[Delta Recon]

Guys:

Situation dictates tactics. My war (VN) with the Special Projects meant that we did not get resupply drops, stealth was our primary means of protection which included leaving a sterile area.

In the middle of a firefight, mags were dropped unless you could slip them into your blouse to be secured later. Idea was not to leave anything for the enemy and to leave as little trace of your passing or identity as possible. Things have changed, but those were the rules.

Currently, as a forensics guy, I just don't like to leave any more evidence than I have to. It is just habit.

As a recon operative, we carried 10 twenty round mags loaded with 18 rounds each in 2 M14 mag carriers; one twenty rounder in the weapon; one thirty rounder wrapped in our spare socks on our left leg cargo pocket, another couple of thirty rounders in our rucksack and a couple of twenty rounders in the outside pockets of our rucks so our teammates could get to them. We seldom fired on full auto except for suppressing fire in a break contact situation because no more ammo was going to be available. Different war, differeint types of operations, different tactics. I am sure Rick B will understand.

Of course, if we were going in on an assault with the Rangers or on a Bright Light, we loaded right up, usually with bandoliers.