That technique, proven through two conflicts, persists as doctrine today. That does not mean, however, that the Quartermaster Corps has gone static. The basic premise of this doctrine is adaptation to change, as has happened in every major conflict since World War I, and this focus on change is continuing. Although the single trailer units fielded in Vietnam are currently in the inventory, a new system is being tested. Techniques used for resupply will change based on soldier needs in either a high Intensity AirLand Battle or a low-intensity conflict.
Logisticians understand the significant combat multiplier generated by clean, dry clothes.
In Third World low-intensity conflicts, fixed facilities may never appear, Increasing the reliance on mobile units. The task at hand is to prevent research and development of this crucial service from being sidetracked by shrinking budgets and the more glamorous appeal of weapons systems and tactics. Quartermasters and 'Cooties' Dr. Steven E. Anders, Quartermaster Corps Historian Back in the bad old days, life in the Army could get, well, downright lousy . Without proper field sanitation, lice spread quickly from one soldier to another. Hence it took very little time for the uninitiated to begin slapping, scratching, and nit-picking along with the rest.