On 5 July 1950, U.S. troops, who were unprepared for the physical demands of war, were sent to battle.

The early days of the Korean war were nothing short of disastrous, as U.S. soldiers were routed by a poorly equipped, but well–trained, North Korean People’s Army.

As American soldiers withdrew, they left behind wounded comrades and valuable equipment their training had not adequately prepared them to carry heavy loads.

If we fail to prepare our soldiers for their physically demanding wartime tasks, we are then in fact signing the death sentence for thousands of our men.

This guide details effective physical fitness training methods for soldiers and their leaders.

The costly lessons learned by Task Force Smith in Korea are as important today as ever.