Brian Keith Posted June 30, 2017 Share #1 Posted June 30, 2017 This is the helmet harness of the MILES equipment that was probably the original Laser Tag. It was the Armys attempt to bring more realism to the War Games. Classic 1980s-90s Training Aids! It was a long process to issue everyone the equipment, integrate in into our gear and test it. No doubt it cost millions to add it to the inventory and use it. Remember those big heavy OD cases with the harnesses and all? Remember inventorying everything by serial number when you drew the equipment and then turned it in? All those paper hand receipts that usually got wet and destroyed while youre in the field? How about the 9 volt batteries, I always seemed to have spares for my rifle sending unit, not so much for my harnesses. We used these for many years, not sure when we quit and transitioned to the paint simulation rounds. Those cost much more, but were less time consuming and a bit more realistic. I purchased this at a militaria show, first piece of MILES Ive ever seen for sale. I really wish I had found a God Gun at a flea market in the 80s! Please add your comments and memories! BKW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navybean Posted June 30, 2017 Share #2 Posted June 30, 2017 Other team always cheated... don't know how I could unload a whole magazine and still not kill a ranger 20 feet a away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blacksmith Posted June 30, 2017 Share #3 Posted June 30, 2017 Interesting. That's the helmet halo, but I never saw one with the actual "MILES" logo on it. My unit did an NTC rotation in late 1988, and we used MILES there for OPFOR engagement. I actually had a MILES marker device on my M-60. I didn't have a problem with it. It worked pretty well. They issued us three pieces: The helmet ring; the replacment LBE harness; and the marker for mounting on your weapon. Oh, and obviously blank adapter and blanks, as recoil is what activated the MILES marker. I have something related that's pretty rare, which is the Soviet OPFOR "Red Dawn" camo suit, with ID books and original intel bag. This is what the permanent party at Ft. Irwin would wear when they were in the desert 'fighting' us. It would also be neat to have a deck of the injury cards that the Observers would dole out to casualties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BEAST Posted June 30, 2017 Share #4 Posted June 30, 2017 Hated these halos. Hated the harness. As a Bradley Platoon Leader, we had tto mount the light, laser and harnesses to each vehicle. Hated that too. I still have my extra yellow key somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rakkasan187 Posted June 30, 2017 Share #5 Posted June 30, 2017 Somewhere in my items I have the green "God key" that would reset the MILES after it went off.. Navybean: I'll let you in on our "secrets"... We used to put dead 9 volt batteries in the harnesses after the OC checked us with the god gun, and we also had one of the "yellow keys" that was shaved down so it acted like a green key and we were able to reset the guys MILES.. We didn't do it all the time.. but when we did it was fun. When we went to NTC/29 Palms we have Observer Controllers with us all the time so we had to play by the rules so to speak, no funny business... But.. We did steal a .50 cal. machine gun off an APC (M113) after it was disabled during one of the fights. The crew buttoned up after their MILES went off and we climbed on top, took the MG, the tripod and about 8 boxes of MG ammo and used it in defense against the OPFOR.. The next morning at the AAR the OPFOR commander asked who had stolen the .50 cal. off one of their tracks... We thought for sure we were going to catch holy hades.. Instead the OPFOR BN Commander commended us for taking the initiative and utilizing a "captured" heavy weapon to repel an attack in our sector.... Good times but I think my neck shrunk with all the weight of the HALO on my helmet and the many years wearing that get up... Leigh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rd12 Posted June 30, 2017 Share #6 Posted June 30, 2017 Everything about MILES was terrible - signing for it, trying to zero it, using it, tying it all down with 550 cord, keeping track of the keys, cleaning it, and then trying to get it turned back in. And god forbid should an O/C walk by a test you with the God Gun and your harness didn't beep. You had to scrub it all clean, but don't try and turn it back in wet/damp. This after week in the mud at Ft. Polk.......ugggh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blacksmith Posted June 30, 2017 Share #7 Posted June 30, 2017 I will say though, it made that PASGT feel a LOT lighter once you "un-assed" (military term) the MILES gear. I'd love to have one of the yellow keys for ol' times sake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted June 30, 2017 Share #8 Posted June 30, 2017 We used them in the old 4th of the 9th Inf at Wainwright, May 1982 right before our big ARTEP, we thought it was quite novel, training was conducted as day training on the post in the small hills/mountains behind the motor pool, and frankly had a few good days of training with it, though strangely that's the only time we used it. because of this and it was so new to us we didn't know about or how to cheat . