43 Essential Items Marine Corps Officers Bring To Battle | Loadout | Business Insider 

Very polished in his answers. They couldn't let a LCpl do this demo. He would've said this shit is trash lol

I attended The Basic School in 1968. We had a WW II helmet, WW II / Korean War 782 harness and cartridge belt, a small haversack, an E-Tool, two canteens, and a uniform with green trousers and a green shirt with no extra pockets. I arrived in Vietnam in December 1968 as an infantry platoon commander. Only three things were different: I was issued a flak jacket, an M-16 instead of the M-14 we trained with at TBS, and a set of camouflage utilities. Everything else was the same as we were issued at TBS. There was no such thing as bottled water so we filled canteens with whatever local water source was available and put extra water purification tablets to kill most of the critters in the water. We ate C-Rations from the Korean War. I remember that the canned beefsteak and the canned turkey loaf were the only ones I liked. Normally one C-Ration had to last 2-3 days because resupply was hit or miss due to terrain, weather, and enemy threats. In the dry season it was brutally hot and during the monsoon season it never stopped raining but at least we had fresh clean water. One of the many challenges in Vietnam was staying awake. Combat operations during the day and defensive perimeters and squad patrols during the night. At times there were night movements to new positions. There was very little time for sleep. The buildings in the background are very different from the TBS in 1968. Each room had 4 officers (two bunkbeds) and three metal lockers for married officers to use. With 7 in a room it was sometimes a real circus getting ready for training. The dinning room was a regular mess hall with long folding tables and folding metal chairs. The tables had plastic table cloths. On Sundays, coat and tie were required for Sunday dinner. It look pretty ridicules eating in a barebones mess hall in coat and tie. In 1968 we had the Physical Readiness Test (PRT) instead of the PFT of today. The PRT was like a PFT except we wore full combat gear with rifle and two canteens of water. The test consisted of pullups, pushups, step-ups, 100 yard low crawl, fireman's carry for 50 yards, a rope climb, squat thrust may have been in it as well, and finish with a 3 mile run. It was a difficult test. Every week day morning we had PT in regular PT gear. The training was good but didn't prepare me for the tactics and operations I'd face in Vietnam. I was thankful for all the physical fitness at TBS because humping around Vietnam was a real mental and physical challenge by itself. Semper Fi to all my brothers who have served in the Marines.

The Number One piece of kit every Marine Officer needs is his *PT Belt.* It is *proven* that one cannot be seriously injured when wearing a PT Belt. Most casualties are caused by someone not wearing their PT Belt.

Hate to break it to everyone, this is the general pack out list for ALL Marines going to a field-op lol. Only thing I knew officers to bring that were extra are Jetboils, coffee mix and groceries.

What gangstas bring: -snus -store bought beanie that's thin enough to fit under a kevlar without being noticed by others (I called mine "the underbeanie") -merino wool inner gloves -bags of tea (a tea bag in one of your canteens can just sit in there and brew all day while you walk around) -ALICE frame so you don't have the newer plastic pack frame bending and breaking and shit -fancy wool socks that are warm -bore snake and store-bought cleaning kit so you're not cleaning the rifle using the same wire brush that someone shoved up his butt in 1991 during the Gulf War Advanced: -months if not years of consistent PT so that you can zone out while rucking and be damn near asleep the whole time -cammie paint strategically applied to bring out your eyes so you can talk to the cute girl (it works, trust me bro) -volunteer to carry the M203. Just do it. You get to shoot 40mm grenades and yell "THWUMP" instead of "BANG BANG".

No spare socks? Has a lot of faith in his Goretex boots keeping his feet dry and not stepping in water deeper than his boot tops. Always thought spare socks used to be an essential item, after ammo, batteries and water.

Would like Business Insider to get with a seasoned 0311 Sergeant or Gunny to do a gear run-through. Nothing like seeing what the guys who are in the fleet are carrying as apposed to the bare standard that is shown in the school. Otherwise, great job at explaining your gear, Sir.

Good to see the zipper quality is about the same as it was in the 90s!

This is the full packing list before a field op, now do enlisted it’s half the shit(only the necessities) and the rest is pogey bait or tobacco

Some of this gear was coming online towards the end of my time and it was a vast improvement over the ALICE pack and 782 gear. The gear is so much better now than when I was in. Just simple thoughts in re-design, like making the isomat into collapsible rectangles instead of having to roll up a continuous piece of foam, make all the difference in the world. It saves time and is less aggravating to deal with. 550 cord is still essential I see. That will never change.

Business Insider makes great military content.

So much gear! In the old days it was surprising to see how gear the average soldier got rid of in the field. In Viet Nam it wasn't unusual to see soldiers naked from the waist up. Then during the first Gulf War, I remember General Schwarzkopf saying the soldiers were cutting the extra reinforcing layers off their fatigues for coolness in the desert environment. Heck even when not in combat, you should see all the stuff hikers shed along the trails like the Appalachian or Pacific Crest. On day one all that stuff sounds like a good idea, by day 7 half of it is gone. Every ounce counts.

