THE FORT BRAGG POST

We all know Army-issue speed-lace boots are NOT made for walking--much less running & gunning in combat...

This pain and injuries--especially from running on pavement at U.S. Army Airborne school ---is from a heel with a fibrous plug and a hard rubber sole with no traction lugs. The fix is a decent sole---the high-traction, quick-mud release "Panama" tread used on jungle and desert boots is the answer and should be MOLDED on issue speed-lace boots from the factory. Until then, take your boots and have them re-soled off post with the Vibram lug and other soles that are available or carefully cut-off the center spines using the directions below. Cost for resoling is roughly about $30 per pair. To remove the center spines to create Panama sole-type traction bars costs nothing except some time and effort.

That's right.

Panama soles are not available (yet) as resole options.

Mr. Sven E. Oberg, Vice President & Engineer
Ro-Search, Inc.
Subsidiary of
Wellco Enterprises, Inc.
150 Westwood Circle
Waynesville, NC 28786
Phone: 704-456-3545, ext. 107
Fax: 704-456-3547
E-mail

Wellco's web pages: www.wellco.com/military.html.

There are a whole bunch of different boot sole option coming out of Vibram...........take a look at Backpacker Magazines Ads. The latest Gore-tex lined boot from U.S. Army Natick labs has Vibram lug soles...what's the problem, here, over? Also, be sure to put sorbothane-type cushion insoles to help reduce shock.

The German Paratroops in WW2 had decent boot sole traction---what's our excuse? Didn't think of it?

WHAT IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE $$$$ TO RESOLE YOUR BOOTS?

Take a look at the Panama tread depicted above and your issue "Trac-Shun" (what a joke, more like tract SHUNNED)...whats the basic difference? Its the center spine running up the center of the sole that makes your sole mash against the ground like a bald tire. Cut these center spines out carefully with a sharp lockback knife with a slow sawing action. VOILA! You now have an instant Panama-type tread bars.

Benefits of this are its free, it can be done anywhere, even in the field/barracks before a mission and it reduces the boot's weight slightly. With a little "elbow grease" you get a boot with traction that has its sole molded directly to the leather at the factory, a resole job would entail a glued on after-market sole. It takes about 5 minutes per boot to cut off the center spines.

MAKING THE SPEED LACES SPEEDY

If you do not have speed-lace barrel loops, you are not sunk, the IDF speed lace system shown above can be used for boots with eyelets.

However, you do not need to constantly unlace your boots with the speed lace system to don/doff them, you just need to replace the cord with the matching color of 550 para cord to gain SERE applications. Today with the Army Combat Uniform we are wearing desert tan boots so TAN 550 para cord is needed.

www.vtarmynavy.com/parachute_cord.htm

(800) 448-7965
armynavy@together.net

The barrel loops are wide enough so that the extra long laces can be pulled loose so you can put your foot in or take your foot out. Tie an overhand knot at the center half of the boot laces then lace them into our boots. This center position knot, will speed up your replacing after you've cleaned and shined your boots. Once laced, tie an overhand knot at the end each cord, so the boots will no become unlaced at all.

This is how the speed lace system works.

You should never have to lace, replace your boots during use.

The only problem is, is that there is excess lace for this to work. You are to wrap this extra lace around your ankle, under the padded collar and secure with a knot. When walking through the woods, vines, twigs and vegetation can pull at this excess untying your boots and getting you snagged up. This excess lacing undone and loose could harm you trying to exit an airplane in flight.

The quick solution is to take a piece of 100 mph tape and tape the excess laces around the top of the boot before going to the field or operating from aircraft. I suggest that you tie your boots by first pulling the laces tight then an overhand knot with an extra twist (like tying a swiss seat) at the front then bring the laces behind your ankle. There tie a snug SQUARE KNOT (right over left, left over right) at the back ankle under the padded collar to keep the wrapped excess in place. Then run the remaining excess laces to the front, do an overhand knot with an extra turn and tie a butterfly knot, pulling the loops until the knotted lace ends stop at your knot. Tuck in these loops into your boots before taping the top with a piece of 100 mph tape. If in a combat situation tie a square knot instead of a butterfly knot. While this will make it harder for you to remove your boots, these techniques will insure your boots are secure around your feet and do not have its laces come undone while going through vegetation.

