{"id":50294,"date":"2019-06-18T19:49:33","date_gmt":"2019-06-18T19:49:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/06\/18\/15-extra-pounds-of-gear-can-be-the-difference-between-life-or-death-in-a-firefight-this-marine-officers-research-says\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T20:50:37","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T20:50:37","slug":"15-extra-pounds-of-gear-can-be-the-difference-between-life-or-death-in-a-firefight-this-marine-officers-research-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/2019\/06\/18\/15-extra-pounds-of-gear-can-be-the-difference-between-life-or-death-in-a-firefight-this-marine-officers-research-says\/","title":{"rendered":"15 extra pounds of gear can be the difference between life or death in a firefight, this Marine officer\u2019s research says"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The weight being <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marinecorpstimes.com\/news\/your-marine-corps\/2019\/04\/02\/ammo-for-the-marine-corps-50-caliber-is-getting-a-whole-lot-lighter\/\" target=\"_blank\">humped<\/a> by grunts into a firefight with a sophisticated adversary like Russia or China could be the difference between mission success or going home in a body bag, according to one Marine officer\u2019s award-winning research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Marine Capt. Courtney Thompson said computer simulations she ran showed that just adding 15 pounds to the \u201cbare essential\u201d fighting load carried by Marines resulted in an additional casualty on the battlefield when Marines were pitted against competent shooters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Corps\u2019 fighting load varies between 43 to 62 pounds depending on the level of body armor a Marine wears. Military body armor protection ranges from level II to IV. Thompson\u2019s simulations were run with level II body armor \u2014 protection capable of stopping a 9 mm round. The weight range includes a carried weapon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She told Marine Corps Times in an interview that the results of the simulations were \u201ceye opening,&#8221; especially in light of a 2017 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gao.gov\/products\/GAO-17-431\" target=_blank>government watchdog<\/a> reported that detailed Marines and soldiers were carrying between 117 pounds to 119 pounds on average.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/news\/your-marine-corps\/2019\/04\/16\/new-updates-will-see-grunts-humping-farther-distances-while-testing-combat-effectiveness\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"176\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/hike-gas.png.png?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">New changes will see Marine grunts humping farther distances while testing combat effectiveness<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">But it\u2019s not just grunts that will see changes to forced hikes.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When she ran the simulations and added more weight \u201ccasualties just went up,\u201d Thompson said. And \u201cthe better the [enemy] shooter got, the more the difference in weight mattered.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a near-peer fight, Thompson said, Marines will need to move faster on the battlefield to survive and win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe slower they are, the higher the chance they have of getting hit,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But it\u2019s not just about reducing a Marine\u2019s exposure time to being shot, smaller weight loads aid in more precise shooting and quicker target engagement times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A 2018 report from Washington D.C.-based think tank <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnas.org\/publications\/reports\/the-soldiers-heavy-load-1\" target=_blank>Center for a New American Security<\/a>, explained that heavy combat loads \u201cnot only slows movement and increases fatigue\u201d but decrease \u201csituational awareness and shooting response times.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moreover, a 2007 report from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nrac.navy.mil\/docs\/2007_rpt_lightening_the_load.pdf\" target=_blank>Naval Research Advisory Committee<\/a> on Marine combat loads recommended an assault load of just 50 pounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the Corps focuses on the near-peer fight, the weight carried by Marines into battle is a topic that will need to be front and center for Marine commanders, Thompson said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thompson\u2019s research, which won the Military Operations Research Society Stephen A. Tisdale Thesis Award at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, has the attention of officials at the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory \u2014 where the Corps has been exploring ways to boost combat power while also reducing the weight burden on grunts. Marine Corps Times has reached out to the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory for comments on this research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Marine Corps Systems Command said its \u201cGruntworks\u201d team spoke with Thompson about her research. The team handles the integration of equipment for Marine rifle squads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thompson, a combat engineer, said she came up with the idea after seeing how \u201cgassed\u201d her Marines got during training as a result of operations tempo and weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI thought if I could quantify weight in terms of casualties and probability of mission success, that\u2019s what the Marine Corps understands,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thompson\u2019s computer simulations relied on Australian human subject data and infantry demographics supplied by headquarters Marine Corps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Australian data was used because of the Australian Defence Department\u2019s rigorous study on its tiered body armor system, Thompson explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Marine infantry data included physical fitness and marksmanship. The individual Marines within the simulated 13-man rifle squads \u201crepresented the average for that rank for all 0311s [Marine rifleman] in the Marine Corps,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thompson said she ran the simulations nearly a million times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"5428\" height=\"2784\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4838420.