For our members that served over seas

interesting responses...

canadian forces carry hi-powers not US forces (even when in a joint role as i can attest to during one of my tours in kosovo)....


mags are stored unless in an extreme circumstance because you can reload an empty mag when you are resupplied, but if you were careless and dumped your mag then you had nothing to reload and also the enemy can pick it up and reuse it



I was actually deployed (see my sig and my information and can scan a copy of my VFW card to prove it)... .

anyway, when i was in we carried our load out depending on mission. if on a long patrol that would sometimes span up to 2 weeks with minimal resupply (usually by helo in the stan or by linking up with a convoy in iraq, and in bosnia we always did short grab and go's so we loaded heavy on ammo and light on gear as we would be doing quick insertion and extraction usually by vehicle) we would carry haeavy which was usually 240rds of 5.56 plus an extra 120 or so rounds and then 45rds of 9mm plus maybe 30 rds extra and for those of us with a 203 we would carry various loads depending on the mission and dont foreget the smoke plus a what seemed like a million batteries of various sizes for the manpacks NVG's, etc... i was one of the unlucky SOB's that carried a manpack so i rucked my gear and the radio , but the other folks carried extra batteries for me...

when i retrained and was ni either the spotter or the gunner role the load out changed along with the mission or the territory we had as an AOR...

anyway, lots of answers from folks above, but just reading some i call BS as they are reading off a COD or Battlefield game load out.. :D
 
What I'm wondering about is , what's the story with ear and eye protection.
When I was in Slovakian arms , all I carried when on guard duty were 2 30 round magazines , one in the VZ 58 and one in the pouch.
No hearing or eye protection even on the range.
 
we always eye protection due to ied, landmine, etc... (was not the case when i first joined)..

ear protection is for the range... who has time to stop in the middle of a firefight and put in their ear plugs....
 
ear protection is for the range... who has time to stop in the middle of a firefight and put in their ear plugs....
Click to expand...

Unfortunately that's the case, and as a result one of the biggest VA disability claims when soldiers return from duty is Tinnitus, or constant ringing in the ears. Couple that with PTSD and some are in for a real tough time. Although I have not served, I do suffer from tinnitus, and let me tell you sometimes it really sucks. They really should issue electronic hearing protection, they allow you to hear everything around you but dampen out sounds over 120db if I remember correctly. There is currently no cure for tinnitus either, but in the past 10 years or so with so many veterans coming back with ringing in their ears studies have really increased. Sorry to get off topic.
 
In the 80s we patrolled the Nicaraguan border with Honduras. We were issued 6 loaded 30 round mags for our M-16 A2s and told that under no circumstances were we to get involved in any of the unrest that was going on there:confused:.
After each shift the magazines were turned in and you'd better be able to account for every round including the empty brass with a darn good reason for it being empty!

Fortunatly the biggest threat I ever faced was being shook down for $0.25 by some kid on a donkey selling questionable Coca-Colas. :)
 
Yea, the first thing you think when you hear the bumble bee is "where did i put my earpro?"

We got 7 mags 30 rounds each, I was lower enlisted so no sidearm for me. I mean not that i needed it. We only did convoys every other day halfway across the country. Not to mention the stops for bread in taliban controlled markets.

All sarcasm aside, I'm just glad we didn't get in any big firefights.
 
We all carried 6 to 8 mags, 28 rounds each. Wierdly I have never checked to see if that was an old wives tale. We also carried a full bandolleer or two, I think they had 5 or six sets of 30 each. Just in case things got ridiculous.
There would also generally be one man with a pack full. Though it's not about carrying, I also habitually rotated mags. Still do. Every couple days, unload all mags and use your other set, then clean each round and magazine. I find the process extremely thereputic.
 
As an MP in OIF 08-09, I carried 6 mags of 5.56, one more in the rifle. 2 mags of 9mm, & one in the gun.

I can't remember how many rounds I carried with the M249, at least 3 drums of 200 rounds, one 50 round "nutsack" on the gun, & usually a backpack in the truck with 5-6 more drums.

We all wore eye pro out of habit, & if we dismounted in a hurry, usually had our radios on, which served as ear pro as well.
 
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