Lessons Learned--Afghanistan (10th Mountain Division)

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[Future Snake Eater]

10th Mountain Division Observations

(The number is the observation, D--the dilemma, LL--the lesson learned.)

1: Many Soldiers had problems due to altitude.

D: Soldiers deployed about 6,000' to 8500' by CH-47. Eventually moved up to about 10,500'. Almost everyone had some problems with the altitude at first. Most felt better after a few days. "Bunch of guys" had Acute Mountain Sickness. No pre-treatment with Diamox because of the fear of side effects. Symptoms included shortness of breath, vomiting, headaches, dizziness, collapsing. Moved worst cases down for evacuation. Some were treated with O2, Diamox, and Dexamethazone.

LL: Rapid deployment of Soldiers to above 8,000' will almost always produce altitude illness or decreased function ranging from minor inconvenience to litter cases. If Soldiers were deployed higher than 8500' more altitude-related casualties would have occurred.

2: Most Soldiers prefer the Camel Back for carrying water.

D: Most started with a 3 days supply of water. Water was from streams and treated with Iodine. Some Soldiers' water froze in canteens and had ice chunks. Camel Back worked well as long as the tube didn't freeze. The Hydra Storm was not favored by most because of the poor quality of the tube and bladder. Many also drank IV bags due to lack of water.

LL: Water is essential for Soldier performance. High altitude also contributes to dehydration. Emphasis put on not letting water freeze in Camel Back or in canteens. Gatorade or other flavoring good for hiding taste of water and getting cold water down. More heat tabs are needed to warm water. To keep loads low on extended operations, water re-supply is essential.

3: Most Soldiers were happy with the performance of their cold weather clothing.

D: The DCU or Gore-Tex with Poly-P was worn during the day. No one wore cotton t-shirts (cotton kills). The Interceptor Body Armor (IBA) was actually good at keeping body heat in. At night when the temperatures dropped, the Spear Suit black pile jacket was worn with Gore-Tex and poly-p. Only a few people had to be moved to sheltered areas and re-warmed due to cold temps.

LL: Soldiers from the 10th are used to operating in a cold wx environment. Proper training and experience with cold wx clothing and leadership emphasis showed with the 10th and was key to preventing cold weather injuries.

What type of footwear and socks were worn and how did they perform? White wool socks were worn with the Rocky or Matterhorn boots. Some were sized too small due to the thicker sock, which caused a lack of circulation. Socks were dried by placing in sleeping bag at night or inside Gore-Tex jacket against the body. Issue cold wx boots at least one size larger than normal boot size and try on with the sock that will be worn. Shoe polish negates the effect of the breathable Gore-Tex and feet sweated which made feet cold at night. Commercial water-proof treatment worked well. Some had desert boots that fell apart in a week or two. The sides of the boots ripped out. The sole was too soft for the rocky terrain.

4: Many different types of gloves were worn.

D: The Desert Nomex glove/intermediate flyers glove worked well in daytime when it was warmer. When it was colder at night, most needed a warmer glove and put on the Gore-Tex/leather glove. Most did not like this glove due to the lack of dexterity/poor quality. Black leather gloves with no liner provide little warmth. Some wore civilian gloves over issue gloves. No cases of frostbite or other cold wx injuries. Soldiers liked the air activated chemical hand warmers. They had to be taken out of gloves periodically to reheat. About 50% didn't work when opened. The hand warmers were a local purchase and highly recommended.

LL: A glove layering system is needed to rapidly add or take off glove layers depending on the amount of dexterity or warmth needed. With heavy gloves, a thin liner can be worn underneath and a slit cut in the trigger finger for more dexterity. Chemical hand warmers were recommended.

5: Many different sleeping systems used.

D: Some had black (heavier) sleeping bags and liked them despite the bulk. Others had poncho liner/bivy sack/space blanket combination to save weight and reduce bulk. The latter froze and could not sleep and would now recommend the patrol bag (green sleeping bag). Those who used the green patrol bag liked it a lot. However, the poncho liner/bivy sack/space blanket was more than adequate to survive and complete the mission.

LL: For short (1-3 day) missions with lows only in the 20s, Soldiers can get by wearing all their clothing and using the combination bivy sack/poncho liner/space blanket. For sustained operations in these temps (lows in 20s) the green patrol bag is recommended.

6: Some weapon systems were affected by the terrain or altitude.

D: All re-zeroed in Uzbekistan and some noticed a difference (shot high with the original sea-level zero due to altitude). Some used graphite lube instead of CLP to prevent sluggish action or malfunctions, but those who used CLP and LSA had no problems. CLP can be used down to about 0 to 10F. Many did not like the M68 optics. Red dot covers far away targets. In sunny/light conditions you lose the red dot. Can't make windage and elevation adjustments for long range targets. Too fragile.

