The Armybug team invited the “Operation Green Hell” shooting event to Vorarlberg – and the community heard the call. The Koma Zone in Lustenau was fully booked on both days. As media partners, we asked Angi and Stephan from Armybug for a summary – and what’s new.
Angi and Stephan are a busy founding couple. Both bring a lot of military experience to the private sector. As Armybug, they supply the community with hoods and caps with “the aim of being “the” hood manufacturer on the market, as they revealed to us in an interview for Enforce Tac 2025 (-> Click here for the full interview).
With “Operation Green Hell”, the two started their second shooting event together with a large team in June 2025 (-> We reported in advance). In an interview with Angi, we wanted to know what the shooters had to expect from the competition and what we can expect over the next few months.
Angi and Stephan, the Armybug team did a great job. Your shooting event “Operation Green Hell” was fully booked, right?
That’s right, our shooting event was fully booked. We were able to welcome 141 shooters to the course, more was definitely not possible. We were at the limit for this year’s event. The most important thing for us to say is: safety first, nothing happened. Everyone left the event in good health.
What awaited the participants?
Our event consisted of two parts: the actual shooting event and the exhibition area. Shooting took place over two days from 9.00 am to 6.00 pm in the Koma Zone in Lustenau. So there was a lot going on. We also had exhibition stands for the first time. We were naturally curious to see whether there was demand and interest and we found out: yes, absolutely! Golden eagles were also there, EskaOberland Arms, the professional detective agency Marent, Quickshield and, of course, we also had our own stand as Armybug. We were particularly pleased that so many of our partners made the long journey to this event. That was a good sign to the community, who enjoyed the exchange with each other and with the manufacturers. Not to forget: You could also get our Armybug beetle tattooed on site. 13 people actually did this on site. Brilliant!
How can one imagine such a course from you?
We come up with a new theme and highlights every year. This year, the “Operation Green Hell” jungle look, neon colors and lighting effects were in the foreground. We are very grateful for the support from our circle of friends, who actively supported us.
After the start, we immediately went through a tunnel and across the jungle. A “raft” was also used to cross a “river” – of course we had to improvise a bit in the shooting hall. We shot at specially made targets with neon-colored “avatars”. There was also a “hostage rescue” at the end: Our Armybug beetle was arrested and the enemy had to be shot at in order to free our mascot.
It is important to us that everything runs safely. During crawling and all other rather challenging movements, the gun always remained unloaded. The magazines were only picked up at the various stations where shooting was actually required.
The participants therefore had to move a lot and were also allowed to shoot …
But not only that. There were also tasks to complete on the course. A “bomb” had to be assembled from several individual parts. So you had to be clever to avoid mistakes.
How many visitors did you welcome to Vorarlberg? Were there also shooters from nearby countries?
We estimate a total of 250 visitors. We are very proud of this figure. Shooters came from Germany, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Vorarlberg, Tyrol, Carinthia, Styria and other federal states. This confirmed to us that the combination of trade fair and shooting event is a brilliant combination.
What feedback did you receive about the event?
To be honest, the feedback has been really positive. We received so many emails and messages on our social media channels, it’s incredible. People praised the exhibitors, the shooting event itself, the catering – everything really. A lot of people want to come back next year.
What I would like to pass on to my team: The friendliness, helpfulness and positive vibes that the crew radiated were particularly emphasized. That’s exactly how it should be. Without our crew, 15 helpers on site, the event would not have been possible.
Were there any complications that you had to deal with?
As always, there is potential for improvement. We are always very self-critical. Stephan and I are simply perfectionists, so of course it annoys us that not everything went perfectly. Unfortunately, there was a delay on Saturday as some shooters took longer on the course, which is of course fine. Outside, we tried to shorten the waiting time of the following shooters with drinks and ice cream. Fortunately, we had absolutely fantastic stands and excellent catering on site, so we were able to bridge the time until our own round. We learned our lessons immediately and the rounds on Sunday went perfectly.
Will there be another sequel?
Yes, there will be a sequel. Next year, we’ll do something casual, unusual and unconventional again. That’s our thing. You can mark your calendars now: June 13 and 14, 2026 here in the Koma Zone in Lustenau again. The exhibition area will be enlarged to around ten exhibitors. We believe that our region needs something like this.
What is your conclusion?
Apart from the difficulties on Saturday, I can say that it was fabulous. Safety was guaranteed, the participants came out of the shooting competition with a grin on their faces and there was a great atmosphere outside at the exhibition stands and the dining area. That’s exactly how it should be. Our aim was to give people the opportunity to discover new things and spend time together. It was also great for us to finally meet many customers in person who we only knew from written contacts. That was another reason for us to do something like this again.
Last but not least: Will there be any new products from you soon?
There will be news from mid-September. Not only can you look forward to new hood patterns, but we will also be launching new products, such as a Fischer hat. In addition, there will be merino socks for the outdoor and sports sector, which will of course be made in Europe again.
