Don't Leave Home Without It II: Equipment Inventory
Last week we took a look at what the properly equipped law enforcement officer should carry on his (or her) gunbelt. This week we're going to look at a basic load-out for the AVERAGE soldier. The items listed are those that my experience has taught me (or common sense demands) a soldier should have any time they are sent into the field. Naturally, because the soldier often has to operate farther from support and in much harsher environments, the list is longer.
Before I go into the soldier's load out though, I need to mention a few emails I received regarding last week's article. Deputy George Kremer from Colorado wrote that I forgot a basic item every officer should keep cared for: his own body. Deputy Kremer is a smart man. Many police agencies now have integrated physical fitness programs, or at least fitness incentives. Some agencies still do absolutely nothing to encourage their officers to stay in shape. Your body is your first tool. Combined with your mind, it is often the only tool you have to work with. Maintain it properly. 'Nough said. Thanks George! Officer Randy Pierce reminded me that I left out TASERs and Nextel phones. For him, both are agency issued items (must be nice). Certainly if the TASERs are issued you should carry it on your person. The stuff you leave in your car is useless after a quarter-mile foot chase. The cell phone is also ideal to have, whether your agency issues it or not. One word of caution: as a habit, if you're going to carry a cell phone on duty, put it on VIBRATE. The last thing you need when you're trying to sneak up on someone is the cell phone ringing as your wife, husband, boyfriend or girlfriend calls just to say, "I love you." This is a lesson I learned the hard way. My pager went off once when I and a couple other officers were sneaking in on a street drug deal we'd caught in progress. The other officers were not pleased with me after everyone was chased down. My thanks go out to Deputy Kremer, Officer Pierce and the other law enforcement professionals who emailed comments for their valuable inputs. Now let's move into the soldier's world...
Some of the items a police professional should have in the trunk of a patrol vehicle, the soldier has to carry or wear because, as I mentioned earlier, they're a lot farther from support and they can't afford to wait for that equipment. As important as that is to recognize, there are even more basic differences in uniforms and equipment. A cop's uniform has to 1) look good and 2) protect him. But if the climate demands a coat, the policeman can put it on or take it off at his convenience and leave it in his cruiser or desk. The soldier does not have that luxury. Everything he needs, or MIGHT need, he has to take with him.
Starting with the most basic fighting item, instead of the police officer's handgun, a soldier's primary combat weapon is the M-16 or M-4. Sure, there are soldiers issued the M-249 Squad Automatic Weapon, or an M-60 or other weapon, but the AVERAGE soldier (get the hint?) carries a 5.56mm select fire weapon. IF that soldier has a handgun as a secondary weapon, it is most often a Beretta M9 (Beretta 92FS equivalent). So, instead of the duty handgun plus one to three spare magazines, the soldier has to carry an M-16/M-4 and (usually) six spare magazines.
Recognizing the weight difference between a handgun + three spare magazines and an M-4 + six spare magazines brings up an important point. While it is necessary for a police officer to maintain an acceptable level of physical fitness, it's even more important for the soldier to do so. The soldier IS going to have to carry more weight into combat situations. Fatigue is a major inhibitor of combat performance and effectiveness. Anything that can be done to minimize its effects should be done. Again, 'nough said.
After the firearm things tend to get radically different from cops to soldiers. Uniforms are uniforms but a soldier's should protect first and look good second. "Pretty is as pretty does" is a catch phrase that fits nicely. Combat uniforms have evolved over the years and the next generation uniform (Blackwater Gear is an excellent example) has to perform a variety of functions from camouflage to medical access to the soldier's body. Temperature stability, abrasion resistance, and infrared signature dispersal - these are all functions the soldier's uniform has to accomplish.
Further, the soldier's uniform has to work efficiently with the system used to carry other gear. From H-harnesses to old Load Bearing web gear, to an armored "chassis" (Blackwater Gear), the system used to carry gear has to work seamlessly with the uniform and all protective equipment the soldier might need to use. As much as our soldiers are now called upon to perform Peace Keeping duties (policing a foreign society), the equipment they need is not designed to support law enforcement activities. It is designed to keep the soldier alive and as comfortable as is realistic in combat situations. What does the soldier NEED?
