“It always amazes us that engineers are able to come up with some of this dazzling stuff, but can’t do simple math. Nimrods, twenty-five doohickeys that only weigh 2 pounds is 50 pounds of extra crap we get to carry around!” Absolutely!
It was also amazing to me how badly designed the original Interceptor Body Armor was from a human engineering point of view, despite hundreds of years studying those issues. Then they add junk to it as you discuss.
The IOTV was a huge improvement with respect to human engineering and load carrying, but was still too heavy for dismounted operations with all 4 plates.
Those older Navy ships, built in WWII, had some decent armor, the newer ones not so much. I served on two such ships in the 1970s. On the second one I stood a watch in CIC about 14 feet away from a huge scar on the skin of the ship where a Kamikaze had pierced the hull in the Okinawa Campaign. After that I was no longer impressed by armor. I think I'd gripe if I had to carry it.
The way I heard it was that Grunts have all the funk, John. There are those incidents of "covered by foreign substances" in irrigation ditches, muddy pastures, giant holes, ditch water and the falls and headers into them. Funk, in nascent 8th century sewage conveyances. In my own branch a night patrol was standing off the coast and keeping the enemy awake from about taps to reveille with 5" and 6" Harassment & Interdiction fire at random times, into random areas within a huge prescribed box of triple canopy jungle where the VC might be sleeping. No one got any sleep. But it's always better to give than to receive. No funk involved in H&I missions. No aroused bulls either, Gah! Though one of our daytime missions involved shelling a water buffalo with HE. Weird mission, might have been that the spotter was bored. Many of our ground spotters were Marine NCO's or Naval Officers. And "Hell hath no fury like a ______ scorned." ☺
As a night battle Captian in the tactical operations cent for my battalion in Iraq 2009-2010 we had access to all of the cool toys then that are Stone Age now for our forces. Had one of my old squad leader from my time as a PL and Company commander eat shit on drone feed trying to cross a small irrigation ditch. I remind him of it every birthday he celebrates. Good times.
Need to try it using thermals and a RWS on a Stryker. Having guys outside the hatches with nods help too. Once we had to dismount on get after it, I understand what you went through, and have done the same.
“It always amazes us that engineers are able to come up with some of this dazzling stuff, but can’t do simple math. Nimrods, twenty-five doohickeys that only weigh 2 pounds is 50 pounds of extra crap we get to carry around!” Absolutely!
It was also amazing to me how badly designed the original Interceptor Body Armor was from a human engineering point of view, despite hundreds of years studying those issues. Then they add junk to it as you discuss.
The IOTV was a huge improvement with respect to human engineering and load carrying, but was still too heavy for dismounted operations with all 4 plates.
Those older Navy ships, built in WWII, had some decent armor, the newer ones not so much. I served on two such ships in the 1970s. On the second one I stood a watch in CIC about 14 feet away from a huge scar on the skin of the ship where a Kamikaze had pierced the hull in the Okinawa Campaign. After that I was no longer impressed by armor. I think I'd gripe if I had to carry it.
“Go to—I’m fine sir.”
LoL Yeah, I said those exact words numerous times. Luckily, I was mounted for nearly all my patrols.
(ps-s-s-st...sotto voce for deniability, Matt)
And again I say, Grunts have all the fun.
The way I heard it was that Grunts have all the funk, John. There are those incidents of "covered by foreign substances" in irrigation ditches, muddy pastures, giant holes, ditch water and the falls and headers into them. Funk, in nascent 8th century sewage conveyances. In my own branch a night patrol was standing off the coast and keeping the enemy awake from about taps to reveille with 5" and 6" Harassment & Interdiction fire at random times, into random areas within a huge prescribed box of triple canopy jungle where the VC might be sleeping. No one got any sleep. But it's always better to give than to receive. No funk involved in H&I missions. No aroused bulls either, Gah! Though one of our daytime missions involved shelling a water buffalo with HE. Weird mission, might have been that the spotter was bored. Many of our ground spotters were Marine NCO's or Naval Officers. And "Hell hath no fury like a ______ scorned." ☺
“can’t do simple math”
Oh ye$ they Can $$$
As a night battle Captian in the tactical operations cent for my battalion in Iraq 2009-2010 we had access to all of the cool toys then that are Stone Age now for our forces. Had one of my old squad leader from my time as a PL and Company commander eat shit on drone feed trying to cross a small irrigation ditch. I remind him of it every birthday he celebrates. Good times.
Nods are so amazingly helpful in achieving the "Most Spectacular Header" award that it's almost cheating. In my experience at least.
G
Need to try it using thermals and a RWS on a Stryker. Having guys outside the hatches with nods help too. Once we had to dismount on get after it, I understand what you went through, and have done the same.