PEO Soldier’s top individual equipment buyer, Col. Bill Cole, told us yesterday during a media roundtable that the service will soon field one of two versions of a new Mountain Combat Boot design intended for wear in the hot summers of Afghanistan.
The original mountain combat boot had a requirement for an all-leather upper and Gore-Tex lining. The new boot — one version made by Wellco another made by Belleville — have Cordura uppers and no Gore-Tex lining, increasing breatheability and cutting down on sweaty feet.
Each Soldier deploying to Afghanistan will be given one pair of each — one winter, one summer variant — of the Mt. Combat Boot, “that way they’ll have the appropriate footwear throughout the year available to them,” Cole said.
{ 28 comments… read them below or add one }
good afternoon
"Each Soldier deploying to Afghanistan will be given one pair of each — one winter, one summer variant — of the Mt. Combat Boot, “that way they’ll have the appropriate footwear throughout the year available to them,” Cole said."
You are kidding! You need a minimum of two pairs of each type to rotate on alternating days to let the boot "air " out. They will get wet and/or soak through on days it rains or snows.
The one pair each? Try that and neither pair will be any good for the season it was intended.
gmcm
If you want more, go buy them! You don’t need to switch boots everyday, those days are over.
last time I was deployed we got more uniforms AND boots in mail sent to us from the Army. Sure 2 boots for the entire year is nuts but like I said above we get more boots in country
Not sure what army you were in but spare boots aren't falling from the skies. In fact, nowdays you need to buy your own.. 2 pair. that's some funny shit right there.
Warm weather boots just in time for Winter!
I agree with gmcm, you need more than 2 fora whole year.
How about some warm boots for the cold nights in the mountains!
Glad the tax payers have endless pockets! I believe that the soldiers should gave top gear but. The Army seems to have to constantly have to change stuff because what they thought was good is not!
We do'nt need new boots, just another scam to rip off DOD, what we been is mo birds to keep these guy off the ground &IEDs, also mo ammo to kill the freakin enemy
I heard that brother!
Any idea when these will be fielded? I'm at one of the major mobilization stations for Guard and Reserve units and they are still issuing the "interim" Banner's with the black soles. No one has even seen the Belleville mountain combat boots that SSD reported about in February.
They haven’t even chosen one yet, so my guess is, its going to be awhile. It might actually be never. The Army has been trying to figure this out for awhile now, so I wouldn’t get my hopes up. If I were you, I would go out and buy my own. There are much better choices out there than a boot with no Gore-Tex. I can’t believe they would get rid of that requirement. They say it will cut down on sweaty feet. God forbid someone’s foot gets sweaty! So my foot getting completely soaked by rain water is ok? Ridiculous! This is why I can’t go back to the service. They’re always making obvious stupid decisions.
They need Gore Tex for the cold!!! And at least 4 prs. boots and with lots of ammo and protection.
Gore-tex boots are fine until they get wet. Takes forever to dry up and you're feet are going to get cold and stay that way. Then again, that's more of a concern in sub-zero, snowy temperatures than in Afghan hills. I just hope they plan on using them only in theatre and not as some sort of "go to boot" for cold climates.
Just my 02.
M
Just to clarify: I'm talking about the winter-variant ofc.
forget the boots we don't need them. Save the money sell all the MRAP's which do not work in OEF and use the money to buy Super Huey's or some other bird. Thats whats needed lets get out of the valleys and get into the high ground and kill some bad guys
Yeah, so they can hear us coming. While we fly in enjoying the weather.
Great. Guess what? I didn't get any boots on this deployment! Good thing I purchased some Asolos. The Army can suck it.
Its taken 2 years to test and select the Mountain Combat Boot, and after 2 months, they find them too hot in the summer. And these are the same people who will test and select the next version of cammo???
AH, the god old days. when I got to "the University of Viet_nam(Southern Campus) all I had was my stateside solid green utilitiesmade of 100% heavy-duty cottonduck material, white skivvies and spit-shined leather boots with leather soles. we wandered around like this for 3-5 days,until someone noticed that we were not in the "PROPER UNIFORM" and immediately put us on report! Then he sent us to a uniform and weapons depot to get the correct uniforms as well as 782 gear. When we asked what was to be done with our state-side utilitiesand boots, we were told that the gooks would get them to be re-used by their economy, especially the boots. the leather was considered almost priceless,for some reason that still escapes me. So don't worry about if or when you'll get these new wonder boots, our munificent government will take care of you,
Ronald Mc Donald designed those ……..you guys!!!! LOL
Next thing you know …Fort Devons will determine that little Teddy Bears is actually the best camo pattern.
Once again, ten years later and millions of dollars down the tubes. We have complained about the boots since OEF started, yet no one listened till the war is ending. Great leadership. I left for Iraq in 08 with hardly any gear. Why? CIF told us they had no more stuff to give us and it would meet up with us in OIF. Guess what? Never showed up. We had to buy it from the PX at double the cost. We are all volunteers and ask only for the equipment to fight. With all the budget cuts, I could see troops getting a clothing list and told to go to WalMart and buy your own. We all must sacrifice you know.
I HOPE THAY COME, IN ( EE-EW ) IM WORKING ON MY -7,TH DEPLOYMENT. SOME TIMES I GIT AWAY WITH WEARING MY BIRKENSTOCK, ,,, GOOG TOE ROOM. — WE NEED ,EXTRA WIDE FOR THE OVER 55 AGE.—–GOG SPEED TO ALL,10-19-2011 A.D. 1248 (h) U.S. et
TYPO:….error,——GOD speed, in 2nd john 1: 10, .I LIKES THE BELLEVILL ONES, SIEZ 11-1/2(EEE-XW) .sgt, jon jones.10-20-2011a.d. 0927(h) est.
Well I can tell you the Bellville is garbage they don't fit correctly at all and the majority of us that got them immediately started looking for different boots. It is pretty obvious the fact they were cheaply made is why they were issued, I swear they felt like a cheap pair of work boots.
Just to clarify I mean the standard mountain boot the Army has been supposedly testing and reviewing. Just wanted to give credit where it's due so to speak. For the life of me I will never understand how the Army spends millions testing equipment for years only to buy the cheapest P.O.S. they can find. Most of us who use the gear are able to go find effective gear out of pocket with a little research and word of mouth. I mean it is not like Soldiers have the Army's budget either. I remember seeing the comment made over the plate carriers by some Army official that combat effective is not a good enough reason to purchase a piece of gear. If I used that type of logic I would be dead, how do these guys sleep at night much less have a job. There is just too much politics but then guess it always will be
Okay. two pairs of boots, that will take a soldier about 5 weeks to walk through. Two pairs are not enough to supply the cuban army. Lets give each two pair and send them out on 4 week missions and bring them in and get the low on how good or bad they are?
Civilian Vasques…bought’m myself, stowed the issue crap and saved my feet. Dread the coming return to a garrison military. BTW…if you miss humping mountain desert terrain in boots, the Bataan Memorial Death March at White Sands Missile Range, NM is 25 March 2012. Great event honoring vets of the real Bataan death march. 26.2 miles of reconnecting with our brothers and sisters in arms (for those of us no longer serving). Anyway, I recommend it.