Assaulters have been running gun belts or duty belts for decades. These usually included just a pistol holster, spare pistol magazines and maybe a dump pouch.
Fast forward, and the current trend is to move commonly used kit from your Body Armor to your Duty Belt. This does two things.
First, it helps take a lot of weight off of your shoulders (where your Body Armor rides), and transfers it to your pelvic girdle. This helps cut down on a lot of the pain of being in Body Armor all night long. Thirty-eight pounds of “lightweight” kit is still 38 pounds of “lightweight” kit. Any way I can help cut down on the pain, brother, I’m willing to try it.
Second, by running much of your commonly used kit on your duty belt, you can still develop and maintain that “muscle memory” even when you’re not wearing full “battle-rattle” on the range. Whether you are just running a quick class or burning up a half hour on the range prior to the ops briefing, you can still shoot and reload from your support side, just like if you were in full kit. Also, while you are back inside the wire, and your armor is grounded in the ready room, you can still walk around the FOB with your duty belt and rifle. You aren’t expecting to get into a gunfight, but if it happened, you still have at least some ammo and medical gear. That’s better than nothing.
Check out the video to see how I set up my War Belt. Setting up your War Belt is just like setting up your Armor; keep it simple and carry a minimum amount of gear.
Do you need to carry flash bangs? Probably not. I carry a few because I often use them in classes with students out at T1G.
This may not be the ideal setup for everyone but it is a good starting point. Remember, knowledge is your best weapon.
Sergeant Major (Retired) Karl Erickson has more than 25 years Military Experience; 18 years of experience within Army Special Forces, conducting all aspects of Special Operations, to include training, execution and technical oversight at the detachment, company and combined joint task force level. SGM Erickson has earned numerous awards, to include three Bronze Stars and an Army Commendation Medal for Valor. His military schooling includes Ranger School, Military Free Fall Jumpmaster, Special Forces Medic, SFARTEATC and Special Forces Sniper, to name but a few. After retiring, SGM Erickson now serves as the Director of Special Projects, at Tier-1 Group, LLC, where he continues to train our military’s finest to prepare them for tomorrow’s threats.
All opinion articles are the opinion of the author and not necessarily of American Military News. If you are interested in submitting an Op-Ed, please email [email protected]
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