Video in banner from "Heartbreak Ridge."

"This is the AK-47 Assault Rifle, the preferred weapon of your enemy. And It makes a distinctive sound when fired at you, so remember it."

A great quote from a great movie. That piece of dialogue by, Clint Eastwood, has made its way into Marine Corps Training. Every Drill Instructor and Range Master use this during Green Week (Range Week) in Recruit Training.

As such, I have compiled the basic weapons and armor that U.S. Military fighting units will face.

THE KALISHNNIKOV FAMILY OF RIFLES

You will see that all of the assault rifles in the Mikhail Kalashnikov (designer of the AK) family, look the same. This is done to confuse opposing troops as to whether they are facing an assault rifle or machine gun.

AK 47

Kalashnikov's Automatic Rifle is a selective fire semi-automatic and automatic, gas operated, 7.62MM rifle.  

AK 74

A refined version of the AK47. Its only difference is that it is a 5.45MM rifle.

RPK (LMG)

The RPK (Ruchnoy Pulemyot Kalashnikova,) is a Kalashnikov hand-held Light Machine Gun. It fires the 7.62MM round. It has a 590 mm (23.2 in) barrel. This is the only distinguishing feature from the AK47.    

(with 75-100 round drum mag)

(with 45 round standard mag)

(with Belt Fed Barrel Mag)

https://youtu.be/-yas-ehpCnY

(AK47 - Top/RPK - Bottom)

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RPG - (Rocket Propelled Grenade)

Rocket-Propelled Grenade (RPG) is a shoulder fired, anti-tank rocket system. It fires the High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) Rocket. These warheads are stabilized in flight with fins.  

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ARMOR

T72 Tank

Main Armament - 125 mm smoothbore gun.

Secondary Armament - 7.62 mm machine gun12.7 mm anti-aircraft machine gun. Used by the Republican Guard In the Iraqui Theatre.  

ZSU-23-4 - (Zeus)

ZSU-23-4 - "Shilka" Light Armored Anti-Aircraft Laser Guided System  - Used by the Republican Guard In the Iraqui Theatre.

Surface To Air Missile - (SAM)

Multiple countries have the SAM. However, most of the third world and all communist countries, employ the Soviet SAM.  Used by the Republican Guard In the Iraqui Theatre.  

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Speaking The Language - 

USMC DESIGNATIONS - 

"Shepherd - Actual, to Shepherd-Two-One, Echo-5-November, you are cleared hot to engage enemy spotters. How copy?

To understand the designations, you must understand the Rank Structure of the USMC. 

ENLISTED -ECHO 

The Marines are more dependent on their Non Commissioned Officers (NCOs) and Staff NCOs, in combat, than any other branch in the world. These are what we call Enlisted Personnel (ECHO). As such, they each have a different pay grade as seen below. 

ECHO-5-November

E-1, Private, Pvt

E-2, Private First Class, PFC

E-3, Lance Corporal, LCpl

Noncommissioned Officers, or NCOs:

E-4, Corporal, Cpl

E-5, Sergeant, Sgt

Staff Noncommissioned Officers, or SNCOs:

E-6, Staff Sergeant, SSgt

E-7, Gunnery Sergeant, GySgt

E-8Master Sergeant, MSgtFirst Sergeant, 1Sgt

E-9Master Gunnery Sergeant, MGySgt - Sergeant Major, SgtMaj - Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps

Echo-5-November  

The number designates the pay grade, in this case, E5 - Sergeant.

Echo-5-NOVEMBER 

The final Phonetic designates the first letter of the Marine's last name, 

Echo - ENLISTED

5 - Paygrade/Rank - SERGEANT

November - Any last name beginning with the first initial N.

*TEST*

Let's see if you could figure out your designation if you were, first a Chief Warrant Officer 3, and secondly a Second Lieutenant. Leave your answer next to the test ranks marked with **. Good luck!

WARRANT OFFICERS - WHISKEY or CHARLIE (See if you can get it right.)

Warrant Officer W1, WO1 

Chief Warrant Officer 2, CWO2W 

**Chief Warrant Officer 3, CWO3W

Chief Warrant Officer 4, CWO4W

Chief Warrant Officer 5, CWO5

NOTE: A Chief Warrant Officer, CWO2-CWO5, serving as an Infantry Weapons Officer, is designated as a special rank: "Marine Gunner". A Marine Gunner replaces the Chief Warrant Officer insignia on the right collar with a bursting bomb insignia. Other Warrant Officers are sometimes informally also referred to as "Gunner" but this usage is not considered correct.

COMMISSIONED OFFICERS - OSCAR

Company-grade officers

O-1, Second Lieutenant 2ndLt, 

O-2, First Lieutenant, 1stLt, 

**O3, Captain, Capt, 

Field-grade officers

O-4, Major, Maj

O-5, Lieutenant Colonel, LtCol

O-6, Colonel, Col

Generals

O-7, Brigadier General, BGen

O-8, Major General, MajGen

O-9, Lieutenant General, LtGen

O-10, General, Gen