Hi folks,
I'm rewatching the film as More4+1 airs it - Zach Mayo is currently undergoing all those jankers that DI Foley is inflicting on him- and he seems to be drilling with an M14... was that standard USAF issue at the time - or did they get issued with M16s along with other forces?
The Navy used M-14s in that period; however, he is carrying an M-1 Garand, which was often used for close-order drill in training units. My NROTC unit drill team used Springfields.
"Fortunately, Ah keep mah feathers numbered for just such an emergency!"
I went through AOCS in 1989. We drilled with M-1 Garands; at graduation we marched with swords. The rifles were basically just another "detail" for which we were responsible. The DI's took every opportunity to expose the rifles to sweat or sand. We had to make sure they were never rusty, and that everything slid smoothly. As punishment for possessing "ge-dunk", or contraband, my DI buried the rifles of two of my fellow candidates, and made us maintain a wakeful watch over their "graves" for 24 hours. Interestingly, the rifles had been rendered safe by having their barrels split.
shareM1's are also heavier than an M16, by about 2 lbs, which doesn't sound like a lot until the 3rd or so hour of a road march, or the umpteenth iteration of special PT.
They have M1's in this movie. I have no idea if that was correct or not for the time.
In Air Force OTS, the only thing I got close to was a .38 Special revolver, but I did earn a ribbon with it. (The Air Force gives you a ribbon instead of a badge). It was a lonely little ribbon for quite a while.
"He was running around like a rooster in a barnyard full of ducks."--Pat Novak
We used M-1s at AOCS in 1978.
share[deleted]