Re: PA availability, was: [semi OT] Women wargamers

tom.anderson@altavista.net wrote:

>  i was wondering about PA and doors. surely many doors
> are built for unpowered civilians, and a copper in PA
> will have a hard time getting through the doorway. of
> course, he may have less trouble going through the wall.
>
> this has ramifications for the use of PA in ship-ship boarding, where
corridors will be quite small. in fact, a minimum-size corrdor (think
submarines) is quite an effective passive anti-PA defence ...

Well, nowadays, here's the way most SWAT teams adress breaching a
defended site: They have this huge heavy thing called a body bunker.
They're like three feet wide, bulletrpoof, with a small armored glass
slit for observation. There's a pole along the back for a guy to grab.
It's probably the size as a full legionaire shield. There's  a headlight
on it for blinding perps. One guy's sole job is to hold this
thing, and with his spare hand he has his pistol. So the team stacks up
behind this guy outside the door. An aditional officer or two have a
battering ram that smashes the door off its frame or hinges,
then the body bunker goes through with everyone else behind it. There is
of course little or no concern shown for the door, doorframe or any
collateral property damage, (hope they have the right house!)

So for PA, as long as the guy can smash his way though the doorway then
it's honkey dory. (Don't ask what that means)  However, you bring up a
good point that PA in space ships had better be light and
manueverable so you can get through a hatch.

My persdinnaly philosophy re: body armor throughout my military career
has always been I want speed and manueverablilty and comfort instead of
perceived invulnerability. I don't want to wear anything that
will make me feel it's OK to get shot. Most everyone else I've worked
with has the same opinion. I don't even like a helmet, (Which in SF, we
call the dome of obediance.) Keep in mind that nothing we have
today, kpots or body armor, is "powered" so that means you have to lug
it around, and most of the countries I've operated in have always been
like 100 degrees by 8am.  I've been luck, having only been
wounded twice in 20 years both times in the shin (in almost the same
place too!) Once shot and once with grenade fragments

Los

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