What's interesting is how much the documentary emphasized the hopelessness of being the weaker side, the losses, the screw-ups, the potential losing to the enemy. The bit with the soldier in the chopper yelling "we lost 3/4 of our unit!". I can't tell if it is the malaise/anti-war attitude from the Vietnam War affecting how they edited it, a dislike of the idea of WW3 generally, or something else, but you can see a stark difference from a few years later in the Reagan era, where there was still the tenseness of the consequences, but it was more big smiles/we're tough/we're back!/we'll fight & win despite being the underdog attitude showing through.
I mean until the mid-late 80s nato forces were actually pretty outclassed by the Soviets in a ground war. But I suppose the footage also shows what the reality of war would have been. Had ww3 kicked off it would have been even more devastating than ww2 was
at 20:05 "you never know what's on the other side of the hill". What an innocent world this was before the advent of FPV drones and loitering munition....
Ironically, this is only a couple of years before they were getting the first ideas for loitering munitions (TACIT RAINBOW, to deal with Soviet SAM defenses).
Your NCO tendencies are a generation too young. The Kevlar K-pot didn't come out until '83. You're not gonna break an M1 steel pot by dropping it, we used to boil water and dig foxholes with ours.
I wonder what was going through the soldier's minds, practicing for this? You can see in their faces it was a lot more 'real' than most exercises nowadays, with hundreds of thousands of enemy troops within driving distance. This was about the weakest point in the Cold War for the Western Alliance. Budgets were down because of the Oil Crisis earlier in the decade, America was battered, bruised, and confused from the Vietnam War's loss, NATO was not thinking/arming seriously for a conventional war yet, and the Soviets & Warsaw Pact's gear was nearly equal in quality at this point, with none of the dissolution/loss of confidence the 80's would bring. Another case of nuclear weapons saving people's lives, because in any other period of history, the Soviets probably WOULD have gone for it, and World War III would have happened. But because MAD is a thing, it would be pointless to fight conventionally when everything would be blown up if they 'won'.
Often, smoke flares would be remotly triggered to show that a vehicle had been knocked out. The troops inside would then be marked as "dead" or have to be treated as wounded.
One of the OCs (referees) was probably sitting inside the M113, heard the bang outside as a simulated RPG hit it, and with a big grin pulled the tab of a red smoke grenade, yelling, "TRACK IS HIT!!! IT'S BUUUUURNING!!! WHAT DO YOU DOOOO???"
It's not red smoke, it's a red light coloring the smoke. M113 at the time had red interior lights. Its less visible at night or low light conditions compared to white or blue light.
given what's going on in ukraine 2022-2024 so far, these simulations didn't account for alot namely the russians not playing dirtier than the devil could even imagine. trains aren't an option, roads aren't much better and aerial recon and bombers.....are every where.
Lots of this footage was used in the mockumentary 'WW3' from 1998
Fascinating video of the post Vietnam Army training where it counted - West Germany . They finally got their Cold War Medal 30 years later .
Thank you tuis footage is priceless
I loved my time while stationed at Stuttgart Army Airfield West Germany 1981-84 firefighter 51m40.
Patch Barracks 1980-1983!!
Was in reforger 78 schweinfurt Germany 3rd Inf.
Kitzingen 3rd ID.
I was in Wildflicken Germany, during this same time frame 2-15 Infantry, 3rd ID.
kudos to any one who can spot a certain young colonel on his way to command of allied forces post 9-11-2001
Holy smokes, was that David Petraeus? He looked kind of old even back then.
What's interesting is how much the documentary emphasized the hopelessness of being the weaker side, the losses, the screw-ups, the potential losing to the enemy. The bit with the soldier in the chopper yelling "we lost 3/4 of our unit!".
I can't tell if it is the malaise/anti-war attitude from the Vietnam War affecting how they edited it, a dislike of the idea of WW3 generally, or something else, but you can see a stark difference from a few years later in the Reagan era, where there was still the tenseness of the consequences, but it was more big smiles/we're tough/we're back!/we'll fight & win despite being the underdog attitude showing through.
