Soldiers are now authorized to wear a plain black shoulder bag, gym bag or backpack over one shoulder, while in uniform.
Civilian experts are also concerned with the potential health effects of backpack use.
For example, the American Physical Therapy Association issued a news release, expressing concerns to parents over the potential risk of injuries to children secondary to improper backpack usage. For years, soldiers were only authorized to carry bags, other than A.L.I.C.E. packs, at their side. The revision to the current policy authorizing the use of backpacks, was originally a welcome change, as it allows soldiers to carry loads closer to the body s center of mass. However, this decision has raised some debate, because it conflicts with intuitive, ergonomic and biomechanical principles, which suggest that loads should be carried in a balanced fashion. Ergonomists and biomechanists have investigated multiple ways in which loads can be carried.