With all the talk about body armor, I wanted to add a few things…
IF you intend to get into a gunfight, you need armor. IF you think you will get into a gunfight, you need armor. This includes anyone interested in protecting themselves, their loved ones, or their property.
You also NEED a med kit.
I was stupid once and didn’t wear armor. I am now a friggen ninja turtle when I go out.
If you think you get in a lot of gunfights, then you need extra plates or even complete extra sets.
The following photos were taken at the Baghdad CSH. In these cases, armor saved the lives of some of these soldiers, but nothing is 100%
This stuff worked, but not ready for prime time again…
This guy was sitting in the Green Zone Cafe when it was blown up by a suicide bomber. A simple vest would have helped. If you are around things that go boom, you need armor. Anything and everything becomes shrapnel, no matter how small.
thanks for sharing. i think your above statement can be expanded to cover even civvie shooting-related activities. shihan’s thread on his .22LR upper firing when he released the charging handle to load a round is a good example of how accidents CAN happen. if it had been someone else less careful or a newbie shooter pointing that rifle at someone while letting the handle go, it could have been a lot more grim.
body armour isn’t a bad idea when you’re running around doing drills and shooting steel, even with a relatively experienced group of guys. humans make mistakes. negligence/accidents happen.
outstanding post !!!thanks for sharing a good dose of reality .I wish I still had my IBA .been looking at some concealed armor .but the prices still are not in my range do to my wife getting laid off .thank God for the nurses and DR’s that help our soldiers get back on their feet.
I like the term you used "I am now a friggen ninja turtle when I go out. " got a good laugh on that one:D I had a Buddy in the guard that was lets say a bit of a fatbody ,he got down on his back with full battle rattle and had trouble with his plates pushing into him as he tried to get up which he could not do, we all said he looked like a turtle on his back!thanks for making me think of that .
I do agree armor, is a must have in these times it is a valuable piece of gear!
Yeah no doubt. We get $500 for a new vest every 5 years. $500 can cover a lot of vests but you might have to dip into your annual clothing allowance to cover the rest. I’m due in May, and I’m not sure what I will be going with.
Oh, and then there is nomex gloves… armor against burns. I was stupid once and forgot my gloves. Blast burns prevented me from using my primary fingers with my weapon. How many people ever train at shooting their rifle with their pinkie? Ever thought what you would do if your finger was shot off?
So true. I have been to a few civilian shooting courses and wished I had brought armor. I have worn it on a few public ranges and got some weird looks. I guess they thought I was some kind of ancient airsofter…
My motivation for these posts came about today while watching my team mates load their weapons before a mission. One guy with a SAW was in a rush and after loading it, turned to run to the vehicle and pointed at my chest plate. He also forgot to put it on safe. I knocked it out of the way and he gave me this strange look, as if what was a big deal… you got armor on!
This was back in 2004. Guys got shot up in a soft skin land cruiser. They were going fast, and rolled it when they lost control. I think their armor saved them from some of the blunt trauma…
This was the Dyncorp parking lot… the end with all the shot up vehicles. Funny thing was that most of these were leased from Kuwait!
If I remember correctly, this vehicle flipped due to driver error. After the team returned to retrieve it, they found it missing. Some strong Iraqis had stolen the damn thing…
Well let me preach it as well. I wouldn’t be here had it not been for an ABA level IIIA vest with a Spectra-shield soft insert. If you are in a high risk occupation and you think you need body armor, you probably do. Once you get it, wear it.
Even a lot of new guys dont, either because its too hot, or uncomfortable etc. I always wore mine
Thats why I wear good ol’ Nomex flight type gloves, though now when i do wear them at the range or for a class I get weird looks. Im low speed high drag now too so they may think Im just some fat ass wanna be airsofter
Good thread. I work in Afghanistan, and I bought my own armor and helmet in 2005 because I was skeptical about the gear that my company issued, specifically issuing level IV “in conjunction w/…” plates w/o any soft armor to go along with them. I also like using my own gear because I’m the only one who uses it, and I know it’s well taken care of.
I second the use of seat belts. Anyone who thinks it’s better to roll w/o so they can unass the vehicle more quickly in a drama is a fool at best.
what are your opinions on the types of armour and coverage? As a swat guy I have access to what we call “the beast”, basically a heavy soft armour vest with coverage over the entire torso, neck, shoulders and part of the arm (oh and groin ;)). Quite heavy, especially when the armour plates are in. The other is soft armour panels like beat cops use, but we can put the plates with this too.
What do you think would be the overall best choice, given weight, mobility and stress to the body?