Interesting perspective.
I mean until the mid-late 80s nato forces were actually pretty outclassed by the Soviets in a ground war. But I suppose the footage also shows what the reality of war would have been. Had ww3 kicked off it would have been even more devastating than ww2 was
1978 was still the Vietnam era . Good troops , but no Bradley vehicles or M - 1 tanks . Morale was good , but we knew we were outnumbered .
at 20:05 "you never know what's on the other side of the hill". What an innocent world this was before the advent of FPV drones and loitering munition....
Ironically, this is only a couple of years before they were getting the first ideas for loitering munitions (TACIT RAINBOW, to deal with Soviet SAM defenses).
my NCO tendencies screamed when the guy dropped his helmet while putting on his gasmask lol 🤮
My military senses were offended when you called it a gasmask !!! It's a Respirator ! :) Down and give me 20 .....in your respirator :)
Your NCO tendencies are a generation too young. The Kevlar K-pot didn't come out until '83. You're not gonna break an M1 steel pot by dropping it, we used to boil water and dig foxholes with ours.
My military senses were offended again when u didnt say promask@@georgerobert4709
This was pretty good….
@@georgerobert4709called a ProMask in my time . ( protective mask )
I wonder what was going through the soldier's minds, practicing for this? You can see in their faces it was a lot more 'real' than most exercises nowadays, with hundreds of thousands of enemy troops within driving distance.
This was about the weakest point in the Cold War for the Western Alliance. Budgets were down because of the Oil Crisis earlier in the decade, America was battered, bruised, and confused from the Vietnam War's loss, NATO was not thinking/arming seriously for a conventional war yet, and the Soviets & Warsaw Pact's gear was nearly equal in quality at this point, with none of the dissolution/loss of confidence the 80's would bring.
Another case of nuclear weapons saving people's lives, because in any other period of history, the Soviets probably WOULD have gone for it, and World War III would have happened. But because MAD is a thing, it would be pointless to fight conventionally when everything would be blown up if they 'won'.
Day 2 15:36 Belgian Army Leopard 1 tanks...
Back in the days when Belgium had tanks.
Obscured by clouds by Pink Floyd, trying to sound all hip and shit😎😂🤣🎸
In the Army before drug testing - what do you expect ?
I reckon it worked surprisingly well!
How on earth were they able to license Pink Floyd for this program?!?
Different time.
Never understood why U.S infantry didn’t have their chinstraps down 🤷♂️
First time I saw a A10 in the air
🇩🇰👌
14:20 why is there red smoke inside the Infantry transport vehicle?
Either someone messed up and pulled a pin or it got taken out and that's how they showed it
Often, smoke flares would be remotly triggered to show that a vehicle had been knocked out. The troops inside would then be marked as "dead" or have to be treated as wounded.
It was supposed to simulate that the APC was hit and burning. These exercises do that kind of thing.
One of the OCs (referees) was probably sitting inside the M113, heard the bang outside as a simulated RPG hit it, and with a big grin pulled the tab of a red smoke grenade, yelling, "TRACK IS HIT!!! IT'S BUUUUURNING!!! WHAT DO YOU DOOOO???"
It's not red smoke, it's a red light coloring the smoke. M113 at the time had red interior lights. Its less visible at night or low light conditions compared to white or blue light.
The Hawk missile system
For NATO as no been 1990y
lol the soldier at 11:09 moans very convincingly 😉
I remember all this. We were giants then. The Soviets were good. By the way. They would have failed.
👍✌👌💪⚘🙋🙋♀️🙋♂️
Gas Gas Gas 😂😂😂
given what's going on in ukraine 2022-2024 so far, these simulations didn't account for alot namely the russians not playing dirtier than the devil could even imagine. trains aren't an option, roads aren't much better and aerial recon and bombers.....are every where.
They can play as dirty as they want; they've been showing the world that they're not very good at it!
It has always been thus.
18:30 to 18:37 Did we just witness a fragging?