Tag Archives: 3ID

Inside the Sullivan Cup

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The Army has a two-part video series about the Sullivan Cup, “This ain’t your mama’s table VI qualification.”

Big Green takes the top 16 M1 tank crews and pits them against each other in a week-long competition at Fort Benning.

The production team from the Defense Media Activity goes down to Fort Stewart, Georgia, to see two 3rd Infantry Division tank crews, “Cannonarchy” and “Count Trackula”– both from Charlie Co. 1-64 Armor— compete for a chance to go to the Army’s premiere tank crew competition.

And it’s really well done and insightful. The term “degraded engagement” takes on new meaning.

Part I

Part II

Take a 7.62x54R to the chest, and walk away…

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As you know, the Dragunov SVD sniper rifle is a semi-automatic, gas-operated designated marksman rifle, chambered in old-school Mosin 7.62×54R, and developed in the Soviet Union in the 1960s. While the Russians have moved on to more advanced DMRs, the classic SVD is still in widespread use in the Third World and former Warsaw Bloc.

svd used on June 2, 2005, by insurgents who shot at U.S. Army soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division while they were on patrol in Baghdad atf photo

Click to big up. 1280×273. BATFE Photo

This particular firearm was used on June 2, 2005, by insurgents who shot at U.S. Army soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division while they were on patrol in Baghdad. In a videotaped attack, you can see one soldier being hit in the chest by the enemy sniper. Seconds after impact he was able to get up and take cover behind a Humvee.

Luckily, modern SAPI plate is rated to withstand .30-06 AP, which thumps a little harder than 7.62x54R.

After making contact with the enemies who shot him, the soldier rendered medical aide and took them into custody. The Army managed to retrieve the rifle in that attack and donated it to the ATF to add to their 15,000 gun reference library, where it remains today.