even more Photos of the Day

[akd]

I've been a bad monkey not updating the photos thread... (sorry, work sucks right now)

Pfc. Joel D. Dulashanti, a sniper with 4th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, jots down notes as a spotter for another sniper during their training on the new XM110 Semi-automatic Sniper System held at Forward Operating Base Salerno, Afghanistan. The SASS will be an addition to the arsenal of weapons the Soldiers of Task Force Fury have at their disposal, such as the older style M24 Sniper Weapon System, seen here in the foreground. (US Army photo by Spc. Matthew Leary/Task Force Fury PAO)

A U.S. soldier holds his sniper position on a rooftop in a Shiite enclave of Sadr City in Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, April 21, 2007. Joint U.S. and Iraqi forces conducted searches for weapons and explosives in the neighborhood.

U.S. Army Spc. Harvey Kibble uses a shot gun to breach a locked gate during a cordon and search for weapons caches and insurgents in Old Baqubah, Iraq, April 2, 2007. Kibble is from the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Te am, 2nd Infantry Division. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Stacy L. Pearsall) (Released)

U.S. Army Soldiers prepare to enter a house during a cordon and search for weapons caches and insurgents in Old Baqubah, Iraq, April 2, 2007. The Soldiers are from the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry D ivision. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Stacy L. Pearsall) (Released)

U.S. Army Spc. Harvey Kibble and a fellow Soldier clear a stairwell during a cordon and search for weapons caches and insurgents in Old Baqubah, Iraq, April 2, 2007. Kibble is from the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Tea m, 2nd Infantry Division. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Stacy L. Pearsall) (Released)

U.S. Army Soldiers conduct a cordon and search for weapons caches and insurgents in Old Baqubah, Iraq, April 2, 2007. The Soldiers are from the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Stacy L. Pearsall)

U.S. Army Spc. Douglas Harlan, left, and a fellow Soldier conduct a cordon and search for weapons caches and insurgents in Old Baqubah, Iraq, April 2, 2007. Harlan is from the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd In fantry Division. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Stacy L. Pearsall) (Released)

[akd]

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Ronald Varner monitors the radios after a joint foot patrol lead by the Iraqi army in East Mansour Baghdad, Iraq, April 7, 2007. Varner is assigned to the 4th Platoon, Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash., and the Iraqi soldiers are from 1st Platoon, 1st Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Brigade, 6th Division. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Andy Dunaway)

U.S. Army Soldiers take a knee and provide security during a joint foot patrol lead by the Iraqi army on the streets of East Mansour Baghdad, Iraq, April 7, 2007. The Soldiers are assigned to the 4th Platoon, Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Re giment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Andy Dunaway)

U.S. Army Sgt. Cory Heath relaxes prior to an Iraqi army lead foot patrol mission in East Mansour Baghdad, Iraq, April 7, 2007. Heath is assigned to the 4th Platoon, Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2 nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Andy Dunaway)

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Steven Loduha pulls security behind a vehicle and scans the area for snipers during a combined cordon and search with the Iraqi army in Mansour, Iraq, April 8, 2007. Loduha is with Blackhawk Company, 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Tierney Nowland)

HIGH-RES

U.S. Army Stryker vehicles provide over watch security for Soldiers conducting a search for insurgents in Buhriz, Iraq, April 10, 2007. U.S. Army Soldiers from 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division and Iraqi army soldiers from 4th Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 5th Iraqi Army Division are going house-to-house in search for weapons caches and enemy fighters after more than 1,000 residents of the Baqubah suburb were displaced by Al-Qaeda insurgents. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Stacy L. Pearsall)

U.S. Army Spc. Nicholas Lavers scans an Iraqi mans retina during a joint foot patrol lead by the Iraqi army soldiers from the 1st Platoon, 1st Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Brigade 6th Division in Baghdad, Iraq, April 10, 2007. Lavers assigned is to the 4t h Platoon, Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Andy Dunaway)

U.S. Army Spc. Randy Grizzelli puts on his individual body armor prior to a mission from Forward Operating Base Striker, Iraq, April 10, 2007. Grizzelli is assigned to the 4th Platoon, Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brig ade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Andy Dunaway)

U.S. Army Soldiers search an abandoned building during a combined cordon and search with the Iraqi army in Mansour, Iraq, April 14, 2007. The Soldiers are from Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Inf antry Division. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Tierney P. Nowland)

[akd]

U.S. Army Soldiers look around the upstairs of an abandoned building during a combined cordon and search with the Iraqi army in Mansour, Iraq, April 14, 2007. The Soldiers are from Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Tierney P. Nowland)

A U.S. Army Soldier from 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division documents two alleged sniper positions in an abandoned building in Mansour, Iraq, April 14, 2007, during a combined cordon and search with the Iraqi army. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Tierney P. Nowland)

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Larry Clapper checks the area for snipers while pullilng security inside of an unused sewage pipe during a combined cordon and search with the Iraqi army in Mansour, Iraq, April 14, 2007. Clapper is from Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Tierney P. Nowland)

U.S. Army Spc. Christopher Dodson takes a break during a combined cordon and search with the Iraqi army in Mansour, Iraq, April 14, 2007. Dodson is from Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry D ivision. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Tierney P. Nowland)

U.S. Army Spcs. David Johnson and Kyle Laney take a break during a cordon and search for weapons caches and insurgents in Old Baqubah, Iraq, April 2, 2007. The Soldiers are from the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Stacy L. Pearsall)

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Kennedy assembles the ITAS Tow Missile system in Riyadh, Iraq, April 15, 2007. Kennedy is from Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Maria J. Bare

[Battlefront.com]

Great pics AKD!

