influencing the marines

FISHNETS FOR THE MARINES

The following is a solicitation for information by the Marine Corp for fishnet underwear.

EXTREME COLD WEATHER MESH BASELAYER

M67854-21-I-1854

As many of you know Wiggy’s has been producing and selling base layer fishnet [mesh] underwear since about 1990. I have also offered it to the military on a few occasions to include the Marine Corp, obviously with no success.

I have been told that Marines training in Norway are issued by the Norwegian military fishnet [mesh] underwear.

The following information is what they are asking.

D. Estimated price broken out by set and individual garment.

E. The company’s production lead time schedule.

F. Minimum order quantities and/or price reductions based on quantity and delivery terms shall also be included.

G. The company’s minimum/maximum monthly delivery schedule, anticipating that the total volume of Mesh Cold Weather Baselayer sets ordered would be a minimum quantity of 3,000 sets and a maximum quantity of 10,000 sets.

H. Fiber content and material physical properties of the garments proposed. If multiple solutions are proposed the advantage/disadvantage of each competing product submitted must be identified.

I. Verification from the supplier that the fiber, fabric and garment components and construction are compliant with the Berry Amendment.

J. The company’s production capability of proposed material in Coyote 498.

K. The company’s previous contract information for performance of similar products.

We have until March 5^th to send in questions and to submit our response with any fabric samples (not required) we’d like to submit by March 12^th.

I am sure those who are interested will be asking a substantial number of questions if they can put them together in the allotted time frame. I will not be getting involved with this solicitation but continuing to make the fishnets as I do.

I am sure they have read all I have had to say about fishnets over the years but do not expect they would ever contact me. By the way where did I learn about the fishnets from the NORWEGIANS.

Well at the least it is a good first step and I hope some company steps to the plate to give them what they are looking for. In the mean-time all of the Marines they would be issuing them too can call or order them online at the Wiggys.com web site.

I guess I should feel good about this development as it follows other developments that I was influential in causing the Marine Corp to follow my recommendations.

The first one had to do with the use of continuous filament fiber for use in sleeping bags. in 1993 when I made the first two bag system it contained the original Lamilite and they sent a captain to see me. At that time, I only had an order for 12 systems and that was as far as it ever went. However, I showed him the Lamilite [continuous filament fiber] and explained why it was better than chopped staple could ever be. The contractor Tennier Industries fought the Marines tooth and nail to keep it out. The Marines stood their ground and since then to this very day Climashield has been the spec insulation in not only the sleeping bags but cold weather parkas for the military.

Item two is the mukluks they have tried copying mine but I do not care since they were my idea to begin with and I sell mine to other members of the military.

Item three is the fishnet [mesh] base layer. I will never get a call from them but again it is a product like the other two that I sell worldwide.

So, I am enjoying my influence on the Marines to do the right thing for the guys who go into the field. Imagine little old me in the middle of the country having this effect on a branch of the military.

Since the Marines want coyote as their color, I have ordered coyote so they Marines can order it and of course my civilian customers as well. I’ll post the new color on the web site once I have it.