TactiSMART 0031: Wearing Your Maps On Your Sleeve
The Leader's LNAV Clusterfuck!
Hahahaha, is I one; ehh an O-2E.
Part of the problem of Land Navigation (LNAV) is the clusterfuck fumbling of map, protractor, compass, alcohol pens, erasers, Leader's NOTEBOOK, its pen, pace count beads--while trying to keep your eyes up to terrain associate, operate your weapon and LEAD your unit's actions--fire & movement etc.
In the low I.Q. USMC we frankly didn't even try to make every junior enlisted LNAV and the follow-the-leader antics that followed simply busted the already too task-saturated 13-man infantry squad fustercluck based on pointmen LOOKING BACK at fireteam leaders LOOKING BACK at the Squad Leaders LOOKING BACK at ME the Platoon Commander. No one is looking FORWARD & ahead so is it a wonder we stumbled constantly into troubles? Be it TBATE our ex-Force Recon patrol leader walking into a sink hole at Camp Pendleton, California to our junior 2LT infantry officers being dropped off at LZ Hawk when I knew damn well it wasn't LZ Hawk!
"Get off my helicopter, LT!"
I was usually the designated NAVIGATOR once I hit past E5 Sergeant rank because I took a personal interest in LNAV, had my own radioactive tritium lensatic compass THAT WORKED aka glowed-in-the-dark and it just has to be that way especially with the moron korps who now want to expand the squad to 15 men! Ugggh.
So you are THE Navigator.
What can you do to streamline the mess you have?
Sand tables were a secret weapon so each 82nd Airborne Paratrooper could terrain associate and get unlost without a map & compass aka dead reckoning--but that doesn't help YOU LNAV when he and his LGOPS buddies finally reach you.
LNAV Streamlining 101
My 1st Field eXpedient (Fx) technique and marine corps Gazette article was to ditch the lensatic compass pouch and place the compass in the unused hand grenade pouchette of the 3x magazine AR15/M16/M4 pouches connected to your LC-2 suspenders (literal pain-in-the-neck). Next, Fx was to girth-hitch the compass to your BDU pocket's pen slot. Today, I recommend placing the compass on your FOREARM using either the Tactical Notebook Covers Combat-Quarterback or Viper Tactical Wrist or Australian TasmanianTiger "Wrist Office" aka Map Holder (TTMH) available from amazon.com:
https://www.amazon.com/Tactical-Notebook-Covers-Combat-Quarterback/dp/B00J8L8T0U/ref=pb_allspark_session_sims_dektop_200_5/133-1163205-9444623?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B0839H9F89&pd_rd_r=1521db88-4c1d-47ae-91cc-e1d45b0c920c&pd_rd_w=RxyHx&pd_rd_wg=IB9Ef&pf_rd_p=aa6d33e9-5469-45fa-af87-32abc6b9e690&pf_rd_r=07XZETHMK25V8BQ46XW6&psc=1&refRID=07XZETHMK25V8BQ46XW6
https://www.rangerjoes.com/Tactical-Quarterback-Sleeve-P16627.aspx
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WUM2O7I/ref=dp_cerb_1
https://www.amazon.com/Tasmanian-Tiger-Wrist-Office-Black/dp/B006K5L91I
The Combat QB forearm holder is simplest & best--but I only have the TTMH to work with--and will fix it.
The military compass situation is NOT good.
Only Camenga is willing to play with radioactive tritium so you can LNAV steer at night on a magnetic heading--Suunto has a superb M9 wrist compass but its glow-in-the-dark plastic doesn't glow-in-the-dark forcing you to shine a flashlight on it--a tactical no-no unless you want to stop the entire unit, throw on a poncho and play lost LT. The electronic compasses out there have back lights--but you'll run them dead if left on for a steady steering aid. What's
DO NOT USE ELECTRONIC COMPASSES for shooting and following azimuths--use high quality, floating dial magnet compasses.
AFAIK, the best & only option is the G.I. Lensatic compass with radioactive tritium for night work--you can use the M9 Suunto wrist compass during the day on your watch band. Remove its dummy cord and add hard velcro under its body to attach to a similar-sized soft piece on the TTMH clear base which is frankly, worthless unless you are a NFL QB needing plays to call in the huddle. Do the same to attach a Garmin Foretrex 401 GPS to the right of it.
Don't trust digital compasses!
Now, you have an amazingly accurate and hands-free ability to shoot day azimuths and follow all-night luminous steering marks cross-referenced by a GPS UTM/MGRS grid coordinate. You simply open the TTMH and raise your forearm to eye level or hold low to look down.
LNAV Streamlining 102
Lensatic Compass Closed; Foretrex 401 OFF
The Foretrex 401 does NOT have a Goldfinger-like moving map display with James Bond dot like larger models--it must have a paper TOPOgraphical map to utilize the position reports it feeds you. The good news for James Bond Citizens (JBCs) is that U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) maps now have UTM/MGRS grid lines to interface perfectly with minimalist Garmin 401-type GPS receivers. Folding a heat-laminated map is noisy, cumbersome, takes both hands and makes the NAVIGATOR a key enemy target to take out. However, you must have the full-size TOPO of your entire area and our SUPERFIGHT Leader's Pocket can accomodate them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjzy9bruVHg
On your forearm you can have 2x 6.5" x 5.25" segments of the main TOPO map in your TTMH's or clear flap pocket--its just that the flap doesn't start at your forearm--but after a clear 3x5 card window pocket making the unfolded map segment too damn long and flopping down by gravity. I contacted the company to fix this by directly attaching the mini-map window pocket to the forearm base like the Tactical QB forearm thingee does--to no avail.
