Stuff to take to LDAC...

[Un4given]

Okay, I'm leaving in 6 days... Anxious. :roll:

Anywho...
I wanna make sure I take everything I need with me. Sure they gave us a packing list, but it seemed a lil scarce. Here's what all I have:
http://www.pic-storage.info/images/885209466.jpg
http://www.pic-storage.info/images/964746880.jpg

Here's the packing list we received, here (http://fasn8n.us/WHAT%20TO%20BRING%20To%20LDAC%202005.doc)

Now that's all the stuff I have minus maybe one or two things, oh and my uniforms are on a hanger. Is there any other essentials I'm missing? I just wanna be squared away.

[Aries]

beef jerky, sunflower seeds, gatorade mix, bungy cord, 550 cord, extra PTs, more brown t-shirts, gold bond, wet wipes, more beef jerky and more sunflower seeds.

[Aries]

oh yeah.. gummi bears and chewing gum.

[Cerebroden]

damn kid looks like those kneepads have already seen some good use

[Cerebroden]

water proof paper is good an all but doesn't work if you don't have a water proof pen, dry erase and something laminated might help

[Un4given]

Great ideas fellas! I really appreciate all that so far. I got 9 brown t's goin' w/me, I forgot i have 550 and bungie in my car right now... but jerky, dude i could honestly live on that and that shit is expensive, how much you suggest i take?


damn kid looks like those kneepads have already seen some good useOh yeah, I dont go anywhere w/o my knee pads. When doing STX I use 'em, but during the AAR and any other time they're around the ankles because if you wear those things for an 8 hour day doing STX the back of your knees will be raw.

And that's what I need, is a grease pen or something. I went to wally world to get a fine point dry erase but all they had was those fat ones professors use. Might have to go else where.

[Associate289]

beef jerky, sunflower seeds, gatorade mix, bungy cord, 550 cord, extra PTs, more brown t-shirts, gold bond, wet wipes, more beef jerky and more sunflower seeds.


oh yeah.. gummi bears and chewing gum.

make sure you hide all pogey bait, cause if they see it during shake down, you're gonna lose it.

[Aries]

are you serious? those guys are fucking nazi's. that shit was mandatory at USMA. make sure you have something to fucking snack on or you are gonna be one pissed off puppy. most of the time we didnt have time to eat so it was easy to reach into the pocket, grab some jerky and chew as you march to the beat of the drum.. or something like that..

[HerdROTC]

It's been discussed on here before, but everyone that goes wishes they had some sort of mosquito netting. I've heard stories of TAC's confiscating that stuff, but if yer gonna hide jerky, I'd go ahead and hide that too. Another thing ya might wanna look into if ya haven't already is a small clip board. I bought one (it's about 7in long by 5 wide) at walmart for a dollar. Def. a great thing to have on landnav when you're plotting points and azimuth. It's also nice just to always have a solid surface to write on and it fits in the cargo pocket of the pants without a problem

[Un4given]

Look closesly on the left side of the bottom picture, there's a clipboard under some stuff. ;)

Netting, on my checklist. ;)

[Jake the Skillet]

Those look like new socks too, better wash them first or your feet are going to turn black and fuzzy.

Good Luck, I have under 3 weeks till it's my turn

[Aries]

eh.. socks are for babys. but if you are gonna wear socks, i highly suggest nylon socks

[HerdROTC]

when I posted, yer pics weren't showing up. Good call getting it

[neo]

Wear socks inside out to. Have the rough edge grip the boot. Lowers chances of blisters

Take some blister shit with you also. Almost everyone got one while I was there.

Don't know if you still use TAC SOP booklets. But I lamenated oall of mine so it was waterproof and I could do OPORD's with a dry-erase on top of the sample format. Was very useful.

Just my thoughts. And you can buy plenty of poogie bait once you get there.

[airjun]

is it alright if i get my maxim subscription forworded to lewis while im there ?