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-40016\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4838420.jpg.jpg 5428w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4838420.jpg.jpg?resize=300,154 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4838420.jpg.jpg?resize=768,394 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4838420.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,525 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4838420.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,788 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4838420.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1050 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 5428px) 100vw, 5428px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">US Marines carry cold weather equipment as they begin to march across the Icelandic terrain. \r\rUS Marines with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) are in Iceland preparing for NATO\u2019s Exercise Trident Juncture 2018. The main phase of Trident Juncture will start in Norway on October 25. The exercise will bring together around 50,000 personnel from all 29 Allies plus partners Finland and Sweden.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thompson\u2019s research showed that reducing the weight burden carried by grunts could save lives and win battles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But she didn\u2019t make any prescriptive adjustments to the Corps\u2019 combat gear load outs. She told Marine Corps Times that she didn\u2019t want to \u201climit\u201d a battlefield commander\u2019s decision-making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Corps\u2019 various fighting loads are broken down in its infantry training and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marines.mil\/Portals\/59\/Publications\/NAVMC%203500.44C%20with%20CH%201%20Infantry%20T-R%20Manual.pdf?ver=2018-09-20-082959-743\" target=_blank>readiness manual<\/a> into four different groups, fighting load, assault load, approach march load and sustainment load.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The load type is dependent on the mission at hand. Thompson\u2019s research was aimed at the fighting and assault loads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The fighting and assault loads include combat gear for the \u201cimmediate mission\u201d and the \u201cactual conduct of the assault,\u201d respectively, according to the Corps\u2019 infantry manual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The assault load weight varies between 58 pounds and 70 pounds based on level of body armor. The weight range includes a weapon being carried. The training and readiness manual excludes the weight of a weapon in its gear break down.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/news\/your-marine-corps\/2018\/09\/27\/heres-how-the-corps-wants-to-shave-about-6-pounds-off-body-armor\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/tanf.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Here\u2019s how the Corps could shave about 6 pounds off your body armor<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The new plates are being crafted for light intensity threat environments.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thompson isn\u2019t calling for particular pieces of gear to be thrown off the packing list, but she said commanders should throw the entire list in a pack, wear it, and \u201csee if it is a reasonable amount of weight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Corps is already making a number of changes to reduce weight. Some of those include a new<a href=\"https:\/\/www.marinecorpstimes.com\/news\/your-marine-corps\/2019\/06\/06\/the-corps-wants-a-special-helmet-for-grunts\/\" target=_blank> lightweight helmet<\/a>, lighter body armor for counterinsurgency conflicts and polymer ammunition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Marines also are packing on weight with new tech like tablets and drones, which have been dished out to rifle squads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the end of the day, Marine commanders have a delicate balance of weighing risk verse capability, and it wont be easy for commanders to forgo pieces of equipment on a mission to lighten packs, Thompson explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A commander \u201ccan\u2019t prove the lives they saved\u201d from taking a particular action, Thompson said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When she ran the simulations and added more weight \u201ccasualties just went up.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":17546,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":69,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3472],"class_list":["post-50294","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"ZCUZZ3ETSZFDJCQMEY7O5RBTAM","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/your-marine-corps\/2019\/06\/18\/15-extra-pounds-of-gear-can-be-the-difference-between-life-or-death-in-a-firefight-this-marine-officers-research-says\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented 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