The identity of the U.S. military surplus case and wooden box that could not be taken back from Okinawa

The biggest shopping on this trip (in terms of size)

This is also the last tour of US military discount stores in Okinawa. Nearly 10 years ago, I went to a store called "Iha Army Surplus Store" where I bought a box of US Marine Corps surplus spray paint by mail order. The place is 5,600m east of Kokusai-dori in Naha City, Okinawa. It is located about 2km away from the previous Okinawa Mirikaji.

The name of the store is named after Mr. Iha, who runs the store, and the store was inherited from his predecessor's father. More than 90% of the surnames Iha live in Okinawa, and it seems to be a rare name with about 250 to 300 people nationwide. I'm super ordinary and I'm always in the top 10 in Japan, so I admire it. I envy you ~.

Head east on Boulevard and you will see a large American flag on your left. Big things such as cases and chairs are placed in front of the store, and the excitement does not stop.

Look for the sign with the Marine Corps symbol and the American flag

For some reason, I like container-like hard cases. I just bought a black pelican case from the S & C military store, but again, I was fascinated by the containers and wooden boxes in the store.

First! I thought it was a container with a Red Cross mark. ECS's Loadmaster series has block-shaped irregularities on the upper and lower surfaces, and when stacked, they engage with each other to prevent the load from collapsing. The loadmaster is the same name as the payload manager who manages the personnel of transport aircraft, loading, disembarking, dropping, etc. of cargo. I really fall in love with the design and name.

Another thing I was interested in was the green case, and the manufacturer was HARDIGG. It is a company that merged with PELICAN, a manufacturer of hard cases bought at the S & C military store. It was about two-thirds the size of the Red Cross container. The design is similar to the case I have had for a long time, so it seems that I can get a sense of unity.

The main difference between the two is the visual design and whether the lids are all detached or hinged. For ECS, all the lids come off like a costume case, and for HARDIGG, it opens with a hinge. I like ECS in terms of design. The rugged feeling of the block part is irresistible. However, it is a waste that the uneven design is not utilized with this one. Since the lid is removed, it can be a little troublesome to put in and take out luggage.

HARDIGG is a quieter design, but the lid opens like a travel suitcase, so it seems easy to load it in Humvee and put in and take out luggage. I had a lot of trouble opening, closing and lifting, so I decided to give priority to ease of handling and decided on HARDIGG.

Select containers endlessly at the store. ECS on the far right, HARDIGG in the middle and front on the left

While I was worried about choosing a case, I was also worried about the wooden box on the side shelf. I wanted a wooden box instead of a springboard. And this wooden box has a height and depth of about 20 cm and a width of about 50 cm, which is exactly the size of a custom-made stepping stone!

…… But when I pull it out from the shelf, it's quite heavy. Hmmm, it may be difficult to take it home ... and if you're worried about opening, closing, or lifting it again, if you put it in that case, I'll send it all together. really!

When I put it in immediately, I got two perfect pieces. The HARDIGG case also has a handle, but there are no tires, so I was wondering how to carry it, so by all means! That's why I got two.

I pulled out some wooden boxes on the back shelf

That's why I received a huge package at a later date. As is often the case, it feels much bigger than when I saw it at the store. The narrow entrance is getting narrower, and the silent pressure from my family to do something quickly has been transmitted, so I'll open it.

First of all, the case of HARDIGG. The letters AFP IAS-03 are drawn on the lid with a stencil. I don't know what was in it at all, but since there was also IAS-04, it seems that there was some equipment that was divided into at least four parts.

It seems that HARDIGG was before the merger with PELICAN, and the label was HARDIGG. It seems that the model number is not written in particular, so it may be a custom-made product of the military.

It looks pretty big at the front door

AFP IAS-03 letters on the lid

Made by HARDIGG before the merger.Model number is unknown

The inside is empty. Originally, it seems that there was a urethane cushion to fix the equipment, and although there were many scratches on the outside, the inside was as beautiful as new. The shape is almost square and one side is a little over 60 cm. The thickness is a little over 30 cm.

The outside is full of scratches, but the inside is very beautiful

It comes with five sturdy locking devices called rotary locks that are unlikely to open on their own when closed. There is packing on the edge of the lid, and the high airtightness is outstanding!

The front is equipped with a barometric pressure adjustment valve, and when the internal barometric pressure drops and it becomes difficult to open the lid, pressing the button will adjust the barometric pressure difference between inside and outside. The handle is spring-loaded and can be stored when not in use. It's good not to hang around.

Rock is also rugged.Will hold it tight

The easy-to-grip handle is spring-loaded

With barometric pressure adjustment valve

The mysterious wooden box was for rockets

Unfortunately, the letters on the wooden box were erased by spraying, but I managed to read it by reflecting light and searching on the Internet.

Front 1340-00-725-8382-H8424 WARHEADS 2.75 ”ROCKETHE M151 W / FUZE M427LOT MCA-3-43 Closure WARHEADS, ROCKETUN 0286

1340-00-725-8382 is the NSN (article control number) and H842 is the part number. Apparently, it looks like a box containing the warhead and fuze of an aircraft-launched 2.75 inch rocket called the Hydra 70 rocket. Since it is written as 4, it seems that it was 4 pieces.

Ammunition boxes etc. are often erased to clearly indicate that they are empty.

HE stands for High Explosive. Translated literally, it is a high-performance explosive, but in Japan it is called a grenade and is used for anti-personnel, anti-armored vehicles, anti-building, etc. The M151 is the model number of the warhead, and the M427 fuze explodes the gunpowder inside, and the fragments of the warhead destroy the target.

UN 0286 written on the lid is called DOT IDENTIFICATION NUMBER, which seems to be the number assigned by the US Department of Transportation as an ID for transportation. The CAGE code indicating the manufacturer is 19203. It was a US Army weapons development and production facility called PICATINNY ARSENAL in New Jersey. It is often written that military-style goods are mil-spec compliant, but this is also responsible for establishing and managing the mil-spec. The manufacturer of the wooden box itself was MILAN BOX, a company specializing in wooden boxes.

It's a noisy box, but it's no different from an apple box until you want it to be empty. It's sturdy because it has a warhead in it, so it's okay if I'm getting fat lately. The inside was super beautiful, so I'd like you to use it as a storage and stepping stone for the rest of your life.

Perfect for stepping stones. Since there are two, you can put them in the front and rear seats at the same time.

There is no dirt inside, so you can use it as a storage case.

I suddenly bought a big one at the entrance, but there was another thing that fascinated me. Next time, let's talk about that!