Deployment Preparation For A U.s. Soldier Going To "the Sandbox?"

[rayzoredge 2]

I've been working on deployment preparation for the past couple of weeks (years if you count my focus on deployment while I was on active duty) in advance for the possibility of our unit to deploy overseas to the Middle East, and I was wondering if there were any veterans here that could chime in a useful tidbit or two.

 

My main focus is all of the gear and the things you can do, bring, or think of to make life in Iraq or Afghanistan just a bit more tolerable. Along with accepting contributions, I will list out all of the things that I could think of to take into consideration when going to Iraq as well as offer ideas and advice on what you should take care of prior to deployment:

 

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Things to Bring and Gear to Have:

 

 

Assault Pack ? Especially if you are an infantry soldier, I would think that this would be great to bring during a patrol or even haul any essentials around, like an S&E bag. I'm looking at the ATS RAID pack, because the MOLLE webbing all around the bag would make for a plethora of customization opportunities to make the bag work for you? not to mention the recommendations on the Lightfighter forums about this pack. J RFI should issue you one, but as far as what it is, I don't know.

 

Grimloc Carabiners ? These 'biners break off with a 100 lb force, preventing you from being snagged into life-threatening situations if you were to be hauled by, let's say, a retention lanyard because you closed a HMMWV door on it and it decided to drive off.

 

Climbing Carabiners ? You can use 'biners to hold onto anything? use your imagination. Get the ones rated for climbing? you won't want to use those cheap $5 keychain carabiners to hold onto your precious gear and then see them snap on you with a ridiculous amount of weight.

 

Oregon Aero BLSS ACH/PASGT Kit ? Apparently these kits are heaven for the ACH or the PASGT, in contrast to the stock suspension harness that love to give us headaches when we forget to change the "Kevlar donut" in them.

 

Combat Earplugs ? They definitely are easier to put in and wear than the stock ones you receive in BCT or the foam ones you have to bear with when you forget your personal pair at the range. Somehow, these work well with making you able to hear softer sounds and quelling the louder ones. RFI should issue you these.

 

Eye Protection ? I think that just about any eye protection brand out there is great to use, to the extent that they will protect your eyes. However, I believe in live demonstrations, and so far, Oakley, ESS, and whoever makes the Sawfly have my vote. I personally hate Wiley X's because the pair of XL-1's that I have fog up like CRAZY and are very annoying to deal with. My Oakleys have stood up to training so far, but only time will tell if they are as good as they seem for the real deal.

 

Goggles ? Along with ballistic glasses, goggles will help deal with the dust and sand, especially with those infamous sandstorms. I believe RFI will issue soldiers a pair of ESS goggles which are good to begin with, so going out of your way to purchase them may be unnecessary? but an extra lens or even an extra pair wouldn't hurt.

 

Nomex Gloves ? These will be a necessity with the fact that you will be in 100+ degree-Fahrenheit weather? and holding a hot weapon won't be fun. I suggest Nomex over Kevlar because although both provide flame-resistance, Nomex offers it for a longer duration and I believe that it is chemically-superior to Kevlar for flame protection. (I cannot remember where I read that little tidbit from.) Kevlar does provide cut-resistance though.

 

Wicking Shirts ? Speaking of flame-retardation, DO NOT PURCHASE ANYTHING WITH POLYESTER IN IT. Polyester, when exposed to flame, will melt and consequently meld to your skin in case of an explosion or other such thing involving fire. Sadly, this includes my favorite brand: UnderArmour. The Army is looking to issue ACU wicking uniforms that will work well with the IOTV, but I don't trust them to actually issue them to us. Look for wicking shirts that are made of nylon and other fabrics. I'm still doing my own research on this.

 

Blackhawk! Serpa Holster ? In my opinion, this is the best holster for your M9 that money can buy. Once you get use to the retention system, you can literally draw your 9mm in less than a second. Try to get the platform only so that you can mount it any-which-way onto a MOLLE leg rig.

 

Tactical Sling ? This would have to be chalked to personal preference, but I think that you can survive with a sling that's able to convert from 1-point operation to 3-point. If you don't want to shell the cash out for that, you can easily go with a Mamba or anything designed like it? or even settle with a wolf hook and a carabiner.

 

5/50 Cord ? The Army staple for tying anything and everything. Aside from obvious uses and not-so-obvious uses, you can use it to tie your gear to yourself to retain and prevent from losing priceless gear (and avoiding that dreaded statement of charges). Make sure to gut it before you use it as a lanyard to prevent it from "unknotting" itself.

 

100 MPH Tape ? Army duct tape. An alternative way of carrying some on your person is to tape up your canteens with a few revolutions so that you always have some without carrying that huge, cumbersome roll.

