Military guys: What gear do you wish you had 15 years ago?

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Military guys: What gear do you wish you had 15 years ago?

Posted: 10/26/2006 11:11:31 AM EDT

Title says it all.

Scopes, weapons, packs, etc.

What do you wish you had then that wasn't available?

Posted: 10/26/2006 11:29:41 AM EDT

[#1]

Quoted:
Title says it all.

Scopes, weapons, packs, etc.

What do you wish you had then that wasn't available?

Well for me its 30 years ago.
Flat tops w/dot scopes. Gen 3+ NV, the old Gen 1 stuff sucked when you could find one. The return of the M14. Camlebacks instead of carring 2-4 canteens. Light weight radios instead of humping a prick 77. 3day packs instead of web gear and a butt pack. You ride much more today instead of traveling by LPC (leather personel carrier).

But on the other side the only people shooting at me then were OPFOR and they used blanks, ARTY simulators, and tear gas.

Posted: 10/26/2006 11:46:54 AM EDT

[#2]

High speed internet in my hotel room.

Hey, I was Air Force

Posted: 10/26/2006 11:51:35 AM EDT

[#3]

What do you wish you had then that wasn't available?

#1 - A way to bath w/ hot water in the field.

#2 - Good small / light commo.

#3 - Weapons that weren't clapped out 10 years before I got them.

#4 - Live carry and/or fire in all training.

#5 - Less of just about all the tools and equipment we were issued.

#6 - Armored wheeled vehicles

Posted: 10/26/2006 11:56:37 AM EDT

[#4]

JDAMs and UAV's.

Posted: 10/27/2006 6:15:40 AM EDT

[#5]

The boots, the choices in 1984 were the bacis 'cruit boot and jump boots. I really like the new boots, they feel like sneakers

Posted: 10/27/2006 6:32:29 AM EDT

[#6]

A BASD.

Posted: 10/27/2006 6:45:49 AM EDT

[#7]

I wish I had a commander that thought like a combat soldier not a career punching paper pusher.

Posted: 10/27/2006 8:11:06 AM EDT

[#8]

The new chest-rigs these guys are wearing,better body armor,camel-back water source.The Striker vehicle.Those cool boots.Better commo.Better....

Posted: 10/27/2006 8:13:22 AM EDT

[#9]

The list is looong but a Leupold CQ/T or an Eotech would have been very welcomed.

Posted: 10/27/2006 8:23:11 AM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
The boots, the choices in 1984 were the bacis 'cruit boot and jump boots. I really like the new boots, they feel like sneakers

Plus friggin one!

Those boots were CRAP!

Posted: 10/27/2006 9:28:26 AM EDT

[#11]

Camelbaks!!!! When I went to Sniper School in the early nineties, we bought them and were allowed to use them. This is when they first came out. When we got back to our units, we had to hide them in our rucks, and hand sew old BDU legs around the drinking tubes so the PL wouldn't see them.
"Uniformity, men!"
Now they issue them. Very good piece of gear for a grunt.

Also, why I had to hump a 20" M16A2 in the jungles of Panama, Columbia, Belieze and Venezuela is beyond me. The M4 was around, and not nearly as long to get tangled up in that vegetation.

As far as commo, well.......PRC-77. Nuff said.

Posted: 10/27/2006 11:48:41 AM EDT

[#12]

Reagan as President......

Posted: 10/27/2006 4:08:44 PM EDT

[#13]

I've been in 14 1/2 years.

1. an ACH I think my head still has marks from that friggin ballistic helmet.

2. ASIPs radios scratch that gimme MBITRs. A B model SINCGARS with spare batteries can be a bitch to jump.

3. an M4

4. Palm pilots. They put a bunch of the ballistic computers on palm pilots now.

5. the internet, without email or powerpoint

some more stuff too.

Posted: 10/28/2006 11:13:43 AM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
The boots, the choices in 1984 were the bacis 'cruit boot and jump boots. I really like the new boots, they feel like sneakers

Heck, my new boots ARE sneakers (well tall ones, but they are made by Converse).

The boots when I came in were garbage, there has been a huge amount of improvement there. The ACH is a massive improvement over the old PASGT, which sucked even worse than the steel pot we (AF) were still using in the early 90s when I came in. I love having all my TOs (TMs to you Army types) in electronic form, biga ass heavy TOs are a pain in the ass to lug around with you. Our tools and test equipment have gotten much better than they used to be. Morale calls have gotten better and easier, and email makes communication while deployed much easier. Until we get our new uniforms next year I will have worn the same one for my entire hitch so I can't really wish for a better one back in the day. I am jealous of the ACU though, the colors suck but it is a very practical uniform.

