.Mil People: Why Gloves?

[Zardozimo Oprah Bannedalas]

Seems like every picture of combat units I see features gloves. Why?

[kgbsquirrel]

Anti-burn gear.

First, in the event of vehicle fires or flash burns from explosions, second, spent shell casings are blister inducing hot, third, things in direct sunlight get really, really, damned hot in the desert. I had a set of lamb skin aviators that were issued to me, and it would still burn my hand if I touched the metal roof of my humvee for more than about 10 seconds. Also anti-chaffing/abrasion/laceration usage as with most all gloves.

[seeker_two]

Plus, war is a dirty, nasty, gross buisness where you have to touch dirty, nasty, gross things.  Gloves are helpful in protecting you from all the nastiness that goes along with that....

[KD5NRH]

spent shell casings are blister inducing hot,

Another advantage of the Mosin Nagant; the hulls are plenty cool to catch as they leave the chamber.

[Jamisjockey]

Another advantage of the Mosin Nagant; the hulls are plenty cool to catch as they leave the chamber.

The Nagant is a useless implement of modern battle.  The amount of hot casings a modern infantry squad can produce will boggle your mind. 
Like KGB and seeker have stated, gloves come in real handy real fast.  Non combat vet, but being stationed in the desert you learn it real fast.  We wore them for field exercises, at the rifle range, etc.  During the summer I carried mine around all the time in case I might need them.

[CNYCacher]

Another advantage of the Mosin Nagant; the hulls are plenty cool to catch as they leave the chamber.

By the time you get the bolt open, they've had plenty time to cool.

[French G.]

Eye protection hearing protection and gloves should be basic kit for just about everyone.

[MechAg94]

Another advantage of the Mosin Nagant; the hulls are plenty cool to catch as they leave the chamber.

Where does that heat go instead?  It heats up the barrel and receiver faster.  Not a good thing for rapid fire.

[MicroBalrog]

Another thing is, in the desert it gets cold at night. Real cold, and if your hands poking out of your parka are naked, well, that gets mighty uncomfortable mighty fast.

[RoadKingLarry]

Where does that heat go instead?  It heats up the barrel and receiver faster.  Not a good thing for rapid fire.

Mosin-Nagant and "rapid fire"? Not really an issue.

[French G.]

Heh, I once shot a 3 gun match with an M-44, because I'm just that badass.    I was pretty good until about halfway through a 30 round course I cut my thumb near to the bone with a stripper clip. I often wear a nomex flight glove on my offhand whne doing something like that or shooting a pump shotgun since reloading involves rolling it over in my support hand with it wrapped into my weakside forearm. 32rd shotgun field course with an 870. HOTTT!!!

[Ned Hamford]

I think you've all forgotten the most important reason...

It looks cool.

 

[Jamisjockey]

I think you've all forgotten the most important reason...

It looks cool.

 

Yep. Way more cool than a hand full of splinters from pulling targets on the rifle range.  Or sun burned hands from setting up a mobile runway in the desert.  Or blistered hands from driving a humvee for 14 hours.  Or blistered hands from swinging a sledge for driving engineer stakes.  Or scorpion and spider bites from moving sandbags.  Or laying out concentina.  Or going under barb wire.  Or clearing malfunctions on hot weapons.
(All of these are things I've had to do, while not a comprehensive list.)  Some of these, I remembered gloves. Others, I didn't have my gloves and paid the price. 
But, yeah, you can look more "tactical" with gloves on....

[CNYCacher]

I always grew my own.

[Phantom Warrior]

Nomex gloves were the standard when I deployed to prevent major damage from burns to your hands in the event you get hit by an IED.

[280plus]

Yep. Way more cool than a hand full of splinters from pulling targets on the rifle range.  Or sun burned hands from setting up a mobile runway in the desert.  Or blistered hands from driving a humvee for 14 hours.  Or blistered hands from swinging a sledge for driving engineer stakes.  Or scorpion and spider bites from moving sandbags.  Or laying out concentina.  Or going under barb wire.  Or clearing malfunctions on hot weapons.
(All of these are things I've had to do, while not a comprehensive list.)  Some of these, I remembered gloves. Others, I didn't have my gloves and paid the price. 
But, yeah, you can look more "tactical" with gloves on....

Where do I sign up? 

No, just thought I'd stick an extra thanks in there for you guys that have been knee deep in the *expletive deleted*it for the rest of us. 

[Tallpine]

Well, as wildland firefighters we are always supposed to wear gloves when handling a hose, or digging fireline, etc....   I carry mine in my nomex pants cargo pockets.

I guess it does keep your hands a little cleaner for later eating a slimy bologna and white bread sandwich 

[MillCreek]

Although I am no longer a paramedic, I still carry a box of purple nitrile gloves in my car in case I have to give first aid to someone.  The grandkids really like it when I blow them up as big purple hand balloons.

[280plus]

big purple hand balloons.

Want! 

[Sergeant Bob]

Mosin-Nagant and "rapid fire"? Not really an issue.

Unless it's a level action with the thing that goes up. Man, that thing's a tack driver!

[RaspberrySurprise]

They help keep your hands nice and soft for the ladies.

[French G.]

Don't forget the straitjacket, gotta have one of those for precision rapid fire.

[Thor]

I remember running chocks & chains in the early days of my Navy career. Gloves were a MUST with that. Not only did they keep ones hands from getting filthy dirty, but also helped avoid getting fingers or other parts of the hands pinched. Same thing during VertRep. I also can't tell you how many times I've run .020" safety wire through a finger or thumb. Gloves help with avoiding that, too.

[French G.]

Funny, when I was in helos I had ridiculous callouses down the outside of my index fingers, I ran a ton of safetywire by hand, pliers too much damn trouble. A Sikorsky H-3 is of course held together with safetywire, changing all the blades, you better pack a lunch and some extra wire.

Thor, tell the truth. You were an AT weren't you. We give them .020 safetywire and wee little screwdrivers so they don't hurt anything like they might if they had real tools. Hammer? Never.  

[kgbsquirrel]

And yet in Deck department gloves were a big no-no. If one of em got caught on that 5 inch kevlar mooring line you were busy handling you were going through that 8 inch wide steel chock. Everything that might get caught was removed prior to handling lines, gloves, rings, bracelets/watches and anything dangling from your belt.