Customer Reviews

The Soldier's Load and the Mobility of a Nation

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Copyrighted in 1950, my dog-eared, water-stained copy of this book has been with me now for 18 years, and the lessons it contains, learned the hard way by the men who fought and led troops through the first two world wars, are just as valuable today as they were on the eve of the Korean War. It examines what some might consider a mundane subject (what a soldier carries, and should and should not be expected to carry into battle) in a way that says a lot about our culture and the American way of war. Marshall's observations may seem elementary, but the fact that he had to set them down on paper just a few years after WWII is proof positive that the minions of political correctness were alive and well fifty years ago, and that institutional memory is definately of the short term variety. Anyone who leads troops and has not read this book should be dismissed from the service, and anyone who does not reread it every two years should be put in charge of nothing more challenging than changing the marquee at the base theater. Unfortunatly my own experience has led me to believe that it remains unread by many who consider themselves professional soldiers, lending more than a grain of truth to the the saying "Common sense is an uncommon virtue.". If you enjoy Col. David Hackworth's column, you will like this.

This book is "required" reading at some of the service schools in the military. Unfortunately too many officers refuse to put into practice the common sense lessons that abound in this book. Instead of thinking about a mission, making some assumptions, taking some risks, and refusing to overburden our men with gear, we adopt a "Better to have it than not need it..." mentality and try to bring everything. We pay lip service to this book all the time. We fancy ourselves maneuverists. We think we're the best in the world. God help us when we go up against someone who is only carrying a weapon, ammunition, and a desire to use it. No amount of gear in the world will save us. It's only a matter of time. This book should be required reading for not only those in the military, but those who are concerned about the state of America's armed forces.

Let me just say that the lessons put forth in this book have yet to be headed by American military forces. We carry too much, too far, for too long. Yet another reason why we had trouble in Vietnam and Somalia. Sustainment? Hah! If the #1 country in the world cannot figure out how to supply it's troops better then we are truly hurting. I believe all officers and senior enlisted should read this book. I'm a Marine officer. I've read it . . . and I preach it.

This book has been required reading by Marines for over 20 years, if not longer. Contrary to some comments in today's media, the Marines have learned the lesson posed by SLA Marshall. Crossing into Iraq from Kuwait in March 2003, the Marine Commander MGen Mattis stripped down his force to only the bare essentials. The Marines were light, fast, and needed little logistics pause causing some issues between Marines and Army commanders. Marshall was right, this book is the essential primer to mobility at the foundation level, and is completely applicable today as it was in 1950. A must read for our military but also our media commentors and critics - before putting pen to paper.

S.L.A. Marshall wrote in and about the U.S. Army from the First World War to Vietnam. His specialty was recapturing the tactical experience of the basic grunt infantryman. His solid prose and commonsense point of view have enlightened generations of American soldiers. "The Soldier's Load and The Mobility of a Nation" was first published in 1950 and has been periodically reprinted since.

In this extended essay, Marshall attacks the tendency of the US Army to overload its infantry soldiers with gear, typically far more than they need for immediate use in combat. Marshall ties this complaint to the observation that even fit troops are quickly exhausted by the nervous strain of combat. In simple terms, the less gear soldiers carry, the more energy they have for combat. This would seem to be a dirt-simple lesson, but it is one we keep relearning. Marshall cites anecdotal examples from World War II, but they could just as easily be plucked from our more recent experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The second half of the essay speaks to the more general topic of increasing the Army's mobility by reducing its load. Marshall's point here is that the US Army overloads itself with non-essentials, wasting transport and energy needed for more important tasks.

This timeless essay continues to be relevant to infantry commanders and staff officers, whose discipline and common sense in lightening the load improves the lot of the combat soldier. "The Soldier's Load" is very highly recommended as professional military education for the young officer and NCO.

There's no sense reinventing the wheel, but it makes a lot of sense to study the original idea; this book does that. If you hump a ruck or have, or will, this book offers solid and practical ideas on how much to carry, why that's important, and the decreasing effectiveness of fighters under increasing load. Just as applicable to backpackers as to soldiers, and both can enjoy the direct writing style. A fine read.

This book is an interesting study on what soldier's have carried into battle and why. It emphasis the point that as war evolved so has what the soldier has carried to war. But often through the course of history the soldier's load has become heavier and not lighter. This is interesting considering the logistics mechanisms for the military have improved through each step in the evolution of warfare. The book brings up that one must remember that it is an officer that decideds the soldier's load and often an officer who is not on the frontlines.