The story started
Tactical
Equipment HQ
Born in 1962, I enlisted in the Dutch military when I was 20 years old. I had grown up valuing service, so after I joined the Koninklijke Marechaussee (KMar for short, a.k.a. the Royal Genadarmerie, a.k.a. the Military Police), I felt like I had chosen the right path for myself.
While the training was challenging, I never lost sight of my goals, waking up each morning feeling energized and motivated and ready to do right my fellow service members.
I was picking up new lessons every single day, staying open to any and all experiences. Eventually, I rose all the way to the rank of KMar Eerste-Lieutenant, which is equivalent to Lieutenant in the US Army.
Hi, my name is Lucas Jansen and it was during my service in the KMar that I discovered my passion for shooting. The first time that I went out to the sniper range was something of a revelation, and from there on out, I could never get enough of it. I wanted to spend all my waking moments practicing my shot and sharpening my skills.
When I was laid out prone on the ground, my rifle in my mind, that was when I was most in my element. The simplicity of it all felt right to me, and as I gathered my composure and steadied my breath, it was as if nothing around me could go wrong.
Not long after I fired a rifle for the first time, I started to purchase all kinds of tactical equipment. At first, I was only buying the items that excited me the most, but soon after that, I had become a bona fide collector. I wanted one of everything, to stockpile as much tactical equipment as I could.
I started to understand the finer points of weaponry and equipment, respecting each item for its unique benefits. Slowly but surely, I was becoming an expert, my skills growing from all the research, all the practice, and all the immersion that I was doing.
In 1986, something happened that would change the course of my life. All of my dreams came screeching to a halt, and for a while, it seemed to me as if I would never recover.
The injury was only a torn ACL and Achilles tendon, but that was enough to prevent me from ever joining the Dutch Korps Commandotroepen, equivalent to the US Army Rangers.
From the time that I was a child, I had dreamed of joining this elite force, and throughout my military service, the dream was part of what urged me onward and kept me working so hard.
Afterward, I felt lost. The injury continued to flare up from time to time, and a full recovery was not in the cards for me.
Retiring from the military, I started to consider alternative paths for myself. I picked up whatever work I could to support myself.
Through it all, my fiancee Nadia was there for me, and eventually, we decided to make a big move, taking our life savings, picking up all our belongings, and moving to the United States.
Our parents offered to buy our plane tickets and cover our rent for a few months, and as we set out for a new home, we knew that we needed to make the most of the opportunity.
A friend of mine was living in Syracuse, NY, at the time as a carpenter, and he graciously offered me a job.
That was my routine for the first few years I spent in the US, showing up to work, giving it my all, and continuing to seek out the path that was right for me.
When the path finally showed itself, it was as if everything up to that point had led me there. In 1990, I joined the Syracuse Police Department, beginning my career as a police officer.
My military service had prepared me well for my career, and I hit the ground running. I was once again living out my values – duty, service, honor – and I became more passionate about weaponry and tactical equipment than ever before.
I understand how difficult it can be to find the right equipment for yourself.
How do you know who is trustworthy? How do you know which equipment is worth your money? The last thing that you want to do is try something out after you purchase it only to find that it falls far short of any standards you may have. This can be frustrating, which is why I want to point people in the right direction.
Today, I am a proud member of multiple shooting clubs. I travel around the country attending tactical equipment shows, including my favorite; The Shot Show in Las Vegas.
Through Tactical Equipment HQ, I am on a mission to help buyers find expert opinions and information about what is out there. Instead of blindly guessing about which equipment is best for you, go into the shop knowing what you want – and why.
