Quote Originally Posted by Coldstreamer View Post
Well that's just silly. Foot Drill is the fastest and simplest form of bringing cohesion and teamwork to a disparate group of individuals as a behavioural basis for all future team activity. It also forms part of a wider doctrinal immersion that requires the sublimation of individual will to the collective benefit, for people who have hitherto had no discipline or restraint imposed upon them by family, education system or society.

Bayonets are like all other capabilities. Lose them at your peril. Lack of both bayonets and NVGs were cited as massive errors in the battle of Mogadishu, where they were left behind to minimise weight for a short duration op. You miss the human factors aspect of the edged weapon in your analysis, which is excellent but entirely metrics based. The number of people killed by edged weapons in operational analysis is infinitely less significant than the external and internal symbol of visceral commitment an infantryman makes when he fixes it. We live in a world of perceptions and symbology; you will damn well know a company of Guardsmen coming for you with bayonets fixed. And as an affirmation of 'betterness' over an enemy immediately prior to close engagements where fear and anxiety will be the prevalent emotions, it is an excellent tool. When we fix bayonets, we do it with the conscious intent to destroy. Armys which do not embrace this martial spirit tend to underperform in most other areas as well.

My company and I are currently on operations in Afghanistan, and we all carry bayonets.

Great post.

Bayonet training may not be of "doctrinal importance" since Infantry has never cared much for "doctrine" in the first place. It is very important to the "killing mindset" though, which may not concern a commander in a dry, warm office, but is of the uptmost importance to the boots on the ground.

Besides, how many famous battles over the years were won with a Commander's rallying cry, "FIX BAYONETS!!!!" the order in and of itself is adrenaline pumping.

His advice would be very good for our enemies to heed though, seeing as how I prefer my enemy to not be trained in bayonet skill.

Thanks for the info coldstream and for serving. Be safe out there and watch your six.