Survey of Opinions and Judgments on Load Carrying among Soldiers Engaged in Combat

Abstract

A questionnaire survey of opinions and judgments about load carrying techniques was distributed to soldiers operating in Afghanistan in 2003. The soldiers completed the surveys between combat missions. One hundred fifty three questionnaires were fully completed. The questionnaire was designed to determine preferences and understanding of load carrying relative to requirements for executing combat tasks. Questions were derived from statements about the biomechanics and comfort of load carrying during military movement. Results show that awareness of effective load carriage techniques is a function of military experience. Knowledge about how to carry loads was not uniform throughout those surveyed. Significantly different responses were obtained for soldiers with less than 4 years experience as compared to soldiers with 4 – 7 years and to those with more than 7 years of military experience. Findings suggest there may be a need for special training in load carriage early in the career of infantrymen.