Warrior-Mentor
11-24-2006, 08:15
USA Today
November 22, 2006
New Suits Protect Troops Under Fire
Flame-resistant apparel reduces burns from bombs
By Tom Vanden Brook, USA Today
FALLUJAH, Iraq - Marine commanders are outfitting their troops with
flame-resistant flight suits in Iraq to ward off burns from the No. 1
killer here: roadside bombs.
It's another sign of how troops in the field have adapted to the deadly
insurgency. Earlier in the war, troops added their own armor to vehicles
and devised their own makeshift electronic jamming devices to foil the
growing power and sophistication of the bombs they encountered.
Marine commanders in Iraq took the initiative to issue flame- and
heat-resistant clothing made from a DuPont-manufactured fiber called
Nomex, said Lt. Col. Bryan Salas, a spokesman for Multinational Force
West. That group commands about 33,000 servicemembers in western Iraq,
the heart of the Sunni-based insurgency.
The intense heat from the bombs, called improvised explosive devices or
IEDs, led Marine commanders to get the protective apparel, Salas said.
Troops who ride in tanks, trucks and armored personnel carriers received
most of the first suits.
Explosives kill or wound more troops than any other weapon in Iraq,
according to Pentagon records. Through Tuesday, roadside bombs have
killed more than 1,200 U.S. servicemembers and wounded more than 11,000
others.
So far, the Marines have issued more than 12,000 fire-resistant suits,
said Capt. Jeff Landis, spokesman for the Marine Corps Systems Command.
Only those Marines who leave forward operating bases receive the suits,
Landis said, so there's been enough to go around.
In February, the Marines started a research and development program to
develop clothing - including shirt, gloves and suit - to help troops
survive a fiery blast.
Marines stationed in restive Anbar province in western Iraq say they
like the flame-resistant suits.
"The Marine Corps made a great decision with the issuing of flight suits
to Marines in vehicles," said Marine Capt. Eric Dominijanni, 34.
He sends his Marines from the 5th Regimental Combat Team on patrol every
day over roads pockmarked and scorched by bomb blasts. "Remember, all
vehicles have fuel tanks," Dominijanni said. "If they explode, the suits
protect us from burns"
Members of the 5,000-strong combat team received their first suits in
February, said Lt. Joseph King, a Marine spokesman. Troops received more
of the dun-colored suits, dubbed "Poop Suits" by the Marines, in the
spring, King said.
The Army also has begun to issue fire-resistant flight suits to tank and
truck drivers in Iraq, said Lt. Col. Carl Ey, an Army spokesman at the
Pentagon.
Next year, the Army plans to issue fire-resistant pullovers, boots and
socks, records show.
November 22, 2006
New Suits Protect Troops Under Fire
Flame-resistant apparel reduces burns from bombs
By Tom Vanden Brook, USA Today
FALLUJAH, Iraq - Marine commanders are outfitting their troops with
flame-resistant flight suits in Iraq to ward off burns from the No. 1
killer here: roadside bombs.
It's another sign of how troops in the field have adapted to the deadly
insurgency. Earlier in the war, troops added their own armor to vehicles
and devised their own makeshift electronic jamming devices to foil the
growing power and sophistication of the bombs they encountered.
Marine commanders in Iraq took the initiative to issue flame- and
heat-resistant clothing made from a DuPont-manufactured fiber called
Nomex, said Lt. Col. Bryan Salas, a spokesman for Multinational Force
West. That group commands about 33,000 servicemembers in western Iraq,
the heart of the Sunni-based insurgency.
The intense heat from the bombs, called improvised explosive devices or
IEDs, led Marine commanders to get the protective apparel, Salas said.
Troops who ride in tanks, trucks and armored personnel carriers received
most of the first suits.
Explosives kill or wound more troops than any other weapon in Iraq,
according to Pentagon records. Through Tuesday, roadside bombs have
killed more than 1,200 U.S. servicemembers and wounded more than 11,000
others.
So far, the Marines have issued more than 12,000 fire-resistant suits,
said Capt. Jeff Landis, spokesman for the Marine Corps Systems Command.
Only those Marines who leave forward operating bases receive the suits,
Landis said, so there's been enough to go around.
In February, the Marines started a research and development program to
develop clothing - including shirt, gloves and suit - to help troops
survive a fiery blast.
Marines stationed in restive Anbar province in western Iraq say they
like the flame-resistant suits.
"The Marine Corps made a great decision with the issuing of flight suits
to Marines in vehicles," said Marine Capt. Eric Dominijanni, 34.
He sends his Marines from the 5th Regimental Combat Team on patrol every
day over roads pockmarked and scorched by bomb blasts. "Remember, all
vehicles have fuel tanks," Dominijanni said. "If they explode, the suits
protect us from burns"
Members of the 5,000-strong combat team received their first suits in
February, said Lt. Joseph King, a Marine spokesman. Troops received more
of the dun-colored suits, dubbed "Poop Suits" by the Marines, in the
spring, King said.
The Army also has begun to issue fire-resistant flight suits to tank and
truck drivers in Iraq, said Lt. Col. Carl Ey, an Army spokesman at the
Pentagon.
Next year, the Army plans to issue fire-resistant pullovers, boots and
socks, records show.