Winds of Change.NET: A Soldier's E-Mail Changes Their Equipment

February 18, 2003

A Soldier's E-Mail Changes Their Equipment

by Joe Katzman at February 18, 2003 9:44 PM

Yesterday, Trent answered a reader and talked about the darker side of military procurement - as seen from the inside. Today, we have a happier story.

What follows is the text of Master Sgt. Rudy Romero's e-mail to one of his old commanding officers after he returned from Afghanistan last July. A month after he hit the "send" button, Romero got a call telling him to go to its U.S. Soldier Systems Center in Natick, Mass., where engineers were busily at work developing the gear that soldiers take into battle. He spent 2 weeks over there with a couple of his buddies, and apparently changed some minds. This is the letter that started it all...

HOWS EVERYTHING GOING SIR. HOPE YOUR DOING FINE. WE SHOULD GET TO GETHER FOR LUNCH SOMETIME, I KNOW A PRETTY GOOD PLACE IF YOU LIKE MEXICAN.

I WOULD LIKE TO PASS ON A FEW THINGS LEARNED DURING OUR RECENT DEPLOYMENT. IT WONT BE IN A SPECIFIC ORDER SO BARE WITH ME.

I GUESS THE BIGGEST LESSON I LEARNED IS NOTHING CHANGES FROM HOW YOU TRAIN AT JRTC. WE ALL TRY TO INVENT NEW DILEMAS AND TTP'S BECAUSE IT'S A REAL DEPLOYMENT BUT WE END UP OUT SMARTING OURSELVES. GO WITH WHAT YOU KNOW, STICK WITH HOW YOU TRAIN.

SOME OF THE THINGS IN PARTICULAR WERE SOLDIERS LOAD, BECAUSE YOU'RE IN THE MNTS OF AFGHANISTAN YOU TRY TO INVENT NEW PACKING LISTS, OR NEW UNIFORMS. SOME UNITS WENT IN WITH GORTEX AND POLY PRO ONLY, WHEN THE WX GOT BAD THEY WERE THE ONLY ONES TO HAVE COLD WX INJ THAT NEEDED TO BE EVACED. WEVE ALL FIGURED OUT HOW TO STAY WARM DURING THE WINTER SO DONT CHANGE YOUR UNIFORMS. IT WAS NEVER AS COLD AS I VE SEEN IT HERE OR FT BRAGG DURING THE WINTER.

BECAUSE OF THE HIGH ALTITUDE'S AND ROUGH TERRAIN WE ALL SHOULD HAVE BEEN COMBAT LIGHT. THATS THE FIRST THING YOU LEARN AT JRTC, YOU CANT FIGHT WITH A RUCK ON YOUR BACK. WE PACKED TO STAY WARM AT NIGHT, WHICH WAS A MISTAKE; YOU TAKE ONLY ENOUGH TO SURVIVE UNTIL THE SUN COMES UP. WE HAD EXTREME DIFFICULTY MOVING WITH ALL OUR WEIGHT. IF OUR MOVEMENT WOULD HAVE BEEN TO RELIEVE A UNIT IN CONTACT OR A TIME SENSITIVE MISSION WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MOVE IN A TIMELY MANNER. IT TOOK US 8 HOURS TO MOVE 5 CLICKS.

The Rest of the letter can be found by clicking the link below... I've also worked up a Glossary of military terms (previous post) that will make some of Romero's stuff clearer.

...(ctd.)

WITH JUST THE VEST AND LBV WE WERE EASILY CARRYING 80LBS. THROW ON THE RUCK AND YOUR SUCKING. WE OUT SMARTED OUR SELVES ON HOW MUCH WATER TO CARRY. WE TOOK IN OVER 12 QRTS PER MAN ON OUR INTITIAL INSERTION, WHICH GREATLY INCREASED OUR WEIGHT. IN THE OLD DAYS YOU DID A THREE-DAY MISSION WITH 6 QRTS OF WATER, AND THAT WAS ON FT CAMPBELL IN THE SUMMER. GRANTED WE WERE ALL HEAT EXHAUSTION AT THE END BUT IT'S MORE THAN DOOABLE. I SAY GO IN WITH SIX QRTS, IF YOUR RESUPPLY IS WORKING THAN DRINK AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE KEEPING THE SIX QRTS INCASE RESUPPLY GETS WX RD OUT. WE ALSO OVER TASKED OUR HELICOPTER SUPPORT BRINGING IN UNEEDED RESUPPLY BECAUSE WEVE LOST A LOT OF OUR NEEDED FIELD CRAFT.

