The Marine Corps has prohibited the use of synthetic athletic clothing containing polyester and nylon by soldiers while conducting operations outside of forward operating bases and camps, according to a published report on military.com. Over the past few years, use of baselayer apparel with moisture management characteristics has been gaining popularity among service members due to the extreme heat and abundance of gear and body armor required in Iraq. The report said the ban on these synthetic materials was due to the substantial burn risk in the event of an IED-based attack. The ban was put in place by the Marine Corps and is not a military-wide ban.
Due to the new regulations, Marines are reportedly only permitted to wear nylon or polyester while in forward operating bases and camps where encounters with fires and explosions are relatively low. The military has always advocated flame resistant materials for use in areas with high risk of exposure, but this ruling extends the precaution to any Marine in a combat situation. In fact, reports are surfacing in which polypro has melted due to the heat from a bullet wound, complicating what would have been a minor injury.
Under Armour, along with Nike and DuPonts CoolMax, were mentioned in the military.com article as the most popular brands among current service members. Under Armour said it currently derives less than one percent of its sales from direct-to-military business. A company spokesperson told BOSS that Under Armour has always promoted their product for physical activity and training. UARM stated it will defer to the military concerning the proper uniform for combat.
Other companies, like Malden Mills, SmartWool, and Wickers, may see this as an opportunity to make inroads with the military. Malden Mills has worked closely with the military on fabric technology development for years. A spokesperson for the company told BOSS that a lot of R&D time has been spent at Malden to develop “no melt, no drip” Nomex-based fabrics specifically for the military under their F.R.O.G. (Fire Resistant Operating Gear) program. Nomex is a highly flame resistant derivative of Kevlar. Malden has already developed a Nomex Thermal Pro Jacket for Navy fighter pilots and a Nomex Polartec Power Shield piece, which is the only stretch-Nomex garment available. According to Malden, the military has been aware of the melting problem for some time, and they have been working on extending these “no melt, no drip” pieces into base-layers. Malden has at least ten different fabrics in the development phase that incorporate wool, cotton, and other synthetic and natural fibers.
SmartWool does not run a tactical apparel program, but, according to SmartWool VP of Marketing Gardner Flannigan, the company has still seen some success in selling all-wool summer base layers to the Special Forces. Because the Merino wool used in SmartWools apparel is from New Zealand, it is prohibited under federal law from bidding on larger military contracts.
Wickers is also using some very different natural materials to create a “melt-proof” base layer for use in tactical situations. The company has blended U.S. grown merino wool with flame resistant Viscose. This is essentially the same material used in protective apparel designed for industrial welding. However, Wickers is coming up against the same regulations that have limited SmartWools military sales. The only mill that produces this Viscose material is located in Austria. Doug Hoschek, Wickers head of marketing argues that waivers should be applied to companies that can create a safer product for the armed forces when there is no domestic production for the raw materials.
