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Specialty
Defense
Modular
Lightweight Load-Carrying Equipment ( MOLLE )
Over
the last few years, the military has taken some dramatic
steps to modernize the equipment issued to the grunt.
Some of it has been very minor changes some have been
very drastic and long over due.
Two pieces of equipment that have been a thorn in the
side of a grunt and long over due for modernization are
his rucksack and his load bearing equipment. The biggest
problem with the rucksack was that it lacked flexibility.
No matter what your mission was or how long it was supposed
to last you carried the same rucksack. It was either loaded
to the point were it looked like it would burst open or
it was sinched down so that it felt like a waste of time
to carry a ruck that large with so little in it.
Your web gear or load bearing equipment just was not very
practical. I have heard that in some units everyone had
to wear their LBE exactly the same, this must have been
a royal pain. I was always told that the LBE was to be
worn for comfort and configured in a way that was compatible
with the mission. The only problem was that you were really
limited to pistol belt space only. There were smaller
items that could be attached to the suspenders and I have
seen some wannabe's with knives attached inverted to them
or first aid pouches that would either dump the contents
on the ground if inverted or cause you to pop yourself
in the face when opened in a hurry, but realistically
you had the pistol belt. Any grunt worth his salt was
carrying between 4 and 6 mag pouches, at least 2 canteens,
2 first aid pouches, a fixed blade knife and a butt pack,
not to mention depending upon your actual position and
unit SOP, a handgun holster, entrenching tool, etc. I
am sure it is pretty easy, for those of you who were not
grunts, to see that your pistol belt soon turned into
a military version of Batman's utility belt. Except not
as comfortable to wear.
What
was needed was a way to tailor your ruck and web gear
to the mission at hand. Extended trips to the field
or being deployed dictates that you carry more mission
essential items as well as personal comfort items than
if your spending the week in the field. The only way
to truly tailor your gear toward the mission was to
make it modular. Specialty Defense, of Dunmore,Pennsylvania
designed and manufacturers the Modular Lightweight Load-Carrying
Equipment (MOLLE) systems.
THE MOLLE RUCKSACK
The
MOLLE was designed to increase soldier comfort, reduce
fatigue, and increase efficiency; all of which will
make the soldier more lethal and less likely to become
a casualty. For example, ability to transfer the rucksack
load between the shoulders and hips decreases the fatigue
associated with carrying the rucksack entirely on the
shoulders. Those of you who have ever had to carry a
70 plus pound ruck KNOW what this means. I have to admit,
that this was one of two features on the rucksack that
took me a few hours to get used to. It's not that it
was hard to figure out, it was hard to remember that
the heavy ruck did not need to be uncomfortable. While
I am on the subject, the other feature that took me
a little time to get used to, and what is actually responsible
for the ability to shift the weight from the shoulders
to the hips, was the socket system that attaches the
ruck to the load bearing vest. Specialty Defense designed
a system that, while donning the ruck, allows you to
slip the lower section of frame into a socket that is
mounted on the belt of the vest. When you transfer the
weight from your shoulders to your hips, this is where
it actually takes place. Getting used to hitting the
socket with the correct part of the frame was easily
accomplished, but not being used to a ruck like this
my initial technique was to throw the ruck up onto my
shoulders and head out. Again, once I remembered why
I needed to hook the frame to the socket ( and wanted
to take advantage of the weight transfer ability) it
became second nature in donning and doffing of the ruck.
Bear in mind that if you need to move out in a hurry,
you can still throw this ruck up on one shoulder and
beat feet.
The
rucksack component of this system actually consists
of the main ruck, the sleeping bag carrier, sustainment
pouches, patrol pack and the frame. The main ruck, incorporates
a removable hydration system, an outside pocket designed
to hold a Claymore mine and also to hold a 6 Magazine
bandoleer, and a removable internal radio pocket designed
for the SINCGARS. The main ruck can be moved up and
down on the frame to comfortably carry heavy loads and
also allows for the easy attaching of other pouches
and pockets.
The MOLLE Load Bearing
Vest
As I stated earlier, the worst thing about the LBE was
the fact that it actually lacked the space to carry
everything you needed or wanted comfortably. The MOLLE
vest allows for any pocket or pouch in the system to
be attached to just about any location on the vest.
The belt of the system is heavily padded, and as also
stated earlier, incorporates the socket that the ruck
slides into. The vest is of a mesh design to allow for
the escape of body heat
The following is a list of stock configurations available
and what they incorporate:
Rifleman: NSN#: 8465-01-459-6572
(2) 30 Round M-16A2 Magazine Pouches (Single)
(2) 30 Round M-16A2 Magazine Pouches (Double)
(2) Hand grenade Pouches
(1) 100 Round/Utility Pouch
Grenadier: NSN#: 8465-01-459-6582
(2) 30 Round M-16A2 Magazine Pouches (Double)
(12) 40MM High Explosive Pouches (Single)
(4) 40MM High Explosive Pouches (Double)
(2) 40MM Pyrotechnic Pouches (Double)
(1) 100 Round/Utility Pouch
Pistolman: NSN#: 8465-01-459-6584
(4) 9MM Magazine Pouches (Single)
(2) Hand grenade Pouches
(1) 100 Round/Utility Pouch
Sawgunner: NSN#: 8465-01-459-6580
(3) 100 Round/Utility Pouches
(2) 200 Round SAW Gunner Pouches
(2) 30 Round M-16A2 Magazine Pouches (Single)
Medic: NSN#: 8465-01-459-6585
(1) Medic Bag
(8) Medic Pockets
No matter which configuration you receive, they all
come standard with the following:
(1) Pack Frame
(1) Set of Shoulder Straps
(1) Load Bearing Vest
(1) Molded Waistbelt (S, M, or L)
Small - Fits waists 25" - 35"
Medium - Fits waists 35" - 40"
Large - Fits waists 40"+
(1) LBV Optional Waistbelt
(1) Main Ruck Sack
(1) Patrol Pack
(1) Butt Pack
(2) Sustainment Pouches
(1) Sleep System Carrier
(1) Radio Pocket
(1) 6-Magazine M-16A2 Bandoleer
(1) Complete Hydration System
(2) Lashing Straps
(4) ALICE Clip Adapters
(1) Set of Repair Buckles
(1) K-Bar Holder
(1) Demonstration Video
(1) Instruction Booklet
In the end, Specialty Defense is providing a product
to our military that has been long over due. Their MOLLE
system will help conserve our soldiers strength for
the fight, instead of doing battle with load bearing
equipment and having their strength sapped before even
getting to the fight.
To purchase the MOLLE system or to request more information
please contact Specialty Defense at http://www.specialtydefense.com,
email them at spd@epix.net
give them a call at 570-961-2042.
You can download a copy of the Care and Use Manual here
http://www.specialtydefense.com/MOLLE/molle_careuse.pdf
Ron England
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