PDWs...and other small arms.

[Lightning8]

Interesting. Photos of US infantry soldiers carrying both are the exception, rather than the rule ( https://www.google.com/search?q=9x25+dil...M:&imgrc=_ ), and I don't recall ever seeing any combat videos showing that.

There are a lot of things in theater that are not filmed. Not a lot of media when out on road clearing operations with the Combat Engineers and our Soldiers were too busy to be filming themselves. There are not enough M9s (or other pistols) for every Soldier/Marine to dual carry but it was much more common that you indicated. Frankly, only a fraction of deployed Soldiers/Marines deployed in theater went outside the wire so if DOD wanted all those outside wire could have dual carried. At some point, you have to make the "weight" question of do I want to carry pistol, holster, extra mags, etc. or does rifle ammo, radio, etc. take priority.