Military Equipment: Issue or buy?

[YuJinha]

I know some of you guys out there are either in the Armed Services or are prior service so I just thought i'd ask... Do you guys end up buying your own equipment (even though you get the same stuff issued to you) or do you just use the stuff that your unit issues you? For me, I've slowly been buying my own equipment but it adds up to a lot of money in the end.

[swll360]

what kinda of equipment you talk'n about?

[YuJinha]

TA-50 type stuff. If for some reason the marines/navy call it something different, i'm talking about LBV, pistol belt, ALICE pack, ect.

[speedster1219]

I get everything issued to me..camelpack, uniforms, backpacks, wetsuit, dive equipment, etc...

[11A-ABN]

In active duty units, and a very few high-speed tier 1 reserve/NG units, the soldiers are pretty much issued everything: not only basic ta-50, but knee pads, elbow pads, camel backs, assault packs, butt pack, etc. For example 82nd airborne and 101st get all priority on high speed gear issued, only after SF and 75th.

There are NG SF units that get issued pretty much everything active duty guys get, and that's the same for other special ops community in other branches (like Carlos who gets issued all the cool gear to use for free). Also, 1/184th infantry(aaslt) in northern california and Fullerton get issued a lot of cool gear because they are one of the best trained NG infantry units in CA. I believe reserve & NG(combat arms) units that are to deploy get funded and get issued more gear, like C company of 1/160th in Riverside, deploying to Iraq soon.

As for A/1/160th Infantry(M) down here, don't expect any of those. Not only are we an understrength(not enough people) company, half of our company got attached to C company to go to Iraq with them (initially attached to go to Bosnia, but mission changed). So in conclusion, some of the stuff that you want to definitely have as your own while at A/1/160, are your own camel back, knee pads, elbows if you need a set, and a buttpack for your LBV. Rest of the TA-50 you're issued, as well as the new cool gortex sleeping bag system.

You probably have been to Ranger Joe's while at Benning; www.rangerjoes.com sells tactical gear as you know.

www.botachtactical.com These guys sell Law Enf't and Mil gear, based in Los Angeles. Have bought some stuff from them before (knee pads, nomex flight gloves, etc.) and are pretty good with orders and stuff.

www.us-elitegear.com These guys are primarily Army, Marines, and special Ops gear people, registered with DoD. I bought the Army Issue Knee Pads(which are pretty comfy, but depends on personal preference) and the New version of Army issue Buttpack. They did send me the wrong color buttpack(desert) when I needed woodland. They are pretyt bad with email, so it's better to call.

Hope this helps.

[YuJinha]

I'm not talking about weather or not you get issued the right equipment. I agree with you 11A about 1/160th. I wasn't really expecting much from a Guard unit anyways. I mean here's a unit that just got issued new M16A2 rifles with lower receivers that say they were for an A4. Although I'd imagine the LRPS unit based out of Los Al gets some high speed stuff too. I'm just talking about in general, even if you are issued equipment, do you still buy your own. For example, it's basically a given that you'll be issued a LBV. But do you go out and buy your own for say... the purposes of just having one as your own therefore giving you better incentive to take care of it?

But thanks for the links though.

[REDR6]

I don't know about the quality of the gear the Army units get issued. I do know that even the brand new stuff they give us Marines is total crap. Most of us go out and buy our own stuff. We can buy stuff that is much more functional, has better durability, and is just plain better than what they give us. The Marine Corps is cheap though.
J

[YuJinha]

But you guys get those highspeed (albeit ugly) digital camo uniforms.

[REDR6]

but we have to buy them

[YuJinha]

Those aren't issued to you? That's horse****.

[REDR6]

We have to buy all of our cammies.

[11A-ABN]

Yujunha, unless you're not issued the gear(in case of A/1/160 there's quite a few you're not issued), don't go buy yourself a new set of gear. ie. the LBVs the unit issues are almost all brand new, and the rucks are in decent condition. So I would suggest buy the gear that you are not issued, that you feel you'll need. ie, knee pads will be your best friend during those security halts on patrols, as well as the 3-5 second rushes, etc.

