U.S. Soldiers in Iraq: Do They Need Fixed Blades?

m_calingo said:
From Double-Tongued Dictionary:

fobbitn. a soldier or other person stationed at a secure forward operating base; (hence) a person who is reluctant or afraid to leave a military base. Subjects: English, Iraq, Military

A forward operating base hobbit.
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Back in my days we called them "Garrison Commandos."
 
65535 said:
Busse has a lot of knives over there as do Strider and Ka-Bar you got to feel sad for the smuck who uses an issued knife.
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what knives do you think they are issued? some may be issued bayonets but that's about it. Most of my squad bought first run Gerber LMFs.
 
One of the senior NCOs in my unit tried to tell me tat I would go to jail if I killed someone (legitimately) with my knife because I wasn't qualified on it. Uh huh.

Only pussies use guns? Welcom to the 21st century, Engineer. I suppose we should trade in our VG-10 for napped flint and obsidian, right?

I would like to thank whoever it was for inlcuding MPs in the list of "shooters." A lot of people still think of us as the WWI MPs who just busted drunk soldiers. Our current mission is really more closely related to SF (the training and management of local security forces) than it is to garrison law enforcement. We need the support guys, too, but it is nice to see my soldiers get credit for the dangerous mission they do.
 
Raggio,
You men and women are doing a TREMENDOUS job over in the middle east.
My oldest son is a LtCol in the USMC, Force Unit CO. He's in Afghanistan for the 3rd time.
My youngest is a fighter pilot (USNA Grad) on a Nimitz Class carrier. He's been to the Gulf four times.
Any of the fine young men and women serving in our military should ever be referred to as "smucks"...whatever the hell that is... only a fool and coward would do so.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX, join the military, pick up a weapon, and take your turn as first though door or into the cave.
We have a few critics here who would XXXX in their pants if the little next door neighbor girl would say "BOO" to them. So they stay in their rooms, submit these ludicrous postings ... but I guess their fathers are just as happy that they don't have to look at them, their dissapointment must be monumental, just as it must be with classmates, relatives, and society as a whole..... losers are losers.....
This is their pathetic way of getting some 15 seconds of noteriety.

Raggio .... Best of Luck to you and your unit....
May GOD smile on you, and the fine young men and women like you who allow us to sleep in peace at night.
You are Our Country's finest .... and you deserve our respect, support, and prayers.

Respectfully,
John Garth
 
This may sound crazy, but I've always fantisized about taking a HI 20" Ang Khola with a wood handle to war, that is if I ever joined a branch. I know that it would be heavy and probably not allowed, but if I was ever given a chance.......... But hey, a man can dream can't he?
 
There was a post, I think maybe in practical tactical where a soldier got into a clinchwith an enemy. He had no knife. He REALLY wished he did. I think he does now. I think in the urban enclosed area a combat knife would be required. It's just too easy for one of the enemy to pop up from hiding right in your face. A knife could be the only option. Of course, I am not military. Just seems logical. Thank you to all who serve/have served.
 
John79 said:
This may sound crazy, but I've always fantisized about taking a HI 20" Ang Khola with a wood handle to war, that is if I ever joined a branch. I know that it would be heavy and probably not allowed, but if I was ever given a chance.......... But hey, a man can dream can't he?
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To the best of my knowledge only the Nepalese Gurkhas are actually issued kukris. If you're not from Nepal, you might be out of luck joining the Gurkhas.

On the other hand, I have heard of (some) U.S. troops going in the field armed with tomahawks, in addition to their regular gear. More stuff for the FOBBITS to have a coronary over, no doubt.
 
I really can't understand what any reasonable officer could possibly have against soldiers carrying knives? Knives have always been an important tool for any soldier, why should they suddenly become verboten, and out of all countries in the USA, which has certainly fought a lot of big wars during the last hundred years and should know as well as anyone how soldiers need to be equipped?
 
thats the thing they dont care about all they care about is press time and numbers if it dont look good in the press you cant have it the same with gear the way its set up has to be the same even if it works better a different way for different people but the uniformatity comes in to play
 
Thanks to you men who cleared up that word "FOBBIT." I was in the Army so long ago my issue weapon was an M1 Garand, so my understanding of the current "slang," stopped many, many moons ago. ;)

Best of luck to our men and women who serve and go in harm's way.

L.W.
 
We actually used refurbished Garands on my high school Drill Team, got pretty familiar with mine like an old friend...Yet...never even held it like a real weapon, amazed to finally hear from some one who really deserved the bragging rights for having handled one.

As for the main topic, I went through a JROTC program, the minority of its members who actually went into the military probably ended up becoming FOBbit Lords. Air Force is a fine branch, but these kids were going for desk jobs and vague officer positions that promised power above service. I was the rougher-cut simpleton who never cited manual paragraphs at the end of philosophy quotes. Nowadays I send away care packages for Marines, and those former cadet officers are probably yes-sirring their way into a pension in some air conditioned base.

