If you're like me, you waited until the last minute to finish (or perhaps start) your holiday gift shopping. Well, Christmas is inside the wire, but maybe you can find some last-minute inspiration from the Army's Program Executive Office Soldier (PEO Soldier) Portfolio for FY2012.

The FY2012 PEO Soldier Catalog... er, Portfolio.

Released in October, this catalog-like guide details over 450 pieces of equipment developed by PEO Soldier for U.S. Army personnel, from clothing to small arms to crew-served heavy weapons. Like the XM806 .50 Caliber Machine Gun, under development by General Dynamics Armament and Technology Products, page 246:

The XM806 .50 Caliber Machine Gun is half the weight of its predecessor, the M2, and twice as ugly.

The FY2012 portfolio is remarkably like an L.L. Bean catalog, except the colors are all tan, Universal Camouflage Pattern (UCP) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) Camouflage Pattern (OCP) (basically MultiCam) instead of ecru, salmon, and heather gray.

The Army Elements Fleece, page 58.

The only thing missing is a size-selector and "Add to Cart" button.

Also, many of the items have the associated contractor information in the sidebar, and there's an appendix in the back listing contractors by state.

Some other highlights:

Sense Through The Wall (STTW), AN/PPS-26, page 132: A sensor being developed by L-3 Communications CyTerra and Raytheon Space & Airborne Systems that looks and sounds suspiciously like an Aliens motion tracker.

LA-8/P Aircrew Laser Pointer (ALP), page 138: Helicopter pilots, tired of being lit up by morons on the ground with laser pointers? Shoot back (non-lethally) with this Forever War-esque laser finger. Powered by two AA lithium batteries, it features low-power and eye-frying settings.

Electronic Data Manager (EDM), page 170: Billed as a light, portable, kneeboard touch-screen computer for mapping, mission planning, and messaging, it's almost, but not quite, entirely unlike an iPad or other commercially available tablet. (Army aviator Maj. Crispin Burke likens it to a slow-performing "brick" at two-and-a-half pounds, compared to the iPad's pound-and-a-half.)

XM25, Individual Semi-Automatic Airburst System (ISAAS), page 200: What do you get for the person who has everything (including substantial front cover)? How about a 25mm explosive shell, timed to explode directly over their position?

You get the idea. (Most of the really kinetic stuff starts on page 196, where the Project Manager Soldier Weapons section begins.)

Of course, even with expedited procurement processes like the Rapid Fielding Initiative, many of these items are still in development. And since last-minute holiday shipping for Title II weapons and destructive devices can be a pain (or downright illegal in some jurisdictions), perhaps you would be better off downloading and printing the National Counterterrorism Center 2012 Calendar [PDF], a 164-page daily-format calendar featuring significant dates in terrorist history, tips on dealing with chemical, biological and radiological attacks and more.

Click to get the National Counterterrorism Center 2012 Calendar [PDF]

Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

Joe Loong is the managing editor of GovWin from Deltek, the network that helps government contractors win new business every day. He can be reached at joeloong@govwin.com, or follow him on Twitter @joelogon.