One of the most important (if not the important) references in re-enacting are pictures. It´s great fun checking out every detail, expanding knowledge and going crazy collecting everything shown in selected photographs.
If we estimate that only 5% of all impressions are based on 1:1 re-enactments of certain pics, almost any other loadout is a mixture of assumed facts, real knowledge and/or mix of pictures that portrait several troopers of the same group/unit/branch of service.
While pictures are being my no#1 reference source, i also dig the internet to gather first hand
information from soldiers doing their jobs. It`s very entertaining (and cool to know 
) why soldiers love a specific plate carrier or use the opportunity to work with private purchases.
Many airsofters tend to say “it`s fielded this way” and “that is an issued item” etc. but that`s not the end of the line. When gear comes to real world use outside the wire ,field modifications and usage of equipment in uncommon ways is fairly common. Just think about German Soldiers in WW2 that used white bedclothes as snow camo over their uniforms/ on their helmets or NAM grunts using canteen pouches as magazine pouches.
Let`s get to some written loadout info!
This Gentlemen is an US Navy issue medical specialist who is assigned to an USMC unit:
He gave interesting information about his loadout that changed a lot from the beginning of his tour to end. This is another good example that theory on paper and heavy usage of gear in combat differs very much!
In the beginning he loaded up everything he could ever attach, carry, or mount. At the end just the bare essentials. The Eagle plate carrier was recommended without hesitation as a great piece of kit. He started with 8 mags and at the end it was only 4! Talking about frags: started with two, at the end it was 0. Same with smoke. What worked best for him was 3L water, med gear, 4 mags, and a couple of odds and ends, but as little as possible.
He said that a lot of guys carried hand grenades at first. At the end of their tour not a single person carried one! Just as carrying an M9 made no sense for him at all, too! Not once did he ever carried a pistol and not once he wished he had… (but I LOVE MY MARUI M9!!! 
)
I think that`s pretty interesting info, especially that he states that the closest he got to the enemy was about 100 meters. Non the less, on every patrol there were at least 2-3 frags.
Unfortunately there have been no more pictures (or info) of his loadout, especially some showing his gear at the end of his tour (all pics are from the beginning!).
I hope you did enjoy this litte post as much as i did. Suddenly I am infected with the USMC virus, so i will continue with more infos about USMC gear in action, soon!
Posted in Helmets, Loadouts, Plate Carriers / Rigs / Vests, Reference pictures
Tags: A`stan Warriors, Marine Grunt, Marines Backpack, Semper Fi, U.S.M.C. Afghanistan Tour, United States Marine Coprs, USMC Corpsman, USMC Grunt, USMC Loadout
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