On this Day in 1991: The AC-130A Spectre “Azrael” was sent to the Al Jahra highway between Kuwait City and Basrah, Iraq, to intercept the convoys of tanks, trucks, buses and cars fleeing the battle. Facing numerous enemy batteries of SA-6 and SA-8 surface-to-air missiles, and 37mm and 57mm radar-guided anti-aircraft artillery, the crew attacked the enemy skillfully, inflicting significant damage on the convoys. Learn more here thanks to the National Museum of the United States Air Force.
From the late 1970s until the early 1990s, Lowe Alpine Systems offered a military line of packs called Vector. I owned a Woodland LCS-85 pack which is similar to the LCS-84 seen here, but I had also used an OD LOCO at 3ID LRS. LOCOs are rarely found with the rappelling harness as those were used long after the packs were discarded. These are pages from their catalog from the mid-80s.
“In 1978 in response to their experience in the U.S. Special Forces, Greg and Mike Lowe began designing to the needs of the U.S. Army and Marines as well as search and rescue organizations. Today, based on wide ranging input from outdoorsmen, hunters, rescue groups, SWAT teams and the military, Vector has become the leader in backpack design and innovation.”
Published in 2016, “Soviet And Mujahideen Uniforms, Clothing And Equipment Of The Soviet-Afghan War, 1979-1989” by Zammis Schein catalogs the author’s extensive collection of wartime artifacts.
The 500-page volume contains every conceivable variant of Soviet uniform, including armor crew, aircrew, infantry and spetznaz as well as women’s ensembles.
Mujahideen clothing has also been catalogued. Much of it will be quite familiar to those who have served in Afghanistan. In fact, that’s where the author began his collection, while working as an interpreter.
The collection is certainly impressive and includes inert models of the infamous PFM-1 “Butterfly” landmine.
Additionally, the author has included pocket litter such as ID cards, letters and other ephemera.
The book has value as a reference document but I wish it had also featured the historical images depicting the equipment in use which were used by the author to validate the items.
You can get your copy from www.amazon.com.
CMSgt Alcide “Bull” Benini portrait, reproduced from Gathering of Eagles drawing (with permission).
This graphic hangs in the Combat Control School Heritage Foundation Museum at Pope Field, NC. Benini was designated the first Combat Controlled in 1953 and the Museum is named in his honor.
Gathering of Eagles Foundation
I wanted to share these two photos of MG Ken Bowra when he was a 1LT serving in MACV-SOG’s CCN (TF1AE), in 1971 l, as the Reconnaissance Team Leader (One-Zero) of Recon Teams Idaho and Sidewinder. He wore an AK chest rig during missions and also sewed pockets on to the sleeves of his ERDL jungle fatigues.
These wartime mods were replicated by individuals and small units from the war, up into the early 00s, but eventually became standard.
Vietnam: L Co Ranger with a chrome P38.
