Not only has my Corps decided to take the lead and bring back the 1911, but check this out…
From the Marines facebook page:
All Terrain Vehicle.
Sgt. Justin D. Head, animal packing course chief instructor, excercises his mustang, Hondo, shortly after grazing. The animal packing course is the only one of its kindin the department of defense and teaches Marines and other military personnel how to effectively and efficiently work with beast of burden to transport munitions, supplies and wounded personnel to and from are
as inaccessible to mechanized and air transportation. The course, offered at the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center, teaches an introduction to animal packing, an anatomy of pack animals, animal packing techniques, casualty evacuation techniques, animal first aid and bivouac considerations.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Aaron Hostutler)
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Aaron Hostutler)
Now my guess is that it’s the only one of its kind because, well, we generally lack the support of the other services. And frankly, it’s part of what makes for a superior warfighter. It isn’t too far removed from my time in the Philippines. We used to have this 1′ diameter satellite dish we had to line up with another geosynchronous satellite to bounce communications out of the jungle. The soldiers in the area had them in the back of their trucks automatically keeping lined up. Us? We had it lashed to a stick and a Marine with his head out the window keeping it lined up with a compass.
Another time, we had Marines in my unit go on patrol tugging a goat around to slaughter and eat out in the field. Moto.