[RobertClark]

This article was obviously written by and directed toward those who have never served or who lack any physical conditioning what so ever. Yes, it is damn difficult to load up your combat gear, armor, and a 50 with a couple hundred rounds and head out on a forced march regardless of the temperature or weather conditions. You find strength and will in places you never knew existed.

There are a lot of physically demanding occupations out there - free climbing 1000 foot cell towers, hanging iron 75 stories in the air, welding 200' below the surface on an oil rig, the list is endless. What does the author expect? Should the DOD research lighter gear made out of renewable resourced materials so the libs can say they have done their part to "support" our troops? What a bunch of hippy blow hard knuckleheads.

[mamelukesabre]

What I was thinking is this is not really that hard on a twenty something guy in peak condition to do for 3 or 6 years. But a laborer that does the same dam labor for 40 years is going to be chewed up like a piece of meat in a meat grinder. Or a professional athlete that retires at 40.

This particular guy with the bone spurs isn’t typical. However, my chiropractor told me its not uncommon for a 20 year old to have bone spurs in his neck if he’s a football player. Maybe this kid played football in highschool.