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blacksmith Posted June 30, 2017 Share #9 Posted June 30, 2017 A week in the mud @ Ft. Polk? LUXURY! I wore it for 30 days in the Mojave - totally trashed afterwards. Everything about MILES was terrible - signing for it, trying to zero it, using it, tying it all down with 550 cord, keeping track of the keys, cleaning it, and then trying to get it turned back in. And god forbid should an O/C walk by a test you with the God Gun and your harness didn't beep. You had to scrub it all clean, but don't try and turn it back in wet/damp. This after week in the mud at Ft. Polk.......ugggh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHASEUSA11B Posted June 30, 2017 Share #10 Posted June 30, 2017 We used MILES quite a bit when I was in at Fort Hood. Also for a 30 day rotation at JRTC and a 30 day at NTC. We also used the sim rounds but it seemed like we to drag out the giant green boxes everyone we went to the field Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blacksmith Posted June 30, 2017 Share #11 Posted June 30, 2017 Great pics. Thanks for those, and your service. IMG_6920.JPG IMG_6919.JPG We used MILES quite a bit when I was in at Fort Hood. Also for a 30 day rotation at JRTC and a 30 day at NTC. We also used the sim rounds but it seemed like we to drag out the giant green boxes everyone we went to the field Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHASEUSA11B Posted June 30, 2017 Share #12 Posted June 30, 2017 Thank you blacksmith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHASEUSA11B Posted June 30, 2017 Share #13 Posted June 30, 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Keith Posted July 1, 2017 Author Share #14 Posted July 1, 2017 Great responses everyone, exactly what I was hoping for! Thanks for looking and glad you all enjoyed the thread. BKW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longhorn92 Posted July 3, 2017 Share #15 Posted July 3, 2017 I hated wearing the harness. As I recall it was very difficult to take off/put on your LBE because of the design. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky 7th Armored Posted July 3, 2017 Share #16 Posted July 3, 2017 I hated wearing the harness. As I recall it was very difficult to take off/put on your LBE because of the design. YES!! I just went through my first rotation of JRTC at Ft Polk..the Battalion staff kept making all the joes switch the MILES harness from our LBEs to our plates because they wanted to look good for a bunch of generals and brass rolling through. One of the times we were attacked at our base, I was in the John...lol luckily I brought all of my equipment with me because all of a sudden I hear arty sims going off and the SAWs firing. I quickly got out and hid behind the portajohn. Unfortunately my miles gear was never set up right ("KILLED - CHEAT") so all of the OPFOR I was shooting never "died". Luckily one of the OCs eventually saw me and credited me with three kills. Unfortunately our BC was taking a shower and was "killed"... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffthebutcher Posted July 14, 2017 Share #17 Posted July 14, 2017 I always kept a KIA card! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P-59A Posted July 16, 2017 Share #18 Posted July 16, 2017 Remember this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Keith Posted July 16, 2017 Author Share #19 Posted July 16, 2017 Wow, That is cool, never seen one on the loose. Thanks for adding it to this thread! BKW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blacksmith Posted July 16, 2017 Share #20 Posted July 16, 2017 I never saw one of those - what was it's purpose? Observer? Test equipment? We got the standard issue of halo, LBE, and 'sender' for M-16. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Keith Posted July 16, 2017 Author Share #21 Posted July 16, 2017 These were typically carried by the "umpires" who could asses casualties from artillery, air to ground fire, ect. Miles equipment is a laser beam defeated by foliage and things bullets and projectiles penetrate, so umpires would kill you if your hiding behind a bush and a he can see your being shot at. It could be set to test if the Miles equipment is properly functioning. The equipment would Beep. The Umpire carried the Green key to reset your miles if you were killed and you could then get back into the fight. This is why it was called the "God gun" it could kill you but also bring you back to life. BKW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefighter Posted July 16, 2017 Share #22 Posted July 16, 2017 Ughhhhh! Luckily I only had to use them once at Fort Drum. What a PIA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Keith Posted January 10, 2019 Author Share #23 Posted January 10, 2019 Here is a 9 volt military battery from a contract dated 1988. We got these by the case for use with the MILES equipment. I just came across this not too long ago. I usually carried electrical tape and I would tape up my extra batteries before I put them in my pockets. Batteries usually self-destruct, so I wanted to document some before it goes bad. Later contract examples were packed in military contract marked boxes, but looked like off the shelf batteries. BKW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P-59A Posted January 10, 2019 Share #24 Posted January 10, 2019 I was thinking about altering mine to accept normal batteries, yours is a taste off from a normal 9 v. Then I asked myself why should I do that? I have nothing to use it on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Rooster Posted February 22, 2019 Share #25 Posted February 22, 2019 We used MILES regularly in the early 80's allthru the 80's and 90's. Its was great!Much better than the training prior to Miles. Before the MILES gear we'd storm through hails of blank ammo fire and yell I got you.. no you didnt etc etc etc.. Really pointless and MILES gear made it more realistic. We even had a station where you had to zero your transmitter to your sights. Once we were clearing a simulated wire obstacle and (Using actual barbed wire.) And a shot rang out on the other side in the woods. For some unknown reason, our 2nd lieut picked up his 16 and started popping his own guys down the line on our side of the wire. The sgt next to him grabbed his rifle and told him.. thosse are our own people Sir..... The evaluator who was watching the whole thing, came up with the God Gun and shot the LT with it and said "You're dead Sir." I guess that was simulating us killing him which we would have done had it happened in actual combat. MILES is a great taining aid. Post Script... Every Two years the Lt's would rotate to new units... The 1st sgt was saying good luck to all of them at formation but he left out our LT... The one shooting our own troops... So I said... "Hey 1st Sgt.. what about LT_____ He says... Oh yea.... if we ever catch you out in the woods we will tie your rump to a tree! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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