Arrival of new clothing, boots 'was like Christmas' for troops in Kuwait

www.stripes.com ^ | By Steve Liewer

[bogdanPolska12]

CAMP NEW YORK, Kuwait — Had they seen stockings and a tree, Task Force 1-77 soldiers might have thought Santa had just arrived.

Hundreds of troops at Camp New York woke up before dawn last week, marched through the sand to a giant warehouse tent near the front gate, and lined up to grab their long-promised new gear.

They passed by table after table, picking up new shirts, long underwear, summer and winter boots, fleece wear, knee and elbow pads, and vests.

“It was like Christmas,” said 1st Lt. Jason Royston, 24, of Ada, Okla., an officer with the 9th Engineer Battalion currently attached to Task Force 1-77.

The clothing came on top of a new assault bag, rifle scopes, battle-axes and other essential soldier tools delivered to their tents the night before. And more is to come: Each soldier is scheduled to receive up to 37 new items, depending on his or her job, said Maj. Chad Ochs, 39, of Hamilton, Mont., the 1st Infantry Division’s force management officer.

All are part of the Army’s Rapid Fielding Initiative, giving soldiers the latest in battle clothing and fighting gear. Ochs said the 1st ID is spending about $28 million to equip two 2,000-man brigade combat teams it is sending to Iraq, plus another $7 million on a smaller package of gear for support troops.

The initiative started two years ago, when troops in Afghanistan found much of their equipment didn’t stand up well under the rigors of a long, hard deployment in harsh conditions. Flush with cash post-Sept. 11, 2001, the Defense Department decided to spend some of it to better equip the forces fighting the war on terror.

“The Army had gone along for a long time modernizing its big systems,” Ochs said, “but the individual soldier had kind of lagged behind. We’re playing catch up.”

Before leaving Germany, soldiers had received several items, such as their Wiley X desert goggles, Sonic earplugs and Camelbak water-carrying backpacks.

Last week, they got fireproof Nomex gloves, Air Force boots that are both lighter weight and more durable than what they were wearing, silk-like long underwear and long-sleeved T-shirts that push moisture away from the body on hot summer days, and new vests that carry gear comfortably in pouches instead of on straps.

Soldiers with the 1st ID have been happily bewildered by the Army’s generosity. Many say they are used to receiving used or outdated equipment, if anything, when they deploy.

“It’s pretty unusual. You never get stuff like this,” said Sgt. Brett Steen, 23, of Spring Hill, Fla., an infantryman from Company C, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment. “It’s pretty up-to-date stuff.”

Much of the gear had previously been issued only to elite troops.

“A lot of it, the SF [Special Forces] guys ran around with it, or the Rangers,” Royston said. “It’s lighter than what we had, and it works better.”

Soldiers had been told the gear was coming, but many were skeptical. As they are accustomed to doing, they dipped into their own pockets to buy gear. Royston said some of his men spent $150 to $800 on new rifle sights.

“If I’d known they were going to give it to us, I wouldn’t have spent $200 on gear,” said Spc. Isaac McMillan, 23, of Oklahoma City, also with the 9th Engineers.

The two most popular items were the boots and the vests.

“The boots are by far the best thing,” said 1st Lt. Edgar Pulley, 25, of San Gabriel, Calif., a platoon leader for Company C, 1-26 Infantry. “They feel like tennis shoes. You can actually walk for miles in the desert.”

Soldiers say the vests, with their custom pouches for items such as ammunition and grenades, carry the soldiers’ heavy load much better than the old system of straps.

“It’s well-balanced. It proportions the weight on your body,” said Staff Sgt. Kevin King, 24, of Royal Oak, Mich., also from Company C, 1-26 Infantry. “[The gear] is up on your chest instead of around your sides.”

“It even has little pockets where you can put your forceps,” said Spc. Michael Miranda, 21, of Roma, Texas, a medic with the 1st ID’s 1st Battalion, 6th Field Artillery.

