Rotters: Bravo Company (14 page)

CHAPTER 4

Night Vision Goggles - NVGs

Most military forces now commonly utilize night vision goggles. They simply amplify ambient light to give the wearer an artificial sense of vision. Everything appears in a dim green hue. The drawbacks include a limited field of view (Roughly 40 degrees straight ahead) and a flat two-dimensional sight plane. 

MOPP Suits - Mission Oriented Protective Posture

MOPP suits are simply an ensemble of protective gear, including a hooded, rubberized over-garment, a gas mask, booties and gloves. The number following the word MOPP correlates to the level of threat.

MOPP Level 1 — Suit worn. Mask, gloves and boots carried.

MOPP Level 2 — Suit and boots worn. Gloves and mask carried.

MOPP Level 3 — Suit, boots and mask worn. Gloves carried.

MOPP Level 4 — All protection worn.

Wearing a MOPP 4 suit is like being wrapped in a thick condom and shoved into an oven on preheat. You have to experience it to appreciate how much it truly sucks. It is a great way to lose weight, however.

IED - Improvised Explosive Device

A homemade explosive set to detonate by trip wire or remote detonation.

CHAPTER 6

MSRT - Mobile Satellite Radio Transmitter

Field portable satellite radios utilized for communications. Although usually carried on Humvees, a combat patrol on foot would include a radioman equipped with a MSRT.

CHAPTER 10

Molotov
Cocktail

As described, a hand hurled incendiary device constructed by filling a glass bottle with a flammable liquid, and stuffing a rag into the neck. The rag acts as a wick, or fuse, when lit. The Molotov is thrown at the target, and bursts upon impact, covering the impact area with flaming liquid.

CHAPTER 11

Cat’s Eyes

Small square luminous tabs on an elastic band, worn on the back of the helmet or hat. These tabs glow dimly, giving off just enough illumination to guide the poor tired bastard behind you in the dark. As a joke, soldiers often hold them in hand at the appropriate level and guide the person behind them into a tree or mud hole.

PFC Parsons

Parsons was drawn to a large degree from my own experiences in the military. I was sometimes too smart for my own good, questioned orders, and got into a bit of trouble with my superiors. If Parson’s ass
ripping by the major seems realistic, well, you should have been there.

Hard-on

Harde
, or Hard-on, was a straight amalgamation of two guys I met in Air Force Tech School. One was named Bob Evans. He was super cool, and from New Jersey. He taught me the Jersey slang (What exit ya from?) and how the people there talked and acted. The other was an extreme muscle
head asshole (also from Jersey) whose name I honestly do not remember. If those two guys screwed, Hard-on would be their kid.

Jonesy

Jonesy
was a mash-up of the poor inner city kids I went to grade school with. He mainly came from my memories of my best friend in grade school, a crazy kid named Craig, who got me into more trouble than I can remember.

Gunner

Gunner came mostly from my imagination, but I met a lot of Hispanics while I was stationed at Homestead AFB, near Miami, Florida. Most were really good people, and I really liked them and their culture. I love Cuban food! Several of them were just like Gunner, and would stomp the shit out of you if you looked at them wrong.

Sgt. McAllister

The sarge is an amalgamation of all the old, hardnosed, capable, military types I’ve known over the years. When I first began to write about him and see him in my head, he began to take on a lot of the characteristics of my father. My dad was a true woodsman; he taught me to track and hunt, how to handle a gun and shoot, how to be a man. He was tough as nails, and didn’t take shit from anyone. A master sergeant is a lot like a father to the men under his command. He is responsible for them, watches over them and disciplines them.

Major Dorset

The major was based on a couple of officers I met along the way. I won’t name them, because they already know that they are raging assholes. They took pride in being aloof, superior, constipated pricks. Every non-commissioned serviceman out there knows Major Dorset; he was everywhere.

The modern firearms depicted in
Rotters: Bravo Company
are real. The descriptions below are generic examples of the M-series of firearms produced for the military.

The M-4 Rifle

Specifications:

Caliber:5.56x45mm

Weight
:6.4lbs (2.9kg)

Overall Length:
33in (840mm)

Magazine Capacity:  30 round box

Capabilities:

Muzzle Velocity: 2970f/s (884m/s)

Rate of Fire:700-950 rds/min

Maximum Range
:500yds (500m)

Squad Assault Weapon - SAW

Specifications:

Caliber
:5.56x45mm NATO

Weight
:17lb (7.5kg)

Overall Length:
40.75in (1035mm)

Magazine Capacity:  200 rounds on M27 Linked Belt

Capabilities:

Muzzle Velocity
:3000 ft/s (915m/s)

Rate of Fire:  50-775
rds/min

Maximum Range:
870yd (800m) effective3940yd (3600m)max

12 Gauge Assault Shotgun

Specifications:

Caliber: 12-Gauge Shotgun (OO Buckshot)

Weight:
  5lbs (2.3kg)

Length:  40in
(457mm)

Barrel Length:  18in

Action:  Pump

Magazine Capacity:  8 rounds

Capacities:

Maximum Range:  150
ft (50m)

Claymore Mine - M18A1

Specifications:

Caliber: 700 1/8
th
inch steel balls

Weight: 3.5
lbs

Length:
8.50 in (216mm)

Height:
4.88 in (124mm)

Width:
1.50 in (38mm)

Capabilities:

Muzzle Velocity:  4000ft/s (1200m/s) 

Maximum Range: 55yd (50m) 250m max

The Claymore anti-personnel mine consists of a plastic case containing a C-4 shape charge behind an epoxy resin containing approximately seven hundred steel balls. It can be detonated by remote control or rigged to a trip wire.

The mine fires forward in a wedge pattern 6 feet high by 165 feet wide at its optimal range of approximately 55yards, hurling seven hundred steel balls at anything in the blast radius. 

Fragmentation Grenade - M167

Specifications:

Weight: 14oz (400g)

Length: 3.5 in (88mm)

Diameter:  2.5in (64mm)

Maximum Range: 30yds (30m) thrown, blast radius 45ft (15m) 

The M167 grenade is simply a hollow steel sphere packed with C-4 and a three second delay fuse.

White Phosphorous Incendiary Grenade M15 (Willy Pete)

Specifications:

Weight:  31oz
(88g)

Length:  6in
(152mm)

Diameter
:2.5in (63.5mm)

Maximum Range: 30yds (30m) thrown, blast radius 50ft (17m)

The white phosphorous released by the grenade burns at approximately 5000 degrees Fahrenheit. Although classified as a smoke grenade, the Willy Pete can also be used to destroy soft targets, and once ignited, the white phosphorous will burn through almost anything.