OIF Flight Gear

[swag]

I've got 5 of 'em sitting in the bottom of my wall locker. They're not gathering dust but they ain't getting any use either. BTW, these suckers are HUGE, something like 5'x2'.

Better than a woobie? Hmm...

I'll post a picture of the one I have from OIF 1 when I redeploy next year, assuming this thread is still alive by then.

[hawkdriver]

Here is a close-up of the Micro Climate Cooling vest. You can see the tubules that circulate the chilled water around the torso. The umbilicus is run through the small slit in the side of the AACU jacket and connected to the aircraft umbilicus that runs back to the water chiller, basically a mini air conditioner. The protective cap is on the vest umbilicus, but it has a feed and a return line.

 

[BEAST]

Hello, I thought I would add a flight suit given to me by one of the guys I served with. He kept his original name tag, but gave me the name of the company that made them for him and had a replacement made.

 

 

[henry2]

Here's my vest. I'm one of those guys that likes to have the magazine pouch on there, just in case. I also keep the 6-magazine bandolier in my pubs bag on the center console. The radio pouch is next the center zipper and the mag pouch is right next to it. The small puch opposite the radio pouch holds a D-Ring and extractor strap. The two uppermost pouches hold a tourniquet and a mini-mag light.

 

In this picture you can see the two gear carriers partially stowed in the cumberbund pockets Hawkdriver mentioned.

 

 

 

so most of the time in the sandbox you over there you carryed a rifle instead of a pistol ..so where did you stow the rifle ..for most of the time i was in the back rideing

 

did you guys keep a personal gps unit for use and where did you guy keep the survival radio unit for i was told by my son that the survial radio is a pretty small item not like the big units of the old days

[hawkdriver]

so most of the time in the sandbox you over there you carryed a rifle instead of a pistol ..so where did you stow the rifle ..for most of the time i was in the back rideing

 

did you guys keep a personal gps unit for use and where did you guy keep the survival radio unit for i was told by my son that the survial radio is a pretty small item not like the big units of the old days

 

We carried both rifle and a pistol. Most carried their pistols in shoulder holsters, or on their vests. I carried my pistol in a hard Blackhawk hip holster. As for the rifle, if you were left seat, the rifle went between the seat and center console with the barrel leaning against the dash between the instruments and the caution/advisory panel. We still have aircraft with scratch marks from doing that. If you were right seat, you put the barrel on the floor in a snap link and the butt up inside the armored panel area. Here is a picture of the right seat with weapon.

As for the GPS, no, we didn't carry them because the CSEL radio has one built in and they scared us that the SF had a black box that would fry your GPS if you used it near the bases, but that turned out to be BS. The CSEL radio is huge, literally the size of a brick and weighs about the same as well.

[henry2]

thank you for the info ..i was allways wonder where the guys stuck the rifle

[hawkdriver]

thank you for the info ..i was allways wonder where the guys stuck the rifle

 

I just noticed when I re-;ooked at the picture, if you blow the picture up, you can see the other rifle leaning against the dash.

 

[henry2]

Hawkdriver if do mind if you can answer this question do you carry all your flight gear over with you or did you bring the basic of the cloths and items that your going to need then everything that you need is issused to when you get incounty ..

 

we bought our weapon along partol gear and partol rucks along with a single foot locker packed with cloths and items need for the area we where in that we where allowed to have with us by the C.O of the unit ..

[hawkdriver]

Everything is issued as RFI (Rapid Fielding Initiative) at mob station and you take it with you. We had Conex's specifically for our flight gear that married up with us in Kuwait, our uniforms, we carried with us. I knew I wouldn't need four sets of ACU's and four sets of AACU's. so I only brought one ACU and the rest in flight suits.

[henry2]

i was all wondering how the other guys did it ..since i enlisted and was allways wondering how the whole guys and guys did it ..

 

when my unit went to the first gulf war we where told that we could only bring one foot locker along with the cloths on our back and personal sidearms that it for our C.O told us not to bring anything else for we had to be there in one week time frame when it went down so left in sept time frame for where there from the almost the start of the thing to the end ..we spent the whole time inside the capital of city of Riyadh and stayed there the whole time ..we lived in a person garage the whole time with 5 other people in the time that we there ..it was set up with bunks and mattress units along our footlockers at the foot of bed with the person garage had a shower and small kitchen so we could fix our meals

[henry2]

we spent the whole there in the capital and never left .the biggest thing that some of the guys said that we where liveing high on the hog ..we really did not eat a lot of the mre meals we allways had fresh food

[Brandon]

It doesn't take long at all to get unrigged. In fact, you all you really have to do is unzip your pants...no need to take any of the gear off.

 

I think you forgot an 'I' hawkdriver, thats the GEN III AirWarrior. I was gonna post some pix of all that stuff but its my day off and I didn't really feel like leaving my room. hahaha I'll post some pix later.

