Hottest temperature you've ever experienced?

2015-08-09T06:12:34-04:00

We've done deployments in the Middle East. We've seen it get hot. We've driven in sand storms, and killed camel spiders. What is the hottest temperature you've experienced in full battle rattle?

Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 9 at 2015 6:43 AM

2015-08-09T06:43:53-04:00

Great question CH (MAJ) Private RallyPoint Member, one that brings back some scorching memories. I have seen temperatures over 50 degrees celsius (guessing about 55 I am guessing, but the temp gauge stops at 50). Equals about 130 degrees fahrenheit, was a hot day to fly.

Response by PO1 Tony Holland made Aug 9 at 2015 6:45 AM

2015-08-09T06:45:07-04:00

In the news -- one Iraqi city hit 120F with a heat index of 164F - now that's cooking

Response by Sgt Matt Koeneman made Aug 9 at 2015 7:20 AM

2015-08-09T07:20:03-04:00

121 in Iraq 2007. 50 miles east of Baghdad.

Response by PO1 Sean Jones made Aug 9 at 2015 7:20 AM

2015-08-09T07:20:18-04:00

150 I believe. Drank 9 liters of water, 3 big Gatorade , pissed once.

Response by SFC(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 9 at 2015 7:26 AM

2015-08-09T07:26:13-04:00

It's about 140F in Kuwait that was in Sep of 2006.

Response by SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL made Aug 9 at 2015 7:57 AM

2015-08-09T07:57:40-04:00

Kuwait 131 June 2008

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 9 at 2015 8:12 AM

2015-08-09T08:12:02-04:00

South Iraq, 2003...because it was OIF 1, it was far hotter and much more humid than anything anyone else could've experienced. It must've been 170° or more.

Seriously, though, the hottest I saw was 128° in the summer of 2003 in southern Iraq. It was two weeks before the temperature even dipped below 100° at night. We were miserable!

Response by SSG Danny McMichael made Aug 9 at 2015 8:16 AM

2015-08-09T08:16:55-04:00

136

Response by SSG Brian Marshall made Aug 9 at 2015 8:50 AM

2015-08-09T08:50:55-04:00

Kuwait was the hottest ever for me. It was 121 degrees out. Even Iraq had nothing on that!

Response by CW4 Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 9 at 2015 9:00 AM

2015-08-09T09:00:54-04:00

1999, Kuwait, the thermometer outside of the gym tent said 142. Bahrain and Qatar had some bad days too, the humidity made it even worse. I don't remember Iraq or Saudi Arabia being too extreme. In 1996 in Highschool in El Paso, it reached 109. That's pretty hot go the U.S.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 9 at 2015 9:16 AM

2015-08-09T09:16:43-04:00

130 degrees in 2004.

Response by SGT(P) Bruce Van Havermaet made Aug 9 at 2015 9:24 AM

2015-08-09T09:24:12-04:00

The hottest was 139 and with humidity 154 degrees. Kuwait navel base

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 9 at 2015 9:41 AM

2015-08-09T09:41:06-04:00

136 degrees according to the thermometer on the watch my squad leader was wearing. How accurate that is I have no idea, but I'm here to tell you that was the hottest day of my life.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 9 at 2015 9:42 AM

2015-08-09T09:42:29-04:00

Basra Iraq 08-09 It was so hot, plus the humidity making things worse. I've never seen my m4 sweat like it did those few days.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 9 at 2015 9:55 AM

2015-08-09T09:55:28-04:00

130ish - Kuwait and Quatar

Response by CW4 Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 9 at 2015 10:12 AM

2015-08-09T10:12:31-04:00

141 in the Horn of Africa 2003-2004. Easily rivaled Iraq and Afghanistan.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 9 at 2015 10:52 AM

2015-08-09T10:52:00-04:00

135 in Kuwait in June 09 while doing the CENTCOM training to get into the sand box.

Response by SFC William Swartz Jr made Aug 9 at 2015 10:56 AM

2015-08-09T10:56:29-04:00

I believe it was around 135 or so summer of 2010 while in Kuwait.

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Aug 9 at 2015 10:59 AM

2015-08-09T10:59:22-04:00

Red Pass, Ft Irwin 141 degrees 1996 or 1995. Balad, Iraq July 2003 120 degrees was the coolest day.

Response by SFC Walter Mack made Aug 9 at 2015 11:08 AM

2015-08-09T11:08:47-04:00

We broke down in death valley during a convoy from 29 Palms to Ft. Irwin for some training in Aug. The problem, my LAV caught fire. Temperature in the shade was 152.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 9 at 2015 11:14 AM

2015-08-09T11:14:12-04:00

145 in the shade, FOB Normandy, Iraq 2004.

