WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS INFANTRY FIRE TEAM????
WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS INFANTRY FIRE TEAM????
SYSTEMIC
1. No bayonet mounting capability for the M16 rifle/M203 Grenade Launcher--only 2 men in the fireteam (50%) can rifle-bayonet fight
Army needs to field bayonet adaptor that clamps onto battels of M16/M203s to hold M9 Wire-Cutter-Bayonet SIDEWAYS or better yet field a front sight assembly that has both and under and side mount lug or have ALL M16 family weapons have a side mount bayonet lug.
2. Bayonets are SHINY--perhaps calculated risk to scare/intimidate enemy, OK..but risk when knife used as field tool for giving position away
3. No Night Vision Goggle Mounts on their helmets
4. No rag-top camouflage on their helmets
5. No face, eye, leg or arm/hand armor protection
Need Weapons gunshields
6. Wearing old PASGT body armor not capable of stopping rifle bullets
7. Wearing old LC-1/2 "Y" ALICE straps not even TLBV, ETLBV or MOLLE Load Bearing Vests which distribute weight better and provide some frontal protection with magazines pouches at the chest
8. Grenadier and FireTeam Leader's M16/M203 weapons have neither a M68 CCO or and AN/PVS-14 NVM, nor are they wearing AN/PVS-7Bs or any other kind of night devices, I guess they don't need to fire accurately at night?
9. Neither Grenadier nor Team Leader wears a 40mm Grenade vest nor has pouches to carry 40mm rounds---I guess the extra 4 pounds under their rifles are for show?
10. No Field Protective Masks even though they are standing in yellow smoke
11. They are standing in the open, not dispersed
12. D3B leather Gloves worn too thick to operate weapons
13. LCE not camouflaged with burlap strips
14. Snaps on canteen covers not covered/painted over
15. LCE metal hardware not taped over/covered to hide shine
16. No rank insignia or last name/blood type on helmets
17. No 550 cord to prevent helmet band from falling off
18. No "cat eyes" on back of helmet band for night station-keeping
19. Soldier on far left has SAW pouch but no M249 Light Machine Gun!!!
20. Weapons not taped or camouflaged
21. No Soldier with a radio
22. No Soldier with an assault rocket, rifle grenades, hand grenades though they are fighting in an area surrounded by buildings which explosive weaponry will be needed to reach and hit enemies
23. No Soldiers with ropes, grappling hooks, flex cuffs for restraining prisoners, medical kits though in an urban combat fight
WHAT'S RIGHT WITH THIS PICTURE?
1. They are fighting for each other
2. They are on point for America
3. They looked determined to WIN
4. They have the M68 Close Combat Optic mated to the AN/PVS-14 Night Vision Mono-Goggle correctly for unaided eye night shooting
YOUR OBSERVATIONS!
"Although the 'bunch' is very popular in civilian SWAT circles it's not a good maneuver in combat. Spread out for god's sake. No one is bothering to cover the building to their rear but the biggest mistake in standing in the middle of the $%@# street. This is not an HOOHA picture, it's an "Oh Shit" picture."