Hard Truths

[George Wallace]

TCBF

You should have quite a few stories to tell.  If not, kick Sieggie's chair out from under him and have that "Carrot Top" post a few.

Glad to see you here.

GW

 

[S McKee]

When I hear complaints about some of our gear today,   I think back to the Korean War canvas and brass equipment I was issued


Cheers.

Hey don't laugh we STILL issue that same Korean War canvas and brass....at the DB. J.

 

[mainerjohnthomas]

"Don't get me wrong, the new boots are great, but did it really need to take THAT long to get rid of (well, not yet completely) the Mk III combat boot. And if/when they do, will we be allowed to run in combat boots again (I threw that out to start a debate......"

    Let me get this straight, its against regs to run in a combat boot?  I marched, jumped, ran, even played football in my combat boots in the 80's and 90's.  I logged so many klicks jogging behind/beside Iltis and 5/4 line vehicles recovering line my conversations naturally were carried out to allow breathing in double time.  We double timed everywhere in Kingston in our lineboots with full climbing rigs, and carrying our spurs, and now soldiers get in trouble for running in combats?  I got out at the right time, thats too stupid for words.  What good is a combat boot you can't run in.  Combat tends to be a high intensity activity, and you can't exactly do it at the walk.  If you can't run in it, it is NOT a combat boot.  Honestly, the sight/sound of a company of soldiers double timing is the most common memory of my time on base (any base) and now it doesn't happen. Un be freaking leavable.

 

[ZipperHead]

I have a copy of the CANFORGEN on this issue at work (I was going to laminate it and carry it around to show people who have taken the meaning and changed it to suit their own personal interpretation, usually to the detriment of the CF), and if I can find it here at home I will post it.

There is a somewhat sound logic behind it: that the current issue boots (Mk III) are not designed for running (poor arch support, nonexistent cushioning, generally poison tread pattern, esp compared to what is available in civvy market), so there is some merit in saying that troops shouldn't be running greats distances (particularly on asphalt or concrete) all the time, but they seem to have removed any grey area (and common sense, IMO) and said "no running in combat boots".

Personally, I still run the 13 km in the boots, and will take my lumps if/when I get busted, and I have had to "counsel" young/keen soldiers, who want to run along with me, that they are on their own if they get hurt. Nice system, where keen soldiers can get punished for wanting to "be all they can be".

I don't know how long this policy will stay in effect, as I doubt there are any plans to get rid of the Mk III, so the steady decline in overall fitness of soldiers will probably continue [Note: edited for use of double negative.... Al]
Al

 

[chrisf]

I have to ask, the combat coat that everyone was speaking of at the begining of this thread... is that the combat coat that pre-dates the new goretex coat? The four-seasons coat or whatever it was called?

 

[mainerjohnthomas]

Ah, the combat jacket.  It was as warm as a combat tunic (not) had saw toothed seams and buttons on the inside for attatching a liner that
was heavy, perpetually damp, open at the armpits to let the cold air in, didn't insulate, didn't cushion, and looked like sh*t.  It sucked in the cold, in the heat, in the wet.  There were no conditions that it benifitted to wear your combat jacket, except to keep the brush from getting on your (civilian or US purchased) gortex or polar fleece that all thinking soldiers past their basic training replaced it with.  Honestly, that was designed by a person whose sole aim was to punish soldiers, and it worked.  It was at least as comfortable to wear as the unified service work dress was stylish to wear (not).  Lets face it, the gear of today is better than some of the stuff we had.

 

[pbi]

Amen to that description of the combat coat: it was neither fish or fowl-just abut useless.

Cheers

 

[Jungle]

It is permitted to run in combat boots. What is not authorized is to carry out PT in them. The problem, as outlined by Allan Luomala, is that we were taken for "ruck runs" on paved roads, and the MK-3 was not designed for that use.
Nobody said you are forbidden to run during an attack... or any trg activity other than PT.

 

[Bert]

Jungle make a good point.  We can't run in combat boots during PT.  Any other time, we
hustle as we must.  It would be nice to have a light boot, with a tough outter sole and general
support for arches/cushioning, durability, and a good tread.  My most comfortable pair of boots is
less than a year old but I have little tread left.

 

[ZipperHead]

Again, the interpretation of the CANFORGEN regarding "running in combat boots" has been perverted by whomever has an agenda: to whit, I recall a story (how true is anybody's guess, but it seems to have a grain of truth to it, at least) about how there was a Sgt Major at one of the training establishments who saw a soldier running down the road in combats. He stopped the soldier, who was on a leadership (JLC, PLQ, etc) course. When asked why he wsa running, the soldier explained that he had to hightail it back to the shack to get something that he forgot. The SM gave him a blast, and referred to the running in combats policy, and told him to walk.

Anyway, short story long, depending on whom and how it is interpreted can cause different takes on it. I suppose there can be many implications, particularly VAC pension benefits being denied, if you are injured whilst running in combat boots under the current regs. I think I'll take my chances and continue to run, when required.

Al

 

[Yeoman]

I have a set of all that 37 pattern issued stuff. and man I have respect for the lads that had to wear that stuff day in and day out. I wear the stuff maybe a dozen times a year (that's pushing it) and every time I feel like I'm going to die because that stuff is so bloody hot and so bloody itchy and so bloody uncomfortable.
so feel thank ful for what we got now, I'd hate to see that stuff again.
Greg