[Soldado]

sure is...If I`m in your squad you better share, hey where did you get your packing list from? my school was lagging with that info I had to get it myself...so is this thing right, just 2 BDU's, two pairs wool socks, two PFU's, and just 4 brown shirts...I dunno about this, I know CIF issues u shit but will it be enough... also if you all got my same list, whats up with item 47 and 48?

[airjun]

i posted it on 3rd reg's form, its on western regions site

[airjun]

who cares....they're advised not required, but im going to bring a set of the old PT sweats to check that box. I was going to bring panties to freak the tac out.....and for my own comfort of course

[Storming Heaven]

I've heard ziplock baggies. LOTS of them. Ziplock baggies for everything.

[marauder]

thats what I always do. Found it keeps my shit dry and saves a little space.

[marauder]

So what is the best place to hide beef jerky/ other shit? Do they just check what you have in your uniform or go through your ruck or what? (havn't gone anywhere in uniform with out jerky/ PB M&Ms etc. don't want my streak to end)

[Sammy Sandbag]

You'll have to dump everything out when you get there, no sense it packing it neatly. It depends on your TAC Sgt, but he took nearly everything away from us that wasn't on the packing list. As time went on they allowed us to go into lock-up and get some items back.

[Ezmartini]

I think you know where you need to hide your pogey bait. Once again, those ziploc bags come in handy. :shock:

[Birddog]

Trade those "spin" locks in for a Master lock #175... Let's you set your own 4 number combination. Easier to manipulate in a hurry. Also, one of those small red led lights if you don't have it...

[Un4given]

Haha I had an LTC aviator tell me yesterday to do whatever I can to take a GPS w/me. He was just fuckin' around though, he's never been on the Lewis course. He said ziplock bag, GPS, you know where it goes. I was like wtf!? lol

[Soldado]

all i want to be allowed in is my big ruck sack dammit, and maybe some jerky..

[Un4given]

Big ruck? C'mon man, learn to pack right, get a small one.

[airjun]

i dont like big rucks, unless you pack it full, shit just doesnt sit right in them and the ruck gets all deformed and lobsided

[Aries]

i dont like small rucks. cant fit shit in it at all.

[Sammy Sandbag]

all i want to be allowed in is my big ruck sack dammit, and maybe some jerky..

They won't allow it. I had a large ruck with the aftermarket pads and shoulder straps, it was nice. They made me use the tore up small packs. You can just buy some jerky at the PX if you don't bring it yourself. And with all the crap they make you bring, having a large is sorta nice, especially if for the radio.

[Aries]

yeah.. i remember seeing this one new cadet marching around with the small ruck. he was about 6'10" or so.. had a size 15/16 shoes. damn boots couldnt even fit into his ruck

[CombatCady]

I'm a small guy, so my gear (boots, uniforms, etc.) aren't very big. Add to that the fact that I'm fairly proficient at packing a ruck, and it makes for a favorable opinion of the medium rucks.

[Soldado]

I can fit it, its just better not to do so, gotta pull everything out just to get something..

[Un4given]

Okay, now I see this list (http://www.fasn8n.us/CC_Circ_145-05.doc).
Is all that shit necessary? You basically bring your entire LCE, is that true?

[airjun]

yup thats the one i posted. If youre not packing to that list youre wrong.....(tacs get anal if youre short on anything or not have anything for that matter )

I knew youre picture looked a little short, didnt know you were actually bringing that little.

[Un4given]

Ah, thanks for the heads up dude. I have everything there but my mags, gotta go get them.

[EGRS_LTW]

How many towels should I take? I have a couple but I'm thinking of only taking one to try and save space.

[LDAC05]

I packed 2! Does anyone know what we report in?

[Aries]

towels? are you serious?

you arent allowed to have towels at LDAC. you dont shower the entire time. its one big ass FTX.

[killernurse]

I either have 2 or 3... don't remember. You report in civies; someone is at the airport to get you to Lewis. My cadre instructed us to 'be comfortable, but look okay. no piercings, visible tattoos, underwear hanging out or 'hoochie mommy' dresses.

