Up Armored Me
Now for my two cents on body armor...
I like it, I wear it whenever I am outside the wire. I would say it is the perfect accessory to any ensemble in a hostile environment but enough is enough people. I am 6 feet and 3 inches tall, I weigh a solid 210lbs, I am not a small person by any standard. My armor with its necessary accessories (Plates, Kevlar Loin Cloth, gorget, 240 rounds of 5.56mm ball, 45 rounds of 9mm ball, rifle kit, camel back and first aid kit) WEIGHS A FREAKIN' CUBIC SH*T TON which I would remind you is at a minimum one order of magnitude greater than the standard metric butt ton! Top that off with rifle, pistol and K-pot brain bucket I go from being a larger than average person to a mutant giant troll! When I am all girded up I feel like I have gutted a fat man and am wearing him like a suit. In full battle rattle I am top heavy and very ungainly. Not so much that I can't function in a combat environment but almost to that point. Now some freakin' mental giant thinks I need more armor to be safe. I will grant that I would suck it up and us any side add ons but have you seen the shoulder add ons they are pushing out. Have any of you seen the movie "Christmas Story"? Well watch it and when you get to the point when Ralphy's little brother falls down and can't get up cuz of all the snow clothes he is wearing, well that is what it would be like for me if you added anymore dang armor to me. Enough is enough people. For the most part what we got is functional and wearable too much more pushes it over the edge. You have to be able to move or you will get killed. You would really get a good laugh if you watched me try and fold myself into and out of my Humvee! It is a sight to behold. In fact, the most useful thing that Army could have trained me up on at Camp Atterbury would have been combat yoga! More armor would just get me killed. Obviously, the proponents of adding more stuff on to me have never actually had to wear, and function in it for extended periods of times. The primary mission has crept from closing with and kicking the enemies a$$ to force protection. This worship at the altar of force protection is causing us to lose our warrior edge. Some common sense must be used. War fighting is an inherently dangerous profession, heck, it is almost of as dangerous as being a convenience store clerk. You have to be prepared to take risks, as always Fortune Favors The Bold. As I said I would gladly suck up some more side protection but when my issue of the "shoulder pads" arrives...It's going under the rack with the rest of the crap I don't need and will never use. I'd like to see some a$$hat congress members wear the full ensemble, with shoulder pads everyday for a month! Now that would be entertainment! Of course this is all just my opinion.
TO THE TYRANT NEVER YIELD
I like it, I wear it whenever I am outside the wire. I would say it is the perfect accessory to any ensemble in a hostile environment but enough is enough people. I am 6 feet and 3 inches tall, I weigh a solid 210lbs, I am not a small person by any standard. My armor with its necessary accessories (Plates, Kevlar Loin Cloth, gorget, 240 rounds of 5.56mm ball, 45 rounds of 9mm ball, rifle kit, camel back and first aid kit) WEIGHS A FREAKIN' CUBIC SH*T TON which I would remind you is at a minimum one order of magnitude greater than the standard metric butt ton! Top that off with rifle, pistol and K-pot brain bucket I go from being a larger than average person to a mutant giant troll! When I am all girded up I feel like I have gutted a fat man and am wearing him like a suit. In full battle rattle I am top heavy and very ungainly. Not so much that I can't function in a combat environment but almost to that point. Now some freakin' mental giant thinks I need more armor to be safe. I will grant that I would suck it up and us any side add ons but have you seen the shoulder add ons they are pushing out. Have any of you seen the movie "Christmas Story"? Well watch it and when you get to the point when Ralphy's little brother falls down and can't get up cuz of all the snow clothes he is wearing, well that is what it would be like for me if you added anymore dang armor to me. Enough is enough people. For the most part what we got is functional and wearable too much more pushes it over the edge. You have to be able to move or you will get killed. You would really get a good laugh if you watched me try and fold myself into and out of my Humvee! It is a sight to behold. In fact, the most useful thing that Army could have trained me up on at Camp Atterbury would have been combat yoga! More armor would just get me killed. Obviously, the proponents of adding more stuff on to me have never actually had to wear, and function in it for extended periods of times. The primary mission has crept from closing with and kicking the enemies a$$ to force protection. This worship at the altar of force protection is causing us to lose our warrior edge. Some common sense must be used. War fighting is an inherently dangerous profession, heck, it is almost of as dangerous as being a convenience store clerk. You have to be prepared to take risks, as always Fortune Favors The Bold. As I said I would gladly suck up some more side protection but when my issue of the "shoulder pads" arrives...It's going under the rack with the rest of the crap I don't need and will never use. I'd like to see some a$$hat congress members wear the full ensemble, with shoulder pads everyday for a month! Now that would be entertainment! Of course this is all just my opinion.
TO THE TYRANT NEVER YIELD
posted by Ed | 5/07/2006 10:48:00 AM
1 Comments:
Sorry Bud, the truthful answer is no. I am a chop and I have only been on Fast Boats and Fast Boat Squadrons.
R/
Ed
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