ANother lesson learned, know where MAtt45 is in theater. he is the king of hookups

tag

Ya, I wonder, since you got one and God knows the BN Chaplain needed a Benchmade combat knife. But thats water under the bridge.
Yes, bring a laptop or you will be very bored, have family send reading material regularly. Canned air for the laptop and keep it covered when not in use.
Good knee-pads if your a door-kicker and some good ammo pouch's(i recommend TacTailor).

Originally Posted By DandaMan: Does any one have NSN's for SAW accessories, specifically the collapsible stock and short barrel. ... Actually any weapon accessories NSN's would be great!

Anyone have these? I'd really appreciate it.

Do everything you can to get rid of your Operations Sergeant Major, if you have one; He's nothing but an empty uniform sucking up time and government money, and your unit will NOT miss him if he's anything like ours...

As to gear, get with the guys who are over here and see what works before you buy.

Two more months!

I'm short!


Later!

SPC Hatten
1/198AR
155BCT
MSARNG

Again the same for all with the train up issues was the same for my unit. Trained at Camp Shelby and CHECKED THE BOX just like everyone else. I am with a Infantry NG unit. We have been in country now for 3 months. Lost 2 guys from our company in the first 2 weeks here. I will tell you that all of the training back home can't amount to 1 month in country. You can see power points, hear lectures, and listen to all the old crusty NCO's you want to, but 1 month in the sand and you start to know what's going on. Just keep your head down, call up all info as soon as it happens, and whatever you do always keep account of everyone and everything that is going on. If it seems out of place or looks out of place stop, slow down, and figure out what it is. You are not going anywere for a while and there is no reason to hurry and make mistakes over here. Make them back at home station. Not in the sand. It's unforgiving over here.

For gear: DO NOT BUY ANYTHING BACK AT HOME. Wait for the RFI or supply over here. There is so much stuff you can get here or order on-line. See what actual deployed soldiers use when you get to where you are going. But if you NEED to buy something. Buy a good flashlight (Surefire for MOUT, and a LED headlamp for camp), Good M16 mag pouches, Good small fixed blade knife, good blastic sunglasses, and anything else to keep you busy off missions. Movies sell cheap over here. Cigs and Cigars are cheap. Bring a Laptop or a portable DVD player. Everything else can be bought in country or shipped by family members when you get here.

Just make sure you get the training in Commo, Combat Life Saver, and Shoot, Shoot, and Shoot more. Ask your chain to get you on the range with every weapon system in your MTOE. You want to be trained in every personal and crew served weapon in your Battalion. Remeber it may only be 1% chance that you may actually have to fire your weapon, but if it's not clean and you don't know shit about it, well than that's your ass.

Good luck.

Sgt Z

With multiple uniforms and colors of IBAS, try to get it where it matches your uniform whether ACU or DCU. Some insurgents target the lighter armored parts of the IBA and are quite good at it. The color contrast helps them.

Ok I am in a support role, IE NVG repair so it is my 2C

Gloves, as stated aboueve I love the Htach Operator gloves, they are not cheap, $32 hwere in Baghdad but mine have held up all tour andnd I only have to bring em to alterantiosn once to fix two small holes, tyou dont feel the heat with these gloves and my hands never sweated with em on.

Screw maglights, I have a Surefire G2Z and it is the best. the PX here stocks batteries but they are not always in stock. Right now I have 4 packs of batteries, 48 of them. PX sells a 12 pack for $17 bucks.

I prefere my Leatherman wave as I feel is better built than gerbers. I use it every day and the wear and tear shows.

My dad gave me a nice SS beretta knife when I took R&R. I so wish i had gotten a better one like that when I first got here. A lot of guys had K bars and the like.

Ammo pouches, they ones at the PX are crap, I wasent isseued any nor would my supply sustem order any so i bought my own. I swear by battlelab pouches sold by Diamondback Tactical. I had to wait a very long time for some of my pouches to due supply and demand. I jsut saw that they shipped my E&E bag after a 15 week delay, not there fault, they told me before I ordered it.

I have lots of down time so my MP3 player is worth more than gold. Mine hold 512MB and it has an FM tuner so I can listen to AFN Iraq. Make sure to bring extra headphones though, buy cheap ones.

Alas, these MoFo are pulling some last minute detail crap again and guess what, I have to do it.


85 more days.

Pretty much everyone in my unit including me is a gear queer so I have a few things to say here.

I have a lot of stuff from TAG (Tactical Assault Gear). I have some BDS/SOE gear and a few Blackhawk things.

-The enhanced 9mm mag pouches are great because they have magnets in them. They are strong enough to hold a mag on the outside of the pouch while you walk around. They are also the perfect size for a surefire G2 or 6P.

