Video: Are Soldiers today carry to much things with them into Combat?

[Stark]

http://www.apacheclips.com/boards/vbtube/upload/thumb_link/9754_6035.jpg (http://www.apacheclips.com/boards/vbtube_show.php?tubeid=350) Forget the video most of you will have seen it anyways already, I just want to make a point, go to 1:03 min into the video, the amount of stuff this fella has to carry is ridicules, the time I did my service with the German Panzergrenadiers we always left a lot of stuff behind and carried only what was very necessary - Question to you all, would it be better for our guys to carry less into combat? Wouldn't that make them more effective?http://www.apacheclips.com/boards/vbtube/images/play_thread.png (http://www.apacheclips.com/boards/vbtube_show.php?tubeid=350)

[BrendenF11]

Yes they are, that's why they need more of those remote robots that carry extra gear and ammo. Body armor, rifle, standard 6-12 mags of ammo, and water should be it. Even then that's still a lot of weight.

[wanny1971]

anything that carries a force multipler is a only a burden to the enemy..
(wow..i became all 'Sun Tzu' then.. lol)

[death2mooj]

12 mags of ammo, fuck that....6+1 is enough, carrying a mk48 is ridiculous...side plates can go suck a dick....thors...dont even want to talk about those damn things...yes we carry too much weight...way too much

[wej3]

food,ammo and water is all you need...plus arty and cas for when shit gets rough. way too much weight is being carried nowadays.

[Undercovercop29]

Hell YES we are "I can't put my arms down I can't put my arms down'. From deployment in 2005 to 2010-11 the wight went up 50-75 lbs with body armor and all the PPE they want you to wear. They wont spend the time stopping the ragheads putting in the IED's. They just ad extra stuff to counteract you getting blown up.

[Windmill69]

Way to much....most I had to carry was a ridiculous 84 kgs uphill (includes everything except my body) because they weren't sure they could resupply us.(Means we also had to carry our water supply for 4 days during the summer in Afghanistan) If we had a TIC, I would dump my rucksack and drop a thermitegrenade in it. N o way I could have fought my way out with that bitch. For the rest, 8 mags, 1 frag, 2 smoke, medikit heavy ass body warmer (;))
1personal golden rule though, nothing on the legs!

[Windmill69]

@ WEJ, I'm a JTAC. Stating that CAS and arty is all you need. I need a shitload of stuff for that. Radio's, laptop, FMV Downlink, LTD etc etc.not that I want to, but nowadays you have to. That stuff isn't getting around by itself ;)

[Hellfreeza]

watching the coalition forces with all the gear they carry on todays battlefield i have to say this is waaayyy too much!

sending squads on long foot patrols with that much gear is never good. a provident platoon commander should know that.

[Hellfreeza]

1personal golden rule though, nothing on the legs!

no knee protection? ouch!

[dfritz22]

Way too much. Alot of it is necessary though. We need lighter body armor thats the main thing. I will always carry my frags(best r minny frags), my flashbangs, my ammo, my IFAK, my bang and enough water to get me through. We need the dragon skin armor.

[rufomagus]

So, I have been in two armies, first time around in th '80s with the Aussies where we used to have a combat load around 20kg, mostly ammo plus a SLR which weighed 5kg empty and round 6kg loaded. No body armour and rarelyh a helmet. Second army in Africa, same (it was only 8 years later). Fast forward to 5 years ago, back in Aus army we seem to carry every f&cking thing unders the sun!

[DefensorFortis]

I've only been in for 18 months going on 19, but from what I've seen, what you carry depends a lot on your job on the battlefield. Assistant gunners in a weapons squad for example have to carry a machine gun tripod, ammo for the 240 and the first aid bag for their gun team. Then you got the radio/telephone operators that have assault packs with an ASIP in them.

But your average line guy only has to carry ammo, grenades, a water source, night vision optics and maybe the first aid bag for their team. It's not that bad, but it all just depends on what your role is.

[MickDonalds]

Oh my God yes we are carrying too much bullshit into combat with us. We went from a "minimalist" Army in the Cold War era to a "surplus" Army after 2005 when the money and equipment contracts began to flow to commercial retailers. My first tour in Iraq I didn't bring jack shit overseas with me. My second and third tours I was FORCED to bring 4 FULL DUFFLE BAGS of crap on the plane with me. I didn't use but one bag through those two deployments.

Fight Light! A basic rifleman in an Infantry squad should only need a 3 day assault pack in addition to full combat load and first aid kit. Packing list: Spare uniform, socks, poncho, long underwear, t shirt, hygiene kit.

[mickk]

I assume you are referring to the Americanos?A lot of the vids we see are patrol vids and ambushes. So IMHO they are going to be loaded up as a base point. Then they want to carry more rather than less just in case. Ad the rate of fire, its just spectacular compared to the "old wars" so they need to carry a heap. Since Vietman its always been "better and more of it" to save lives.

I dont see any carrying tents and blankets and billy cans and 30lb radio sets so there are trade offs I spose.

[bigmofo]

A snap and a hiss, thoughs rounds are fucking close. Never good to see a blackhawk. Some1 has been hit. Nice vid

[BloodyStars]

Yeah you see a dude running with someone elses body armor. hope that guy is alright

[troyC]

of course, but effectively everythingUcarry serves as some form of protection/armor. Im wondering who floated the question, friend or foe? Sentence structure?? I could see the enemy wanting us to carry much less as well://