Blog de Puree

They say that an army runs on its feet and its stomach. For the most part, this is true. Nothing beats a sturdy pair of boots and good food. However, the next important piece of equipment is a soldier’s rucksack, or backpack. In this, a fighting man or woman will need to carry everything they might possibly need.

But in Australia, there seems to be a problem with what the government is issuing for backpacks these days. So much so, that soldiers have take it upon themselves to set aside what they’ve been given and spend up to $500 of their personal money on heavy duty backpacks, The Sidney Morning Herald reports. The issued packs are causing back problems such as torn back muscles, dislocated shoulders, spinal problems and reduced circulation.

When I was in the U.S. Army, we would often buy our own equipment because of wear and tear or there was better equipment suited for a particular mission. But we never had to deal with faulty backpacks from the government. That just sucks.

My thoughts go out to the men and women serving in the Australian Army.