Army and Marine Corps officials say the new generation of armor responds to new needs. | REUTERS Body armor not built for all?

For women headed to newly opened combat roles, there’s this very practical consideration: body armor.

California Rep. Loretta Sanchez, a Democratic member of the Armed Services Committee and founder of the Women in the Military Caucus, said last week during a subcommittee hearing that she is concerned that women — now that they can serve in combat — will be encumbered by ill-fitting body armor designed for men.


Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta lifted the ban on women in combat in January, overturning the 1994 Pentagon rule restricting women from artillery, armor, infantry and other combat roles. Women had lobbied the Pentagon to end the restrictions since many have found themselves in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.

( PHOTOS: Women in combat)

But Army and Marine Corps officials say the new generation of body armor is responding to that need in order to alleviate the problems women already serving say they’re facing.

For example, the Army’s improved outer armor vests designed specifically for female soldiers weigh six pounds less than those for men, according to Army Brig. Gen. Paul Ostrowski.

“Going forward, we will always field female body armor with our deploying forces,” Ostrowski said, adding the Army will soon distribute 600 sets of female body armor as part of the Rapid Fielding Initiative, the Army’s program to develop and outfit soldiers with the most modern equipment available.

“From now on,” he declared, “every female soldier deploying in theater will deploy with female body armor.”

( PHOTOS: Presidents in uniform)

Rep. Niki Tsongas (D-Mass.) praised the improvements in the Army body armor, tailored to better fit women, citing firsthand experience.

“I’ve been briefed on the new, improved outer tactical vests several times. I’ve actually had an opportunity to try it on. I think the improvements are tremendous,” she said, adding it is “critically important” to protect the new influx of women now able to serve in front-line roles.

“Prior to the adjustments, it was very difficult for a woman who was wearing the standard-issue vest to raise her arm properly in order to properly fire a rifle,” Tsongas added. “So beyond the comfort issues and just being able to better distribute the weight and all that, it’s critically important … that women are adequately protected to do the task at hand.”

Just how much troops should carry in combat and the quality and fit of the body armor they wear isn’t just a problem for military women, lawmakers argued. They also raised concerns about the heavy loads of body armor carried by troops in combat and that more soldiers could be injured without new lighter equipment. They indirectly referenced the nearly decade-old Defense Department study that indicated improved side armor plates would have prevented a significant number of troop deaths at the outset of conflict in Iraq.

“We had this problem before, when we entered the war in Iraq. Some people had better body armor than others, and we lost lives — it cost us lives,” Sanchez said.

Still, while the heavy weight of some body armor is a concern, military commanders said they didn’t want the decision to lighten soldiers’ loads to result in more injuries.

“We do walk somewhat of a fine line in that if the requirement is for the protection, and then we also establish a specific requirement for the weight, we could find a difficulty,” said Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Eric Smith.

Military officials, however, were adamant that protection will always be the priority, not comfort.

Rep. Jon Runyan (R-N.J.) said it’s important to push the boundaries of technology in order to lessen physical strain on soldiers that could lead to long-term injury.

“At the end of the day, it’s costing the taxpayer money if we don’t have the lightest — or we’re not pushing the technology hard enough,” said Runyan, a former pro football player.

“I know for myself, I played 14 years in the NFL,” he explained. “I feel it every day. It’s that beating you put on your body. It catches up to you. I’m not even 40 yet, and I feel it every day.”