Does anyone know what our troops use for survival?Like what do the soldiers carry on them that helps them survive if stranded somewhere(not during combat)?

I figured some of you guys had some military experience and thought you might know.

if you ever were in the army what survival gear did you or your fellow comrade's carry?

Thanks and God Bless.

If you look Here there is currently a discussion going on about this very topic.

But after reading it, make sure you don't call a Marine a soldier, they tend to take offense...

Yes, Marines do not like being called soldiers. I cannot speak for soldiers, but I imagine that they are equally insulted if refered to as Marines.

Yup. And sailors don't like swabbie (even former sailors...if I call my wife that she makes me sleep on the couch). Airmen don't like wingnut. Not sure what the Coast Guard types don't like, maybe Chris can help us out there...

Super,
The only folks actually issued a survival or e&e kit in the military are flight crews and Special Ops folks. The rationale (no matter how stupid) that they are the only ones that could possibly be stranded away from civilization or behind lines.
Air crews wear a standardized vest that is their survival kit, I do not however know the current contents as I know the Army has just changed over to the AIRSAVE system, and I hear the Air Force is changing uniforms altogether to something resembling a "Power Ranger" Uniform! LOL! ;-)
As for us in the EOD community, we get these kits from TSSI whenever we are going for a Spec Ops support mission http://commerce.tacsurv.com/CommercePort...RootCategory=SO
And the coast guard guys don't like to be reminded that they are actually employees of the Department of Transportation!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone,
Mike

In the Army there is no standard issue survival kit for each soldier. An aircrew member has an issued vest with standard items, as far as I know that is the only group with a standard issue survival kit.
There are a number of other survival kits that the Army issues, at various times for various reasons. It is not something each soldier has issued as a standard item.

Mike, I spent 13 years in SF and never had a kit issued except the tacky one in a green box called an individual survival/first-aid kit. Came in a belt pouch. Survival items were purification tabs, a book of C-rat matches in a sealed plastic bag. That was it! We all made our own survival arrangements, beg, borrow or buy. What kits I came across in the system were pretty much all designed for aircrew issue and we always begged some items from the aviation units. Never the entire vest, just pieces here and there.
I have been out since 1997, so things may change, certainly the uniform has changed to the ACU, which I and glad I never had to wear! Cheers!

USCG....oh the Puddle Pirates?????G_d do they hate that.

I'll bet they do. It has always amazed me when "soldiers" (I use that generic term to mean all people in the DOD military) talk down to and about the Coasties. Unless in a war zone, the ground pounders go out to train, as in play at war. The Coast Guard goes out every day, often in some really nasty weather, on rescues, which can be, and often is, fatal.

As they say, they have to go out, they don't have to come back...

Widget,
Hey man, good to see another SOF type out there besides me. I've worked heavily with 5th Group on "Iris Gold" and a little with 3rd and 1st group in the sand box. How about you?
Most of the SF units didn't start getting anything until after 2000, and those were and still are almost completely off the shelf or as you say, beg/borrow/steal. But that's the nature of the beast now isn't it?
The NAVSPECWAR guys I've worked with all had a type standardized one, but I have no idea where they come from, probably snagged out of the pilots survival locker.
As far as the ACU's go, it's pretty wierd going to work in your PJ's, but all the pockets come in handy, kinda like all the mods we used to do to our BDU/DCU's that were non-regulation. I just don't like the pattern, it's great for in town, but out in the woods, most of us still wear BDU's of some form. The Marine woodland MARPAT is pretty cool though. It would all be better with no "french wool sock" worn on our heads. You guys that fall from perfectly good aircraft are the only one's that should have those!
Just my $0.02

Cheers,
Mike

Wow - some SF guys here.

My Dad - who is the guy who taught me to "be prepared: was "Company B 2671st Special Reconnaissance Battalion" if that means anything to you. He did NOT go in with his team, as he broke his ankle training at Blida

I saw discovery channel program about British SAS forces are better equiped than US SF groups. Britain is a smaller country hence it can spend more money for higher quality material for kits for its SAS. The SAS has the latest high tech survival items that look like James bond gear.

Hey Mike,
Sure agree on the beret issue! It really is a case of someone that is afraid to be all they can be passing a proclamation to elevate their ego, if that makes sense. It reminds me of the time we were no longer allowed to wear foreign jump wings on our BDUs, mainly someone in power felt left out so they took the foreign wings from us all.
As for Groups, I was 10th, 12th Reserve and 19th ANG. Worked Desert Storm with SOCCENT. Although I am a desert rat at heart, I was not keen on the Middle East and was really glad to not have to go back again!
Uniforms, I do like the MARPATs, not the ACUs and there has never been a better uniform than the OD jungle fatigues! Cheers!

I'm sure that if you watch enough TV, then you might get the impression that the USA is behind just about everybody in just about every facet of life everywhere. The reality might be a little bit different. So what did "discovery channel program" say that "US SF groups" was lacking in "latest high tech survival items that look like James bond gear?" Hmm?

While I am sure all units of every military force worldwide are lacking some thing or other survival equipment or otherwise. However, I do happen to know a few members of the US special operations community and I can tell you that they don't go to the field unprepared, especially in E&E and survial areas. Although I believe it is the country who fields troops responsibility to equip them properly, it is also the troopers responsibilty to deploy prepared, with the proper mindset and whatever tools they can get their hands on.

One difference between the Coast Guard & the rest of us is in peacetime, we train but never get to actually do our jobs. Those guys train, but they actually use that training operating their equipment & weapons everyday. The Coast Guard is a combination police dept, ambulance co., rescue organization, air force & military service all in one.

As a former infantryman, for 12 years, we never really carried anything special. We had pretty much everything we needed on our backs, with the exception of food. That being said, I went through a one week survival class, in 90, that was pretty informative. The instructor had us modify our uniform, so that we had fishing line, a wire saw, a scalpel, and a few other things sewn into our BDUs. The class was also heavy on fire building & plant identification. As a result of taking over an hour with a bow making a fire, I now carry a lighter & flint/steel combo whenever I go hiking.

> Britain is a smaller country hence it can spend more money for higher quality
> material for kits for its SAS.

I think it's more that the SAS are special. They mostly get to pick their own gear. Other regiments have to use the usual channels, so probably lags behind the curve as much as in any other country.

I'd have thought a big country would have more actual money, and hence proportionally more to spare for a relatively small unit of elite soldiers.