That's right.

Panama soles are not available (yet) as resole options.

Mr. Sven E. Oberg, Vice President & Engineer
Ro-Search, Inc.
Subsidiary of
Wellco Enterprises, Inc.
150 Westwood Circle
Waynesville, NC 28786
Phone: 704-456-3545, ext. 107
Fax: 704-456-3547
E-mail

Wellco's web pages: http://www.wellco.com/military.html.

There are a whole bunch of different boot sole option coming out of Vibram...........take a look at Backpacker Magazines Ads. The latest Gore-tex lined boot from U.S. Army Natick labs has Vibram lug soles...what's the problem, here, over? Also, be sure to put sorbothane-type cushion insoles to help reduce shock.

WHAT IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE $$$$ TO RESOLE YOUR BOOTS?
Take a look at the Panama tread depicted above and your issue "Trac-Shun" (what a joke, more like tract SHUNNED)...whats the basic difference? Its the center spine running up the center of the sole that makes your sole mash against the ground like a bald tire. Cut these center spines out carefully with a sharp lockback knife with a slow sawing action. VOILA! You now have an instant Panama-type tread bars.

Benefits of this are its free, it can be done anywhere, even in the field/barracks before a mission and it reduces the boot's weight slightly. With a little "elbow grease" you get a boot with traction that has its sole molded directly to the leather at the factory, a resole job would entail a glued on after-market sole. It takes about 5 minutes per boot to cut off the center spines.

MAKING THE SPEED LACES SPEEDY
First off, you do not need to unlace and relace your boots with the speed lace system. The barrel loops are wide enough so that the extra long laces can be pulled loose so you can put your foot in or take your foot out. Tie an overhand knot at the center half of the boot laces then lace them into our boots. This center position knot, will speed up your relacing after you've cleaned and shined your boots. Once laced, tie an overhand knot at the end each cord, so the boots will no become unlaced at all.

This is how the speed lace system works.

You should never have to lace, relace your boots during use.

The only problem is, is that there is excess lace for this to work. You are to wrap this extra lace around your ankle, under the padded collar and secure with a knot. When walking through the woods, vines, twigs and vegetation can pull at this excess untying your boots and getting you snagged up. This excess lacing undone and loose could harm you trying to exit an airplane in flight.

The quick solution is to take a piece of 100 mph tape and tape the excess laces around the top of the boot before going to the field or operating from aircraft. I suggest that you tie your boots by first pulling the laces tight then an overhand knot with an extra twist (like tying a swiss seat) at the front then bring the laces behind your ankle. There tie a snug SQUARE KNOT (right over left, left over right) at the back ankle under the padded collar to keep the wrapped excess in place. Then run the remaining excess laces to the front, do an overhand knot with an extra turn and tie a butterfly knot, pulling the loops until the knotted lace ends stop at your knot. Tuck in these loops into your boots before tapinng the top with a piece of 100 mph tape. If in a combat situation tie a square knot instead of a butterfly knot. Wile this will make it harder for you to remove your boots, these techniques will insure your boots are secure around your feet and do not have its laces com undone while going through vegetation.

What we really need is a top-cover flap that will fold down over the excess laces using Velcro ("Hook and Pile" tape). One way this could be done is by a peel and stick flap of Velcro that is cut to size that can be massed produced and distributed. If the glue is really good, this could last without falling off.

Otherwise, the top cover flap should be sewn to the boot during construction. Either way, if you would like this feature write to:

U.S. Army Soldier System Command (Provisional),
U.S. Army Natick RD&E Center,
1600 Kansas Street, Natick, MA 01760.
e-mail THEM! (Natick LABS)
e-mail THEM! (Mobility Staff)

WHICH BOOT IS WHICH IN THE DARK????
Time is precious on the battlefield, seconds may mean the difference between life or death. In the dark, it is hard to tell, which boot is right, which one is left. I suggest taking a drill or a knife and cutting out a "dimple" in the rear heel of the right boot so that you can feel which one it is in the dark. Again, this feature should be built into the boot during construction. Another option is a raised "R" or "L" letter molded into the heel to achieve the same effect. If you look on the bottom of your boots your will notice they say "8 1/2 W" etc. the size of the boot/sole. If the company goes to the trouble of marking the boot size in order to make sure the correct sole is molded to the correct upper, why not mold a "L" or a "R"? It would only help them to make sure the right sole goes to the right boot.

