Primary Arms

5th Group Goes Retro During Training Exercise

SSG Patrick Howard of the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) Public Affairs Office took these photos of 5th Group NCOs conducting an exercise on Fort Campbell with Troop, 1st Squadron, 75th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.

The battle drills, mission planning and casualty care is oretty standard fare, but what makes these photos interesting is the Green Berets depicted in the photos chose to go old school by wearing Tigerstripe uniforms.

This image in a articulations harkens back to 5th Group’s Vietnam experience. The full color patches are interesting choice.


24 Responses to “5th Group Goes Retro During Training Exercise”

  1. C. Myngs says:

    That’s too cool. Love the green jungle boots & the bandages used as sweatbands.

  2. Spot On ! What a treat. This is Waliking the Dog on high beam.

  3. Sommerbiwak says:

    LARP day? Daddy’s MACV-SOG?

  4. JK says:

    Fucking badass is what that is!

  5. PTMcCain says:

    Guess because it was a training exercise, it was a “sight-optional” event, notice the one guy running his M4 without an optic and without his rear sight up.

  6. Harry says:

    I’m surprised the command let the guys run around in a very non-standard uniform and that they let these pics see the light of day given the angst that ball caps occasioned just a few years ago.

    • Will says:

      New CSM, so theyll be good for a year or so till the next one takes over and its 5th infantry group again

  7. Alpha2 says:

    Nice!!!

  8. txJM says:

    That is so sexy.

  9. Stefan S. says:

    Only missing is the cravat Drive on rag.

  10. Bob says:

    I guess you haven’t heard that SMA Daily’s new dress greens are so well received that the next step is a retro combat uniform.

  11. Mitchell Fuler says:

    Bring it all back;

    Khakis

    ERDL pattern Jungle Fatigues

    Tiger Stripe uniforms for those deep missions

    What is old is new again.

  12. Bob 2 says:

    Good stuff. Shows how effective the tiger stripes are.

  13. Walt Fletcher says:

    Cool, thought I was the only one with my Vietnam era Tiger Stripes!

  14. Keoni May says:

    Jungle-Tiger BDUs don’t blend outside of a jungle.

  15. Casey says:

    Hmmm…non-standard uniforms, wonky patches…maybe a little jab at the SEALS with their new orders to tighten up on discipline?

    Super cool either way. Somebody should have had the chopped down M79 though. Or a canteen pouch stuffed with M4 mags

  16. Andy says:

    I wonder if they were portraying a partner force for the training. We did OPFOR for an arty BDE this summer and were issued tiger stripes and AKs. Our NG guys looked very similar (less cool guy gear) to the SF guys in the pics. I was amazed at how well the tiger stripes worked. We were infiltrating lines and slapping our unit stickers on the BLUFOR trucks daily.