gear question for recent combat vets

[rocinante 100]

I rewatched Black Hawk Down (for the umpteenth time) and some of the way the guys were outfitted got me thinking. Basically some questions about how you were outfitted for urban patrol or action where you are expected to return to base soon.

 

Did you wear knee pads?

 

Did most your day packs include hydration units?

 

Normally did you carry any food like candy bars if for nothing else to keep your energy level up.

 

Does every man carry at least a rudimentary first aid kit?

 

Are combat knives common? If not do you guys use something like a leatherman or swiss army?

 

Who is wired for communication typically?

 

In the movie some guys had side arms, most did not. AFAICT the 2 3 guys that were portrayed as more gunho were just rangers too but they had pistols. Who gets a sidearm?

 

Any personal electronics like ipods or mp3 players while footing it around? Seems like a dangerous distraction but do you go out on patrol anyways sometimes?

 

Is there typically some non issue items carried.

 

What about war dogs? I don't typically, at least not on the news, see them often. Seems to me they are still an asset that any war scenario needs.

 

All in all it appears you are strictly regulated as far as altering your uniforms. I don't see a lot of helmet covers marked up with slogans or shirts with the sleeves torn off like I have seen in Vietnam era field photos.

 

If you were running the show how would you change what you go out with?

[GREYLUPO 358]

Talk to your local recruiter, he'll sort you out.

[rocinante 100]

That was incredibly informative. Thank you Greylupo.

[Kliegl 304]

Those ARE some pretty noob questions. Ipods, lulz.

[rocinante 100]

From a more helpful board from the vets.

 

8. Depending on wear we were or what we were doing we had amplified speakers for a CD player and then later for the Ipod we'd listen to while patrolling. This was mostly out in the open desert and not in the cities. You will see some of the truck drivers who hall our stuff on these dangerous roads with Ipod ear buds in their ears. It's not a good idea.

[Nailbomb 10,221]

Did you wear knee pads?

No. No one I knew did, We were issued them however. We were issued bulky snowmobile like goggles also, but most of us used wiley Xs(also issued) or oakleys.

Did most your day packs include hydration units?

There are a variety of methods for integrating hydration packs to whatever setup you have now.

Normally did you carry any food like candy bars if for nothing else to keep your energy level up.

If I was running a 4 hour patroll after 8 hours on the ECP I often was digging into a pile of starbucks double shots. They're small, pack more caffine than a red bull, and taste okay warm. Depending on how run down I was, I nmight consume as many as 7 of them.

Does every man carry at least a rudimentary first aid kit?

Everyone I knew carried a IFAK at a minimum. generaly square in the middle of your back on your OTV. Why where it was out of your reach? it was meant for others to use on you, not you to use on others.

Are combat knives common? If not do you guys use something like a leatherman or swiss army?

I carried one of the new Ontario marine bayonettes, a CRKT M-16 and a butterfly knife I used to keep my hands occupied during slow periods on the ECP.

Who is wired for communication typically?

We used walkie talkies a lot on the ECP despite the fact that they were not approved for use. Aside from that and sone radios on the ECP everything was wired up in the HMMWVs.

In the movie some guys had side arms, most did not. AFAICT the 2 3 guys that were portrayed as more gunho were just rangers too but they had pistols. Who gets a sidearm?

Officers, Staff NCOs, and some NCOs carried side arms. I was a Sgt and still not issued a sidearm.

Any personal electronics like ipods or mp3 players while footing it around? Seems like a dangerous distraction but do you go out on patrol anyways sometimes?

Absoloutly. Cameras too. I refered to some people as "Tourists" as a result. Complacency gets people killed.

Is there typically some non issue items carried.

I bought my own red dot, and had a drop leg pouch that carried another 4 mags. On post or patroll I carried 11 Mags loaded to 28 rounds. Gear carried varied from individual to individual and what they were comfortable with.

What about war dogs? I don't typically, at least not on the news, see them often. Seems to me they are still an asset that any war scenario needs.

Used them regularly on the ECP. Bomb sniffing dogs. Hajis hated them, I guess they're considered dirty to them, on the flip side the dogs didn't seem to like them either.

All in all it appears you are strictly regulated as far as altering your uniforms. I don't see a lot of helmet covers marked up with slogans or shirts with the sleeves torn off like I have seen in Vietnam era field photos.

Not so much at first, But the longer we were in iraq the more it became like being in the rear with the usual bullshit associated. I remember wondering how much longer it would take for them to start having us salute officers. Sounds rediculous when your still getting mortared on a weekly basis, But it didn't stop them from bitching about how we had our tents set up(they wanted a squad bay style setup with our gear staged a certain way).

