US Cold War-era Field Gear

[Don Cossack]

I know this is a different question from the usual airsoft kids asking about "I want to be full of THE TACTICAL, how do I look like a Delta operator?", Blood Diamond pants, etc. But as an amateur military historian and WWII re-enactor, I've been studying the everyday lives of soldiers in the field, and what they would take with them.

During WWII we used a poncho made of a heavy rubberized cotton material. Although it had no hood, just a 4 inch collar. While afterwards in the Korean War the fixed that problem by putting a hood on it, and issued the same poncho all through Vietnam as well.

My question is what was issued during the late Cold War-era (1980's-90's) to now in regards to field gear?

I know the poncho is the same, but what year was the woodland pattern poncho first introduced?

Secondly, when was the M7 bayonet phased completely in favor of the M9? I know it was introduced in 1984, but obviously not everyone was issued one right away. I've heard from one of my uncles he preferred the M7, as it was easier to sharpen out in the field unlike the M9, which has a partially serrated edge.

Third, is the Meat Can all but a relic of the past now? I know MRE's are all self contained, but what's used then and now when GI's are lucky enough to get a hot meal?

I've tried to look up this up online. Olive-Drab.com is a good resource for WWII and sometimes the Vietnam War, fortunately I already know about life in the field during WWII, as I go out once a month usually and do it.

I guess I can't find much information because this is relatively recent. Again, I'm actually interested in what infantry would use to fare in the field and how they would do it.

[LineDoggie]

I know this is a different question from the usual airsoft kids asking about "I want to be full of THE TACTICAL, how do I look like a Delta operator?", Blood Diamond pants, etc. But as an amateur military historian and WWII re-enactor, I've been studying the everyday lives of soldiers in the field, and what they would take with them.

During WWII we used a poncho made of a heavy rubberized cotton material. Although it had no hood, just a 4 inch collar. While afterwards in the Korean War the fixed that problem by putting a hood on it, and issued the same poncho all through Vietnam as well.

My question is what was issued during the late Cold War-era (1980's-90's) to now in regards to field gear?

I know the poncho is the same, but what year was the woodland pattern poncho first introduced?

Secondly, when was the M7 bayonet phased completely in favor of the M9? I know it was introduced in 1984, but obviously not everyone was issued one right away. I've heard from one of my uncles he preferred the M7, as it was easier to sharpen out in the field unlike the M9, which has a partially serrated edge.

Third, is the Meat Can all but a relic of the past now? I know MRE's are all self contained, but what's used then and now when GI's are lucky enough to get a hot meal?

I've tried to look up this up online. Olive-Drab.com is a good resource for WWII and sometimes the Vietnam War, fortunately I already know about life in the field during WWII, as I go out once a month usually and do it.

I guess I can't find much information because this is relatively recent. Again, I'm actually interested in what infantry would use to fare in the field and how they would do it.

I Served in 2AD back in 1981-84 and have seen numerous pieces of gear come into service since then.

1.- Woodland Pattern Ponchos came into general issue around 1984 or so, prior to that the ERDL Leaf pattern and OD were the most common. You can still find some OD Heavywieght Ponchos around(Usually for Hootches). I havent seen an Official ACU pattern Poncho yet.

2.- Though the M7 was officially replaced, we still have them on inventory. My unit carried both in Iraq. M9 has gone through several changes since original issue as well. Fuller on blade, Bottle openers on guard gone being the most obvious.

3.- Messkits arent even on issue anymore. If your in the Field and get hot food it gets served on "Paper" Plates or "Foam" Trays. Easier disposal and Clean Up, Remember the old Messkit needed several immersion heaters set up at the beginning and end of the chow line to clean them. Related note even the classic Marmite cans have been replaced with Plastic versions.

4.- Shelterhalfs are Obsolete and Individual Combat Shelters are on Issue. Basically a one man Hootch in either Woodland or ACU pattern, it has a Floor and full insect netting attached. Many of us still make simple poncho hootches though.

Mickey Mouse Boots (White or Black)
Field Pants (either in OG or Woodland)
Wool Shirts
M1951 Wool Pants
Helmet Liner(Bunny Cap) (OG or Woodland)
M1951 Sleeping Bags with Covers
Fishtail OD Parkas
Medium ALICE pack

All gone the way of the Fokker Triplane, replaced with Goretex, and Polarfleece, MOLLE, etc.

[Waterman]

Then there is the heavy cotton/canvas/webbing pre-ALICE web gear.....with the grommets on the belt that allowed you to attach pouches/holsters using the funny shaped wire hangers. I still have a 1911 leather holster of that type.

The canteens were aluminum (with the canteen cup) and the covers were heavyweight canvas (sometimes pile lined).

I am not sure when the H (and subsequently Y) harness/suspenders were added to the web kit.

[James]

In the USMC in the mid 90s we still had M7 bayonets and a mix of camo/stinky green poncho liners and camo and green ALICE packs. We also had shelter halves and big heavy mountain sleeping bags. We started to get LBVs in 1996 or so, but before that we had ALICE Y and even the occasional canvas H harness. Basically, if something was still serviceable it was in supply, so we still had a bit of canvas stuff.

[LaoSexMachine]

In the USMC in the mid 90s we still had M7 bayonets and a mix of camo/stinky green poncho liners and camo and green ALICE packs. We also had shelter halves and big heavy mountain sleeping bags. We started to get LBVs in 1996 or so, but before that we had ALICE Y and even the occasional canvas H harness. Basically, if something was still serviceable it was in supply, so we still had a bit of canvas stuff.

Yep. My unit didn't make LBV SOP until around 98 IIRC. Soaked shelter halves are heavy.

[Don Cossack]

Thanks for the quick and thorough replies everyone. Glad to have input from actual service members.


