‘It’s too much’ - Army News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Army Times

‘It’s too much’

Although body armor has saved countless lives in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Army’s vice chief of staff told lawmakers on Capitol Hill recently that protective vests also inflict pain on soldiers.

The Army’s Improved Outer Tactical Vest weighs about 30 pounds when equipped with front and side armor plates.

It has led to an increase in musculoskeletal injuries among soldiers who wear body armor every day, Gen. Peter Chiarelli testified at a March 11 hearing before the House Appropriation Committee’s subcommittee on defense.

Recent studies have shown an increase in “sprains, stress fractures, and knee and neck pain reported by soldiers in theater or upon return from deployment,” Chiarelli testified.

Also, of the 48 percent of soldiers who wore body armor for four hours or more, 70 percent had neck and back pain, Chiarelli testified.

The vice chief’s comments come at a time when the Army is launching a comprehensive effort to reduce the load soldiers carry into battle. Depending on the mission, soldiers carry 63 to 130 pounds of equipment. Body armor is one of the heaviest pieces of equipment soldiers wear today.

“A cumbersome load, for example, can cause heat injury or hamper a soldier’s ability to take cover quickly from enemy fire in the event of an enemy attack,” Chiarelli said.

However, Chiarelli warned, “There is no simple solution. The reality is that there is a tradeoff to be made between protection and effectiveness.”

As part of the solution, the Army is sending a specialized kit of lighter gear to Afghanistan to assess its effect on soldier performance in the rugged terrain there.

Rep. James Moran, D-Va., said he is glad to see that the Army is trying to fix the problem, but suggested that it should have been addressed sooner.

“We have been in Afghanistan for seven years and we have been in Iraq for six; it seems that [weight] is going the other direction,” Moran said.

“I think over time we have loaded them up ... it’s too much. One hundred pounds is too much to be carrying on a regular basis.”

In addition to equipment, the Army is revamping the physical training soldiers undergo before deploying.

“Evaluations suggest that soldiers who train and condition properly are much less likely to sustain injuries after deploying,” Chiarelli said. “The best way to prepare them ... and help our soldiers avoid injury from heavy loads is to prepare them.”

New methods of delivering supplies to combat troops also came up at the hearing.

The Marines are working with industry to build a cargo-carrying unmanned aerial vehicle capable of hauling up to 1,200 pounds to ground troops by this summer, Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. John Amos told lawmakers.

Chiarelli, who told Army Times in an interview that he was unsure if the Army will use cargo UAVs, testified that the Army has been able to deliver up to 26,000 pounds of supplies a day using precision air drops.

“We have come up with technologies that are very, very accurate,” he said. “This is going to go a long way in helping us get those pounds off soldiers’ backs.”

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