Ironically...Back on school trips and the like, I was the 'liability with a concealed weapon'. It was a Leatherman, and it did more good for myself and others than some of those future paper pushers ever did. Likewise, out in the real world with the real war where things really matter, those guys need everything they can get.
 
Knife is oldest mankind tool-weapon. It has no play on modern battlefield, but this modern battle field can turn into stone edge battlefield pretty fast when something went wrong.

Somehow you may end up away from you base, ammunition supplies, vehicle, team etc... Is it possible - yes sometimes it may happen even to supermodern solders. Knife is compact and universal and always ready tool or weapon which you can carry on yourself for emergency. And with less efficiency then other tool but you still be able to build shelter, make other tools, repaired equipment, defend yourself, chop some wood to make fire, hunt and prepare some food etc...

Some people recommend to have on you body in different places several knives so even if you captured and tied up you may reach one of them or just wounded or locked inside vehicle...

But if everything is going right no need for knife. However every jet fighter pilot has knife - do you know why? Of course not to cut enemy pilots or wings of enemy jets in the air, but in emergency pack.

There is some area where knife can be only used like fighting in ammunition warehouse or in places where your own bullet can ricochet to you - like in caves. But in general there is not to much job for knife in modern army.

Thanks, Vassili.
 
JGarth said:
Raggio,
You men and women are doing a TREMENDOUS job over in the middle east.
My oldest son is a LtCol in the USMC, Force Unit CO. He's in Afghanistan for the 3rd time.
My youngest is a fighter pilot (USNA Grad) on a Nimitz Class carrier. He's been to the Gulf four times.
Any of the fine young men and women serving in our military should ever be referred to as "smucks"...whatever the hell that is... only a fool and coward would do so.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX, join the military, pick up a weapon, and take your turn as first though door or into the cave.
We have a few critics here who would XXXX

Respectfully,
John Garth
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It's good to hear this from one who knows more about what is going on over here. I always use the term of "FOBBIT" in an kind way. This war is not one with a FEBA or any other distinct front line on the battlefield. I know there's a lot of door-kickers over here, but there's a lot of support troops very much in harms way every day...truck drivers, Psyops/CA, MP's, helo-busdrivers, engineers, signal, medics, logisticians, admin...you name it, the environment isn't just a threat to those that are actually looking for a fight. I've always loved the Marine mentality of being a Marine first, and your occupational specialty is secondary. Fortunatly the Army is pushing hard to encompass the "Warrior" ethos and mentality for all Soldiers.

John Garth, my appreciation goes out to your family over here fighting and the rest of your family supporting us all...

ROCK6
 
nozh2002 said:
But in general there is not to much job for knife in modern army.
Thanks, Vassili.
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I would only agree with you Vassili when talking about a knife being used as a weapon...I would say 99.9% of the time the knife will always be a needed tool on the battlefield. That 0.1% where it might be needed as an emergency weapon, is that 0.1% time where you need to remember the old adage of "it's better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it".

ROCK6
 
knives as tools should be perfectly fine, but 'fighting' knives would be pointless without any accompanying training. Service members differ from civilians mainly from constant training, and what's one of the first questions always asked when a thread pops up for SD knife suggestions... Do you have any training?
 
Confederate said:
I've understood that soldiers very much need and want folding and locking knives, but do they need fixed blades at all? Are they even allowed to carry them? I've heard that military commanders don't want them carrying Ka-Bars and other fixed blades because they might intimidate the Iraqi civilians. What's going on?
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I carried a Cold Steel Kuhkri for a little while as well as my improved Tomahawk, a Buck Nighthawk and my TOP's Firehawk(I believe that is the name). I like a little diversity in the blades I carry!!

Intimidate? Yes, but not a big deal since the ones I was trying to intimidate were the bad guys and no one else.

Everyone of my guys were issued K-bars (cheap ones)! Most already had their own fixed blades.
 
a "Fobbit" is someone that never leaves the FOB (foreward operating base)
a "remf" is, well that is self explanitory I believe.

There are plenty of Fobbits/REMF's over in Iraq!! Ever been to the Green Zone or BIAP??? I remember doing a combat patrol and entering the FOB just to get these wild eye'd looks from the Fobbits who seem amazed by us covered in dirt, tired and weathered. Then we run into the freak who decides that for us to take care of business we need to get a block on this new form that they just revamped initialed and drive back through a bunch of not so friendly places to get the Squadron Commander to initial of on this "new" form they developed and failed to inform the units out in the field of!!
Yes there are plenty of clowns who have never left their FOB, there of plenty of clowns who have never engaged a person in a direct firefight, there are plenty of people who have never killed someone and even though they have never had a round in anger fired at them, have never left the FOB which is as big as a small city they claim to have been in combat. Those are REMF's/FOBBITs and they exist!!
 
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