The Military-Nanny Complex

From yesterday's WaPo, the accessories Uncle Sam requires for all his G. I. Joe® units.

In Afghanistan, soldiers routinely carry loads of 130 to 150 pounds for three-day missions. How the gear breaks down: Helmet, full body armor: 35 pounds Weapon: 7 pounds or more Ammunition: 15 pounds Rucksack (empty): 8 pounds Flashlight: 1.2 pounds Water: 9 pounds Food: 10 pounds Batteries: 8 pounds Sleeping bag and gear: 6 pounds First aid kit: 1 pound Extra clothing: 3 pounds Additional ammunition, grenades, mines, flares, other demolition gear: 32 pounds Radio (if required): 1.5 to 20 pounds

Turns out this is not good for the troops, especially when they're making like mountain goats in the treacherous terrain of Afghanistan.

Further evidence of the frequency of the injuries, which have forced some to leave the military, has come up in studies of veterans.

Carroll W. McInroe, a former VA primary-care case manager in Washington state, said he has seen such injuries in hundreds of veterans from today's wars. "Our infantry should not be going into battle carrying 90 to 100 pounds on their backs," he said. "The human muscular-skeletal system is simply not designed for that much weight, and it will break down over time."

Army personnel suffered over 255,000 "acute orthopedic injuries in 2007, an increase of 10,000 from 2006. Our back hurts just from leaning over to read what we're typing.