Doc Jargon: Who goes on a ruck ALICE or MOLLE?

Photo By Collen McGee | Doc Jargon, cutting through the jargon that is the U.S. Army.  

KANSAS, UNITED STATES

05.22.2023

Story by Collen McGee 

Fort Riley Public Affairs Office

Dear Doc Jargon,
We were getting ready to do a ruck march — my first since I got to Riley — and our command sergeant major said we needed to get our Alice ready. Please tell me that wasn’t code for some derogatory statement about a female. I mean, things have been pretty great here so far and I’d hate to think something fishy was going on.

Sincerely,
Worried about Alice

Dear Worried,

You can relax, ALICE is safe and you have one — well sort of. Your sergeant major definitely had one when he was a private. The ALICE pack stands for all-purpose, lightweight, individual, carrying equipment. We also call it a ruck or rucksack. The ALICE has been around since about 1973 and was replaced by the MOLLE, or Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment, in 2001. Since then the MOLLE, pronounced Molly, has been upgraded once or twice for efficiency since it came out.
Though ALICE packs might still be around for training, MOLLE is your go-to for the modern Soldier. Mainly, the distribution of weight is better with the MOLLE than the ALICE. Also, the frame on the MOLLE is adjustable, made of lighter weight material and has additional straps to assist with load distribution. The weight in the MOLLE will be on your hips, while the ALICE placed the load all on the shoulders.
Your MOLLE can carry about 4,000 cubic inches of stuff. Add on the sustainment pouches and you can get about 500 cubic inches more to your load. Keep in mind that every inch adds weight to your pack — and you will be the one carrying it.
Good luck with your first Fort Riley ruck. I hope you and MOLLE get along.

Sincerely,
Doc Jargon

• Date Taken: 05.22.2023
• Date Posted: 05.22.2023 15:47
• Story ID: 445254
• Location: KANSAS, US