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Question: what TO&E should I use for MRAPs in US Army? Lt Infantry replacing Hummers? or Mech INF replacing M2s? I have heard of both cases happening in Iraq and Afghanistan but since there isnt a TO&E for them in MATG: Modern I thought I would ask. Also the only LT INF TO&E in the game is for the 101st in the early 1990's how has it changed?

We had this question on the Yahoo TOE group recently.
Basically there is no TOE for MRAPs, etc. They are issued on a mission basis like transport, from a central brigade/battalion pool 9even though they are not on that Bttn or Bde TOE). As I put it, your infantry platoon might be:
day 1: on foot
day 2: in 8x MRAP
day 3: part of an air assault on a compound in 4x UH-60
day 4: 1 section in 2x Hummer, 2 sections in 4 MRAP, 1 section in a dump truck, as part of a convoy escort
and so on.

So use them how you like, just change it every game to keep the Talibs off balance
Mark

Hmm, sounds like there is basically no hard and fast rule on their use.
Are they assigned by type, I.e. 4 4x4 Cougars and 2 6x6 Cougars for a platoon, or is it
simply "x" number of MRAPs (generic) to carry the troops necesary?

This is a tough question as neither TO&Es nor MTOEs cover MRAPs. Rather, they are used as mission packages and signed for as part of "theater provided equipment."

What you should do is first ask what kind of unit are you replicating using MRAPs? A Mechanized Infantry unit that has their M2 Bradleys sitting on the FOB, or perhaps a tank company that is now being used as motorized infantry as I often was, or maybe its a light infantry unit that is fighting motorized as part of wide area security operations?

So, lets say you choose a US light infantry company. It has X number of soldiers. You can pretend that the organization drew enough MRAPs to move all of their rifleman at once, or you could pretend they only drew enough to move a portion of the platoon at once. Depending on mission, it wasn't uncommon to see infantry platoons conducting patrols with only some of the platoon mounted in, say, four MRAPs. If the entire platoon went on the patrol it might take six MRAPs to seat everyone, which starts becoming a pretty unweildy element for a mounted patrol.

To give a more anecdotal answer that might help, when I deployed my tank company to Iraq in late 2009, I replaced a mechanized infantry company and signed for their TPE vehicle fleet. They had about 130 soldiers, I had about 65 so one of my first administrative jobs was to turn in vehicles I didn't need. The fleet consisted of 14 Caimen type MRAPs, two RG33 MRAPs (the "school bus" as we called it), and 16 M1151 HMMWVs, three of which mounted a CROWS (crew remote operated weapon station ) system. We brought four M1A1s with us that left the wire once so the crews could go shoot a sustainment gunnery at Besayamia range.

I hope that helps brother.

One more to help: this is my battle roster of how my 1SG and I envisioned our company laid out in a "standard" configuration if we had to role out the entire company at once.



Reality was of course different.

Battalion detatched my 1st platoon to one of the mech infantry companies, but the mech platoon I usually would have received went instead to reinforce D Co. As such, I was a tank company minus and had entirely too many vehicles as I didn't have to equip 1st platoon. My tank platoon leaders had four Caimen MRAPs and four M1151 HMMWVs and could choose the vehicle configuration best suited for the mission. If that ment taking me to a meet and greet with someone, or running a housekeeping patrol to the big FOB, we'd usually roll all MRAPs. If it was a mission that took us on tiny ** CENSORED ** roads or in narrow city streets, we'd roll mainly HMMWVs.

We always had at least four vehicles in a patrol. If we predicted the need for more dismounts on the ground we'd plus up the platoon with mechanics.

Here's a few pictures of our motorpool line in country.

Hey,. decided to resurrect this thread rather than start a new one and have to cover old ground.

Just started a modern campaign set in Afghanistan, and after doing some thinking decided to use the following organization for the Lt. Inf. Bde I am loaning another player. This is seriously simplified since I came up with it literally when we sat down for our first gaming session, so I will be adding/removing/changing items as I get a better feel for it.

Bde Hq--------------------2 M-ATV, 2 Cougar 6x6
Bde Eng. Co.-----------3 Buffalo EOD, 2 M1083 5ton, M105 Deuce
3 x RifleBattalions
Batt. Hq.------------------1 M-ATV, 1Cougar 6x6
Recon Plt.----------------3 M1114 Hmmwv
3 Rifle Companies---M-ATV Hq, 3 Cougar 4x4 (rifle platoons), Cougar 6x6 (weps plt.)
Weapons Co.------------M-ATV Hq, 2 Cougar 6x6, 2 M1083 5ton
Fires Battalion
Batt. Hq--------------------1 Cougar 4x4, 1 Cougar 6x6
3 Firing Batteries.-----1 M1083 5ton, 1 M777 155mm Howitzer.

Simplified like I said, but I think it will work.

comments, criticisms, insults welcome.

Apologies in advance for the format, but the forum won't let me keep the spacing I want.

*edit*
added hyphens to keep aligned. tried at least.

Obviously, a consistent use of MRAPS as a type actually means there is no use for MRAPS. I would never use MRAPS under any circumstances. Hummers were useless in Iraq and in Afghanistan as well. MBT M1A2 Abrams tanks were not much use either.
IMHO, the US Army has never been adequately equipped for guerilla or counter insurgency warfare.
Use them as you wish but they are overblown school buses IMHO.

Great pics of MRAPs in base/depot.

Schwerepunkt wrote:Obviously, a consistent use of MRAPS as a type actually means there is no use for MRAPS. I would never use MRAPS under any circumstances. Hummers were useless in Iraq and in Afghanistan as well. MBT M1A2 Abrams tanks were not much use either.
IMHO, the US Army has never been adequately equipped for guerilla or counter insurgency warfare.
Use them as you wish but they are overblown school buses IMHO.

I am certainly in no position to dispute the use of these vehicles as they came out well after my time. But as a modeler and military vehicle enthusiast I have to say that this line of vehicles sure look cool! It is a disappointment they do not provide the protection that all our boys deserve in serving their respective nations.

Clint