http://cs413617.vk.me/v413617254/8436/AXnDqhlX-io.jpg

TYR Tactical PICO-MV plate carriers
http://www.tyrtactical.com/products/...er-cut-plates/

That pic is from Kosovo 99/00, (I was a C-9 gunner in Assault Troop) it's memebers of RCR Pioneer Platoon, I worked with them here and there during our deployment. Great bunch of guys, hard as f**k, and they were all giants. When the pioneers and Assault troop were deployed to Gratzineecha (spelling) to help out with the riots that were occuring, I remember a Pioneer picking people up over his head and throwing them back into the crowd. The french that were there gassed (tear gas) the rioters, but because of the wind, it carried the smoke to where our position was, we bore the brunt of the effects and I puked a few times.
I liked my LBV, it was better than issued webbing. It would hold a lot more gear than the webbing and was more comfortable to wear, especially in armoured vehicles. My only gripe was none of the pouches would fit a box of C-9 ammo, so I had to put 600 rounds of linked 5.56 loose in the pockets.
We didn't always wear the flak jackets, but our strike face plates were in the LBV as SOP. Back then, the back plate was much larger than the chest plate, and it would really make your back sore after wearing it all day at a check point or on patrol.

hello all. can't believe you don't have an intro thread...
anyway, i'm a British serviceman, based in the US and doing a CSOR loadout. confusing eh?
i am part way through externally making a C8 SFW and i've already got a Paraclete HPC in SG. a Paca SVS is ordered and i'm sourcing some SG pouches for the HPC. however,
where on earth can i get some CADPAT AR?? its like rocking horse proverbial!
any pointers, feel free to let me know, and PM me for any British kit needs you have!
thanks

There's an intro thread there: http://airsoftcanada.com/showthread.php?t=59198&page=80 ;)
Welcome around. CADPAT in generall is much more controlled than camo is in the US or UK, so it is much harder to find. The governement goes no surplus it directly anymore: they generally just burn it (!!!)

Your best bet to find some are local surplus stores where soldiers might have dropped off some stuff, or online sales (forums, eBay, etc).

thank you Conker. i shall keep looking for CADPAT! and i've introduced myself!

Background, on the left.
http://offthebase.files.wordpress.co...rn-mcraven.jpg

Leftmost, partially hidden.
http://offthebase.files.wordpress.co...guns-drawn.jpg

Right.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...58_964x643.jpg

Right again.
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4...unso1_1280.jpg

It was at Tampa in 2012
One more
http://cs313227.vk.me/v313227254/821a/fOdALgBFJ8Q.jpg

I bought one of those LBV vests for 30$, I really like it actually.

This Saturday; W5 inside CSOR. http://www.ctvnews.ca/w5/

it's here! http://www.ctvnews.ca/w5/behind-the-...ndos-1.1761614

Few of them were rocking Crye JPCs, didn't know that.

So.... The generally accepted idea is that CSOR is like the Army Rangers to the JTF-2's Delta Force, so to speak, in terms of comparing them to what we know about the Americans. Is this in any way true or accurate, or just pure speculation? How would any of us know which one is 'higher level' than the other or which one does which jobs, etc etc??

Compare page 14 of this (CSOR) and page 8 of this (JTF-2) for a bit of an idea of the differences. Not sure how telling it is, but the median of the JTF-2 fitness scores is tougher than the CSOR ones. Both are pretty intense, but note that JTF-2 requires a combined score of 75.

More or less yes.

This is not pure speculation but as there is indeed very little open information, I guess you could call that that "educated guesses"?

It's however hard to say 1:1 what they'd match the US... because the US has about (just off my head) a dozen actual special operations units (not counting those that are "special operations capable", or paramilitary units like the DEA FAST, CIA SAD shooters, State Dept QRFs, etc).

FID, a big part of CSOR's mission both in Afghanistan (was) and in Africa. For US forces, it's fullfilled by SF and MARSOC (for the most part). Rangers are purely a direct action unit (and in a more limited way reconnaissance with the RRPs but that's another thing entirely).

So... again, can't really say 1:1 what's their US counterpart.