M1A1TC

I am ADA now - 14S (also served as tanker and MP on active duty), and my battalion has Avengers and Stinger MANPADS. In my Battery we have 2 Avenger platoons, 1 MANPAD platoon, 1 Radar Platoon (14J), and 1 HQ Platoon. Recommended reading: ARTEP44_648_37 MTP AVENGER BATTERY FM3_01x11 ADA REFERENCE BOOK FM44_44 AVENGER PLATOON, SECTION AND SQUAD OPERATIONS

Besides Russian Speznaz, I also made Iraqi Police and Iraqi Army mods that uses Syrian SF

Steve I think most people understand that you dont want to give your baby up. What people what is some more flavor objects/variety/freedom. Can you add some grey, even without textures objects like a cube, rectangle, something that could be textured into shipping containers, boxes, signs, I personally would like to see addition of sattelite dishes, concertina wire and road curbs. Also, I want to see return of several levels of damage for buildings.

I think its a silly name - sounds like suppository. How about something more manly, like War Room, or Supply Bunker

We used to practice Sagger drills - at the first sign of missile launch everyone screams "sagger", and driver drives in zigzags. Dont know how useful that would be, unless the missile is wire-guided by human eye.

Well, I was a tanker for about 5 years. We used to fire from a slow crawl - 10-20 mph at the most. This gives you the most accurate, steady fire platform, while still moving.

My unit just went to weapon qual. last month - saw troops training with claymores

The Red side gets to use IEDs in game, why doesnt Blue get to use Claymores? BFC, fix or somethink

Good luck! I was stationed at Ft.Benning 1999-2001, it was a lot of fun. Atlanta is very close, so is Pensacola and Savannah. On post I was at Kelly Hill, C 2-69 Armor

Could I get it as well, please

Dialogue is good, very funny at times Game play is story oriented

Very similar in feel to Oblivion, so if you liked that game, you will LOVE Fallout 3. Everything is amazing about this game. I been playing Dead Space, which is great, but I had to stop for Fallout. This will be the game of the year for sure The world is huge, and very scary. I havent got very far yet, just trying to scrounge up some scrap metal and things to sell, still around the close area near the Vault. The only city Ive been in is Megaton. The dialog is basically choices of good, bad, and everything in between. Sometimes you might get 5-6 choices of anwsers, but usually just good, neutral and bad. When you steal or do bad things, you get Bad Karma, and vice versa. Dont know yet what it does or how it affects the game. I am usually a nice character

Anyone here got it yet? I picked it up at midnignt, played till 0600 Sweet game!

