To steal a phrase, if you’re shot, you’ll be ok, but you’ll be screaming in a voice only dogs can hear.
Marines here from 3rd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment are currently testing lower body armor developed by the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory in Quantico, Va. The Kevlar shorts were designed to repel razor-sharp shrapnel from improvised explosive devices detonated by anti-Iraqi fighters along transportation routes throughout the country.
| Yes, but can they repel a angry Thai woman with a knife? |
According to Lt. Col. Lance A. McDaniel, battalion executive officer, the artillery unit received ten pairs of the shorts from the Warfighting Lab. The shorts arrived nearly a week ago and were distributed amongst the battalion’s batteries. "The gunners in our vehicles seem to be the most exposed to shrapnel," McDaniel said. "We’ve had a lot of Marines receive injuries to their buttocks and upper thighs." He said these shorts make the gunners, who man crew-served weapons on top of the vehicles, less vulnerable to serious injury during IED attacks. "The Marines wear flak jackets which protect their backs and chests," McDaniel said. "It only makes sense to have protection for the legs," The one-size-fits-all shorts are worn over a Marine’s uniform and are held up with built in suspenders. Each pair of shorts weighs close to 5 pounds.
| Sounds good for vehicle gunners, may be too heavy for ground pounders. |
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