A Gamer's Guide to Small Unit Tactics

[Oldwolfe]

I haven't been around much for a couple days. Messing with the new car, selling a truck, and had to run out of town to help a friend.

 

P.S.: Sergeant Major got involved in my housing paperwork Friday afternoon; signed paperwork was in my hands Monday morning. :)

 

Something that you'll probably never hear about, but your squadron commander, the guy holding your paperwork up, just got a negative brownie point. Trust me, the Sergeant Major can get almost anything done, but he shouldn't have had to in your case. It should have been just a simple everyday pencil whip. He WILL remember that.

 

To you non-military types: While the lowest ranking officer technically outranks a Sergeant Major, the reality of it is quite different. The more traditional the branch of the military, the more true that holds. In an army Combat Arms unit, I have more than once heard Sergeant Majors referred to as the "Right Hand of God."

 

(Don't blame me if it sounds offensive, I wasn't the one saying it.)

 

This is something that most likely only a career soldier or someone who hangs around them a lot would understand.

[Oldwolfe]

I haven't said anything here for awhile and remembered something that happened years ago. It doesn't apply to anything else I've written here, besides being "interesting".

 

We were at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. It was deer season and civilian deer hunters were allowed on certain parts of the post to hunt. (Areas they weren't supposed to go were well marked)

 

We had five fifty caliber M2 Browning machineguns set up on a firing line that had a service road behind the targets. All five M2s were firing when all of a sudden all five of them jammed. While we were trying to do the immediate action responses to clear the M2s we noticed a pickup truck driving down the service road behind the targets.

 

We ran a truck down to block the road to hold the pickup while we waited for the MPs to show up. The truck was a very fancy new pickup with a shell, had all sorts of expensive hunting and fishing gear inside it. There was a middle aged male driver with a very pretty buxom young female with him. He was a civilian that had gone where he wasn't supposed to, and then gotten WAY lost on the post.

 

We were chewing the guy out, explaining he had driven behind some .50 MG targets, and explaining how close he had come to dying. I remember saying, "Man, don't you realize what a fifty cal will DO to a truck?"

 

He replied, "Yeah, I used to be in the army, I know.... but PLEASE don't tell my wife this girl was with me."

 

Well, the MPs came and dragged him off. I don't know whatever became of him legally....

 

M2 Browning MGs almost never jam. The odds of five of them jamming all at once has to be a number that would make a calculator melt down. When we went back to the machineguns, all five of them functioned flawlessly.

 

I occasionally think back and wonder if the guy (or the girl) would someday cure cancer or something like that.

 

I'm not what you call hugely mystical or anything like that, but something that freaking weird just has to make you go "hmmmmm".

[TOUGENINJA]

A lot of good ad vice from the old dog. I am an OIF vet too I just wanted to add a few tings I personalty consider helpful.

 

 

1. As far as a suppressor goes in the current urban situations go the biggest benefit is the fact that with reduced noise the squad can communicate easier.

 

2. On my EDC (every day carry) pistol I use a light and laser combination the high lumen light (mine happens to also strobe) light is good for night time to disorient an attacker, and the laser scares people I use it as more of a defensive display.

 

3. My primary use of the forward assist has always been to soft toad my rifle, I believe if the round doesn't fit you shouldn't try to jam it in.

[TheReverendTholomewPlague]

and the laser scares people I use it as more of a defensive display.

Yup. Because who wants that red dot of death on their person? :P

[RZ1029]

What sort of light you have, Tougeninja?

 

Also, I'm rather enjoying this thread, a combination of humor, good advice, and interesting stories.

 

And I'm curious what your thoughts are on the H&K 416? 5.56 with a 16" barrel. It's got a select-fire, legally owned and registered and such, but I've thought about trading it/selling it to get something else. I mostly use it to blow off steam, though I won't deny I've popped a deer or two with it before.

 

Other than that, I own a fairly good collection, I like to think I know a bit about guns, but I'm far from an expert. Wanna-be military, since I couldn't get in when I was 18, and a decent family history of firearms, from military service to a retired gunsmith.

[TOUGENINJA]

What sort of light you have, Tougeninja?

 

Also, I'm rather enjoying this thread, a combination of humor, good advice, and interesting stories.

 

And I'm curious what your thoughts are on the H&K 416? 5.56 with a 16" barrel. It's got a select-fire, legally owned and registered and such, but I've thought about trading it/selling it to get something else. I mostly use it to blow off steam, though I won't deny I've popped a deer or two with it before.

 

Other than that, I own a fairly good collection, I like to think I know a bit about guns, but I'm far from an expert. Wanna-be military, since I couldn't get in when I was 18, and a decent family history of firearms, from military service to a retired gunsmith.

 

I use a streamlight tl-r2s it was the one with the features that i wanted for a comfortable price.

 

The 416 is a great gun if you have the money to buy one (all HK's are kind of pricey though) the piston systems is one of the better ones. My question is how does a civilian get his hand on a select fire I know for a fact that they were all made after 1986. My AR 15 is a home build it is more or less no frills (special coatings pistons excessive doodads) and i am about to build a registered sbr lower and mate it to a pws 300 blk upper

 

The problem is most short stoke pistons systems cause more problems than they solve.

[RZ1029]

My question is how does a civilian get his hand on a select fire I know for a fact that they were all made after 1986.

A lot of tax money, the ATF, about a dozen background checks, and a friend on Capitol Hill.

 

Welcome to America, my friend, where you can get anything you want if you're willing to pay the price.

 

EDIT: Also... not exactly entirely civilian, but that's beside the point.

Edited August 23, 2011 by RZ1029