The Pinnacle of US Military Technology

[11bee]

Here is the history of the one piece of gear that sets the US fighting man (and woman) apart from the Russians, Chinese and ISIS.

http://taskandpurpose.com/the-reflective-belt-an-icon-of-the-global-war-on-terror/

I actually thought this article was a joke at first...

[Exhausted]

Combat glow belt for the win!

[nspreitler]

I had to laugh at this part

"Sometime in the 1990s, leaders realized that troops liked to conduct physical training in off-duty hours. Since most of these times fell before dawn or after dusk, troops would be running in the darkness, often on busy roads."

I never considered crawling out of bed before 0500 to be at PT before dawn to be "off-duty" hours.

The PT belt is a staple, in my Iraq tours it was always interesting going to the big FOBs. My first tour I was part of a 12-14 man team and we lived on a Iraqi Army base next to a US FOB. We would go over there for PX runs and chow. Quite often we would forget our PT belts only to be yelled at by some Fobbit SGM for not having them. My second tour was on a large FOB, you couldn't even get in the chow hall after dark without a PT belt. I tried one night since I had left my PT belt in my CHU (containerized housing unit, basically a shipping container with doors), and I couldn't get in so I had to go all the way across the FOB in the dark to get my belt before I could eat.

[82Whitey51]

Don't forget to don your GARB...(Gay A$$ Reflective Belt)!

Being Navy, PT hardly ever happens, let alone in off-duty hours...so, when I first showed up in Al Udeid AB in Qatar, I was a little surprised at how SERIOUS the Air Force took these belts! Mind you, Al Udeid is lit up like friggin' Vegas at all hours!

Once in country to Iraq, that thing went in the flight suit pocket...I ain't being a target for anyone, yet you still got idiots come up to you bitchin' about "where's your reflective belt?". It was the most idiotic thing I'd ever encountered...next to the Air Force Security Police dude who wanted to charge me with having "contraband" for smoking a Cuban cigar down in Al Udied.

Edited May 10, 2016 by 82Whitey51

[82Whitey51]

The PT belt is a staple, in my Iraq tours it was always interesting going to the big FOBs. My first tour I was part of a 12-14 man team and we lived on a Iraqi Army base next to a US FOB. We would go over there for PX runs and chow. Quite often we would forget our PT belts only to be yelled at by some Fobbit SGM for not having them. My second tour was on a large FOB, you couldn't even get in the chow hall after dark without a PT belt. I tried one night since I had left my PT belt in my CHU (containerized housing unit, basically a shipping container with doors), and I couldn't get in so I had to go all the way across the FOB in the dark to get my belt before I could eat.

^ This...

I hear ya. Long before it was a TV mini series, I read "Band of Brothers" and this quote by Paul Fussel in there about "chickensh!t" should be required reading for every NCO;

“Chickensh!t refers to behavior that makes military life worse than it need be: petty harassment of the weak by the strong; open scrimmage for power and authority and prestige; sadism thinly disguised as necessary discipline; a constant 'paying off of old scores'; and insistence on the letter rather than the spirit of ordinances.”

Edited May 10, 2016 by 82Whitey51

[Exhausted]

I hear ya. Long before it was a TV mini series, I read "Band of Brothers" and this quote by Paul Fussel in there about "chickensh!t" should be required reading for every NCO;

“Chickensh!t refers to behavior that makes military life worse than it need be: petty harassment of the weak by the strong; open scrimmage for power and authority and prestige; sadism thinly disguised as necessary discipline; a constant 'paying off of old scores'; and insistence on the letter rather than the spirit of ordinances.”

there is so much truth in that.... that seems to be the single biggest lasting tradition

[TaiidanTomcat]

For when you don't know if your biggest worry is a sniper or a poorly driven vehicle

Duffel blog had a great one about a soldier hanging himself with his glow belt and his sergeant desperately asking how he could tell his troops the belts saved lives now

All those boot officers during the safety at alll costs 1990s are running the show now. Can't be surprised. Going to hAve to wait 20 years for the GWOT folks to get back to combat mindset. Losing the Nam generation in the 1990s hurt, their determination to avoid stupidity is missed

[nspreitler]

For when you don't know if your biggest worry is a sniper or a poorly driven vehicle

Duffel blog had a great one about a soldier hanging himself with his glow belt and his sergeant desperately asking how he could tell his troops the belts saved lives now

All those boot officers during the safety at alll costs 1990s are running the show now. Can't be surprised. Going to hAve to wait 20 years for the GWOT folks to get back to combat mindset. Losing the Nam generation in the 1990s hurt, their determination to avoid stupidity is missed

I agree with most of that, except the officers. Officers typically don't push things like PT belts to extremes. SNCOs put out uniform standards, when I was a company commander I was pretty obvious in my disgust of the PT belt. The uniform for area beautification (also an area SNCOs obsess over) included a PT belt and a Camelback. This to mow the grass in front of the company. Nevermind it was 100 meters from the road and there was a water fountain just inside the front door.

[rightwinger26]

In the Navy, the only time the PT uniform has to be worn is at organized command PT, and our semi annual PFA's. At least in aviation, there isn't a whole lot of time for command structure PT, so they hardly get worn. A lot of sailors wear them to workout any way, since they have them, why mess up your personal stuff. Myself, and most people I go to the gym with wear our own stuff, its more comfortable I think. The only belts we have are for moving aircraft, and they usually get thrown over a shoulder, and aren't used on the ship.

[TaiidanTomcat]

I agree with most of that, except the officers. Officers typically don't push things like PT belts to extremes. SNCOs put out uniform standards, when I was a company commander I was pretty obvious in my disgust of the PT belt. The uniform for area beautification (also an area SNCOs obsess over) included a PT belt and a Camelback. This to mow the grass in front of the company. Nevermind it was 100 meters from the road and there was a water fountain just inside the front door.

SNCOs are like those robots in post apocalypse Sci first novels that just keep functioning by default programming despite living in dead cities.

[William G]

We had them in the 80's and early 90's.

Not to this level of stupidity.

History of the Reflective Belt.

William G

[TaiidanTomcat]

We had them in the 80's and early 90's.

Not to this level of stupidity.

History of the Reflective Belt.

William G

I remember my dad having one and he got out of the USAF in 1992 after 20 years

[Drifterdon]

I got out in '04 after 20 years in the AF and never had one.

[Scott R Wilson]

I got out in '04 after 20 years in the AF and never had one.

We had to wear them at night on the flight lines at Ramstein 1983-86 and McChord 1986-91. We derisively called them "disco belts" at both bases. It made such perfect sense, wear camouflage so as not to be seen and disco belts to make sure that you were seen (that was sarcasm for anyone that didn't get it).

Edited May 14, 2016 by Scott R Wilson

[Johnopfor]

[Johnopfor]

[yardbird78]

A similar situation exists with Air Force ground equipment. It used to all be bright yellow for visibility, ie, don't run into the stuff while driving on the flight line. The in the early 1980s, some genius in a high and mighty place, got the bright idea that low visibility was the key to success when the Rooskies flew over the base and started bombing all the ground equipment. The result was that all that yellow stuff turned into olive drab stuff. Since OD is hard to see, even in daylight, they put white, reflective tape all over the equipment so that you could see it easily.

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