Blackhawk founder Mike Noell built his business around one promise: to build a better backpack. It sounds small, but as a former Navy SEAL, he understood the value of having a well-built piece of equipment. While serving in Iraq in 1990, Noell's issued backpack broke during a mine clearance mission. After he survived this harrowing experience, he vowed to create equipment that would be strong enough for SEAL missions. Noell founded his company in 1993, starting with backpacks and expanding to cover almost everything a military might need in combat from headgear to holsters.
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