8:25 my dude just gives up on that zipper 😅

Props for this rundown. Nicely done. As an ultralight hiker, totally amazing what these poor men are expected to carry.

Thanks Captain McCormick, this is so interesting.

Godspeed, Capt. Zachary McCormick!

Gear has really changed from my time in the ‘60’s Semper Fi

I served with now Capt. McCormick while he was with CLB 26 in Camp Lejeune lmao he was head of our S1 admin he was just a butter bar when he came to the unit

Wish I would have had this when I was wet and freezing my ass of in Korea. Semper Fi 😊

Definitely alot more stuff than what fit in my M1941 field marching pack

Damn, that's a lot of packs, vests, pouches, and misc kit to carry (and probably never use!) I can say with a high degree of confidence that his Grunts aren't carrying all that needless crap. 😂

The LBV closeup got me 😂 cameraman knew what he was doing

"these kind of straps here"=PALS Payload Attachment Lanyard System

Thanks to Captain McCormick! Very interesting stuff 🫡

USMC 1966-1969 how things have changed.

Now get a Terminal Lance team leader who is about to get in 9months to give a real gear review to not give BS answers

Lots of unnecessary weight, Could strip down much of that stuff and still be highly equiped & capable.

you guys surprise me with amazing contents

All an officer really needs to bring is a Senior Non Commissioned Officer 😂!

You guys should do more marine corps videos.

This might sound crazy but I’ve been looking for you for years. You have a 7 year old son Captain. Rueben is watching this video and is so proud his dad is a marine 🇺🇸🫡🥰

Here is a pouch system that is employed in the utilisation of storage of assorted items such as this range of equipment including these various issued pieces of assigned ordnance…. Describing a pocket.

hasn't changed terribly much from my TBS days in the late 90s

Went to OCS, TBS and IOC in 1990. I miss the old deuce gear!! And nothing beats the old mummy bag!!

Videos like these make me excited to be able to enlist in the future!! Thank you to all of our military for be brave enough to protect this country!! You are the reason teens like me want to do this!! 💞

Yall need to do a doc-u-series on Navy Dive school

Would love to see Business Insider look at what a Teir 1 operator from Delta/CAG or Seal Team 6 would take out on a so called “standard” mission. Good vid!

Fun fact, night land nav on Camp Barrett requires you to cross an obnoxious stream, in the middle of the night. Instead of doing that, I mapped out where my points were and used the Pythagorean theorem to find out where my point were. I always failed land nav/ night land nav, but this was the first time i passed and got a perfect score. Also, I mostly brought baby wipes and gummy worms whenever I was in the field.

All love from 1/8 ❤️

As an observer of the US military I usually like reading their thoughts on future warfare. (Let’s face it fellas the Pentagon could be a publishing house they generate so much literature). This officer going through his gear was really interesting as it’s not my thing. For the soldiers and marines it must seem old hat to them but for the novice, like myself, it’s hugely interesting and just not what you normally see. Good job marine. Well done. A+

Talk about packing heavy!

It would be so cool to see one if these boot camp vids at a military summer camp

They should have an actual 03 enlisted guy do this...this is basically just a basic CIF issue that every Marine receives. I got more specialized stuff than this as a POG at a tracks unit 10 years ago.

Attended The Basic School in '79 and was a Mapping Instructor there in '80....didn't have half the cool gear presented here. All our deuce gear was Korean War or Vietnam issue.....could swear some of our C-Rats were WWII issue....at least it tasted like WWII issue....thank God for Tabasco. Well done Skipper. Carry on.

Imagine a bullet, especially a tracer round, hitting the butane canister for that Jetboil! I've backpacked the Grand Canyon twice using ESBIT tablets and a collapsable Caldera Cone stove. Never needed more. I carry the US e-tool in both of our vehicles. Nevada has some nasty terrain and weather.

Should do a video at rasp

Another comment that I have ( SIR) 😊 Is love your TERM keep the moral up with the ( MRE) my Humble opinion is the ( Jet boil ) Stove is a must. Just being able to heat that water for your morning COFFEE boost 😊😊 if the Marines don't provide you with one, highly recommended you buy one, it can be used for Moral for your fellow Marines. I take mine on every camping trip even if i have the logistics of my camp stove and pot to heat water. 😊 The off the self small stuff like this is available at these big outdoor hunting and fishing stores, many different kind of ( Jet Boal configuration) if you have this cooker on your pack, you become the greatest guy ( Officer) in your unit. Moral big time booster😊😊

Business Insider always produces good and accurate inside looks in the different branches. Semper Fidelis.

