clothing” are coming to an end - it's all about the mix these days. A Hawaiian shirt with a Crye G3 in multicam. Or completely civilian with just a plate carrier and helmet. At the same time, we see images of special units adopting trends from civilian life (attachments on short and long guns would be one such topic here, or the move away from extremely low thigh holsters).
Do groups like GBRS, FOG etc. have a part to play in this? Definitely. The developments in Ukraine are also likely to have a significant influence. This war is omnipresent thanks to social media, and we see pictures every day of people in civilian clothes, simply armed with a multicam plate carrier (to put it bluntly) and a long gun, fighting in the war there. These images also have an influence, are subconsciously imprinted and have an impact on pop culture.
One last point: these companies are often backed by people with a military background. And in the USA in particular, it is often very challenging for veterans to find their way back into civilian life, especially after decades of service in the special operations community. “Mat Best” and ‘Black Rifle Coffee Company’ could be used as a prime example here. Of course, he too is controversial, but nonetheless he has now made the transition completely. And at the end of the day, we're all just trying to do the same thing: We want to have a good time. Ideally, to earn money doing what we do best and what we love. Both the “Serious Citizens” and the veterans of the SOF community. Stay hydrated bois.