For your stay with A/1/160, just buy necessary equipment for yourself. For the drills & other training activities, I have my own knee pads, camel back, buttpack, and nomex flight gloves. Everything else I use the issued.
Unless you go hunting or target shooting in the woods, you would have no use having an extra set of TA-50.

RedR6, I absolutely don't mean to mock USMC, but marines are the least funded branch of service, and that's probably why you guys have to buy our uniform and indecent gear. While the MOLLE gear did look nice, it apparently failed in Afghanistan for marine grunts. For Army, enlisted personnel get their uniforms for free, but officers have to buy all the uniforms, including BDU, dress greens & blues, mess uniform, etc.

[YuJinha]

Originally posted by 11A-ABN
For Army, enlisted personnel get their uniforms for free, but officers have to buy all the uniforms, including BDU, dress greens & blues, mess uniform, etc.

I guess that's the price officers pay for getting paid so much more than me.:cry: I know from buying the dress blues that all those uniform don't come cheap so that has to suck. I wonder if the Navy and their infinite number of uniforms have to buy their own. I hope not or they'ed be broke for years to come.

Thanks for the advice on what to buy and what not to though. The knee pads sound like a good investment. Already got the Nomex gloves and the buttpack. But do you wear your kneepads on ruck marches when you're walking for prolonged periods of time? Although seeing as we're a Mech unit, I guess we don't hump all that far so prolonged comfort probably isn't much of an issue but I was just wondering. But then, all that's left are the grunts so who knows, we might be up for a little stroll.

[11A-ABN]

If A company ever gets to full strength, you'll find that usually only the Bradley crew personnel go and do their stuff with the Bradley's and the simulation combat, while everyone else does foot soldier stuff. So unless you're picked as gunner, assistant gunner, or driver (or B. commander when you hit E-6), you'll be doing grunt work, probably without long patrols though. Mostly actions on the Objective, individual marksmanship, battledrills, etc.

During long movements, you shouldn't really have the knee pads on unless they are pretty loose, because many people have problems of blood circulation with those things on during movement. So usually what guys do is have them at the ankles during movement, and put them up to the knee at the Objective Rally Point before conducting assault. Disadvantage to not having them on during movement may be that if you're ambushed or engage sniper fire, you won't have much time to put them up to the knees. For me personally, I usually have them on loose during movement, and tighten a bit at the ORP before assault if I need to. I never had a problem with lack of blood circulation.

[REDR6]

No offence taken. Your totally right. I have been through 6 sets of MOLLEE systems. I've broken them all. Right now, every piece of MOLLEE gear I have is broken in one way or another. I can't believe you guys don't buy your uniforms. None of them?
J

[YuJinha]

For enlisted no. I was issued 2 winter BDU's and 2 summer BDU's. Some guard units even issue another winter and summer set on top of the stuff you're issued at basic. I was also issued my Class A's as well as a couple of PT sets (Both long sleeve and short). However, when the Army changed over to the new PT's, I heard the soldiers had to buy the new ones to replace their old ones but since I entered service after that, I was issued everything. The only thing I had to buy were some extra PT sets and my Dress Blues.

[11A-ABN]

Originally posted by REDR6
No offence taken. Your totally right. I have been through 6 sets of MOLLEE systems. I've broken them all. Right now, every piece of MOLLEE gear I have is broken in one way or another. I can't believe you guys don't buy your uniforms. None of them?
J

I'm sure it is the same for USMC and all other branches, but all officers have to pay for pretty much everything, including meals if you want to eat at the Dfac.

As for the new PT uniform, I enlisted before they came out, so I had to buy my own either way. I thought the new ones were so much better than the old ones, so I didn't have a problem with paying $.