What we really need is a top-cover flap that will fold down over the excess laces using Velcro ("Hook and Pile" tape). One way this could be done is by a peel and stick flap of Velcro that is cut to size that can be massed produced and distributed. If the glue is really good, this could last without falling off.

Otherwise, the top cover flap should be sewn to the boot during construction. Either way, if you would like this feature write to:

U.S. Army Soldier System Command (Provisional),
U.S. Army Natick RD&E Center,
1600 Kansas Street, Natick, MA 01760.
e-mail THEM! (Natick LABS)
e-mail THEM! (Mobility Staff)

Example of a Lemming Institutional Gatekeeper Asshole: CSM Larry Graham Defecates on FUNCTION for BS Form

We include the following whining letter from a CSM asshole to show the outside world the kind of blue-collar tyrant fucktards that make the Army a non-adaptive organization that is intolerable to be in for adults who have consciences and think for themselves based on external reality/facts.

What Graham is really worried about losing CONTROL of his little tyrant ego-empire that is based on nit-picking Army regulations to enslave everyone into his orbit of petty bullshit.

This is yet more proof that we should get rid of the rank and position of 1st Sergeants and Sergeant Majors and Command Sergeant Majors because we can no longer afford 19th century parade-ground BS obsessions over spit shines and hair cuts and any kind of non-battlefield garrison BS. There should be no blue collar and white collar class distinction and fantasy lands; the Executive Officer (XO) should run the direct details of the company so there's no disconnect from policy and reality. An XO that knows the details of how an unit runs will be better prepared to command it than running around as the company commander's little paper work helper. If policy cannot work in reality this crap of the enlistedmen lying to the officers will no longer be tolerated. There shouldn't be ANY non-tactically-oriented, blue-collar, asshole tyrants like Graham in America's ground forces--but thanks to fucktards like him we have wasted years on BS and ignored things like car bombs and land mines that making up "IEwhatever" buzzwords cannot excuse away. We should reorganize our military rank system so the enlistedman after reaching MSG rank can stay where he is at or go up into the warrant officer and officer ranks to be a TACTICALLY-ORIENTED THINKER/DOER. The days of subsidizing a sub-class of non-tactical assholes obsessed with petty BS are long over.

I hope to some day meet this fucktard so I can make an "on-the-spot" correction of his immoral and incompetent bullshit. He represents a good part of what's wrong in America's Army and why we have over 4, 000+ dead and 60, 000+ wounded in Iraq/Afghanistan. We don't need blue-collar Courtney Massengales any more than officer ones..

WHICH BOOT IS WHICH IN THE DARK????

www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGd2Edo5FNQ

Time is precious on the battlefield, seconds may mean the difference between life or death. In the dark, it is hard to tell, which boot is right, which one is left. I suggest taking a drill or a knife and cutting out a "dimple" in the rear heel of the right boot so that you can feel which one it is in the dark. Again, this feature should be built into the boot during construction. Another option is a raised "R" or "L" letter molded into the heel to achieve the same effect. If you look on the bottom of your boots your will notice they say "8 1/2 W" etc. the size of the boot/sole. If the company goes to the trouble of marking the boot size in order to make sure the correct sole is molded to the correct upper, why not mold a "L" or a "R"? It would only help them to make sure the right sole goes to the right boot.

SURVIVAL CAPABILITIES FROM THE LACES.........

Replace the laces that come with the boot with Type III, (550 parachute cord) because there are seven inner strands that can be removed and used to construct shelters, build snares, etc......there is even black and TAN 550 cord is available that can be used that will look exactly the same as everybody else to keep any nit-picky asshole 1st Sergeants at bay. Having Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape (SERE) capabilities in your boot can be a life-saver, because it may be the only thing the enemy doesn't take from you if captured. There are ways to hide covered razorblades etc....in the boot that should be taken advantage of for E & R (escape and recovery) operations that are better discussed behind closed doors at place like U.S. Army SERE school.

