U.S. Army Guide to Rigging

by U.S. Department of the Army

Have you ever tried to rig your own sailboat? How about tying up the boat to the dock? Have you ever made a ladder or hoist? Learning rigging can be tricky, but with the U.S. Army Guide to Rigging (FM 5-125), you’ll learn everything you need to know about rigging, from how to properly tie a rope to a rock to how to make rope chairs and build whole scaffolding structures! This comprehensive guide is full of crucial rigging techniques, procedures, and applications used in both dire and everyday situations everywhere by the U.S. Army.

This informative and thorough guide draws upon the real-life experiences of soldiers installed in positions around the globe, whose duties require rigging, in all its variations and forms. Topics include the necessary usage of fiber rope, wire rope, and chains—used in multiple combinations and twists—to lift heavy loads. On the more basic side, it includes basic instructions on tying all manner of knots, hitches, splices, tackle systems, and more. Complete with illustrated diagrams to make it easy to follow along, anyone can access easy-to-learn rigging lessons that will come in handy both in your daily life and when you least expect it!

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

The Department of the Army (DA) is one of the three military departments within the Department of Defense of the United States of America. The Department of the Army is the Federal Government agency within which the United States Army is organized, and it is led by the Secretary of the Army who has statutory authority 10 U.S.C. § 3013 to conduct its affairs and to prescribe regulations for its government, subject to the limits of the law, and the directions of the Secretary of Defense and the President.

The Secretary of the Army is a civilian official appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. The highest-ranking military officer in the department is the Chief of Staff of the Army, who is also a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Other senior officials of the Department are the Under Secretary of the Army (principal deputy to the Secretary) and the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army (principal deputy to the Chief of Staff.)

The Department of War was originally formed in 1789 as an Executive Department of the United States, and was renamed by the National Security Act of 1947 to the Department of the Army on September 18, 1947. By amendments to the National Security Act of 1947 in 1949, the Department of the Army was transformed to its present-day status.