Call me safety-geek, but I really agree about that sheath set-up. The original USAF sheath is seriously reinforced, in effect a blackjack with knife removed. I'm thinking like a grunt here, but if you hit the dirt for whatever reasons, maybe you stumble wearing a heavy pack, whatever...possible big ouch....and if you are crawling on your belly the knife is dragged out. Also, gravity happens and stuff goes missing which is worse than not having the stuff in a possibly but not a certainly more accessable position. In other words, you'll more likely need the knife, than you will need to draw it quickly, and you can't draw it quickly if it isn't there. If you really want an inverted carry knife with a bomb-proof locking mechanism and one-handed access, check out what the river rescue people/divers, etc use as they have put much thought into this.
One of the great things about getting out of the army is that you can tell the folks who tell you what to do with your kit, to get bent.
Sometimes army guys don't dress like army guys because then it is pretty obvious that they are army guys. Camo is about what stands out and what does not. I was taught to assume you are always being watched or looked for and to dress accordingly. In the field, sometimes you change your costume and your make-up as one act changes to the next. The guy in the clownsuit said to the guys in the camo, "You guys are idiots, they're gonna be looking for guys dressed like you."
Happy Trails