Response by CAPT Kevin B. made Aug 9 at 2015 11:28 AM

2015-08-09T11:28:20-04:00

I''ll go with the spread; so it's 136 in Djibouti and Minus 96 South Pole. Anyone else in the 200 Degree Club?

I'm also a member of the 300 Degree Club but had to do that with a Sauna assist.

Response by SSgt Alex Robinson made Aug 9 at 2015 11:29 AM

2015-08-09T11:29:58-04:00

Not so much the heat but the combo of heat and humidity at Homestead AFB in August is oppressive

Response by CMSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 9 at 2015 11:40 AM

2015-08-09T11:40:35-04:00

131 degrees, Riyadh, KSA... 2010... I did all the hydrating that I could, still had a few episodes of heat exhaustion.

But, I always say, I would rather have 130 than 30 degrees. Well, ok, I would prefer to not have any extremes but I will side with hot over cold. :)

Response by SrA Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 9 at 2015 11:40 AM

2015-08-09T11:40:50-04:00

136 in kuwait

Response by SFC Benjamin Berry III made Aug 9 at 2015 12:08 PM

2015-08-09T12:08:10-04:00

I think it was above 140 in Kuwait 2002

Response by PO1 Shahida Marmol made Aug 9 at 2015 12:21 PM

2015-08-09T12:21:59-04:00

I can not say exactly, but in August 2012 our ship was involved in a collision in the Strait of Hormuz. We sailed to Jebel Ali, UAE for repairs. No AC on the ship in the August heat of Dubai. It was so bad we couldn't go inside the ship for anything without a partner and water, just in case we passed out from heat exhaustion.

Oh and last month I was in Masada, Israel "The Hottest Place on Earth"!

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 9 at 2015 12:46 PM

2015-08-09T12:46:54-04:00

122 in Kuwait 2013

Response by CPO Greg Frazho made Aug 9 at 2015 12:50 PM

2015-08-09T12:50:19-04:00

Somewhere between 122 and 127 in Baghdad. 2006.

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 9 at 2015 1:16 PM

2015-08-09T13:16:41-04:00

THe same as what most everyone here has posted, haha! 120 - 130-ish. I wonder what the flight lines and carrier decks get to out in that part of the world. . .

Response by CMDCM Gene Treants made Aug 9 at 2015 4:01 PM

2015-08-09T16:01:27-04:00

Operating on a Knox Class Frigate as part of a Surface Action Group (no carrier) in both the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean, when you went into the Engine Room, you had to be in Full Uniform, Coveralls and all. Temperatures in the Engine room were well in excess of 133 degrees during the day with heat index of OMG! Watch standers could not be in the engine room for more than 30 to 60 min (depending on HI). Outside of the engine spaces we wore Tee shirts, shorts and saddles.
It was HOT.

Response by SSG John Jensen made Aug 9 at 2015 4:21 PM

2015-08-09T16:21:03-04:00

Mom sent chocolate chip cookies, they were a gooey mess, butterscotch chip cookies survived.
Cp Victory Kuwait, Mayor's Cell was reporting 145 almost every day summer of '03. A lot of the guys had their wives end meat thermometers, driving the HET in Iraq's great southern desert in Aug '03 saw 158 in the cab, 10 ft above ground at 45 mph.
August Cp victory Kuwait, drink 2 gallons of water a day, piss out a cup, piss clear was not an option

Response by SFC Mark Merino made Aug 9 at 2015 4:45 PM

2015-08-09T16:45:36-04:00

It's a toss up between inside a Sheridan tank at NTC for a 4 day defense and Kuwait where we had to start the helicopters and break skids every hour because the skids were melting into the asphalt. No idea what the actual temperature was, but my brain wanted to shut down.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 9 at 2015 5:27 PM

2015-08-09T17:27:51-04:00

Hottest temperature I got a picture of in Djibouti was 138.6. And that was at 1700.
You walked around and could tell that it was actually painful to your skin, unlike the usual 115 degrees or so.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 9 at 2015 6:12 PM

2015-08-09T18:12:56-04:00

130 degrees on dismounted patrol when I was a medic. The sweating I experienced then still doesn't compare to manual labor in this Fort Bragg summer I'm experiencing now, though. At least it was dry enough there that my sweat had dried 15 minutes after I took my body armor off and chilled out for a few.

