INFANTRY: The Sad Tale of ALICE and MOLLE
"Strategy Page"
December 21, 2003: After a quarter century of complaints, the U.S. Army recently replaced the All-purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment (ALICE) rucksack with the Modular Lightweight Load Bearing Equipment (MOLLE) rucksacks. The marines were so impressed that they adopted MOLLE as well. Then everyone went off to Iraq with MOLLE and used the gear in combat. Somehow, flaws that do not appear in the most strenuous peacetime training, jump out at you in combat. The marines were so dissatisfied with their newly acquired MOLLE that they decided to chuck it and replace it with civilian gear. Army troops had also been singing the praises of civilian gear from firms like London Bridge, Blackhawk and Tactical Tailor. The civilian "combat rucksacks" were developed by talking to the troops and dispensing with the vast bureaucracy the army employs to develop equipment. So while the marines will get rucksacks that work, the army decided to stick with MOLLE and attempt to fix the flaws. The troops are not pleased. Many are scrounging old ALICE gear which, for all its flaws, performs better than the new MOLLE equipment. Either that, or they are buying civilian rucksacks with their own money. An uncomfortable and inefficient rucksack can be a matter of life and death on the battlefield, a point the army procurement bureaucrats appear to have overlooked.
December 19, 2003: American infantry are still carrying too much weight. It's a problem going back thousands of years, and few armies have been able to solve it. The U.S. Army had a team of researchers in Afghanistan to collect information on the situation and the numbers were not good. They found that the lightest load carried, the "fighting load" for situations where the troops were sneaking up on the enemy and might be involved in hand-to-hand combat, was 63 pounds. The "approach march load," for when infantry were moving up to a position where they would shed some weight to achieve their "fighting load", was 101 pounds. The heaviest load, 132 pounds, was the “emergency approach march load,” where troops had to move through terrain too difficult for vehicles. As in the past, the troops often ignored the rules and regulations and dumped gear so they could move, or keep moving. The researchers found that in Afghanistan, even though the infantry were in excellent physical shape, troops would sweat nearly 20 ounces of fluid an hour while marching at high altitudes in bright sunlight in moderate temperatures. That meant more weight, in water, had to be found to keep these guys going.
A lot of the weight carried is essential stuff. Weapons, for example. But the Army saved two pounds in the 1960s when they switched from the M-14 rifle to the M-16. A lot of weight was saved in ammo carried as well, because a hundred M-16 bullets weighed two pounds less than a hundred M-14 ones. Troops usually carry 200-300 rounds of rife ammo with them. Plastic canteens replaced metal ones and lighter sleeping bags showed up, as well as lighter clothing. Lighter food (pouches of MREs instead of cans of C Rations). But heavier stuff was added, like the 17 pound "Interceptor" bullet proof vest and the heavier Kevlar helmet. Special Forces troops often go into action without the helmet and Interceptor vest and keep the load under 40 pounds. But that's only in those situations where the Special Forces calculate that speed and achieving surprise are worth more than the protection the vests provide. Most troops do not have that option.
The solution may be one that the Romans adopted 2,000 years ago. When marching to a combat zone, Roman soldiers carried over a hundred pounds. Eventually, it was decided to give every squad of eight soldiers a mule to carry some of the load, and keep the troops fresh enough so they could do some strenuous fighting it they met enemy troops unexpectedly while on the march. A quiet, robotic, all terrain mechanical "mule" is what is being investigated. Fuel cells are about to enter service, and that is being looked at as a power source.
In the meantime, new rules for resupplying troops in combat, and what gear they can leave where when in a combat zone, are being studied. One good angle to this study is that they are actually talking to the troops about all this. As in the past, the infantry can come up with some very practical solutions to the problems the brass inflict on them. All you have to do is ask.
November 20, 2003: The idea of infantry squads having a designated marksman is back. Currently several organizations within the United States Army and Marine Corps are using designated marksman. Specifically the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions, the new Stryker Brigade, and Army Special Forces as well as several Marine Expeditionary Units- Special operations Capable (MEU-SOC) and Marine Recon battalions.
Origins of the idea can be seen as far back as the World War Two. Some Marine Corps units issued M1903 Springfield rifles (with telescopes) to their infantry battalions in the Pacific islands. Another example is the soldier in the movie “Saving Private Ryan” who is armed with such a M1903 Springfield rifle. The designated marksmen initially were Soldiers or Marines that were good shots and were given the rifles while not necessarily getting additional training. In more recent times organizations have developed their own doctrine and training. Designated marksmen have been and continue to be used in Afghanistan and Iraq (see: m14.freeservers.com. The designated marksman is a member of a rifle squad that has additional training in marksmanship and observation. He is not a sniper. Snipers normally hunt their targets; designated marksman’s targets are more opportunity based. Designated marksmen are normally used in an over watch role. The designated marksman engages targets at ranges that are deemed inappropriate for rifleman with M16s and need precise rifle fire.
The weapon of choice is the M14, a weapon using the 7.62 x 51mm (7.62 NATO, aka .308 Winchester). This cartridge has an effective range of 1,000 meters. Variations depend on units. The Marine Corps built their rifles from stocks of M14s on hand. National Match barrels are mated with fiberglass stocks and scope rails to allow different optics to be used. They also have adjustable cheek pieces and spacer plates to adjust the length of the stock to the shooters preferences. The 101st Airborne got their rifles commercial off the shelf (COTS). They bought Springfield M1As, the civilian version of the M14. The Stryker Brigade were fielded their weapons thru the Rapid Fielding Initiative. Optics and accessories vary depending on the organization
Investing the time and money into the idea of designated riflemen will ensure that the programs will be around for a while. The future of the designated riflemen will likely expand through all infantry formations within the Army and the Marine Corps, with possible expansion into security formations such at military police and US Air Force security police. There may also be joint doctrinal publications to define the doctrine. It is unlikely that there will be a joint school for designated riflemen. For one thing, it's easier to do this training at the battalion or brigade level. Secondly because the designated riflemen is not a special Military Occupational Specialty (MOS), but just another skill. So there will be no special school. Finally the Army and Marine Corps haven’t merged their sniper schools, so it is unlike to see it happen at a lower level for designated rifleman. The current operational tempo (OPTEMPO) with units deployed world wide will likely help expand the designated marksman program more quickly then in the pre- Sept 11th environment. -- David Shannon
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