[Aries]

haha.. KN in a hoochie momma dress. thats funny. so what happens if you have visible tattoos? like on your forearm or calf or something like that? are you sent home?

[burlazzi]

I would not so much be worried about towels but rather the other tasks at hand... ie evals.

[killernurse]

so what happens if you have visible tattoos? like on your forearm or calf or something like that? are you sent home? you're not sent home, but it can hurt you off the bat- bad first impressions- you can wear whatever you want.

[Aries]

seriously. you can always buy towels (although they probably have those really thin white one that dont soak up any water and hurt like hell). do you have a terrain model kit? if your TACSOP laminated and tabbed? do you have the proper tools and such to be effective while you are there?

and do you have any questions on things such as attacking a bunker, movement to contact, patrolling, the easiest way to write a field opord, pathfinder operations, rappelling, cadences, leadership, PT planning, squad attack, ambush, dealing with civilians in a training environment (i know Wes, different than in the field) or any of the other million things you might end up donig (you wont do pathfinder ops so dont worry) out there? cuz those are the things you shoudl be worrying about. not if your pink thong is going to clash with your BDU's (and KN, i suggest you take that little black lace number you were telling me about. the one with the small bow in the back :wink:

[burlazzi]

"the easiest way to write a field opord?"Go into that alittle bit

[Aries]

eh. they have to deal with it. the army regs state that as long as they are not seen in class A's, you are good to go. i would walk around with a tanktop, my cross on one arm, my P/R (soon) on the other, and the fire horns of my ram (or if i dont have that one yet, just my ram) shoign on my back. they can deal with it.

What are they going to do when I do my battle drills and field oporders perfectly? give me an S cuz I have a tattoo?

there really are some stupid ass people in this world. that is one of the reasons I love my tattoos. people see me in a suit and are like "wow, he really is articulate, intelligent, and knows what he is talking about". then we have asome type of picnic or something or they see some pictures and are like "you have a tattoo? i never would have thought that about you."

[killernurse]

(and KN, i suggest you take that little black lace number you were telling me about. the one with the small bow in the back :wink:WTF? :shock:

[Aries]

ok. one of the things i learned was just listen for the right stuff. its pretty simple. i was always the recorder when we did stuff cuz I didnt write down every last piece of information. know that when you get the mission from "higher" that it goes in the higher unit missions spot. know to listen for the basic mission of those surrounding you. but there is a lot of shit that you are not concerned with. at least half of the stuff that you get in the OPORD does not concern you, and thats where most of the guys got flustered in my batt. they would write down everything and just add in useless shit to their opord. then they would go home and practice while me, C and kawika went out drinking (kawika is the only one to go to camp, and he still got one of the top in his regiment. me and C didnt go for other reasons.) the three of us were still able to do the ops better. why? cuz you dont have to think that hard.

I know some people would draw up little templates, with blank spots. i never liked that cuz then you had to look for where it was supposed to go, and if it didnt fit you were fucked. I would just write down what i heard that i needed. then afterwards just know that I would read it and have to flip pages or something, or rewrite it. when it comes to your terrain model, have someone set that up for you. but make sure they use a kit that you know (funny shit watching someone use someone elses TMK). while they are doing that you work on finalizing the opord. use delegation to get shit done. make sure that you at elast check the block on making sure that everyone knows who is doing what (example: we talked earlier about having teams set earlier. and in your squad already having Aid and litter,EPQ, demo, point, compass, and secondaries. when you give your warning order say "i need this from you. and this from you". as long as the TAC sees that you are asking them for it, they wont care if you already have it written down in your book.)

training scenarios are easy. they are designed for you to be able to do them, not to make you completely fuck up (although yo can fuck up an ambush i they make you crawl right up to the road, with no cover, and you are actually laying down on the ground and not in a position looking down on them. fucking dumbass ROTC bullshit.)

any questions. PM me. i didnt go to camp, but i know enough of how to do things to help you.

[Associate289]

its amazing how much the dirty civilian who never went to camp knows. hes right.

