Cargo, Capacity, and Strain: The Effects of Pounds and Fear on Fighting, by GuerrillaLogistician

REF- 12D

@glogistician on X.com

Maxwell panted as the altitude and ruck weighed down his body and spirit simultaneously.  For days, they had been driving around the mountains of Utah in a desperate attempt to suppress the insurgency that had beaten and bloodied several patrols by now.  His training in the Marines had prepared his body for the grueling marches, but his platoon was a mix of former soldiers and urban dwellers from Chicago.  Even though he was having a rough time, he knew most of his men were suffering more, and he could hear the complaints from the ranks softly echoing in the cedar scrub occasionally.  They especially bickered about the heavy packs as they routinely hunted phantoms that were gone about as fast as they struck their target.  Command in the New American Army even tried to use artillery strikes. Still, in nearly every case, the rounds only struck friendly forces, as the little partisans spent only a few minutes on any target.  The only upside to Utah was the abundance of supplies they had redistributed from the hoarding bastard religious zealots of the region.  Even though they wore weird underwear, the women here could cook, and many had been conscripted to feed the units working in the area.  It was insane how much food they had stored in some of the warehouses.  His unit was gaining weight again, which was nice because their strength was building, and hiking through these treacherous mountains could take a toll without high-calorie food.

Halting his unit, he gave everyone the signal to drink water and looked at his topographic map, trying to figure out where those little bastards had gone.  As he went over his map, checked his GPS, and sucked on his Camelbak, he felt the fatigue of constantly being called out as the areas (Quick Reaction Force) QRF.  It wasn’t the fact that forces were hitting them all the time, but IEDs would explode, or a solitary homemade RPG would screech out of a pile of rocks.  The RPG usually would miss his comrades by hundreds of feet, but the convoys and patrols were required to call for relief.  The QRF would race in their up-armored vehicles, but they usually wouldn’t find much beyond spent brass and scorch marks.  Occasionally, these groups would be hit hard, but no one could talk about how badly they had been hit.  Just like in the Marines, scuttlebutt ran freely along with what alcoholic beverage could be acquired from the locals.  Maxwell had a good idea that some small patrols had been lost months before he arrived, and he even suspected that some fire teams had vanished overnight and really hadn’t gone on an R&R trip.  The scuttlebutt was that these units had been killed or captured, and Maxwell had guessed that himself.  He would notice when those teams moved their gear in the dead of night, freeing up much-needed space for fresh troops from the major cities.  If he hadn’t been out behind the building taking a leak, he wouldn’t have seen all the headlamps in and out of the neighboring team’s building.

As he continued to look at the small box canyons in the valley on his map, he tried to picture the terrain in his mind and guess which areas were impassible and which were the likely path of these bastards.  Realistically, the attackers were never more than 2 or 4 men typically, and his unit came prepared with M249s and, in some areas, indirect fire support.  He figured all these crazy Morman bastards were half mountain goats because, in the blink of an eye, they would hit a convoy or people’s security patrol and vanish in seconds.  They had been running around in quads, but with the fuel shortages, the Brigade commander promised these people would be slower and easily captured or killed.  Two months into the shortage, only a few enemies of the people were killed.  Maxwell had his doubts, suspecting they had killed a supporter or two who were way too vocal.  One of the guys they executed was overweight and didn’t have any weapons, even though he had a lot of the insurgent propaganda material on him.  They would find blood trails, and he was sure some of them had to be dead, but without a body, no one could make any solid showing of how the partisans would ultimately fail, and death was in their future.  He knew if he could do anything to facilitate the death of all these bastards, he would do everything he could because, realistically, he knew these people would never convert to working as one extensive functioning ecosystem that allowed everyone to flourish.  Maxwell knew they had the support of the people, both by the votes and what the media had shown, but still, it bothered him he couldn’t prove the point with one fucking body.  The New American Army had brought supplies and creature comforts for the troops that many thought were all but gone since the unrest had started.  Better food and actual beds again boosted morale, but it increased convoys, and convoys were being hit, which pushed morale back down.

