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MTIs hope BMT study gives canteens the boot

  • Published
  • By James Coburn
  • 37th Training Wing Public Affairs
LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AETCNS) --  About 50 trainees in each of Lackland's seven basic military training "street" squadrons are being issued backpack hydration systems in a yearlong study to compare their health with fellow trainees hydrating from canteens.

"I think everybody intuitively thinks CamelBaks, or a similar backpack hydration system, is the best way to go," said Maj. Rob Passinault, 322nd Training Squadron commander. "However, we've got to support it with the data."

Maj. Gen. Loyd S. Utterback, 2nd Air Force commander, said in a letter that he supports a request to have personal hydration systems issued to all trainees, but before final approval he wants a larger study to be conducted involving all street squadrons in all BMT environments over the course of a year to substantiate results of a small study.

A 6 1/2-week study, conducted last year by the 323rd Training Squadron comparing one flight of trainees wearing PHS backpacks with a flight wearing canteens, overwhelmingly supported the backpack system.

Each hydration system holds roughly three canteens of water. Trainees can easily sip water from a tube during an at-ease march or while running, but they often find it very difficult to unbutton a canteen and drink from it while marching, said military training instructors. Canteens usually aren't worn while running. Trainees also complain that water gets hot quickly in the plastic canteens.

The 6 1/2-week test showed trainees wearing hydration systems were healthier than other trainees wearing canteens.

"I'll give you a perfect example," said Staff Sgt. Ronald Coulter, MTI. "I had four Airmen today (Aug. 11) fall out at the Airman's Run," referring to a 2.5-mile motivational run the day before the trainees graduate. "None of them were the ones who wore CamelBaks."

"It was a hot day, very humid," Sergeant Coulter said. The four Airmen who dropped out of the run did not require intravenous fluid, "but they were dehydrated and exhausted," he said. "Two of them ended up with sprained ankles."

Injuries, both from dehydration and muscle strains, are part of the data in the larger study.

"I've had zero heat-related or dehydration-related incidents involving trainees wearing CamelBaks," Sergeant Coulter said. Each incident is a loss of training time, since rules require an escort, plus the cost of an ambulance run.

"Two flights from each of the seven street squadrons will be involved in the larger study from now until its conclusion next August," Major Passinault said.

Data will be compiled to compare the two groups regarding injuries, time lost to injuries, time savings in fewer fill-ups, functionality of the two hydration systems and their suitability to BMT.

Major Passinault said medical personnel at Lackland's Reid Clinic will begin a companion study later this year to see if personal hydration systems increase trainee performance.