You're probably safest with a MBTIR radio, no headset.
Reference: The United States Marine Corps

 

The problem is that the MBITR is not issued to every Marine (unless they are an operator in MARSOC). Most grunts use an ICOM radio, which is what the supplied radio is. If the Marine was a radio man he may have an ICOM or larger pack radio (depending on what the table of equipment states).

To be quite honest, it's very rare that you see a normal grunt with a rifle and pistol as well. My guess is that Soldier Story was striving to give the end user all options for their figures. Most of the time a Marine has to be a Staff NCO or higher to be issued the M9. MARSOC is a totally different story though as those Marines are operators. Force Recon would be a similar situation.

Just speaking from experience.

Jeff

 

Completely agreed! We are using the 153's now if that's what you were talking about. Team leaders and above are the guys carrying these. The only time I ever heard of the ICOM was the radio our interpreters used to carry around so we could 'listen' in on taliban comm. As for the M9 some things have changed and every squad leader and above has one, and SOMETIMES but it's rare, a corpsman will have one also. I have never seen a PIR in use in my past 4 years in the Corps (only the 153's). However they were used extensively by the guys in Iraq during Fallujah and the like. As for the MBITR (148) we only had one per squad and goaltendah1 is absolutely right that they are quite rare, and most likely the RTO or squad leader would be carrying this as it was used as a back up to talk to air support in case our 119F went down.

 

So the radio this figure comes with, the PRR(personal role radio as we call it) is no longer used by the USMC?

 

Not that I'm aware of. That's not to say some units don't still have access to it, but I never saw anyone using it, and we didn't have access to them.

 

The ICOM was used back in the early 2000's. I doubt that it's still used today.

The 153 is a newer radio. When I got out in February, 2004 the PRC-148's were starting to flow into the comm companies. We were still fielding PRC-119C radios. The comm company at 1st FSSG had PRC-119F and they had recently gotten the PRC-138 radio as well. It's amazing how much communications have changed since I got out...and for the better. In my 9 years most comm stayed stagnant with SINCGARS, PRC-104's and PRC-113's being the basic comm radios used. All being manpack or vehicular mount. Now everything is smaller and more powerful.

Jeff

 

Have any 1/6 companies ever made the AN/PRC-153?

 

No but I hope someone tackles it soon (soldier story) because I need a few!

 

The few pics that show up in Google include a small Motorola radio, and what looks like a clip-on PTT module, as well as a set of ear buds. Does that sound right for the AN/PRC-153?

 

Yeah it just looks like a bigger walkie talkie. None of the companies have tackled it yet, but it's what all the marines are using now.

 

Regular infantry in the Army and Marine Corps do not get issued side arms unless they rate one per a T/E (table of equipment). Usually squad leaders, Staff NCO's, officers, corpsmen and that sort may get issued a sidearm, but the general grunt does not. Part of it has to do with money (it would cost a lot more to outfit everyone with a pistol). Also pistols are added weight. Regular grunts are humping extras such as extra ammo for the gunners, chow, medical supplies, etc. They are not taught to do transition drills (to go from the rifle to pistol).

I really don't know why they don't issue one (military has their reasons). I just know that there is a table of organization and a table of equipment that dictates everything that a unit rates and who rates it.

To answer the other part of your question, the M9 is the basic side arm of the U.S. military. Special Operations units are allowed to utilize other weapons, thus why MARSOC uses the M1911A1.

Jeff

 

Regular infantry in the Army and Marine Corps do not get issued side arms unless they rate one per a T/E (table of equipment). Usually squad leaders, Staff NCO's, officers, corpsmen and that sort may get issued a sidearm, but the general grunt does not. Part of it has to do with money (it would cost a lot more to outfit everyone with a pistol). Also pistols are added weight. Regular grunts are humping extras such as extra ammo for the gunners, chow, medical supplies, etc. They are not taught to do transition drills (to go from the rifle to pistol).

I really don't know why they don't issue one (military has their reasons). I just know that there is a table of organization and a table of equipment that dictates everything that a unit rates and who rates it.

To answer the other part of your question, the M9 is the basic side arm of the U.S. military. Special Operations units are allowed to utilize other weapons, thus why MARSOC uses the M1911A1.

Jeff

Thank you, Jeff. Glad to have some experts here!!!!:notworthy

 

I'm not much help here. The prick 77 was all she wrote in my day.