If you want something done right--Do-It-Yourself (DIY). Hear that civilian normie 20-somethings?
1. Carefully seam-rip the stitches holding the clear mini-map pocket from the forearm base.
2. Clean out the dead threads.
3. Attach a 1/2" wide piece of SOFT Velcro at the hinge point of the TTMH's cover flap where the clear mini-map pocket should have been sewn to.
4. Cut thin pieces of HARD velcro to make an U-shape connector at the clear mini-map holder's bottom around the clear window.
This will attach it to the TTMH hinge point--you fold it in half and close the cover flap to camouflage the clear plastic from giving away glint to the enemy.
Every time you want to glance at your mini-map you must open the TTMH's cover flap making a small amount of Velcro rip noise.
What if you don't want to have to open anything and just want to glance down at your forearm?
5. On the opposite side of the clear mini-map holder add an exact duplicate of the 1st side's U-shape but in SOFT Velcro.
Why?
Because you will attach it OUTSIDE of the TTMH on the SOFT Velcro there so its always visible. The U-shape SOFT Velcro is to grab the 2x TTMH closure straps taut against it.
6. Attach a small piece of HARD Velcro at the top of the clear mini-map holder so you can close it in half when outside the TTMH.
Now, you can glance down constantly at your mini-map and look around to terrain associate.
Your eyes are oriented on the REALITY in front of and around you. To associate with your TOPO mini-map, just bring it up to your eye's Line-Of-Sight (LOS).
If you want a GPS "reality check" of your position, OPEN the TTMH cover flap and glance at what your Garmin Foretrex 401 says is your position grid coordinates. Another option is placing your GPS on your weapons buttstock for instant glance-reference.
7. Go back to all your Velcro pieces and clear Gorilla glue them into their positions; clamp with clothespins and let dry hard overnight.
8. Take your contraption to off-post sewing like Ranger Joe's or your friendly parachute Rigger to stitch-attach reinforce your Velcro pieces.
LNAV Streamlining 103
Your mini-map segments taken by color xeroxing them from the main TOPO map should themselves be heat-laminated even though they are going into the TTMH's clear pocket. This way you can do your alcohol pen map work directly and accurately on them and not the clear pocket which bends and has wrinkles.
The TTMH's external elastic for a pen is too large for thin Staedler pens, even dummy-paracord 2x pens doesn't seem prudent as shown. Instead use the cover flap's zippered pocket to stow your alcohol pens. Like-Things-Together.
Knowing your 100 meter pace count--slide a bead every time your count is reached to measure your distance traveled. Of course if in doubt, verify with your GPS your position vis-a-vis your mini-maps and/or full-sized map and distance traveled.
Imagine if incompetent aviatrix Amelia Earhart and alleged drunkard Fred Noonan had had GPS in 1938 empowering them to immediately know they overfly Howland island, turn around to the EXACT new course to reach it--just like a silent "Helga" that berates us if we do the same in our cars/trucks.
https://jamesbondisreal.blogspot.com/2020/06/spythink-019-amelia-earharts-fatal.html
I'm not a fan of separate 3x5 cards with your LNAV plan when this can be written ON YOUR LAMINATED MAP and MINI-MAPS--K.I.S.S.
Semper Airborne!
James Bond is REAL.
NOTES
The RAINE Shooter's Tactical Armband is simpler than the TTMH types--but alas doesn't have 1x unified clear pocket for a mini-map segment but 2x 3x5 card pockets good only for shooter computations etc.
https://www.amazon.com/Raine-Inc-Shooters-Armband-Tactical/dp/B07D8LTPHJ/ref=pb_allspark_session_sims_dektop_200_1/133-1163205-9444623?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07D8JBVQC&pd_rd_r=1521db88-4c1d-47ae-91cc-e1d45b0c920c&pd_rd_w=RxyHx&pd_rd_wg=IB9Ef&pf_rd_p=aa6d33e9-5469-45fa-af87-32abc6b9e690&pf_rd_r=07XZETHMK25V8BQ46XW6&psc=1&refRID=07XZETHMK25V8BQ46XW6
Close--but not what we LNAV Leaders need!
Another honorable mention is the Forestry Ranger's fold-down chest map case...kind of like Spock's Tri-Corder in Star Trek...
Cruiser Kit/Map Case
Doubles as a clipboard and aerial photo holder
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Cruiser Kit/Map Case
Constructed of waterproof nylon fabric with edge binding for extra strength. Two Velcro® closure side straps keep the clipboard open 90° while in use. Other features include a full-size map pocket, a compass/prism pocket, and a pen/scale organizer. Straps to your chest using neck and waist harness.
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