WE DIDNT EVEN THINK TO TAKE IODINE TABLETS UNTIL AFTER WE GOT ON THE GROUND. IF YOU'RE IN A GOOD FIGHT YOUR GOING TO NEED ALL YOUR BIRDS FOR MEDEVAC AND AMMO RESUPPLY. BOTTOM LINE IS WE HAVE TO TRAIN AT THE RIGHT SOLDIERS LOAD, RELEARN HOW TO CONSERVE WATER. HOW MANY BATTERIES DOES IT TAKE TO SUSTAIN FOR THREE DAYS ETC. TAKE WHAT YOU NEED TO SURVIVE THROUGH THE NIGHT AND THEN WEAR THE SAME STUFF AGAIN THE NEXT DAY, YOU CAN ONLY WEAR SO MUCH SNIVEL GEAR IT DOESNT DO ANY GOOD TO CARRY ENOUGH TO HAVE A DIFFERENT WARD ROBE EVERY DAY. HAVE THE BN INVEST IN GORTEX SOCKS, AND SMART WOOL SOCKS OUR BN DIRECTED FOR EVERY ONE TO WEAR GORTEX BOOTS DURING THE MISSION, YOU CAN IMAGINE HOW PAINFUL THAT WAS. I GAVE UP MY BOOTS TO A NEW SOLDIER WHO DIDNT HAVE ANY SO I WORE JUNGLE BOOTS, GORTEX SOCKS AND A PAIR OF SMART WOOL SOCKS AND MY FEET NEVER GOT WET OR COLD EVEN IN THE SNOW. YOU NEED TWO PAIRS SO YOU CAN DRY THEM OUT EVERY DAY.

ALL PERSONEL INVOLVED HATED THE LBV ITS SO CONSTRICTING WHEN YOU WEAR IT WITH THE VEST, THEN WHEN YOU PUT A RUCK ON IT CUTS OFF EVEN MORE CIRCULATION. I WOULD ALSO RECOMMEND WEARING THE BODY ARMOR DURING ALL TRAINING, I DOUBT IF WELL EVER FIGHT WITHOUT IT AGAIN. IT SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECTS EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO.

EQUIPMENT WISE, OUR GREATEST SHORTCOMINGS WERE OPTICS AND ORGANIC OR DIRECT SUPPORT LONG RANGE WEAPONS. AFTER THE INITIAL FIGHT ALL OUR TARGETS WERE AT A MINIMUM OF 15OOM ALL THE WAY OUT TO AS FAR AS YOU COULD SEE. OUR 60 AND 81'S ACCOUNTED FOR MOST OF THE KILLS. NEXT WAS A CANADIAN SNIPER TM WITH A MCMILLIAN 50 CAL. THEY GOT KILLS ALL THE WAY OUT TO 2500M. THE PROBLEM WITH OUR MORTARS WAS THERE WAS A 24 HR CAS CAP. AND THEY WOULDNT FLY NEAR US IF WE WERE FIRING INDIRECT. EVEN THOUGH OUR MAX ORD WAS FAR BENEATH THERE PATTERNS. SOMETHING FOR YOU AND YOU ALO TO WORK OUT. THE OTHER PROBLEM WAS THE AIR FORCE COULD NEVER HIT SMALL GROUPS OF PERSONNEL. I WATCHED AND CALLED CORRECTIONS ON NUMEROUS SORTIES AND THEY COULD NEVER HIT THE TARGETS. MY VERDICT IS IF YOU WANT IT KILLED USE YOU MORTARS. PAY CLOSE ATTN TO THE DIR OF ATK YOUR ALO IS BRINGING IN THE CAS. EVERYTIME IT WAS PERPINDICULAR TO US WE WERE HIT WITH SHRAPNEL. NOT TO MENTION THE TIME THEY DROPPED A 2000LB IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR COMPANY, IT DIDNT GO OFF BY A SHEER MIRACLE IM SURE. COBRAS AND 2.75 SHOT AT US ALSO, ONCE AGAIN THEY WERE SHOOTING PERPINDICULAR TO OUR TRACE. AVIATION PROVIDED THE MOST NEAR MISSES OF ALL THE THINGS WE DID.