I didn't know that we've replaced the shelter halves. Looking up photos of the ICS, it seems like it would be a bit nicer to sleep in. I assume it doesn't get 10 degrees hotter inside them, unlike the heavy canvas pup tents.

Very cool to know old canvas web gear was still around. I know the USMC used WWII/Korean BAR belts and other equipment during Vietnam, but still into the 90's? Waste not, want not, as they say...

When was the medium ALICE pack phased out? I've seen pictures from Afghanistan of soldiers wearing those large MOLLE rucksacks, (3 day packs I think they're called?) but I didn't know they were issue.

Thanks again, this has all been very helpful to me.

[loganinkosovo]

Buy this book from amazon and you will see everything we wore back then from wool to cotton sateen to permanent press and all the field gear.
U.S. Army Uniforms of the Cold War 1948-1973 (Paperback)

by Shelby L. Stanton (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url?%5Fencoding=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books&field-author=Shelby%20L.%20Stanton) (Author) "During World War II the U.S. Army was clothed and equipped, for the first time in its history, to fight on a global basis.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/410Z29QJVWL._SL500_BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-dp-500-arrow,TopRight,45,-64_OU01_AA240_SH20_.jpg

This will have everything right up until we switched to the BDUs and all the field gear didn't change with the advent of the BDU. Everything but the uniform was still OG green. I had Bdu's and all my field gear was brand new out of the box made in 1945. I even had a sheepskin parka liner! My shelter half had buttons instead of snaps so I was screwed trying to find someone to put up a pup tent with.

We even had to dye our .45 holsters black as they were issued in the original tan/brown colour.

[loganinkosovo]

Anyone else remember Spaghetti Straps, Tanker's Rolls and Buttpacks? God, I hated those damn things! Step, bang, step, bang....every step you took the damn things would swing out and then hit you in the back and butt on the way back since they weren't tied down in any way.

C rations were gone by 1987. The army was using the first MREs and T rations by that time. Too bad since you could make something out of C's and what you got was what you got with MREs. The dehydrated pork and potato patties were horrible!

[Hutz]

Just look up Canadian Army gear prior to 2000(I'll add -ish before all you gear nuts give me precise dates). That's should be about the same as the US Army in the 60/70s ;). How I loved my OD greens, butt pack and 77 radio.

[James]

Thanks for the quick and thorough replies everyone. Glad to have input from actual service members.


I didn't know that we've replaced the shelter halves. Looking up photos of the ICS, it seems like it would be a bit nicer to sleep in. I assume it doesn't get 10 degrees hotter inside them, unlike the heavy canvas pup tents.

Very cool to know old canvas web gear was still around. I know the USMC used WWII/Korean BAR belts and other equipment during Vietnam, but still into the 90's? Waste not, want not, as they say...

When was the medium ALICE pack phased out? I've seen pictures from Afghanistan of soldiers wearing those large MOLLE rucksacks, (3 day packs I think they're called?) but I didn't know they were issue.

Thanks again, this has all been very helpful to me.

We never actually used the shelter halves, but we were issued them. I was stationed n the desert so it was pretty normal just to take a poncho liner for sleeping, maybe a ground pad. We briefly used a large internal frame predecessor of the MOLLE pack in 1995 or 1996, but turned them all back in and went back to ALICE - the new packs were basically civilian packs made in camouflage, and they were not conducive to use while wearing body armor and other gear. I left active duty in late 1997, and we still had our medium sized ALICE packs then. In my battalion, only STA were issued the large sized ALICE packs.

We could still wear green jungle boots too.

[gaijinsamurai]

I've still got my OD green jungle boots, purchased at Camp Lejeune back in 1986 or 1987. In my units, we used the shelter halves. Though initially a nuisance, I got good at setting up the hooch quickly.
We were still using M7 bayonets, medium ALICE packs, and Y-straps when I got out in 1991.
When I joined the National Guard in 1997, the only real changes I saw were:

Y-harness replaced by LBV
M7 bayonet replaced by M9
medium ALICE packs replaced by large
Issue of gortex jackets and trousers

We were still issued the shelter halves, but never used them.

I got out of the Guard in 2002, so missed out on a lot of the new stuff, including MOLLE gear and thankfully, ACU.

[LineDoggie]

Thanks for the quick and thorough replies everyone. Glad to have input from actual service members.


I didn't know that we've replaced the shelter halves. Looking up photos of the ICS, it seems like it would be a bit nicer to sleep in. I assume it doesn't get 10 degrees hotter inside them, unlike the heavy canvas pup tents.

Very cool to know old canvas web gear was still around. I know the USMC used WWII/Korean BAR belts and other equipment during Vietnam, but still into the 90's? Waste not, want not, as they say...

When was the medium ALICE pack phased out? I've seen pictures from Afghanistan of soldiers wearing those large MOLLE rucksacks, (3 day packs I think they're called?) but I didn't know they were issue.

Thanks again, this has all been very helpful to me.

When I first went into the Guard after AD I was assigned as an M60 Machinegunner in Co. C, 71st Infantry Regt. in Oct.1984.

I was Issued a Khaki M1936 Pistol Belt with a Khaki Mills co. Nov. 1918 (according to the stamp on the flap)Clip Pouch for My M1911A1

The Holster was a Boyt 1942 still in russet brown. The M1911A1 was a Remington Rand with a 4 digit serial number, you could see daylight through the slide/frame interface

My Suspenders were M1944 Pattern, My Steel Pot was a front seam M1 with old style chinstrap, Liner still had the leather chinstrap (the Old Sgt. Rock Style)

Many of the men were wearing M43 or M51 Field Jackets, they were envious of my new Woodland M65 Jacket

BAR belts were sometimes used by AR men armed with M16A1's with clip on bipods