MAJ Tom Garigan
March 1998
- From the moment you get your orders you will undergo a new set of physical demands- it pays to always be physically ready so that you can function both mentally and physically during this highly stressful period for yourself, your unit, and your family. Physical preparation will also decrease the chance of you becoming a DNBI casualty.
- Weight Bearing:
- You will be constantly carrying a lot of extra weight due to operational demands, and will be on your feet for long periods. Some of the items you may have to constantly carry:
- LBE (load bearing equipment)
- helmet
- NBC protective mask
- "flak" vest
- In addition, you may have to carry other gear, especially your own, for miles:
- rucksack
- aid bag
- and carry (hopefully for shorter distances) some impressive weight:
- duffel bags
- medical chests
- casualties
- Besides the extra weight, you will have:
- hard sole boots
- hard surfaces to stand on- e.g. asphalt, concrete, tile floors
- long duty hours
- few places to sit (not many chairs issued with DEPMEDS)
- road marches
- The increase in weight bearing will increase the risk of injury of your back, neck, lower extremities, including muscle injury, ankle or knee sprains, patellofemoral pain, as well as chronic overuse injuries. Your feet will take a pounding, and may cause you to be incapacitated if you are not prepared.
- Lifting:
- Medical personnel, like other servicemembers, have to lift and carry heavy items; don't expect anyone else to do it for you. Junior soldiers, sailors, and airmen will be following the examples of leaders- so how aggressively you tackle physical labor will determine how effective your unit is in getting things done. Some of the lifting requirements:
- Litter Carries
- Casualty Carries
- Medical Chests and Supplies
- Personal Gear
- Lifting can cause injury to upper extremities, neck, and lower back. Also, DEPMEDS requires significant overhead activities, increasing the risk of neck and shoulder injury.
- Movement:
- Medical personnel are not accustomed to having to cover ground by any other means except simply walking- but in the service will face dangers that require more demanding effort:
- Road Marching
- Crawling
- Digging in (defensive positions)
- Acclimatization:
- The US Military is currently deployed in 100 countries around the globe, and has the capability of putting anybody in any environment within hours; thus you may find yourself unexpectedly having to adapt to hot or cold, wet or dry, low or high altitude environments.
- To Physically Prepare:
- Physical preparation begins with the understanding of the physical demands, and the motivation and dedication to apply oneself to the unpleasant tasks without excuse.
- Upper body
- Goals:
- Increase grip strength
- Build calluses on hands
- Protect hands from injury, incl. lacerations and abrasions
- Increase arm, shoulder, and back strength
- Exercises:
- Lifting exercises
- practice proper technique to protect back
- practice lifting with weight held close to body, to maintain upright posture
- Pushing exercises
- push ups, military (overhead) press
- Pull ups/hang from bar
- Leg presses- weak legs can cause you to overuse your back and arms.
- Protective devices:
- Work gloves (keep with you at all times)
- to prevent blisters, abrasions, lacerations
- Too hot for gloves? Try cutting off fingers of leather gloves, or:
- Weight lifting gloves (padded)
- Legs
- Goals:
- Increased lifting strength (quads)
- Increased ankle strength (to reduce sprains
- Better balance (through stronger ankle, leg, thigh, and hip girdle muscles)
- Increased flexibility to reduce muscle strains.
- Exercises:
- distance marching
- gradually increase distance and weight bearing
- beware of stress fractures:
- allow 3-4 day break in weight bearing after two weeks
- calf raises
- hill and stair climbs
- leg presses- not generally recommended due to risk of knee injury;
- light squats (no added weight) without deep knee bends, plus the other exercises should suffice
- Jogging
- Protective measures:
- new and decent running shoes
- will reduce lower extremity overuse injuries
- new cushioned socks
- new cushioned insoles (see below)
- properly fitting boots that are broken-in but have soles that are NOT worn down
- Prevent injuries by stretching hamstrings and calves
- Feet
- Goals:
- Reduce blisters
- Prevent overuse problems due to weight bearing (see above)
- Protective measures:
- buy boots well in advance
- buy large enough boots to accomodate extra socks in winter
- may need a separate set of boots for winter
- some say that the primary cause of cold feet is tight boots
- boots get too tight from squeezing in extra socks
- break in boots
- apply neatsfoot oil
- soak in warm water, put on and wear until dry
- more oil
- keep leather protected with polish
- saddle soap daily to remove dirt
- wear regularly
- consider resoling boots with more shock-absorbing soles
- often available at locations on or near base (cost = $39.00 at Fort Benning)
- Insoles:
- cushioned insoles- the best are:
- Sorbothane
- Ultra-sole- most durable, but the firmest
- Sorbo-air- newest product- lighter and softer; durability is ?
- Spenco
- Insulated insoles for winter
- tropical
- get catalog/1-800 number for supply stores (e.g. Ranger Joe's)
- Socks:
- Avoid cotton
- Goretex socks are available for winter- to put on over wool socks
- liner socks
- keep spare pairs easily available in ziplock bags