I RECOMEND ALL SL'S AND PL'S CARRY BINOS WITH THE MILLS RETICLE. COUNTLESS TIMES TL'S AND SL'S HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO CALL IN MORTARS. MORE IMPORTANTLY IS LEADERS KNOWING HOW TO DO IT. OUR BN HAS CHECKED ALL THE BLOCKS AS FAR AS THAT GOES, GUESS WHAT THEY STILL COULDNT DO IT. ESPICIALY THE PL'S CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF ITS NOT THE PL WHOS GOING TO CALL IT IN ITS THE SOLDIER IN THE POSISTION WHO WILL. IF YOU DONT HAVE THE BINOS GUESS WHAT YOU HAVE TO WAIT FOR SOMEBODY TO RUN TO THE M240 POSISTION TO GO GET THEM. ALSO SAME GOES WITH NOT KNOWING HOW TO DO IT, YOU HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE FO TO MOVE TO THAT POSITION. PLUGGER BATTLE DRILL IS THE WAY TO GO, EVEN WITH THE CIVILIAN MODELS; THE CONTOUR INTERVAL ON THE MAPS IS OUTRAGEOUS SO TERRAIN ASSOCIATION WAS DIFFICULT. RANGE ESTIMATION WAS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT OR CRITICAL THING YOU DO. IF YOU CLOSE ON YOUR ESTIMATION YOU'LL GET THE TARGET. WE ALL CARRIED IN 2 MTR ROUNDS APIECE AND THAT WAS MORE THEN ENOUGH. WE TOOK MIX OF EVERYTHING; THE ONLY THING WE USED WAS WP AND HE. ALL TOGETHER WE TOOK IN AT LEAST 120 RDS AS A COMPANY LOTS OF LESSONS LEARNED ON AIR ASSLT. ITS WAS ALWAYS SEATS OUT DUE TO THE LIMITED # OF AC AND THE # OF PERSONNEL WE HAD TO GET IN. THAT PRESENTS A FEW PROBLEMS. OFFLOADING A CH-47 ON A HOT LZ PACKED TO THE GILLS IS AN EXTREMELY SLOW PROCESS (2-3 MIN). LANDING WAS THE MOST DANGEROUS PART WHILE WE WERE THERE JUST BECAUSE OF THE CONDITIONS AND TERRAIN, IF YOU CRASH WITHOUT SEATS AND SEATBELTS YOUR GOING TO HAVE ALOT OF BROKEN BONES. IF POSSIBLE MAYBE YOU COULD SEND IN THE FIRST FEW LIFTS WITH SEATS IN, THAT WILL GET THE HELO OFF THE LZ MUCH QUICKER. THEN FOLLOWING AC SEATS OUT. FOOD FOR THOUGHT

JUST LIKE THE VIETNAM THE PILOTS WERE COURAGEOUS AND WILL DO ALL AND EVEN MORE OF WHAT YOU ASK OF THEM. HOWEVER RESUPPLY WAS A BIG DIFFICULTY. PROBLEM WAS THEY NEVER PUT THE RIGHT PACKAGE AT THE RIGHT PLACE AND YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS, ESPICIALLY WHEN IT'S 120MM MORTAR RDS THAT SLID INTO A DEEP RAVINE. FIX WAS PUT A LNO ON THE BIRD WITH GRIDS FREQ'S AND CALL SIGNS. OUR S-4 HAD A GROUP OF SUPPLY SGT'S THAT WOULD ACCOMPANY THE RESUPPLY'S. ALSO AS THE S-3 PUSH THE BIRDS DOWN TO THE COMPANY FREQS. THAT KILLED US THE WHOLE TIME. BN WOULD NEVER PUSH THE BIRDS DOWN TO US SO THEY WERE ALWAYS LANDING IN THE WRONG PLACE OR DROPPING OFF RESUPPLY IN THE WRONG PLACE. SAME WITH AH-64'S WE ALWAYS SAY GIVE THEM TO THE USER BUT WE NEVER DO IT. WE ALWAYS HAD TO RELAY THRU THE S-3 TO GIVE CORRECTIONS.