Here are some things might be helpful that I found online if you get deployed in combat zone: 1. Always wear your issued ballistic goggles. You ‘should ‘get issued WileyX goggles with both clear and tinted lenses. If not, buy your own ballistic goggles before you go over. Wear them 24/7 when you’re outside your FOB. I can’t count the amount of people that lost eyes from IED attacks because they were not wearing their goggles. Wear them!! 2. Wear your SAPI plates! They have saved countless lives by stopping 7.62 rounds and huge chunks of shrapnel…They weigh a ton and you’ll sweat like a whore in church while wearing them but they will save your life. 3. Always keep your hands inside of the armor side plates when riding in the back of a HMMWV. The tendency to rest your weapon on the armor, pointing outboard, with your hand outstretched holding the barrel in the ready position is natural but extremely dangerous. If an IED hits, you WILL lose your arm…. 4. Know your AO like the back of your hand. It’s the single most improtant way you will be able to identify IED’s before they get you. You will be traveling the same roads over and over again day after day. Do not sit in the HMMWV and jerk around while you’re out there. Memorize every dirt mound, light pole, stop sign, garbage pile, depression, car, etc in your AO. In time you will be able to ‘sense’ that there is something not right about a certain spot or object on the road. For example: We noticed one day that a stop sign in our AO was missing from an intersection. Miraculously, it reappeared the next day. BIG RED FLAG!! We stopped at a distance, circled around behind it, and found that they had removed it, lined the back of the sign with a ½ inch layer of plastic explosives with ball bearings embedded in it, and then replaced it on the pole. Had we not recognized that it was missing and then reappeared, and continued to drive by it, it would have decimated us as it was 6’ off the ground (head level above the level of a HMMWV’s armor plating). Know your AO!! Platter charges are in fashion here, and cost less on the black market than a RPG round or a 155 round. Do the math folks. We generally use the Brit method of 5 meter sweeps within the first 10 minutes of a stop, and circle 1 meter further per 2-3 minutes while halted. Amazing finds..... I would like to add to the know your AO rule. That is to learn the locals in your AO also. My experience has been that the children will almost always approach us, when they keep their distance my "oh **** this dosn't feel right" alarm goes off. If the locals are openly anti-American that is obvious, but many will tell you if Ali-Babba is in the AO. Take what they tell you with some caution, but don't disregard it all together. Trust your feelings, if it dosn't feel right it probably isn't. 5. If you’re HMMWV has a fording stack, get rid of it ASAP. It impedes the passenger’s ability to scan the side of the road for abnormalities… 6. When traveling along the MSR’s be especially wary when you drive by villages. Many IED’s are located near villages that abut the MSR because it affords the insurgents numerous hiding spots from which to command detonate the IED. 7. Beg, borrow, or steal as many tourniquets as you can. Assign one to every member of your squad or unit, teach them how to use them, and be sure it’s carried on their person 24/7. There is no way to describe the carnage that an IED or a 122 mm rocket creates. They will tear off limbs in an instant and tourniquet may be the difference between life and death if arteries are severed. Even in your FOB, where you are constantly rocketed, one should carry tourniquets…. ------------------------- Gloves- The issued leather gloves are not conducive to the desert environment as they’re too thick and do not ‘breathe.’ Your hands will begin sweating almost immediately and the leather will stiffen as a result of the constant exposure to your sweat and the salt it contains. Many of my Marines bought hi-speed gloves (Hatch, Hell storm, etc) and they did not fare too well as they only lasted a month or two during hard use, especially considering how much they cost ($$$). I, on the other hand, decided to buy a half dozen pairs of the standard nomex flight gloves. Each pair lasted between one to two months. And as they became unusable, I just threw that pair out. They’re breathable, thin enough so as not to interfere with dexterity, they’re cheap, and they blend in with the environment. Hydration Systems – the issued Camelback is not the greatest, but will definitely accomplish its intended purpose. My only suggestion, should you not wish to upgrade, is to buy some sort of on/off switch as they tend to leak. Also, a protective cover for the mouthpiece as it often finds itself in the sand. Slings – Absolutely, positively ditch the issued two piece sling. Spend the money on a good assault sling; you will thank yourself in the long run…As to which is best? It’s a matter of personal preference, get together with a bunch of Arfcommers for a weekend shoot and try a few out (That’s what I did and ended up with an SOE sling). Multitools – an absolute must. My personal preference is the Leatherman Wave, but there are dozens of other models that work just as well…. Socks- Ditch the issued socks ASAP. They are uncomfortable, retain water, and don’t last long. Avoid cotton socks like the plague as they retain moisture which results in blisters and fungus. Good socks to buy are synthetic wool socks as wool does not retain moisture and dries quickly. My personal preference would be the ‘light hiker’ type socks from manufacturers such as Thorlo, Smartwool, and Indian River. They are not cheap but well worth the cost…. Pistol Holsters – I’m a big advocate of drop-leg holsters as they’re more comfortable, easier to access, and allow you to doff your 782 gear without having to remove your pistol first (assuming it’s on the issued holster on your 782 gear). SOE and Blackhawk both make excellent drop-leg holsters, just be sure to order early (especially if you’re a lefty) as they’re often on backorder. Also, replace the issued lanyard with one of the ‘telephone cord’ type retention lanyards as the issued lanyard is stiff and very often catches on objects, door knobs, and other such obstructions…. Knife- I carried two; an automatic benchmade to open MRE’s and a standard USMC KaBar for the heavy stuff….This decision would be personal preference…. Magazine Pouches: A butt stock mounted single mag pouch comes in real handy when you’re at your FOB or Base, as you’re required to always carry your weapon and a magazine. It’s much easier than carrying your 782 gear or putting it in your cargo pocket where it’s not as easy to access. Also, if you’re issued an M9, absolutely ditch the issued