Hey all.

Couple of questions:

Are US infantry using M72 LAW (or similar) at squad level or have they moved entirely to AT-4 or like?

Do all infantry members carry personal comms or is that only at Squad Leader level and above?

Thanks in advance

regards
Mathew

back in 2006 the US Army still has used M72 LAW in Iraq. Probably does so today in Afghanistan. It's cheaper and not as heavy-weight as an AT-4. In addition to that, soldiers can carry up to two instead of just one AT-4. Given that they are not used to fight armor in those conflicts, but rather to attack enemy positions or compounds, the Army probably still uses them with the large stockpiles remaining.

Personal comms? I know they use simple walkie-talkies sometimes.

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Thanks mate.

I ahve been looking at some pics as well.

I am thinking 1 x LAW with each Fireteam and Comms with Squad Leader and above at least, maybe fireteam leader as well. Allot of pics seem to show troops without comms so assuming leaders only.

All personal are equiped with Peltor type ear and boom mikes hooked up to a MBITR for intrsquad comms.
the singars i think is at Plt

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"All Men for the rights of Every man, every man for the rights of all Men"

TM 3-23.25, Shoulder-Launched Munitions, dated September 2010, lists 3 series of weapons, the M72, the M136, and the M141. The older M72A2 and M72A3 are still listed, as are the improved M72A4, A5, and A6. The M72s had effectively been out of service in the regular Army until they began being reissued in 2006 (or so readily available information says). From what I can quickly find, the USMC had begun doing the same in 2005. They had also been found in the special operations community (I believe the M72A7s used by the SEALs are being produced new still). As has been already noted, it has decided benefits over the M136 in the kind of fighting going on in places like Iraq and Afghanistan.

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You will not see a LAW in a normal line unit, u might see it in a sniper section or a scout section (if they got good hook ups) but as far as a normal army platoon u will not. they will ether have AT4's or the Disposable SMAW D's. depending on the mission a squad might carry 1 or 2 or none. each platoon also will have 1-2 Javelins in the weapons squad, but whether or not they get used depends on the mission and supply.

as far as comms, usaly u will only see team leader and above have comms. normal grunts will not carry radios. Usaly it will be 3 MBITR or prc-152 per squad, 1 for the squad leader, 1 for each team leader. for dissmounted operations you will probably see 1 Harris Prc-117 if you are operating away from any vics

I too have heard the Law was back I also heard the M67 90mm RR was back for the same reason.....If it was up to me I would fire off every piece of left over ord from the cold war and stock pile the javelin...

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"All Men for the rights of Every man, every man for the rights of all Men"

There were M72 LAWs clearly seen with the soldiers in the documentary Restrepo for instance, so they're definitely around. Just what their basis of issue is is unclear. As for the M67, there was a report recently (~February 2011) that elements of the 4/101st Airborne had seen them reissued in place of the Javelin. This story (link) has links to 2 photos of 2-506th Infantry, reportedly during familiarization training with the weapon.

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Interesting.

I have a couple of 2010 pics of USA Army infantry with M72. I had not noticed them before until just now looking at this subject in more detail.

Photos also seem to support that radios are at Team Leader and above. On every group shot only a couple of the individuals appear to have them.

So maybe a reasonable call would be 1 x M72 per Fireteam and personal comms with FireTeam TL and above??

I understand configurations may change depending, but am aiming for general agreeance.

regards
Mathew

u might see the law with the regular infantry but most likly not. the few pics u have seen are the exception to the rules. all my deployments i have seen a total of 3 laws in a regular infantry unit, 2 were in a sniper section the other was in a line squad becouse his body from scouts hooked him up.

in the end can you have a line unit have LAWs, sure why not its part of the fun of the game u can make anyone have anything. but would it be realistic? not as much as if they had at'4s or smaw d's

also usaly u would only see one per squad.

Thanks mate, one pic is of the 10th Mountain i think, about 6-8 guys in file on patrol and 2 x M72 visible. I may just add seperate figure to seperate for use or not.