AR For Grunts?, I can shoot and surf the web?! Options

[Fuchs]

Shooting with gloves sucks... sucks something awful. I've often said that I will gladly nuke a nation off the face of the planet for deploying CBR weapons not because they're so inherently horrible but rather because MOPP gear is the most soul crushing equipment I've ever had to deal with.

That said I think wearing gloves is becoming more common place but I deffer to Siege to tell it as it is. I'd also imagine that such a system would eventually become something lightweight that you could wear 24 hrs a day without really thinking about it. More like a couple of rings on your fingers or something.

Than of course you could just implant the damn things (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Since most of our fire ranges for arty are in the mountains, some at over 2000 meters, you get used to gloves, especially when serving in winter. You also get very proficient in quickly setting up external power sources for your tanks heating unit.

[Magus]

I remember when I was in Ft. Bragg, it never really got that cold, so shooting with gloves on was never really a problem. I can say that it would be a skill needed in colder climes. In fact most of the married guys would take off any rings when jumping so as to not catch on anything. They would generally keep them on their dogtag chain. Plus the glint of gold shows up pretty far in the woods. So on movement all jewelry was removed if you did not first cover it with camo paint.

[DocTaotsu]

Well by rings I was thinking something tactical and something that would break away before it degloves your fingers in an accident. Maybe a clip of some sort?

[NativeRigger]

Also what about the Airborne? Try grabbing and deploying your reserve chute if needed with gloves on.

It really isn't that big of a deal. Reserve handles are large metal "D"-shaped rings that were designed to be easy to grab with or without gloves. Even the older miltiary "Martin-Baker" ripcord handles are metal t-shaped loops that are large enough to get even a gloved hand through. And it's not even that big of a deal without the metal loops. On my sport gear where I've replaced the D ring on my reserve ripcord with a cutaway style soft handle (ballisitc fabric pillow with a short length of PVC pipe as a core), to reduce snag issues, there's zero problem grabbing on to it with gloves. I even have practical experience in this while going through a spinning malfunction that was far more violent than any scenario the average military FF jumper faces.

-NR

[Earlydawn]

How are communications in front-line platoons handled today? Do you still have the guy with the radio pack, or are they smaller now? I know they pack the IFVs with commo gear, particularly the command and control variants..

[DocTaotsu]

Well my Waaaaaay back in the rear perspective is that there's still some poor schumck with a huge ass radio in his pack. Smaller radios are getting out to the units but all the official shit is still the dusty ass SINGCAR.

[Magus]

As I was getting out the Platoon Leader had the RTO with the SincGar and one of the Police style frequency hopping radios (walkie talkie ) with the clipable mouthpiece All the squadleaders also had one. Good for short range 1-5 klicks if I remember correctly.

If not someone correct me please. It has been awhile. I got out from the Army in 95.

[Earlydawn]

Do Special Forces really get the fully radioed unit setup, or is that largely a myth?

[DocTaotsu]

You mean like Ghost Recon everyone can talk to everyone? I'll go talk to the recon guys down the road but I wouldn't be surprised, their budgets come with an awful lot of wiggle room and I'm fairly certain they'd spend at least some of that on better in unit comms. Now is it tied into an overall comm network? I have no idea.