Boots hurt you? Not keeping you dry?
One thing you can do is undo the laces where they cross over a painful spot and lace them up. If your boots are wide on you, wear two pairs of socks, a black pair next to your skin to hold your sweat in, a black or OD green wool outer for warmth and to take up the space in the boot. All future sock purchases should be black colored, so you can mix/match any sock with another. The only socks that differ should be a few white socks for your PT uniform (PTU). The latest socks are anti-microbial and there are gore-tex waterproof liners that can be purchased to use with G.I. boots.

Boot Tracks Giving Your Presence Away?

If we were serious about war, we'd have special boot soles for at least the "tail end charlie" to wear that would throw off the enemy by leaving a false boot or foot print. Everyone would walk in foot steps of point man and last man would leave the actual print.

WHAT IF YOU STEP ON A MINE?

The reason why jungle boots don't flex is because there is a steel plate inside to protect from Vietnam era punji spikes. Today the threat still exists and has increased in lethality. It would be very wise that whoever is on point in your unit wear Mine-protective boots and overshoes. This goes without saying that they wear helmet and body armor and not a rucksack so their hands are free to look for signs of the enemy. When GEN Colin Powell was an advisor to the South Vietnamese Army in Vietnam he had his point elements wear body armor and it saved several lives. The point of the spear" must be sharp and ready for contact.

There are OVERSHOES that you can strap to the outsides of the boots you are wearing and boots that have land mine protection built-in. Its high time we start using both in light of the deaths and casualties we've suffered in Iraq/Afghanistan.

Dismounted Foot-Slogger Tragedy in Iraq

WHO SHOULD DECIDE WHAT SOLDIER GEAR WE USE? A COUNCIL OF COLONELS OR THE LTs, SGTs, PVTS WHO CARRY THE GEAR AND WHOSE LIVES ARE IN DANGER?

The 1^st Tactical Studies Group (Airborne) since 1997 has online;

offered and detailed through U.S. Army official channels; commercial, off-the-shelf and equipment modification solutions to almost every problem listed (and then some like ahumm, SOLVING THE SOLDIER'S LOAD) in the appalling recent U.S. Army Natick Afghanistan Report (which is viewable here). As we also forewarned, the u.s. marine designed "MOLLE" gear has been a COMPLETE and utter failure in Afghanistan service--even for the short time marines made a token ground appearance and fled back to their ships as the U.S. Army dodges the RPGs, mortars and AKM rounds to hunt down and kill the enemy terrorists.

The bottom line is, closed-minded and small-minded people (we know all about them, don't we?) are running the Congressionally-mandated and funded Army's Soldier Enhancement Program (SEP) which could have PREVENTED this sad state of affairs by some low-cost purchases.

Want to make a suggestion to SEP?

SEP Home Page

Make a Soldier Equipment Improvement suggestion to SEP

The Afghan power points show a number of gear problems that many of us have solved and proposed solutions through SEP and Natick channels mostly for naught. The Brits have a plastic ammo box for their M240-type medium machine guns. We could have upgraded the Kevlar helmet with a better chinstrap and suspension, offered the Nomex flyer's glove with a little insulation and in a black color, ALICE rucksacks could have synthetic frames and quick-release buckles, issued a chest binocular/NVG pouch and provided a toothbrush/shaving razor cartridge attachment point on the end of the MRE spoon years ago. However, the decision makers generally don't act on Soldier inputs. The Afghan gear report is likely going to "whitewash" systemic failures so this is why we are calling on a Soldier board to be formed and given the money, authority and time to make Soldier gear decisions to prevent recurring failures like experienced in Afghanistan.

Whoever is ruining SEP should be replaced by someone who listens and ACTs on suggestions for improvement by Soldiers instead of pooh-poohing (ignoring) them with words like "dislikes". If a piece of gear doesn't work, gets left behind or gets someone killed it isn't some trivial matter.

The enemy terrorists got away from our Anaconda cordon and search operation while we were bogged down with equipment, a lot of it bad, so this is not a small matter. Details:

www.geocities.com/usarmyafghangearproblems

www.geocities.com/equipmentshop/realmountaindivision.htm

Solution: Soldier TA-50 Board

OK.

I think you see we are furious, and rightfully so. Here is THE ultimate solution.