 

Knee Pads ? A necessity? and a hard lesson to learn after taking a knee on a ruck march for 20 minutes or so without one. Get a pair that fastens with buckles? I can only imagine what the sand is going to do to Velcro. (Don't get me started with the Velcro on the ACUs?) I think RFI issues knee pads, but I'm not sure.

 

Hydration System ? Get yourself a Camelbak or a Hydrastorm. I can't say much about Blackhawk!'s version, but Camelbaks are much more convenient than the GI canteen. Get at least a 3L bladder. You'll be drinking a hell of a lot of water there, methinks. A note on water: Only drink from bottled sources. You'll be glad you did.

 

Poncho Liner ? The beloved woobie still serves many purposes, mainly to keep you nice and comfy at night. I would snag one of the new ACU ones because they have RipStop.

 

MOLLE Gear ? I would try to get as many pouches as you think you'll need? no one gets it right on the first try. I'm planning on wearing most of what I need on my person, so I'm customizing everything to hang off of my IBA/IOTV. Depending on your MOS, you would be getting stuff for your personal needs, whether it be more mag pouches or more utility pouches. RFI should issue you what you need, but then again, I have no idea what RFI is going to issue or if they even know what we need. (Think about getting a dump pouch, mag pouches, utility pouches of various sizes, web dominators, and/or anything else that may apply to you. Remember to leave room on your setup for an IFAK.)

 

Watch ? A digital one will do. I'm hearing recommendations for a Casio G-Shock, which are cheap. I personally snagged one with a digital compass off of eBay for $80, but hey, that's just me.

 

Knives ? Avoid the SEAL Pups, the Rambo knives, or anything larger than 5". I was lucky enough to be issued a Benchmade automatic, which make for great folders, by the way. I'm hearing mixed reviews about bringing a huge knife for intimidation, although you can always use an M9 bayonet to intimidate as well as pry and cut things.

 

Multi-tool ? I don't think anyone in the military that actually did work could survive without these things. I would aim to get a Leatherman, as I don't like how my Gerber literally flexes with some jobs that require the pliers, but I do like how you can open most Gerbers with one hand and a quick flick of the wrist. SOG seems to make some cool stuff too (with the Paratool).

 

Magazines ? And I mean for your weapons. The ones that they issue to you hopefully will be new or at least in decent shape, but if your magazines can't even feed rounds into your weapon, what good will your M4 or M9 do? (A pimped-out, high-speed weapon is just a fancy paperweight without ammunition.) I intend to use my own magazines that I've "acquired," but if you have extra cash to shell out, go for mags with an all-steel design, or with Teflon-treated followers. And if you're too cheap for MagPuls or Ranger Plates (like me), use some 5/50 cord and make a loop yourself. TAKE CARE OF YOUR MAGAZINES. They need CLP and TLC too! Don't do the movie kick and rap your Kevlar with them to settle the rounds to one side? use your hand.

 

Strike-Hold Lube ? Sounds too good to be true, but I'm trying it. Apparently it's awesome because it cleans very well and it leaves a Teflon-like finish so that dirt and dust can't adhere to your weapon's internals.

 

Otis Cleaning Kit ? Great all-in-one, but if you can't afford one, a simpler cleaning kit will do.

 

Flashlights ? The OD angled flashlight will work wonders, yet everyone seems to forget them in favor of SureFire. I love SureFire's myself, but they eat up batteries like crazy. I just found a bunch of Krill lamps (the "battery-operated chem.-light") that look like they will be adequate for area illumination. Bring chem. lights too, and if you're expecting to use NODs/NVGs, aim to snag IR filters for your lights as well. Don't forget headmount lamps? Petzl makes some good ones, but the Wally World alternatives aren't ba

 

Rigger's Belt ? I was going to skip this, but figured, hey, why not? Apparently the issued tan belt isn't good enough for the rest of the Army, but it's good to know that your belt won't break or sag with all of the gear you might be putting on it.

 

Scarf/Gaiterneck/Shemagh ? For all the sand you're not going to want to eat on patrols and convoys.

 

Shower Shoes ? Don't go out and buy the cheap-o flip flops because you're going to hate yourself when they break. Then again, I'm assuming that things are much better now to actually believe that there are showers on most bases nowadays. (And if there aren't any showers, brings lots of wipes!)

 

Thermal Underwear ? Yes, it gets cold in Iraq, with snow occurring in Afghanistan. (50-70 degrees might not seem cold, but I'm sure that once you're acclimated to 100-140 degree weather, it will seem cold then.) On recommendations alone, I hear that the Artkis Stowaway Shirt is an awesome, fist-size solution to cold nights, but I also have a light poly-pro top that I know works rather well. (I'm on a toss-up with heavyweight poly-pros, though?)

