Military replacing the 5.56? - Page 4

rickyrick · May 20, 2017, 02:39 PM

People often get "ribbon envy" especially when a lower ranking persons has more awards than a superior.
Usually causes the soldier with more ribbons to be blatantly and unfairly scrutinized. For some people, the expert marksmanship badge is unobtainable. So that creates jealousy and resentment.
I can't imagine that the Marine Corps is any different because it's a common human behavior that can be found in any organized human group.

I've always said that 5.56 can cause some of the ghastliest wounds, especially when compared to other fmj bullets. Some I really wish I had never seen, but that cannot be changed.

Rob228 · May 20, 2017, 04:26 PM

You can't get something for nothing. I'm coming up on 17 years in the Corps, 12 of it with Recon before I decided to get a commission and move on to different things. I did several tours to some bad places with an M-4, and one with a DMR built on an M-1A. I'd take the M-4 any day of the week, although I am fully understanding that they served different purposes. 1-2 DMs per squad is not a bad thing at all, it is definitely a good thing. But what a lot of people do not understand is how badly the average infantryman is already overloaded. Give me a weapon that shoots heavier bullets? Great, how about you cut the weight of my outdated body armor in half and double its efficiency before you add more weight to my load. You know what would increase my effectiveness even more? A reliable radio that doesn't weigh ten pounds (RELIABLE). So we can keep throwing money at programs because people who didn't carry the weight think they know better, or maybe you can ask the guy humping the gear what he thinks.

Stats Shooter · May 20, 2017, 07:35 PM

Quote:

So we can keep throwing money at programs because people who didn't carry the weight think they know better, or maybe you can ask the guy humping the gear what he thinks.

You see, it is like any government budget: Any money "saved" will be spent on something else and not returned to the tax payer. Any weight saved on one thing will be added elsewhere. I was Navy EOD...I had trunks full of gear I deployed with that didn't work well or would never be used because I could get on from radio shack at 1/10th the size and 5000% more reliable.

Rob228 · May 21, 2017, 07:18 AM

That is the sad truth of it.

May 20, 2017, 02:39 PM	#76
rickyrick Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2010 Posts: 8,238	People often get "ribbon envy" especially when a lower ranking persons has more awards than a superior. Usually causes the soldier with more ribbons to be blatantly and unfairly scrutinized. For some people, the expert marksmanship badge is unobtainable. So that creates jealousy and resentment. I can't imagine that the Marine Corps is any different because it's a common human behavior that can be found in any organized human group. I've always said that 5.56 can cause some of the ghastliest wounds, especially when compared to other fmj bullets. Some I really wish I had never seen, but that cannot be changed.

May 20, 2017, 04:26 PM	#77
Rob228 Senior Member Join Date: May 29, 2010 Location: Hampstead NC Posts: 1,450	You can't get something for nothing. I'm coming up on 17 years in the Corps, 12 of it with Recon before I decided to get a commission and move on to different things. I did several tours to some bad places with an M-4, and one with a DMR built on an M-1A. I'd take the M-4 any day of the week, although I am fully understanding that they served different purposes. 1-2 DMs per squad is not a bad thing at all, it is definitely a good thing. But what a lot of people do not understand is how badly the average infantryman is already overloaded. Give me a weapon that shoots heavier bullets? Great, how about you cut the weight of my outdated body armor in half and double its efficiency before you add more weight to my load. You know what would increase my effectiveness even more? A reliable radio that doesn't weigh ten pounds (RELIABLE). So we can keep throwing money at programs because people who didn't carry the weight think they know better, or maybe you can ask the guy humping the gear what he thinks.

May 21, 2017, 07:18 AM	#79
Rob228 Senior Member Join Date: May 29, 2010 Location: Hampstead NC Posts: 1,450	That is the sad truth of it.