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A Knight’s Tale
Originally appeared in the New York Times on March 6th, 2006.
More is better, at least when it comes to body armor. That’s the opinion you’ll read in most mainstream media outlets. No doubt you’ll find tales that our body armor is in short supply, and that the meager amount of gear we do possess is ineffective. Well, in bitter opposition to the classic male mantra I am here to definitively state that more is not better. Not only is every Marine who goes outside the wire equipped with the latest in protective gear, but it is absolutely effective. The unfortunate yin to this yang is that it seems if bullets don’t kill me, the crushing weight of my combat load may just have my number.
Please don’t misinterpret. I am not advocating that we traipse around Al Anbar in a pair of Umbros and a baseball cap. However, someone has got to stand up and declare that the marginal benefits of more body armor may not be worth the benefits. Flak jacket, SAPI plates, side SAPI plates, throat protector, neck protector, groin protector, helmet, gloves, eye protection…where does the madness end? I’ll go ahead and tell you: it doesn’t end there. Marines that man the turret of gun trucks have an extra Kevlar suit that slips onto their shoulders and legs, in addition to the above prescribed gear. After donning this gear they closely resemble a poopie-covered kevlar snowman.
So perhaps you’re wondering what I’m up in arms about. I’m protected from bullets and shrapnel, what else could I want? Well, I’d kind of like to be able to move. I’d also enjoy the ability to answer the call of nature without a massive disarmament. A Marine fully outfitted with protective gear resembles an awkward combat rolley-polley. Kevlar and ceramics aren’t light, either. Nor are they breathable. A full combat load of protective gear, weapon, and ammunition weighs in excess of 60 pounds [This is a change from my initial NYT post. After comparing my gear to 45lb plates in the gym, I have determined it is significantly heavier], and this assumes all personal gear is vehicle-mobile. In a fast-paced, hot, and stressful environment this can quickly become more than challenging for even the most physically fit Marine.
What I’m proposing here is to just take an honest look at the cost versus benefit of wrapping me in more of this bullet-bouncing goodness. We make decisions like this everyday. Driving your car is probably the most dangerous thing you do on a regular basis. How many of you wear a helmet? Is there any arguing that you would be safer in a crash if you wore protective gear? However, while you won’t see any armor-clad warriors navigating the freeway, most Americans do wear a seatbelt. It appears we have all determined that a seatbelt offers protection in a crash with a reasonable cost in comfort under normal circumstances, but the price of wearing a helmet during our daily commute is too much to bear for the potential benefits. At what point do we call the ballistic protection game on account of logic? To continue in the current direction will result in a fighting force of 12th century knights that require a squire to stand us back up when we fall off our HMMWV.
Update:
Because of all the comments I received from Frontlines readers, I thought it prudent to add a few sentences expounding on my thoughts. I do not advocate or condone anyone going outside the wire with less than the MEF-mandated list of personal protective gear. I believe our current gear, while heavy, is effective and saves lives. I am also not concerned about this because of comfort. I gave up my concerns about comfort on 5-Oct 2003. I am concerned about being mobile. HMMWVs break every day. If my vehicle is disabled or otherwise unavailable and I have to get somewhere in a hurry on foot, I will be in a world of hurt. What I would like to see is serious research into making this gear lighter, and a stop to the trend of constantly demanding “more protection.” On the converse side of that, I have often wondered what would happen if my HMMWV flipped upside down into a canal. I have a lot of challenges to overcome in order to get out of it in a reasonable amount of time.
In your update, you bring up this point,”On the converse side of that, I have often wondered what would happen if my HMMWV flipped upside down into a canal. I have a lot of challenges to overcome in order to get out of it in a reasonable amount of time”. This is not, sadly, an idol thought.
It’s something I have thought about over the weeks since what you mention actually happened with loss of life. At the risk of appearing foolish, I want to ask if the the majority of the protective gear is in one unit? If so is it possible to design that unit to have an emergency set of releases in a chest location, or at another location, easily accessable, to allow the shoulder and/or side “seams” to release automatically and elsewhere as needed for a fast “out” in an emergency circumstance.
If this seems feasible to you perhaps you could pursue it with the maker of the unit. I would be most gratified if this would actually be something that could be implemented.
I really enjoyed this article the first time around as it said something that really needed saying. A repeat performance for a “great act” is always worthwhile.