Troops pay to get better gear Standard equipment lacking in some cases
By John Diamond
USA TODAY
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. soldiers who invaded Iraq went into battle with the most modern and lethal equipment ever carried by an armed force. In some cases, they paid for it themselves.
Combat soldiers interviewed by an Army investigative team after the capture of Baghdad reported that they dipped into their own pockets to buy such accessories as pistol holsters, rucksacks, boot soles, underwear, rifle sights, global-positioning-system handsets and field radios, rather than use Army-issue versions.
''Soldiers still spend too much of their own money to purchase the quality packs, pouches, belts, underwear, socks and gloves they believe they need for mission success and comfort,'' says a report drafted by Program Executive Office Soldier, the unit in charge of developing equipment for Army combat soldiers. A copy of the draft was obtained by USA TODAY.
The Army investigative team heard complaints of socks that were too hot, boot soles unable to handle the Iraqi terrain, a pistol magazine that sometimes failed to feed a bullet into the chamber, and field radios too weak to reach friendly units a few city blocks away.
While the Pentagon equips the military using regulation-bound procedures, soldiers for years have bought equipment based on word-of-mouth advice about what works best in combat. By interviewing troops just after the war, the Army is tapping into that wisdom.
''You do better going to L.L. Bean,'' says retired Army colonel Kenneth Allard, who headed a team that urged more off-the-shelf purchases back in 1994. ''It has been a scandal for so long because it takes so long to get Gore-Tex; it takes so long to get everything the typical mountain-climbing expedition has as a matter of course.''
The draft report found that some of the government-issued gear performed well. Body armor saved lives; sniper rifles were lethal at nearly a mile; the M-4 rifle outperformed the Iraqis' AK-47s; and tools such as battle axes and bolt cutters proved highly useful in urban combat.
But the report, written by Army Lt. Col. Jim Smith, cites example after example of soldiers using their own money to buy gear they felt performed better in combat than items provided at taxpayer expense.
- Frequent Reads
- Menu
- War Blog Home
- War Blog Part 1
- Email Us
- World News Ticker
- World News
- Google News
- Search Site
- War Blog Photos
- War Blog Archives
- Adopt A Hero
- Help The Wounded
- Submit APO/FPO
- Soldiers' Angels
- Blankets Of Hope
- Messages To Heroes Video
- American Heroes I
- American Heroes II
- American Heroes III
- American Heroes IV
- American Heroes V
- American Heroes VI
- American Heroes VII
- Our Soldiers
- Our Heroes
- Our Fallen
- Brave POW's
- Dave Madaras Marine
- Beth Bingham Articles
- Lutz Patriots
- Submit Articles
- Angel Whispers
- Soldiers War Stories
- Italians Arrive
- Saddam Captured
- Saddam Captured Photos
- Leave A Message
- Those You Defend
- Donate To Troops
- WALL OF HONOR
- Fallen Heroes
- Maj. Mathew Schram
- SSgt. Roger C. Turner
- GSgt. Elia Fontecchio
- Spc. Eugene A. Uhl III
- Spc. Nick Zangara
- PFC James Prevete
- PFC Ervin Dervishi
- Capt. Kim Hampton
- Sgt. Johnathan Lambert
- SGT. Jay Blessing
- SGT. Juan Carlos Cabral
- Spc. Ray J. Hutchinson
- PFC Michael Weldon
- SSGT. Christopher Bunda
- SPC Michael Diraimondo
- Sgt.Antanacio Haro-Marin
- Sgt. Paul Smith
- PFC Rachel Bosveld
- Sgt. Thomas D. Robbins
- PFC John D. Hart
- Spc. James Chance
- Spc. Jonathan Barnes
- SPC. Paul Sturino
- Spc. Justin W. Hebert
- Lt. Todd Bryant
- Sgt. Scott Rose
- Sgt Joseph Minucci II
- Sgt. Joseph Suell
- Spc. William Sturges
- Iraq Vets
- 2-5 Field Artillery
- 1ST Marines
- 2133rd National Guard
- C 6/27 FA
- 4/42 FA BN
- A-1-8 Infantry
- 173rd Airborne
- 04/13/2003 - 04/20/2003
- 04/20/2003 - 04/27/2003
- 04/27/2003 - 05/04/2003
- 05/04/2003 - 05/11/2003
- 05/11/2003 - 05/18/2003
- 05/18/2003 - 05/25/2003
- 05/25/2003 - 06/01/2003
- 06/01/2003 - 06/08/2003
- 06/08/2003 - 06/15/2003
- 06/15/2003 - 06/22/2003
- 06/22/2003 - 06/29/2003
- 06/29/2003 - 07/06/2003
- 07/06/2003 - 07/13/2003
- 07/13/2003 - 07/20/2003
- 07/20/2003 - 07/27/2003
