Page 4 of 15 FirstFirst ... 2345614 ... LastLast
Results 31 to 40 of 150

Thread: OIF/OEF Veterans. Technical Lessons Learned wanted

  1. #31
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Posts
    519
    Feedback Score
    0
    Best way to keep an M4 running: Keep it dry EXCEPT for CLP around the bolt (in the Bolt Carrier) and around the cam pin. That's it.

    Issue BUIS, the "popsicle stick", breaks. GG&G or any solid BUIS is way better.

    M68 is great. Never had an ACOG or EO Tech.

    Teach Soldiers how to load plan. To many HMMWVs rolling through Afghanistan with their ammo, AT4s, etc, in the trunk of their vehicle when they have plenty of room under the gunner. Keep the AT4s in the turret.

    Fam fire with crew served weapons is not enough. Fam fire ends up being range NCOs prepping a weapon so the students can get up to the firing line, pull the trigger, and leave. That is not training. Teach Soldiers to maintain their weapons in a hostile environment, keep a bottle of CLP in the turret of every vehicle and on the person of every machine gunner. Convoy live fire exercises should be done after driving the convoy through 1km of dust. See how many gunners keep their weapons going then! That is realistic. I have been in convoys under direct fire where over half of the crew served weapons were down due to shitty maintenance practices.

    PRIORITIES OF WORK!!!! Not taught at all, except at Infantry and Ranger School, apparently. Way to many times have I seen troops roll up to an area (hostile) and before they establish a security plan, maintain weapons, vehicles, etc.; they are sucking down MREs like a bunch of sissies. This is a reflection of poor leadership and discipline! Priorities of work need to be taught at all levels, all branches, all MOS schools.

  2. #32
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Posts
    60
    Feedback Score
    0

    Pmags and lubrcation

    P mags work great. I load mine to 27 rounds out of habit though.

    Clean and dry the weapon and take a Q tip saturated in CLP and run it around the cam pin recess in the bolt carrier, on the cam pin, the back of the bolt where carbon goes (the radius behind the gas rings), and hit the four rails of the bolt carrier.

    Altogether it's like one drop of oil spread around.

    The rifle runs great and doesn't collect dust. I've been here twice, and never a jam when I needed the gun to work.

    Don't move accessories on the M4 after zeroing- the barrel harmonics and zero can change.

    PRI gasbuster handles let some sand into the weapon on windy days. I still use mine because I have a can, but if I didn't I wouldn't.
    Last edited by HPLLC; 09-15-09 at 13:39.

  3. #33
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Posts
    105
    Feedback Score
    0
    Hello. I'm out here right now. There's a lot of good information that has been shared above and I won't be too repetitive.

    -P-Mags P- Mags P- Mags!!! (enough said)

    -Hilco weapons wipes- Work amazingly well and are fast to use. We got a bulk order from the company, but I googled a quick link for you to see what I'm talking about.

    http://srtestore.com/detail.aspx?ID=870

    -Aimpoint 3x Magnifier on Larue swivel mount. BEST $700 i have ever spent. The mount functions very well even in the sandy/dusty environment. The Magnifier allows you to have cqb capability on tap, then with the flick of your wrist, more of a sdm type platform. The set up has proven itself useful in countess numbers of houses and roof tops.

    -ACU camo... I'm a ninja when I'm on the gravel... that's about it though

    -Larue 2 pt. sling- I use this thing to its max capability daily. Making it shorter/longer ever hour, adjusting for in/out of vehicles or in different standing/kneeling positions. A single point sling is popular with my guys, and I like them too, but this has proven itself to me too many times to replace.

    There are plenty of other things to comment on, but I believe several of them have been covered accurately. To those of you that are out here, good luck and stay safe.

  4. #34
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Posts
    25
    Feedback Score
    0
    Ive been to Afghan twice and the only point I can add to without repeating the stuff from above was MilTec. I absolutely loved Miltec, on my first tour I was putting it through my M16A2 (MusketA2) and my second tour through my SAW. Apply and Wipe most of it off, leaving a very very small coating, not visible and it would run like a top, coat it on, and nothign but smoke and trouble. I never had any issues firing regular USGI mags through the SAW, and very few issues with USGI mags in our M4's or A2's. I understand that its rare to have such luck.

    Training. As a guardsman we either get lots of it or almost none. So far the best training that I believe my unit has recieved was out of Ft McCoy in Wisconsin. The instructors were great, and the facilities were amazing. My first tour we trained at Ft Drum, (in 2003) and learned how to dig Fighting positions in Pine Trees, not exactly Afghan environment..

    ACUs. Please give us back our DCUs. Im sure enough has been said already.

    Im not an 11B, nor claim to be, just a Counter-Battery guy.

  5. #35
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    N. Fla
    Posts
    17
    Feedback Score
    0

    For what it's worth...

    There seems to be a large focus on what hardware seems to work best, et al... What magic lube kept your weapon functioning, etc... The bottom line is software. "Train as you fight", "Warrior Ethos", and whatever else some GSC, USMA educated Zero came up with to address the software issues are ineffective and words only. Sounds hooah. That's about it. Until that is solved, all the freakin p-mags, uber BUIS, ninja slings, and freakin tank turrets you wanna hang off your weapon will offer little advantage. The regular Army and Marine Corps need to allow reality into the training of non USSOC personnel. Realistic training is inherently dangerous and unforgiving, so thus very few regular Army or USMC combat arms are gonna receive it. The old " a chain is only as strong as it's weakest link, so focus on getting the weak link up to standard" philosophy is utter BS. Better a short chain that is strong, than one that has been weakened by the forced inclusion of the LCD. The standard is sub-standard, and no hardware will remedy that. Do forgive. I'm sure I'm being counter productive and anathema to the thread. I'll step down from the soap box, especially as there are much better qual'ed folks around than I who are still puttin rounds downrange. Just my 2 cents...after taxes, not worth shitezen.
    Last edited by DCR375; 12-24-09 at 21:23.

