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Marine Corps and Molle gear


bheskett
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I know th Marine Corps used the woodland Molle gear and the coyote brown but did they ever use the DCU pattern gear or is this an Army specific item?

 

Thanks

Bob

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Good question: I buy a lot of old Marine gear from Desert Storm and later and I don't recall any DCU molle.

 

Here's a nice piece the Marine commissioned for desert camo circa Desert Storm: (click for a much larger version)

 

 

stormlarge.jpg

 

For more of the images created for the Corps by Colonel D.J. Neary, USMCR (ret.) go to http://www.heritagestudio.com/gulfwar.html

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Very cool link. I have a set of 3 color DCus that were issued to a Marine in Desert Storm, This is what made me wonder about the gear. Any more insight from the Marines out there.

Thanks

Bob

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I think bhsekett referred to OEF/OIF as MOLLE wasn't even existed during the Desert Storm.

 

No, Marines didn't use MOLLE in DCU color. Like you said, they use woodland and coyote tan.

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thought we were talking about cammies...

 

the Marine Corps used the tri-color MOLLE for a bit. The original rig had mag pouches fixed in place. They were relaced by a Molle vest and pouches, also in tri-color, that were short lived before being replaced by the coyote tan Molle we use today. And of course, the pattern has continued to change

 

I do not know if those tri-colors were tan...the reservists I saw wearing them on their Flaks had green tris...not sure if they existed long enough to justify a desert issue

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thought we were talking about cammies...

 

the Marine Corps used the tri-color MOLLE for a bit. The original rig had mag pouches fixed in place.

 

i don't have a clue of the rig you are describing. Are you able to explain better or provide a photo please?

 

in my limited knowledge i have always thought the marines changed from the molle 1/2 FLCs and Interceptor in woodland coupled with BDUs and DCUs to MarPat uniforms with Coyote Brown colored armor and webbing.

 

i have only seen a photo with a marine wearing DCU interceptor and pouches. unless he is a georgian soldier. But a single photo means a little to me. i have photos of USMC personnel wearing chocolate chips, army ucp rucksacks, italian vegetato rucksacks, ucp soft shells.....everything.

20100911_ff9f30ee28ff0435fb65KmakvAY6aK6A.jpg

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Not a US issue chinstrap. Additionally, he has an embroidered camo band on his helmet. You won't find camo bands on Marines let alone embroidered ones.

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here was the affixed one I mentioned

 

That's not a part of the MOLLE system, it's an Enhanced Load Bearing Vest, which predates MOLLE. There was never a MOLLE vest with the pockets attached, everything has always been modular...hence the name MOdular Lightweight Load carrying Equipment.

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I know th Marine Corps used the woodland Molle gear and the coyote brown but did they ever use the DCU pattern gear or is this an Army specific item?

 

Thanks

Bob

 

The Marine Corps began replacing the MOLLE gear in January 2004 with the Improved Load Bearing Equipment, which is in Olive Mojave (Coyote brown) and MARPAT. This was actually before widespread issue of MOLLE gear in 3-color desert to the Army, so the USMC had already dumped MOLLE by the time the 3-color was out.

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brig, so you are saying atleast some USMC used enhanced vests in tricolor? Because i have always thought 3 color enhanced lbvs were made in a limited contract in 2002 for Afsoc personnel.

 

MSGT norway, the photo is real, i took from an airsoft website, but it was originally from gettyimages. Anyway as i told earlier i wasn't sure it was USMC. The helmet made me think otherwise. I think Georgia got a lot of items given by USA, marpat, Bushmaster m4 rifles and so on.

 

Anyway, while i was searchin the tag for the photo i posted i came across another one, showing a marine wearing 3 color molle 2 lbv. another exception to the rule i think.

 

74590635.jpg

 

there were also photos of marines wearing the Amphibious Assault Vest in tricolor, aboard US ships.

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i don't have a clue of the rig you are describing. Are you able to explain better or provide a photo please?

 

in my limited knowledge i have always thought the marines changed from the molle 1/2 FLCs and Interceptor in woodland coupled with BDUs and DCUs to MarPat uniforms with Coyote Brown colored armor and webbing.

 

i have only seen a photo with a marine wearing DCU interceptor and pouches. unless he is a georgian soldier. But a single photo means a little to me. i have photos of USMC personnel wearing chocolate chips, army ucp rucksacks, italian vegetato rucksacks, ucp soft shells.....everything.

20100911_ff9f30ee28ff0435fb65KmakvAY6aK6A.jpg

 

This is probably Haiti circa 2004. Here is another example of Marines in 3 color IBA's. Also note in your photo he has marine rank pinned on the vest front.

 

http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/3030621/AFP

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i don't have a clue of the rig you are describing. Are you able to explain better or provide a photo please?

 

in my limited knowledge i have always thought the marines changed from the molle 1/2 FLCs and Interceptor in woodland coupled with BDUs and DCUs to MarPat uniforms with Coyote Brown colored armor and webbing.

 

i have only seen a photo with a marine wearing DCU interceptor and pouches. unless he is a georgian soldier. But a single photo means a little to me. i have photos of USMC personnel wearing chocolate chips, army ucp rucksacks, italian vegetato rucksacks, ucp soft shells.....everything.

20100911_ff9f30ee28ff0435fb65KmakvAY6aK6A.jpg

 

 

Full caption to this photo: PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI: US Marines are positioned outside the US embassy 23 February 2004 in Port-au-Prince. Fifty US marines were flown from Norfolk Naval Base in the southern US state of Virginia to Port-au-Prince at the request of the US ambassador to Haiti, James Foley. AFP PHOTO/Roberto SCHMIDT (Photo credit should read ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP/Getty Images)

 

 

Source: http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/3008050/AFP

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That's not a part of the MOLLE system, it's an Enhanced Load Bearing Vest, which predates MOLLE. There was never a MOLLE vest with the pockets attached, everything has always been modular...hence the name MOdular Lightweight Load carrying Equipment.

I was saying this was the predecessor of the MOLLE system...it's what I was issued before the MOLLE tri-colors, before the coyote MOLLE

 

thanks...LBV is the term I was looking for. drew a blank

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The Marine Corps began replacing the MOLLE gear in January 2004 with the Improved Load Bearing Equipment, which is in Olive Mojave (Coyote brown) and MARPAT. This was actually before widespread issue of MOLLE gear in 3-color desert to the Army, so the USMC had already dumped MOLLE by the time the 3-color was out.

we had guys issued the 3-color greens...not sure about tans.

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here's my personal timeline of what we were issued...

 

2004-SOI...the affixed LBV

Jan 2005-myself and 12 other guys, last 13 to complete the TO in Bravo Co...the affixed LBV

Spring/Summer 2005...Charlie and Delta Co forming...the tri-color green MOLLE LBV

Spring 2006...replacements after our deployment to Diyala...coyote MOLLE LBV

 

I check into 2/6 in 2 days...we'll see what they give me this time

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the picture in post8 comes from a airsoft event. not real usmc....

 

ken,norway

judging by that M249, the zip ties for PUC handling, cases of MREs in the truck...I'd have to say it definately is real USMC

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msgt norway

easy to make mistake :blushing: ,sorry to say i didnt look to good

on the picture,had a bad cold and fever for a few days so my head

wasnt totaly operating.

 

cheers ken

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  • 1 year later...
asianairborne

If im not mistaken, I believe the Marines in the TV series "Generation Kill" are whereing tri color DCU. I know its a TV show and they could have gotten some things wrong but everything else looked pretty spot on to me.

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