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Politics Of Hunting & Guns (NOT General Politics)
1 Rifle to rule them all
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<blockquote data-quote="westcliffe01" data-source="post: 892570" data-attributes="member: 35183"><p>It didn't sound like this scenario involved fighting for the worlds largest military. You would not be enjoying any more chopper rides and resupply might be sketchy.</p><p></p><p>I was not part of any "elite" unit. I was part of a very small contingent of engineers who had to provide services in a very large area with almost non existent backup. No air strikes to support us, no attack helicopters, medevac was an hour flight one way and had to be refueled before lifting off.</p><p></p><p>My "non combat" unit had 10% fatalities in 87 and our infantry support even more. Fortunately, we were equipped with decent mine resistant vehicles, the better of which would rival anything used by the US more than 25 years later. I personally walked through 2 ambush "kill zones" to have the convoy behind us shot to pieces. Was involved in 2 land mine incidents. Discovered and removed a cast TNT mine which was undetectable with the equipment we were issued. Had our base attacked (quite successfully) on 2 occasions. Started the year with 275 infantry and ended with about 25. Enemy forces were up to groups of 50. Terrain so flat that 1/2" of rain obscured every footprint. Hardwood forest (trees >500 years old) of thorn so high that no landmarks are visible from any vehicle. No surface water whatsoever. No pipeline. No air drops. Re-supply was 1 convoy every 2 weeks.</p><p></p><p>All of the "real" military hardware was deployed about 200-500km North in Angola, where the South Africans supported Unita with boots on the ground. The US provided Stinger missiles to help against the russian MI 24 attack helicopters that were deployed there just like in Afghanistan in times part. The Russians and East Germans provided support for the Angolan airforce with their Migs and the gunships. 30k Cuban troops on the ground. Our people were cluster bombed by the migs back in those days. There was no such thing as air superiority on our side. Their SAM systems bested our own by a pretty big margin. Our air force pilots did not have a very long life expectancy, particularly the guys who flew the silly alhouettes with the 20mm sticking out the side who supported the big Pumas which did the medevac work, wherever it was.</p><p></p><p>It is not a dishonorable thing NOT being part of the largest military in the world. We had to make do and improvise a heck of a lot more than might be the case in the US military. We certainly took nothing for granted and few of us expected to live to see the end of it. We fought anyway, since we believed in the cause and we were not cowards.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="westcliffe01, post: 892570, member: 35183"] It didn't sound like this scenario involved fighting for the worlds largest military. You would not be enjoying any more chopper rides and resupply might be sketchy. I was not part of any "elite" unit. I was part of a very small contingent of engineers who had to provide services in a very large area with almost non existent backup. No air strikes to support us, no attack helicopters, medevac was an hour flight one way and had to be refueled before lifting off. My "non combat" unit had 10% fatalities in 87 and our infantry support even more. Fortunately, we were equipped with decent mine resistant vehicles, the better of which would rival anything used by the US more than 25 years later. I personally walked through 2 ambush "kill zones" to have the convoy behind us shot to pieces. Was involved in 2 land mine incidents. Discovered and removed a cast TNT mine which was undetectable with the equipment we were issued. Had our base attacked (quite successfully) on 2 occasions. Started the year with 275 infantry and ended with about 25. Enemy forces were up to groups of 50. Terrain so flat that 1/2" of rain obscured every footprint. Hardwood forest (trees >500 years old) of thorn so high that no landmarks are visible from any vehicle. No surface water whatsoever. No pipeline. No air drops. Re-supply was 1 convoy every 2 weeks. All of the "real" military hardware was deployed about 200-500km North in Angola, where the South Africans supported Unita with boots on the ground. The US provided Stinger missiles to help against the russian MI 24 attack helicopters that were deployed there just like in Afghanistan in times part. The Russians and East Germans provided support for the Angolan airforce with their Migs and the gunships. 30k Cuban troops on the ground. Our people were cluster bombed by the migs back in those days. There was no such thing as air superiority on our side. Their SAM systems bested our own by a pretty big margin. Our air force pilots did not have a very long life expectancy, particularly the guys who flew the silly alhouettes with the 20mm sticking out the side who supported the big Pumas which did the medevac work, wherever it was. It is not a dishonorable thing NOT being part of the largest military in the world. We had to make do and improvise a heck of a lot more than might be the case in the US military. We certainly took nothing for granted and few of us expected to live to see the end of it. We fought anyway, since we believed in the cause and we were not cowards. [/QUOTE]
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