-The M16 mag pouches are far better than issue gear. When outside the wire tuck the top inside the pouch and you'll have quick and easy access to your mags, again no worry about them falling out. I have both TAG and Balckhawk pouches. The MOLLE webbing attachments on the TAG gear is much better than the Blackhawk. Not that the Blackhawk would fall off, but the TAG is just better, and that reflects and overall higher attention to detail IMO.

-Depending on your job consider a drop leg platform. Mag pouches, etc are much more accessible there than on the chest. Especially in the prone when you're trying to stay low.

-Safariland drop holster for the 9mm - outstanding piece of gear but the springs can wear after a few years.

-Gemtech lanyard for the 9mm, outstanding. Regardless of brand, get a lanyard, better than fishing that 9 mil out of the portajohn.

-I have a simple H-harness from BDS tactical in oceanside, ca, and a duty belt from TAG. Drop holster on the right, drop leg platform on the right with 4 M16 mags and 2 9mm mags plus 2 grenade pouches at the bottom. Drop pouch for mags or random items I want to take from different places on left rear. My flak goes over it and everything works well for me. I have no problems running, jumping, etc.

-Gloves - Damascus nomex are great. They last for years. They'll get dirty but they will last. DO NOT cut the fingers out, they are nomex for a reason.

-Flashlights - I have too many (surefires). I have a G2, a 6P, a 9P, an M3, and an A2. The M3 is on my M4, the A2 in my pocket, the G2 and 6Ps are in my medbags. The 9P is a backup for the M3. If I had to choose one and wasn't going to mount it on a weapon I would buy the A2. LEDs for long runtime but also has a powerful regular beam as well, if you want to turn it on. Best bang for the buck is the 6P. 9P is the same thing but more powerful. The M3 is just overkill. I have also owned several L2s, they are outstanding flashlights and are a bit cheaper than the A2. Still a lot of money for junior enlisted.

-Knives - I have 2 Emersons, 2 Benchmades, and a Buck. Plus the armory gave me a Kabar AND a Bayonet. Those 2 are pieces of crap. The emersons are great but the finish comes off easily. The Benchmade I have is the Skirmish, with BenchKote on the blade and handle. It doesn't chip off like the Emerson coating. For cutting 550 cord, clothing, etc buy a Benchmade Rescue Hook, nothing cuts 550 cord like it. Or clothing, for that matter. Benchmades are easier to find, too. Get a coated one with a 154CM or S30V blade.

-Boots. I have 2 sets of Magnum Amazons. They are great, and the cheapest name brand I found. Oakleys and Converses are good for limited use but come apart under day after day pounding.

-Enetertainment. PSP. Enough said. Books are plentiful everywhere I've been.

- I don't smoke, but stateside Marlboros are powerful bargaining tools.

-Glasses. Your BAS/RAS/medical people should be able to get you those. ESS goggles are great, the glasses give me double vision with prescription inserts in.

-Sling. 3 point or single point. Single point not so good for me because sometimes I need the rifle behind me to work on casualties. Make sure you get the right sling - M4 and M16 are different. shocking! But sometimes the armory screws with you and gives you an M16A4 then an M4. Thats another story...

I will think of more stuff later...Tango Down grips are indeed great.

geez i am so sick of AAR's.......now that i vented on the thread topic, I'll go read it and try and contribute to yet ANOTHER AAR


ok, read 1st page, real good stuff there...seems that the important things and basics have been covered.

No matter what you do or bring...it sucks. My only advice (as a Platoon Leader) is this: when your sucking real bad and need to reassure yourself and your competence....just look at everyone else sucking and try and find someone who's sucking worse than you. I literally rucked the skin off of my feet and in some places down to the flesh as a Ranger PL in the 'Stan. I couldnt tell you how many times i wanted to just fall to the sand and freaking give up. I was the mother-fraggen PL and there was no way in hell I could have fallen out w/o the platoon sustaing SEVERE moral damage.

Seemed that I was always dehydrated and when something could go wrong, it did. We had stuff when we didnt need it and didnt have enough "stuff" when we did need it. Ass-backwards I tell ya.

Ohh, another piece of advice....the Army loves to say this one...DRINK WATER!

For you recruits who are joining soon.....take basic training seriously. the "stupid" AND I MEAN "STOOOOPID" shit that your Drill SGT's are going to have you doing is for a reason. It is to instill discpline into you guys. I am on a training post now...Ft. Leonard Wood and know quite a few DS's here. These guys want you to succeed and make the mission. You are going to hate them.....that's the way it's supposed to be. If you like them, they haven't done there job. However, one day when your ass is patrolling the mountains of the 'Stan you will think back and understand what it was all about. If you're lucky you will go to Benning (home of the infantry) where basic training is considered "harder".

I guess I'm just rambling, hope this can help someone.

Ohh 70% of you newbies going through will be in theatre within a year.

If you get bored, go find the SF 18B guys. They can talk intelligently about guns and they have cool toys. Maybe even extra KAC stuff.