March 15, 2008
MILITARY FEATURE
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Outfitting America’s Heroes
War is a common thread shared between generations of American families in the 20th and 21st
centuries. While core experiences remain the same,
each war brings new environmental challenges to
our Infantry Soldiers. Improvements in uniforms
and equipment are critical to Soldier success in
maintaining combat advantage on the battlefields of today and tomorrow. Nylon based fabrics
have revolutionized military apparel that was
previously made from cotton and wool. By offering
durability, versatility and toughness, the fabrics
allow Soldiers to successfully face a broad spectrum of combat conditions. INVISTA has helped the
Army improve military apparel and equipment,
based in part on CORDURA® fabric technologies. It
has supported the Infantry Soldier through multiple conflicts and is committed to providing innovative
solutions to meet future combat requirements.
World War II
World War II was the first truly modern war in
which American Infantry Soldiers encountered a
winter season on the battlefield. Their experiences
proved that their uniforms were ill-equipped to
handle the cold. These Soldiers were outfitted with
a combination of cotton and wool-based Basic
Dress Uniforms (BDU) and Basic Field Uniforms
(BFU).The footwear was a basic low quarter tanned
leather shoe with heavy canvas leggings. However,
the heavy wool uniforms and leather footwear
were not enough to protect wearers from freezing
temperatures and inclement winter conditions.
As a result, many Soldiers suffered severe frostbite.
Following World War II, the Army made thermal
protection a top priority in adaptations to Soldiers’
uniforms. To this end, the Temperate and Artic
uniforms, designed with heavyweight cotton
sateen weave fabric, were developed to provide
the warmth and durability needed to survive in
harsh winter conditions. Although it kept them
insulated, the uniform weighed Soldiers down,
decreasing speed and agility.
World War II also created a need for the United
States to independently procure materials for the
development of uniforms and supplies. Natural
fibers, such as the silk and cotton used in the
development of uniforms, ballistic vests and parachutes, were difficult to acquire since sourcing
was located behind enemy lines. In an effort
to resolve supply issues, Dupont (now INVISTA)
developed nylon, a synthetic fiber that eliminated
America’s dependency on outside countries for
clothing fibers during and after WWII.
The end of WWII resulted in a new threat –
thermonuclear weapons. An Infantry Soldier situated
a mile away from ground zero of a nuclear detonation would be immediately killed by clothing
that ignited into full flame. The military tested
3,000 blends of every natural and synthetic fiber
available to find a fabric that would not ignite
and would remain intact as a barrier to radiation.
Extensive exploration resulted in the discovery of
the unique thermal interaction of a higher melting point nylon (type 6,6) and cotton.
With higher ignition resistance than other flammable fabrics, these blends did not ignite under
thermonuclear flash exposures. Because the Soviet
Union was viewed as the most likely nuclear
threat at the time, the fabric was adopted in a
sateen weave for Artic uniforms. Future generations of combat uniforms made with this fabric
have benefited from increased thermal protection when exposed to low level thermal threats.
Vietnam Era
Infantry Soldiers in the Vietnam War encountered
wet and warm equatorial conditions that were
unforgiving to equipment and to men. The wideranging climate included a six-month monsoon
season, a severe range of fluctuating temperatures from 40 to 100 degrees and rugged terrain
that varied from the coastal sands of the South
China Sea to the towering Annamese Cordillera
mountain ranges (upwards of 8,000 feet). This
environment revealed that natural fabrics, such
as wool, cotton and leather, deteriorated rapidly
under the continuous exposure to diverse weather
elements.
The WWII cotton herringbone twill had been
replaced by the cotton sateen fabric for the temperate
uniform. However, the sateen fabric proved too
heavy and hot for the tropical climate. The utility
design was also restrictive and had inadequate
pockets for combat use. By the end of 1967, most
Infantry Soldiers were wearing solid green hot
weather cotton ripstop jungle fatigues. The lightweight ripstop dried faster than the heavyweight
sateen, making it less prone to rot and more durable.
For special units, the traditional solid green
uniforms were replaced with the “tiger suit” – a
camouflage uniform. This first use of a disruptive
camouflage introduced the jungle green pattern
to help Soldiers blend into their surroundings and
evade from the North Vietnamese Army.
Although they were issued a new uniform,
Infantry Soldiers still received 100 percent cotton
socks, underwear and t-shirts, which retained high
levels of moisture in the tropical conditions. The
sweat retention frequently caused severe rashes
and fungal infections commonly referred to as
“jungle rot.”
Former 1LT W. Earlston Andrews of the 101st
Airborne Division in Vietnam remembers the
measures he and his men took to avoid jungle
rot. “Cotton was the enemy too. The first thing I
would do when new replacements arrived was
make them open their rucksacks and throw
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March 15, 2008
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MILITARY FEATURE
away all their socks, underwear
and t-shirts to avoid jungle
rot,” Andrews said. After this
streamlining effort, the tiger
suit simply consisted of boots,
trousers and uniform jacket.
