Building a deployment box

[Steve Branam]

One of my Eagle Scouts has joined the Army out of high school and heads off to boot camp next week. I'd like to build a gear box for him for when he completes basic, however I don't know what sort of personal items like that he'll be able to have once he goes to his permanent duty, and what size limitations are. Anyone have any information on that?

I'm basing this on a box one of the other Scout dads had. He was a Marine Lt. Col. with us while he was stationed at Ft. Devens for several years. On a few camping trips, he brought a box that was roughly a cube 18" on a side that he had built and carried with him on assignments and deployments for 25 years, sort of like a half footlocker. Like a sailor's sea chest, it's seen the world. I realize that as an officer in a different branch of service, he might have had different rules for personal gear.

Whatever I build for him, I'll be using part of an oak tree I split up at Scout Camp one summer when he was a Patrol Leader. You can see a video of me splitting it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqPUaotjxOM. I still have a small section of it sitting in my garage. Dressed and prepped, it should be just big enough to make a panel for a box lid.

[David Keller NC]

Steve - I work with several guys that are in the Army reserves. They may know, and I'll report back.

BTW - do your Eagle Scout a favor and build the rest of the box out of something lighter than oak.;)

[Steve Branam]

BTW - do your Eagle Scout a favor and build the rest of the box out of something lighter than oak.;)

Heh, my standard of construction and materials for a box going into the field is it has to be able to serve as a jack stand for a fully-loaded Humvee!

Heart of Oak, you know!

[willie sobat]

Steve,

I am writing you from Afghanistan. I have the specs for the box I deploy with below. I also posted a link to the Stanley catalog so you can see it for yourself. I would recommend you build it like a tank if it is to survive the handling these things get.

Model # 037025H L 37-5/16 W 22-13/16 H 23-1/8

http://www.stanleytools.com/xhtml/literature/StanleyStorageCatalog_MKT0710.pdf

[John Stankus]

No direct knowledge, but by observation what Willie indicated is pretty typical. The other week I was driving on Interstate 35 (probably not far from Fort Hood) and saw a flat bed truck piled at least 5-7 layers deep with the Stanley boxes (I don't recall the exact height, but it seemed higher than I would stack them). One or two oddball boxes and maybe a dozen duffle bags. It only had a webbing cargo net over everything. I hope it was strapped down well.

John

[Steve Branam]

Steve,

I am writing you from Afghanistan. I have the specs for the box I deploy with below. I also posted a link to the Stanley catalog so you can see it for yourself. I would recommend you build it like a tank if it is to survive the handling these things get.

Model # 037025H L 37-5/16 W 22-13/16 H 23-1/8

http://www.stanleytools.com/xhtml/literature/StanleyStorageCatalog_MKT0710.pdf

Thanks! Yeah, I figure it has to be able to withstand getting tossed off the back of a truck or being dropped from a cargo net onto the hard.

That's actually quite a bit bigger than I expected. Would he be allowed two boxes if I built a smaller one, but he still needed more room and had to get something like one of the Stanleys? How is gear limited, by weight, by volume, by number of pieces?

Also, what about markings? I was thinking about carving his last name into it, and maybe one or two simple motifs inside, but otherwise keep it plain, with maybe a couple layers of marine or industrial grade green paint. I hate to cover up the oak, but I could leave the inside natural.

[willie sobat]

That's actually quite a bit bigger than I expected. Would he be allowed two boxes if I built a smaller one, but he still needed more room and had to get something like one of the Stanleys? How is gear limited, by weight, by volume, by number of pieces?

Also, what about markings? I was thinking about carving his last name into it, and maybe one or two simple motifs inside, but otherwise keep it plain, with maybe a couple layers of marine or industrial grade green paint. I hate to cover up the oak, but I could leave the inside natural.

As far as size and numbers go, that will depend on a number of factors, rank, mission location of deployment. I would recommend building a smaller (lighter) box that demonstrates your craftsmanship as well as being sturdy. I would finish is as you have suggested. He will no doubt find it usefull and it will remind him whenever he sees it of what he is fighting for.

[Steve Branam]

Thanks so much for your advice, Willie. He's starting at the bottom of the ranks fresh out of high school, so I'll keep it smaller and lighter. His brother goes to Afghanistan in a couple weeks (they're an Army family, Dad was a tank mechanic).

[David Keller NC]

Steve - I checked with the guys at work in the reserve; what they told me is that the rules change on a relatively frequent basis, and it's not enforced rigidly. Specifically, they noted that it matters what the perception is of the loadmaster - something that looks out of place will get scrutiny.

[Steve Branam]

Thanks, David. Sounds like my limiting factor will be the wood I have available to work with, so it won't get too big.