Afghan National Police officers, Afghan National Army soldiers and U.S. Army 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment Soldiers patrol on foot in the Zabul province of Afghanistan on July 25, 2009. Credit: U.S. Army
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Shortly after iron swords and spearheads became common, soldiers in sixth-century Greece ran into a problem. Infantrymen carted around breastplates, helmets, bronze-lined wooden shields, and iron-tipped spears—as much as 70 pounds of extra weight. The loads were so intolerable that soldiers routinely abandoned them on the battlefield. The famous Spartan phrase “Come back with your shield or upon it” was not meant to inspire valor. It was a directive to stop troops from ditching essential equipment. READ MORE HERE