(Military) Who gets pistols?

[natedog]

In the US Army, who is generally issued a pistol? Tank crews and heavy weapons specialists? Officers? What about the USMC?

 

[c_yeager]

Tagged cause I'm curious too.

 

[swingset]

You have to demostrate the ability to shoot holding sideways, or while diving away from a huge fireball explosion. After that, you're issued a nine and some clips, fo shizzle.

Dunno, I'm curious too.

 

[Warren]

And if you are not issued one can you carry your own?

If you are allowed to does it have to be of a make that your service already carries?

If it is your own weapon can you draw ammo for it or must you supply your own?

 

[entropy]

Army: Officers, Pilots and aircrewmen, Medics, MP's, I'm not sure about tank crews, I was in the 7thID(L), the only tracks we had were the Chapparal SAM lauchers and M88 Recovery vehicles. They had M3's still. (86-88) Hopefully that's changed. NCO's by MTOE, but in theater that tends to go out the window anyway. I was issued an M16A1, but had an M60, then an M249, set aside in a buddy's arms room waiting for me if I deployed. I had my pick of either a .45 or .38, (we had the dustoff birds), then an M9 9mm. (I was the Armorer for my unit )

Not sure about the Marines, but I'll bet it's similar.

 

[strambo]

A somewhat accurate list...from an Infantry perspective: Medics, Machine gunners, Company CDR, 1SG, XO, Higher HQ staff types etc...

Platoon leaders and PLT level NCOs all carry M4s. I wasn't even assigned an M9 as an Officer...and wouldn't have cared for one either. (Now OTH a M1911...)

Support type units have a lot more pistol issue goin' on and they don't usually want to be bothered with having to carry those big heavy M16s.

 

[entropy]

I_am_here_to _learn:

No. Officially, anyway.
Your other two Q's are moot points then.

 

[sixgun symphony]

Some friends that were sent to Iraq said that they could bring their own pistols, but they were told not to bring anything too valuable as they would not be able to bring any "contraband" home with them.

 

[Tech1]

Usually it's machinegunners, snco's, officers, corpsmen, pilots and tracked vehicle crewman that are issued pistols. However situation dictates what is carried.

 

[No4Mk1]

Also surveyors....

 

[cameroneod]

EOD gets pistols.

 

[Greg L]

Support type units have a lot more pistol issue goin' on and they don't usually want to be bothered with having to carry those big heavy M16s.

As an exREMF , it is mainly still on the officer level. However it isn't so much that they are heavy, it is more that they get in the way while trying to do our primary job - pumping gas into the tanks, dropping off MREs/ammo/etc. In a fluid battle area (such as Iraq seems to be now) a rifle would be good to have handy as a firefight could come up whenever. In a relatively secure rear area it isn't quite as vital & it makes the day much easier if you can just have a pistol on your hip rather than having a rifle on your back/shoulder sliding around & banging into things constantly.

 

[ID_shooting]

When I was a tanker, we all had m9's. After my knee flubbed up, I was a truck driver in a REMF unit, only the officers had side arms. Although in retrospect, who the heck was I supposed to fire that m-60 from the driver's seat of a 5-ton tractor?

 

[Kharn]

Tank crews get 2 M9's and (I believe) 2 M4s. At least thats what's in my friend's BF's pics from when his M1A2 tank platoon was in Iraq earlier this year.

Kharn

 

[George S.]

As I recall from my days in the Army (67-70) , Chaplain's Assistants were issued 1911's

 

[CannibalCrowley]

After reading through some of these replies, I'm convinced that it ultimately depends on the unit. In my old USMC company, the only people who carried just pistols were the CO, XO, 1stSgt, Company Gunny, Corpsmen, and the gunners for the mortars, SMAWs and 240s. During training platoon commanders and Plt Sgts carried just rifles; but their combat loadout called for a rifle and pistol.

 

[Jeff White]

In an Army light Infantry unit the following soldiers are issued pistols.
Company commander
Machine Gunners (6)
Assistant Machine Gunners (6)
Mortar Gunners (2)
Mortar Assistant Gunners (2)

At the battalion headquarters:
Battalion commander
Battalion XO
Battalion S3
Battalion CSM
HHC Commander
Battalion surgeon
Medics assigned to the company aidman teams have pistols, medics assigned to the evac section and aid station have rifles.

Contrary to popular belief, pistols are not widely distributed. Support units usually have but one pistol, the one issued to the commander. First sergeants and others that you see with M9s on their hip usually have pulled rank and swapped their rifle to a soldier who would have been authorized a pistol.

Jeff

 

[Sean Smith]

Pistols are popular until you need to shoot something, then M16s and M4s become much more in demand.

As a battalion and brigade S2, I was issued an M9. As an assistant battalion S2, I got an M16 sometimes and an M9 others, depending on the unit.

 

[Joey2]

All weapons and equipment are allocated according to the MTO&E. When I was in the USMC as a SNCO in the infantry what was already posted is correct, but in actual combat we aquired a rilfe from our Medavacs or dead.

 

[capnrik]

Pistols are popular until you need to shoot something, then M16s and M4s become much more in demand

Sean, that's a helluva quote. I'm gonna start using it, and furthermore, I'm gonna claim I made it up!

 

[Bravo11]

I was a tanker '82-'88. All 4 members of the tank crew were issued 1911's.
In addition to their sidearm the loader and driver were issued M3 grease guns. We didn't even train with rifles. I didn't pick up an M16 until I got to my first duty assignment and messed around with one our turret mech was issued.

 

[Nightcrawler]

Huh. I've never seen an M60 gunner that was carrying a pistol too. The drivers in engineer units get pistols, though more often track drivers are issued M16s (or M4s if the unit has them). 1SG, officers, and medics have pistols too.

I've instructed at least two officers on what to do with the lanyard that comes with the Bianchi military holster. (They'd clip it to their LBE someplace, not realising it's intended for the loop on the butt of the pistol.)

 

[Russ]

My son's freind joined the Coast Guard a year or so ago and he was issued a 9mm Beretta. He was sent to the coast off Venezuela and will soon be going to the Mediterranian. They are going to Europe to train our allies. Most people don't think of the Coast Guard as an Armed Service but they are.

 

[Jeff White]

Nightcrawler,
Machine Gunners in non-infantry units usually don't get pistols authorzed by MTOE. Every Infantry MTOE I've ever seen does give gunners and assistant gunners pistols as individual weapons. This is so they can move around the battle position without having to pick the machine gun up and take it out of position. During movement, the gunner carries the MG and the assistant gunner carries the tripod and T&E in his hands. Little room for either to carry a rifle along with the ammunition. The pistols are for their personal defensive use.

Are your MG crews designated by MTOE or are they appointed by the commander?

Jeff

 

[jeff-10]

In the 2 air-assault infantry battlions I served with in the 2nd ID and 101st I know that our m240 gunners and AGs carried Berettas. Also our PL carried one and sometimes out platoon sgt carried one also. The CO and XO of the company also had 1 along with the 1st sgt. If someone had a Javeline or Dragon they would also carry them. If we had special guard duty we would also draw sidearms. Basically the platoons had a fixed number of sidearms that someone had to carry. Same with Saw's and 203s. Platoons are almost never full str and the brass prefered we carry everything we had to the field except the extra 16s.