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US Army Aviation Life Support Equipment


mohawkALSE
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is there anyone who can provide a picture of the Air Warrior Generation 1 setup in woodland camo in use in the field?

 

Yes, I have some pics on a memory stick that I had saved of the Gen I setup being using in Iraq. I think it was the 4th Avn from the 4th ID. Ill find em and post em as soon as I can.

 

I recall seeing them being used as well during the hurricane Katrina mess in New Orleans. That was also the very first time I saw them starting to use the UCP Gen II vests.

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As promised, found em:

 

Gen1A.jpg

UH-60 crew chief with the Gen I vest in Iraq.

 

Gen1C.jpg

58D crew in Iraq with the Gen I vests hanging from the armored seat panels and the woodland armor flex vest on the ground.

 

Gen1B.jpg

58D in Iraq, woodland flex vest worn by crew partially visible and the woodland LBT thigh holster.

 

Just for the heck of it since it was in the same folder I had, the Test and Developmental OD green vest:

AWSES.jpg

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  • 4 weeks later...

Giving this post another breath of air. Got a few new items over the past few weeks:

 

Complete Air Warrior crew restraint setup consisted of the Extension tether aka CSP or Crew Specific Part with the correct locking snap link and retaining loop abrasion cover. Then the more important piece of the system, the Personal Restraint Tether with swivel or PRT which is adjustable from 3ft to 12 ft.

aircrewrestraint.jpg

 

Second piece is fairly uncommon, the M-45 protective mask blower assembly. Unfortunately I lack a M45 mask, hose and canister to display it properly.

blowerC.jpg

blowerB.jpg

blowerA.jpg

blowerE.jpg

AWBlowerpouch.jpg

60Maw.jpg

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  • 4 weeks later...

New piece to add, SEA Mk 2.0 (Survival Egress Air) to complete my Gen I Air Warrior over water setup:

 

E-3.jpg

F-1.jpg

D-5.jpg

 

For the particular Gen I setup, the SEA is carried in its pocket on the OWGC ( lift raft carrier) which is worn on the back. Mouthpiece cover clips to the D ring on the front of the PSGC vest.

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An exquisite piece, jealousy abound ;) Today was a great day for woodland Air Warrior, I finalized my Woodland flex armor today as well. Now, I just need to find some older medium SAPI plates and I will be a happy camper.

 

eehwo.jpg

 

2urtm3q.jpg

 

4jksn.jpg

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  • 3 weeks later...

A fantastic discussion and photos.

 

Are all of the US Army Aviation Life Support/Survival equipment items now carried in vests, carriers, bags, etc that match whatever camouflage pattern is currently in use?

 

It seems that some items still in use and issued are still in O.D., Sage Green, etc.

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No, now everything is either UCP or Foilage green. Most pilots still have the old dark green helmets, but they are slowly being replaced with the newer light foilage green. I can't speak for other services, but there should be nothing out there that is OD or sage. When you deploy to A-stan now, the gear issued is the Multi-cam pattern or the MC tan single color. However, that has to be turned in and is not worn here in the states.

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  • 6 months later...

Mods, chances this thread can be transplanted to the Aviation Clothing and Equipment section since that exists now and didn't when I started this thread?

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  • 5 months later...

Mohawk...love the OV-1 survival vest. I picked up a new in package one from eBay, but don't know what goes in the vest or where. Do you have a TM or local SOP on digits dictating what items are authorized and where they would be placed?

 

Swag - if you have not obtained the OV-1 Operator's manual or Checklist here is the component list from TM 55-1680-317-23 & P (dated 26Mar1987):

 

post-129049-0-28173500-1376960339.png

 

 

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just my small contibution to this very itneresting discussion,It's a Air warrior gen I,slightly different from the ones already pictured because of the left pouch

 

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post-2571-0-21826800-1377295392.jpg

ehm here the picture...don't know why,the picture is not rotated in my file,but if you just "click" on it you can wiev it straight...sorry...

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question:during the VN war,When did the Army start to issue to Army Aviation crewmen the SRU 21/P vest?I have been told that the Army used for some time the USAF version until the Army vest was completely available for everybody?Is it difficult to find a VN war era dtd ARMY green SRU 21/P?

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question:during the VN war,When did the Army start to issue to Army Aviation crewmen the SRU 21/P vest?I have been told that the Army used for some time the USAF version until the Army vest was completely available for everybody?Is it difficult to find a VN war era dtd ARMY green SRU 21/P?

Let me answer your last question (and your Army vest question - first. The Army version of the SRU-21/P ("Vest Kit Survival") in OD green was not issued until the 1980s. Viet Nam era SRU-21/P Survival Vests issued to Army Helicopter Crews was the Air Force SRU-21/P in "Sage Green".

