Comments on: Corps Issues Smaller, Lighter Body Armor

By: Ryan

Ryan — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 12:11:24 +0000

My MTV fits alright. yeah it’s pretty heavy and can chaff the thighs pretty bad. i had to go a size smaller than my old intercepter and synch up the shoulder straps as tight as it will go to make it sit right on me. that actually helped the comfortability quite a bit. I would love to check out the new plate carriers. i thing a plate carrier with some sort of second chance soft body armor would be ideal. the MTV has too much extra fabric. take all that out and it probably wouldn’t be so bad.

By: ccc

ccc — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 08:10:10 +0000

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By: Recon1SG

Recon1SG — Tue, 26 May 2009 18:59:53 +0000

Throughout the thread, I concur. IOTV is fantastic while motorized. The risk of IED and shrapnel injury outweigh the concern of personal mobility. Direct fire concerns or mobility in the mountains favor the plate carrier. Education of our collective “joes” is the issue, know what to wear and when. We can’t “scale” up after the mission commences.
And yes as a 19 yr vet of the Army, I will break religion and state the USMC is leading the fight in working the plate carrier. I even like the coyote brown kit and armor, imagine the ability to keep the same kit with a uniform change!!! Hopefully the ACU will go the way of the dinosaur, we need a uniform that blends with more than dawn and dusk.

By: Gregory Romeu

Gregory Romeu — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 18:22:11 +0000

As for all you jarheads in Afghanistan with gear issues? CONTACT ME DIRECTLY if you have problems stating your concerns within your chain of command and I will see what I can do as a Marine-Civilian and some senators and congressmen that are PRO-MARINE.
As for the previous poster about the Army v. The Marines? If the Army could be like the Marine Corps? For God sakes man???
There was NOONE IN LINE when I joined the Marines! They were all scrambling into the Army office.
Everyone I had seen lined-up were all soaking up suds with the Army recruiter, talking about BS that wasn’t even possible to begin with and about all the women that they would never get close to…
When I asked many of them as to WHY they didn’t want to join the Marines, they said it was, “Too Tough!”…
Let me also clarify that you can NOT just, “join” the Marines, all you are doing is applying to be transformed into a Marine.
You are not guaranteed that you WILL become a Marine. THEY will either make you a Marine or boot your ass out!
When you are transformed into a Marine, THAT transformation stays with you throughout your entire life, until you die.
Right now there are litterly hundreds of thousands of former active duty Marines sitting quietly on the sidelines, most armed and ready to get back into the fight. All they need is to be asked and they will be on the ground in a heartbeat.
Next time you get a chance to make a lifetime decision, following the herd is NOT the route to take.
Semper Fi!

By: Bulletproof4u

Bulletproof4u — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 02:32:54 +0000

I think you guys are totally correct. I also think that soldiers should be given the option of the type and brand they want to use. I understand that their leaders need to tell them what protection level they need based on the type of mission they are on. Great Blog men

By: Bulletproof4u

Bulletproof4u — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 02:31:03 +0000

I totally agree that there should be different armor for different applications. I think the government should let the soldiers choose for themselves up to a point. they need to have the same protection but can choose the kind that fits them best. Great conversation guys.

By: Matt

Matt — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 19:10:39 +0000

Interesting debate. I am a security contractor and I wore the TA 50 with a Eagle Industries pistol/rifleman vest over the top. It worked out pretty good. Then I switched to a Eagle Industries CIRAS(land version–I would recommend the maritime version) with a Tactical Tailor MAV(split front) over the top, and that really worked out well for me. But both of these systems have a lot of nylon, but it is what I prefer because it makes it more modular for me. I can strip down to a vest and a pistol on my belt really easily with this set up.
I think what would be really nice is to try to minimize nylon on a vest, use more breathable materials, have more adjustable plate positioning within the vest, and try to develop vests that put more weight on the hips and less on the shoulders–much like a pack. I have seen some designs that go into that, but they still use way too much nylon to get the job done.
And if we have to put all the weight on the shoulders, then make the shoulder straps wider, not thicker. It gets in the way of a weapon stock or bites into your shoulder when wearing a pack, if you have big thick shoulder straps.
Reduce weight, reduce the bulk, make it easy to build up or strip down the vest system, and make it easy to get in and out of it. Most importantly though, is give the choice to the commanders in the field to make the call about how much guys should be humping around in their respective AO’s. Mobility versus protection is a question that should only be asked and answered by the war fighters out there, and not by some ‘bean counter’ REMF. Semper Fi

By: Robert Ainley

Robert Ainley — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 22:34:13 +0000

I have served in Afghanistan and am currently in Iraq. While in Afghanistan my unit issued us a Black Hawk Plate Carrier. The plate carrier worked great for the mountains. There is no way the MTV could ever work there. Yes it means less armor but being able to close in on your enemy when they wear chest harnesses, pajamas and flip flops is also important.
In Iraq, I am currently wearing the MTV and it is the worst piece of gear I have ever worn. It is extremely heavy, it is very uncomfortable in 115 degree heat and I feel trapped. Yes it might be good if an IED went off, but you know so would a tank. There is only so much you they can ask our backs to handle. I am willing to bet before the MTV officially goes away we will be seeing a lot of back injuries.

By: Brian H

Brian H — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 18:16:35 +0000

Yep, Dragonskin is sure great — as long as you make sure to turn and orient yourself so that the round(s) hit(s) directly straight on, and not at an angle (which allows the nasty bullet to slip between the scales. Messy!)
Duh.

By: JADChad

JADChad — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:38:30 +0000

I say the government just gets soft armor with plate pouches and then just have a simple plate carrier such as the blackhawk recon commando chest harness to go over it. I have seen a lot of Operators with it and it seems to be a hit, no complaining.
Here is an example of Recon Marine’s on ship training: http://www.aggressor-group.com/misc/agg_original/images/usmc_paca01_r1_c1.jpg
Or, we could go with Dragonskin that can stop more rounds exponentially than our plates can.
I have another idea, instead of the desk jockey’s that take ideas form marines and soldiers that will never leave the wire, how about we have some multi-COMBAT tour vets get together and design a vest/flak/plate carrier/softarmor that works and is right for once. Thats how Blackhawk gear came about. A Navy SEAL who’s gear failed in combat had enough and made his own company. Yes it is expensive, but then again I haven’t heard of any of their gear fail (Even though I’m sure it does from time to time.)