In the British Army, loaded marching is considered a core skill and is tested annually in a
Annual Fitness Test (formerly known as a Combat Fitness Test) carrying 15–25 kg depending on the
arm (25 kg for infantry, 20 kg for artillery, armour/cavalry, and engineers/sappers; 15 kg for other arms and services). Infantry soldiers are additionally expected to complete advanced tests, typically a first day of 20 km (12.43 miles) with in three and a half hours, followed by a similar march with the next day. Within each arm there are more demanding units (such as close support, commandos and paratroopers) which have their own internal standards and tests. Special forces also use their own tests. During the selection process, Army recruits are usually made to tab as an introduction. This is because injuries to the legs are common during basic training tabbing. Loaded marches have been particularly important in the British Army since the 1982
Falklands War. Many British commanders felt that British success in the war was linked to the British soldiers' ability to march across the difficult Falklands terrain with their kit. British infantry soldiers in Afghanistan conducted four-hour patrols carrying an average of of equipment, going into battle with that weight if they encountered enemy fighters. There is some debate as to whether this makes them better equipped for battle or weighs them down too much. Just as with its Royal Marine equivalent yomp, the origin of the term "tab" is entirely obscure, with various unproven definitions in circulation including that tab is an obsolete slang word for feet, or that it is the
acronym for
Tactical Advance to Battle. ==In the French Foreign Legion==