 

Entertainment ? I'm looking to snag a laptop to keep myself entertained if things die down and get a bit boring, and after doing a lot of research, I'm personally planning on getting an HP Elitebook 8530w thanks to a decent GPU (Nvidia 770M) that will be able to actually play games AND survive the heat, sand, dust, and shock of the desert. I know that most other laptops have survived without the additional ruggedness, but I don't want to risk it or even think about purchasing a "throwaway" laptop. (The sand is very unforgiving on electronics.) If anyone else can give me any other reasonable recommendations for a laptop in the desert, I would really like to know. I'm also planning on getting an iPod Touch for portable music, video, Skype, and everything else that little doo-dad does (because you can't bring your laptop everywhere) and getting a neoprene case for it so that the screen doesn't look like a white sheet of scratches by the time I'm done with my tour. Don't forget the power of a good book!

 

Surge Protectors / Transformers ? Because your electronics are that important to you. A thing to note: while I would expect most bases to have 110W-120W outlets, one must note that the Middle East natively has 220W power. So watch out when you plug your devices in? it could be the most expensive, quick demonstration of electricity not working out for you that you will ever have. I would think that you would be able to snag transformers in-theatre, and I would do it that way because transformers are HEAVY.

 

Digital Camera ? I would get one that's mil-spec like Olympus's new line of shock-, crush-, and water-proof cameras to ensure that your expensive new gadget doesn't get killed by the sand and heat. I'm still doing my own research on this one, since I would like to have a viewfinder, and Olympus's rugged line doesn't have a viewfinder? only an LCD screen, which will be great to look at with the intense glare of the sun? :XD:

 

Insect Repellent ? Ensure that it has DEET in it, and never have any exposed skin in the desert. Apparently sand flies/fleas are bad and can give you rashes with their bites, and there are a ton of flies to annoy the hell out of you. Bring a fly swatter too.

 

Medications ? Bring allergy meds, anti-diarrheal meds, cold meds, nasal sprays, ibuprofen, Pepto-Bismol, Preparation H, Visine, and anything else you can think of. If you don't know if you have allergies or not, bring allergy meds anyway? you might find out the hard way when the ragweed in the sandbox tickles your nostrils the wrong way.

 

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Financial and Legal Things to Take Care Of:

 

 

Bills ? The best way to deal with them while you're away would have to be direct debit so that you never forget to pay a bill. The only thing you have to worry about will have to be to keep that particular account(s) funded so that funds can be withdrawn without any NSF complications. Also, talk to the utility companies to see if you can get a reduction or any special benefits regarding deployment, especially with car insurance since you're not physically going to be around to drive the car. Every little bit helps.

 

Vehicle Storage ? See about having a friend or a family member take care of a car for you, or plan on storing it somewhere. Make sure to ask your car insurance about a possible discount on rates due to deployment.

 

Power of Attorney ? It's a good idea to give legal powers over your financial and legal matters to someone you know and trust to deal with such issues, such as your spouse, parents, or even a very good friend. That way you don't have to be physically there to have to sign anything, as that person can sign off on anything you would originally be required to yourself. (Be careful of who you give Power of Attorney to.)

 

Will ? It's best if you can get with your JAG officer or a legal specialist to carve up a legal document to determine where your assets, belongings, and other goods would go to in the case of your death. It's a morbid subject, but it's something that you will have to plan for in the case you don't make it back.

 

Life Insurance ? Make sure that you have something in the case the worst happens. Being stuck with the bill with burying your butt is like rubbing salt into the existing wound that your loved ones have already lost you.

 

Beneficiaries ? Make sure you've appointed primary, secondary, and contingent beneficiaries for your life insurance, IRAs, and any other applicable assets that can be inherited by someone else on the event of your death. Remember that the beneficiaries that you appoint for those accounts override your wishes written in your will, and if you don't appoint any beneficiaries, I believe your assets go to the state of your residence.

 

Credit Cards ? Make sure that before you are deployed that you talk to representatives of credit card companies to see about any deployment benefits and/or if you can freeze interest accruements on those particular accounts, since you won't physically be around to pay off a balance that can potentially accrue a ton of interest in the year or so that you're gone. USAA has such a program if you have one of their credit cards.

 

Don't forget that you should talk to your friends and family about the effects of deployment. It is hard on everyone, not just the soldier going overseas. You will not be just a phone call or text away. You will have to get used to alternative forms of communication, like e-mails, Skype, IMs, and even the traditional method of snail mail. You can even discuss care packages that you can instruct your family to send to you to keep your morale up and to obtain items that you can't normally get at the PX/BX on-post. There will be things that your spouse may not be used to taking care of in your absence. You may have to deal with things remotely, so patience is a great virtue to have. Plan ahead or plan to fail.... remember that your failure to plan and to entrust your partner or your family to do the things you need to take care of will cause stress on you whilst on the battlefield, which consequently risks your performance and your life along with the lives of the people next to you.

