How Much Do You Know About Tools and Gear Used in the Military?

By: J. Reinoehl
Estimated Completion Time
4 min
How Much Do You Know About Tools and Gear Used in the Military?
Image: Shutterstock

About This Quiz

Do you know your U. S. military equipment or are you more of a civilian? This quiz covers tools and equipment that any branch of the military or MOS might use—past and present. Test exactly how much you know about military tools by taking this quiz!
What is an item best used to store and carry all your gear?
A parachute.
A canteen.
A duffel bag.
"I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, then questions the manner in which I provide it." – Aaron Sorkin (A Few Good Men)
A poncho and liner.

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What is the tool that you would need a red lens for to use secretively at night?
A PEQ-15.
Ballistic sunglasses.
A high-speed camera.
A Mini Mag.
Every soldier needs (on average) 70 batteries that are of seven different types. This is just to power his or her gear and does not include backups.

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Which basic tool is best for helping you march in the right direction when used with a map?
SINCGARS.
A compass.
“Out of every 100 men, ten shouldn't even be there, 80 are just targets, nine are the real fighters, and we are lucky to have them, for they make the battle. Ah, but the one, one is a warrior, and he will bring the others back.” ― Heraclitus.
An IFAK.
A drill sergeant.

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The age-old folding E-tool is usually used for what?
Building a signal fire.
Tapping a tree or cactus for water.
Digging defensive fighting positions.
The E-tool has been a staple for many wars. It has undergone some design changes through the years, but it remains a foldable shovel.
Repairing a secure website.

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Which of the following is standard issue for rain protection?
An umbrella.
Rubber boots.
A rain suit.
A waterproof poncho and liner.
“Lead me; follow me, or get… out of my way.” ― George S. Patton Jr., Patton Principles

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Which kit would contain these tools: lubricant, brass brushes, picks, barrel snake?
A hearing protection kit.
A sewing kit.
An OTIS weapon cleaning kit.
Prior to Vietnam, most soldiers weren’t picky about the lubricant used on their weapons. The wars in the desert caused many to develop special “dry” lubricating techniques to keep their weapons firing without collecting dust.
A mess kit.

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Which one could be a gas mask?
M-16.
M50.
“The day the soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help them or concluded that you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership.” ― Colin Powell
AK-47.
M9.

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Which tool would you need if you were shot in the leg and you wanted to stop the bleeding?
An IED.
An ASM.
A CAT.
The Generation 7 Combat Application Tourniquet (CAT) allows you to quickly and effectively tourniquet a bleeding wound even with one hand. These are so popular that police and emergency personnel use them, but many fakes have flooded the Internet.
A deuce and a half.

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Which tool is useful for jumping out of airplanes?
A zip line.
A parachute.
“It is fatal to enter an war without the will to win it.” ― Douglas MacArthur
A helmet.
A flak jacket.

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Which tool is used if you have been exposed to nerve gas?
Combat Guaze.
ATNAA.
The ATNAA or Antidote Treatment Nerve Agent Autoinjector is designed to help soldiers quickly administer medicine after being exposed to nerve gas. The process for using it prevents the hesitation soldiers might have if they were to use a normal needle to inject themselves.
A tourniquet.
A nasopharyngeal kit.

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Which of the following would you keep in your field pack (ruck sack)?
A handgun.
A survival knife.
Extra BDUs.
“Peace won by compromise is usually a short-lived achievement.” –Winfield Scott
Ammo clips.

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What kind of tool is the NOD/ NVG?
Something that helps you see in the dark.
The night vision devices are commonly all called NOD for night optic device or NVG for night vision goggles. The AN/PVS-14 is the most commonly used one.
A shovel.
Ballistic sunglasses.
Radar.

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The P-38 was issued with field rations from WWII to the 1980’s, what did it do?
It was a folding spoon so you could eat.
Provide seasoning.
Prevent indigestion.
Open cans.
“In a man-to-man fight, the winner is he who has one more round in his magazine.” ― Erwin Rommel

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Which tool was once standard issue but is no longer issued to soldiers?
Individual First Aid Kit (IFAK).
A bayonet.
Full mess kits.
With the invention of MREs and the heating packs that come with them, full mess kits in the military have become obsolete. Although soldiers need a plate and cup of some sort, they don’t need the pan.
A combat tent.

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What does ALICE stand for?
It is the nickname for your military girlfriend, a.k.a. your rifle.
All-purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment.
“That which is chiefly the office of a general, to force the enemy into fighting when he finds himself the stronger, and to avoid being driven into it himself when he is the weaker...” ― Plutarch, Plutarch's Lives, Vol 2
Amphibious Low-Insolubility Chain Extender.
Any Lightweight Internet Connected Engine.

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Which of the following tools is NOT a military radio?
SINCGARS.
JTRS.
JDAM.
Although the JTRS is certified for military use and slated to replace other radios, it has not completely done that yet. The development phase ran into program restructuring and cost overruns.
MBITR.