LL: Re-zero weapons when deployed to altitude/cold wx environments. In extremely cold temps, graphite or LAW should replace CLP to prevent sluggish action or malfunctions. Replace M68.

7: Enemy tactics affected ability to engage target.

D: Enemy during day stayed far out of small arms range. Mortars got lots of kills. Some felt long range shooting skills lacking.

LL: Need at least one heavy (.50 cal) sniper rifle per sniper platoon. (Canadians hit targets out to 1800m with McMillian sniper system.) Can 1-2 Soldiers per squad be given extra long-range marksmanship training to engage long distance targets instead of having to use M240?

8: Many Soldiers used their own Magellan's instead of Pluggers.

D: Maps were out-of-date Soviet maps that were in places inaccurate and hard to read. A GPS was one of the primary means of navigating. The Plugger was considered inadequate due to its weight, bulk, and use of many heavy batteries. Civilian Magellans were preferred. Most Soldiers don't use all the functions on the Plugger.

LL: Develop a stripped down version on the Plugger that can be used by Soldiers just for navigating, etc. Still need Plugger for fills, etc. Getting accurate large-scale maps to the ground units is essential.

9: Mortars played a key role in many situations.

D: Mortars were responsible for many kills. The enemy kept its distance during the day and took cover in advance of air support. The mortar computer (M23 mortar ballistic computer) couldn't get set low below 400m? M8 base plate (60mm) latch breaks on hard ground. M9 base plate recommended. Replace M115 boresight with M45. With mortars, first round hits on high elevation targets was difficult (took 5-6 rounds). Each man carried 2 mortar rounds each with mortar plt carrying 5 each.

LL: Mortars are essential in mountainous terrain because of the distance and terrain. It worked well that when halted the mortar rounds weren't all dropped off at the guns but only brought in to replace those fired. That way when they went to move again they didn't have to re-distribute the rounds.

10: Combat LifeSavers (CLS) saved lives.

D: Soldiers were trained on CLS tasks once a year and prior to mission in Uzbekistan. They were essential when there were more casualties than medics. Every man had an IV bag initially and on later missions it was cut back to E-4 and above. IV bags were kept on body and didn't freeze. There were 1-2 CLS per squad. One squad had 3 EMT trained Soldiers.

LL: The CLS training has proven its worth especially when smaller decentralized units are operating with Medevac a long time out. In cold weather, IV fluids are useless unless they can be warmed to body temperature. There is no well-known technique to do this and it needs to be addressed.

11: Most felt they went in too heavy.

D: Soldier load was from 75-110 lbs. Many felt they had too much weight to move efficiently in that terrain at that altitude. Rifleman carried between 10-14 30 round mags plus 2 mortar rounds. Saw gunners carried around 1600 rounds and M240 gunners around 1200. Three days of rations and water were packed along with the assortment of cold wx gear, batteries, etc.

LL: Many felt they could have gone in lighter as long as they go in for 24-72 hours and have sling loads pre-rigged and ready for re-supply. A cold wx contingency load could also be pre-rigged if needed to lighten the initial load.

12: The terrain and altitude make combat in mountains extremely physically demanding.

D: Units need to get away from the normal PT routines before deploying to the mountains. Pushups, sit-ups and 5-mile runs will not prepare Soldiers. They need to have the ability to spend time in the mountains to physically adapt to the terrain and altitude. Soldiers were not used to steeper slopes and wasted time and energy.

LL: Emphasis on ruck marches (6-8 mile) with heavy loads. Cardiovascular training, strength and mountain walking techniques need to be stressed. Subject matter experts (SMEs) need to give blocks of instruction on even the basics of mountain walking techniques.

JD Pendry

[Future Snake Eater]

See replies 24 and 37.

[5by5]

I doodlebugged a bit in Wyoming myself.

My favorite was when we ran a line over the Rattlesnake Mountains in January...with 48,000 lb. vibrator trucks.

The drive-around was over a 100 miles so we swung the line on foot.

It'd be good training for the 10th.

[dirtboy]

At what altitude do they train? When they were based in Colorado they trained at 9,000 and above.

That was my thought - I think they train in the Adirondacks now. Mountain troops should live and train at high altitude. I lived for two years at 8,500 feet, and I could go up to 12 to 14,000 feet with minimal problems.

[SLB]

I was doodlebugging before the days of the vibrator. 150 ft shot holes with 25 lbs of 60% nitro at the bottom. Boom! Rocks and stuff all over the place if the shooter did not get the hole tamped all the way down. Those were the good old days. We worked Eastern Montana, the Red Desert and then did some uranium logging in Northern Nevada. Worked hard, played hard and learned bunches.