I bought this ammo brick ten years ago

[John Sabato]

Originally Posted by cirelaw

It amazes me how troops managed to carry these rifles the ammo and supplies~

A very simple answer Eric...

It starts with physical conditioning in Basic Training... and the rest is a confident dependence in knowing that the effort expended in caring for, and carrying your equipment makes the difference between keeping yourself alive, and depriving the enemy of his own life.

The U.S. M-14 Rifle that I trained with in Basic Training weighs even more than your M48... Add to that 4 twenty round magazines, and the basic load of 7.62x51 NATO ammunition, plus a canteen full of water, and a sharp bayonet... and your field gear including the old Steel Helmet, and you are tired even before you stand up.

Do that every day for a couple of months of training, and by graduation day, it is no longer the chore it was when you started...