Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1000484
on the inside that were fastened with snaps. Above the holes for the pocket flaps, there were 1-inch webbing straps for grenades and other gear. The vest itself had no attachment points for the camouflage covers. Soldiers receives the covers brand new, packed in wrap with a picture instruction of how to attach it. The attachment was pretty difficult when it came to putting the collar and the shoulders pads of the vest in the correct places of the cover. One had to, i.a. fold the whole shoulder pads and insert it through a narrow, about 2-3 cm wide slit and then find and draw fixing strings through tight slits. Desert covers were issued during the Desert Storm and in Somalia and the production was ceased in 1991. The last contract award was DLA100-91-C-0329 (28 January 1991). Due to the introduction of new three-color desert camouflage patterns, new covers were introduced on 17 October 1990. Their design did not change, and they were still made of NYCO Twill. New covers were also produced in three sizes with the following NSNs: XS (8470-01-327-8546) , S/M (8470-01- 327-5362), and L/XL (8470-01-327-8547). The last contract for desert cases was SPO100-03-D-EA99, order: 0002 (15 August 2003). Those covers were also issued in the early phase of OEF for Marine Expeditionary Units for use with IBA OTVs. They did not match the vest at all, but provided some concealment in Afghanistan. Olive green PASGT and T-Pattern covers Among the standard elements of equipment, there always have to be something unusual that will keep the collectors busy in the future. So far, the PASGT vest in solid OG outershell has been an unsolved mystery. We know at least two medium-sized pieces of such variant of the vest. The vest was produced by U.S. SMALL BUSSINESS ADMINISTRATION under the DLA100- 84-C-0323 contract, but the user has been unknown till this day. The vests have exactly the same tags and NSNs as the Woodland vest. In 1998-1999, USMC conducted series of tests for uniforms and camouflages used for use in urban environment. As a part of the contract SPO100-97-D-EA71, T-pattern covers were produced at UNICOR. All the T-pattern covers has the exactly the same tags as the UNICOR desert covers. PASGT in use PASGT vests were deployed for the first time with Marines in Lebanon in 1982-1983 and on Grenada in 1983, but you it must be noted that Marines in Lebanon were not only equipped with new vests, but also with the stocks of test CM/ICM vests in both variants. Then, PASGT vests were used in Panama. They were used on the greatest scale during the First Gulf War. In the 1990s, vests were used in Somalia by Marines (Rangers used RBA, Ranger Body Armor, at that time) and during the peacekeeping missions in the Balkans (IFOR, SFOR, and KFOR). In the Balkans, some soldiers were issued with ISAPO (Interim Small Arms Protective Overvest), which were basically ceramic plates holders (think very low end plate carrier) placed under the PASGT vest. ISAPO was never integrated into the PASGT system. However, the combination of PASGT with ISAPO was definitely too heavy, since ISAPO with plates weighed 7.5 kg and with PASGT – over 11 kilograms. Everyone noticed the need for improvements of the protection of upper body parts. Already during the KFOR in Kosovo in 1999, some units replaced PASGT vests with latest IBA (Interceptor Body Armor). During the OIF 2003, PASGT were only used in rear units. US Navy has been using them until now for gun stations. www.fragoutmag.com