LCpl Brandon McGuffin, 1/6,
pulls a fellow Marine from a
debris pile simulating a cave-in during training with the
combat rescue sling Jan. 29
at Camp Lejeune, N.C.
talions already have it, and 1/6 is the third.
“I want it to be a staple of the Marines,”
Wennberg said. “If the sling can save
lives, then I want everyone in the Marine
Corps, and every branch [of service], to
have it.”
LCpl Joseph D. Day
Combat Correspondent, 2dMarDiv
Camp Lejeune, N.C., trained for just such
a situation when they learned how to use
the combat rescue sling in late January.
“The sling is made to help save lives,”
said William C. Wennberg, the chief executive officer of the company that developed the sling. “It is designed to give
the Marines a way to quickly grab a fallen
brother and get them out of the line of
fire.”
The Marines went through eight different stations, including pulling a man from
under a debris pile and carrying a Marine
up and down a flight of stairs to learn the
different uses for the sling.
“I could see myself using this in tight
situations where a person may need to be
pulled out from under some debris,” said
Lance Corporal Peter Barnum, a fire direction controller with the battalion. “It is
one of those things you give to a Marine
and he will find 100 different uses for it.”
“You can take the sling and connect it to
as many other slings as you want,” Wennberg said. “You can use it as a rope that has
steps in each loop, or you can strap it to a
downed man and pick him up and carry
him on your back.”
According to the manufacturer, the sling
is made out of nylon, can support up to
4,500 pounds and can be connected to
other slings. The five, 2-foot loops are
Marines Destined for
Operation Enduring
Freedom Will Wear
Enduring Boots
Marines destined for Afghanistan, where
the climes can get much colder than Iraq’s
Al Anbar province, will be getting cold-weather boots.
The Corps has ordered 5,730 pairs of
Mountain Cold Weather boots from Ore-gon-based LaCrosse Footwear. A subsidiary of Danner, LaCrosse is a developer
of rugged footwear for law enforcement,
firefighting, construction and “America’s
Finest.”
LaCrosse is getting $900,000 for the
boots that have been specifically designed
for rugged winter conditions in Afghanistan.
What makes the boots good enough for
the Marines’ stamp of approval? They
have Gore-Tex waterproof lining, a Thermoplastic heel counter and toe box for a
better and warmer fit, and Vibram 139
MR 360-degree outsoles for superior
traction on wet and dry trail surfaces. For
the rugged terrain, the boot is full-grain
nubuc leather with stitchdown construction for a wider, more stable base, especially when the wearer is weighted with
packs and other accoutrements of combat.
The boots feature abrasion-resistant heel
and toe guards, solid brass eyelets, and
lace to the toe for better fit. They come in
men and women’s sizes that fit all Marines. And although Danner or LaCrosse
hasn’t made any contract deals with the
Corps for repairs, Marines who have properly broken those boots in, and don’t want
to deep-six them when they wear out, can
contact Danner for re-crafting from the
factory. If the boots are good enough for
the mountains of Afghanistan, they will
probably be great for hunting, hiking and
fishing in God’s country.
Leatherneck
LCPL JOSEPH D. DA Y
color coordinated for easier use.
“It’s lightweight, easy to use,” said LCpl
Brandon McGuffin, a radio operator for
the battalion. “Those are all the characteristics a Marine looks for in any piece
of gear. It takes nothing to put one of these
things in your pocket.”
The sling system already has been
fielded with leathernecks of 3d Bn, 5th
Marines, 1stMarDiv, I Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), who are using it
in the streets of Fallujah, Iraq.
Wennberg sees the sling being used
more frequently by battalions. Two bat-
Marines headed to Afghanistan are fitted with
rugged Mountain Cold Weather boots similar to
this one. LaCrosse Footwear, a subsidiary of Danner, says this is the boot for leathernecks hitting
the rocky, rugged and often snow-covered mountains of Afghanistan. (Photo courtesy of Danner)
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••■
