'SnivelGear': nothing to cry about

"WE'RE LEAVING ON PATROL IN FIVE minutes! Get your gear together!" shouted Staff Sgt. Christian B. Amason, a platoon sergeant for Company G, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, assigned to the 1st Marine Division.

That used to be a cut and dry order, but with today's gear, combat loads are tailor fitted. Even packs come with detachable pouches, adding and taking away space for gear. It's a balancing act. Too much gear, it weighs the Marine down. Too little, and they suffer needlessly.

Take Amason, for example. He's a former Army Special Forces soldier and Marine sniper. He's got a good number of patrols under his belt. He knows what he needs and what he can live without when he takes to the field.

"I always take what I call my catch-all-gear," explained Amason, a 32-year-old from Elora, Tenn. "Those are the basics, like my weapon, ammunition, optics, navigational equipment and flak jacket and helmet. With a water supply, that makes for at least 30 pounds on your upper body. If you're a (machine) gunner, then it could easily be 50 pounds you're carrying."

Amason knows what items will keep him alive in the field, and he also knows what items can make the discomfort a little easier to bear.

"No matter where I go in the field, I always take my 'woobie,'" he said. "That's what my wife calls my poncho liner." It's the best piece of gear he has, he said. It keeps him warm in cold weather and cool in hot weather.

Other Marines have different necessities they insist on carrying.

"I'm the go-to-guy on a patrol, a regular walking 'Saigon Sam's,'" said Lance Cpl. Ryan P. Taylor, in reference to the military supply store just outside Camp Lejeune. N.C.

The Dumfries, Va., rifleman is known to always have a steady supply of chemical lights, parachute cord fly tape, shoe-goo used to repair boots and superglue, among other things in his pack.

"You never know when you're going to need something, so I try to bring it with me," he added.

As important as all these items may be, the mainstay of infantrymen in the field is still chow. If not carrying the Meals, Ready-to-Eat they are issued, many Marines have a good supply of junk food.

This is especially true for Sgt. James M. Back, a platoon guide from Logan, Utah. Known as 'Snacks' to his platoon mates, the Marine always has a steady supply of food.

"I blame it on my wife," he said "She really takes care of me with care packages, so everyone knows to come to me for junk food."

Back also knows how to pack for a patrol. In preparation for whatever situation may arise, Back carries extra sergeant chevrons, zip ties, caffeine pills for late patrols, different sized-batteries, spare socks, a whistle, sunscreen and a flashlight.

"Marines learn from the experience of their squad leaders and then find out for themselves what works for them," Back said. "It really comes down to what you're willing to carry to be prepared for whatever you could get into."

Editor's Note: We finally found a use for the tent stake!

The top 15 items Marines said they wished they'd taken with them on deployment are:

* More pictures of family

* Travel coffee mug with lid

* Good pair of sunglasses

* A camera or video camera

* MP3 player

* Portable DVD player

* An M-16 instead of 9mm

* Lots and lots and lots of batteries

* Baby wipes for showers

* More card games

* Stomach medicine

* More books

* Extra socks and skivvies

* More trash bags

* A camping stove

Cpl. Shawn C. Rhodes, FALLUJAH, Iraq

COPYRIGHT 2004 U.S. Marine Corp.
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group