Bouhammer's Military Blog

A blog about Military Issues, Afghanistan, and everything in between

Monthly Archives: December 2009

Army to Field New Pack for Afghan Ops

Bouhammer Note- I had the luxury of seeing these a few weeks back when I was standing in the actual fabrication shop where all the new MOLLE tactical gear is created and designed. This Af-Pak has been overdue for some time and I am glad to see our soldiers have a big that fills the void between the small go-bag and the full-sized MOLLE ruck.

Military.com|by Christian Lowe


The Army is set to field a new combat backpack that meets the emerging needs of Soldiers fighting in the steep terrain and remote outposts of Afghanistan.

The so-called “medium ruck” uses technology from today’s mountaineering equipment and tactical packs and combines it with the specific needs of Soldiers doing rotations of up to three days at observation posts, long patrols, or helicopter assaults where a trip back to the forward operating base may not happen for up to 72 hours.

The new 3,000 cubic inch-capacity backpack will offer Joes a better option for missions that don’t require the 5,000 cubic inch-capacity modular lightweight load bearing equipment, or MOLLE, ruck, or the 2,000 cubic inch “assault pack.”

“We talked to the Infantry Center and they were starting to get some rumblings about needing something in between for Afghanistan,” said Lt. Col. Mike Sloane, the product manager for Soldier clothing and individual equipment with PEO Soldier. “Before, a lot of those missions were being conducted by special operations forces and certain light units that had specialized equipment. But now you’re having some of the ‘Big Army’ moving in and they need something to accommodate this capability gap.”

Officials at PEO Soldier told Military.com in a wide-ranging interview at their Fort Belvoir, Va., headquarters that the service’s equipment engineers began looking into developing a mid-range pack last February after talking to Joes from the 173rd Airborne Brigade who said they had a “void to fill” when it came to carrying their loads into combat.

News of the new pack comes on the heels of comments from senior Pentagon leadership, including Defense Secretary Robert Gates, that some of the Army’s current equipment may not be suitable for Afghanistan and could be contributing to Soldier fatigue and injuries.

“In Iraq, people weren’t carrying a lot of rucksacks, they were carried on the vehicle,” said John Kirk, the lead engineer for MOLLE systems at Natick Soldier Systems Center, Mass. “But now [in Afghanistan] they’re carrying a lot of loads on their back and the MOLLE large is a little bit too big.”

Natick later surveyed a “focus group” of 17 Soldiers from the 173rd and asked them to show engineers the packs they used most in combat. Natick officials were stunned to see that out of 17 packs displayed only two used the MOLLE, and the remaining 15 were made by 11 different manufacturers.

“It wasn’t even like we could say ‘this particular brand A meets their needs,’ ” Kirk said.

So Natick engineers set to work on putting together the perfect midsized ruck – call it the Af-Pack – that combined some of the most appealing features of the commercial packs Soldiers actually used and matched them with emerging requirements coming from the infantry gurus at Fort Benning, Ga.

Three prototypes have been developed so far, but engineers have yet to settle on a particular frame to help stabilize the pack’s load. The medium ruck will have two separate horizontally-aligned pockets on the front, each with separate pockets and dividers inside. The sides of the pack sport MOLLE webbing to accommodate add-on pouches and accessories and the bulk of the pack is comprised of one main, top-loading compartment.

Engineers are still evaluating whether the pack should have a hybrid suspension system that uses a rigid backing – one that is just foam and another that actually has a cavity built into it to fit better on a combat-loaded Soldier.

“We’re trying to look at being compatible with that rear plate of the body armor,” Kirk said. “The rear plate needs to be cradled in this suspension system.”

Engineers want to deploy the three prototypes to the 173rd in Afghanistan for testing and select a final design by the fall of 2010, Sloane said. He’s working with the Infantry Center to finalize a requirement for the pack and if all comes together, Joes could see their new pack before next winter.

“With the recent concern about this gap, we said ‘hey, we’ve got this solution’ and so we’re looking to accelerate the evaluation of these rucksacks,” Sloane said.

And if everything comes together like officials hope, “we may be able to pull a couple months out of there,” Sloane added.

So you think you know what it is like to be an ETT?

So do you think you know what an ETT (embedded training team) member does? ETTs have been the true tip of the spear in Afghanistan since Task Force Phoenix was first stood up in 2002. Task Force Phoenix and the ETT teams were initially charged with standing up, training, mentoring and assisting the Afghanistan National Army. The first mentoring was done by the active duty 10th Mountain Division. After Iraq kicked off in 2003, it was realized that the mission would need to be transitioned to the National Guard as there were not enough active duty forces to do the Phoenix mission in addition to the other ones they were being tasked.

