By Anthony McGrath
Colorado – -(Ammoland.com)- So far in 2013, the military body armor has been undergoing some testing and changes in hopes to improve the comfort and quality of the gear.
Congress has ordered a study to be done on a brand of armor known as Next Generation Armor.
If this armor passes the military testing and it is decided that it will be used, it will reduce the weight of the heavy body armor our soldiers wear by at least 20%.
The body armor industry has also tried to get the Army to change the regulation on the durability of the armor by making it so that it is not required to hold up to more than one round. People in the armor industry have said that changing this regulation will allow the gear to be a lot lighter. Luckily for our soldiers however, the Army refuses to change this regulation for soldier safety and requires the gear to be able to stop multiple rounds. In times of war like we find ourselves in now this is highly important.
With the multiple rounds that can be fired quickly from most weapons this is crucial to ensure that if a soldier is being fired upon he or she has time to take cover before their vest is no longer effective.
Also in 2013 a new armor suit for the female soldiers has been introduced. The traditional body armor was created with the male body structure in mind. Men typically have wider shoulders, narrower hips, longer arms, and longer legs. This is not how your typical female is built so the gear does not fit properly on their frame. Not to mention the fact that the original gear also adds anywhere from 50 to 120 extra pounds on the body and also does not provide room for a females breasts which was not an issue when it was only the men.
This extra weight and improper fit causes the females to have bruises and gashes on their body, also it slows the women down tremendously in the field. Slowing women down can increase their risk of being injured or killed in a war zone by slowing their run to cover.
There have been tests done which have slimmed down the gear making it a better fit for our female soldiers. Currently there are 700 women giving this new armor a field test by wearing it in combat. When the 700 who wear it complete their deployment rotations and come home, the Army Uniform Board will vote to make the decision as to whether to make the new gear a new regulation for all females in the armed services to wear.
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