CAN Enhanced (Permanent?) Fwd Presence in Latvia

[dapaterson]

My first CAF raingear was expertly designed to somehow let water in, but then retain it against your body and not let it out. The aerosol waterproofing spray did nothing; but, fill your helmet with the boot silicone and soak your raingear in it for several hours (watch out for the fumes!), then hang it to dry, and for the first ten minutes of the next rainfall you'd (a) have the faded but still potent chemical smell to give you a slight buzz, and (b) have about 7-10 minute of semi-adequate waterproofing before you'd suddenly be soaked.

 

[rmc_wannabe]

Didn't have butt packs in those days. Even had to use my mess tin carrier for my rain jacket - yup they were that thin. 64 Pattern was webbing-light and mostly useless.

But where did you tie the onion on your belt?

 

[Maxman1]

But where did you tie the onion on your belt?

Which was the style at the time.

 

[dapaterson]

 

[SeaKingTacco]

Well, this thread is officially in the ditch…

 

[my72jeep]

1983 4CER Germany we were issued 2 white cotton Landry bags with 2 blue stripes . We put our melmac cup plate bowl and KFS in one, and dirty clothes in the other. The one with the dishes went into a bin in the carrier the other to the Landry when you got it back clean you swapped it for the now dirty one your dishes were in and so on…

 

[TangoTwoBravo]

Well, this thread is officially in the ditch…

All threads must decay to a discussion of dress. It’s an immutable law.

 

[ueo]

Melmac goes in the buttpack.

Soft drinks and snacks in the gas mask carrier.

Soft drinks, modern army I guess.

 

[KevinB]

No. If the "various units" had just followed rather simple protocols for a clean up line (basins for wash, rinse, disinfect, then air dry) then there's no problem. But the use of individual's personal plates and utensils were not intended exclusively for hayboxes. In the days of yore, flying kitchens were the norm whether on "concentration" or even a company sized exercise. Even before we shelved the aluminum mess tins (did we? can't remember) and started using melmac, a field kitchen set-up would include a clean-up line (cooks knew it, medics/PMeds knew it and good Sgts Maj knew it - just as they also knew the proper placement, depth and coverage for latrines and grease pits). But I guess, in the same manner as some pers apparently never see the need to wash their hands after wiping their ass, some couldn't grasp the logic that if a unit/sub-unit/sub-sub-unit wasn't able to provide a wash-up line if their meals were sent forward in hayboxes then disposable plates and utensils should be provided. Perhaps blame CQs for being cheap?

Maybe it was just easier to blame scratched melmac as a "perfect media for bacteria".



Full place setting?

View attachment 76335

Cleaning the Melmac in the three wash/rinse tubs was effective up until the Melmac went into the gas mask or buttpack, or cloth bag that the soldier kept with them in the muddy, dusty, wet whatever elements that existed in the field.

The only way to actually clean them effectively and have them clean prior to reuse would have been another three tub cleaning station prior to eating.

Or collect them after cleaning and put them in a sealed container that wasn’t exposed to dirt, grime and slime.

 

[T700]

Melmac with NSN issued dirt, grease, turret scent, swamp water, helped to build the Soldiers immunity against the various bacteria found in the aluminum, not so well washed Haybox. Said haybox was to contain almost cooked items of potatoes, trackpads and mostly cooked chicken parts. All of these combined ensured you had prolonged stoppage or a runaway gun. It wasn’t only the cooks trying to poison us.
Lol

 

[FJAG]

The only way to actually clean them effectively and have them clean prior to reuse would have been another three tub cleaning station prior to eating.

You're forgetting your shirt sleeve or, in winter, the 10 foot combat scarf we were all issued.

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

Before I left Edmonton I, an aging 36 year old lifer, blew past our new crop from Meaford and I was jogging along at maybe a 5:15 per km pace. Deeply concerning given they had just come off course but I’m more worried about why they came to us with “DP1 incomplete.” Most of the Italian and Spanish NCOs were older than their Canadian counter parts and in considerably better shape, but then they take those things into account in their career progression and “barely passed fitness test” isn’t considered good enough.

