Langley Airmen test Kevlar shorts

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Michael Voss
  • 1st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (AFPN) --  Airmen here are testing Kevlar shorts designed to complement their current vests and helmets.

Base officials here are the first in the Air Force to purchase the Kevlar Tactical Outer Protective Shorts. The shorts minimize fragment damage from the waistline to the knees and provide vital protection to the femoral artery, which passes close to the outer surface of the upper thighs carrying blood from the hip to the heart, officials said.

The 8-pound shorts can be donned in about 90 seconds. They are equipped with load-bearing suspenders for comfort, pockets for items like bullets and radios, and quick release latches which assist with the removal of the shorts in seconds, officials said.

They are made from 28 layers of Kevlar and provide level-three protection, making them able to shield against the effects of a 9 mm bullet. The shorts also have Velcro on the sides of the legs for adjustment, helping ensure proper fit.

“Kevlar shorts are part of the natural evolution to provide comprehensive protection to our warfighters,” said Lt. Col. Scott Kiser, 1st Contracting Squadron commander.

The idea of Kevlar protection has been around since the Vietnam War, but it was not put into production until recently when newer, lightweight materials became available, officials said.

A contractor designed the shorts for the U.S. Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory at Quantico, Va., after deployed Marines asked for additional protection in the lower torso area.

“Based on wound data reports and feedback from the operating forces, the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab determined that Marines conducting mounted patrols or traveling on convoys, specifically Humvee turret gunners, required increased protection to the lower extremities from improvised explosive device attacks,” said Marine Lt. Deborah Packard of the Warfighting Lab.

Officials here purchased more than 50 sets of the shorts for security forces and logistics readiness squadron Airmen now deployed in hostile areas.

“With the Army being undermanned and overextended, security forces are taking on additional missions, and the shorts are ideal for protecting those servicemembers directly in harm’s way,” said 2nd Lt. Wendell Morgan, a 1st Security Forces Squadron flight commander here.

There are 26 security forces Airmen from here deployed with the Kevlar shorts added to their armored protection, and when they return they will evaluate the product’s comfort, fit and practicality for everyday use, officials said.

“The investment for the shorts is minimal compared to the cost of saving a life,” Colonel Kiser said.