Base Weight without food, fuel, water, firearms and ammo? Pacific Crest Trail thru-hikers have perfected minimal base weight down to

Interesting to see the helmet band with cat eyes on the kevlar. The lack of one used to be a quick way to tell the difference between Marines and Army when we wore the same uniform.

holy moly, there was alot more in there than i thought

Crayons and cake. 😂❤

Officers, bring what your SNCOs tell you to bring, but more importantly, bring your leadership, empathy, and experience and work every day to earn your Marines respect.

Awesome how much things have changed since when I was in during the 90s.

I went through TBS in the summer of 1980. We carried less than half of that gear. This is space age, Buck Rogers goodies.

Shit I thought I was the only one putting camo netting on my pack! SEMPER FI!!!

i was doing other stuff around the house listening to this, i could have sworn it was a butter bar Lt. talking. telling all the secrets of the world he has just discovered and is now sharing with us less fortunate souls. when i sat down and seen it was a Capt. i was shocked, but then realized he is still a "better" person (in his mind) than anyone else he is around, so i think he still feels like he is the hero of this story....

He is in fact an adjutant for his primary MOS

There should be a military insider channel

Marines have come a long way with their issued gear

I carrier smaller kits when I served in the Marines (1983-1995). When I went to SF Selection in 2004 I carried heavier loads. We had to have 55 pounds without water and food. By the time you’re rucking it’s well over 20 additional pounds.

where can I buy that pack

I honestly just thought this was going to be him going through the platoon manning roster: "First item I bring is a platoon sergeant. Next, I bring an RTO. Then I ensure to load up one corpsman..."

Amazing how we fought civil war, revolution war and 2 world wars without this and still won.

If the weight of all that kit was mentioned I missed it. AND does it all float?

I always carried a small brush ( paint,tooth,detail ) your choice ….. on my outside load. Comes in handy ~ just saying. ✌🏻🇺🇸

I’d bet many would carefully determine which of these items they’ll keep and hump and which items will be discarded. Bulk & weight will determine that?

It was the pause when the camera guy asked if the rain coat actually was water proof 😂 ima guess you get damp eventually 😂

where can I buy that assault pack

Wow a lot of stuff in bag

Semper Fi

have junior enlisted show what they bring to battle

A lot to hump. This reminds me of our British gear too.

Frog gear completely replaced the polypro?

Reflective tape on back of the helmet...good way to give your enemy a bullseye to aim for

MRE I’ve heard being described as 3 lies for the price of 1. But, going by my own experience, anything that’s hot and vaguely nourishing is OK if you’re wet, cold and hungry. One of the best meals I ever had came out of a tin at the end of a miserable November day in Germany, hunkering down somewhere out of the perennial drizzle, sort of, not quite …

Just a couple of observations from a civilian. The zippers look troublesome. The sleeping gear is all well and good but 'horses for courses' not lugging the thermal whatever if I'm operating in the Islands. All well and good to provide for all eventualities but at what cost re mobility? If I'm up at the 'pointy end' I want to be haulin ass, not loaded up like a pack mule. Hopefully the organisational plan when in a combat zone provides for the stowage of 'non essentials' at the commencement of operations - all dependent on adequate support I guess. Captain comes across as competent and presents as everything I would expect of an American marine. Can't fault any man prepared to lay it all on the line when country calls. Interesting video.

The good Captain is outdoors uncovered.

@1:24 He's got the Navy Optic edited into the photo wrong.

The Marines know how to accessorize.

Thank God we have young men and women who are on the tip of the spear to defend our beautiful country 🇺🇸🙏🏽

Hi Semper Fi; Marine I never saw combat I got in just after Vietnam I have a dumb question If you put the water blater under your front plate carrier ???

no fish-net for the inner layers?? , that shit will keep you warm

Should rename this to the FMF Marine's Standard IIF Gear List. When I was at TBS, I didn't even take a quarter of this crap with me to the field.

India Co learned real quick during O+D all that gear is highly flammable 😂

Could you teach the navy how to properly mount an optic?😂

The only question we have is, are your backpack's deadly? Roa Aotearoa nui.

Back in the 'Old Corps'🤣on our nature hikes and camping trips, it was C-Rats, a flak vest, 4 canteens, ALICE web gear and for me, because I was special, a PRC-77! Semper Fi Dawgs...get some!

#1 SGT 1 each

apparently it WON'T zip up! I know that feeling, bro

The knife is very nice 👍. Where I can buy it please?

Would love to have the chance and be a US Marine 🇺🇸

@16:00 Speaking of black bags, does the marine carry his own body bag to expedite recovery of his body if he gets KIA?

We didn’t carry all that stuff when I was at TBS.

Semper Fi Marine

1977 ALICE PACK was fine. Sateens went away to jungle camouflage only.

love the marines

From an old Vietnam Corpsman, this is a walking PX.

hiking but with guns

whats all that weigh? this should been a junk on the bunk rather than a combat load video.