• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Hello Military folks - why do they make u carry SO much?

A

abc

Diamond Member
I cringe when I watch the news and always see the Marines or the Rangers just carrying sooo much stuff walking up hills or what have you. I cringe because all that stuff makes you one huge target for the enemy.

I know some of that stuff is ammo, grenades, food, bandages, but what else is all that???

I mean if you are in the service or know somebody who is, can you shed some light on this and say if you feel you're actually jepardizing your life even more so by what they make you carry??? I mean, can you choose to carry less stuff if you personally feel you don't need to carry the 'standard issue'?

Because it looks like every fella is carrying the same packs, stuffed to the same degree.

Thanks.
 
The UN has decided that since the U S military is so much better than everyone elses that our soldiers now have to carry extra weight in their rucks. This is designed to make the fighting more fair and equitable for the armies who aren't as proficient.
 


<< The UN has decided that since the U S military is so much better than everyone elses that our soldiers now have to carry extra weight in their rucks. This is designed to make the fighting more fair and equitable for the armies who aren't as proficient. >>



BHAHAHAHA! So were carrying what? 600 pounds now?

😀😀
 
Imagine if you had to stay in the woods for 21 days...what would you want to bring with you? I could think of

Now take that list of stuff, and add lots of heavy ammo to it
 


<< The UN has decided that since the U S military is so much better than everyone elses that our soldiers now have to carry extra weight in their rucks. This is designed to make the fighting more fair and equitable for the armies who aren't as proficient. >>



Kinda like Kurt Vonnegut's "Harrison Bergeron".
 


<< Imagine if you had to stay in the woods for 21 days...what would you want to bring with you? >>




For 21 days my pack weight is:

9 pounds of gear
30 pounds of food

total = 39pounds

of course i'm not carrying ammo. weight adds up very fast. the military uses only heavy duty gear so it is very heavy.
 
I mean if you are in the service or know somebody who is, can you shed some light on this and say if you feel you're actually jepardizing your life even more so by what they make you carry??? I mean, can you choose to carry less stuff if you personally feel you don't need to carry the 'standard issue'?

No.

Aside from ammo, there are a number of reasons why dismounted soldiers and marines carry so much gear. To begin with, dismounted troops must be more or less self-sustaining. Next is the fact that within a well disciplined squad/platoon/company, each troop (soldier/marine) duplicates the prescribed packing list to ensure uniformity. OK, why the uniformity? Take for example a member of your squad comes down with trenchfoot. He disregarded the packing list and failed to pack extra socks. Because of his negligence, this puts an extra burden on other members of the unit. Or maybe the soldier/marine was too lazy to bring his sleeping bag. The unit runs into inclement weather and that soldier/marine becomes SOL, as we say. This in turn, hinders unit effectiveness.

Finally, the reason that troops have extra clothing is so that they can attempt to stay clean. Cleanliness has been proven as a deterrent to disease. Climate dictates the clothing and equipment requirements. A cold, shivering soldier peering through NODs on a perimeter at 0200 won't be as effective as a semi-warm, clean soldier peering through the same NODs at 0200.

In tropical climates, the requirement for cold weather gear is obviously less. However, the most important part of the foot soldier's body remains the same - feet.

A good PSG/SL conducts a thorough PCI (Pre-Combat Inspection) before movement. This is so Joe doesn't say "screw this" and not bring the sleeping bag, poncho, overshoes, MOPP suit or extra socks. One of the major reasons a unit fails isn't because they are engaged or overran. The reason is discipline, or lack thereof I should say.

The Army and Marines have made some progress regarding the weight of personal equipment over the years. The Army (don't know about USMC) finally got a decent lightweight sleeping bag a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, the weight of ammunition never changed at all during my 20.
 
Each soldier has to carry everything he needs to survive for the duration of the mission. This includes everything from toothpaste to water to food to basic medications to combat wound dressings to clothing, soap, writing paper and pencils and the list goes on.

Every soldier is a self contained living environment and fighting machine. When I was in the Army, long long ago in a land far far away, every GI carried a shelter half into the field. A shelter half is one-half of a pup-tent. If you don't have your half of a pup tent you are going to sleep outside in the rain and snow.

If I recall correctly, depending on what type of unit you are in, your backpack with all your belongings can weigh anywhere from 90 to 130 pounds.

Anybody who doesn't respect our soldiers is a fool.
 


<<

<< total = 39pounds >>


This is why Dave is a submarine sailor.😎 >>


Nice. If I can get away with double that, I feel lucky
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top