ARLINGTON, Va.— The Army will send fire-resistant clothes to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan this summer, including a new long-sleeve pullover shirt, officials announced this week.
The clothes are designed to give soldiers an extra layer of protection against fires caused by roadside bombs or rocket-propelled grenades, according to officials from the Army’s Program Executive Office Soldier at Fort Belvoir, Va. This is especially important for those traveling in vehicles or aircraft, where fire can be particularly intense.
In the past, fire-resistant clothes were reserved for aviators and tankers — soldiers who traditionally faced the greatest threat of fire.
But Army leaders have realized that fire protection is now an issue for all troops who travel outside the wire in Iraq and Afghanistan — in particular thanks to a phenomenon firefighters call “flashover.”
The heat from a flashover can melt polyester and other man-made fabrics, which have plastic or petroleum components, into skin.
To prevent such burns, Army regulations require troops to wear only 100 percent cotton shirts under their body armor while traveling the roads or flying in helicopters. Cotton burns but doesn’t melt and fuse into flesh the way artificial fibers can.
In January, the Army began sending more than 160,000 uniforms made of Nomex, the firefighting industry’s “gold standard” nylon-based fire-resistant fabric, to deployed soldiers conducting convoy operations.
But Nomex is a heavy, stiff fabric. It traps sweat and is very uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time, especially next to the skin and in places like Iraq, where summer temperatures routinely soar into ranges topping 120 degrees.
That’s why the Army chose to use a lighter version of Nomex for the fire-resistant pullovers being supplied to all deployed soldiers, according to the news release.
The pullovers “breathe,” or wick, sweat away from the skin.
Saturday, May 5
Army Giving Troops Fire-Resistant Clothing
DESASTRES.org - Army Giving Troops Fire-Resistant Clothing