Young people aren't as fit anymore, full stop. The top 3-5% that played high level sports are more fit due to access to better training regimes & modern sports science but the actual average person is way less fit.

This has of course carried over to the CAF.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

No. If the "various units" had just followed rather simple protocols for a clean up line (basins for wash, rinse, disinfect, then air dry) then there's no problem. But the use of individual's personal plates and utensils were not intended exclusively for hayboxes. In the days of yore, flying kitchens were the norm whether on "concentration" or even a company sized exercise. Even before we shelved the aluminum mess tins (did we? can't remember) and started using melmac, a field kitchen set-up would include a clean-up line (cooks knew it, medics/PMeds knew it and good Sgts Maj knew it - just as they also knew the proper placement, depth and coverage for latrines and grease pits). But I guess, in the same manner as some pers apparently never see the need to wash their hands after wiping their ass, some couldn't grasp the logic that if a unit/sub-unit/sub-sub-unit wasn't able to provide a wash-up line if their meals were sent forward in hayboxes then disposable plates and utensils should be provided. Perhaps blame CQs for being cheap?

Maybe it was just easier to blame scratched melmac as a "perfect media for bacteria".



Full place setting?

View attachment 76335

I cannot recall any exercise where we got hot food that a clean/disinfect/rinse line was not used. I started with 51pattern, plastic canteen, canteen cup and mess tins and the M1 US steel helmet. Used those mostly with IRP/IMP's and MRE's. I showed up on a course in Shilo with my 51pattern and the Course WO had misty eyes, but got me a loaner 82 pattern for the course. The design of the 82 wasn't bad, just the material was. We got mess tin carriers and mag pouch for SMG mags.

 

[KevinB]

I cannot recall any exercise where we got hot food that a clean/disinfect/rinse line was not used. I started with 51pattern, plastic canteen, canteen cup and mess tins and the M1 US steel helmet. Used those mostly with IRP/IMP's and MRE's. I showed up on a course in Shilo with my 51pattern and the Course WO had misty eyes, but got me a loaner 82 pattern for the course. The design of the 82 wasn't bad, just the material was. We got mess tin carriers and mag pouch for SMG mags.

I generally preferred my originally SYEP issued 51 pattern webbing to the 82 pattern.
And the 64 pattern ‘jump’ ruck to the 51 pattern miserable bag and the 82 pattern nerve damaging ruck.

 

[daftandbarmy]

I generally preferred my originally SYEP issued 51 pattern webbing to the 82 pattern.
And the 64 pattern ‘jump’ ruck to the 51 pattern miserable bag and the 82 pattern nerve damaging ruck.

And you can fit all of those into the CTS ruck, with room left over for .... way too much

 

[KevinB]

And you can fit all of those into the CTS ruck, with room left over for .... way too much

I’m more pissed at the lack of winter whites - they should be in a mix of them at least.

 

[markppcli]

I’m more pissed at the lack of winter whites - they should be in a mix of them at least.

Maybe it’s an admin walk? I had some old guy complain about a live section attack range we did, no winter whites… because it’s a live section attack and we are more concerned about be visible to each other and safety staff than being detected by card board.

 

[MilEME09]

I’m more pissed at the lack of winter whites - they should be in a mix of them at least.

They must not have basic winter warfare , cold weather operator I think its called now. Pretty silly that a season we experience 3/4 of the year is a course

 

[KevinB]

Maybe it’s an admin walk? I had some old guy complain about a live section attack range we did, no winter whites… because it’s a live section attack and we are more concerned about be visible to each other and safety staff than being detected by card board.

I’d argue Train as you Fight.
But I’ve also done Coy Live with whites and didn’t think it was hard to manage.

 

[markppcli]

I’d argue Train as you Fight.
But I’ve also done Coy Live with whites and didn’t think it was hard to manage.

I don’t know that I’ve ever felt like throwing on whites affected me in terms of how I did my job. Bear in mind 3 VP had just had a guy shot in a range, we were a little safety conscious at the time.