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What does LMRS stand for?
Loose Motor Radio Sync.
Level Marine Rectangular Shield.
Little Machine Racheting Screw.
Land Mobile Radio System.
“He will win whose army is animated by the same spirit throughout all its ranks.” – Sun Tzu

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For shat would you use an FRH?
To help position a land mine.
Keeping your gear dry when crossing a river.
Heating food in the field.
The FRH (Flameless Ration Heater) is included in every MRE. It heats the food using a chemical reaction that is triggered by water.
Keeping a tent from collapsing in a wind storm.

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Which device is illegal for a civilian to own and must be returned to the manufacturer (to destroy) if it stops working?
Mini-CDs that brief soldiers on an upcoming mission.
SureFire Lights.
DAGRs.
“I'll play baseball for the Army or fight for it, whatever they want me to do.” ― Mickey Mantle
Personal beacon.

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In addition to two canteens, the modern soldier also carries what for hydration?
Salt pills.
A CamelBak hydration pack.
The CamelBak allows soldiers to stay hydrated while on the move. It carries 100 oz. of water.
A MOLLE.
A Ka-bar.

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Which tool do pilots in the Army and Air Force receive?
Aircrew Survival Egress Knife.
“I regret that I have but one life to give for my country.” –Nathaniel Hale
A Torx screwdriver.
A Kevlar parachute.
A pair of suicide pills to kill themselves if they are captured.

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Which of the following tools was issued in Afghanistan and is based off an American Indian weapon?
The war club.
The flint dagger.
The lance.
The tomahawk.
The American Tomahawk Company’s VTAC was included in Stryker vehicles as a survival tool and hand-to-hand combat weapon. It was also included in a Class 9 rescue kit.

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Which of the following tools could you attach to a rifle?
An MBITR.
A SureFire Light.
“No one can defeat us unless we first defeat ourselves.” – Dwight Eisenhower
A DAGR.
A PVS-14.

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What tool is used to locate targets accurately?
The compass.
MOLLE.
The Mark VII
The Mark VII Eyesafe Laser Target Locater can be used during the day or at night. It is primarily used by forward air controllers, long range reconnaissance patrols, and artillery forward observers.
Ballistic sunglasses.

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Which of the following is frequently used by soldiers but NOT usually supplied by the military?
A weapon cleaning kit.
A pocket knife and/or multipurpose tool.
“Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.” – Napoleon Bonaparte
A laser sight.
A body armor.

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Which does MOLLE stand for?
Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment.
The MOLLE is the latest load-bearing system. It is available for many NATO forces.
Move Over and Let Ladies Escape.
Muffle Overly Loud Laughter Everyday.
Moving Light, Loose, and Evasively.

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What is unique about a bug hat?
It has netting on it.
“To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.” – George Washington
It is specially treated with insecticide.
It looks like a ladybug and is used in nerve gas situations.
It emits a high-pitched frequency that scares away wild animals and bugs.

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Which tool can act as a knife?
A smart book.
The M9 bayonet.
The M9 was officially adopted to replace the M7 in 1984. It is a multi-purpose bayonet system that functions as a standalone knife, saw, and wire cutter.
550 Cord.
100-mph tape.

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Which of the following is standard issue for hearing protection?
Cotton balls.
Foam earplugs.
Flanged universal earplugs.
It isn’t that life ashore is distasteful to me, but life at sea is better.” – Sir Francis Drake
The military forbids hearing protection.

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What does a PEQ-15 (ATPIAL) do?
It is a laser sight.
ATPIAL stands for Advanced Target Pointer Illuminator Aiming Light. The PEQ-15 is a smaller and lighter version of the AN/PEQ-15.
It is a helmet.
It is a radio.
It is a GPS.

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Which kit would contain these tools: Nitrile Gloves, Quick Clot, Rehydration Salts?
A winter gear kit.
A sewing kit.
An IFAK.
“No soldier can fight unless he is properly fed on beef and beer.” – John Churchill, The 1st Duke of Marlborough
A MRE kit.

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Which three things are found in every military MRE?
A spoon, matches, and raisins.
Toilet paper, matches, and gum.
The first American military rations were “Iron rations.” Modern MREs are vastly different, but few want to survive on them long term. There are civilian knock-offs available for survivialists.
A flameless heater, a cup, a napkin.
A fork, a spoon, a moist towelette.

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A JDAM kit is used for what?
Adding a guidance system to a bomb without one.
“The whole art of war consists of guessing at what is on the other side of the hill.” – Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Performing personal hygiene.
Eating.
Remotely starting a military vehicle.

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What does BCG stand for?
Blind Color Guard.
Black Cooling Gun.
Better Combat Gear.
Birth Control Glasses.
Birth control glasses were given out in basic training. They are so named because they were nearly impossible to look attractive wearing. The old frames were recently replaced in 2012 for slimmer ones.

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Which of the following is one of the most versatile tools in an emergency?
A belt.
550 Cord.
“God grant me the courage not to give up what I think is right even though I think it is hopeless.” – Chester W. Nimitz
A toothbrush.
A watch.

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You Got:
/35
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