Troops in Iraq to get fire-resistant uniforms

[Barrett808]

WASHINGTON — Flame-resistant uniforms will be standard issue for U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan by early 2007, Pentagon officials say.

More than 160,000 suits made of the flame-retardant fabric NOMEX will be sent to combat zones, said Thomas Edwards, assistant deputy chief of staff for Army logistics.

The Pentagon moved quickly, Edwards said, because Iraqi insurgents are using homemade bombs and targeting the fuel tanks of vehicles. The bombs, called improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, are the top killer of U.S. troops in Iraq.

"Guys in the area of operations said, 'Give us all the fireproof uniforms you can find and then kick up production,' " Edwards said.

After receiving the Army's request Sept. 21, the Pentagon shipped 70,000 suits by Oct. 13 to outfit troops who patrol outside U.S. bases, Edwards said. It will cost about $70 million for the uniforms, hoods and gloves.

(more)

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-12-14-safer-uniforms_x.htm?csp=34

[madrchsod]

1. jesus h christ

what fucking idiot thought that up? nomex is hotter than hell..ask a race car driver when his cool suit fails on a hot afternoon.

[truthisfreedom]

5. I think having the option of putting one on in an IED zone while driving seems reasonable.

Just sayin'. 8^)

[TomInTib]

9. My first thought, as well.

Nothing like heat stroke while on patrol.

They will not be capable of carrying enough water to avoid heat prostration.

[GreenZoneLT]

14. They can't be that hot

The vehicle crew already wear Nomex coveralls; standard wear for air crew, too. This just means the dismounts will wear them, as well, instead of their ACUs. Which are not exactly shorts and flipflops, anyway, especially with 30 pounds of armor over them.

[jmowreader]

15. Tracked vehicle crews have them

Tracked vehicle crews also have air conditioners--the electronics in an M1 tank really hate hot, dusty air.

Aircrews? Apaches have air conditioners, but aircrews use the "245" method--open two windows and fly 45 miles an hour.

If you don't have either of those methods, Nomex is unbearably hot. It's right up there with a chemical warfare suit, and those the Army should sell to civilians as "portable saunas."

[Toots]

18. Nomax is very similar to wool

It is indeed much more insulated than regular fatigues. If infantry is forced to wear Nomax there will be an escalation of heat stroke. I wore nomax while in helicopters in Vietnam. We even had to wear Nomax gloves at times.

[IndianaGreen]

2. It is cheaper and safer to bring all the troops home

than to watch them turn to crispy bacon.

[Gregorian]

3. Is it wrong that I have bad thoughts about this.

I'm thinking Dresden. I don't see any good coming from this. Sorry, I may be missing something. After all, I'm have just watched this-


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24SoPihLdq4


$70 million! Man.

[truthisfreedom]

4. I'm all for this. Why didn't they have fire-proof uniforms already?

I hope these suits are designed with some level of comfort in mind in the insane heat of Iraq.

[davepc]

8. because the material isn't really suited to infantry applications

Nomex uniforms are mainly used by vehicle/aircraft crew members who are in a climate controlled vehicle or aircraft.

[pocoloco]

10. Nomax coveralls are the required apparel for most oil field workers.

[junior college]

12. I sure hope these new outfits

are for oil work and not the Dresden scenario.

[knight_of_the_star]

13. That's not full-body though

That stuff would get just plain suffocating if you had to wear a full-body suit.

[angstlessk]

6. $1,000 per outfit...wonder who Edwards will work for when he retires?

DuPont?

[davepc]

7. Nomex in the desert?

So you can lose soldiers to heat stroke instead of enemy attacks.

I guess having your internal organs shut down is preferable to being burned...i dunno.

Either way the solider is combat ineffective.

[MADem]

11. Those digital cammies look like pajamas....so now they're getting fireproof jammies? NT

[jmowreader]

16. I guess FR Cotton never occurred to them

There are two kinds of race suits.

The first we all know about--Nomex. This is what the guys who drive in the top series wear--they're made of a cloth that is naturally fire-resistant, they're expensive and they're hot as hell.

The other is what smalltime racers wear--FR Cotton. These are made from all-cotton fabric that is treated in a borate solution so it won't burn. They work so long as they're laundered correctly, and since the Army has laundry & bath units they have people who can properly wash the stuff.

[maine_raptor]

17. Army does not operate it's own laundry units.

Halliburton has that contract.

[jmowreader]

19. True, but someone there should be able to wash FR cotton correctly

You give the job to the troops and you're going to have every damn thing from Tide to shaved-off Irish Spring (I've seen it done) used to wash the uniforms. But a "professional" laundry operation should be able to use the proper detergents.

[madrchsod]

20. forgot about cotton..

when i worked in the steel mill we had to wear long underwear under our pants and shirts to trap water so to cool our skin from the extreme heat.we could`t wash our fr cotton jackets more than a couple of times because the fr washed out. under extreme conditions nether nomex or fr cotton will save anyone. after spending a few years in the melt furnace dept sometimes it`s better they die......

[madokie]

21. are they fixing to use willy pete on the iraqi's on a much larger scale than fallujah

is that lil g'orge's plan :shrug:

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

22. How about bringing them home and giving them jobs as an alternative.