magazines (especially the Checkmates) and bring your own original Beretta mags. The issued mags are notorious for failing. Cleaning Gear- A bore snake came in extremely handy for that ‘quick’ cleaning job between regular cleanings. Also, bring a dozen or so small 1” wide paintbrushes (chip brushes) as they’re excellent for brushing the sand off your weapon……. ----------------------- First and foremost I am an 11B, but as an Armorer, I cover down under Supply. I have a list of NSN's that I used to get some "HighSpeed, LowDrag' stuff, the source for the cheat sheets were the 2nd Ranger PBO, and a few Aviation ALSCE shops on Ft Lewis. (Thanks Guys, you were a huge help, I owe ya.) I'll post the more critical/cool ones here y'all to give your supply section at a later date. I'm focusing on the comfort stuff. Operation details is something you'll develop, but here's the biggest points to consider. [rant] LISTEN to the personnel that have been here already. IED's Car bombs and random shots fired are a way of life, EVERYWHERE. The bottom line basics are muzzles out, eyes out, wear eye/ear and all the Kevlar protection you are offered. You're NEVER really "Safe" here, it's just relative levels of danger. IF something looks, sounds feels suspicious, then it most likely IS. When the crowds and kids disappear, or traffic is below normal, YOU ARE ABOUT TO GET HIT. Learn some Farsi, the DLI has excellent training aids, key words cards, and Audio Cd's available. Building ******* with the locals is paramount. YOU HAVE TO HAVE BOOTS ON THE GROUND TO OWN IT, not just a daily mounted patrol whizzing by the populace. Buy fruit and veggies at the markets, ask questions, $2 USD at a vegetable stall can yield a lot of goodwill. I ran LogPac missions for 5 months in an unarmored LMTV, with a scrapmetal armored 998 Hummer as a wingman, 35 kilometers each way, through "Unsecured" territory, twice a day. We were only seriously and directly hit twice, and both times we believe that was not specifically planned for us, and that we were were a target of opportunity. Do NOT be afraid to be aggressive, fire warning shots, point guns at people and generally act as if you will kill the next MF'r who gets in your way. Drive as if you mean it, and with a purpose. Follow your ROE, and your threat escalation. Don't cause unnecessary harm or injury, but don't be afraid to pull the damn trigger. [/rant] What worked for me: Keep in mind that my unit is Mech Infantry and we've known in advance that we had a fixed site/FOB we would be assigned to for the duration of our deployment. What worked for us won't really work for units expected to live out of rucksacks for a year. UnderArmor-Worth their weight in gold. I prefer the loose gear version. Socks- The USMC over the calf type. By far the best, and very much the same as the RFI issued ones. Gloves- Plain Jane thin black shooter's gloves OR Napa Mechanix gloves. Tactical Tailor-Gets a big nod. The gear the sell works, works well, and is well designed. I prefer their ammo pouches over the MOLLE Issued one, as their Tactical Thigh holster for the 9mm is the best going. CamelBack- The BlackHawk issued one SUCKS, as does the RFI issued one. Battery Operated Lantern- Any D cell batt Op lantern will do. The generators often go out here, for a couple of hours/days at a time. Pinch Light- By far the best $7 I've spent in a few years. Multitool The issue Gerber is "OK", I prefer the Leatherman "Wave". Politics aside, I got mine through the supply system, but i would pay the bucks for one. K-Bar can't beat the design, but for a gen purp blade, I was fortunate enough to secure a Benchmade Auto. Past that, spend the bucks and get a QUALITY 3" folder, that opens with one hand. Can't tell you how many El Cheapo $5-$35 I've seen fail or even better, cause the user harm when it did fail. A good Whetstone or Lansky Diamond hone/kit is also vital. Trioxianene Tabs-I am a coffee fiend first thing in the AM. My boss won't even talk to me until I've had a cup. I've cooked Ramen and coffee in my canteen cup with heat tabs since before i came in the Army, and you just can't mess with a system that works.... Deep Woods OFF!-The chiggers, sand flea, and other bugs will eat your ass alive here in the spring. The flies with overwhelm you in the fall. Rat and Mouse traps- Available in the supply system, units should bulk up on them. Gel Hand Sanitizer- I've been "well" for most of the deployment, but am fanatical about washing/sanitizing my digits. Folding chair- Since your living room will be "Wherever" for a year, you WILL need someplace to park your ass. I've been through 3 chairs, and this last one *might* make it. Thumb Drive, Digital Camera-Invaluable. Don't bother with a film camera. Or an expensive one. the 3.3 MegaPixel Walmart Vivitar work great. There are also some good "deals" here on the street. More about that later. GameBoy/Laptop-IF you bear the expense, they're well worth the investment. there are often L-O-N-G stretches with nothing to do. Bottled Propane/Single burner Stove- With one small pot and frying pan, you can cook anything. Breadmaker- No ****, there I was....seriously, one of the guys in my section received one the other month, and we wondered why we didn't think of it sooner. The bread mixes we are getting from home are ready to use with just water. HUGE morale booster since our chow is trucked in and sits in a mermite for 2-3 Hours before serving. Just fry up some Spam on the propane stove, Viola! Ramen-I've been living on it for the better part of a year, my wife send a case of the Kimchi Bowl type every month. That and Tuna fish packages. I can get mayo and relish from the DFAC, crackers from the PX and MRE's. I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH. EXPLAIN TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW, THAT WHILE YOU APPRECIATE SOAP, LAUNDRY POWDER, AND SUCH, TO PLEASE(!) SEND IT SEPERATE FROM FOODSTUFFS. I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW MANY TIDE-FLAVORED LIFESAVERS I'VE EATEN AND ZESTFULLY CLEAN BROWNIES SUCK BUTT. [rant] The PX/AAFES is getting better about supporting our needs. If you can get to one. Balad, and BIAP(Including the Victory Camps) have very large well run, well supported facilities, and food courts. Baghdad, the Green Zone is so/so... Now, there are "deals" here. Fake Rolexes, Persian rugs, pirated DVD's, X-box, PS2 & PC games. Anything 110 needs a converter, which is easily obtainable here, the 220V electricity here will fry anything 110 plugged into it. Just remember to haggle, EVERYTHING IS NEGOTIABLE HERE, the price stated is not what you are expected to pay. I always counter offer roughly 2/3's of what is asked. (Hell, I've offered 10% of the asking price and have paid it.) The interpreter’s you inherit/hire