The ALICE LCE system was developed around the lessons learned in Vietnam and prior. All the gear, for the most part, is made of nylon which is lightweight but incredibly durable. It has been used and abused and carries with it a controversial record. Though modular, it is limited to the belt and not all components worked out all that well for carrying heavier loads, such as the Y-Harness system. Some military units had mandated set ups, which gave soldiers and Marines a further dislike of the system. For my purposes, I am not only unrestricted on how I set up the ALICE system, but I am also inspired by the functionality of the British PLCE. By blending ALICE pouches on the US web belt and utilizing a Danish Yoke, I have what I feel is the best fighting system for conventional combat.

​I spent 5 years and change in the Marine Corps infantry. I was wounded in Afghanistan and was stabilized before being medically retired at the ripe old age of 23. My military experience gave me incredible experience and exposure (though limited for sure) to how a battalion is run and how it fights. More than that, I got to see the small & large picture of serving during a time of war and experienced its benefits and shortfalls. In this article, I am merely going to describe my analysis from 50,000ft (so to speak) of what it is like to serve in the military. This is not going to be fully detailed, but should hit the wavetops of how it affects the psychological state of a US citizen as they serve in our volunteer military (during my time, anyways). Just remember this is my isolated experience being condensed down to be honest and comparable for someone unexposed to military life. I cannot speak for current Marines or even other branches.