Artifact of the Month
M1924 Phillips Pack Saddle in the TC Museum exhibit.
M1924 Phillips Pack Saddle side view.
M1924 Phillips Pack Saddle diagram.
The Aperajo Pack Saddle had long been used by the Army, but the Army had never been entirely happy with it. The continued advances in technology highlighted the need to replace the Aperajo with a pack saddle that could fit and carry modern equipment without injury to the mule. In 1908 the U.S. Army began testing to find a replacement for the Aperajo. The testing was put on hold when the United States entered World War I in 1917.
Following the end of war, the U.S. Army returned to a comprehensive testing program for the new pack saddle. Designs from U.S. and foreign sources were tested. A cavalry officer - by the name of Lt. Col. Albert E. Phillips - designed a pack saddle that continuously beat out the competition. The Infantry, Artillery, and Cavalry branches all conducted their own tests between 1920 – 24. On July 26, 1924, the Cavalry became the first of the branches to adopt the Phillips Pack Saddle.