FLYING WAS BY FAR THE MOST DANGEROUS THING WE DID WHILE WE WERE THERE.

THE ENVIROMENT WAS EXTREMELY HARSH. THE COLD WASNT THAT BAD, ITS THE HARD COLD DRY WIND THAT WILL EAT YOU UP LIKE YOU WOULDNT BELIEVE. CHAPSTICK, CHAPSTICK, CHAPSTICK, SUN SCREEN, SUN SCREEN. SUN SCREEN.

GATORS, DIDNT HOLD UP TO GOOD, THAT PLACE EATS UP TIRES LIKE YOU WOULDNT BELEIVE. THEY'RE A GREAT THING TO HAVE WHEN THEIR RUNNING. ALSO THERE REAL EASY GETTING THEM INTO TO THE FIGHT, GETTING OUT IS A DIFFERENT STORY, YOUR ALWAYS SCROUNGING FOR AC WHEN IT'S TIME TO GO. SO BE PREPARED TO LEAVE A FEW GATORS.

WE USED THE CLU'S ALOT, EVERY NIGHT FOR THAT MATTER. BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF EQUIPMENT. THEY CONSUME ALOT OF BATTS AND ADD ALOT OF WIEGHT. AFTER IT SNOWED TWO IN THE COMPANY STOPPED WORKING UNTIL THEY DRIED OUT A FEW DAYS LATER. OTHER THAN THAT THEY HELD UP REAL WELL.

GO IN WITH A GOOD OR SHOULD I SAY GREAT ZERO ON ALL YOUR WPN'S. WE NEVER GOT A CHANCE TO RE ZERO WHILE WE WERE THERE. ALSO ZERO ALL YOUR SPARE WPNS FOR REPLACEMENTS ETC. ON OUR LAST MISSION I HIT A DUD M203 AT 75M WITH ONE ROUND FROM MY M4 USING MY M68. IT HELD A ZERO GREAT. A 1SG DOESNT NORMALY ABUSE HIS WPN LIKE A YOUNG SOLDIER DOES THOUGH. HOWEVER IF THEY TREAT THEIR WPNS LIKE THIER NINTENDOS THEY SHOULD BE ALRIGHT.

OUR BN BOUGHT THE AMMO BAGS FOR THE M240 FROM LONDON BRIDGE, THEY WORKED GREAT. KNEE PADS ARE A MUST, NEEDLESS TO SAY NOT ALL PERSONNEL HAD SOME MSR STOVES ARE THE S=T, AND THEY BURN ANY KIND OF FUEL. QUALITY SUN GLASSES PROBABLY MORE IMPORTANT WOULD BE SAFETY OR SHOOTING GLASSES BOLLE GOGGLES ARE THE WAY TO GO IF YOU CAN AFFORD IT WE HAD ONE GUY WHO WAS HYPO THERMIC ONE NIGHT, THE MEDICS AND A WOOL BLANKET SAVED HIS ASS. GREEN WOOL STILL CANT BE BEAT.

FLEECE GLOVES FROM AUTO ZONE ARE THE BEST. WE ALSO EVENTUALLY (AFTER WE WERE DONE) RECIEVED BARRET 50 CALS FOR OUR SNIPERS. THERE M24'S NEVER GOT USED BECAUSE OF THE EXTREME RANGES. I THINK EACH COMPANY SHOULD HAVE ONE, OR A SNIPER TM OR A M2 WITH CREW.