- 07/27/2003 - 08/03/2003
- 08/03/2003 - 08/10/2003
- 08/10/2003 - 08/17/2003
- 08/17/2003 - 08/24/2003
- 08/24/2003 - 08/31/2003
- 08/31/2003 - 09/07/2003
- 09/07/2003 - 09/14/2003
- 09/14/2003 - 09/21/2003
- 09/21/2003 - 09/28/2003
- 09/28/2003 - 10/05/2003
- 10/05/2003 - 10/12/2003
- 10/12/2003 - 10/19/2003
- 10/19/2003 - 10/26/2003
- 10/26/2003 - 11/02/2003
- 11/02/2003 - 11/09/2003
- 11/09/2003 - 11/16/2003
- 11/16/2003 - 11/23/2003
- 11/23/2003 - 11/30/2003
- 11/30/2003 - 12/07/2003
- 12/07/2003 - 12/14/2003
- 12/14/2003 - 12/21/2003
- 12/21/2003 - 12/28/2003
- 12/28/2003 - 01/04/2004
- 01/04/2004 - 01/11/2004
- 01/11/2004 - 01/18/2004
- 01/18/2004 - 01/25/2004
- 01/25/2004 - 02/01/2004
- 02/01/2004 - 02/08/2004
- 02/08/2004 - 02/15/2004
- 02/15/2004 - 02/22/2004
- 02/22/2004 - 02/29/2004
- 02/29/2004 - 03/07/2004
- 03/07/2004 - 03/14/2004
- 03/14/2004 - 03/21/2004
- 03/21/2004 - 03/28/2004
- 03/28/2004 - 04/04/2004
- 04/04/2004 - 04/11/2004
- 04/11/2004 - 04/18/2004
- 04/18/2004 - 04/25/2004
- 04/25/2004 - 05/02/2004
- 05/02/2004 - 05/09/2004
- 05/09/2004 - 05/16/2004
- 05/16/2004 - 05/23/2004
- 05/23/2004 - 05/30/2004
- 05/30/2004 - 06/06/2004
- 06/06/2004 - 06/13/2004
- 06/13/2004 - 06/20/2004
- 06/20/2004 - 06/27/2004
- 06/27/2004 - 07/04/2004
- 07/04/2004 - 07/11/2004
- 07/11/2004 - 07/18/2004
- 07/18/2004 - 07/25/2004
- 07/25/2004 - 08/01/2004
- 08/01/2004 - 08/08/2004
- 08/08/2004 - 08/15/2004
- 08/15/2004 - 08/22/2004
- 08/22/2004 - 08/29/2004
- 08/29/2004 - 09/05/2004
- 09/05/2004 - 09/12/2004
- 09/12/2004 - 09/19/2004
- 09/19/2004 - 09/26/2004
- 09/26/2004 - 10/03/2004
- 10/03/2004 - 10/10/2004
- 10/10/2004 - 10/17/2004
- 10/17/2004 - 10/24/2004
- 10/24/2004 - 10/31/2004
- 10/31/2004 - 11/07/2004
- 11/07/2004 - 11/14/2004
- 11/14/2004 - 11/21/2004
- 11/21/2004 - 11/28/2004
- 12/12/2004 - 12/19/2004
- 12/26/2004 - 01/02/2005
- 01/02/2005 - 01/09/2005
- 01/30/2005 - 02/06/2005
- 02/06/2005 - 02/13/2005
- 04/03/2005 - 04/10/2005
- 04/10/2005 - 04/17/2005
- 04/17/2005 - 04/24/2005
- 04/24/2005 - 05/01/2005
- 05/15/2005 - 05/22/2005
- 05/29/2005 - 06/05/2005
- 06/05/2005 - 06/12/2005
- 06/12/2005 - 06/19/2005
- 06/19/2005 - 06/26/2005
- 06/26/2005 - 07/03/2005
- 11/20/2005 - 11/27/2005
- 11/27/2005 - 12/04/2005
- 01/08/2006 - 01/15/2006
- 08/06/2006 - 08/13/2006
- 09/17/2006 - 09/24/2006
- 03/21/2010 - 03/28/2010
- 10/13/2013 - 10/20/2013
read more archives
design: OMI Ripped, by nakaithus
Thursday, June 26, 2003
- A Soldiers Blog is...
- ...Iraq war news and photos of soldiers deployed to the mideast. Our Mission:To provide aid and comfort to any and all who stand for liberty and freedom!
This Blog is dedicated to all Boots On The Ground and Ships at sea.
Keep Your Helmet On!
- Contact
- Email Brandonblog:
- click here
- Best Blogs
- Hugh Hewitt
- The Indepundit
- Blackfive
- Golden Dragons
- Serving In Iraq
- Stryker News
- Sgt.Hook
- Far From Home
- The Daily Blogster
- Bonfire
- No Pundit Intended
- Prince Pundit
- Laughing Wolf
- Conservative Christian
- Strawberry Fields
- Hero In Iraq
- PoetPatriot
- Afghanistan Photos
- Winds Of Change
- Capt. Patti
- Airborne Combat Engineer
- 1st Vets
- Voice Of A Soldier's Mom
- Dagger Jag
- Paratrooper Of Love
- Information Clearing House
- Democracy Now
- Dan In Iraq
- Iraq 2.0
- Defend America
- Indigo Insights
- Deans World
- Beau Kellogg
- Kellogg Racing
- Keeping You In Touch
- Ground Truth
- Boots and Sabers
- Doc In The Box
- Dear Florida Hero
- Technorati
- THE MESSOPOTAMIAN
- Dagney's Rant
- 52nd Engineers
- Boots On The Ground
- Liz Donovan
- Infomaniac
- Fallen Heroes
- Letters To Iraq
Prev | List | Random | Next Powered by RingSurf! |
- Patriotic Links
- Veteran's Resources
- Blood Of Heroes
- Mothers Of The Military
- Alliance Of Angels
- Le News Del Mondo
- Accurate Credit
- Military In Iraq
- Driving Records
- Buddy Finder
- Military Pride
- Comfort Packages
- Blogs Of War
- Semper Toons
- Fort Sill OK
- ABC News
- CNN
- Reuters
- Drudge Report
- BBC Online
- Lawton-Constitution
- MSNBC
- Fox News
- NEWS9 Oklahoma
- Dear Abby Program
- USA Rations
- How To Support Our Troops
- Military Care Packages
- War Blogs
- Comfort Care Packages
- Field Artillery
- Military Shop
- MHANTRA
MILITARY LINKS
Your Ad here Email Us for rates