Not long ago, during a podcast interview, Mike Green and I had a side tangent about getting a plate carrier set up for his wife. She competes in the Tactical Games, and went through several iterations of plate carrier, pouches, and other "stuff" before settling on something that worked for her. During that interview, he mentioned the phrase "Pre-Combat Inspections" (PCIs), and it stuck with me. My friend Justin at Swift Silent Deadly also recently wrote up some great articles on configuring a reconnaissance loadout based on his real-world experience. There were a few tidbits in there that reminded me of advice Max at MVT also wrote about years ago. And then, I got the chance to join a group of guys doing a "gear shakeout" over in West Virginia. The goal of the day was running through some drills and brutality-style stages to evaluate "stuff." That "stuff" was a mix of personal skill gaps as well as how well each person's equipment supported or hindered their efforts. With all of that going on, I figured it was time to put it all in one place. The Goal of a Pre-Combat Inspection US Army doctrine has a formal definition of PCIs as part of its troop-leading procedures. It's actually a series of things, with the pre-combat inspection being one of them. The other two include Pre-Combat Checks (PCCs) and pre-execution checks. Each of these serve a different purpose to ensure a unit is prepared to execute operations and training according to standards. In the military, these checks are individual and leader responsibilities. But since you and I are on our own, for now, it really is up to you to evaluate your gear and make adjustments. Ultimately, the goal of the inspections is combating apathy and complacency. These two things are absolute killers in the field or anywhere else. Administrative Gear Evaluation I don't want to conflate what I'm writing here with the doctrine around PCIs, PCCs, and such. Those checklists usually include a lot of other items such as a packing list of equipment and where it is carried. Instead, we're making up a new one focused only on your personal load carrying equipment and how its configured. You'll find a downloadable checklist below to help out. The Every Marksman Administrative Gear Evaluation (AGE) has two portions to it, and both are important. The first is an evaluation of equipment condition. This looks for signs of damage, poor attachment mechanisms, and otherwise keeping things tidy. The second portion is about equipment fit and function. This includes several physical tasks to replicate real-world movement as well as simulation of using equipment as designed. Keep in mind that AGE checks do not just apply to your Scenario-X gear, but also your competition equipment. You're never wrong to check if your stuff is working out for you or not. Click to download the full checklist AGE Phase I: Equipment Condition Why do you want to check over your equipment condition? Two reasons come to mind. First, you want to make sure that it's in good working order, and isn't likely to cause you problems at the worst possible moment. Second, there's a lot to be said for looking professional and squared away. I'm not saying you need to crease your sleeves and polish your boots, though doing both helps instill a bit of pride in personal appearance, but I am saying that you don't want to give off the impression of being sloppy and poorly trained.