SURVIVAL CAPABILITIES FROM THE LACES.........
Replace the black laces that come with the boot with Type III, (550 parachute cord) because there are seven inner strands that can be removed and used to construct shelters, build snares, etc......there is even black 550 cord available that can be used that will look exactly the same as everybody else to keep any nit-picky superiors at bay. Having Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape (SERE) capabilites in your boot can be a life-saver, because it may be the only thing the enemy doesn't take from you if captured. There are ways to hide covered razorblades etc....in the boot that should be taken advantage of for E & R (escape and recovery) operations that are better discussed behind closed doors at place like U.S. Army SERE school.

Boots hurt you? Not keeping you dry?
One thing you can do is undo the laces where they cross over a painful spot and lace them up. If your boots are wide on you, wear two pairs of socks, a black pair next to your skin to hold your sweat in, a black or OD green wool outer for warmth and to take up the space in the boot. All future sock purchases should be black colored, so you can mix/match any sock with another. The only socks that differ should be a few white socks for your PT uniform (PTU). The latest socks are anti-microbial and there are gore-tex waterproof liners that can be purchased to use with G.I. boots.

WHAT IF YOU STEP ON A MINE?

The reason why jungle boots don't flex is because there is a steel plate inside to protect from Vietnam era punji spikes. Today the threat still exists and has increased in lethality. It would be very wise that whoever is on point in your unit wear Mine-protective boots and overshoes. This goes without saying that they wear helmet and body armor and not a rucksack so their hands are free to look for signs of the enemy. When GEN Colin Powell was an advisor to the South Vietnamese Army in Vietnam he had his point elements wear body armor and it saved several lives. The point of the spear" must be sharp and ready for contact.

CPT Randy Bartlett writes in:

BOOTS AND FITTING THEREOF

"Go barefoot as much as possible to toughen the feet. I used this technique and it worked well. I also soaked my feet in rubbing alcohol or salt water a short time after rucking which seemed to toughen up the feet a bit. Don’t overdue though.

Ditch the cushy insoles. The old saran (?) venting insoles were perfect. This has to do with sense organs in the feet known as proprioceptors. (Beyond the scope of this. Look it up.) Getting rid of soft insoles reduces fatigue and improves balance. I’m convinced that cushy insoles are the reason most soldiers move with the grace of a pregnant yak. They also contribute to knee and ankle injuries.

The old Ranger Multi Component Boot System was the heat. It consisted of a poly pro undersock, the old tan wool ski sock, gore tex socks and the speed lace leg boot (altho today I would substitute the desert boot). It worked as follows: Road march 4-6 miles over to clothing sales. This gives the feet time to swell. Put on the poly pro sock and ski sock, toss the cushy insole and fit the boot. In the event of wet weather, substitute the gore tex sock for the thick wool sock, over the poly pro. (They no longer make the ski sock. Any seamless wool sock will work, as long as it’s about the same thickness of the gore tex sock.) Don’t panic if your current boots only fit with thin socks. Removing the insoles will free up enough space for this to work.

After you obtain new boots, break them in right. Soak them in warm water (overnight). Next morning put them on and take them on a hike until they dry. Treat with Kiwi Silicone liquid after they dry. This will prevent them from being easily polished, but that may not be a primary concern if you are looking for good field boots.

Try to find lightweight boots. An old ultra-light hiker adage goes that a pound on the foot equals five pounds on the back. leg, Desert or Jungle Boots are best. Ankle support is not as important if you are in good physical condition and can manage to pack light. I would stay away from Hi Tecs and Assault Boots for field work. Very comfy, but soak up water like a sponge.

Spray the feet with the strongest ANTI-PERSPIRANT you can buy, starting about a week before you launch. I recommend Arrid XX powder. On the subject of powder, Gold Bond is the best. Works on all body parts, fights heat rash, cools, and soothes. Generic equivalent is great as it is about $3/bottle cheaper. Use liberally, everywhere.

