American soldiers in the Korangal Valley of Afghanistan on Wednesday. The average soldier carries about 60 pounds of gear during routine patrols, and the Army intends to lighten the load. Tyler Hicks/The New York TimesFrom The New York Times:
WASHINGTON — The Army has ordered that $3 million in new, lighter combat gear be sent immediately to two battalions preparing for Afghanistan, officials disclosed Friday.
The decision lifts a hold that the Army had ordered last month on the experimental effort, when it halted a shipment of the lighter equipment intended for troops already in the war zone. The turnabout came after The New York Times reported last Saturday on the decision to halt the shipment and recall an advance team that had been sent to Afghanistan, and after Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates asked the Army to explain the delay.
“Secretary Gates takes a special interest in all force protection matters,” said Geoff Morrell, the Pentagon press secretary. “He wanted to know why this latest body armor design had not yet been provided to our soldiers in the field. He asked his staff to get to the bottom of it.”
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My Comment: Shaving a few pounds here and a few pounds there .... the soldiers are not going to complain.