I've been deployed to Baghdad, Iraq and Kandahar, Afghanistan as a line medic in the US Army. Just got back from Afghanistan a few weeks ago.
Psycho Cat Industries said:
You said that something along the lines of patrols and such,would that imply that you're an infantryman?Also,if you don't mind my asking,what kind of gear do you carry around anyway?Apart from a standard rifle,some optical gear and personal stuff,I have no idea.
The required items are body armor, helmet, fire-retardent uniforms and gloves, ballistic glasses, hearing protection, basic combat ammo load, night optical device, and your weapon. Then you can carry whatever else you want. Some people attach thier pouches directly to their vest, while others have them on a seperate piece called a Load Bearing Vest, or "Rack". Knives, flashlights, IR beacons, flex-cuffs, various paperwork, maps, etc.
Some people are picked to carry special equipment like metal/mine detectors, biometric scanners, heavy weapons/demo, etc.
baconsarnie said:
How good a shot do you actually have to be?
Do people with previous firearms experience tend to do better or worse in weapons handling after training/overall.
Generally it is better if you don't know who to use a firearm. The Drill Sergeants train so many people that they are not only experts on how to shoot, but also on how to teach people to shoot. Prior usage in firearms can bring out bad habits and make them not listen to any new method being tought them.
Berethond said:
How much water did you carry out in the desert?
I'd imagine you'd go through it really quick, having to lug around all the gear.
Most people carried a 2L camelback. In Iraq on missions when we had trucks we had a cooler with ice that had water and gatorade. I drank a large amount of water in Iraq, during the summer atleast. In Afghanistan, it was all foot patrols. Though we were there during the winter. It was a low land farming area by a river. So humid, but not as hot as Iraq. I rarely drank over a 1/4 of my camelback. Can't really explain it. Maybe since it was more limited my body automatically rationed it.
NinjaDeathSlap said:
What's the closest you've ever been to a Taliban fighter (if you're ok with talking about it) and how much close quarters combat is there on the ground in general?
How much ammo do you tend to carry around with you on average? I'm guessing it's not +500 rounds and about 10 grenades total, Call of Duty style.
Off the record (if that's possible) do you agree with our current strategy in Afganistan, or do you think we should be pushing the Taliban harder/focusing on civilian confidence more?
Maybe 150m away in a fire fight? Who knows really. The Taliban hide amongst the civilians like shields. They would come right up to you, talk to you, count your people, then go around a corner and pick up thier AK and shoot at you. One of our guys caught one off guard and threw a hand grenade at him (within 35m). He stopped fireing afterwards ...
Around 7 - 10 mags usually. Machine guns have a few thousand spread out amoungst the platoon. The game winner though is the 40mm grenades. Mostly everyone carries a belt or two, and not everyone can even use them. Sometimes we have AT-4s and Javelins with us.
The beginning of operations need to focus on kinetic strikes to show the enemy our power and show the civilians we can provide security for them. Midway you begin empowering local leaders and economy. At the end you empower local leaders and villages to secure themselves. Then you move on to the next enemy strongpoint. Thats how we operated basically. I agree with it, and it worked.
James Joseph Emerald said:
Anyway, here's a question, which is probably the one thing that I would hate most about being a soldier: how traumatising is it, having to shit into a latrine? Did it get easier after a while? Have you ever had to clean the latrine?
On a semi-related note, how much sleep do you get? I don't function well on a lack of sleep. Is it an acquired skill, or just a prerequisite for being a competent soldier?
Porcelain is a gift from the gods. Both tours we were lucky to have chemical toilets. But sometimes we had to dig cat holes. Now it's not like that everywhere. The larger bases actually have some pretty nice facilities. But I was out at the smallest bases run. Basically we would buy a local compound, forify it, and live there the whole time. Occasionaly we would pick up and move further in. Cleaning was done by local contractors. They'd come atleast once a week. But sometimes they'd get threatened or combat operations would limit travel. They can get pretty full during those times. And if it's summer it is almost unbearable. You deal with it though.
You adjust to your sleep deprivation. It kinda works out. You fall asleep faster, usually, since your exhausted at the end of the day.