LOTS OF THERMITE GRENADES AND C-4, WE USED THEM ALOT OUR ENGINEERS WERE GREAT PROFIECIENCY WITH THE M203'S RIGHT NOW THERE ISNT A VIABLE SIGHT FOR THE M-4, SO LOTS OF PRACTICE WITH KENTUCKY WINDAGE. LOTS OF HE ALSO MOUNTING BRACKETS FOR THE PEQ 2 FOR THE AT-4'S THE SMAW-D COMES WITH ONE. ALSO THE SMAW D IS SMALLER EASIER TO CARRY AND HITS SIGNIFICANTLY HARDER. WON'T COLLAPSE A CAVE BUT WILL DEFINETLY CLEAR IT.

SOLDIERS DID GREAT YOU CAN ALWAYS DEPEND ON THEM. THEY ARE EXTREMELY BRAVE AND WANT TO FIGHT. GOTTA DO REALISTIC TRAINING, THEYLL DO IT JUST LIKE WE TEACH THEM, THEY'LL PATCH A BULLET HOLE JUST LIKE YOU TAUGHT THEM IN EIB, BUT THEY WONT TAKE OFF THE SOLDIERS VEST TO CHECK FOR MORE BULLET HOLES ETC.

BECAUSE OF THE EXTEME RANGES YOU NEED THE 3X ADAPTERS FOR THE NVG'S

THERE'S ALOT MORE I COULD TALK ABOUT BUT PROBABLY BETTER LEFT UNSAID ON EMAIL. HOPE THIS GIVES YOU SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT

SORRY ABOUT THE SPELLING AND RANDOM THINKING,

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Four-Star Blogging at STRATCOM from Defense Industry Daily

Excerpt: A 4-star General briefs his senior NCOs about his new blog. Emails from the field, blogs, et. al. are flattening military communications, and this is is sure to have an impact on procurement and sales approaches in the industry....

Comments

#1 from Joe Katzman at 5:39 am on Feb 18, 2003

Good point, folks. Forgot that some of you aren't using Mozilla/Netscape, and so don't have tabbed browsing. Here's that military glossary again, conveniently placed so you can consult it without leaving this page:

1SG = 1st Sargeant
5 CLICKS = 5 kilometers (3 miles)
60's / 81's = types of mortars (60mm, 81mm Shells)
AH-64 = Apache attack helicopter
ALO = air liason officer
ATK = attack
BATTS = batteries
BOLLE GOOGLES = a brand of sunglasses
BINOS = binoculars
BIRD = helicopter
BN = batallion
CAP = Combat Air Patrol
CAS = close air support
CLU = command launch unit for portable missiles, can also be used stand-alone as a day/night sighting device
COBRA = AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter
EIB = Expert Infantryman Badge
GATORS = small four-wheel-drive vehicles
INJ = injuries
HE = High Explosive
HELO = helicopter
JRTC = Joint Readiness Training Center
KENTUCKY WINDAGE = 'guesstimating' when aiming a weapon because the zero is incorrect (q.v. "zero")
LBV = lightweight ballistic vest
LZ = landing zone
MSR STOVE = Mountain Safety Research brand portable stove
M203 = grenade launcher that fits under the M-16/M-4, or a round fromn one
M240 = 7.62mm medium machine gun
M4 = compact version of the M-16 5.56mm rifle
M68 = small non-telescopic gunsight with a red "aiming dot"
MTR = mortar
NVG = Night Vision Goggles
PL = Platoon Leader
RDS = rounds
RUCK = rucksack, backpack
S-3 = staff officer responsible for plans, operations and training
S-4 = officer responsible for logistics planning and supply
SAW = Squad Automatic Weapon, 5.56mm light machine gun
SMAW = modern version of the bazooka rocket launcher
SNIVEL GEAR = comfort items
TTP's = Tactics Techniques and Procedures
THERMITE = burns and gives off lots of heat and light
TM = team
WP = White Phosphorous rounds that can create smoke, set fires and burn people, mark targets for engagement, or even signal the beginning of an assault
WX = weather
WPNS = weapons
ZERO = adjust the sights on a weapon so that the point of impact at a specified range is at the point of aim

#2 from Joe McNally at 3:52 pm on Feb 18, 2003

Great post! Can you believe this guy's base pay is only something like $45,000 a year?

#3 from John Moore at 11:56 pm on Feb 18, 2003

Great post...

But doesn't "BARE WITH ME" mean "let's get naked together?"

Oh well, you don't have to spell well to be a good soldier, as the rest of the letter shows so clearly.

#4 from Joe Katzman at 7:15 pm on Feb 19, 2003

John,

Don't ask, don't tell...

#5 from Doug Turnbull at 10:01 pm on Feb 19, 2003

What's disappointing is that (apparently at least), it took this guy's e-mail to get his opinions noticed by the higher ups. I would have thought it would be SOP to debrief everyone who faced combat to find out what worked and what didn't. I know if I were involved in just about any related area, I'd want to talk to as many front line soldiers as possible to figure out what would make thier job easier.

#6 from M. Simon at 7:30 pm on Sep 17, 2003

The very best way is to train some of the users to be designers. Then put them to work in the military industrial complex.

It worked for me.

#7 from Dakota Aviator at 7:02 pm on Mar 04, 2004

Hello to all from Central Asia�.

I�m an Army Reservist currently on active duty in Uzbekistan and Afghanistan for OEF so I�m going to just use the first part of my email address as a pseudonym if you all don�t mind.

No need to draw unneeded attention to ones self, you know?

That email is a great thing� unfortunately; Doug Turnbulls made an accurate observation, "What's disappointing is that (apparently at least), it took this guy's e-mail to get his opinions noticed by the higher ups. I would have thought it would be SOP to debrief everyone who faced combat to find out what worked and what didn't."

Although many units do conduct debriefings, know as After Action Reviews (or AAR�s) some units (and higher headquarters) don�t do it enough or don�t take it seriously.

AAR�s need to be conducted not only in combat arms units (infantry, armor, etc) but also in every unit to collect info about what works and what doesn�t. We are integrating Active Component units with Guard, Reserves and other branches in numbers and situations like we have never done before. It�s a bit sickening to see the process where units rotating out don�t pass on their collected body of knowledge to the units replacing them. The incoming units also usually don�t push to ask for �lessons learned� then they go thru an unnecessarily long learning process where they often make far too many unneeded mistakes.

I�ve seen it in this theater for the last 8 months and I�m sure it will continue. Great lessons in how not to run Companies and Bn�s.

The Army even has an organization specifically for the collection and dissemination of �lessons learned� this named CALL, �The Center for Army Lessons Learned (CALL) collects and analyzes data from a variety of current and historical sources, including Army operations and training...� {located at: http://call.army.mil}

{Side note: the Dudley Knox Library at the Naval Postgraduate School has a page with links to �Lessons Learned� sites for many branches of service - http://library.nps.navy.mil/home/lessons.htm.}

Also there is a decent web page by a military member expanding on the AAR letter with several other articles that are related to the AAR letter. One army spokesman blows off the AAR letter and whitewashes over it (good reading here!). It also has the text of the Official U.S. Army Afghanistan Gear Report � straight from the field interviews after the sent people to do formal interviews with soldiers (more great info)
http://www.geocities.com/usarmyafghangearproblems

But I digress�

Joe Katzman provided a decent glossary but I want to clarify some things. Please excuse my poor quoting and long post.

�BOLLE GOOGLES = a brand of sunglasses�
Sorry, not sunglasses but a great commercial replacement to the issue (and shitty) Sand Wind Dust Goggles. Yes you can get darker lens inserts but its not usually needed, however a few differences are these from the Brigade Quartermasters website, �Bolle combines two separate lenses, spaced about 0.25 inches apart, to virtually prevent fogging. Polycarbonate outer lens is lightweight, scratch-resistant and shatterproof and meets ANSI Z87 standards for impact resistance...� All things the $7.90 military issue goggles are not.

Many units are also issued "Wiley X" brand sunglasses. Two models are common, the XL-1's http://www.wiley-x.com/xl1.php and the SG-1's http://www.wiley-x.com/sg1.php

Better than most but some people report bad fogging problems as they make a tight seal close to the eye. Your eye moisture as well as regular sweat condenses on the inside of the lense requiring constant removal and wiping (a pain in the a**) or you can cut away some of the foam on the edge that seals it to your face. This allows blowing dust in the eyes somewhat but is much better than fogging. Filtered vents are what is needed. I have a pair of each (supply by aquisition, heh heh...) and they are decent. Also the solid rigid frames do not allow for 'bending' to achieve a custom fit. Very few faces are symetrical as we all know. Guess what sunglasses are most popular with my unit? Uvex Bandits with amber lenses. Cost? About FIVE DOLLARS when bought in bulk.
http://store.pksafety.net/uvbabl.html

Safety glasses, sun glasses, wrap around keeps out the dust, durable, replacement lenses are cheap - all great qualities for military users. Wileys cost over $100 to $130 EACH. You could outfit a Bn with Uvex Bandits for the cost of a platoon's worth of Wileys.

Just my ranting, pardon me.

�GATORS = small four-wheel-drive vehicles�
Not only 4 wheel but also 6 wheel models. Reference: http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/5265/paragator.htm, http://www.ausa.org/www/armymag.nsf/(soldier)/20042?OpenDocument, http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/m-gator.htm. A great concept but one that needs quite a bit of work. Even in rear areas these vehicles are ill suited for many tasks and are a maintenance nightmare. Most soldiers think that they are POS (do you really have to ask what that means?) but they are all we have. Far to expense for what you get. Slow. Heavily used Gators (IE - all of them) are very noisy. Numerous other issues but you get the point. It�s better than nothing though. I�m certain in most cases a regular beefy farm type four-wheeler with a good trailer would do much, much better.

"KENTUCKY WINDAGE = 'guesstimating' when aiming a weapon because the zero is incorrect (q.v. "zero")"
If your zero is �incorrect� then you won�t hit anything and in actuality you never had a zero on your weapon at all. Snipercountry.com�s definition of Kentucky Windage is one that any infantryman would recognize and agree with, �Kentucky Windage - An estimate of the modified point of aim required to compensate for wind or for target movement. Synonymous with hold-off.� From: http://www.snipercountry.com/Compendium/Comp_K.htm

"LBV = lightweight ballistic vest"
LBV is Load Bearing Vest, the replacement to the earlier Alice type LCE or LBE. As far as issue �ballistic vests� go, you have the Intercepter system (new) and the Flack Jacket (old). Intercepter system with plates will stop most rounds, the old Flack Jacket is only good for shrapnel and frag, if even that.

"SNIVEL GEAR = comfort items"
Yes, but more specifically it usually refers to extra clothing or items meant to keep you warm and/or dry. A sleeping bag could be considered snivel gear if a ranger roll (poncho with liner) would do.

"THERMITE = burns and gives off lots of heat and light"
Gives off more heat than light, its meant to destroy things by melting them. Does not explode just ignites and forms a really hot mass of slag. FAS states that, "A portion of the thermate mixture is converted to molten iron, which burns at 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit. It will fuze together the metallic parts of any object that it contacts." Reference http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/m14-th3.htm

Also note the reference to the �PEQ 2� {AN/PEQ-2} It is an Infrared Pointer/Illuminator/Aiming Laser � a fantastic piece of gear!
�AN/PEQ-2 is a dual laser system developed to allow a combination of both pin point aiming and broad beam target illumination. It can be handheld or mounted to a weapon for operation. AN/PEQ-2 is available in three models allowing a selection of laser power, infrared only, or infrared/visible light source.� From http://www.nightline-inc.com/nightline/catalog/AN-PEQ-2.htm

There's more I could add to this from my experience over here so far, but this is quite long already.

Anyone should feel free to contact me at DakotaPIGAviator@hotmail.com

Obviously since I'm in a Muslim country take out the PORK before you sent an email to that address.

Regards from the 'Stans,
~DakotaAviator

#8 from Brian H at 1:46 am on Mar 16, 2005

I'm non-mil, but this was great fun and informative reading. I would assume that the reason the AAR info never gets where it should is that at each stage the bureau-cs edit out a bit of what would look bad on them. Result: zero content. The subversive effects of CYA in admin are everywhere.