We've just learned that its a "Council of Colonels" that meets to decide gear for us grunts for the SEP program to "type classify" (tested to "perfection" to be declared Army kosher) when it should be the lower-ranking gear gurus who are actually humping (carrying) the machine guns, rockets and mortars from every Army command representing their specific climes/places/missons. This is why a lot of our gear sucks. Most Colonels we've run into are concerned more with form than function and are not technotactically oriented and candid. SGTs, LTs and CPTs should decide on our new gear.

The expertise of the natural "gear gurus" should be tapped and have them designated as a "Master TA-50 Specialist"---an additional skill identifier (ASI). These gear experts would go to Natick Labs and be school trained on the proper fit and wear of ALL Army equipment and have field living (survival skills) taught to them so they can advise Commanders that a hot weather desert boot is NOT a mountain boot and how to properly size Soldiers for body armor so a bullet doesn't sneak by and kill them. The Army's Master TA-50 Specialists would also train the Soldiers in their companies how to wear and maintain their TA-50 as well as be pro-active about getting better gear. The Army is strangely an organization that goes "camping" yet hasn't trained itself how to "camp". Lay on top the need for combat mobility 4-7 mph which requires smart loading and constantly improved equipment, its clear that a Soldier from every Company in the Army should go to "gear school" to become a Master TA-50 Expert. To fund this we should cancel the un-needed LAV-III/Stryker deathtrap armored car purchases and upgrade superior tracked M113A3 Gavins into IAVs for the IBCTs. Call them tracked IBCTs or "Gavin Brigades".

An Army bureaucrat informs us that Company Commanders can buy with unit funds whatever gear they need for their men from the GSA Catalog and CTA 5900 (not Army "type classified" but available for purchase: "good enough" using Army funds) but this is something that's not pro-actively done and known about. Have you ever heard about this? GSA catalog is on CDs Supply Sergeants have so it takes a bit of looking when it should be on the www for all Soldiers to see.

What we need is a Soldier's Board of lower ranking gear experts who will review new gear, get it on the GSA Catalog/CTA 5900 and then publish an annual focused list throughout the Army encouraging Commanders/units/individuals to buy these items. Apparently its ok for units to fund-raise to build up a unit fund or this purpose, too so not having the money is not an obstacle. This list of authorized field gear on GSA/CTA 5900 should be placed on the Army Knowledge Online (AKO) secure web site so any Soldier can see what the Soldier Board recommends they get ASAP.

Every year, every Major Army Division (Airborne, Air Assault, Light, Mechanized, Armored etc.) and separate unit (2nd ACR, 172nd Arctic Brigade, SF, Rangers) has ITS SOLDIERS select by vote a field gear representative who will travel to Fort Benning, Georgia to decide for the rest of the Army what off-the-shelf Soldier gear to buy and what gear to develop. Every unit has at least one "gear guru" right for this job; a pro-active Soldier who studied field gear and on his own tinkers and tests what works and does not. THE CHAIN OF COMMAND DOES NOT SELECT THE GEAR BOARD SOLDIERS. Some out-of-touch Army General does NOT select some political yes-man to be on the board to keep the troops ill-equiped and "in their place". Some DA civilian with a ponytail going through perpetual mid-life crisis does NOT decide what items are bought or developed, THE SOLDIERS DECIDE. No "Council of Colonels". Its the individual Soldier's lives that are at stake not some bureaucrat in a comfy office with one retirement already under his belt longing for the good 'ole days when the equipment they had sucked and everyone liked it. What the Soldier TA-50 Board decides AUTOMATICALLY become AUTHORIZED Soldier optional wear/use items without the current kill-joy, politically correct "uniform board" having one say in their decisions. They do a great job keeping everyone miserable and without esperit de corps during garrison hours; the field Soldier's attire should be guided by FUNCTION decided by the mud-Soldiers. Each year a list of acceptible alternatives will be decided on by the Board for Soldiers to buy/use on their own option. Each year the board will decide on commensurate with the SEP budget what items will be bought/issued to enhance Soldiers immediately. And each year the board will see what industry and Natick Labs have "cooking" and provide feedback.

Airborne!

The Staff
1^st TSG (A)