 

 

Yes (answer to your first question) the Army Issued the Air Force SRU-21/P Survival Vest in nylon and Sage Green color.

The date of the Army's "Operator Manual" for the Vest is dated June 1970. (TM-55-8465-215-10 June 1970)

 

In the book "Winged Sabres" - the author states that most US Army Helicopter pilots scrounged the Air Force vests before the Army issued the vest to Helicopter crews. There was a "Leg holster Kit" (it strapped on one leg) issued by the Army to pilots serving in Viet Nam - before the Air Force SRU Vest was adopted by the Army.

 

I can find the exact date that the Army adopted the Air Force Vest if you need it tomorrow.

 

I had signed off (for the evening) and just happened to see your post in my email.

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Mash, You basically answered your own question finding the public domain electronic version of the Army Survival Kit manual covering the OV-1 survival vest and its contents. I do have the actual hard copy of that manual, the -10 for the OV-1 vest and RSSK, plus all 4 checklists that go along with the vest kit and the 3 types of seat kits. Its pretty much all available online these days. The only local thing I've heard of from a former crew member is various ways to wear or mount the LPU-10 to or with the vest.

 

Marentius, the LH pocket on your vest was sort of an intermediate design from the Gen I vest into the Gen II. If you look at the Gen II it has the molle webbing sewn on the LH pocket. They made various changes throughout the Air Warrior program, which I have many examples off. There are a handful of different variations of the Gen III vest, I have on very early one that has some aspects from the Gen II vest there were later deleted.

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@Mashsig thank you very much for the useful informations.

Just to see if I got the point:if i arrange a setup for a US ARMY Aviation helicopter pilot,VN era,could I then use a SRU 21/P vest USAF sage green and bearing a tag like the one shown in the picture?

post-2571-0-37992900-1377329680.jpg

 

 

@mohawkALSE thank you for your message,Indeed I was almost sure the AIr Warrior set I have shown was just a small variation in the evolution of this line of equipment.

I saw the MULTICAM Air Warrior set,at least in pictures,nice indeed.I have read in some previous message that it's not only a different camo pattern but the material itself is different,right?

Well,I have to admit,I have begun to see if and when I'll be able to find one set for my collection,now on E@@Y they are starting to show up but at quite high prices (usd 600 more or less),guess it will take time since it's just starting to be issued to the US ARMY aviation personnel.

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I don't see the prices coming down very far on the MC vests. They are being collected back up after deployments, re-issued and most likely will be given to the Afghan pilots after we leave. The Army is quite sticky on getting all of this back they can, to the point that pockets are no longer expendable, they have to be turned in with the vest, even if DX'able. Also, when we are no longer in A-stan, those vests will no longer be used. It will probably be the shortest lived AW vest in the line-up.

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@Mashsig thank you very much for the useful informations.

Just to see if I got the point:if i arrange a setup for a US ARMY Aviation helicopter pilot,VN era,could I then use a SRU 21/P vest USAF sage green and bearing a tag like the one shown in the picture?

attachicon.gifP1070154 (Small).JPG

 

 

 

That vest would be just fine I believe for a late nam era setup. I've seen OV-1 Mohawk crews using the early snap pocket 21P vest around 1968 in Vietnam. My father was a UH-1 and OH-6 aviator in Vietnam from 1969-1970 and he actually never had a survival vest there at all. He never saw a vest until he was in the Army National Guard stateside around 1972 or 1973.

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Posted Today, 03:41 AM

 

@Mashsig thank you very much for the useful informations.

 

Just to see if I got the point:if i arrange a setup for a US ARMY Aviation helicopter pilot,VN era,could I then use a SRU 21/P vest USAF sage green and bearing a tag like the one shown in the picture?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Marintius, Yes that one should be acceptable. One thing to keep in mind - the Air Force modified pockets and pocket locations depending on the aircraft and the ejection seat system used.

 

I will post a cap of the Army's Standard A SRU-21/P Individual Survival Vest which reflects the Army's standard pocket arrangement.

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Posted Yesterday, 10:13 PM

 

Mash, You basically answered your own question...

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MowhawkALSE, the date on the SRU-21/P Operators Manual is a good guess - but no - the SRU-21/P did not become available to the field until the early prat of 1972. I was going to try and verify the exact date the Vest became Army "Standard A" for Marintius.

 

As you know the Army and the Army Development Lab would send gear to Vietnam for testing by various units during the war. And most importantly the Army was desperately playing catch up to supply Army Pilots with needed Survival Kits and Gear all during the 1960s and yes even into the early 1970s.

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marentius the following is the correct pocket layout for the US Army's SRU-21/P Vest during the Vietnam War:

 

post-129049-0-39678000-1377391262.png

 

This is taken from the Operator's Manual for the Vest - June 1970

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