The sound of a snap and what could only be described as a fast-moving bee whipped past Maxwell’s head. As that first round impacted the ground beyond him, more rounds snapped and zinged off rocks near others in his party. Maxwell dived behind cover to prevent himself from getting shot as he began assessing the situation and hearing his unit return fire up the valley. Jamming the topo map into his cargo pocket, he dropped his overburdened pack and shoved it to cover himself more. Many of his fellow soldiers were doing the same thing while others were returning fire. One of the fire team leaders had pinpointed where the fire was coming from and directed the returning fire as Maxwell assessed the situation in the area. In the few short moments it took for his unit to come under fire, the shooting abruptly stopped from the enemy. It appeared that a few partisans had risked a shot at his unit and gained very little. Maxwell verified with his fire team leaders that nobody had been hit and prepared everybody to bound up one fire team at a time. People shoved their heavy packs back on their backs and began positioning themselves to move as the first fire team moved out in a quick sprint.  As Maxwell moved his unit forward, he realized how gassed everybody was, but at the same time, he knew if he didn’t chase these people down, he would be doing the same thing again soon. This time the enemy had fucked up and not only done no damage to his unit but also had pointed out where they were going. Even if the box Canyon they were maneuvering into had a goat trail out, it was unlikely that the four people shooting at them would be able to suppress his whole unit and escape without at least losing someone. Maxwell needed one body or one prisoner, and he could unravel the partisans.

Maxwell and his unit noticed the small burst of radio waves. They notified another group of the disposition of the forces arrayed against them and the trap that had been set. While the light partisan fighters moved away from the enemy, knowing the terrain and not carrying as much gear, they used distance for security and protection. Not one of the partisans took over 45 lbs, and many stayed even lighter than that, allowing them to maneuver far more quickly in the uneven terrain. If Bryan’s plan and train analysis weren’t spot on, he had picked the perfect target. A physically exhausted force carrying far too much for the region, if not in general, compounding on the fear of these partisans popping up from nowhere at any time to shoot at them. This was an Omaha beach; what were the forces arrayed against Bryan? The lack of forethought by Maxwell over the weight of his packs and exhaustion made it possible that Bryan was about to pull another successful ambush.  Within the next 48 hours, he would find out how many people were lost in Maxwell’s platoon as informants from the people’s cooking team were notified and how many fewer mouths there were to feed that following day.

Throughout history, logistics have been the core of success and failure for every military.  Logistics means food to fuel the fighter, shelter to protect him while he sleeps, and arms to fight the enemy.  Nowadays, with the advancement of technology, combatants on all fronts carry a considerable burden.   Let’s roll back to a time before radios, AT4s, and AK74s to look at what soldiers used to carry first as a gauge. While most in the US mil will scoff at this weight, the average weight of a legionnaire’s gear in the Roman military was about 57.2 lbs.  Considering that it is around 20 lbs lighter than the modern fighter is supposed to carry, it would seem the average Legionnaire was less burdened than our contemporary men.  Yet there were three weights to the Legionnaire that most historians often do not discuss.  The first weight, 57.2 lbs, was in safe areas, road marching, equivalent to a ruck full of provisions.  This was followed by the approach march, which shed gear that wasn’t necessary for that battle, such as shovels, which dropped the weight to 44 lbs.  Then, the last level was a combat load of 33 kg, which consisted of weapons and armor, nothing more.  While the Romans were not technologically advanced, they understood something lost in modern militaries: that the weight of gear affected combat capability.

If anyone was on Paris Island back in the day, they may have seen a poster with one of those L-shaped flashlights and some info.  The poster said 1lb rucked 1 mile was equivalent to moving 2.64 US tons 1 foot (if memory serves).  I don’t care how young you are; moving 1 ton alone without assistance is absurd, even if it was only a foot, and you would be asking for help.

