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Apocalypse 31

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Posts posted by Apocalypse 31

  1. Currently serving with Task Force 1-14 @ FOB Union III (where they hanged Saddam)

    Not sure how that Stryker recovered, but I do know of a few Strykers walking away pretty unscathed from some huge-ass IED's.

    My platoon has been fortunate enough to walk away from well over a dozen in the last year without any harm. Knock on wood!

    Just remember...These videos of Strykers getting hit on youtube and ogrish.com are very popular among the brigade. The video of the Stryker flipping is one that the Brigade Commander makes reference to, especially since there wasnt a single casualty among them.

    Just wish there was a way to let people know that although these videos look brutal, crew survivability in the Stryker is much higher than any other vehicle out there.

  2. Originally posted by Normal Dude:

    47.5 pounds!!?? Screw whatever "protection" it gives, we'd die of heat stroke first!

    Uh. I'll guarantee the Interceptor I'm wearing now weights ALOT more than that.

    Add the full ammo load, 2 radios, GPS, and first aid kit on there and you'll find that after a few hours your shoulders go numb.

    We train hard to fight hard.

    47 pounds is nothing.

    Some of my soldiers carry entire breaching kits on their backs. Some guys are carrying up to 75lbs on their person.

  3. Originally posted by Broompatrol:

    "Our understanding of bodyarmor and speed is that it doesn't affect top speed, rather it affects endurance. "

    Steve

    Steve, I respectfully disagree with the idea that body armor does not affect top speed. Unless you mean the fastest a soldier will run and still stay in a cohesive formation. In which case please ignore the rest of this post tongue.gif

    I am a competive triathlete and have competed in a host of other sports as well. and I can tell you that anything you put on your body that restricts movement (even a bulky jacket)Like webbing, friction from trousers, the bouncing mass of gear, will affect your top speed and endurance. BUT, please note I am talking about TOP speed and not organized disciplined movement, which would be slower anyway. [/QB]

  4. I kind of think this whole discussion is bunk. You really need to understand the training that US soldiers go through to get acclimated to their body armor.

    We practically LIVE in our body armor for periods of time. It's really not that heavy once you get used to it, and we even go so far as to conduct physical training with it.

    So no, I really dont see how American soldiers would 'tire' from wearing it. Maybe having Syrian soldiers without body armor move a BIT quicker (not a whole lot) but certainly not have American soldiers tire out. Thats just lame, and incorrect.

  5. Originally posted by Beastttt:

    what was the weapon that was fired that we see what looks to be missile with curved fins(that would seem to gave been folded against the body)

    the video looked great thanks

    Looked like an MPAT round to me. Multi Purpose Anti Tank.

    Any 19K's or Mike Golfs' confirm?

  6. I'm carrying a Leatherman as well. Just want the knife b/c its a Ka-Bar and is tradition.

    Yes, we're issued a camelback. Always been a fan of that.

    Also went ahead and moved my magazines toward the center of my gear.

    I've carried lots of ammo before and it just didnt seem like a huge difference in weight for me. I dunno. I'm a freakin mule. I'll pay for it when I'm 40. haha

  7. Originally posted by Imperial Grunt:

    LT Mike, after you set your gear, just practise reloading mags without looking down, in the prone, sitting in a vehicle, etc and see if it works. If you dont need something, then ****-can it. And make sure all of your guys do the same thing. No one wants to look for something on their gear during a gunfight..or be unable to get to it quickly. You might want to re-locate the K-Bar. If you cannot get it out quickly and smoothly, then its almost worthless.

    A rule of thumb that we used was that everyone could personalize their gear with the exception of the IFAK (Individual First Aid Kit), everyone had to have it in the same place so that it was easy to find each other's IFAK in the dark without using a light. Never had to do that, but I think it was a good rule.

    After your first firefight, you will probably rearrange some stuff. Its a continual process really.

    Some personal gear I used alot:

    1) My Garmin GPS- worth its weight in gold

    2) 10 power pocket binos to look at things and people

    3) Camel back with pouches (I dont recommend getting a giant one, just a medium sized one) A camel back with pouches to carry extra stuff is great to have. The issue one just carries water. I had all kinds of stuff in mine, from emergency chow and bug juice to mission essential gear such as a strobe light, extra NVG batteries, digital camera, etc...

    4) Good digital camera. Great for documenting things and pictures can say a thousand words. Document things your unit does, accidents (such as a HMMWV crash into a civ veh), collateral damage, etc... when possible and it may save your ass, and the collective asses of your unit. Also adds alot to SitReps. Dont take glory pics and post on some stupid website!

    Be safe and take care of your guys. And GET SOME!

    Already on it, brother. Been practicing, and getting comfortable in it. I find it odd that I've never had persistant feelings in an IBA. Each one I put on is completely different. This one, thank god, is comfortable. And the neck guard isnt bad.

    And yes, I agree, the personal GPS is gold. I have a Magellin that I'm pretty happy with, also room for a digi in my geek pouch.

    I'll have to make room for an Mbitr.

    [ April 03, 2007, 07:22 AM: Message edited by: LT Mike ]

  8. Getting ready to go to Iraq within the next few weeks. Got my initial issue today and started toying with my layout. After literally hours of refitting and moving things around I came up with this.

    3x 3-mag pouches (9 mags total plus one in the weapon)

    3x small utility pouches (plugger, tape, 550 cord, D-rings)

    1 large utility pouch (map case, eye pro)

    1 geek pouch with attached L.e.d (digi cam, note cards, map pens, pens, sharpies)

    and cant forget about the desert tan combat Ka-bar

    Keep in mind, I'm a lefty so I have all my mag cases on one side of the rig.

    gear.jpg

    [ April 02, 2007, 09:12 PM: Message edited by: LT Mike ]

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