What are Army regulations on personal equipment/gear?

SPC(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 01 Aug 2016 17:44:50 -0400

So I got out in February from the Guard and turned in all my gear and equipment, well the Reserves recently dragged me back in kicking and screaming and I am heading to a 3 week AT shortly, but they don't have time to issue me any of the TA-50 before we leave. Thankfully I have acquired much over my years and have pretty much everything needed, but I wanted to ask if there were any hard regs on things like the camo pattern on personal pouches. I have my own tan IOTV and several tan/multicam/black pouches that can go on it, as well as an OD green 3 day ruck sack I will be bringing. Obviously my unit understands this is all my own stuff and it's not my fault that I don't have all that ACU crap they issue, but I would like to stay in regs as much as possible.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 1 at 2016 5:45 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 01 Aug 2016 17:45:22 -0400

In regards to?

Response by SFC John Hill made Aug 1 at 2016 10:11 PM

SFC John Hill — Mon, 01 Aug 2016 22:11:50 -0400

If they are sending you "down range" they are required by regulation to "outfit you" in accordance with The MTO&E and CTA 50-900, not to mention mission/theatre specific, just to mention a few. As an activated/mobilized Reservist/NG, you will be issued the additional required equipment during train up before deployment. Bottom Line, the Commander has to sign off that the unit is trained/equipped and able to deploy. If you choose to bring additional personal equipment that is a personal decision.

Response by CW5 Andrew J. Foreman made Aug 1 at 2016 11:18 PM

CW5 Andrew J. Foreman — Mon, 01 Aug 2016 23:18:22 -0400

This is craziness. I would show up in the uniform you have and not bring any of your own personal gear. The state need to provide you with the equipment you need to accomplish the mission. Something seems to be missing in the story.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 1 at 2016 11:53 PM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 01 Aug 2016 23:53:01 -0400

First off, like others have said, yeah don't bring your own gear. I mean, we all acquire stuff over the years; just because I own a really nice sleeping bag for hiking/camping doesn't mean the Army can obligate me to bring it to the field.

To answer your original question though, there's no specific reg that I've ever read that outlines camo pattern-matching with TA50. Typically that's a local policy, if anything, and even more commonly it's just an unspoken implied task that everyone look as uniform as possible. Given your situation, I sincerely doubt anyone will give you grief over mismatched patterns.

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made Aug 2 at 2016 6:52 AM

SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth — Tue, 02 Aug 2016 06:52:13 -0400

The supply sergeant should be able to obligate, unless he's " too busy" to set you up.

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 2 at 2016 7:31 AM

CW2 Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 02 Aug 2016 07:31:15 -0400

So I have a few issues with this post but I'll address just a few: 1. In the reserves TA50 once ordered can take 3-6 months to arrive to the unit to then be issued to a soldier. Unless the unit has extra and cross-issues it. 2. The pattern doesn't matter because in the reserves we get issued the oldest things. Active duty has first dibs on new things and in the reserves we keep utilizing what we have until the new stuff is made available to us. I remember going to WLC in 2013 and being the only reservist in my class and the SGLs looking at me when we had to show accountability of our TA50 and I still had the BDU pattern because ACU pattern was still not available in the reserves in 2013. So don't fret. Although, like everyone else, I do agree that you should not be taking your own equipment since the unit always finds a way to have equipment available to you even if it means sharing with a battle buddy in the way of taking turns to shoot or do missions...

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 2 at 2016 10:03 AM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 02 Aug 2016 10:03:22 -0400

A lot of Guard unites COC authorizes personal or NON TA50 gear ( I.E plate carries, etc). Personally, I think it looks silly.
But more importantly, if God forbid you get hurt training and you are wearing personal gear and not issued TA50; if your COC decides to do an investigation, you can kiss that SGLI goodbye lol

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 2 at 2016 2:06 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 02 Aug 2016 14:06:33 -0400

If they are requiring you to train, they should issue the necessary items. The "don't have time" to issue you equipment is a cop out by a lazy supply system.

Response by SGT Dave Tracy made Aug 2 at 2016 2:19 PM

SGT Dave Tracy — Tue, 02 Aug 2016 14:19:43 -0400

Something similar happened to me when I was getting out of Active Duty. With 3 weeks left, they pulled me off Rear D, sent me out to the field for my unit's semi annual 6 week testing/training, but by then, I had turned in my TA50, all my medical done, etc., and was not permitted to do any actual training.

So really my only concern was what to sleep under. I could have just brought a regular blanket from home I supposed as all I ended up doing for the 2 weeks I was out was to "guard" an LMTV with a dozen boxes of blank ammo (Twiddle my thumbs, PMCS the back of my eyelids, reread old magazines, stare at the desert, you get the point.), but I figured I'd stay in keeping with being military and bought my own woobie to sleep under.

These things happen.

