Keep in mind that even small organizations can make mistakes; especially if (say) one person in Procurement is convinced they've found the Right Thing. Once you've bought a zillion of the latest high-tech thing, and stashed them in boltholes -- what do you do when 3 years later there's a big product recall?
In some ways, it's a good role-playing feature for the Project -- it demonstrates that there were sincere but not omniscient human beings involved. Examples:
* the Cadillac-Gage Ranger is a terrible off-road vehicle. The Air Force had to issue a 25 mph speed restriction for use on gravel roads, 15 mph on rough dirt roads. The top hatch is very small, difficult to get through with gear or body armor. The spotlight cable would get tangled up in the hatch/cupola. The side doors are heavy, and have quick-closing spring systems: quick-closing enough to do some damage if you're not clear of the door frame. The runflat tires were foam-filled; when the tires got hot, the foam would liquefy -- then, when you parked the vehicle, the foam would cool, all down at the bottom of the wheel.
* the High Standard M10B shotgun doesn't work with regular or low-power shotgun shells, and is entirely unsuited for left-handed persons.
* the Stoner LMG doesn't use standard military 5.56mm links (a minor issue, but affects post-Atomic-War-ness), and (due to the short barrel) doesn't always produce enough gas pressure to pull the belt up (especially with a full belt hanging loose)
* the CP-7 laser rangefinder (more often known as the GVS-5 in the US military) fires 20 millijoule IR pulses, which can blind people all over the place if pointed at reflective surfaces. The US military stopped using these in the early 90s. Although: blinding people deliberately can have tactical uses, as well ...
* various items that use tritium to activate flourescent materials will be non-glowing after 150 years -- some reflex sights, compasses, etc.. Some early (Gen I mostly) night-vision gear employed tritium in the imaging system, I seem to recall.
* Morrow Project communication or power generation satellites ... certainly useless or destroyed after 150 years.
Or it might be some holster that has a weak seam; a flavor of "freeze dried food" that nobody can stand ("Ugh, not the chicken with rice again!"); or even just the weight of the standard white phosphorus grenade.
Nobody can pick "correctly" every time, after all. Even Bruce Morrow is only "sorta" psychic.
If your Project is stashing "super high tech" goodies beyond what is listed in TM 1-1, some of them might be unissued for a reason. Gyrojet pistols, rocket belts, clothing in ultra-modern (circa 1983) synthetic fabrics ...
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Michael B
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