US Army Gear
 

Is there a Field Manual or good list somewhere that will tell me the inventory of US soldiers when they still used LC-1 gear?

Wikipedia.org has some good entries on gear. Try there.

I have the ALICE manual for infantry. What is it you want to know? The 'by the books' kit list?

Ya a kit list would be sweet!

Yuxi sent me this.

http://www.special-warfare.net/data_...ce_lce_01.html

And that is the type of kit I am looking to work on. The only thing is, a lot of it is in Japanese. I would love to have all that info in English.

Also I didn't see anything on armor.

Armor back then was pretty much the PASGT vest. Don't waste your time with it, though there is someone selling them (minus the armor, just the vest) for like 10 USD on another forum.

Armour is indeed the PASGT. The kit list Yuxi showed is also accurate although the manual only shows the use of one canteen pouch. Keep in mind of course that what's shown in the manual won't always be exactly what is used, but it definitely will show you the 'standard' way of wearing it.

If you're really interested, your best bet is to actually buy the manual. I paid 7.99 for mine. What you're looking for is this:

FM 21-15: Care and Use of Individual Clothing and Equipment

Mine is issued in 85, which, by the looks of it, was pretty much standard issue right up to the end of the first gulf war. This book shows the introduction of the PASGT helmet as well as the 6-colour desert uniforms. Details how to use your poncho, pack your ruck, etc. I'm sure you can find it on ebay for cheap. :)

Wow, thanks a lot guys! I really appreciate it. I will check out that manual for sure.

I found some great info on http://www.olive-drab.com/

From what I understand now, ALICE is different than the MLCE stuff. Does that mean That if I want ALICE gear, I cannot use MLCE pouches and packs? I just don't understand the difference.

M1967 Individual Load-Carrying Equipment
Early in the Vietnam War, the M1956 Lightweight Load-Carrying Equipment was in use. In 1967 a new set of equipment was delivered to the troops in Vietnam, updated to handle the jungle conditons of wetness, heat, and mildew. The M1967 Individual Load Carrying Equipment (called Modernized Load Carrying Equipment MLCE) did not differ much from the M1956, and did not immediately replace it since all items were interchangable. The crucial change was that the M1967 equipment used new matierals:

• nylon replaced all remaining cotton webbing items
• aluminum or plastic replaced steel or brass hardware, where possible
• "Hook and Pile" fasteners (Velcro) were used wherever practical to replace zippers or snaps

On the equipment belt, the classic metal tab closure was replaced by the black metal, quick release "Davis buckle". Ammo pouches also got a plastic clip fastener and were made shorter to match the 5.56mm ammunition clips for the M16 rifle. The M1967 nylon intrenching tool cover with plastic clip fastener was provided for the new tri-fold tool. The back pack and other components had small improvements and changes in addition to the changes in materials. The First Aid Case/Compass Pouch was styled the same as the M-1956 with the same keeper and snap but made of nylon (NSN 8465-00-935-6814). This form was carried forward unchanged to become the LC-1 Alice pouch and was still being procured in 2005.

Vietnam and Later U.S. Web Gear
The time period of the main U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War (early 1960s to 1975) spanned the use of all of the equipment from the M1956 LCE to the All-Purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment (ALICE) introduced in 1974. It was common to see men in the same unit with mixtures of the equipment, even on the same individual. After 1975, the ALICE system replaced the Individual Equipment Belt suspenders and the backpack while the other items of M1967 nylon gear continued to be used. Vietnam-era Individual Equipment Belts differ from ALICE and later belts in that it has three rows of grommets. Many of the eqipment items were still in use in Afghanistan and Iraq, although often in the new camouflage colors or desert sand.

New systems of Load Bearing Equipment were introduced to replace the aging ALICE design:
• 1994: Modular Lightweight Load Carrying Equipment (MOLLE)
• 2004: Improved Load Bearing Equipment (ILBE) used by USMC only

U.S. Army Soldier's Gear: ALICE
All-Purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment (ALICE) introduced in 1974 was made up of components for two types of load: the "fighting load" and the "existence load". The ALICE system was designed for use in all environments, whether hot, temperate, cold-wet or even cold-dry arctic conditions. It replaced all prior systems for both the U.S. Army and Marine Corps, including the M1956 Lightweight Load-Carrying Equipment and the M1967 Individual Load-Carrying Equipment.

ALICE: Fighting Load
The fighting load is the minimum needed by a combat soldier who has to be able to move quickly and with agility. It is anchored by the Individual Equipment Belt, successor to the Utility Belt of the two World Wars. The Individual Equipment Belt Suspenders attach to the belt with snap hooks and shift the load to the shoulders. The suspenders allow many other attachment points for additional gear.

The ALICE Individual Equipment Belt LC-1 used the slide fastener "keepers" for attached equipment such as the canteen, first aid pouch, or intrenching tool, keepers that came into use with the M-1956 series of equipment. The keepers replaced the old-style M1910 wire hooks for all attachments. The Individual Equipment Belt had two rows of grommetted holes: the bottom row that could accept the old hooks so all equipment did not have to be replaced at once and the top row for attaching the suspenders. The Individual Equipment Belt was closed by a plastic clip fastener, replacing the M1967 "Davis buckle." In 1981 the Individual Equipment LC-2 replaced the earlier closure with a green plastic quick-release buckle.