Christmas in the Middle East isn’t over just yet. Still on order, Ochs said, are new Kevlar helmets that are lighter, better-padded and reshaped so troops can wear them when firing their weapons from the prone position. They are due within the next few weeks.

“We’ll be like James Bond in those Kevlars,” Pulley said.

Steve Liewer is an embedded journalist with the 1st Infantry Division, Task Force 1-77.

[Armedanddangerous]

If you are wondering about the battle axe they spoke of in this article, it can be viewed at www.americantomahawk.com

[el_texicano]

God bless 'em...they richly deserve the best.

[bogdanPolska12]

Thank you for link.

[WaterDragon]

Absolutely, they deserve the best!

[bogdanPolska12]

They totally do.

[bogdanPolska12]

Absolutely, they deserve the best! Yes they do. Thanks to USA people they are the best and strong.

[mystery-ak]

ping

[DuncanWaring]

If you are wondering about the battle axe they spoke of in this article, it can be viewed at www.americantomahawk.com

Oh.

That's what they were referring to.

I thought maybe Hitlery was back visiting the troops again.

[Uncle Miltie]

Related Pictures:

1st Lt. Edgar Pulley, 25, of Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, likes the way the new vest carries gear in customized pouches.

Pfc. Robert Zimmerman, 21, of New Smyrna Beach, Fla., left, and Capt. Henry Delacruz, 31, of Athens, Ga., try on new Nomex flight gloves.

Spc. Tyler Smith, 21, of Snohomish, Wash., currently attached to Bravo Company of Task Force 1-77, tries on a pair of new boots during last week's handout of Rapid Fielding Initiative gear at Camp New York.

Dennis Conner of MPRI, the contractor supplying and delivering the soldiers’ new gear, measures the head of Pfc. Joseph Eutsler, 20, of Camden, N.J., a member of Task Force 1-77, for a redesigned Kevlar helmet at Camp New York.

1st Lt. Jason Royston, 24, of the 9th Engineer Battalion serving with Task Force 1-77, models the fleece cap he received as part of the new gear issue.

[bogdanPolska12]

Thank you for this great pictures.

[ladtx]

As an old trooper I can attest to the fact that getting new equipment is about as close to Christmas as you can get.

[68skylark]

This is good news for our troops -- good post.

I hope the Guard and Reserve guys going into Iraq are getting the same great gear. Sorry to say, but I've heard some bad stories about the way the Guard and Reserve was treated in Iraq last year.

[bogdanPolska12]

Great thing is that American people are helping our troops. That is very important for their morality boost and to know we care about them and they need our help. Thank you for your reply. Can you tell me more how is to be in on battle field.

[bogdanPolska12]

“Hope the Guard and Reserve guys going into Iraq are getting the same great gear”

They will. Americans will not abundant them for nothing. Neither will I praying for their safe return to homeland.

[ladtx]

Probably the most striking thing about being in battle is how small your world becomes. Even though I spent most of my time flying above the battlefield and occasionally landing in the middle of it, that fact is one of the things that sticks with me. No matter how many others are involved, from only a few to thousands, your world becomes only the ones you can see, either from your fighting position or the cockpit.

[bogdanPolska12]

Where you afraid sometimes? Like you were flying and you saw others on a ground and what you were thinking were you scare sometimes. You should be proud of yourself you are really courageous and great man. You probably lost many good friends. But I know u try to take them to safety.

[68skylark]

By the way, welcome to FR! I hope you find it friendly and informative.

You probably know already that Americans are thanksful for the troops from coalition countries that helped on the battlefield in Iraq. The US is very blessed to have the best, most effective allies in the world -- the UK, Australia and Poland. Put these countries together and we make a great team!

[Wumpus Hunter]

Hmmm - We're taking excellent care of our troops, replacing outdated equipment and giving them Kevlar.

There must be a REPUBLICAN in office! BR

[bogdanPolska12]

:}}}}}}}}}}}}}} thank you so much for your kind comments. Beautiful words coming from your heart towards polish people. It is great to be allied with superpower. Poland is divided between two powers Germany and Russia. USA as our ally is great gift to us.