Yes the heat stress was a bastard. It would often be 48C by 0800, and climb into the low 50's by 1000h. I was often in the shooter/operator role in Type 2 and 3 ASLAVs, with the daily heat, then body armour, nomex gloves and anti-flash hood, CVC helmet, EPS goggles, and then the wind which assisted the heat index, one could dehydrate quicky. We always had heaps of water. A normal day on the outide meant about 10 litres of water gulped over the period of a day, which that water turned hot in a matter of minutes from a cold bottle, but as long as it was wet. All this then with the physical part of doing one's job by constantly covering his arcs, playing the hard target as per our TTPs.
Yes, it often reached 70C inside the ASLAVs too, which did not use their air-conditioning due to power loss and possible overheating, so all there was on the inside was small fans. The driver was always buttoned up, and the C/Comd on T2 and T3's was down also monitering his RWS screen. Only on the T1 were the Gnr and C/Comd exposed, and the shooter/Ops in T2 and T3's, so there was also a lot of dust to be eaten.
No cooling vests either, as at the time we were over there (06-07), the chemicals in the vest were toxic and fatal if introduced to the body via shrapnel, so the idea was shelved.
At times, in QRF mode, we'd wait under a tree lined street in some local f'd up neighbourhood to roll in and assist our sister patrol, if/when they got brassed up. That was kind of a treat in a way, as there was no wind or dust, but then being static for at times a few hours in a unhappy area had its drawbacks with sniper and SVBIED threat increasing.
Oh, the good ole days.
Cheers,
OWDU