are the BEST sources for most of the stuff, the street urchins will offer DVD's the going rate in Baghdad is $3 per disk. A carton of Camels off the street are about $13, Marlboro Reds are $5 BUT, these are export versions, and take getting used to. Snuff is often in short supply. PLAN on depending on folks back home to support your filthy, nasty habit. (I quit dipping and smoking...now I do one or the other.) [/rant] ---------------------------- If you work on or near the perimeter, get a 4X-6X scope. You can see better what the locals are actually doing. Red dots are great for urban ops. Much faster on target. Hesco Barriers have a Hesco brand Leatherman inside in case you lost yours. (If the REMFs haven't stolen it). If you deal with the local workers on base, give them small gifts like cheap Jersey gloves to keep there hands warm. They tend to get real loyal to you if you show you care about them. Bring them Ice and water in the summer. Same reason. Always go "Red" status (round in chamber, weapon on safe) when on or near the perimeter. Weird **** happens fast and you need to be ready. SPF 45 sunblock in the summer. It has gotten so hot, I burned my bare hands on my own weapon. A sunburn while wearing tactical gear is no joke. Learn some of the basic lingo and learn Arabic numbers. Helps to determine fake IDs. Example- 45 year old male with a birth date of 1990. If something looks funny or suspicious. STOP THE ACTIVITY AND INVESTIGATE. I see guys walking past locals workers not wearing ID badges all the time. (How did the bomber get into the Mosul chow hall?) Go ask your S4 how FOO money works and what you can use it for. It's much faster than getting a contract to get work done on the base. -------------------------- If you wear glasses, take 2 sets of clear lenses and 2 sets of tinted lenses. They will only last about 6 months before they are sandblasted too much to see out of. If you are getting military birth control glasses, get the smallest frame that will fit your head. My issue glasses are so large, they interfear with my helmet. -------------------------- One small thing I've found works awsome. A water bottle cooler. Find some scrap styrofoam sheets (stereo, refrigerator packing, something about 3/4 inch thick) cut it strips 1/2 inch or so thick, about the length of a water bottle. Lay 3 or 4 strips of duct-tape down and set the styrofoam strips across them with slight gaps. Roll it around the water bottle and cut off whatever needed to make it a fairly tight fit. Wrap it with more tape and then make a circular piece of foam for the bottom attaching and covering with tape. If the bottle fits too tight don't worry, it'll loosen up. If you put in a bottle that's ice-cold it'll stay cold until you're done drinking it. I've left mine sitting in direct sunlight (silver or white tape probably works better) for hours and it was still cold. It's alot better than downing the last of the bottle only to find out it's warm and alot easier than taking it in and out of a cooler. --------------------------- Issued Aimpoint kits with the A2 carry handle mounts suck. They move and the wings next to the carry handle eventually break. I upgraded my A2 to an A4 with a flat top and M4 RAS. Spent $$$ but worth the investment. Tango down grips are way better than the issue Knights VG. I've seen a few break and the feel of the Tango Down is much better. -------------------------- 1. FOB's are not bad. They provide basics with comfort. 2. Running water and shoers, at least where I am. 3. Holster: Safariland 6004 with 2 mag pouch (sold at BX)-plentiful. 4. I wear glasses, so I bought a 10 dollar pair of goggles that fit over my glasses. (sells at BX) 5. Knife: My folding Kershaw for GP. I have K-Bar if the need arises. 6. S.O.B. m-16 Mag pouch suck as they come, need Malice clips to fit firmly on vest. 7. Pistol lanyard at BX works fine, no need for an expensive one. 8. Good insoles for your boots, because you walk everywhere. --------------------------- I cannot stress this enough. If you see something funny/strange, stop all activity in the immediate area and check it out. I found drug smuggling, holes in the perimeter, a land mine, and a tunnel they were digging under our base by checking out something that looked funny. -------------------------- concur with all the above. one new trick for medics, scrounge blood pressure cuffs and keep them with you they ake a really broad base tornequit/pressure dressing assit. easy to go on easy to adjust pressure and the pressure is spread out over a larger area which will do considerably less damage while applied or when removed -------------------------- When I got into Iraq last year the first person I looked for was the guy who had the most combat time and incountry time out of the group. Listen to the veterans they got all the answers. As for gear everyone has covered it. I recommend tring to find a M1014 Multipurpose Kabar($150). Its a Kabar/bayo all in one. Its light, sharp and can go very deep into a ribcage. I replaced my old Kabar for that. Try to find manuals for common middle eastern weapons. Read up on what your enemy has, because just in case **** happens you might need a backup weapon fast. -------------------------- We learned a lesson the hard way when we lost our first Trooper over here. The uparmored M1114 HMMWVs your unit will draw in theater come with a nice armored turret for the M2 / Mk19 / M240 gunner on the roof. These turrets have a sling seat for the gunner like any HMMWV with a roof hatch. Our gunners were all told to sit low in the hatch ("helmet defilade") and only come up if their patrol comes under attack because of the high casualty rate among gunners who scanned the road at "nametag defilade" early on in OIF. A great Trooper from my S3 section was killed a month ago when an artillery round detonated next to his HMMWV. The intial blast and shrapnel probably caused the wounds that he died from, but the turret was also blown of the roof of the HMMWV by the IED and thrown about 10 meters from the vehicle. The sling seat carried him with it. If you have time and resources, see if your mechanics or shop guys can fabricate seats for your gunners that sit on top of a short pole that's bolted to the floor of the HMMWV between the seats. Our guys used MRE boxes as a temporary fix until they could find something else. It might not help in every case, but if it saves one guy, it's worthwhile. I haven't heard this before - it certainly wasn't mentioned to us before we deployed - so I'd be curious to hear if anyone else has experience with this issue. FWIW, Dave Camp Stryker, Iraq --------------------------- Our unit training at Fort Benning (of all places) was a total fiasco. It was simply training to fill in a check box, rather than "BATTLE-FOCUSED" training. We had a bunch of FOBbit signal corps idiots wearing the "acorn" patch, acting as if they were drill instructors rather than OC's. Instead of focusing on mission essential tasks, it seemed they mainly emphasized how to conduct FPOC/guard duty and how to run and hide from their artillery simulators, rather than how to operate effectively outside a FOB. That USAR training unit wasn't particularly helpful at all. As opposed to being a facilitator of training, they were in fact a hinderance to training. Our 8-week stay at Fort Benning prior to deployment would have been more productive if all we did was commo, medical/cls, crew-served weapons, driving on patrol, and PT. And more COMMO. At Fort Benning, Commo training wasn't even brought up. Before deploying to Iraq, I would strongly suggest training extensively on commo. Practice entering a fill, practice entering freqs manually, practice setting GPS time, practice actually driving around in a humvee calling in checkpoints and to different task forces as you enter/leave their AO. Trouble-shooting radio problems and fixing them while on the fly are essential skills out here. Note that you can use your Garmin to set GPS time. Set your Garmin GPS to London time and remember to subtract one hour, since London is currently at British Summer Time (BST) which is in fact Zulu+1. BST is in effect from end of March until the end of October. Practice calling in SPOT/SALTY reports, practice IEDs/UXO, practice 9 line medevac. For the IEDs and Medevac, give different scenarios (have a bunch of 3x5 cards with scenarios) and call it up. For IEDs do surface-laid, buried, suspended/elevated, wireless or wired, decoy with possible secondary, possible VBIED, unknown/suspicious. For medical have medics fill-out 3x5 cards with different injuries. Practice using Blue Force Tracker (BFT), connecting, turning on, shutting down, plotting CPs and boundaries, doing reports and messaging. Unfortunately, civilian instructors at Leonard Wood and at Kuwait use laptops to teach. The Army has to change this. Hands on inside a humvee plugging in cables, pushing buttons, and using the stylus is the only way to learn. As for weapons training... The M16 zero range was 6 miles from where we stayed and the Qualification range was 10 to 15 miles away from the zero range which wasted training time shuttling soldiers from range to range. Once at the Qual range, NBC fire was performed before the Qual attempt (I've never seen that before). And there was no 20-round familiar fire at the pop-ups prior to Qualifying. Finally, Marksmanship instruction was provided only after a soldier boloed. WTF? As for CQB/reflex fire (a 25 meter course), the idiot OC's wouldn't let our soldiers who boloed M16 do the Reflex fire. None of our bolos had any trouble hitting the 50m target on the M16 qual range; hence, I fail to see why they wouldn't allow them to shoot reflex. This wasted more valuable training days. After all that, crew-served fire was conducted for primaries and not for everbody. Our platoons made sure everyone knew how to disassembe/assemble, load, shoot, and clear our M2s. However, not everyone had a chance to shoot. Also, training should involve firing M2s from humvees (our main platform) stationary and on the move while shooting stationary and moving targets. Again training wasn't battle-focused. They did try to give us convoy training at Ft. Benning, but the "acorn" people teaching were clueless. Some of their solutions for certain scenarios made no tactical sense. They frowned upon us being aggressive and employing fire and maneuver against an OPFOR being a few feet away. Only 20 rounds of blank M16 ammo for a convoy course with 5 scenarios. Also, they had us patrolling in 5-ton dumps. No humvee gun platforms. They should have trained us in similar equipment and combat configuration as units in theater. For training, the Army needs to include Driving at combat speed, dealing with civilian traffic, setting up Flash TCPs, urban sweep, cordon and search, self recovery, etc. Note: On M1114s, there is a M16 weapon rack at the feet of the right rear passenger. Soldiers sitting at the right rear passenger always get their foot stuck by this while exiting the vehicle. Whoever designed this feature is a total moron. It is held there by two bolts. We removed all ours. Thank God we have good senior NCOs in the line platoons, all with years of prior active service. -------------------- As for gear and personal items to leave behind/bring... Do NOT buy any camelbaks, LBVs/tactical vests, pistol belt, goggles, Wiley Xs, Nomex gloves, winter gloves, a case of AA batteries, balaclava, buttpack, bellville boots, fancy BDU belt, face paint, solar battery charger, solar shower, transformer, power strip, 220v plug adapter, DVD movies, fleece jacket, wool cap, polypros, canteens, night vision, weight set, boom box, 100 mph tape, ghillie suit, water filter, machete/kukri. You don't need half this crap, and if so, you will be issued everything at CIF and RFI. 100 mph tape and batteries you can buy at a PX in Iraq. Electrical stuff and movies you can buy from Haji at your FOB. Try not to carry too much stuff. I showed up at Fort Jackson and then to Fort Benning with almost a full duffle bag and a laptop. I left Benning with three tightly packed duffle bags and a laptop, and a fourth duffle in a conex. Alot of the issued web gear, gloves and winter clothing/boots still sits in one duffle bag collecting dust. We got issued two camelbaks, and everyone wore them at Benning. Out here no one wears them; we just load coolers in our humvees with frozen water bottles while on patrol. Things to bring... a bandana/do-rag to keep the dust out of your nose and mouth, a good watch, Garmin gps, multiplier, if you really have to just bring one combat knife, knife sharpener, sat phone (if you can afford it), laptop, digital camera, usb thumb drive, poncho liner, color pens (Staedler), Erasermate pens, USGI canvas map case if you're a leader or ditch the case get one of the high speed desert colored backpacks at the PX, M16 mag pouches for OTV/IBAS, compass, any LED flashlight, CD player or iPod, binoculars, trijicon optics. If you are a computer geek bring MS Office, Visio, MS Project, Adobe Acrobat, antivirus, ghost, Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Flash, Photoshop, Gimp, external hard drive. If you are an network geek bring Win2K/W2K3 Server, WinXPproSP2, MS Exchange, Password hack by Petter Nordhal, a bag (100pcs) of RJ-45 connectors, crimpers (Cat-5 is easy to find), Ethereal, a portscanner, Linux/FreeBSD, Unreal IRCd. --------------------- ^^Damm. We are in almost identical units, doing very similar missions, and our ore-deploymnet training was equally worthless and run by