Posted: 10/28/2006 12:47:33 PM EDT

[#15]

We had people killed and legs lost for lack of GPS. I couldn't keep paces all day, and the compass guy was as bad as I was. WP rounds were way off and calling artillery was a joke till we finally walked it in.

(1969-70)

Posted: 10/28/2006 12:55:14 PM EDT

[#16]

M4, Surefire weapon lights, LED flashlights, ORC Softshell, The green patrol bag and gortex bivy from the MWSS, Nalgene, Camelbak, Email, cellphone.

I made due with an M16A2 and a couple mini maglights (One duct taped to the handguards), M65 field jacket, plastic canteens, and snail mail you got every 6 or 10 weeks and a payphone a couple times on a 6 month deployment.

Posted: 10/28/2006 1:00:36 PM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:

#1 - A way to bath w/ hot water in the field.

<----Not a guy, but this was MY #1 and I thought being female, I'd get grief over wanting something like that

. So thanks for posting it

Quoted:
The boots, the choices in 1984 were the bacis 'cruit boot and jump boots. I really like the new boots, they feel like sneakers

AMEN!!! I bought Corcorans when I arrived at AIT. OMG did they KILL my feet.

Posted: 10/28/2006 1:01:10 PM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
The boots, the choices in 1984 were the bacis 'cruit boot and jump boots. I really like the new boots, they feel like sneakers

I always liked the basic 'cruit boots of the 80s.

Posted: 10/28/2006 1:09:44 PM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:

Quoted:
The boots, the choices in 1984 were the bacis 'cruit boot and jump boots. I really like the new boots, they feel like sneakers

I always liked the basic 'cruit boots of the 80s.

They did not wear well, IMHO. They cracked at the toes making polishing a waste. They were not as uncomfortable as my jumps, but they weren't like the ones they get now.

Worst thing? After I got out, I gave all my BDUs and boots away (a hunter friend wanted them and his kid fit into my boots). Only thing I have is one BDU coat

Posted: 10/28/2006 1:12:03 PM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:
Only thing I have is one BDU coat

Ha, That is all I kept too.

Posted: 10/28/2006 3:01:35 PM EDT

[#21]

Crap I wish I had half the stuff available today, in late 2001 when I first stepped foot in Afghanistan. My personal AR15/M4 carbine is much nicer(sans the happy switch) than anything I was issued then and I was a field grade officer in a special operations unit... We had DCUs(desert uniforms) but most of the web gear was OD and we had standard SOPMOD M4s mostly equipped with NSN ACOGs. Eotechs were just starting to become available. I would have liked to have had my Leitner Wise upper with a TA31 or Eotech and also my HK 45 vice the M9 but all in all, I came home in one piece...

Posted: 10/28/2006 7:17:55 PM EDT

[#22]

All the goretex and polypro snivel gear. When I first joined up in '82 all we had was cotton and wool, and no waterproof boots. It's hard to be really really miserable with all the new snivel gear they have today.

Case in point I was at the first drill for my new unit and one of the junior em's asked me if my green thermal shirt was Norwegean surplus. I told him is was Army issue, circa 1985. He responded he wasn't even born then. Talk about a generation gap......

Posted: 10/29/2006 5:38:16 PM EDT

[#23]

you know, when i enlisted in '03 i was given the basic leather cadillacs too, but i knew enough to ask a MSG from the special forces (yes, really) how to break em in. "boil dem boots up boy, boil dem up in a tub and war (wear) em till they're dry. polish (pronounced like Polish) em up an boil em agin. do dat tree, fore times and dey'll be some mighty fine ruckin boots. like moccasins.

never had any truer advice given to me about the military, still have those boots, and i love em better than my bellevilles and bates.

Posted: 10/29/2006 8:18:40 PM EDT

[#24]

Quoted:

Quoted:
The boots, the choices in 1984 were the bacis 'cruit boot and jump boots. I really like the new boots, they feel like sneakers

I always liked the basic 'cruit boots of the 80s.

I remember those old school boots. This is the type I was issued

Posted: 10/29/2006 9:10:04 PM EDT

[#25]

As many chicks around as they do now...

Posted: 10/30/2006 4:19:20 PM EDT

[#26]

Quoted:
This is the type I was issued

i4.ebayimg.com/02/i/03/72/d5/72_1_b.JPG

\

I love those things.... just need a decent dense neoprene insole to replace the original thin "plastic" one, and they got to be one of the sturdiest boots every built.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Military guys: What gear do you wish you had 15 years ago?

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