Pre cut moleskin in various sizes, taking care to round the corners. I usually keep about 15 pieces, ranging in size from a .50 piece to as large as a playing card. Get some tincture of benzoin to stick it down. Add some bacitracin or neosporin for the ones that pop. If you get a blister, drain with a sterile needle, then protect as follows: Paint the area with benzoin. While waiting for it to dry, cut a donut of moleskin with the hole large enough to surround the blister. Save the donut hole. Stick the donut around the blister, then apply a dab of neosporin to the PAPER side of the donut hole. DO NOT remove the backing from the moleskin on the donut hole. Place the hole, paper side down over the blister and cover with another layer of moleskin. Powder and get dressed. You can leave this in place up to 48 hours, BUT NO LONGER.

Another good product is Spenco Adhesive Knit. It stretches and conforms better and has a medical grade adhesive. Spyroflex is another good substitute.

Prevention, as always, is the best medicine. Moleskin at the first sign of a hot spot. Even 100 mph tape will work if you round the corners. Use the silver stuff, not the trash the Army is currently buying.

When you remove it, peel up a corner and gently roll it up. This prevents tearing off new skin with old. Trust me.

Get one of those pumice stones and keep the calluses dressed and under control. Getting a blister under a callus and then pulling off a slab of meat with your sock is one of those events better experienced vicariously.

Liquid Skin is a must. It will substitute for antiseptics and band aids. Cover with a good quality tape. Duct tape is excellent.

Keep this whole mess in a Tupperware container.

Hope this helps."

It does, Randy! Muchos Gracious!

WHO SHOULD DECIDE WHAT SOLDIER GEAR WE USE? A COUNCIL OF COLONELS OR THE LTs, SGTs, PVTS WHO CARRY THE GEAR AND WHOSE LIVES ARE IN DANGER?

The 1st Tactical Studies Group (Airborne) since 1997 has online;

offered and detailed through U.S. Army official channels; commercial, off-the-shelf and equipment modification solutions to almost every problem listed (and then some like ahumm, SOLVING THE SOLDIER'S LOAD) in the appalling recent U.S. Army Natick Afghanistan Report (which is viewable here). As we also forewarned, the u.s. marine designed "MOLLE" gear has been a COMPLETE and utter failure in Afghanistan service--even for the short time marines made a token ground appearance and fled back to their ships as the U.S. Army dodges the RPGs, mortars and AKM rounds to hunt down and kill the enemy terrorists.

The bottom line is, closed-minded and small-minded people (we know all about them, don't we?) are running the Congressionally-mandated and funded Army's Soldier Enhancement Program (SEP) which could have PREVENTED this sad state of affairs by some low-cost purchases.

Want to make a suggestion to SEP?

SEP Home Page

Make a Soldier Equipment Improvement suggestion to SEP

Maybe a better place to make a suggestion would be Brigade Quartermasters:

Got bad Soldier gear? U.S. bureaucracy not listening?

Post your gear requests/ideas to Brigade Quartermasters, they will get good gear to the good guys (YOU)

www.actiongear.com/bbactiongear2/main.asp

The Afghan power points show a number of gear problems that many of us have solved and proposed solutions through SEP and Natick channels mostly for naught. The Brits have a plastic ammo box for their M240-type medium machine guns. We could have upgraded the Kevlar helmet with a better chinstrap and suspension, offered the Nomex flyer's glove with a little insulation and in a black color, ALICE rucksacks could have synthetic frames and quick-release buckles, issued a chest binocular/NVG pouch and provided a toothbrush/shaving razor cartridge attachment point on the end of the MRE spoon years ago. However, the decision makers generally don't act on Soldier inputs. The Afghan gear report is likely going to "whitewash" systemic failures so this is why we are calling on a Soldier board to be formed and given the money, authority and time to make Soldier gear decisions to prevent recurring failures like experienced in Afghanistan.

Whoever is ruining SEP should be replaced by someone who listens and ACTs on suggestions for improvement by Soldiers instead of pooh-poohing (ignoring) them with words like "dislikes". If a piece of gear doesn't work, gets left behind or gets someone killed it isn't some trivial matter.

The enemy terrorists got away from our Anaconda cordon and search operation while we were bogged down with equipment, a lot of it bad, so this is not a small matter. Details:

www.geocities.com/usarmyafghangearproblems

www.geocities.com/equipmentshop/realmountaindivision.htm

Solution: Soldier TA-50 Board

OK.

