On Body Armor Part I

Everyone who is new to the “tactical world” is immediately bombarded with a list of items that you “need to have” in order to survive combat. You “need” to have a light on your gun. You “need” to have the latest camo pattern. And, of course, you need to have armor. Body armor is a curious paradigm, because it is simultaneously useful and overrated. In this article I will lay out the pros and cons of wearing armor, how to use it effectively, and what to look for when purchasing your own.

Types of Armor

As with weapons, there are so many different kinds of armor on the market that it can be overwhelming at first. So I’ll start with a rough guide to define some terms. If you’re already familiar with the NIJ rating system, you can skip this section to the “Pros and Cons”.

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has a rating system for measuring the effectiveness of body armor. These ratings are broken down into “levels” rated to stop hits from certain types of bullets anywhere on the panel. The following is a brief summary of what each level can stop.

• Lvl IIA: 9mm and .40 S&W
• Lvl II: 9mm and .357 Magnum
• Lvl: IIIA: .357 SIG, .44 Magnum (virtually all pistol calibers and loads)
• Lvl III: Rifles (tested up to 147gr 7.62x51mm, aka M80 ball)
• Lvl IV: Armor-piercing rifle ammo (up to black tip 30.06, aka M2 AP)

Lvl IIA through IIIA are “soft armor”, flexible panels. Lvl III and Lvl IV are “hard armor”, formed into plates that must be worn in a carrier. Ballistic helmets are normally Lvl IIIA. For more information, check out the National Institute of Justice website where they list all of their testing standards and processes in detail.

Pros and Cons of Armor

The immediate advantage of wearing armor is obvious; it stops bullets from entering the most critical parts of your body. The price you pay, however, is weight and comfort.

If you intend to fight men armed with rifles, you will need Lvl III or Lvl IV plates to stop incoming rounds. Front/back plates can weigh anywhere from 4-8 pounds each, meaning that you’re carrying an additional 8-16 pounds (even more if you wear side armor). Extra weight makes you slower and fatigues you faster.

It is important to note that armor doesn’t always keep you from becoming a casualty, it just keeps bullets from entering the most critical parts of your body. For example, a bullet may go through your arm as you’re holding up your weapon before the plate stops it from entering your chest. Wearing armor should not make you lazy with your use of cover, you should be just as cautious as you are without it.

Another disadvantage of body armor is that it makes you sweat a LOT. Armored plates or panels trap in heat and don’t allow moisture to escape easily. You can expect to drink about double the amount of water on a patrol when you are wearing a plate carrier compared to wearing a chest rig or LBV.

When and When Not to Wear Armor

Many people, including some veterans, argue that “the military always wears armor, so you should too.” I will address this claim in two parts.

• Not everyone in the military wears armor, I was in a specialized unit that was issued chest rigs in addition to our plate carriers. We chose which to use based on our mission.
• Civilians are not in the military. They don’t have the same training, go on the same types of missions, or have the same resources as the army or Marine Corps. Civilians can (and should) make their own decisions for their training, missions, and gear.

Armor is beneficial, but the cons are substantial enough that it is not something we want to be wearing all the time. Here are some considerations to help you decide if body armor is right for you and your mission.

• It is difficult to stalk while wearing armor. Walking bent over is VERY taxing with 30 pounds on your torso, especially if you haven’t practiced it.
• Manning a static security post eliminates all cons for wearing armor other than discomfort, which you can live live with.
• If you wish to conceal the fact that you are wearing armor, you may be restricted to soft armor underneath your clothes. Armor plates are extremely difficult to conceal due to their bulk. One time I concealed a plate carrier in winter by wearing it under a large coat, but was compromised when I bumped into somebody in a crowd and they felt my hard back plate.
• Foot patrols can only carry so much weight. You will have to consider how far/long a patrol is and what else you must carry to determine if you can afford the 15-25lbs per man that armor costs. For example, I might wear armor on a 3-hour security patrol, but not on a 5-day recon patrol where I’m carrying my sustainment in a pack.
• Mounted operations (in vehicles) are a good use for armor because you’re already sacrificing stealth for speed, so you’ll want all the protection you can get. An exception is if you’re only using vehicles for infiltration/insertion prior to a lengthy foot patrol.
• If you are traveling in a small boat, consider that you may fall/jump out at some point and be compelled to swim. Armor may impede your ability to do so. There are ways to mitigate this (training, flotation devices, etc.), but you should test them ahead of time, i.e. BEFORE you trust your life to them. I have done a good amount of small boat insertion training, and never wore armor while doing it.

Summary

This has been a brief overview of body armor and the context in which it is useful. At this point you should have a good idea of what protection armor provides and enough information to determine if it is a good fit for your intended use. In Part II, I will cover how to properly wear armor, considerations for setting up a plate carrier, and what to look for when purchasing your own.