USSoldier11B

man this is just a flamewar waiting to happen.

where do I find this?

This would be amazing if I could get it to work. I always hated the grainy night vision. None of the generations I've ever played with in the army are that bad.

We don't really have massive military parades in the U.S. Dating back to the revolution it is taboo to have large amounts of soldiers massed in a U.S. city. It's a domestic occupation thing.

yeah the FMTV/LMTV has a standard turret in the roof with the same pintle system that is on the HMMWV, can accomidate M2/ Mk19/ M240 series/ M249 series/ and quite possibly a TOW. Our motorpool guy told us that the thing can take a .50 cal round right in the tire as long as it as moving and go 300 miles on it.

........our Army is bigger, meaner, and also beat yours just over 200 years ago. "The Army" = U.S. Army Sorry, can't discuss it, it's sensitive info.

Well after a solid amount of time with the MOLLE II system I have made some conclusions. Fighter Load Carrier System: I love it! It's by far the most comfortable yet. I have been in the Army long enough to have experienced three different sets of Load Bearing Equipment. The old ALICE H and Y harness system was ok comfort wise although it put too much weight around the hips since practically ever piece of equipment was attached to the pistol belt. Also all of the pouches utilized snaps which were unreliable and often resulted in lost equipment when crawling around or busting through rough terrain, thus a good soldier was required to dummy cord everything to him with 550 cord. Then came the LBV, which had a nagging tendency to dig into the back of the neck. Since all of the pouches were sewn onto the vest you didn't have a choice when arranging your magazine placement etc. The FLC however, has thin, wide shoulder straps that sit well and do not inhibit shouldering your weapon. The option to place your pouches practically anywhere is great, especially for us Southpaws. Everthing is buckle velcro, or snap velcro which is much more secure. MOLLE Ruck: I appeciate the modular concept, but I have to say I hate it. Of course I hate the ALICE pack as well, but for different reasons. The MOLLE ruck with all of its seperately attached components makes for a load that tends to shift on you. The frame is too large and made of some pretty flimsy plastic that while lightweight, is bound to break on a rough jump. Also the pack is too wide, frankly I though the military would finally design a ruck that was tall and thin with a contoured internal frame like a good civilian pack. I do however, like the idea of the seperate sleep system carrier. A good ground pounder always packs his heavy stuff higher up since it's easier on the hips, so with the Alice you had to dig everything out to get to your fartsack. I also like the side pouches and the claymore pouch on the back which makes getting to stuff you need fast much easier. The system can be converted in minutes to accomidate for rifleman, grenadier, gunner, medic, shotgunner, etc etc etc. Assault pack: The Assault pack that attaches to the MOLLE is great. It's just about the right size and comfortable and itegrates with the camelbak system (a godsend invention for a thirsty troop on the move). With the FLC and the Assault pack you can carry adequate equipment to get you through a 24 hour mission where you aren't going to be sleeping, or aren't going to need your bag, plus you don't have to take it off to jump in a chopper or other vehicle. Modular Sleep System: I've always liked it and it's been around a while longer than the rest of the MOLLE system. The U.S. military made a huge jump from a canvas/cotton Civil War technology fartsack. The Gortex Bivy cover keeps you dry in the worst of weather and you can also throw up a simple ponch hooch for extra protection. The whole thing is still a bit bulky, even with a compression bag, civilian adventurers still have the advantage of having lighter, more compact bags that are just as warm. The thermarest pad I'm a fan of, having used it in Alaska where the ground is perpetually cold and will suck the life out of you even through your bag. MICH: The MICH helmet is a vast improvement over the K-pot. It's lighter, smaller (some of the German WWII-esque "flare" was removed), and has great padding. The chin strap is more comfortable and secure and is finally made of nylon instead of canvas which tends to get stinky and give you some funky rashes in humid climates. Finally, the MICH doesn't require any modification for airborne ops. Most of you U.S. personnel probably haven't gotten this piece of equipment. Interceptor Body Armor: Everyone knew that the old flak vest wasn't good for stopping much else than what it was named for. I like the Interceptor body armor despite that it's pretty heavy with the trauma plates in, but hell I'd rather been uncomfortable and sweaty than bleeding to death. I've heard claims that the Interceptor with body armor will trauma plates can and has stopped 7.62 x 39 rounds. BDU's: The military seems to have caught new BDU fever since the USMC got the MARPAT. Now the Chair Force is testing some blue and grey tiger stripe stuff that looks pretty goofy, but it's supposed to make them less visible on a flight line. I don't particularly see a need to change from woodland camo or 3 color DCU, although I'm sure the Army will have a digital pattern within a few years because we can't stand it when the Marines get new stuff and we don't. Boots: In 229 years I don't think the Army ever got footwear right. I put different soles on my boots since I don't care much for the Panama sole. It has good traction but the heel has a tendency to make your foot roll and twist your ankle when you get tired and wobbly legged. Heel and toe caps make ofr blisters, although you can cut them out with some effort, these little do-dads make it easier for REMF's to spit shine their boots. The USMC got new boots and I've heard good things about them, although all of this is a moot point for me since we can wear pretty much anything in my unit as long as they are black. This brings me to another point. Black? Nothing in nature is black expect for soot, coal, and obsidian, so unless you plan on fighting on a volcano.....We should go to the Suede tan DCU color. No polishing. MOLLE Ruck Assault Pack FLC MICH New Chair Force BDUs

