Airsoft Canada - View Single Post - USMC Scout Sniper

MiniMcNabb · May 10th, 2014, 00:12

I copied this from another forum posted by the real deal, I take 0 credit:

I was a Scout Sniper Team Leader in Northern Helmand from Apr-Oct of last year (2009). Our missions ranged from 4-8 hour night recon and ambush patrols in wooded areas to 5+ day mountain missions hiding in the rocks. The terrain and climate we operated in was very similar to 29 Palms, CA and the elevation was approx 4000-5000 ft. We pretty much had free reign to go wherever we wanted at night, with IED's being our primary threat. Daytime was another story though, and every patrol that went out during the day was usually attacked with SAF and IDF within 30 minutes of leaving the FOB. With our small team size, all of our movements were conducted at night, and we either returned to the FOB before first light or stayed put in a hide site during the day.

For body armor we were issued the USMC Scalable Plate Carrier (SPC) and MICH helmets. Aside from wearing the SPC and SAPI's, we had free reign to set our gear up as we saw fit. The first thing I did was swap out the issued cumberbund on the SPC with the cumberbund from my personal "Eagle PC w/ cumberbund," due to the fact that the issued one has the external side SAPI holders that hang off and flap around, while the civilian-available version has integrated side SAPI pouches. (The rest of my team swapped the SPC cumberbund with the cumberbund from their issued MTV because of the internal side SAPI pouches on the MTV)

On my vest, starting on my right side, I wore an Eagle first-aid pouch which I used to carry my NOD's, strobe, GPS, and some extra batteries. Next to that a smoke pouch w/ HC smoke, then 3 double M4 mag pouches (Eagle), which worked out very well for me due to the fact that I swapped between an M4 w/ NT4 can and Mk-11 as my primary. The double mag pouches each fit 1 Mk-11 mag by folding down the front velco flap inside the pouch, so depending on the mission I would carry 3 Mk-11 mags or 6 M4 mags on my vest. (I would carry another 2-4 Mk-11 mags in my ruck/daypack) Left of my mag pouches was my MBITR pouch, and then a North American Rescue Products IFAK. Our SOP was at least 3 tourniquets on our body as well, due to the IED threat we faced in our AO. I carried 1 on each side SAPI where I could easily reach them and the third in my IFAK (extras on my ruck). On my chest I carried 2 frags in my issued Eagle pouches. On my belt I carried a hip mounted Serpa with my M9, a small E&E pouch, my Strider MT-10 Sniper, and 2 M9 mags in a Blackhawk double mag pouch. In my hip pockets I carried a compass (dummy corded to my belt) and a small Gerber folder. In my cargo pockets I carried an air panel, maps, and my flight crew checklist with reports cards and CAS cheat cards.

For footwear I purchased a pair a Merrill Outland Mids from Sports Authority a couple days before we left which proved to be the best $120 bucks I've ever spent. They required no break-in period and I didn’t get any blisters or roll my ankles at all, even while humping 100+ lb mission packs. The soles did start to pull away from the leather a little bit after a couple months, but that problem was easily solved with a tube of Shoe-Goo split between both boots. For socks I wore Covert Threads “Sand” boot socks.

For short missions I carried a Spec-Ops "THE Pack" daypack (always with 24hrs sustainment even if only doing a short recon patrol), and for longer missions a Blackhawk SOF ruck with TT straps and CSM Tactical Ruck Pad. (I have had the SOF ruck for over 3 years now and every single plastic buckle has broken and had to be replaced. The Blackhawk shoulder straps are complete shit and broke during a training op a couple days after I purchased it. I went through several sets of shoulder straps before I wised up and purchased a set from TT. The TT MALICE pack is definitely a higher quality product but having already spent the $350 for the SOF ruck, I fixed it up as much as I could and it’s pretty solid now. The TT shoulder straps have lasted me over a year and a half and are still going strong.) I tried out the Eberlestock Gunslinger and G4 Operator for carrying my M-40, (After I took a tumble down a mountain and broke the scope on my Mk-11), but found strapping the bolt gun to the top of my ruck to be the least uncomfortable way to carry it. The Eberlestocks just didn’t fit right over the plate carrier. For carrying water we stayed away from plastic water bottles due to the loud “crinkling” noise they make when empty and used a mix of Nalgene bottles, old school 2qt canteens, and MSR Dromedary bags for carrying water. Camelback bladders had a habit of bursting quite often.

For first-aid gear, the issued CAT tourniquets are OK if that’s all you have, but we unfortunately found out through experience that the NATO tourniquet's work best. The plastic stick on the CAT's break and you just can't wrench them down as tight as you can the NATO's. Also, combat gauze is great stuff. We were fortunate enough to have a Navy Shock-Trauma-Platoon at our FOB with 2 trauma surgeons that responded with our QRF and we had MEDEVAC birds on deck within 30 min.

At our FOB we slept on cots and I used an inflatable Therma-Rest pad and a Recon-3 sleeping bag. When it started getting colder towards the end of our deployment I added a Snug-pak fleece liner to my Recon-3 and was very comfortable.

