This is pretty embarassing. U.S. Troops in Iraq are stuck having to borrow AK-47s because they jam less and ammo is more readily available for them.
“We just do not have enough rifles to equip all of our soldiers. So in certain circumstances we allow soldiers to have an AK-47. They have to demonstrate some proficiency with the weapon … demonstrate an ability to use it,” said Lt. Col. Mark Young, commander of the 3rd Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 4th Infantry Division.
Now, if our Commander In Chief spent less time in carrier-landing photo ops and more time equipping the troops to do their jobs, we may actually get OUT of Iraq some day.
1. The troops don’t have the weapons that they need to do the job; and,
2. They’re forced to use rifles that can’t handle the environmental conditions.
Nothing like getting in a firefight and having your weapon jam (or worse yet, having no weapon at all). We would’ve been better off sticking with the M14….
When the .223 caliber round and M16 were introduced in the Vietnam War, soldiers nicknamed it the Plastic Fantastic and commonly harvested better weapons from Charlie’s slain.
The AK-47 uses a much more common round, especially for that part of the world, as it is the same round used in the SKS. You can get ammo from any street market in Iraq (or, in this country, from any Walmart).
Our troops would be wise to pick up these fine weapons.