‘Handier than a Ka-Bar’ — Why a Marine grunt turned congressman swears by his multitool
Welcome to The Things I Carry, a semi-regular series from Task & Purpose that examines the everyday carry of notable veterans. This installment features Rep. Ruben Gallego, a Marine veteran who currently serves as the congressman for Arizona’s 7th Congressional District. Below, Gallego details his essential everyday carry both downrange and at home.
Task & Purpose: What gear did you rely on most during your time in the U.S. military?
Ruben Gallego: My wristwatch, my Ka-Bar, and my Leatherman.
It was the pocket-sized Leatherman Wave, just big enough to be able to open up locks, get things open, very convenient for anything you need in Iraq. The pliers on the Leatherman were extremely useful: If we needed to open ammo cans, it was perfect to take off the wire tagging.
The Ka-Bar was my go-to blade to poke around shit. It was great when I was doing house searches, too. The watch was super useful in order to mark time to understand what’s happening on a day-to-day basis because time sort of runs together. It’s currently broken and more than 15 years old, but I still have it...
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BY JARED KELLER, TASK & PURPOSE