M3A Cpl Desmond T. Doss Combat LifeSaver Assault Pack
A recent U.S. Army report on combat in Iraq [www.sftt.org/article06102003a.html] 06-10-2003; "Small Arms and Individual Equipment Lessons Learned" was gathered from 5 through 10 May 2003 from Soldiers serving in the Baghdad sector during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Comments came from Brigade Commanders down to riflemen. The following units were interviewed:
* HHC/1-187 IN, 101st ABN (5 MAY)
* 2d BCT, 82d ABN (6-7 and 10 MAY)
* 3-325 PIR (7 MAY)
* 2-325 PIR (7 MAY)
* 3-7 CAV (8 MAY)
* FSB (8 MAY)
* 1st BCT, 3 ID (9 MAY)
* 3-69 AR (9 MAY)
[Current M3] Aid Bag/Combat Lifesaver Bag: Soldiers were dissatisfied with how the aid bag mounts to the ruck. They felt it made for too wide of a profile in the back to front dimension especially when exiting an aircraft during airborne operations. The CLS bag is not currently attached to the ruck externally.
Soldiers expressed a desire that the CLS bag be larger and attach externally. The Dixie splint in the aid bag was deemed too fragile.
THE SOLUTION IS READY
In 2002, SKEDCO and the eXtreme Soldiering Combat Light Working Group (ESCL-WG) of the 1st Tactical Studies Group (Airborne) have teamed together to create the world's first assault pack for Combat LifeSavers and a means to carry the new Half-SKED MEDEVAC and resupply transport means, solving the problems associated with the current M3 bag. SKEDCO is the invention of former Army medic, Bud Calkin who has personally volunteered thousands of training time hours at no cost to U.S. military units and civilian rescue units to fully use SKEDs to SAVE LIVES. The SKEDCO evacuation plastic allows the rescuer to stay DOWN and not get shot by enemy fire to include low-crawling and dragging the wounded Soldier out of harms's way. The tragic scene from the 1965 Vietnam battle at LZ X-Ray depicted in the film, "We were Soldiers" where a rescuer is shot and killed rescuing a wounded buddy using the standing fireman's carry has happened to many times in real life and must be avoided whenever possible. SKEDCO can make this almost possible all the time.
The M3 "Alpha" as in "Assault" is designed to carry the new Half-SKED MEDEVAC plastic plus all the contents of a typical M3 Combat LifeSaver bag but without the discomfort, unwieldiness of being strapped across your back and flopping around. Its a real assault backpack that can be worn on its own or on top of the ALICE or clipped to the MOLLE rucksack. We named the M3A after Congressional Medal of Honor winner, CPL Desmond T. Doss who in WWII saved dozens of lives by lowering wounded men down a rope on Okinawa. Our kind of out-of-the-box thinker/doer!!!
CLSers and 91B Aidmen (Medics) now have a well-conceived way to carry all their medical supplies and Soldier fighting and existence items to include the recently developed "Combat Light" module.
FRONT
BACK
SIDES
4 x M3A side pouches x 4 M16/M4 30-round magazines = 16 magazines with 480 rounds of 5.56mm firepower!...or more IVs and medical supplies.........or up to 4 x flexible 1 quart canteens!
INSIDE
Note the Camel-Bak drink-on-the-move system installed in its inner pouch with Blackhawk Industries reflective cover to keep your water cooooooool......lot's of space inside
The Half-SKEDCO plastic sliding casualty evacuation/resupply transporter is rolled up using a friction strap connected to the end of the plastic to prevent slipping and get a tighter roll.
OD Green Ambu Perfit C-Collar is wrapped around half-SKED
Here I've inserted the Ecotat Tent, Multi-Purpose with all pole sections, stakes etc inside!
M3A main pouch open showing clear inner pouch: contents can be clearly seen for fast retrieval, saving precious seconds in a life or death situation, speeding patient care during the "Golden Hour" where every second counts...
Behind the main pouches are "tunnel" pouches perfect to stuff beaucoup first aid pressure dressings...
Also notice the main pouch EASILY holds an IV bag with all the things needed to start an IV taped around it, probably can hold 3 definately, 2.
Both sides of the M3A have carry handles for quick-trips to patients without having to wear on the back.
M3A shoulder straps have slots for a sternum strap to be fitted at the exact spot the Soldier requires. These slots also allow a short strip of One Wrap Velcro to be fitted to secure the Camel-Bak drinking tube.
Parachute jumping/ruckmarching: M3A under the ALICE rucksack top flap; can be easily wrapped under a HSPR as a HPT lowering line load.
The 82nd Airborne SOP Chapter 9, page 6, states:
F. Items of equipment that can be rigged under the closing flap of the ALICE pack are as follows:
1. A maximum of 3 LAW's; however, they must be secured together with masking tape.
2. The M60 or M240B Machine Gun Tripod; however, the short leg of the tripod will be folded back and secured with one turn of ¼ inch cotton webbing. The tripod will then be placed under the closing flap so the short leg of the tripod is facing into the main compartment of the ALICE pack. The Flex-mount and the T&E mechanism must be removed from the machine gun tripod, they will be padded and taped and placed in the main compartment of the ALICE pack.
3. The M60 or M240B Machine Gun Spare Barrel Bag.
4. The bed roll or half-skedco.
How the M3A Assault Pack will lighten the Soldier's Load? The Assault Pack Concept Explained
Most modern rucksack systems like the CFP90 and MOLLE are designed around the realization that rucksacks should not be carried into the attack and instead should be cached at the assembly area or at least the final coordination line. As an example here is the Kifaru "Marauder" clipped to a larger rucksack:
However, what the Soldier's Load Bearing Equipment can carry--LC-2 suspenders, TLBV, ETLBV or Ranger RACK etc. is limited and a small "assault pack" is needed to carry extra ammo. So modern ruck systems usually have a small assault or "day pack" that detaches from the main ruck that can be carried into the attack without mobility suffering. Remember, Darby's Rangers in WWII were able to go 10 miles in 87 minutes wearing small assault packs (see photo of Colonel Darby's Rangers with small assault packs below).
DARBY'S RANGERS SPEED-MARCHING at Arzew, January 20, 1943
In addition, most Soldiers now carry Camel-Bak drink-on-the-move bladders on their backs---in essence small assault packs since many have pockets to carry extra ammo, chow etc.
One M3A Assault Pack replaces Two items on the CLS Soldier's back
What the M3A Assault Pack does is, it replaces the small day pack of the MOLLE since it can clip to the main rucksack/frame. It saves weight on the Soldier's back because instead of carrying a Camel-Bak bladder on his back AND a M3 CLS bag flopping around his torso, he carries just one small assault pack, with the pay-off of a half-SKED evacuation/resupply plastic inside.
If your unit does not have a new rucksack system, the M3A makes the ALICE ruck into a two-rucksack system for an assault capability with a lighter ruck---allowing the majority of the ruck weight to be cached. Today, units with ALICE rucks have their Soldiers carry around the entire rucksack if they need to carry extra gear volume instead of carrying just the extra gear needed for that immediate mission.
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