I think you see we are furious, and rightfully so. Here is THE ultimate solution.

We've just learned that its a "Council of Colonels" that meets to decide gear for us grunts for the SEP program to "type classify" (tested to "perfection" to be declared Army kosher) when it should be the lower-ranking gear gurus who are actually humping (carrying) the machine guns, rockets and mortars from every Army command representing their specific climes/places/missons. This is why a lot of our gear sucks. Most Colonels we've run into are concerned more with form than function and are not technotactically oriented and candid. SGTs, LTs and CPTs should decide on our new gear.

The expertise of the natural "gear gurus" should be tapped and have them designated as a "Master TA-50 Specialist"---an additional skill identifier (ASI). These gear experts would go to Natick Labs and be school trained on the proper fit and wear of ALL Army equipment and have field living (survival skills) taught to them so they can advise Commanders that a hot weather desert boot is NOT a mountain boot and how to properly size Soldiers for body armor so a bullet doesn't sneak by and kill them. The Army's Master TA-50 Specialists would also train the Soldiers in their companies how to wear and maintain their TA-50 as well as be pro-active about getting better gear. The Army is strangely an organization that goes "camping" yet hasn't trained itself how to "camp". Lay on top the need for combat mobility 4-7 mph which requires smart loading and constantly improved equipment, its clear that a Soldier from every Company in the Army should go to "gear school" to become a Master TA-50 Expert. To fund this we should cancel the un-needed LAV-III/Stryker deathtrap armored car purchases and upgrade superior tracked M113A3 Gavins into IAVs for the IBCTs. Call them tracked IBCTs or "Gavin Brigades".

An Army bureaucrat informs us that Company Commanders can buy with unit funds whatever gear they need for their men from the GSA Catalog and CTA 5900 (not Army "type classified" but available for purchase: "good enough" using Army funds) but this is something that's not pro-actively done and known about. Have you ever heard about this? GSA catalog is on CDs Supply Sergeants have so it takes a bit of looking when it should be on the www for all Soldiers to see.

What we need is a Soldier's Board of lower ranking gear experts who will review new gear, get it on the GSA Catalog/CTA 5900 and then publish an annual focused list throughout the Army encouraging Commanders/units/individuals to buy these items. Apparently its ok for units to fund-raise to build up a unit fund or this purpose, too so not having the money is not an obstacle. This list of authorized field gear on GSA/CTA 5900 should be placed on the Army Knowledge Online (AKO) secure web site so any Soldier can see what the Soldier Board recommends they get ASAP.

Every year, every Major Army Division (Airborne, Air Assault, Light, Mechanized, Armored etc.) and separate unit (2nd ACR, 172nd Arctic Brigade, SF, Rangers) has ITS SOLDIERS select by vote a field gear representative who will travel to Fort Benning, Georgia to decide for the rest of the Army what off-the-shelf Soldier gear to buy and what gear to develop. Every unit has at least one "gear guru" right for this job; a pro-active Soldier who studied field gear and on his own tinkers and tests what works and does not. THE CHAIN OF COMMAND DOES NOT SELECT THE GEAR BOARD SOLDIERS. Some out-of-touch Army General does NOT select some political yes-man to be on the board to keep the troops ill-equiped and "in their place". Some DA civilian with a ponytail going through perpetual mid-life crisis does NOT decide what items are bought or developed, THE SOLDIERS DECIDE. No "Council of Colonels". Its the individual Soldier's lives that are at stake not some bureaucrat in a comfy office with one retirement already under his belt longing for the good 'ole days when the equipment they had sucked and everyone liked it. What the Soldier TA-50 Board decides AUTOMATICALLY become AUTHORIZED Soldier optional wear/use items without the current kill-joy, politically correct "uniform board" having one say in their decisions. They do a great job keeping everyone miserable and without esperit de corps during garrison hours; the field Soldier's attire should be guided by FUNCTION decided by the mud-Soldiers. Each year a list of acceptible alternatives will be decided on by the Board for Soldiers to buy/use on their own option. Each year the board will decide on commensurate with the SEP budget what items will be bought/issued to enhance Soldiers immediately. And each year the board will see what industry and Natick Labs have "cooking" and provide feedback.

Airborne!

The Staff
1st TSG (A)

Want Pvt Murphy in your pocket?

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