10-22-2013, 05:19 AM
It depended on the mission and units I was in. Riflemen seemed to get stuck with all the extras when it came time to distribute AT4's, CLS bags, litters, extra ammo for the SAWs, and linked 7.62 for the M60 or M240.
When we had LCE's with buttpacks per unit SOP's, the buttpack would often get 100rds of 7.62 or a SAW drum, or linked 5.56. We often kept the 7.62 linked in the cardstock boxes it came in when distributing them out.
I'd be interested to hear what other units have done as well. We generally kept the 7.62 linked with the gun teams and weapons squad in most line units I was in, since we had Ammo Bearers and Assistant Gunners, in addition to Machine Gunners. It really sucked when we had 2-man gun teams, and I was the AG/AB as a young PFC, because that meant I carried:
* My rucksack with packing list
* M122 tripod (steel)
* T&E mechanism (steel)
* Pintle (steel)
* 1200rds 7.62 linked
* M22 Steiner binos (heavy, large)
In the winter, my rucksack alone weighed 120lbs, and took the Weapons Squad Leader and my Gunner to lift me up after I had gotten into the ruckstraps on the ground, with one of them holding my weapon. I kept 150rds+ inside a large pouch on my LBV on the right side to attach to the gunner's starter belt.
The US has failed its infantry soldiers for decades by not having an on-gun linked ammunition solution for the 7.62 belt-feds, and it hasn't been until recently that certain units developed and paid for COTS solutions to this problem with the M240.
The PKM was issued from the start with a direct-attach ammo can/drum for linked 7.62x54R.
When we had LCE's with buttpacks per unit SOP's, the buttpack would often get 100rds of 7.62 or a SAW drum, or linked 5.56. We often kept the 7.62 linked in the cardstock boxes it came in when distributing them out.
I'd be interested to hear what other units have done as well. We generally kept the 7.62 linked with the gun teams and weapons squad in most line units I was in, since we had Ammo Bearers and Assistant Gunners, in addition to Machine Gunners. It really sucked when we had 2-man gun teams, and I was the AG/AB as a young PFC, because that meant I carried:
* My rucksack with packing list
* M122 tripod (steel)
* T&E mechanism (steel)
* Pintle (steel)
* 1200rds 7.62 linked
* M22 Steiner binos (heavy, large)
In the winter, my rucksack alone weighed 120lbs, and took the Weapons Squad Leader and my Gunner to lift me up after I had gotten into the ruckstraps on the ground, with one of them holding my weapon. I kept 150rds+ inside a large pouch on my LBV on the right side to attach to the gunner's starter belt.
The US has failed its infantry soldiers for decades by not having an on-gun linked ammunition solution for the 7.62 belt-feds, and it hasn't been until recently that certain units developed and paid for COTS solutions to this problem with the M240.
The PKM was issued from the start with a direct-attach ammo can/drum for linked 7.62x54R.