fellow soldiers in 3rd Platoon,
Combat Company, 1-32 Infantry,
return from a two-week patrol
in Afghanistan.
- Playing
- Protection vs. Mobility
- From
- KUOW
When soldiers go to war, they carry everything they need into the battle zone. But the heavy loads soldiers take into the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are damaging some of the troops. In the first part of a series from KUOW, reporter Patricia Murphy looks at what are called the gear load of US forces. She explores the tradeoffs of modern body armor as well as the increasing number of costly and chronic muscle and bone injuries afflicting service members.
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Piece Description
When soldiers go to war, they carry everything they need into the battle zone. But the heavy loads soldiers take into the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are damaging some of the troops. In the first part of a series from KUOW, reporter Patricia Murphy looks at what are called the gear load of US forces. She explores the tradeoffs of modern body armor as well as the increasing number of costly and chronic muscle and bone injuries afflicting service members.
Transcript
Weight of War
Part 1- Protection vs. Mobility ****there is tape that hosts can insert into the lead***
In some ways modern warfare has not been kind to the modern warrior.
Advanced weapons technologies, satellite communications and battle field simulators help soldiers and marines fight the enemy.
But despite the military’s efforts, soldier’s gear loads are still weighing them down.
Marine Captain Matthew Kutilek believes some of the problem was exacerbated by the reaction to IED explosions in Iraq.
The Pentagon -- under pressure from families and Congress - reacted by beefing up body armor.
“Maybe in the political eye it looked like we were protecting people by making them wear more body armor. But in reality it hindered the way we fought and most of all it reduced our maneuverability in combat. “
Service members deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan routinely carry loads o...
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