The mission of training and empowering a country’s indigenous Army has always been a mission of the Special Forces and what they have mastered over the last 40 years. However there was not enough of them either, so National Guard was tapped. However if there were a 2nd best option to Special Forces doing the mission, then it was the National Guard. The soldiers in a National Guard unit have just left being a civilian and will soon return to it. They know and understand the basics of COIN, long before it became a buzz-word and well before it became a standard part of our doctrine. The National Guard soldiers bring with them a mixture of civilian skills which are vital to the mission as many of the ETTs are very far downrange and must provide for their own life-support. There is little to no support from higher headquarters at all. So the skills of carpenter, plumber, HVAC, mechanic, school teacher, etc., etc. all are transferable to the mission of being forward deployed on a small FOB or COP with no support and almost no other Americans with you. In 2007, Task Force Phoenix took over the mentoring and advising of the Afghanistan National Police with PMTs (Police Mentoring Teams).

Famed WWII history author, James F. Christ who is known for his novels about the small but important Marine Paratroopers during the battles in the Pacific has now taken up a new focus for his writing. James is in the process of writing a 10-book series on ETTs in Afghanistan and very important, but unknown battles that have happened there since 2003. His first two books are available and can be downloaded for the Kindle or purchased from Amazon.com HERE or HERE. You can also learn more about the books at the publisher’s website at www.mountainlandpublishing.com/catalog.html.

I have read both of these books cover to cover, along with the next one in the series that is not yet published. They are all easy-reads and will suck you right into reading them non-stop until you are finished. There is no building up of characters, there is no plot development, all becuase there is no need. James takes you right into the ETT team, and before long you get to know the individual soldiers, how they act in combat, etc. If they have dialects or accents, James writes in a way so you can hear the accent as you read. I relate these books to the famed book Blackhawk Down (which the movie was based on). I say this becuase just like Blackhawk Down, James’s books start right before the battle, take you through the battle and then wrap up soon after the battle is over. The entire book is about the battle itself.

The battles are huge and the odds are stacked up against the American forces (most of which are National Guard ETTs). As you read either Morghab Canyon or The Boneyard, you will be amazed at how out-numbered and how brave the American soldier are and you will even be more amazed that more US and ANA forces were not slaughtered. The ingineuity, initiative and drive to survive by these soldiers is amazing. 

I have interviewed James twice on You Served Radio (you can hear the latest interview on You Served Radio here, www.blogtalkradio.com/youserved/2009/12/11/episode-67) and after talking to him then and on multiple one-on-one phone conversations, I am convinced he is one of the most knowledgeable civilians about Afghanistan that has never actually been to the country. He has spent so many hours interviewing ETTs for these books that he has truly become immersed into what it is like to be an ETT and in my opinion earned an honorary ETT title if there were such a thing.

I have told James and his publisher that if these books are not finished and published that it would be a dis-service to all ETTs, past and present. I have circulated several of his books to other past ETTs to get their opinions and the response has been 100% that “he gets it” and “this is the best book ever written about ETTs”.

I recently heard back from Vampire 6 from www.afghanistanshrugged.com and his response to James’s writings were

“This book is awesome! It definitely needs to be out there for people to read. I think every ETT has a story like this, …. While reading this I could identify with these guys and felt like they were just like guys on my team.  Truly awesome book!”

So if you have been an ETT/PMT, are an ETT/PMT, will be an ETT/PMT or you are a family member or friend of a past, present, future ETT/PMT then you need to go to Amazon.com and get these books. I cannot stress enough how accurate these books are and how well they will educate you as to what it is like to be on the “Tip of the Spear, but at the end of the line”

Afghan Testosterone Toys

Here are some pics of our High-Speed Warriors in Afghanistan with the ultimate Testosterone Toy. Many a hunter and outdoors-man will look at these pictures and drool over themselves wanting one of these.


A Coalition Soldier [Special Forces] provides security, with an all-terrain vehicle, inside a school, in Jalrez, Afghanistan, Nov. 11, 2009. The school was the site for an Afghan Medical Personnel Skills Improvement Mission taking place between November 12 and 13. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Teddy Wade/Released) Date Posted: 12/4/2009


Coalition Soldiers provide security, with an all-terrain vehicle, inside a school, at Jalrez, Afghanistan, Nov. 11, 2009. The school was the site for an Afghan Medical Personnel Skills Improvement Mission, taking place between November 12 and 13. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Teddy Wade/Released) Date Posted: 12/4/2009

Need More of This

LTC Thomas Gukeisen is exactly the type of officer that today’s military needs more of.  He is a battalion commander in Logar Province, Afghanistan and isn’t afraid to think outside the box.

LTC Gukeisen’s success, is arguably in one of the most difficult provinces in Afghanistan.  This is a reflection of a leader who makes command decisions that are best for the mission and not necessarily his Officer Evaluation Report (OER).  I’ve witnessed too many leaders who allow their OER to influence their decision making process.  Glad to see that this one doesn’t always default to a manual or to what his higher ranking officers want. 

To read more about this outstanding warrior, click on the following link:

  www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34494015/ns/world_news-south_and_central_asia

Live Free or Die Trying!

CJ by Sudsy

A good friend that I and CJ have developed is a veteran himself, and a cartoonist (artist). He whipped up the graphic below in honor of the Milblogs going silent this week and I must say I am very impressed. I am sure CJ is just a flattered beyond belief by this, because I know I am. Take a look at this and notice the small little details he put into this, to include the names on the tape over the mouth.


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