the same bunch of fools. Go figure. I will put a big +1 for everything he said and add that if you coming here to Afghanistan go heavier on the snivel gear and stuff, as it is in much shorter supply here than Iraq. However, my guys all mailed footlockers to themselves and I had 8 boxes at home packed with various things, and when I got here and saw what I was going to need I just called hom and said "send box 2, 4, 5, 7" and got it. Damm sure don't stock up on DVD's coming here, they are all $3. For the network geeks, go down to the motorpool and get them to order 5935-01-400-1495 it is a RJ-45 jack that doesn't need crimpers just pliers and works well. --------------------- Question: What about Ear-Pro - it is something to consider in getting some of the molded electronic in the ear systems before deploying. Answer: Theoretically, yes. Practically, No....Wearing earplugs on patrol, especially at night, dulls your senses and ability to hear oncoming vehicles and anybody walking up on your patrol. Also, the few people that constantly wore them on patrol developed chronic ear infections from the moisture that builds up in the ear canal and does not evaporate, and the fact that the earplugs themselves collect bacteria from the moisture accumulated from constant wearing.....Sadly, the alternative, of which i am living proof, is partial hearing loss and tinnitus from constantly firing your weapon or standing next to crew served weapons when they go off. Ultimately it will be an individual choice as to whether one wears them or not.... ---------------------- ^^ Anyone wearing ear cover or plugs a lot can usually avoid ear infections by simply putting a medicine dropper of plain rubbing alcohol (70% is best but any will do--higher % just burns a little) in each ear once each day (twice might be better depending on wear time). A medicine dropper is the best way to apply, so you don't pour it into your eyes when applying. Get the home folks to put a couple in your next care package. That's board-certified-MD advice, by the way (my ENT MD, not me). It has worked for me for quite a while. I never have an ear infection--have no ear damage, no hearing loss, no bad effects at all. ======================= Wow Reading your words about Ft Benning is like hearing myself reflect upon my Camp Shelby training. It was all about "Checking the Box" as you said. Were we anywhere besides Eastern Diyala, we would have lost alot more killed than we have had currently. So far I have been the turret gunner with a 50 cal, 240 and 249 and I didn't fire one single shot at Camp Shelby with any of these weapons. Trying to hold a 50 on target while you are chasing a Land Cruiser through a waddi system is not the time to be learning how to shoot from a moving vehicle. The range instructors there were so arrogant that when I informed them that I was a current member of the All-Guard Highpower Rifle team, they told me that my assistance as a shooting coach was not needed and that since I was at that time still an E4, I would not be even allowed on the line to coach shooters who requested it as only NCO's were allowed to do that. I don't think that anyone has mentioned this yet, but when we came we were still being issued and continue to use woodland OTV's. One thing I found out on MSR overwatch missions trying to catch IED planters was that you can see woodland at night a looooooooonnnnnnggggg way away. I got a plate carrier (front and back) from blackhawk in Coyote tan just to cover my OTV on the way out to OP's. Color contrast is a big problem in the sand where I am. I think most people are being issued desert colored vests now, but if you get woodland and plan on being out overnight, plan to cover that up somehow. As for the climate, it is freakning hot half the year and damn cold in the morning the rest of the time. You spend half of the year wishing it would rain and the other half hoping you never see rain again cause when it does rain, it floods (at least where I am, the climate in Iraq varies widely). If you even think you will be gunning on a vehicle in the winter, bring a face mask of some kind. I was issued real good lined leather gloves which I wore for several months when gunning (50) and my fingers would still go numb. Another set of Quality gloves won't take up too much room. As far as camelbacks, I have no idea where mine even is. Frozen solid waterbottles form the TOC is the way to go. Believe me, they don't stay frozen long in the summer. When I had to walk into an OP at night (2-3K max), I just put them into the pack with the radio, plgr, batteries, etc. Also the bottles are handy to piss in while rolling. 9mm mag pouches are handy for folding knives and for keeping a spare 50 case to use under the butterflies as a safety, since that is the only safety a 50 has and unless you are only on smooth roads (unlikely) you will get thrown into the butterflies. One last note, nametag defilade is a deathsentance. Keep your gunners head down. He can see all he needs to see through the slot where the barrel of the csw goes through the shield. He can stand if the shooting starts. The IED's are not like you see in a movie. They toss around vehicles like toys. We had 3KIA in an 1114 that thrown 30 meters in the air. No that is not a typo. 30 meters. Best of luck to those of you yet to come here. ---------------------------- Recommendations based one what I wished I had because what I had was crap: - better sling than a standard "parade" sling. I just rigged mine with some 550 cord but a "tactical" sling would have been nicer to have. - a better ruck than an ALICE pack or CFP-90. I had a CFP-90 and a Piper Gear. The CFP-90 is nice if you don't need to have any sort of organization of your stuff. For my purposes I needed to be able to pack things in a way that would allow me to get to them at any given time without rifling through it or dumping the contents on the ground. The Piper worked ok, but it's not a pack I liked using because it's "cheap". I reinforced parts of it I expected to break and had no problems but I'd have preferred the Kifaru Marauder I have now. - Rifle Optics. Any kind would have been better than nothing. My unit later deployed with Aimpoints, so they learned from the previous shortcoming. - Velcro uniform. We had all of our patches, badges, and name tags sewn on prior to deploying, had to take them off when we got there, and sewn back on later... it was the stupidest thing ever. - Surefire or equivalently bright flashlight. A AA powered Mag Light isn't worth a ****. Bring extrabatteries or have your supply section order a case or five. - A Camelback if you don't always need a large ruck everywhere you're going. Had one and couldn't have been happier with it. - Camera... anything to take pictures with. Document