Boot Shortage

[Infanteer]

Makes sense to me Allan.

 

[OLD F of S]

    It amazes me that this subject is being discussed in 2005, when I took basic in 1965 with
the 2nd PPCLI we had no combat boots. When the final 10 mile march came we wore running
shoes and snow boots. 40 years later still bithching about boots. God I feel OLD!!!




                      Regards OLD Fof S

 

[Ghost]

Why can't they just order new boots?

 

[George Wallace]

Why can't they just order new boots?

I see you are a general.....anyway....... They probably have ordered new boots......The Supply System is always running out of things.  It takes time to fill the orders.

 

[RV]

Hey Marauder,

I am pretty sure that Marsh wasn't taking a swipe at anyone for being young.  The concept of the "dumbing down" of the forces is akin to a 'brain drain' when the experienced people leave and not enough interraction has happened between the old guard and the new.

There was a long stretch of time when very little recruiting was done, relatively speaking and some trades received very few new troops to replace the old ones.  All of the sudden tons of recruits are coming in and no one is left to train them properly and completely before the next expected big wave of retirements will happen and that is the next few years.  For example a couple QL3 courses after mine in the FCS trade our trade was not recruited very much for 7 years.  In 2006 there will be quite a few FCS techs with 20 years in and that will not sign up for IPS.  This situation has created a generation gap in our trade that we may not ever recover from because our trade is already 30 percent short and getting older.  Right now they have doubled the size of QL3 courses to try to compensate but by the time they get through training systems it will be the start of the big exodus from my trade.

Perhaps he could have explained better what he meant by dumbing down.  This issue has been around for quite some time in the past few years, and Isure that the old hands on this site have even worse examples, i.e. what happens in war when recruiting and training can't keep up to loss of troops.

We will survive it like we always do.


Cheers,

R-V.

<snip> And while Marsh did take a good sized swipe at us younger, "dumber" generation, he does have a point that this is just one symptom of something more systemic in today's force.

 

[Goober]

Half of my platoon at BMQ was issued thinsulate civvy boots, as they were all out of MKIII's in certain sizes.

 

[CanadianGuy]

Here's an update on the Mk III boot shortage; I was at ASU in London today( August 24th) to get all my kit issued after returning to the Primary Reserve after 1 1/2 years out in the Supp Reserve. Had everything issued except combat boots as they had NO size 9's for me, not even used ones and they had no idea when they may get new stock! The good news was they were able to issue me two brand new pairs of WWB's in my size but these boots do not cut it in warm weather. I'm seriously considering buying a pair of Danner Ft.Lewis (uninsulated) boots to use as combat boots as I don't really have many options here and I'm NOT going to go buy an overpriced ratty old pair of Mk III's at the local surplus shop. At least I have an old pair of Mk III's (no treads left) to use in garrison!

 

[Savage]

Its funny I have 7 pairs of boots thats right 7 I don't want half of them. Ideally I would like to return half of them to stores, but stores will not let me return them. They will let me exchange them. Is anyone else out there tired of some no hook private (no offence) saying tough luck. If I through the boots in question out then later on in life when I leave the military I will most likely have to pay for them. As it stands right now my entire closet is filled with size 12 and a half clod hoppers. Some of these boots I have only worn once like the WWB.

WWB have so far been greatly criticized for there poor ability to perform in hot weather. I have a bigger complaint about them, in regards to there performance on snow. They do not perform at all on the snow and if it is packed snow your walking on with them then chances are your probably going for a fall.

 

[geo]

last order of Mk IIIs has gone out and will be delivered over the next little while... the shortage due to the delay in taking delivery of the new combat boot - temperate... problems with the new desigh.... so they were slow in picking up the fact that there weren't enough Mk IIIs to carry over... other bad news is that they also forecast that this "final" order won't carry us thru. Some plans for an alternative - interim boot - not sure what that will turn out to be... could be a Caddy.... could be a Lada.

on a personal note - have experienced old tank boots, Mk Is thru IIIs + WWBs over a long career. Am still using standard kit - never needed to consider GUCCI  lucky me

 

[BDTyre]

I got issued my two pairs of MkIIIs in June with no problems.  ASU Chilliwack had bin fulls of them.  No WWBs though; I was told the regiment would supply them (along with other newer stuff).

 

[I_Drive_Planes]

Here's an update on the Mk III boot shortage; I was at ASU in London today( August 24th) to get all my kit issued after returning to the Primary Reserve after 1 1/2 years out in the Supp Reserve. Had everything issued except combat boots as they had NO size 9's for me, not even used ones and they had no idea when they may get new stock! The good news was they were able to issue me two brand new pairs of WWB's in my size but these boots do not cut it in warm weather. I'm seriously considering buying a pair of Danner Ft.Lewis (uninsulated) boots to use as combat boots as I don't really have many options here and I'm NOT going to go buy an overpriced ratty old pair of Mk III's at the local surplus shop. At least I have an old pair of Mk III's (no treads left) to use in garrison!

I have owned the WW boot, and I currently wear the Ft. Lewis.  You will find the WW boot to be cooler than the Ft. Lewis, the Ft. Lewis is a 10" boot vs. the 8" WW Boot.  The Ft. Lewis is an excellent boot, but it fills the exact same role as the WW boot.

Planes

 

[CanadianGuy]

I did go out and order the Danner Ft.Lewis (noninsulated) boot, tried it on in the store I ordered it at and what a great fitting boot! Of course the quality of Danner boots is well known and obvious in the boot I tried on. I didn't mind the WWB, when I was wearing it in my previous service but it is just much too warm for moderate to warm temps. Looking forward to my return as a 031 Sergeant.

 

[mover1]

The WWB is not intended to be worn in warm weather. The sole had a defict in it where it froze at certain temeratures. That problem has been corrected. 
Try wearing safety boots year in and year out. There is no weat weather, cold weather, insulated, non insulated option. Just whats issued. Unless you buy your own.