  6. #36
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Posts
    2,036
    Feedback Score
    1 (100%)
    Quote Originally Posted by DCR375 View Post
    The standard is sub-standard, and no hardware will remedy that.
    No truer words were ever said.

    And that is the problem. The problem in this war is not the technology. We overmatch our enemy in technology every time. The problem is that we are bringing an iPod to a gunfight. Our tactical and strategic thinking is fundamentally flawed.

    Effective individuals and combat units are units that have historically lived the "warrior ethos" long the Big Army turned it into a meaningless buzzword. 'Back in the day' when I was in Division you needed a PT score of 260 or above to get on any order of merit list. Having a PT score of less than 260 had the net effect of being flagged at the unit level. Anyone with a PT score less than 240 had remedial PT at 18:00 with the unit Ranger committee. Meanwhile, the Army Standard for PT is 180.

    We spend way to much time trying to 'check the box' and 'max the minimum.' Not to knock CALL (because they do yeoman's work) but do they plan to address this problem?

    The USMC is moving the in the exact opposite direction. They are making their PT standards higher and requiring their leaders to possess advanced combatives skills.

    The Army needs to scrap it's entire METL and MTOE system. It needs to do periodic (annual? biannual?) reviews of what the current operational environment is and then develop its entire training plan, force structure, and equipment lists based on the current reality.

    All the same, a fish rots from the head. And when Gen Casey comes on TV after the Ft Hood shooting and tells the world that 'diversity' is a top Army priority we know we are screwed. If 'diversity' is killing your soldiers then it may be time to consider banning the practice.

    Again, we need a change in thinking. Granted, there is a lot of good kit and good standards and practices out there. But as DCR375 points out, we will still get soldiers killed and continue to loose the war unless the Big Army makes a phase shift in thinking.

  7. #37
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Wakanda
    Posts
    18,863
    Feedback Score
    4 (100%)
    Quote Originally Posted by KevinB View Post
    Visible lights - someone - PLEASE tell Insight to stap trying to make a vis light, IR lasers are great, but then need to leave lights to Surefire at least until Insight can make a decent one... SF Scout light - GTG, if you need more light - use a vehicle or think and use NOD's

    KevinB, I found your post most informative. Could you elaborate a little on your experiences with Insight visible lights? I was looking at installing a M3X on my Colt but might opt for a SF. This would help me make my decision a little easier.
    "In a nut shell, if it ever goes to Civil War, I'm afraid I'll be in the middle 70%, shooting at both sides" — 26 Inf


    "We have to stop demonizing people and realize the biggest terror threat in this country is white men, most of them radicalized to the right, and we have to start doing something about them." — CNN's Don Lemon 10/30/18

  8. #38
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Wisconsin
    Posts
    182
    Feedback Score
    3 (100%)
    I can't give much info on weapons while i was in Iraq in 2003. All we had was stock crap and were not allowed to attach anything on the weapons I used chapstick on the bolt and it worked if helps anyone

  9. #39
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    FL
    Posts
    132
    Feedback Score
    0
    Not sure if I have much input here as of now,

    but I'm fresh outta OSUT (Infantry) and stationed at Ft. Lewis with the 5th brigade 2nd ID. and I can honestly say that i am 100% undertrained for our deployment on Feb 27th to the 'stan. we got issued M16a2's here (with the plastic handguards and fixd carry handle) and were told we'd be deploying with these rifles...... when we went to the zeroing/qualifying range (in one day) I was able to zero the weapon easily enough.. but while trying to Qual, i had 3 jams... 2 double feeds and 1 where the bullet got caught on the chamber. after we got done at the range we turned them in (without cleaning) and havent touched them since. After being a civilian shooter for about.. 8 years now, i know that's a big no no (not cleaning your weapon)

    Back in Basic we trained with old M16A4's with Comp M2's. they worked pretty well so long as they were cleaned. but the closest we came to any type of hardcore training was running up a lane shooting pop ups from behind barracades with a battle buddy calling out "moving - Move" etc. etc.

    Most of my training in the Stan' will be on the job, rolling out in strykers and foot marches learning as I go, which, according to common sense, isn't safe in the least. all they pound into our brains here is CLS and IED stuff. nothing about react to contact and such...

    That's just my $.02 on it as an infantryman straight outta basic.
    "Certainly there is no hunting like the hunting of man and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never really care for anything else thereafter."
    -Ernest Hemingway

  10. #40
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Supply, NC/Afghanistan
    Posts
    383
    Feedback Score
    2 (100%)
    Garrasa,

    Once your deployed that rifle will be with you everyday 24/7. Keep it cleaned and oiled. You may also want to check your feed lips on your magazines. PXs here sell PMAGs and you should get an issue from REF. Your old M16A4 was the newest verison, just used. Good luck on your deployment and listen to your platoon sargeant.

    CD
    De Oppresso Liber

Page 4 of 15 FirstFirst ... 2345614 ... LastLast

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •