Abandon squad/section levels of organization?

[Uboat509]

The need for infantry to carry excessive weight is based on the belief that they can subsist for X-days without re-supply. Why carry 3 days food and water when you have 20 mins of ammo

It is hardly uncommon to go three days and not have 20 minutes of contact. I met guys on my last trip who were on their second tour and had only been in their second fire fight. My own experience during my tour was that I was IED'd a number of times but only got into one firefight that lasted all of two minutes.

Load is everything and trade offs have to be made. The idea that infantry must operate is isolation is major flaw, as is the idea that infantry should be able operate unsupported. Here some of the ideas I bounced around,

With eight infantry divisions out of a total of ten it is hardly out of the realm of possibility that individual infantry formations will have to operate for extended periods of time with minimal support.

@ - Re-supply conducted by Attack Helicopters

How? US attack helicopters are incapable of carrying any meaningful load.

@ - Low power wide area re-broadcast conducted by UAVs, to conserve battery life.

I will take your word on this one. I don't have any experience with the actual operation of UAVs.

@ - Form groupings dedicated to load carrying support for dismounted infantry operations.

We already have logistics units and even light infantry has some vehicles for logistical support down to company level.

@ - Acceptance that supply limited operations are a "special condition" and not the norm.

That depends entirely on the enemy and the specific fight that we are in.

@- rationalize equipment design, based on load and support. - Eg An effective sleeping bag can costs less than some mortar bombs or similar munitions, so why not make them disposable and supply-able, or "one night items" - make up 70kg (IIRC) "Platoon Overnight kits" to be dropped/pushed in as and when required .

No argument here. Our procurement system sucks and my experience is that decisions are often made based on a single variable rather than all the possible variables. Body armor is a prime example. Prior to OIF no one wore body armor except in very specific circumstances. Now you can't leave the gate with out full body armor with all the bells and whistles. In Iraq that is not such a problem where foot patrols are largely only in urban areas and last no more than a few hours after which the soldier will usually go back to a safe area where he can refit. I have not been to Afghanistan but friends of mine are telling me that foot patrols can be significantly longer in the mountains and forty pounds of body armor in addition to weapons, ammo and equipment plus whatever sustainment load there is seriously degrades a unit's ability to operate in that environment. Unfortunately the Army often does not look at things in that light. To many commanders, body armor stops bullets and shrapnel so we will wear it any time we are out of the wire and that is all there is to it. At what point does the body armor become more of a hindrance than it is worth?

SFC W