Response by SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 2 at 2016 6:38 PM

SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 02 Aug 2016 18:38:07 -0400

The only issue is OD green and black are not authorized anymore but you're in a unique situation so I think you'll be ok. Generally if you aren't issued TA-50 for the field you generally would be kept out of the field and do like supply issue, radio watch etc, as you don't have the means for field survival.

Response by SFC Sean Berryman made Jul 16 at 2017 12:13 PM

SFC Sean Berryman — Sun, 16 Jul 2017 12:13:07 -0400

DO NOT, I say again DO NOT, use your own gear. If you were issued nothing then take nothing. When you are questioned, respond honestly: let them know you were issued nothing. I would even ask for a letter explaining why you have no equipment so you can take it with you to training. DO NOT USE YOUR OWN GEAR!!!!!!!!!!!

Response by SGT Beau Thomas made Jul 16 at 2017 2:23 PM

SGT Beau Thomas — Sun, 16 Jul 2017 14:23:07 -0400

When I transferred Between states to a new Guard unit. There was a serious problem with issuing items to troops either because the state didn't have money or the unit I was in was a mess. I had everything I needed from years of being in, but I remember that in the winter when we were in the field, they didn't have any cold weather gear, or sleeping bags for a lot of the guys, so we said bring any cold weather gear you can get, civilian or military. So it's freezing outside and we are in a range, a few of our guys are wearing big down civilian coats, one has a Chicago Bears down coat and the State General happens to come by and is irate as to why these soldiers are wearing civilian coats. We explained that they have been in the Unit for a year and either our unit was FUBARED or the State was but they couldn't get any gear. The next day we had a major come take our guys who didn't have full issue to CIF and everyone was in regs.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 28 at 2017 8:18 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 28 Aug 2017 08:18:16 -0400

do i turn in my TA 50 if i transfer from reserves to active duty?

Response by SGM Mikel Dawson made Dec 28 at 2017 1:50 AM

SGM Mikel Dawson — Thu, 28 Dec 2017 01:50:13 -0500

Number 1: In this day and age you will not be deployed with out the proper gear. You may report with out the gear, but somewhere along the line you will draw. And here's the kicker. You take all your personal stuff, well you got to hump that plus the stuff issued.

Response by SGT Beau Thomas made Mar 7 at 2018 7:58 AM

SGT Beau Thomas — Wed, 07 Mar 2018 07:58:38 -0500

Bring rain gear, and a sleeping bag no matter what. Or you might just be wet with no bag. I was in a Guard unit in Utah and we didn’t have cold weather gear for a ton of the new guys because our Supply Sergeant was a dirtbag. We went to the range for rifle qual and it was about 20 degrees with the wind howling and we insisted these guys bring any coats from home they had. About ten civilians coats were on the range including a bright blue Chicago Bears jacket. A BG happened to come by and was irate when he saw this..when we explained that the troops have been asking for winter gear for a year and didn’t get anything, the BG turned his anger to our supply Sergeant. Every single soldier who needed it had winter gear issued by RFI within the next 3 hours.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 2 at 2018 6:19 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 02 Jul 2018 18:19:47 -0400

I can tell you from the supply side, that regardless if you physically signed for a piece of equipment, if it was purchased by the government, then it belongs to the government. Even if you "found it". It was purchased by the military and therefore belongs to the military. I have been in for 17 years and yes I have a lot of OCIE that I acquired throughout my career. However per AR 710-2 and DA PAM 735-5, you have to turn it in, not doing so constitute theft of government property. I am currently work an FLIPL for a laptop that is not on the property book, but since it was purchased by the Army and the Soldier who decided to quit coming to Battler Assembly who is in possession of it along with all his OCIE is being prosecuted for theft and will more than likely either spend time in Leavenworth or have his taxes withheld until the estimated $7,000 is reimbursed to the Army.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 2 at 2018 6:54 PM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 02 Jul 2018 18:54:03 -0400

6 years reserves, if you haven't been issued a sleeping bag or rain gear bring that. Ach if possible. The rest can slide. My unit borrows iotb from the training center for AT, the flc and the rest can be borrowed if needed or you might just wear a pt belt to show missing gear. Not having sleeping or rain gear can result in your own misery. Companies usually have a rental from advon so you can get to whatever fob they have you on; you can borrow an ach for missions, but it's a lot easier if you have your own.

Response by SGT Michael Heffner made Jul 8 at 2018 12:16 AM

SGT Michael Heffner — Sun, 08 Jul 2018 00:16:11 -0400

Well, i wouldnt bring my own gear because if they want to charge you out & say it was government property your going to lose it.. So just leave it at home... I had my own personal gortex prior to deployment... Once i came back home. They had turned it in to CIF as a state issued item.. Even though it wasnt in my clothing records.... So i learned my lessons well

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 9 at 2019 4:21 AM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 09 Jan 2019 04:21:14 -0500

Going for the pirate look, eh? Since I am reading this long after you posted it, I'm curious as to what you decided to do and how it turned out. I've got bins full of gear in various colors, but finally have pretty much everything in OCP. My wife is telling me to get rid of the rest of the stuff....