His rifle and extra magazines we've mentioned. A knife is important. Whether it's a bayonet, combat knife, folding lock blade or other edged weapon, it is imperative that the soldier has a cutting tool. If that tool can perform double duty as a pry bar, great. If it can be used as a hammer, great. But the knife's primary purpose is to cut - materials or enemy combatants. The knife has to hold an edge, be easy to keep sharp and be easy to grip in dirty, sweaty, wet or bloody conditions. A fixed blade with a backup folder might not be a bad idea, but value to weight has to be considered.
After those combat tools, and maybe even more important than the knife, is a hydration system. We humans are made up of about 94% water. Our biological system does not do well when it gets dehydrated. The possibility of this happening is high dependent on environmental conditions, operating tempo and physical demand. Take a soldier, put him in a 100 degree Fahrenheit environment carrying 100 pounds of gear and moving fast and you create a high risk of dehydration, heat exhaustion and/or heat stroke. Keeping that soldier hydrated is one of the best ways to avoid those risk situations. Today's market offers numerous types of systems that carry anything from fifty ounces to more than one hundred ounces of water. Streamlined bladder carrying systems are much more comfortable, convenient and easier to use than the old metal or plastic one-quart canteens. Some will note that the canteen was easier to clean if you put Gatorade, kool-aid or other sugared fluid in it, but that is a minor concern anymore. Not only do we have cleaning kits available for our hydration systems, but now BlackHawk/HydroStrom is coming out with a disposable bladder. The information I received was that those disposable bladders may come prefilled with water (or sugared liquid) or empty so you can fill them yourself. Once they are emptied you can burn them - and they burn clean so you don't have to worry about thick black smoke. No matter what you do, the soldier HAS to have a good supply of fresh water to stay hydrated. Depending on the expected mission duration, 100 oz. should be considered the minimum carried. Once again we see the weight concern: water weighs about 7.5 pounds per gallon. The more water we carry the more weight we have to haul. That give / take has to be carefully measured prior to loading up.
Communications is an important item that has to be addressed. Whether this is done at the individual soldier level or at the fire team / squad level is mission dependent. IF you have the option to carry a radio that CAN be carried along with all your other gear, TAKE IT. Often neglected by cops and soldiers alike, the radio is your lifeline and shouldn't be disregarded under any circumstances.
Gloves, a length of rope and a D-ring / locking caribiner are, to me, mandatory. Due to the environments a soldier has to move through, climbing is a reality you never know when you'll have to face. A twelve-foot length of rope and one or two locking-Ds can make all the difference in the world to a squad or fire team trying to move, especially in an urban environment. A decent pair of leather gloves offer heat protection, abrasion protection, etc. The last issued pair of leather gloves I had weren't much good for anything beyond keeping my hands almost warm because of the sizing. In today's world, properly fitted Kevlar or Spectra fiber lined leather gloves aren't too expensive and can do a much better job of protecting your hands while minimizing the negative impact on your manual dexterity.
A flashlight with red, blue or IR filter (dependent on the operational environment) is mandatory. Even if you're only going out on a daytime mission, you should have this flashlight. If you don't understand why, ask the soldiers made famous by the movie "Blackhawk Down." They didn't expect to be out overnight either. Reality is this: Mr. Murphy is in your back pocket and waiting to kill you. Don't help him out. Assumption is the mother of all ____-ups. Don't assume anything. If you must assume, then assume things will go wrong and prepare for that as much as you can. Check your batteries before your mission and if your load out permits, carry an extra set of batteries and one spare bulb. If you have a light mounted on your firearm, you still might consider carrying a smaller back up light on your person. While none of us ever wants to consider our weapon being left behind, if it is sufficiently damaged as to be non-functional, are you going to continue carrying it just to have a flashlight? I don't think so. I think I'll grab a weapon that IS working (anywhere I can get it except from my buddy) and keep on moving / fighting using that spare flashlight I had in a cargo pocket or other convenient spot.
