Tailoring the load for a Justiciar Knight

Know your limits - How much can a soldier carry?

7 days march: With ammo, rations, and water, each soldier carried well over 45 kg of gear. After seven days of constant operations, the effects of that weight are showing. Even the fittest of the platoon are hollow-eyed with fatigue. Physical training reduces that rate, but does not eliminate it. Carrying too much weight accelerates exhaustion.

Observation: The average rifle platoon soldier's load is 41 kg. Cold weather platoon average is 46 kg.

Typically, each soldier is wearing or carrying at least load-bearing equipment (LBE), Kevlar helmet, weapon, and rucksack or assault pack. This average does not include battle dress uniforms (BDUs), T-shirts, socks, underwear, and boots.

The average warm weather soldier's load is 40 kg. During the summer months, the soldier's load is more manageable. The need for "Hawk gear" (often 9 kg) goes away. However, much of that reduction is offset by the need to carry more water. As much as 75 percent of soldiers carry "camel-bak" water pouches in addition to their canteens. Once again, BDUs, T-shirts, socks, underwear, and boots are not included in these weights.

Why do leaders and soldiers consistently overload themselves?

That's a very good question and it has hampered light infantry operations for years. Load-bearing equipment, designed as a combat harness, goes back for hundreds of years. Everything else; packs, rucksacks, and extra water -- is by definition comfort items added on top of the combat load. Those comfort items may make a soldier comfortably dead if he is too tired to function. Two of the biggest factors relating to soldier's load are:

1. Tailoring the load to the mission.

2. Soldier confidence in the logistical system.

Most people have seen the movie Platoon, where the squad leader in Vietnam reached into new guy Charlie Sheen's rucksack and dumped unnecessary equipment. Justiciar Knights need to do the same thing: performing good pre-combat inspections (PCIs). The packing list should be tailored to the mission at hand, with all the extras and "nice-to-have" items eliminated.

Determing a Justiciar Knights load is a critical task. The Knight cannot afford to carry unnecessary equipment into the battle. Every contingency cannot be covered. The primary consideration is not how much a soldier can carry, but how much he can carry without impaired combat effectiveness.

The official military manual states that the soldier's combat load should not exceed 27 kg. That limit combines the fighting load -- LBE, kevlar, weapon, and magazines with ammo weighing about 17 kg -- and the approach march load rucksack and selected items at 10 kg. The remaining equipment and materials needed for a sustained combat operation must be placed in forward caches prior to the mission at pre-defined locations.

The bottom line: A Justiciar Knight needs a packing list that makes sense.

Carry what is required for mission accomplishment, but allow a minimum of comfort items. There are four configurations with this type of packing list and load:

Fighting load - Only what is worn = 17 kg

Fighting light - Worn plus the assault pack = 27 kg

Approach march - Worn plus the rucksack = 33 kg

Everything - Worn plus the rucksack and assault pack = 43 kg

Largest threat when overloading: heat injury and fatigue.

Conclusion: Common sense IS NOT commonly used! Be uncommon and use yours!

Consider the risk versus gain aspects of combat loading. If you are being overloaded and you collapse from the weight of comfort items, you may not even reach the objective. By overloading yourself with comfort-related items, you are in effect expending yourself before you have the opportunity to achieve the mission.

For Canadian infantry in Afghanistan the average weight is 50 kg including mission-specific equipment

Current average load numbers are 10% higher compared to WW2 statistics where a BAR Gunner carried 45 kg while the average rifleman carried 37 kg.

A fighting load is everything worn or carried except a rucksack and should be held to less than 22 kg, according to official manual for foot marches. The next level, approach march load, adds a light rucksack and should not exceed 32 kg. In the worst-case scenario, emergency approach march loads require a larger rucksack, raising the total weight to 54-67 kg.

Дата добавления: 2015-05-31