"The Overweight Infantryman" Topic

"The Infantry has a weight problem. The amount of weight soldiers or Marines are asked to carry has grown exponentially while their ability to carry that load has not. This issue was brought to the forefront recently when retired Army Col. Ellen Haring wrote an opinion piece for the Marine Corps Times in which she was critical of the requirement for Marine Corps infantry officers to carry a load of up to 152 pounds for more than nine miles, at a twenty-minute-per-mile pace—a standard that Haring argues is unrealistic and prevents women from successfully completing the Marine Corps Infantry Officer Course. At first glance this may seem like a reasonable argument: 152 pounds seems like more than most humans can carry.

Many of the rebuttal articles, including one on Tom Ricks Best Defense blog by former Marine infantryman Aaron Ferencik, state that not only is this a realistic requirement, it happens regularly in Afghanistan. Ferencik writes that he was required to carry almost 200 pounds of gear, armor, and weapons…."
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Amicalement
Armand

A few times when I deployed with the Air Force I was required to carry an A bag (basically camping gear), a C bag (ground chem suit), and a D bag (flight chem suit). Too much for one person to carry. For a typical 7 person flight crew, that would be an extra 21 bags in addition to your helmet bag and personal luggage. We would fill an entire pallet position with all this extra junk. This is what happens when you have some office bureaucrat making these decisions. Looks good on paper but totally unrealistic in the field.

Thanks!.

Amicalement
Armand

Not really a new problem, S.L.A.Marshall wrote a book after WW2 called Soldiers Load and the Mobility of the Nation.

And personally I can recall in Ranger School determining that the shaving cream can could stay in the swamps and I would shave with soap. After that I always would question packing lists that were assembled by staff officers.

Honestly, if you are carrying more than 65lbs in your ruck (so maybe 100lbs total with armor and weapon and ammo), you are carrying way too much stuff.

I just thought that they were talking personally about me:)

COL Scott ret: Goes back further than that- Roman soldiers are estimated to have to hauled between 60- 100 lbs. of gear on the march.

Logistics and supply has always been tricky, but tends to work better when officers in the field decide what to carry out with them and the top makes sure adequate food, water, clothing suitable to the terrain, weaponry, etc. is available with sufficient transport to front line positions.