 

Funny stumblig across this thread. Reading what swag is writing while being there, I was on the other side of the airfield with 3-1. I liked to come over and visit since 2-1 always borrowed our helicopters. 2-1 had a pizza shop!! No really a pizza shop and coffee. We live pretty ghetto up on the North end. Go Go mermite food!!!

 

Brandon

[Brandon]

Here are some of my photos from the crewchief perspective. I guess with the pilots here we need to work on our crew coordination and break it up a little, lol Dont forget the 3 way positive transfer of the rip it!! "Sir you have the rip it, I have the rip it, you have you rip it" lol

I also carried an M-16 MAG and AK-47 Mag on my vest you never know!!! Extra straps on my vest the white one is for hooking to my flight bag for carrying my gear. The other is to secure the door in the open position since the door locks were often worn and door vibration would unlatch the door in flight

 

[hawkdriver]

Brandon, can't respect you as a crew-cumber until you tell that pilot to get the trash out of your chin bubble window!

[swag]

Funny stumblig across this thread. Reading what swag is writing while being there, I was on the other side of the airfield with 3-1. I liked to come over and visit since 2-1 always borrowed our helicopters. 2-1 had a pizza shop!! No really a pizza shop and coffee. We live pretty ghetto up on the North end. Go Go mermite food!!!

 

Brandon

 

You were in 3-1? What company? I was over there alot, my best friend was a pilot with A Co and I knew a lot of the pilots in A Co. ((1SG Smith (C company I think?) was a PLT SGT in my company back in Germany.)) Was also on good terms with the other companies pilots...being the ALSE guy I got to know alot of the guys while all of us were still in Germany then continued the same friendships when we got to Riley. Man, small world.

 

Charlie Med were the ones with the pizza shop and yes they made the best pizza in all of Iraq. Sad thing is they had to 'close' the shop. Battalion wanted to dip their dirty little fingers into the pizza shops cash box, Charlie Med said 'screw off,' Bn said 'close the shop then,' so Charlie Med did. That shocked Bn, they were certain Charlie Med would relent and give up the cash. Joke was on Bn and the rest of us had to suffer a lack of good pizza.

Yer chow hall was better than the mermite delight we had. It was a wooden shack built inside the hangar, talk about ghetto.

 

 

[Brandon]

Brandon, can't respect you as a crew-cumber until you tell that pilot to get the trash out of your chin bubble window!

 

We kept our pitot tube covers there not sop for hats though, lol My pilots were good about cleaning, they even helped us wash and pickup brass. I swear your unit was there in Bagdad when we were there, I reconize the patch. Used to run into you guys in Washington.

[Brandon]

You were in 3-1? What company? I was over there alot, my best friend was a pilot with A Co and I knew a lot of the pilots in A Co. ((1SG Smith (C company I think?) was a PLT SGT in my company back in Germany.)) Was also on good terms with the other companies pilots...being the ALSE guy I got to know alot of the guys while all of us were still in Germany then continued the same friendships when we got to Riley. Man, small world.

 

Charlie Med were the ones with the pizza shop and yes they made the best pizza in all of Iraq. Sad thing is they had to 'close' the shop. Battalion wanted to dip their dirty little fingers into the pizza shops cash box, Charlie Med said 'screw off,' Bn said 'close the shop then,' so Charlie Med did. That shocked Bn, they were certain Charlie Med would relent and give up the cash. Joke was on Bn and the rest of us had to suffer a lack of good pizza.

Yer chow hall was better than the mermite delight we had. It was a wooden shack built inside the hangar, talk about ghetto.

 

Swag, I was A. CO we had a few pilots from the old Gieblstadt area. I had come fron Fliegerhorst in Hanau when we moved to Riley. I used to love flying to Gieb and see the bavarian yacht works, lol My PLT SGT was Webster, everyone knows the giant. Smith was in B.co. I had a few friends in 2-1. I knew them well before you guys moved across the airfield and we were in the same hangar in Riley, lol. As for the food, ive eaten in your DFAC in the chinook hangar. We recieved the same mermite food, go go aircrew schedule. It was like christmas when you actually got to go to the chow hall and eat. What a small world running into someone here. Are you still with the unit? Im out now missing flying but not missing the Army.

 

Brandon

[snake36bravo]

Great thread. My sister is heading over with 10th MTN. I bet she'll be replacing you. Medevac.

 

Seems like a good place to ask so here is my two piece nomex. Can anyone give me a time frame and also, being a Air Cav collector, I have seen scant evidence of pocket patches in wear currently although they are all over the place. Are pocket patches being worn as they did in Vietnam?

 

Many thanks

[hawkdriver]

We were the last to be issued on a large scale, the tan ABDU in April '06. We wore what you called pocket patches, up on the chest and still do.

 

Brandon, I was OIF 06-08, Sep 06 to Sep 07. Our callsign was Tarantula until some Corp Staff Poge emailed our call signs over the NIPR, so they made us change our call signs and we went to Black Spider. Really hid that call sign well. We were the 36th CAB out of Balad.

