Home » Archives » "Equipment"

Equipment

Jan-22-2004 » Filed Under: General Military

Dan sent a couple related articles regarding the standard equipment issued to soldiers. The USA Today article is from last summer and explains why many soldiers resort to buying their own gear.

[Link to Full Article]

"Buying own gear is common for troops"

By John Diamond, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — When Army Col. Mike Smith got the order to deploy to Afghanistan in 2001, he reached for his wallet. Smith wanted a pair of boots that could stand up to the rocky terrain, something he knew his Army-issue footwear wouldn't do.

Now Smith is a senior officer in the Army unit that equips front-line soldiers. He was not surprised when an internal "lessons learned" study of equipment used in the war in Iraq turned up a long list of gear so ill-regarded by soldiers that they spent their own money to modify or replace it.

The second article, which was recently published in the King County Journal, suggests that the Army is learning its lesson.

[Link to Full Article]

"Soldiers gear up, 21st-century style"

2003-12-11

by Mike Archbold, Journal Reporter

The large wooden warehouse at Fort Lewis looks like something out of World War II, but the equipment being handed out Tuesday to Iraq-bound National Guard soldiers was strictly ``Star Wars,'' with a big nod to REI.

Polartec fleece bibs and shirts, Wiley goggle sunglasses, silk-weight underwear, moisture-wicking T-shirts and, for the women, wick-away sports bras.

Interceptor body armor and laser-guided rifle sights are also among the $15 million in brand new, state-of-the-art equipment being given to the state's 81st Armor Brigade, including about 700 troops from the Kent Armory.

Called up Nov. 15 in the largest National Guard mobilization in the state since World War II, the 4,200 men and women from 23 armories in Washington and California are scheduled to leave for Iraq in the spring. They are training now at Fort Lewis.


Advertisements