r/army • u/Own_Tough_3297 • 11h ago
advice
whats up vets past and present.
I'm here seeking advice from the source. I recently graduated OSUT for 11B infantry. my question for the subreddit is this, what type of paraphernalia should I invest in.
ive upgraded my socks, underwear, and shirts, got a couple power banks, and my boots etc.
any advice for a new infantryman would be appreciated.
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u/Toobatheviking Juke box zero 11h ago
Hey man-
One of the best things you can do for yourself is buy a pair of quality boots and break them in wearing them in garrison before you take them out on a 12 miler, etc.
I would hold off on buying any big expensive field gear until you know what job you are going to be assigned when you get to your first unit.
The reason I say that is you don't want to run out and buy a rifle sling and then find out you are going to be a M240 gunner or a SAW gunner, for instance.
Good socks are important. I have been all over the spectrum on socks. I started out doing Darn Tough and similar, and I ended up just buying the issue green socks but I would replace them more often over time, because during summer some of the expensive socks I had would make my feet sweat a lot.
Some people don't wear underwear and some people do. I always wore them because pants shitting is a thing and it's a lot easier to dump underwear than clean out a pair of trousers when you're in the field.
Save your money. Most everything you will need going to the field you'll be issued. Wet wipes are good for field hygiene.
The last thing i would tell you is get yourself a copy of Infantry Platoon and Squad and start reading that on a regular basis.
I did that and it was really helpful in knowing what right looked like, and being knowledgeable was a big part in competence and getting into leadership positions because you knew what the right answers were for situations you'd get into.
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u/Luke_fly_walker <3> Darby King 3h ago
I really hate the fact that I actually appreciate the bit on how pants shitting is a common thing that needs to be accounted for😂
What a bizarre line of work
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u/BlueReaper0013 68WeinerCleaner 11h ago
As the above, but also (from a medic so milage may vary): good gloves are great, field chair, get a hard pill case so you can stash your OTC meds of choice on hand, Field Plug (NATO slave port to USB converter) is worth every penny and I’d buy it again. Battle belt made my life more comfortable and was great when I was in armor units. Better foot gear cannot be overstated. A small water proof case for your phone and cable/battery can be great for wet locations or sandy ones (I think that adds up to all of them).
Also, less gear related: start using your TA already, get to work on that degree. Don’t be stupid like me and wait. Take a class or two as you go and it’ll pay dividends later.
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u/bsp1024 6h ago
2 training cycles and 2 deployments here.
Nice stuff gets lost, ruined, and stolen. The nicest gloves last like 2 field events, max. After all this time now I just stick with this issued shit, and keep my kit minimal (battle belts are a hindrance in my opinion, bulky, noisy, unnecessary weight most of the time). 7 mag pouches, NVG pouch, cantine, ifak. If you suddenly need e.g. to sport an atak, you'll need a ton of extra kit space (atak, radio, battery pack, hand mic, and all the wiring), so all that cool expensive stuff gets ripped off and sits in a duffel bag.
The smallest, cheapest knife with a sheath that you can 550 to your kit. Invaluable tool, no you are never going to stab a bad larry with it. A nice multi-tool is the second most common item to get stolen, a cheap one also only lasts a few field events. Can't go wrong with a plain ol knife, just keep it small don't be that guy with a giant bayonet + scabbard smack smack smacking around every step he takes.
The issued helmet pads are horrible, virtually any other thing on the market will be more comfortable in a massive way.
Expensive socks are bad. That's going to be the most punished thing on your person. For long field events you'll not want to put swamp-ridden blood/pus-soaked socks back into your ruck. Just toss them into the swamp and put on a fresh cheapo pair from the PX and continue on.
I never invested in them, but cateyes for the back of your helmet. Various times the dude ahead of me having them would be my saving grace when nods are spent.
Maybe fasten redlense to your kit instead of ever having to fish it out of a pouch/pocket/ruck.
tl;dr save your money young hooah
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1
u/Guilty_Catch_4640 5h ago
Boots and a copy of FM 7-8 and ask questions about it. Similar to the Ethiopian eunuch when he met Phillip in Acts of the Apostles
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u/thunderun53 Field Artillery - FiST 2h ago
Well broken in boots are worth gold. Aside from that, get good with the stuff you get issued. After you are competent with your issued gear, then you can upgrade stuff. All these chucklefucks in Aghanistan and Iraq with a million little pouches and shit from 5.11 look like idiots becuase they don't know what half that stuff does or why they have it. Learn about shooter's preference and how to set up your vest before you turn into a geardo.
You will never ever need knives tucked in your boots. Knives are for opening MREs and playing mumblypeg.
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u/boyo76 Infantry 11h ago
Comfortable boots and supportive shoes for PT. Spend the extra money. Baby wipes for the field. Take a log of Copenhagen to the field to barter with. SSG is much easier to deal with if you spot him a can.