I learn something new every day... I somehow missed ITAS funding being reinstated just about 2 years ago (according to the press releases I just found). A friend of mine was the Program Manager for the program just before funidng was cut. Looks like the Pentagon and Congress had a change of heart.

What value it provides in Iraq these days I can't really figure out. A dismounted M2 .50cal with a thermal scope would likely be just as effective against I should think.

Steve

[Steiner14]

I'm wondering, how heavy the combat-dress is, all those Yanks are carrying. Do US-soldiers not need to run?

The clothing looks more suited for a russian winter war to me, than for warfare in hot climate. Aren't they overheating after ten fast steps?

[Nidan1]

http://www.afmo.com/2_Piece_ACU_Set_Shirt_and_Trouser_p/201-00139.htm

Check out this link, the uniforms themselves are made from cotton, or a cotton nylon combination, which should be comfortable. I think its all the bulky gear and the armored vests that make it look so heavy.

[MikeyD]

This is the first time in a LOOOONG time I've seen a pict of a good-old-fashioned TOW missile launcher in Iraq. I had assumed they'd been pulled in favor of under-armor platforms (Bradley & Stryker) and due to the nature of the insurgent fighting. I read somewhere that the typical firing distance for a TOW Stryker has been very near it minimum arming range. You could just as easily put an AT-4 round into the target from that distance!

[Steiner14]

Hi Fred, thanks for the link but nevertheless i don't understand it. To me this seems it must be terribly hot and feeling uncomfortable and unflexible. With the shirt, the jacket, the vest and with all the pockets, this makes at least 7 layers of isolation on the chest alone.

I can't imagine, that movement isn't a burden with such a load.

[RMC]

Soldiers are overloaded. The Army knows and makes some efforts to reduce the load. The ACU is a lighter weight uniform than the BDUs and DCUs it replaced, but the equipment weights add up.

This is my favorite pic of a soldier.

http://www.173rdairborne.com/images/Iraq-loading-1006.jpg

That is your standard light infantryman.

[Battlefront.com]

Yeah, the ACU is extremely light. Which is one of the complaints, actually, since it wears out a lot faster than the previous DCU uniforms (especially the solid cotton one).

In theory the Army doesn't want a load more than 1/2 the body weight of a soldier for what is called "approach march". The absolute max used to be 72 lbs. That's what the poor bastard 173rd trooper in RMC's link is lugging around. He even has the lovely thermal lining on... light, but whoaboy do they not breath. Combat weight used to be 32 lbs max for a rifleman and 48 lbs max for a heavy weapons bearing soldier.

Now, take all those figures I just gave, stomp on them, and throw them out because it doesn't include body armor of any sort (other than a Kevlar helmet). The Interceptor system with 4 SAPI plates, neck, and groin protection weighs in at 26 pounds all on its own. That puts a riflemean's basic load, without weapon or ammo, at about 48 pounds. Meaning, an unarmed rifleman currently weighs as much as what a totally outfitted heavy weapons soldier used to weigh in at.

The new IOTV armor vest, just starting to go into production, weighs in 3 pound lighter. But even then the soldier is still pretty damned heavy. And I don't know what the Army can do about it right now. Pretty much everything the soldier carts around is as light as its going to get until there is some sort of major breakthrough in materials.

Steve

[RMC]

Originally posted by Battlefront.com:

The absolute max used to be 72 lbs.

LOL. Never heard that. We used to talk about the combat load studies and how we carried too much crap. It is simply beyond the Army to be able to tailor loads for individual soldiers so that each is carrying a total equivalent to half their body weight.

The NTC used to weight the loads of soldiers as part of their assessment back to the commander. We all carried 95-120lbs in rucksacks. Mostly it's a risk aversion thing on the part of leadership.

The OFW/LW guys are making efforts to reduce the load, but units in the field are always adding stuff right back on to the load.

[Nidan1]

Originally posted by Steiner14:

Hi Fred, thanks for the link but nevertheless i don't understand it. To me this seems it must be terribly hot and feeling uncomfortable and unflexible. With the shirt, the jacket, the vest and with all the pockets, this makes at least 7 layers of isolation on the chest alone.

I can't imagine, that movement isn't a burden with such a load.

Guten Morgen, mein freund....It probably is uncomfortable, which is why they always send young men into war.

I rememeber back in my day, my first landing in Vietnam from choppers taking off from a helicopter carrier off shore. I was loaded down with so much crap that I could hardly climb the passageway ladders to get to the helo deck. After awhile we learned to travel a lot lighter, we did not have all of the body armor that they have now, and Marine Corps gear in the mid 1960's was stuff left over from the Korean War, we didnt even have the nice rucksacks that the Army had.

The most noticable load relief came when we received the M-16 rifle in 1967, that alone took a lot of weight off compared to the M-14.