 

I went back and looked at the picture, don't know why I missed the "no door" the first time. We were not allowed to remove our doors and I was told last week that the doors are no longer allowed to be removed because of stress cracks in the frame.

 

Got another month before I start PDAT, looks like we will be following your patch back over, about three months behind them.

[Brandon]

We were the last to be issued on a large scale, the tan ABDU in April '06. We wore what you called pocket patches, up on the chest and still do.

 

Brandon, I was OIF 06-08, Sep 06 to Sep 07. Our callsign was Tarantula until some Corp Staff Poge emailed our call signs over the NIPR, so they made us change our call signs and we went to Black Spider. Really hid that call sign well. We were the 36th CAB out of Balad.

 

I went back and looked at the picture, don't know why I missed the "no door" the first time. We were not allowed to remove our doors and I was told last week that the doors are no longer allowed to be removed because of stress cracks in the frame.

 

Got another month before I start PDAT, looks like we will be following your patch back over, about three months behind them.

Hawkdriver, well I guess we missed you. We arrived in Kuwait on SEP 6th 07. We just passed each other. Sounds about right following my patch back over time frame is on the money. We were only authorized doors off for assault missions. Yes AMCOM did realese a memo from the engineers that allowed you to remove them. You were restricted to ...KIAS, well jeese I cant remember anymore. I think 100 KIAS. I think thats right because it was less than with cabin doors open. The stress cracks are proven though, last of an era!! Ive seen birds that had been on multiple deployments and no matter how many times you adjusted the doors they just didnt fit right, it tweeks the door channels.

 

snake36bravo If you look at the uniforms link about DCU sticky, theres some guys wearing complete DABDU's so you can see then in action. I wore my deserts for about 2 weeks in Iraq and then was only allowed to wear the A2C2 digital 2 peice flight suit. The flight patch is always worn above the wearers right pocket. Heres the link for quick reference. http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/ind...19518&st=20 He is wearing a desert jacket over his top but you get the idea. Hope this helps.

 

Brandon

[swag]

Swag, I was A. CO we had a few pilots from the old Gieblstadt area. I had come fron Fliegerhorst in Hanau when we moved to Riley. I used to love flying to Gieb and see the bavarian yacht works, lol My PLT SGT was Webster, everyone knows the giant. Smith was in B.co. I had a few friends in 2-1. I knew them well before you guys moved across the airfield and we were in the same hangar in Riley, lol. As for the food, ive eaten in your DFAC in the chinook hangar. We recieved the same mermite food, go go aircrew schedule. It was like christmas when you actually got to go to the chow hall and eat. What a small world running into someone here. Are you still with the unit? Im out now missing flying but not missing the Army.

 

Brandon

 

 

Oh yeah, Webster the 8 foot Giant...he could put the blade ropes on the rear blades after the gust lock was installed. He had an awesome porch on his hooch as well. Like you I'm no longer in, and I miss flying but not the army. Turned down a sweet job with the DC Guard. Even though they were National Guard (a different animal from active duty) it was still the army and I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

 

And to help this topic out, here's a pic of my OIF 1 flight gear/set up. It's a total hodge podge of gear.

 

[henry2]

i guess all branchs of the army have there own little problems ..

[Cobrahistorian]

Oh yeah, Webster the 8 foot Giant...he could put the blade ropes on the rear blades after the gust lock was installed. He had an awesome porch on his hooch as well. Like you I'm no longer in, and I miss flying but not the army. Turned down a sweet job with the DC Guard. Even though they were National Guard (a different animal from active duty) it was still the army and I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

 

And to help this topic out, here's a pic of my OIF 1 flight gear/set up. It's a total hodge podge of gear.

 

 

 

Awww come on Swag, you know you wanna be a Guard Bum Aviator like the rest of us! I could even get ya a transition to a REAL airplane...

 

[Brandon]

Swag, your OIF I flight gear may be a mix if stuff, but as you know all period correct!! HGU-56P Helmet used by non attack Army helicopter crewmembers. Your ALSE vest (Aviation Life Support Equipment) is known as a SARVIP. It is 100% Aramid Nomex survival and is the type 1 vest . This is worn while performing flight duties in case of an accident and you need to survive until pickup. Has complete hoist capability from the ground to the bird. This is the same type vest I wore until 2006 when I was issued the Air Warrior flight system. Of course the coveted 1 peice desert flight suit. Not to forget your body armor with plates worn underneath your ALSE vest. Looks good!! Things for the aircrew enthusiest to keep in mind when building their collection. This should be the minimum set up for someone looking to portray a OIF/OEF army helo crewmember. The earlier war variations are often a mix of early equipment. The desert equipment later develpoped in the war became the standard. The equipment being utilized early on was whatever was issued at the time. IE woodland camo or green flight gear and usually a Desert flight suit.

 

Brandon

[hawkdriver]

Not to forget your body armor with plates worn underneath your ALSE vest. Looks good!!

 

Naw, I call Boo Shee. That vest ain't correct unless you have a SARVIP armor plate! :think: Nice stand in though!