Problems were not only
caused by the cotton undergarments but also by their
leather boots. Because the
boots retained moisture for
extended periods of time, they
lacked breathability, deteriorated quickly and caused severe
fungus infections, sores and
blisters.
By the time the Vietnam War ended, initial
progress had been made in outfitting the Infantry
Soldier with better equipment and apparel, but
additional improvements were still needed. A
new temperate weight twill fabric made of nylon
and cotton and printed in a newly developed
woodland camouflage pattern allowed the BDUs
to last three to four times longer. While increased
durability and higher ignition resistance drove
adoption of temperate BDUs in 1978, hot weather
ripstop BDUs remained in cotton.
The Persian Gulf War
Infantry Soldiers in the Persian Gulf War encountered extremely hot temperatures coupled with
the severity of migrating sand, both of which had
unique effects on their equipment and uniform.
In their initial deployments, Soldiers found that
the abrasive desert sand slashed their cotton ripstop uniforms in two to three weeks.
The Army introduced tri-color desert camouflage
to allow Soldiers to more easily evade from opposing forces. Before the main offensive, uniforms
based on temperate twill fabric made of nylon
and cotton were issued and printed in the new
tri-color desert camouflage pattern. The temperate
weight fabric held up against the desert rigors, but
posed a challenge against the heat. Soldiers who
fought in the conflict remember having to stand
down to cool off in the 90 to 120 degree heat.
In response to the need for a more durable solution for the Desert Combat Uniform (DCU), INVISTA
developed CORDURA® NYCO ripstop fabrics. Less
susceptible to abrasion by sand, the DCU lasted
two to three times as long as cotton ripstop BDUs
in both combat and training.
The Persian Gulf War also brought renewed
attention to footwear. Boots issued at the beginning
of the war were not designed for the sand and
dust, so Soldiers wore them out quickly. A lighter,
more breathable, desert tan boot was developed
using fabrics made with nylon filament based
CORDURA® fabric technology. The new boot withstood the environmental challenges, as well as the
rigors of 12 to 17 hour days.
During the decade after Desert Storm, new
sock technology addressed what may have been
the Infantry Soldier’s number one desire – socks
that did not sag. The improved combat sock featured LYCRA® fiber technology from toe to top
and was the first sock that stayed in place. This
eliminated the bunching up of the fabric that
caused discomfort and abrasions.
The military apparel advancements developed
during and after the Persian Gulf War gave the
Infantry Soldier a more regulated body temperature, camouflage to evade opposing forces and
adequate footwear acclimated to the harsh desert
climate.
OEF/OIF: Operation Enduring Freedom/
Operation Iraqi Freedom
With lessons learned from Desert Storm, the DCU
proved its lightweight durability and comfort by
enduring for more than a year in OEF/OIF deployments. Most Soldiers did not take advantage of
authorized replacement uniforms at the six-month
point, but waited until they returned home to replace their DCUs.
The Land Warrior future technology program
spurred a redesign of the backpack and body
armor used in the Persian Gulf War. The new design
evolved into today’s Interceptor body armor and
MOLLE pack system, both made with filament
based fabrics. However, the BDU design did not
interface well with the new design for the Interceptor and MOLLE. The Army Combat Uniform
(ACU) was created to increase functionality. The
ACU made of the same nylon and cotton fabric as
the DCU incorporated two features: a new universal
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digital pattern for use in multiple terrains and
wrinkle resistant fabric treatment for ease of care.
One of the deadliest new weapons on the
frontline is the Improvised Explosive Device (IED).
The new ACU provides a degree of protection for
short duration flash fire. When incidents involve
a secondary flash fire and limited egress, higher
flame resistance is required.
The initial flame resistant ACU, issued since
July 2007, contains 10 percent T420 nylon fiber
improving the durability of the flame resistant
fabric. In response to the continued threat of secondary fire, a new knit fabric based on a unique
blend of INVISTA T420 nylon fiber and cotton has
been developed. When exposed to severe heat in
flash fire situations, like IEDs, the fabric forms gels
and chars around the cotton creating an entirely
new fabric structure with a higher ignition resistance that does not drip or melt.
Looking Ahead
Appropriate equipment and uniforms are a significant factor in the success of the Infantry
Soldier’s mission. By learning from previous conflicts, developments have increased the comfort
of uniforms and footwear and brought life-saving
improvements. Ongoing adaptations in apparel
have resulted in American troops being lighter,
faster and more efficient. By continually advancing
CORDURA® fabric technology, INVISTA is honored
to play a key role in the successes of the military
on the battlefields of yesterday, today and if
needed, tomorrow.
H-89744 5/08