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Jason McCarthy has service in his blood; to his friends, family, and country. When the September 11th attacks devastated the US, Jason answered the call. He joined the US Army in 2003 because, to him, there was no better way to show your love of country than to serve it. Jason fell in love with the culture and community of the Military, and he joined the Green Berets in 2006 as part of the 10th Special Forces Group.
During Jason’s period of service and to this day, Polartec is the premium provider of standard military issue clothing, with a robust collection of Extreme Cold Weather Clothing System (ECWCS) apparel. Jason remembered the power and quality of Polartec fabrics as he went on to start his company, GORUCK.
GORUCK started as a simple project: craft a high-quality rucksack that can thrive in Baghdad and NYC. Today, GORUCK is a premiere training brand for people who want to test themselves at the highest level. It’s this group of like-minded people—those who seek peak physical performance—that naturally gravitate towards the brand’s products and programs.
GORUCK helps build and strengthen this community further by hosting frequent “Rucking” events. Led by current and former Special Forces combat veterans, these events are inspired by the actual weight-carrying and endurance training that Operators go through. It’s the exact kind of team-building that speaks to this community and encourages them to lead engaging lives, and Jason helped build that.
Aside from Rucking events, GORUCK sells premium USA-made rucksacks, apparel, footwear, and other equipment. They find design inspiration from gear and materials originally issued to the Special Forces. So it only fits that GORUCK features Polartec, whose plethora of fabrics are standard military issue. Not only do they currently feature our military-grade and moisture-wicking Power Grid fabric in their line, but they’ve also recently debuted a Polartec-powered jacket that commemorates a significant moment in US history.
GORUCK released the Task Force Dagger jackets that pay homage to the 5th Special Forces Group that deployed to Afghanistan just 39 days after the September 11th attacks. These are new designs inspired by the same jackets the Operators wore on that mission, called Task Force Dagger, and even made with the same Polartec 300 Series Fleece.
This fleece style was necessary for surviving the night-time freezing temperatures of Afghanistan and the hot desert atmosphere during the day. Polartec 300 Series Fleece was part of the Gen II ECWCS standard issue because of its incredible thermal performance—It provides an excellent warmth-to-weight ratio; it offers unparalleled quality and durability; and its highly breathable and fast-drying properties are critical for comfort in changing conditions. It was the ultimate fabric that could keep Operators focused on the mission at hand.
GORUCK features the same USA-made Polartec 300 Series Fleece in a totally new design, but now made with 100% recycled materials and treated with non-PFAS durable water repellent (DWR). It’s a jacket that kicks as much ass as the people who wore it 20 years ago.