 

USAA has a ton of resources and I think that they are the best civilian-side, but you can always utilize your ACS or even your COC to get more resources and information. And of course, there's a wealth of it out there on the Internet.

 

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Is there anything I'm missing? Please throw in your thoughts. I've done a hell of a lot of research on my own, but I'm simply a guy preparing to go for the very first time? and making moreso of a Rambo wishlist than a realistic one, I would think.

 

Also, if you have any questions that may pertain to deployment, ask them and maybe I or someone else can answer them... like how to deal with the camel spiders there. (Really, they're not even spiders, and for the most part, they come out when it's cooler, don't actually try to attack people unless they're cornered, and are very, very fast. Most of them are rather small, but they do get rather large, and I think they survive on a diet of bugs and don't actually eat camels as their name suggests. They're called that because they hang around dead camels.)

Edited May 19, 2009 by rayzoredge (see edit history)

[frozen.fish 0]

Dont ever forget protection from the heat! and lots of it things to keep you cool.. that all i can hear those american soldiers complain around here. lol

[rayzoredge 2]

I figured that keeping cool was a given, but I suppose that some tips should be in order.

 

Things are a bit better now, and I'm hearing of generous donations and the possibility of having air conditioning units downrange. However, obviously you're not going to be blessed enough to enjoy them all the time, so plan on beating the heat.

 

Cooling Vests ? Artic Heat makes cooling vests that apparently are being issued now to the Australian army to help keep core temperatures down. They are rather pricey, but if you've got the money to burn, you could try them out, especially if you are very prone to being a heat casualty.

 

Kevlar Cooling Packs ? I've seen ice packs that you freeze and put into your Kevlar to help deal with heat, but I'm not sure how effective they are.

 

Coolers ? If you have a vehicle or are going to be on one, or if you're going to be assigned to sitting in one spot for a while, ensure that you have a cooler made in the USA and fill it up with water and ice packs (or clean ice, if available). The coolers that are available in the desert are usually made from cheap Iraqi plastic or some crap and do not insulate well, so hauling that humongous container from stateside will be worth doing. See if the cooks will bring some with them; otherwise, plan on bringing it yourself.

 

Water ? Bring a few bottles of water with you on your person for personal consumption. Also, it MUST be noted NOT to drink water from the economy or from tap while in country. You WILL get sick. Instead, plan on drinking the bottled stuff for the entire time you're there. I don't know if the water for the water buffaloes will be clean or not? that's something that we will be briefed on. Trust the bottle; be wary of everything else. Keep this in mind for ice in-country too? if you really want to use it, put it in a couple of zip-loc bags before using it to cool water or something to that effect.

 

Fans ? I guarantee nothing, but maybe you can get decent oscillating fans at the PX/BX while in-country. Otherwise, I would bring a small personal fan for some slight relief.

 

Common sense will also save your butt. You will be drinking at least 3L of water per day, even if you're not a big water person because you will be sweating everything out. Don't eat while doing strenuous activity, as it takes energy to digest food and you will create body heat as a result.

 

Anyone else have any tips on staying cool?

Edited May 21, 2009 by rayzoredge (see edit history)

[rayzoredge 2]

I definitely know that there are some veterans out here that can add to this. *coughSMcough*

[iGuest 3]

knives..Deployment Preparation For A U.s. Soldier Going To "the Sandbox?"

A couple of good knives that are not too expensive. There is the "Air Force Survival Knife" that goes for about $40.00. Very strong and useable. The other is the Buck Folding hunter which is known as the 110 model. This goes for $27.00 at Walmart. Everyone should have one of these. 

[iGuest 3]

served one tour in iraq. I was issued pretty but everything I can think of but now I was on a air force base I had more thing unlike some that was their like a/c in the rooms and the px yea it wasnt always filled up but hey it had what u wanted and if not ask the people their they might have ina  conx also ipod get a cheap one don't buy the touches and **** cuz I had a few people run theirs over or lose them and even forget it, so buy a cheap one and get a portable dvd player from the state side to watch movies cuz theirs wont play state side movies. Most trucks have a/c in them too but to stay cool really its goona be hard but you can do it they have been giveing out energy drinks gatorade and electrolight packages to pour in your water which will help u out but wouldnt hurt to put and banda in the cooler till your hot then put on back of neck then when its dry back in cooler again but don't buy junk their buy things your gonna need and people blackhawk sells good flash lights that will last better and long and not the 123 batts thos are alot their and if your lucky como will have them but just stick to a list and o eat food from the chow hall don't always hit the mds or bks or tb youll get fat but also one thing u will need and u cna get their is detergent it works good when u need to clean your gear lol but everyone will slam the washers tho but have fun