If you were running the show how would you change what you go out with?

I was comfortable with my gear setup. My biggest worry was them running out of .50s for the trucks and getting stuck with a 249 or a 240. If we had it our way we would all run M-2s. I always felt like a horses ass running a 249 mounted on a HMMWV.

 

For refrence as far as time over there, I was there 04-05

[Jpanzer 1,265]

Interesting post. Thanks for sharing your experience Nailbomb...

[RockHoundTX 10]

Yes, thanks Nailbomb for your informative post. It is always good to hear fact from fiction from someone that was there. I heard LOTS of stories from my Dad (2 tours in WWII and 1 in Korea) and it is quite different from what you see in the movies regarding both wars. As for the comment of "talk to your recruitor" when someone really wanted to learn something, I hope you are not that much of an asshole in real life. I tried 3 times to get into the military. I ran a 4:20 mile, could do 200 push-ups easily, 1/2 MOA shooter, top in my class, had a top Senator backing me for admission to the Naval Academy, etc and all the recruitor cared about was my eye-sight (I am 20/20 with glasses but legally blind without them). Looking back 20 years, I am now glad that I was rejected but would have gladly served my country just like my father, grand-father, and great-grandfather, and great-great grandfather did before me.

[Aegi808 15]

Did you wear knee pads?

most of our guys only wore 1 knee pad for the knee that we naturally went down on, some POG staff sergeant was all uppidy asking why didn't we wear both if we were issued 2, i simply took a knee and got back up he never asked about knee pads again.

 

Did most your day packs include hydration units?

out in afghan we had camelbacks and if you wanted to you could bring your canteens, but we drank from contracted water bottle service all the time, ALL THE TIME. so much damn water bottles.

 

Normally did you carry any food like candy bars if for nothing else to keep your energy level up.

everyone carried shit that they could if we could get it and that was only if the mobile px came, they took some fire coming to us one time and then they never came again...

 

Does every man carry at least a rudimentary first aid kit?

liek the other dude said every one had a IFAK which was for people to use on you, most of us put ours right under our right side elbow so we could get more support if we had to fire from any position above the prone.

 

Are combat knives common? If not do you guys use something like a leatherman or swiss army?

everyone had a leatherman shit was plain used for everything, our unit had us walk around with our bayonets on our gear everywhere also.and most everyone had a pocket knife of some sort or another. one asshole from comm thought he was ghost recon and brought a hatchet with him, fyi he never ever used it except to open MRE's

 

Who is wired for communication typically?

comm was all ways in our trucks we have MRAPs now, no one can leave the wire in a HMMWV cause IED's eat those things liek it was baby food

 

In the movie some guys had side arms, most did not. AFAICT the 2 3 guys that were portrayed as more gunho were just rangers too but they had pistols. Who gets a sidearm?

I'm an MP and even we didn't get pistols, our SAW gunners did though and so did our SNCO's and officers

 

Any personal electronics like ipods or mp3 players while footing it around? Seems like a dangerous distraction but do you go out on patrol anyways sometimes?

if you didnt have a MP3 player of some sort for downtime life sucked for you, but if i saw someone with that shit in their ears when we were on patrol i'd slap the shit out of them cause it might not kill them but it'll probably get someone else killed.

 

Is there typically some non issue items carried.

people are always bringing shit on their own, i use PMAGs even though they say they aren't allowed but those things will work damn near every time unliek the shitty issued mags that get dirty as hell on the first day in country. alot of guys bought their own ear pro and eye pro, i used some $10 ear pro that was nice and comfy you dont need to wear ear pro but spme guys get peltors and shit cause you'll come back deaf as hell if you dont, smoe guys would buy expensive ass oakleys but i just used the issued ess shades and left my googles clear for when ever.

 

What about war dogs? I don't typically, at least not on the news, see them often. Seems to me they are still an asset that any war scenario needs.

being MP's attached to a grunt unit we had a section of dog handlers, those dogs are awesome and mike life a little bit easier just with them being around.

 

All in all it appears you are strictly regulated as far as altering your uniforms. I don't see a lot of helmet covers marked up with slogans or shirts with the sleeves torn off like I have seen in Vietnam era field photos.

yeah doing crazy shit like that'll get you snatched up real quick by your NCO's, but we were allowed to have a funny "moto" patch that had some crazy shit on it like "pork eating crusader" or somethign stupid but not blatantly offensive to the local populace, lest the media get wind of our outrageousness!