Images of the L-shaped flashlight in combat

Note the heavy packs of equipment on the soldiers and much of that initial force barely past the surf which is discussed in the book.

Realistically, though, during GWOT and before the massive amount of good transportation (think semi-armored Humvee time), a soldier could carry up to 120 lbs on his back, depending on the weapon system he was issued.  The problem here is that 120 lbs could be nearly the soldier’s weight, yet the US mil generally would only load a mule to 1/3 its weight.  The problem of weight on soldiers is a compounding issue. Gear is essential, but how significant, and what are the repercussions to the fighting spirit, ability to sustain combat, and, more importantly, overall effectiveness over time?  Sadly, just like that lone poster, the US military has lost its way on this, but this isn’t a new problem.

During WWII, a lot of evidence was recorded and poured over, and it was documented in a book called The Soldier’s Load by Brigadier General Samuel Lyman Atwood Marshall (SLAM was his nickname).  He looked at two major issues: the gear soldiers carried and the mental strain on soldiers.  Before we go forward, SLAM has, with merit, some detractors in the military over some of his work, especially his work with Ratio of Fire, that we won’t touch on.  Overall, though, I believe his work here is not to have been questioned, so take what I say about this with a lump of salt if you wish.  Also, this book was published by the Marine Corps Association, and I think it holds significant value for the Partisan.  Test the theory as best you can in a sane manner.

So, what was SLAM’s hypothesis in a nutshell? Being in constant danger and rucking heavyweights are significant ways to break down a soldier and unit in combat.  Everyone reading this can imagine carrying heavy weight, but most can’t fathom what it is like to be shot at.  Add to that, even with so many GWOT veterans running around, our military hasn’t seen combat like we did in Vietnam, Korea, or WWII.  That said, some soldiers have a good grasp, but it is rare today.  What he discussed in the book and the videos we can see from Ukraine should be examined more closely.  SLAM made a good argument that taking consistent and constant threats of death would wear a man down over time.  He said that no matter the training before until the danger of death was exposed, a soldier couldn’t be hardened to it.  In addition, he said that this stressor would weigh a soldier down.  SLAM used battles during the invasion of France under fire similar to those of similarly trained troops to express this point.  The variation in the soldier’s gear was what was the main focus point, either brought or what was dropped on the beach initially.

While this isn’t a perfect one to one comparison, he showed, under the stress of fire, that those who were told to leave things behind progressed forward on D-Day.  They routinely did far better than many who, because of command, were made to bring large amounts of material and retain it during the initial phase of the invasion.  Not only that, but studies after that showed that the human body exerts the same chemicals while gripped with fear as one would use doing some significant lifting.  Once this happens, recovery time could take a day or longer for the body to replace vital components.  It was also hypothesized that medicine might counter such effects of fear in the future.  With that said, anyone who has had a healthy dose of fear from a car wreck or any near-death experience knows that a physical crash occurs after the adrenaline is gone.  In addition, other militaries were seeing some similar effects of fear.

Major General Archibald V. Arnold and Ralph C. Smith noted that if men took fire without warning two to three times during an attack, that portion of the line would almost not be able to move forward. It was found that the glycogen stores in the muscle were being consumed.  Whatever consumes muscular strength fatigues the mind, and whatever fatigues the mind drains the strength.  So, with this in mind, we start to see how the strain on the mind can affect the body, thus reducing combat capabilities.  Let us think back to the Roman legion again.  These guys had to ruck everything, but the armies knew that in times of fear and battle, dropping weight helped the soldiers.  We also see this in modern times, where gear may be cashed before an assault, which should be obvious to us.  So why do we take the warfighter and pack him sometimes to 120 lbs worth of gear, and even with transportation, at times demand he walks this heavy pack into towns and cities?  As a partisan, would you be better off agile or have a vast array of equipment?

