Free Republic

No more flapping-in-the-wind, mildew-smelling canvas tents for soldiers in the army. The IDF's Logistics Branch has decided to replace the ubiquitous khaki tents with small, cream-colored, eight-person trailers – complete with air conditioning. Senior officers say the aim in phasing out the traditional military abode is to give soldiers the best equipment and conditions possible. "The army is advancing in every field," said one senior officer. "We can't let them sleep as they did in 1948." Many a veteran can recount months of field conditions of living in tents that were muggy and fly infested in the summers, and often...

Iraqi Freedom vets teach younger MarinesSubmitted by: MCB Camp LejeuneStory Identification Number: 2003112194839Story by Cpl. Shawn C. Rhodes CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C.(Nov. 21, 2003) -- A tradition in the armed services for war veterans to pass on the knowledge they gained to the newer generation of warriors, so they can go into combat ready to face the enemy. This tradition doesn't just apply to shooting and squad movements, though. "In Iraq, it was our job to set up the command operations center tent," said Cpl. James K. Renner. A vehicle commander for 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion during Operation Iraqi...

(New York-WABC, November 18, 2003) — In a four-month investigation that reaches from the sands of Iraq to the halls of the Pentagon, we found that weapons given to tens of thousands of U.S. soldiers may not work in the desert. All because of a defective product. And it could be putting American troops at risk. The Investigators' Jim Hoffer is here with his findings. The key to surviving any war is to have a weapon that works. To that end a good, reliable gun lubricant is critical. But our investigation has found that a lubricant supplied by the military...

A friend's stepson is heading for the Middle East, and he wants to get him a handheld GPS. What should be buy? Sounds like he's infantry, "Primarily for handheld use, possible HMMWV use, possible Blackhawk use, in middle east." There are enough active / recently active military folks, and people in contact with same, that there should be some good ideas here. He's looking at a fairly top-of-the-line Garmin, FWIW. "Garmin GPSMAP 76S GPS Receiver" Thanks in advance.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - After nearly 40 years of battlefield service around the globe, the M-16 may be on its way out as the standard Army assault rifle because of flaws highlighted during the invasion and occupation of Iraq (news - web sites). U.S. officers in Iraq say the M-16A2 — the latest incarnation of the 5.56 mm firearm — is quietly being phased out of front-line service because it has proven too bulky for use inside the Humvees and armored vehicles that have emerged as the principal mode of conducting patrols since the end of major fighting on May 1....

Two U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iraqi City of Mosul Sun November 23, 2003 05:18 AM ET MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - Attackers slit the throats of two U.S. soldiers while their vehicle was stopped in traffic on Sunday in the center of the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, witnesses said. A spokesman for the U.S. 101st Airborne Division, based in Mosul, confirmed two soldiers had been killed in central Mosul but had no further details. U.S. soldiers surrounded the vehicle, a white four-wheel-drive car, and interrogated Iraqis in the area, the witnesses said. The attack brought to 184 the number of...