"I'll be GRATEFUL when you give me something that keeps SWORDS from going through my VITAL ORGANS!"

U.S. Army to test female-specific body armor

Body armor is a blessing and a curse for soldiers. Modern tactical armor has saved thousands of lives from bullets and bombs, but it can also be a major problem if it doesn’t fit properly. That’s what the women who make up 14 percent of the U.S. Army face on a regular basis. Now, according to the Army News Service, the Army is preparing to test a new armor that is tailored to the female form to replace the standard men's armor that the women now use. Working on data collected in studies overseas and at stateside army bases, the Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier has identified several problem areas and has developed a new armor that will be tested in 2013.

The problem that women soldiers have with the current Improved Outer Tactical Vest (IOTV) is that they aren’t just on average shorter than men, they also generally have narrower shoulders and shorter torsos in relation to the rest of their bodies. This makes the IOTV fit women a bit like socks fit a chicken. The arm holes don’t fit properly and the bottom of the armor-plated vest hangs too low. This restricts arm movement, causes the vest to rub against the hips while walking and presses it into the thighs while sitting, cutting off blood circulation.