Response by SPC Todd Hanson made Aug 9 at 2015 6:25 PM

2015-08-09T18:25:13-04:00

Going from Alaska to Kuwait was a quick real 180 degrees differance -45 to 135

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 9 at 2015 8:12 PM

2015-08-09T20:12:25-04:00

Remember it being in the 120s for like a month in Afghanistan.

I had to report the wet bulb to the commander at morning meeting and by 9am everyday we were in black...after about two weeks i'd told him i'd come and tell him when it was not hot anymore....about two months later summer was over and it started to cool down so i started reporting again.....

Also remember it being over 140 degrees in the freaking HMMWVs when the ACs broke....but nice part was if the worked is was a brisk 120ish great way to spend the day in full battle rattle.....

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 9 at 2015 8:17 PM

2015-08-09T20:17:26-04:00

Hottest I've had to deal with for any extended period of time was actually in CONUS. 110+ for over a week, peak of 120. Hottest ever single point in time was in the Middle East. Around 130 if I remember the conversion correctly.

Response by Capt Jeff S. made Aug 9 at 2015 8:50 PM

2015-08-09T20:50:03-04:00

Yuma, AZ was hotter than Bahrain. We went to Trop Hours after the A/C system on top the Maintenance Hangar caught fire because it was overworked. The temp on the flight line felt like 135.

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Aug 9 at 2015 9:13 PM

2015-08-09T21:13:41-04:00

110 Plus, Summer in Dubai 91. Pretty Much the same when I went back to the Persian Gulf in 96 for Desert Strike. Too Bloody Hot!

Response by SGM Mikel Dawson made Aug 9 at 2015 9:33 PM

2015-08-09T21:33:13-04:00

Baghdad, August 2003. I had a thermometer outside and it read 140 (F). The guy with me at the time said it didn't count because it was in direct sunlight. I looked at him and replied, "So we all get to walk in the shade with all this gear?" He never replied. It's the only place I've been where everyday my clothes were so stiff from the salt and minerals from my body.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 9 at 2015 9:42 PM

2015-08-09T21:42:17-04:00

Kuwait 110 2011

Response by CSM Charles Hayden made Aug 9 at 2015 9:43 PM

2015-08-09T21:43:44-04:00

MAJ Timothy Fary, I possess a copy of the Palm Springs, CA 'Desert Sun' dtd, 29 JUL 1995 giving the temperature in Coachella, CA 20 miles East of Palm Springs, CA as 128 degrees! Another clipping of USA Today dtd 14 SEP 2012 says Death Valley, CA holds the world heat record @ 134 degrees on 10 Jul 1913.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 9 at 2015 9:48 PM

2015-08-09T21:48:04-04:00

An Najaf, Iraq 2005-2006. We had thermometer in the shade that regularly hit 135*.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 9 at 2015 10:21 PM

2015-08-09T22:21:12-04:00

140 F in Ramadi Iraq 2006. Being humvee gunner, I thought it would be awesome to ride at 60 miles per hour on the Route Mobile all the way to Abu Ghairab Prison with your head facing the wind..... 1 minute on the road it felt like someone placed giant hair dryer to my face.

Response by SGM Steve Wettstein made Aug 9 at 2015 10:24 PM

2015-08-09T22:24:53-04:00

2005, Tikrit Iraq, 131

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Aug 9 at 2015 10:39 PM

2015-08-09T22:39:25-04:00

It was hot and humid in Vietnam, especially in the Delta where I was stationed. However, it wasn't nearly as bad as the reports I've read from the Gulf War Zone. I only hope you were better prepared for it there than we were in Vietnam. As the division Casualty Reporting Officer I was in the perfect position to see that anyone who made it past their first month in country had a much better chance of surviving. Yes, it may be argued that those lucky enough to survive that first month probably learned some skills that helped them survive the remainder of their tour. However, I also believe that they were better prepared to survive once they became acclimatized. Fortunately, after we had a change of command the new division commander instituted a two week indoctrination/training period for new arrivals (the Old Reliable Academy) that I believe helped a lot. The Army could have done more. They could have sent troops to Panama, the Philippines or Thailand for acclimatization before sending them to Vietnam. As it was, those draftees who survived usually arrived back in CONUS with several months remaining on their 2-year obligation and were given early outs. Those months could have been front loaded onto their tours in Vietnam, as I say, acclimatizing in similar climatic zones. I wonder how many casualties we might have avoided that way...

