"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

When I was in the infantry (USMC) we carried alot of weight. Ammo, batteries, MG ammo, mortar rounds, grenades, food, water, personal items (socks etc.), sleeping gear, flak jacket etc. The weight was heavy, in fact Marines had to help each other to stand up.

That said, you do not go into combat with that weight. The packs had quick release catches. Hit them and the weight is gone. Leaving you with just your war gear. About 30 pounds.

Most men can not do this. Women can not. Sorry, body builder types make horrible infantrymen. They starve and their bodies start shutting down after a couple of days. Women's bodies are not designed to carry that much weight.

If you can not carry the weight, you can not get to the battlefield. If you can't get to the battlefield you are useless as an infantry man.

This is just for the rifleman. Mortar men, Machine gunners, add alot more weight.

Officers carry just as much weight. As a Company Commander, I carried extra batteries, ammo and mortar rounds. Like the private. Officers only fall out if they stroke out. (drop dead).

It's stupid for the military to have anyone carrying that weight.

They need to purchase some of those "mule" support vehicles, stat.

(smile)

Amicalement
Armand

I 100% agree with Davoust from my experience as an infantryman in the Army.

I would add that if a man / woman cannot carry their assigned load and they fall out the rest of their team will have to carry it for them. No amount of wishful thinking, media lies, biased studies, threats of legal action etc… will change this fact.

I was in the artillery in combat. We didn't carry anything. :-)

After the war I transferred o mortars. Things got much more 'walky' and heavy. :-(

Ha!…

Amicalement
Armand

Until a solider places his boot on the ground- we can't control it. To get him there with enough stuff to fight and win requires more stuff than you can imagine if you have never done it. As of now we don't have a battle ready robo mule to carry stuff, and when we do it will also need stuff to support itself and the higher command will have found more critical gear to add as well.

This is not a new issue Caesar and Napoleon also had the same issue.