Holding onto things

One of the critical issues with every soldier is our adherence to carrying things unnecessary for the operation. Many people still think they must have a pistol along with their rifle just as a backup, while others will bring a wholly useless bayonet for a gun. If anyone was around GWOT, they heard of a marine unit fixing bayonets. Yet, if anyone has studied this, bayonets were less than 1% of total kills in WWI. So why do we still carry them? They generally make a terrible knife for utility reasons. During the death March in the Philippines in 1942, the Americans were told anyone who fell out would be shot on the spot, and the March was going to be 120 miles. With that in mind, people brought extra blankets, clothing, their favorite framed photos, and even cameras, and many of those soldiers died because of this. Why do we carry such nonsense with us instead of shedding this weight?  Especially when we realize how weight and stress can demoralize and fix a soldier in place.

This whole issue reminds me of a quote from Way of the Gun, “Once off the path, you do what you can to eat and keep moving. You don’t blow your ghost of a chance with nickel and dime. No possessions, no comforts. Need is the ultimate monkey.” We should remember this when we are packing out our gear. If we look back on Operation Gothic Serpent, many have pointed out that the Rangers left things behind that they should have carried, from night vision to more water. As I dwell on this issue, I realize that their mobility may have kept them alive far longer if it weren’t for the unforeseen loss of the Blackhawks.  The reality is if it hadn’t been for the crash and the necessity to hold a position, those men would have been far better off and may not have lost their lives.  Without the need to protect the downed pilots and extract bodies, those men could have been more agile and probably fought their way out before the whole city descended on them.  I realize this is hindsight, and the commander had no good options. I also realize we, as Americans, want to bring everyone home, dead or alive.  If you read Blackhawk Down and listen to some of the reports, short of the Delta, even the Rangers were being pinned by weight and fear.  Those rangers had some fights already, but the heavy fighting took a toll mentally and physically on these guys. Would they have needed night vision and the extra batteries if they weren’t going out that long, or would it have mattered?

As fighting men, we must realize that we can’t possibly carry every contingency. I think the Rangers at the time made the same decision; along with Delta running skateboard helmets, they had focused on mobility for survival and to lessen the weight. We must also remember a significant difference between survival and combat, which must be factored into your gear. While many survivalists have hefty packs and materials strewn about their bodies, their objective is to survive and not to inflict casualties on the enemy; with all this in mind as well, we have to remember that the stress on our bodies will degrade our capability to make rational conscious decisions.

Seasonal Effect – additional info

Anyone who has been to the area of Africa, which is primarily desert, knows it is hot, and maybe the soldiers realized they would need to shed pounds due to the heat.  That might have been a focus during Gothic Serpent after having done several operations beforehand.  Anyone in the cold knows how hard it is to deal with that, but what is worse, the heat or the cold?  The Institute of William Fredick tested this issue and found that a 45 lb 15-mile ruck by military men in brisk conditions could move that distance and still deal with complicated tasks and had ample energy to work.  In addition, their energy level wasn’t tapped out by the cooler weather.  It wasn’t until very strenuous marches were performed that there were signs of physical and mental degradation presented.  Even then, the rebound times were shorter than the next test. During the summer, the soldiers were tested with the same weight, and their strength was drained quickly, even with sufficient water.  Those men also didn’t recover until sometime the next day.  When that weight was raised to 69 lbs (I wonder if this was used on purpose), even the cold weather created equal distress, as did the warmer temperatures and with similar recovery times.  In addition, no amount of training could get people to operate with that much weight and not mentally and physically buckle under the strain.  Add to that, men carrying just 60 lbs into combat would have both physical and mental effects for days after. Likewise, -50 degrees was the lowest temperature, and it was shown to be highly fatiguing even with proper cold weather gear.  Realizing that you know the temperatures in your region and have a plan for your operations.  Also, know that with cooler temperatures, the enemy might be more capable as well.

What does that mean to us?