Response by SSG Keven Lahde made Aug 9 at 2015 11:06 PM

2015-08-09T23:06:56-04:00

CH (MAJ) Private RallyPoint Member Sir 120-130 here in Las Vegas for 2 weeks last year. Then in Afghanistan 2009-2010, 125 in the shade.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 10 at 2015 6:24 AM

2015-08-10T06:24:53-04:00

I want to say it was in the 130ish range. I was in Baghdad. I think the heat was that bad due to being the in the city. My AC in my HUMMV went out once while on a patrol. It was pretty rough for he rest of the patrol.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 10 at 2015 6:46 AM

2015-08-10T06:46:46-04:00

June 2012, UAE, 145 degrees

Response by CSM Chuck Stafford made Aug 10 at 2015 6:56 AM

2015-08-10T06:56:29-04:00

I had just reenlisted when the Senior Enlisted Advisor to DIRNSA, my Bde CSM, my Bn CSM, and my 1SG walked into the room -- the room happened to be at the local Denny's...it went from comfortable to a bazillion degrees in a heartbeat...Happy Monday all.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 10 at 2015 7:06 AM

2015-08-10T07:06:25-04:00

Full Battle Rattle would have to be Kuwait, 146 on the Tarmac, and had to go to MOPP 4 5 times in one day.

Response by SFC Joseph James made Aug 10 at 2015 7:29 AM

2015-08-10T07:29:25-04:00

I remember doing a flash TCP during the hottest part of the day during the hottest part of the year. Standing on the road smoking a cigarette. My squad leader (who smokes) told me it was too hot to do that. We all smoked but i was the only one who didn't care about the heat. That's how hot it was....Too hot to even smoke!

Response by SGT Bryon Sergent made Aug 10 at 2015 9:27 AM

2015-08-10T09:27:48-04:00

128 During Desert Storm! Saudi Sucked! Back when we had LBE's but wore Flack Jackets. Precursor to the IBA.

Response by SPC George Rudenko made Aug 10 at 2015 4:45 PM

2015-08-10T16:45:11-04:00

127 degress

Response by SGT Zach Earley made Aug 10 at 2015 4:46 PM

2015-08-10T16:46:31-04:00

120 in the Deserts of Iraq

Response by SGT S Sharpless made Aug 10 at 2015 6:13 PM

2015-08-10T18:13:19-04:00

Hell aka Kuwait.

Response by MSgt Bruce Cooper made Aug 11 at 2015 12:50 PM

2015-08-11T12:50:28-04:00

Black bulb read 146F

Response by SSgt Dan Montague made Aug 11 at 2015 8:29 PM

2015-08-11T20:29:21-04:00

My guess 110-120 in Iraq and Somalia.
On a real hot day in Iraq a local wanted to pass our check point. He was complaining it was too hot and he needed to get home. I asked him "how do you think I feel in X amount of pounds of gear and armor?" He said we had to have cooling units under our gear. There was no way someone could survive in the heat with all that gear and no cooling system. He didn't believe me when I told him we had no cooling systems.

Response by MSgt Peter Jahnke made Aug 18 at 2015 5:53 PM

2015-08-18T17:53:34-04:00

132 Degrees on the ramp at Ali Al Salem AB in the Summer time, compounded by the blacktop ramp surface, the actual air temp was up around 145, boot soles were melting and sticking to the blacktop...good times were had by all.....

Response by SGT Derek Whitaker made Aug 19 at 2015 4:43 PM

2015-08-19T16:43:29-04:00

In 2004 while driving HETs in Iraq, we had a guy who brought a digital thermometer and it read 173° in the cab of the trucks. That was before we got armored cabs and a/c.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 1 at 2015 1:27 PM

2015-09-01T13:27:43-04:00

Basra 09-10, sensor outside my office read 139 in the shade one day. So hot on one convoy I melted a thumbprint into the face of my MP3 player

Response by LTC Steven Shea made Sep 5 at 2015 4:14 PM

2015-09-05T16:14:03-04:00

135 at Camp Doha, Kuwait, in August 1992.

Response by TSgt Tabitha Kaboni made Oct 27 at 2015 7:24 AM

2015-10-27T07:24:40-04:00

136

Response by CPL Sharon Fahey made Apr 9 at 2016 12:32 PM

2016-04-09T12:32:03-04:00

153 in kuwait, 2009-2010

Response by SMSgt Lawrence McCarter made Nov 11 at 2023 3:36 PM

2023-11-11T15:36:45-05:00

The hottest I've run into in battle gear was Vietnam (High 90s to low hundreds) but I think I'd like the mid East dessert even less where i understand it gets even hotter than that and not even the shade to escape it which at least I had in Vietnam. I haven't had the experience of the middle East even htough I was still in uniform and that isn't a complaint.