Loaded march
A loaded march is a relatively fast march over distance carrying a load and is a common military exercise.
A loaded march is known as a forced foot march in the US Army. Less formally, it is a ruck march or rucking in the Canadian Armed Forces and the US Army, a tab in British Army slang, a yomp in Royal Marines slang, stomping in Australian Army slang, and a hump in the slang of the United States Marine Corps.
As a civilian exercise, loaded marching comes under the category of hiking, although this includes activities not vigorous enough to be compared to loaded marching. Civilian activities analogous to loaded marches are quite popular in New Zealand, where they are organised by "tramping clubs".
In many countries, the ability to complete loaded marches is a core military skill, especially for infantry and special forces. Loaded marching is particularly important in Britain, where all soldiers must complete annual loaded march tests.
In certain climates, the use of loaded marches is limited, since they would result in high casualty rates through heat exhaustion.
In the Roman Army
According to Vegetius, during the four-month initial training of a Roman legionary, loaded marches were taught before recruits ever handled a weapon, since any formation would be split up by stragglers at the back or soldiers trundling along at differing speeds. Standards varied over time, but normally recruits were first required to complete 20 Roman miles with 20.5 kg in five summer hours, which was known as "the regular step" or "military pace". They then progressed to the "faster step" or "full pace" and were required to complete 24 Roman miles in five summer hours loaded with. Training also included some forced marches of 20–30 miles, often followed by the construction of basic defences for an overnight position.In some cases, each member of a Roman unit marched with a sudis, to aid the construction of defences.
In the Belgian Land Component
In the Belgian Army, the Special Forces Group have two different tests. On the first test, known as "Bergham Run", the standard is to do 8km within 50 minutes, loaded with a 20kg rucksack. For the second test, the "Tender Feet", 120km must be walked within 48 hours, also with a 20kg rucksack.In the British Armed Forces
In the British Army, loaded marching is considered a core skill and is tested annually in a Annual Fitness Test carrying 15–25 kg depending on the arm. Infantry soldiers are additionally expected to complete advanced tests, typically a first day of 20 km with in three and a half hours, followed by a similar march with the next day. Within each arm there are more demanding units which have their own internal standards and tests. Special forces also use their own tests.During the selection process, Army recruits are usually made to tab as an introduction. This is because injuries to the legs are common during basic training tabbing.
Loaded marches have been particularly important in the British Army since the 1982 Falklands War. Many British commanders felt that British success in the war was linked to the British soldiers' ability to march across the difficult Falklands terrain with their kit. British infantry soldiers in Afghanistan conducted four-hour patrols carrying an average of of equipment, going into battle with that weight if they encountered enemy fighters. There is some debate as to whether this makes them better equipped for battle or weighs them down too much.
Just as with its Royal Marine equivalent yomp, the origin of the term "tab" is entirely obscure, with various unproven definitions in circulation including that tab is an obsolete slang word for feet, or that it is the acronym for Tactical Advance to Battle.