Soldiers at Fort Bragg, North Carolina will soon receive the Army's latest attempt at armor protection for the genitals and groin area.
Beginning later this month, Program Executive Office Soldier officials will issue the Blast Pelvic Protector to the 82nd Airborne Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team as well as other items in the Army's new Soldier Protection System such as the Modular Scalable Vest and the Integrated Head Protection System.
The Blast Pelvic Protector resembles a pair of loose-fitting shorts designed to wear over the Army Combat Uniform trousers. The device is intended to replace earlier attempts at groin protection such as the Protective Under Garment, or PUG, and the Protective Over Garment, or POG.
The PUG resembled a pair of snug-fitting boxers.
"They were underwear that had pockets for ballistics to go into," Lt. Col. Ginger Whitehead, product manager for Soldier Protective Equipment said recently at a media event.
The POG looked like a tactical diaper.
"And then there was an outer garment -- it felt like a perpetual wedgie; soldiers hated that," Whitehead said.
"That's why we moved to the Blast Pelvic Protector and the cool thing about this is ... there is a ballistic insert that can stop certain types of rounds, and the rest of this provides fragmentation protection."
The new protective device features open sides with two straps on either side that connect with quick-release buckles.
Earlier attempts at protecting the groin and femoral arteries on the Improved Outer Tactical Vest, or IOTV, consisted of triangular flap of soft ballistic material that hung in front of the crotch.
In addition to the pelvic protector, soldiers from 3rd BCT will receive the new Integrated Head Protection System, or IHPS, which will replace the Enhanced Combat Helmet in close combat units.
The new helmet offers the same ballistic protection as the ECH, but doubles the amount of protection against blunt impact or trauma to soldier's head. Each side of the helmet has rail sections, so soldiers can mount lights and other accessories for operating in low-light conditions.
Equipment officials will also field the Modular Scalable Vest, or MSV, to 3rd BCT soldiers. The MSV weighs about 25 pounds with body armor plates. That's about a five-pound weight reduction compared to the current IOTV.
-- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com.