A first-aid kit. Actually, for the average soldier, what is required is TWO pressure bandages. Remember that the average soldier isn't supposed to be performing much first-aid. He should only be slowing down long enough to deal with life-threatening penetrations of a fellow soldier's body. Those pressure bandages are sufficient in most situations to patch those perimeter violations: a puncture wound or bullet hole. Why two? Because there might be an entrance AND an exit wound so you have to patch both. And secondly because you might need to put one over the other if the first is bled through. We all want to do more than that to keep our buddy alive, but in combat, after that the rest is up to the medic. The greater reality is that you may have to tie one (or both) of your combat dressings onto your own leg, arm or torso and try to move on. Quick Clot has become the first-aid rage lately, but until the cost of it comes down some more, the average soldier is going to get combat dressings. Two is the minimum you should have. More is good since their weight is so insignificant.
A protective mask with hood is next on the list. This is one of those items that a police officer can usually keep in his trunk but that the soldier has to have on his person all the time on every mission. Here's a hint: your life depends on it functioning properly. Don't be forced to keep it clean and maintained properly. Just like with everything else you carry into combat, it's YOUR life - are you going to risk it because you're too lazy to take care of it properly? Darwinism does work in combat. The guys who don't do what they should during down time often don't have what they need when the feces hits the oscillating rotator.
In line with protective gear, one thing I've neglected thus far is ARMOR. From a properly fitted helmet to soft armor and/or strike plates, body armor is mandatory in the combat environment. Wearing ALL of it is more important than having it at your base of operations. Yeah, it's heavy - and often uncomfortable. If it stops an incoming 5.56mm round just one time... or a 7.62x39mm round just one time... was the weight worth it every other time? I'd say yes. Helmets are a pain - but the potential value offsets the discomfort or inconvenience. I know a lot of people who ride motorcycles and there is a similar sentiment that I have to share. "How much should I spend on my helmet?" is a question I've heard. "What's your head worth to you?" is my response. An improperly adjusted helmet can be painful, cause headaches, etc. Take the time to make sure it fits properly. Adjust it as necessary. Pad it where you must. Make that helmet as comfortable to put on as your favorite ball cap. The ball cap won't stop shrapnel or bullets. If you're going anywhere bullets MIGHT fly, make sure your helmet is on your head.
Dependent on the length of your mission you may opt to carry other items. One thing I'd say to keep with you at all times is a poncho with a length of 550 / paracord. Three years in the infantry taught me how many things I can do with a poncho not the least of which was creating a small shelter. Shade is a good thing in the sun and high temperatures. Dry is a good thing in a forty-degree rain. Warm and dry is good when you're marching on a chilly drizzling day. Making emergency litters to drag or carry out injured soldiers is easier with a poncho or two, some 550 cord and two improvised poles.
ONE MRE is not a bad thing to always have with you. Some of us don't care for them very much, but that limited amount of food can get you through one or two days (or even three) days of operations IF you have a proper water supply.
Sure there are many other items that can be valuable to specific missions - or in general - IF they are issued and IF you are trained with them. There is an online forum that has a section titled "Three Hundred Pounds of LIGHT Weight Gear". It specifically discusses all of the pieces of equipment cops and soldiers can carry. You DO have to carry enough equipment to stay alive and accomplish your mission. You DO NOT have to carry enough equipment to stay alive and accomplish every mission known to man. Munitions, night-vision equipment, electronics, etc are all optional dependent on the mission.
As with last week's piece, if you have comments on any of the above, I would enjoy receiving them. Be safe!!
About the author:
Lt. Frank Borelli is the Training Commander and DHS Coordinator for Fairmount Heights Police Department - a suburb of Washington DC. He also owns a consulting company that subcontracts to the Army, trying to find ways to share military technologies with the law enforcement community. Frank has seven years of military experience, more than twenty years of law enforcement experience, and fifteen plus years of training experience. Frank writes for Blackwater, ASLET, and other law enforcement periodicals. Please send any comments to frank@borelliconsulting.com.