[Aries]

remember that this dirty civilian who never went to camp also was supposed to be done with OBC by now if he had stayed on his initial path.

[Aries]

wait. did associate just say something positive about me?

thanks, but i still wont have sex with you.

[Associate289]

thats what they all say

[Skull6]

LMFAO! Boy, is this bringing back some OLD memories...

Listen up--there's some dang good info here. You'll need to ask yourself 2 very important questions:

1) (Asked prior to starting to pack your ruck) "What do I really NEED to pack to be an effective leader in the field for around a month? (Need does NOT = want here)

2) (Asked upon just completing LDAC) "What the hell did I lug around for about a month that I never used? (& make sure you remove it from future packing lists)

A third question for you brainiacks out there can be asked at this point as well, but it ain't necessary if you answered the first question properly) "What could I have brought to make the vacation a bit easier?" (ie: What the Hell did I forget THAT for?")

Make sure to keep the resulting packing list that you produce AFTER the LDAC in your possession. When you are actually the leader in an AC unit about to conduct an actual opn, you'll thank us for this advice.

P.S. Learn your "map folding 101" well, & go get a large (gallon) sized ziplock bag. Practice folding a MIM (Military Installation Map) small enough & flat enough to fit into that ziplock bag. You'll be the talk of the town when folks see you've done this, I assure you. You can write on the ziplock bag with a wax pencil, fold it in half & stow it in a cargo pocket for later use successfully.

Put your compass on a dummy cord (with a whistle if you're brave), hang it around your head & keep the compass in a chest pocket. Won't lose it & it's always handy. All the more reason not to let the seamstress sew your pockets shut on your field BDUs.

If you don't already have a set, string some pace counter beads NOW, & hang them off your left pocket. You'll have enough to try to remember "rote-ly"...

[Skull6]

LMFAO! Boy, is this bringing back some OLD memories...

Listen up--there's some dang good info here. You'll need to ask yourself 2 very important questions:

1) (Asked prior to starting to pack your ruck) "What do I really NEED to pack to be an effective leader in the field for around a month? (Need does NOT = want here)

2) (Asked upon just completing LDAC) "What the hell did I lug around for about a month that I never used? (& make sure you remove it from future packing lists)

A third question for you brainiacks out there can be asked at this point as well, but it ain't necessary if you answered the first question properly) "What could I have brought to make the vacation a bit easier?" (ie: What the Hell did I forget THAT for?")

Make sure to keep the resulting packing list that you produce AFTER the LDAC in your possession. When you are actually the leader in an AC unit about to conduct an actual opn, you'll thank us for this advice.

P.S. Learn your "map folding 101" well, & go get a large (gallon) sized ziplock bag. Practice folding a MIM (Military Installation Map) small enough & flat enough to fit into that ziplock bag. You'll be the talk of the town when folks see you've done this, I assure you. You can write on the ziplock bag with a wax pencil, fold it in half & stow it in a cargo pocket for later use successfully.

Put your compass on a dummy cord (with a whistle if you're brave), hang it around your head & keep the compass in a chest pocket. Won't lose it & it's always handy. All the more reason not to let the seamstress sew your pockets shut on your field BDUs.

If you don't already have a set, string some pace counter beads NOW, & hang them off your left pocket. You'll have enough to try to remember "rote-ly"...

[Aries]

good shit there. but sadly cadet command is nowhere near as lenient as our training places when it comes to "doing what is best". they have a strict code which (i think) include no ranger beeds. or so i was told. I am not sure.

another thing i used to do was on my lce, i would cut the meathooks that attached the suspenders to the web belt. i replaced it with 550 cord and made it so i could adjust it easier if i was carrying a ruck or not. trust me, my back was spared when i did this during training. didnt do it throught Air Assault and the scars didnt go away for weeks.

[CombatCady]

Some problems with double-posts. Hit "Reply" and get "Site Not Found" bullshit, so go back, hit post again, and it double-posts. Fucking Interweb.