We must consider doing more with less, and when we can’t drop things like machinegun ammo, sharing the weight as best as possible will be necessary for fire teams.  Other means of supply movement, such as cashing, vehicles, animals, or bicycles, should be used to move supplies.  George Patton said that every man shouldn’t walk until he is in combat and should only carry his weapon, rations, and necessities.  Likewise, in WWII, Russia tried to keep its troops at 40lbs or under, and everything else was put on some mode of transportation.  What we can see is counter to what the Russians have been doing in more modern combat, and this may have stalled some of their advancements as combat dragged on in Ukraine.  Though many more videos have shown troops carrying far less than the initial stages in Russia and Ukraine, the effects of this heavy burden may have caused these armies to falter during the early stages of the conflict.  Also, the Russian military was known to scavenge food and supplies along the way, relying on stews and black bread in WWII, and I can attest that their 24-hour ration is a little different in concept.  While they have modernized to healthier foods, most Russians were assumed to be carrying one of their 24-hour rations and sharing it among others.  So, some of the past concepts are butting heads against modern doctrine we have picked up from GWOT, with heavy body armor, etc.  This has spilled over to other armies like those in the Ukraine conflict.

What do I need, and how much will it weigh?

Well, I can’t tell you that, but let’s look at the old WWII setup from S. L. A. Marshall, who started this journey for me.

Like them or hate them, the WWSD project pointed out the economy of weight that can be had out of the M4.  One of the core issues of most modern AR-15s with a long 16” barrel that runs around 6-7 lbs is the huge rail system people feel like they have to fill with fluff.  Tactical lights, bipods, etc., and while that stuff can be helpful, most of it isn’t trained with, and even more commonly, it is ignored and set off at inappropriate times.  Soldiers must carry up to 80 pounds or more of combat gear into the fight, including a basic ammunition load of at least 210 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition. This ammunition weighs approximately 5.5 pounds alone.  So cutting down the weight of the ammo, not stuffing tons of stuff on your rifle you don’t need, is paramount to keeping the body and mind intact.

Shaving more weight

Your average MRE is between 18 and 26 ounces, and yes, you can rat fuck MREs down in weight by removing some of the stuff that isn’t needed, like cardboard, etc.  Or you could have a light water purification system and carry 2-3 Peak Fuel meals, which average around 9.5 ounces.  Need a light?  Well, remember that 1lb L-shaped light? How about a Nitcore light that weighs 2.0 ounces and is 400 Lumens if needed?  Mind you, I am not saying you need a light every place, but the point is the US military doesn’t make the lightest products, and some of these new products are very tough.  There is a balance between rugged design and weight, but recognize that sometimes value comes from that weight loss and can be balanced by care.  The US military assumes you will be very rough on your tools, and some of you need heavier items, but with all the above knowledge, you should look at how to cut that weight responsibly.  Soldiers have cut down toothbrushes for as long as I can remember, and there are images of men  with half-length toothbrushes, a helmet, and a signal mirror getting ready for the day.

Survival Food at the Brushbeater Store

Shockingly, SLAM, at the end of his book, said WWII might be the end of such lines of battle on maps, and guerrilla-style warfare would dominate conflict with its lack of battle lines you can draw up on a map.  He pointed out that these conflicts would require soldiers to sustain themselves and rely less on long logistical tails to keep them fighting.  A good portion of the end of the book slams all the creature comforts afforded soldiers during WWII, and while I don’t think it was as bad of a detractor as he presents, the logistical needs were high.  He even pointed out the multitude of times when rear echelons were tasked to fight due to a lack of firepower.  While the Partisan may not have these comforts, realize the enemy may well have these logistical tails, and they can be attacked.

Conclusion

You can’t nullify the effects of combat stress without combat and the experience that goes along with it. As clearly shown, we know that fear affects the body both mentally and physically. We can drop weight so that when combat happens, the body’s reserves aren’t already depleted, and the fear reaction won’t immobilize the troops under our command.  Keep the gear light and vital and under 45 lbs, and distribute weight among the team when possible.  Cashe or find alternative means to move gear from one point to another.  Don’t just force all the supplies onto your men and make them move until they hit the enemy.  You would think this concept would be a no-brainer, but our military continues to do this regularly.