your trip. You won't regret it. ---------------------------- No longer on active duty(got out of the Army in '98), but I've been working as a civilian contractor in Kuwait sinc May of '05. Most of it outside in the heat/cold/wind/sand... I don't need high speed tactical gear or weapon accessories, but after being here for a while I have picked up on a couple of things that work. Socks- I'm required to wear steel-toe safety boots on the job, which get REALLY hot. I spend a lot of time on my feet as well. I've found the most comfortable socks to be the lightweight polypropolene ones they sell at hiking/camping stores. They breath very well. Also, make sure they extend up out of your boot at least 2 or 3 inches and they'll do a good job of wicking moisture away from your feet and keeping them cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Let's face it..."swamp-foot" sucks! Camelbacks- Some people like them, some don't. I always have a cooler of cool bottled water nearby so I don't bother carrying a Camelback. My crew of TCN'c(Indians in this case...) don't always have access to coolers of water, so they LOVE Camelbacks. I pulled a few strings to get some "excess" ones "donated" to them... Pocket Tools and Flashlights- Never go anywhere without a Leatherman tool or Gerber Multi-Plier of some sort and a small flashlight or "pinch-light". You'll need/use them at the most unexpected times. I have a small belt pouch(Nite-Ize Pock-Its brand) that I carry a Gerber Multi-Plier(not the fanciest, but it's what I'm used to using and it works good enough for me) and Mag-Lite 2 "AA" flashlight in. I also have a Nova "pinch-light" on my ID badge lanyard. Gloves- I've used a wide variety of gloves so far, from Army-issue leather work gloves(crude & uncomfortable but effective...) to Nomex flight gloves(too lightweight for the kind of work I sometimes must do). My favorites have been a pair of Hatch "Operators" that were given to me. They're the standard long version and I have been really happy with them for work use. They're showing some wear, but they should hold together until it's time for me to head home in early May. During the hot part of the Summer I wish I had a short pair, but I can't really complain considering that I got mine for free. Again, I'm not in a "tactical" situation but I appreciate well made gear. ---------------------------- 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. ---------------------------- While I did not serve in the US military or in Iraq, I did serve in the IDF in a combat unit. Tactical advice is tactical advice and everything here is great! One thing I would like to add as a comfort trick: Vasaline and Q-tips! The air in the middle east is dryer than dry and the inside of your nose will dry up, crack and start bleeding. Put a little Vaseline on a Q-tip and swab the inside surface of each nostril. This will keep it nice and moist and alleviate the discomfort. IT will attract some dust/ fine sand (especially if you deploy from helicopters), so keep a small container of it with some Qtips on you to redo it as needed. ---------------------------- 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. ----------------------------- 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" **** 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. ----------------------------- Try and have a CLS in each gun truck if you see alot of road time. It might be a little while before a medic can get to that truck if it was just hit by an ied and you are in an ambush. You will l learn that there is not too much you can do about the mosuitoes. Don't keep asking battalion to have a CC route flown over residentail areas instead of just MSR's and ASR's. The remf's tend to think of you as crazy, inhumane, or you need to see the wizards. Gunners get down when you are at an overpass, don't start clearing it 10m away, start further back so you can be down before the ied goes off. When you are halted, 5/25's always, always,always! Commo training- make sure all your people can use an ancd. Fills can be lost, radios get off time. Don't ever straddle a pot hole in the road and definitely not any animal carcasses. Watch for boxes and other objects in the road as they may not be the ied, they can be used as a channeling device to bring you closer when you avoid such items. Trash is everwhere, especially water bottles. They get dusty or mud dries on them, through nvg's it will look like a round. WAtch this cause what you think is water bottle could be a wired round. Always carry pogey bait in the trucks. If you are on a cordon for awhile or doing rs or rre, it can get hungry and tiring for your people. Leadership- take care of your people and they will take care of you. Everyone stay safe and don't take any chances. ------------------------------ 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. ------------------------------- hmm very intresting to hear everyones sugestions. I was over there for OIF 1 and three monthes of OIF 2. The whole time was spent in a tent and first six monthes had no AC. I hear they pretty much fixed that problem. Riddle me this what is Hauge Ice? I found that if you took a garlic viatmin once a day it helped with the sand fleas. As for camel backs. If you are on foot patrol alot they are nice. I found that I would empty one faster then I could fill it. funny how you can drink so much water and not urinate. As for the nice to haves. If your supply sarg is worth a damn they should be able to get anything you can imagine. It's just getting them to everyone. My experience has been they only hook up the select. You do know all those goodies they trade among themselves were bought with their money. The old saying supply, motors, and mess will make you or break you. so don't piss them off. If your supply sergeant doesn't know what they are doing. Get them trained. My supply was broke over there. Remember that if its really quiet and the kids are sparse watch out. Watch the feet also. The average person over there does not wear boots. I'm a mechanic so I will also preach about checking you vehicles. Take care of them you might need it to un ass a kill zone in a hurry. I know the name of the game for convoys has changed. We stayed on our side of the road respected other drivers even the civilians. We just did it and seventy five mile per. Not the 45 that oif 2 was doing when I left. forcing all vehicles off the road when moving. Final advice. If you're a supply convoy your mission is to get the stuf to the war fighters. Don't stop and engage. Un ass the kill zone with cover fire. Every soul that deployed with us came home. Two million miles traveled. Stay safe all of you over there and yet to go. ps good job drink plenty of water.. then drink some more...

