Origins

The Alice systems origins came from experiences encountered early on in the Vietnam War with the existing M1956 Load Carrying Equipment webgear, which was made from a cotton duck canvas, which while durable is quite heavy especially if it gets wet, wether it be from sweat, rain, bodies of water, or any other form of moisture. And in Vietnam, moisture is unavoidable, from rain to rice paddies. The M1956 was also designed for use with the M14 rifle, which is a quite heavy rifle on its own, and also does not like moisture. But in the early 1960's the US Military was experimenting with newer "space age" ideas such as lighter loads for the individual soldiers, and a new rifle as well, the legendary M16. This resulted in the M1967 Modernized Load Carrying Equipment (MLCE) which used nylon in its construction, increasing durability and moisture resistance, but also being lighter. The US Military had at this time started a new program called LINCLOE where the M1967 spawned from. However, while the M1967 introduced nylon materials, new plastic snaps for the pouches, and set the overall framework, it was not intended to replace the M1956 LBE, only to be issued in tropical enviroments and even then, many soliders were mixing and matching both systems since they were cross compatible. In the closing years of the Vietnam War in 1973, the All-purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment or ALICE was offically adopted by all branches of the US Military

The Cold War

With a new rifle, the M16A1, which fixed the original M16s teething problems, and with that they also had a new system to go with it, just waiting for the Soviet's to try something, the Alice system which along with the iconic M1 helmet of WW2 fame, ushered in the end of the Vietnam War. But its service was just beginning. Special Operations units, and small scale military actions continued throughout Asia, and US troops in Europe prepared for a theoretical Warsaw Pact invasion. But time waits for no man, and Alice got its first modernization with the LC-2 buckle, just as the US Military worked on a new system, not for webgear, but for protecting soldiers, The Personnel Armor System for Ground Troops or PASGT vest and helmet were introduced in 1983. Now PASGT was designed in a way to still allow Alice to be used but this advancment was intended to improve protection from shrapnel or fragmentation. This is important because a new M16 variant was also introduced, the M16A2. Now all of this is intertwined because even back then, all of the stuff infantrymen used, had to work together to be effective. And Grenada, Panama, and the 1991 Gulf War would finally give Alice a full trial by fire. Soldiers loved their rigs, even though by then the system was over 10 years old, and had been designed after an older style of thinking in terms of where soldiers carry their equipment, and again time marched on, with Natick Labrotories, one of the military's premier design firms, was already designing a new system for a new millenium.

Colt Promo Video showing US troops using alice LC-2 at various points

The Individual Integrated Fighting System

Based on Vietnam War research finding that weight is more evenly distributed when spread out over the body, the IIFS or LBV-88E Vest was designed to replace all of the original alice systems components aside from the belt. The case small arms pouches and pistol mag pouches were going to be retained to allow for more ammunition to be carried when needed. But there was a slight problem. the original versions had solid nylon panels that caused soldiers to overheat, which were immediately replaced with the enhanced version or LBV-88E. The other and more noticable change was the magazine pouches, which were canted inwards instead of being straight up, which allowed for faster reloads. The IIFS also marked a change in overall doctrtine, smaller tactical teams moving around in vehicles and getting in and out of vehicles instead of simply walking or marching around like in Vietnam and all other previous wars. As a cost savings measure, certain older alice pouches and the belt were retained in their original solid green configuration instead of the planned M81 Woodland printing like the vest itself was, instead of contracting new equipment. The only real change was the change to an ITW fastex belt and a new adjustment system originally produced by Bianchi but later contracted to other manufacturers. But in the 1990's, both were being used interchangably especially until the later 1990's when manufacturers caught up with demand. However, the Modular Lightweight load carrying equipment or MOLLE was introduced which first saw widespread service after the terrorist attacks on September 11th 2001, which as a result caused the US Military budget to skyrocket, and saw service in Afganistan.

Alice Today

While long since replaced by Molle, the Alice system endures. It is still used in a training capacity and issued to reserve units in the US Military, but it still sees service actively with various State Guard forces and other countries, most notably Latvia. However, the alice system has found new life, just not in military service. Bushcrafters, doomsday preppers, armed civilian militias, outdoorsmen, airsoft enthusiasts, and reenactors all still use the alice system because its durable, plentiful, and cheap. The IIFS however is still used in the US Armed Forces but is rapidly being phased out with Molle equipment. However, in some ways the Alice system does persist. The ammunition pouches on the IIFS were used as a basis for the first generation of Molle equipment and were prominently featured in the SPEAR ELCS system intended for special forces units during the turn of the millenium, and the FLC system for the rank and file infantrymen. These have since been phased out as well when woodland was replaced with the infamous Universal camoflage pattern. But the most prominent way alice persists is what it inspired even today. The Velocity Systems Jungle Rig, Nixieworks lightfighter rig, and the Spiritus Systems LBV expander kit for their 34A chest rig and their spud pouch all take inspiration from the Alice and IIFS systems, just using Molle and more modern materials. One possible explanation is consumer demand, as both soldiers and civilians have been wanting more belt and suspenders rigs, or Load Bearing Vest Rigs, which has spurred a resurgence in these kits, and Alice itself While the US military have forgotten about ALICE the american citizen has not, especially due to desire for retro AR-15 rifles, a desire to have a matching setup has kept it alive. It is also popular with newcomers due to its cheap pricepoint, durability, ready availibility for those who want to get into a more tactical mindset or hobby. Alice and the IIFS system may not be as modular as molle or todays placard systems, but it has stood the test of time, one way or the other and likely will continue to do so for awhile.