Conservative. Idaho. Software engineer. Historian. Trying to prevent Idiocracy from becoming a documentary.
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"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." -- Rom. 8:28
I am pretty sure that the U.S. military either issues combat knives to all infantry, or at least to some special operations units. But I would like some sort of official evidence of this. Can someone find it?
Might be some ambiguity there - is the question issues to all or makes available to all - does knife include bayonet and such. AFAIK makes available is correct and riflemen get bayonets with tricky rules as to personal knives as personal weapons.
I meant in addition to issued bayonets. It seems that there are combat knives showing up on the NSN list, so there are definitely some soldiers apparently issued combat knives.
An active-duty US Army Infantry Officer who served last year in Afghanistan, at a Combat Outpost, tells me this: "I never got a knife before deployment but when we were deployed we got gerber multi-tools with knives, strap cutters for roll over emergencies, and gerber spring-loaded combat knives."
If you mean "knife used in combat operations by Soldiers", then the answer is more-or-less as Pete puts it--There's a huge assortment of things issued from multi-tools to folding pocket knives, depending on unit and Military Occupational Specialty.
If, on the other hand, you mean to ask if there's a specific knife issued for combat, a "fighting knife", then the answer is "no". The Army has nothing like the Marine Ka-Bar on issue, and there's no CTA 50-900 authorization for such, that I'm aware of.
Try looking at a TOE, Table of Organization & Equipment or a TDA, Table of Distribution and Allowances.
ReplyDeleteJLW III
Try looking at a TOE, Table of Organization & Equipment, or a TDA, Table of Distribution & Allowances.
ReplyDeleteMight be some ambiguity there - is the question issues to all or makes available to all - does knife include bayonet and such. AFAIK makes available is correct and riflemen get bayonets with tricky rules as to personal knives as personal weapons.
ReplyDeleteI meant in addition to issued bayonets. It seems that there are combat knives showing up on the NSN list, so there are definitely some soldiers apparently issued combat knives.
ReplyDeleteAn active-duty US Army Infantry Officer who served last year in Afghanistan, at a Combat Outpost, tells me this: "I never got a knife before deployment but when we were deployed we got gerber multi-tools with knives, strap cutters for roll over emergencies, and gerber spring-loaded combat knives."
ReplyDeleteDefine combat knife, first.
ReplyDeleteIf you mean "knife used in combat operations by Soldiers", then the answer is more-or-less as Pete puts it--There's a huge assortment of things issued from multi-tools to folding pocket knives, depending on unit and Military Occupational Specialty.
If, on the other hand, you mean to ask if there's a specific knife issued for combat, a "fighting knife", then the answer is "no". The Army has nothing like the Marine Ka-Bar on issue, and there's no CTA 50-900 authorization for such, that I'm aware of.