Working on a new Humvee mod - here is work in progress.

This is something else Ive been asking BFC to change since CMSF release.

I think that would mean that all your infantry icons would change to that. There is not a dedicated sniper icon, as far as I know

Thanks Yes, the text is still mirrored. This is still work in progress. I am also working on Chinese, North Koreans and South Koreans infantry

Few more

Ive been asking BFC for better engineers since CMBO still nada. I guess its pretty low on their list, maybe not even on it

Dont mind the time delay, thats not the point. The point I was making that we cant queve(sp?) orders, like embark - aquire 2000 ammo, disembark, face, fire arc. Now I have to order them to embark, wait for the end of turn, click on them again, then give orders.

Not very WEGO player friendly, is it?

Your problem is using Lemmings stategy Why in the hell did you send them to their doom? Once your first tank was lost, you should have flanked that BMP!

Problem is that BFC never have implemented Real Life engineer abilities/equipment in-game For example, in RL usually 2 out of 4 tanks in each tank platoon are equipped with mine plow/roller Strykers also have mine plow version There are MICLIC trailers that can be towed behind a striker, M113, LAV, and used to breach lanes through minefield. Finally we have arty delivered smoke, so you can use that to mask your mine-field breaching ops.

Is there a way in WEGO to embark, then aquire Ammo/AT, dismount on one turn? I cant seem to get them to do anything else except embark.