 

If you were running the show how would you change what you go out with?

i'd change how the army continually flags our convoys as they pass by, we are the only dudes out there with pretty much the same shit as them why do they feel the need to point their guns at us, not to mention it's really unerving as they really suck at trigger discipline. also i'd completely change Camp Leatherneck that place is so garrison it might as well be back in the US. even though i was only there coming into and leaving afghan, they have PMO(police) that pull people over and cite them for traffic violations. like really, you're gonna give me a ticker for not wearing my seatbelt after i just got though an ambush and coming back for some rest and chow for the night? stupid rules like you can't wear your frog suit in the chow hall, you have to change into a regular blouse, that shit needs to go away, it's a freaking warzone for crying out loud

[Nailbomb 10,221]

the longer we were in iraq the more it became like being in the rear with the usual bullshit associated. I remember wondering how much longer it would take for them to start having us salute officers. Sounds rediculous when your still getting mortared on a weekly basis, But it didn't stop them from bitching about how we had our tents set up(they wanted a squad bay style setup with our gear staged a certain way).

 

completely change Camp Leatherneck that place is so garrison it might as well be back in the US. even though i was only there coming into and leaving afghan, they have PMO(police) that pull people over and cite them for traffic violations. like really, you're gonna give me a ticker for not wearing my seatbelt after i just got though an ambush and coming back for some rest and chow for the night? stupid rules like you can't wear your frog suit in the chow hall, you have to change into a regular blouse, that shit needs to go away, it's a freaking warzone for crying out loud

 

Yeap, if i could change anything about the military it would be this type of shit. Its a lack of focous on whats really important.

 

Makes you wonder who is really running the show over there...

[MT Predator 2,294]

Did you wear knee pads?

Yes, everytime you stop movement, SOP is to take a knee. Knees don't like concrete, rocks, etc.

Did most your day packs include hydration units?

Camelbacks were the norm filled by bottled water. We kept a 2QT canteen on our big rucks.

Normally did you carry any food like candy bars if for nothing else to keep your energy level up.

Yes, Lickies and Chewies!

Does every man carry at least a rudimentary first aid kit?

IFAKS are issued to everyone which were bulky and usually left on a ruck in favor of creating a smaller Blow Out Kit to take care of immediate bleeding from a gunshot wound to include a CAT (Combat Application Torniquit).

Are combat knives common? If not do you guys use something like a leatherman or swiss army?

I carried a Benchmade auto-opener and fixed blade as well as a multi-tool.

Who is wired for communication typically?

Everyone on my team was issued a MBITR radio which is capable of talking to aircraft. We also had a couple of PRC-117F which could talk to Mars if you wanted as they could bounce your signal through satelites to anyone, anywhere.

In the movie some guys had side arms, most did not. AFAICT the 2 3 guys that were portrayed as more gunho were just rangers too but they had pistols. Who gets a sidearm?

Everyone on my team had a sidearm. Like posted above, other branches/units they were for Officers, Senior NCOs. Lots of times the Machinegunners in some units got them as well.

Any personal electronics like ipods or mp3 players while footing it around? Seems like a dangerous distraction but do you go out on patrol anyways sometimes?

No problem if you are on a FOB sitting in a tent. Actually using one on a mission???

Is there typically some non issue items carried.

While my team was outfitted with the best gear money could buy, there was always something somebody would privately purchase to try out whether it was a new pouch, sling, etc.

What about war dogs? I don't typically, at least not on the news, see them often. Seems to me they are still an asset that any war scenario needs.

Yes, the canine handlers keep busy in both Iraq and Afghanistan searching vehicles coming into FOBs.

All in all it appears you are strictly regulated as far as altering your uniforms. I don't see a lot of helmet covers marked up with slogans or shirts with the sleeves torn off like I have seen in Vietnam era field photos.

No alterations like Vietnam but as mentioned above, we had Morale Patches. My favorite one I have is my "Team America Fuck Yeah" patch. I had a "Fun Meter" on my helmet coveras well.

If you were running the show how would you change what you go out with?

We had a SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) in regards to what is carried versus packed in the ruck. Our SOP stated exactly where in the ruck so everyone packed the same so it didn't matter whose ruck it was, you could find shit. I would enforce these types of SOPs across all branches and units in regards to loadouts. I've worked with all branches while deployed and everyone does things differently let alone from unit to unit.

[rocinante 100]

Thank you vets for your responses. It is always best if you have a curiosity to go right to the source. There are a gazillion and one details of the feet on the ground guys that always fascinates me. My favorite war books are always memoirs of a member of the rank and file. All Quiet on the Western Front, Co. Aytch on the Civil War, Once a Warrior King about Vietnam. Nothing beats a well written these are what my eyes have seen account.