most ammo manufacturer's websites should have ballistics tables for their products, especially for high end precision shooting. These are going to be the most accurate. Military ones are pretty general based on caliber whereas, these will have precise data on specific loads. As far as ballistics for a weapon those will be pretty general and based mostly on barrel length and caliber. Again, those can be found through the manufacturer.

I'm no good at making such things but I'd appreciate it if someone made a cool one for me.

7 whole times more realistic huh?

Actually....I was talking more along the lines of the Harrier which has an accident rate of somewhere around 4x that of any other aircraft in service.

thanks....but I'm too busy stealing tanks to be driving HMMWV's.

actually the XM-8 is slightly...oh so very slightly longer than the M4. Look at the head to head here: XM-8 vs. M4 Edit: I believe this comparison is for the Baseline Carbine Model and not the compact carbine...which I'm sure is shorter than the M4.The barrel on the BC is only 12.5" I wouldn't trust anything much shorter than that. I doubt the CC will be the standard issue weapon.

They are pretty fun to drive too, although you gotta be carefull cornering because it has a high center of gravity, luckily there's a tilt guage in the cab.

Hmmm never heard of an HK M4...I though the G-36 was pretty much that.

I'm no Vietnam Vet...wasn't born yet, but I'm fairly knowledgeable on the subject although WWII is my forte.

Not a big fan of MRE's although I do like the Burrito, Enchilada, and Cheese Tortellini.....I like the dyhydrated civilina stuff much more.

I don't know, those BDUs would take some getting used to. I don't need a pocket on my calf, just sounds like a good place to get rubbed raw if you put stuff in there. I don't like the pocket design on the blouse. What is that? Rank right in the middle of the chest? I think we should go back to sleeve rank insignia.

I agree about the Interceptor. It's snug and fits in pretty tight, I feel safe in it.....until they stick me in the turret of a HMMWV in the lead vehicle of a convoy. (which is now my official convoy position....I figure it's either due to my superior skills on the 240 or maybe Top doesn't like me) Do you know a soldier named Sgt. Griffiths? He just came to our unit from an Avn unit with the 101.

right here my friend. Stewart & Stevenson Government Sales

I'm pretty fond of my M4, for a person of smaller stature like me it is easier to handle. Not that the M16 is exactly cumbersome, it's just that the length of pull it bit of a stretch for me and being able to click the buttstock a notch in gives me a better sight picture. On average I shoot about 4 points better for record fire with the M4 consistantly. The problem remains that while the Stoner design is good, the forced gas system fouls the hell out of components, making cleaning a time consuming task at times. I owned an FAL for a while, and while that weapon was less reliable (tended to jam at least once every 2-3 magazines the only thing that every got fouled was the gas tube which it easy to clean out. I suppose a good armorer could have remedied the jamming problems with a little finesse, being that the rifle was used Argentinian military surplus. A few years ago I expressed the wish that the U.S. military would adopt the G-36 series rifle, and it looks like I might partially get it sooner or later since the XM-8 is essentially the same weapon with an increase in modularity. While I am excited by the prospect I will always remain to be a loyal 7.62 NATO fan and I wish we would go back to this caliber for the standard assault rifle.

The USMC can keep it, I don't want to go anywhere in that deathtrap. Why is it that the USMC has more aircraft accident related fatalities than any other branch?

Yeah you're gonna offend some people if you have longtabs running around looking like some gun bunnies.

Yeah you're gonna offend some people if you have longtabs running around looking like some gun bunnies.

When I refer to kevlar I mean only the helmet. It's what we call it, except now we have the new MICH which is smaller, lighter, has great padding and a better chin strap. Yes I am in an SF unit. 5th Bn, 19th SFG(A). We do wear the body armor, the new stuff is worlds better than the old flak jacket. With the trauma plates in, it will actually stop a 7.62 x 39 RSR.