What To Look For In A Tactical Flashlight
In this episode of the Maglite Podcast, we ask Kris “Tanto” Paronto what he looks for in a tactical flashlight for security jobs and deployments.
Transcript:
Maglite:
Tanto Paronto here on the Maglite Podcast. Hello again. Kris. I've gotta ask about the hand gesture. Yeah. Sort of famous for it. What's that all about?
Kris:
Uh, Jambo. I learned the Jambo, actually, I learned in Iraq. Um, when I was working with the agency, um, a lot of our guards that's at the basis we worked with within the agency itself, they usually weren't American guards. We usually hired out because we didn't wanna give the impression that our area was a bunch of Americans, even though you saw big guys with tattoos up and down their arms rolling in and out of the gate. Right, Right. Regardless. But I remember I, whenever we draw the gate in Moo, and this was in 2008, 2009, I would roll out, the guys would always say, I got to know the guards, great guys. And they would always say, Hey, Jambo, Jambo, Tanto. And I stopped one day because I didn't know what it meant. And I assumed, but I wanted to make sure they were...
Maglite:
Saying, Pass American.
Kris:
Yeah, yeah, exactly. It's like saying, Hey, Tanto, go bleep yourself. Right. But I stopped him and I said, Guys, where, what's that mean? And they go, It just, it means, well, what it officially means from Swahili or Tunisia, it means good morning. So they would always throw up and say, Hey, good morning, Jambo. But because of the internet, because of the intro web, I like to make fun of the internet. Right. Because of the interweb and everything out there. They, it may, they got to see the shock all the time. It started to mean the same thing. So it really should be cool. Jambo means to be cool. And what I did over the years, many, many West Africans work in the Middle East. They do most of the menial labor for the Iraqis or the, even, even Afghanis along with the Hazaras and so forth.
Kris:
Um, there are a lot of 'em over there. So whenever I threw this up, everybody within the country, if I got it back nine times outta 10, I knew they were friendly. I mean, not all the time. And that night, um, you know, after doing this jumbo for many years and getting it back usually meant they were friendly. When that night came and the morning came, I, had nothing else, to indicate. I didn't know how to, I didn't have any phone calls with the Libyan guys. I didn't know who they were. I didn't know what they looked like. The only thing I could think of was, and I was tired, I was very, very tired. I said, Well, I'll just sort the jumbo and
Maglite:
You were ready to smash some pancakes.
Kris:
Like, and I was ready to smash some pancakes. And, also I was, oh man. And I also had a 50 caliber pointing at my head, aka was right at my forehead. And I just went, I took my offhand and I went and I was behind that parapet wall. And like the rest of the country, they knew the Jambo and they stir up and they smiled big old smiles. And, and I was like, They're with us. And, and
Maglite:
You're, and you're, you're known for that. Now. That's, that's Tanto Paronto's thing. Hey, uh, you sent me a text when, uh, we were setting this up and you said, Hey, honestly, all this product Maglite looks sweet. Yeah. By the way, Maglite is the standard for handheld devices, and that they are, that you stand behind that.
Kris:
I do. I do. They've been around forever. I mean, since we were contracting anything from the big, the big security flashlight. And I worked security for Mutual of Omaha when I was in college guys. So I was a security officer. And what did I have right here on my side? I had a big mag line. I don't, I don't know the actual brand, the, um, the, the model anymore. But the, you know, the old school big got the...
Maglite:
4D cell Maglite,
Kris:
But that's what I carried. And that's the lums that we had. They always had the perfect lums. And I said, They always are invented. And the rechargeable stuff, they were really the first ones to start doing rechargeable flashlights that I got to be involved with. And then every base that we were at within a, within a room or you're within an area, it, there was always a Maglite out there. And, and then, of course, Surefire came along, and then there was some competition. But that's, you know, but, but as far as, as far as me using and the handheld stuff that we used, it was always Maglite. And that Mag-Tac 2 is they're setting the standard again. Uh, obviously. Yeah. It's, it's, it is incredible. And you got the glass break at the end, which, but I said it's, they've always been the standard and they've been around since.
Maglite:
Is sometimes referred to as the Maglite DNA Collector
Kris:
Collector. Cause it is, and that's, that's their thing too.
Maglite:
Not an intended use.
Kris:
But if you have
Maglite:
To legally,
Kris:
If you have to thump somebody in the forehead sometimes that's a good force escalation to do that.
Maglite:
Again, the Maglite attorneys would say not an intended use. And that is entirely editorial content by Chris Paronto here on the Maglite podcast, by the way. Uh, how important do you think it is to make things in the United States?
Kris:
Gotta make 'em nice. That's why we're falling behind. That's why we get, we're in the position that we are manufacturing needs to be done here. Bring back manufacturing here. We bring back jobs here, we bring back control here, and we don't have to rely on these other countries that got us under over a barrel right now, like China. And it's a better product. The stuff's made better. So, and dude, if it's made in the USA, you support it.
Maglite:
And by the way, Mag is manufactured in the United States. We, there are a few components that have to be sourced overseas because we simply don't make them in the United States anymore. By the way, scares the hell outta me that we're buying all of our electronic switches from China. A country that hates us. Yeah. We, you can't, you can't run, um, a, a tactical flashlight, much less, you know, Air Force interceptor or attack helicopter with electronics switches. Chris, it's been great. Thanks for doing, uh, a bunch of segments with us here on the Maglite podcast. We really appreciate it. You are a true American and hopefully, someday we can get you out too, uh, Maglite proper and get you introduced to the whole family.
Kris:
I would love that. I'd be honored, brother. Thanks, Lou. I appreciate it, man.
Speaker 1:
Kris Tanto Paronto is here on the Maglite podcast. Thank you, sir. That's all for now.