INVISTA – Outfitting America`s Heroes

INVISTA – Outfitting America’s Heroes
This article was originally published in the spring 2008 edition of Infantry Bugler.
By Sharon Birk and Allen Mortimer
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 clothLTC Earlston Andrews and fellow soldiers wear solid green hot weather cotton
ing fibers during and after ripstop jungle fatigues. (Photo courtesy LTC Andrews)
WWII.
The end of WWII resulted in a new threat – wet and warm equatorial conditions that were
thermonuclear weapons. An Infantry Soldier unforgiving to equipment and to men. The
situated a mile away from ground zero of a wide-ranging climate included a six-month
nuclear detonation would be immediately killed monsoon season, a severe range of fluctuating
by clothing that ignited into full flame. The military temperatures from 40 to 100 degrees and rugged
tested 3,000 blends of every natural and syn- terrain that varied from the coastal sands of the
thetic fiber available to find a fabric that would South China Sea to the towering Annamese
not ignite and would remain intact as a barrier to Cordillera mountain ranges (upwards of 8,000
radiation. Extensive exploration resulted in the feet). This environment revealed that natural
discovery of the unique thermal interaction of a fabrics, such as wool, cotton and leather, detehigher melting point nylon (type 6,6) and cotton. riorated rapidly under the continuous exposure
With higher ignition resistance than other to diverse weather elements.
The WWII cotton herring bone twill had
flammable fabrics, these blends did not ignite
under thermonuclear flash exposures. Because the been replaced by the cotton sateen fabric for
Soviet Union was viewed as the most likely nuclear the temperate uniform. However, the sateen
threat at the time, the fabric was adopted in a fabric proved too heavy and hot for the tropical
sateen weave for Artic uniforms. Future generations climate. The utility design was also restrictive
of combat uniforms made with this fabric have and had inadequate pockets for combat use. By
benefited from increased thermal protection when the end of 1967, most Infantry Soldiers were
wearing solid green hot weather cotton ripstop
exposed to low level thermal threats.
jungle fatigues. The lightweight ripstop dried
faster than the heavyweight sateen, making it
Vietnam Era
Infantry Soldiers in the Vietnam War encountered less prone to rot and more durable.
INVISTA – Outfitting America’s Heroes
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 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
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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.
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 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
Soldiers in desert combat uniform made of 50/50 nylon/cotton ripstop fabric exposed to severe heat in flash fire
printed in tri-color desert pattern. (Photo by SSG Jorge S. Rodriguez, courtesy situations, like IEDs, the fabric
U.S. Army)
forms gels and chars around the
During the decade after Desert Storm, new cotton creating an entirely new fabric structure
sock technology addressed what may have been with a higher ignition resistance that does not
the Infantry Soldier’s number one desire – socks drip or melt.
that did not sag. The improved combat sock featured LYCRA® fiber technology from toe to top
Looking Ahead
and was the first sock that stayed in place. This
Appropriate equipment and uniforms are a signifeliminated the bunching up of the fabric that
icant factor in the success of the Infantry Soldier’s
caused discomfort and abrasions.
mission. By learning from previous conflicts,
The military apparel advancements developed
developments have increased the comfort of
during and after the Persian Gulf War gave the
uniforms and footwear and brought life-saving
Infantry Soldier a more regulated body temperaimprovements. Ongoing adaptations in apparel
ture, camouflage to evade opposing forces and
have resulted in American troops being lighter,
adequate footwear acclimated to the harsh desert
faster and more efficient. By continually advancing
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.
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 H H H H
Sharon Birk, end-use marketing manager for INVISTA’s
CORDURA® brand, currently works to understand and create
solutions to meet military needs.
Allen Mortimer is a marketing manager for CORDURA,®
INVISTA Performance Surfaces and Materials. He has worked
with the CORDURA® fabric line for 15 years.
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