Weight of war
The rifleman, the core infantry soldier in the U.S. Army, may carry a basic fighting load of more than 65 pounds. But a 2003 Army study in Eastern Afghanistan
found that on longer missions they may carry an approach march load exceeding 95 pounds for several days.
In Afghanistan and Iraq, the Army has struggled to balance the need for body armor to protect against insurgent attacks with weight that can slow a soldier's
movements when he comes under fire. To increase the mobility of infantry soldiers in Afghanistan, the Army in 2009 began distributing lighter-weight vests
that include ballistic plates to protect vital organs but less protection of extremities. So far, more than 48,000 of those vests have been distributed to soldiers.
Here is a breakdown of a soldier's combat load as documented in the 2003 study.
Weight carried on fighting load carrier/ body armor
FIGHTING LOAD:
Weight carried and worn
over uniform/body:
Weight carried in assault rucksack
APPROACH MARCH LOAD:
(Carried most of the time)
Hydration
bladder
Body armor
M4
carbine
*Full body
armor: Vest,
neck, groin,
deltoid, lower
back and side
protection with
ballistic plates
weighs more
than 30 pounds.
*Modular Lightweight
Load Carrying Equipment
POUNDS
8.25 Ammunition for M4 carbine
6.30 Hydration bladder (100 ounces)
5.00 Two quart canteens
2.00 MOLLE* fighting load carrier vest
with modular pouches
1.62 Bayonet
1.25 Night vision equipment
1.00 Fragmentation grenade
.50 First Aid dressing and pouch
.50 Canteen Cup
.25 Compass
.18 Flashlight
.13 Chemlight
.06 Flex cuffs for personnel
under custody (PUC)
POUNDS
17.50 Body armor:* Infantry soldiers on foot
patrol often reduced it to a base vest
with two ballistic plates
6.80 M4 carbine with loaded magazine,
Infrared target laser, advanced combat
optical gunsights
4.17 Clothing and gloves
3.75 Desert combat boots
3.25 Advanced combat helmet
.19 Rigger belt
1.00 Knee and elbow pads
.86 Goggles
.50 Folding knife/Multi-tool
.31 Dog tags
.19 Watch
.03 ID card
Assault
rucksack with
attachments
Pouches for:
Ammunition
Canteen
First aid
Grenade
27.04 lbs.
POUNDS
8.75 MOLLE* assault rucksack or
commercial assault rucksack,
with MOLLE* attachments:
5.34 Hydration bladder (70 ounces)
4.25 60mm mortar round
3.19 Poncho and liner/or bivy sack
3.00 Two Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs)
2.50 Personal hygiene kit
1.69 Clothing
1.50 500ml intravenous fluids bag
with starter kit.
1.25 Sling rope with two snap links
.31 M4 cleaning kit
.31 Rubber gloves
32.09 lbs.
+ 65.59 lbs. (fighting + uniform/body)
+ 38.55 lbs. (from uniform/body)
TOTAL:
TOTAL:
TOTAL:
38.55
pounds
65.59
pounds
97.68
pounds
Additional weight
Depending on the mission, a
rifleman may also need to
carry one or more of these
special equipment items:
The weight carried by other infantry company soldiers
RECOMMENDED
ARMY GUIDELINES:
Combat medic
91.72
pounds
Radio telephone
98.38
operator
pounds
60mm mortar
gunner
108.76
pounds
March load
72 lbs.
64.98
63.79
10.75 lbs. Hooligan tool
54.53
pounds
pounds
50 lbs.
Fighting load
pounds
8.75 lbs. Combat life saver kit
and pole-less litter
7 lbs. M18 claymore mine
0
6.92 lbs. M249 ammunition
FIGHTING
APPROACH
FIGHTING
APPROACH
FIGHTING
APPROACH
3.31 lbs. Metal detecting wand
LOAD
MARCH LOAD
LOAD
MARCH LOAD
LOAD
MARCH LOAD
3 lbs. Entrenching tool
Sources: “The Modern Warrior’s Combat Load, Dismounted Operations in Afghanistan, April - May 2003” by U.S. Center for Army Lessons
1.10 lbs. Bolt cutters
Learned; BAE systems; www.peosoldier.army.mil; “Lightening the Load,” Naval Research Advisory Committee, Sept. 2007
Reporting by HAL BERNTON
Graphic by MARK NOWLIN / THE SEATTLE TIMES