Jax,

Dude there are a ton of Tech Jobs on the DEMA website right now...... And theres a WMD AGR job open with 91st...... Email me and I'll point you in the right direction, The only thing that could hold you up is the fact that your so new to Guard.

Oh you know what your already in the 108th band right? why don't you look at the State Honor Guard? I'll look for the number tomorrow when I'm at the office......

uh..... yea..... 10 bucks he's a virgin, takers?

Roger that

Well from what unit's eyes are you doing this movie from? which branch of service? I'm assuming since you want an open desert kind of look you'd being going with 3rd ID or supporting elements, who went up through the open desert and on into Baghdad from the west.

But like I said you should look at exploring other options as far what time line you want to shoot this in....... Your not gonna get the right look and feel.

Really what you should do is get some books on the Invasion there's at least 100 different books out there! I'd recomend "Ambush Alley", "Generation Kill", or the book about my unit "The March Up" all those books are more of the Marine Corps experince and each is about 1st Mar Div's battle to Baghdad, but each is written from a different view point. Also there are alot more books about the 82nd, 3rd ID, and the 101st written as well, if what your looking for is the Soldier's perspective.

Remember your script is gonna need to be written the way warriors speak, and trust me it isn't "ghost recon 2" or "saving pvt ryan" you need to know the accronyms, the jargon, like Marine's aren't called Soldiers, and nobody calls a Sgt, "Sarg"........

But as I said unless you can get MOPP gear, everyone armed with an M16A2 (very very very few M4's during the push up) with a few SAW's, 50 cal's, MK-19's, a few hummvee's and a couple of 5 tons at the minimum, anyone who knows is gonna see right through your movie.

Thats why I really think you should make up a fictional story in the not so distant future.

Or maybe contact a few of our other National Guard Soldiers that post here about A-stan. They can better describe the sitiuation going on there, maybe give you some idea's. And of course pick up some books and learn your medium.

Trying to make a real movie based off something like this with zero knowledge and resouces is a bad idea.

So your "movie is based on OIF I? What do you know as far as the invasion of Iraq? I mean not to bust your balls kid but you were like 11 years old when we rolled up through Nasiriyah.....

So I'll tell you what, I'll fill you in on a few things during the Invasion, we were issued DCU's but never wore them due to the pending "gas attack" instead everyone wore MOPP gear (level 2) in the traditonal woodland cammie.

The majority of ground pounders wore IBA's (again in woodland) with no SAPI plates, we didn't have 'em. it was a mix of old ALICE gear and new "issued" MOLLE gear. Remember back then nobody really cared about being a gear queer, and there wasn't 9 million tac gear companies to buy the that cool *tactical wallet* we had what we had and that was it.

NOBODY WORE BLACK BOOTS. period, ever. black boots last about a day in the sandbox, and will cook your feet.  

I only know of a few times non uniformed combatives - "insurgents" engadged allied forces, There just wasn't many and the ones engaged and killed were either fedaydeen, or syrian nationals.

Also the vast majority of combat was during convoys either up ambush alley or through the british AO and up the tigris river. I'm not saying there was no engagments in the wide open desert, but....... 3rd ID didn't really mix it up till they secured BIAP. Until then the very vast majority of combat action was either in convoy or going through towns/vills. of course after the disaster in Nasiriyah (we lost alot of good Marines) all towns were bipassed and just bombed from the air. I don't have the time to explain this deeper.

Again I'm not trying to shoot holes in your movie asperations but I doubt you really understand your medium. You either may want to change the time frame of your project or even the location, as in A-stan, there is alot more foot patrol combat there, The invasion of Iraq was Mech and I doubt you can get 300 veh convoy's and have a firefight as well. hell why not just make it in the not so distant future.

Anyway good luck.

I'm trying to track down the guy I met during the 2/180 family day Arty shoot about 2 months ago.

To refresh I was the soldier he was talking to wearing the coyote brown gear.

If your on here I might have something you'd be intrested in.

Ganef what do you mean loose the useability of the side ones? I'm just wondering not knocking your knowledge.

The big reason must active military guys like cumberbunds is cause "in country" we wear the issue IBA and either attach the needed pouches to the IBA itself or wear some form of LBV that we put on over the IBA.

Most Joe's perfer carring ammo and mags low and around the stomach/waist area, that way when riding in a track/humvee your not uncomfortable. The other reason why, is it doesn't screw up your back.

You are right about 1000D Cordura Nylon, everything else is just waiting to fall apart.