May 10th, 2014, 00:12	#25
MiniMcNabb E-09 Trader rating Join Date: Jan 2002	I copied this from another forum posted by the real deal, I take 0 credit: I was a Scout Sniper Team Leader in Northern Helmand from Apr-Oct of last year (2009). Our missions ranged from 4-8 hour night recon and ambush patrols in wooded areas to 5+ day mountain missions hiding in the rocks. The terrain and climate we operated in was very similar to 29 Palms, CA and the elevation was approx 4000-5000 ft. We pretty much had free reign to go wherever we wanted at night, with IED's being our primary threat. Daytime was another story though, and every patrol that went out during the day was usually attacked with SAF and IDF within 30 minutes of leaving the FOB. With our small team size, all of our movements were conducted at night, and we either returned to the FOB before first light or stayed put in a hide site during the day. For body armor we were issued the USMC Scalable Plate Carrier (SPC) and MICH helmets. Aside from wearing the SPC and SAPI's, we had free reign to set our gear up as we saw fit. The first thing I did was swap out the issued cumberbund on the SPC with the cumberbund from my personal "Eagle PC w/ cumberbund," due to the fact that the issued one has the external side SAPI holders that hang off and flap around, while the civilian-available version has integrated side SAPI pouches. (The rest of my team swapped the SPC cumberbund with the cumberbund from their issued MTV because of the internal side SAPI pouches on the MTV) On my vest, starting on my right side, I wore an Eagle first-aid pouch which I used to carry my NOD's, strobe, GPS, and some extra batteries. Next to that a smoke pouch w/ HC smoke, then 3 double M4 mag pouches (Eagle), which worked out very well for me due to the fact that I swapped between an M4 w/ NT4 can and Mk-11 as my primary. The double mag pouches each fit 1 Mk-11 mag by folding down the front velco flap inside the pouch, so depending on the mission I would carry 3 Mk-11 mags or 6 M4 mags on my vest. (I would carry another 2-4 Mk-11 mags in my ruck/daypack) Left of my mag pouches was my MBITR pouch, and then a North American Rescue Products IFAK. Our SOP was at least 3 tourniquets on our body as well, due to the IED threat we faced in our AO. I carried 1 on each side SAPI where I could easily reach them and the third in my IFAK (extras on my ruck). On my chest I carried 2 frags in my issued Eagle pouches. On my belt I carried a hip mounted Serpa with my M9, a small E&E pouch, my Strider MT-10 Sniper, and 2 M9 mags in a Blackhawk double mag pouch. In my hip pockets I carried a compass (dummy corded to my belt) and a small Gerber folder. In my cargo pockets I carried an air panel, maps, and my flight crew checklist with reports cards and CAS cheat cards. For footwear I purchased a pair a Merrill Outland Mids from Sports Authority a couple days before we left which proved to be the best $120 bucks I've ever spent. They required no break-in period and I didn’t get any blisters or roll my ankles at all, even while humping 100+ lb mission packs. The soles did start to pull away from the leather a little bit after a couple months, but that problem was easily solved with a tube of Shoe-Goo split between both boots. For socks I wore Covert Threads “Sand” boot socks. For short missions I carried a Spec-Ops "THE Pack" daypack (always with 24hrs sustainment even if only doing a short recon patrol), and for longer missions a Blackhawk SOF ruck with TT straps and CSM Tactical Ruck Pad. (I have had the SOF ruck for over 3 years now and every single plastic buckle has broken and had to be replaced. The Blackhawk shoulder straps are complete shit and broke during a training op a couple days after I purchased it. I went through several sets of shoulder straps before I wised up and purchased a set from TT. The TT MALICE pack is definitely a higher quality product but having already spent the $350 for the SOF ruck, I fixed it up as much as I could and it’s pretty solid now. The TT shoulder straps have lasted me over a year and a half and are still going strong.) I tried out the Eberlestock Gunslinger and G4 Operator for carrying my M-40, (After I took a tumble down a mountain and broke the scope on my Mk-11), but found strapping the bolt gun to the top of my ruck to be the least uncomfortable way to carry it. The Eberlestocks just didn’t fit right over the plate carrier. For carrying water we stayed away from plastic water bottles due to the loud “crinkling” noise they make when empty and used a mix of Nalgene bottles, old school 2qt canteens, and MSR Dromedary bags for carrying water. Camelback bladders had a habit of bursting quite often. For first-aid gear, the issued CAT tourniquets are OK if that’s all you have, but we unfortunately found out through experience that the NATO tourniquet's work best. The plastic stick on the CAT's break and you just can't wrench them down as tight as you can the NATO's. Also, combat gauze is great stuff. We were fortunate enough to have a Navy Shock-Trauma-Platoon at our FOB with 2 trauma surgeons that responded with our QRF and we had MEDEVAC birds on deck within 30 min. At our FOB we slept on cots and I used an inflatable Therma-Rest pad and a Recon-3 sleeping bag. When it started getting colder towards the end of our deployment I added a Snug-pak fleece liner to my Recon-3 and was very comfortable. __________________