Reports from military.com are saying that the Marine Corps has prohibited the use of synthetic athletic clothing containing polyester and nylon by soldiers while conducting operations off of forward operating bases and camps. The ban on the moisture-wicking clothing from companies like Under Armour and Nike comes after concerns that a substantial burn risk is associated with wearing clothing made with these synthetic materials.
When exposed to extreme heat and flames, clothing containing some synthetic materials like polyester will melt, possible fusing to the skin which can lead to horrific, disfiguring burns, said Navy Capt. Lynn E. Welling, the 1st Marine Logistics Group head surgeon.
Marines have been limited to wearing clothing made with these materials only while on the relatively safe forward operating bases and camps where encounters with fires and explosions are relatively low.
The popularity of these products has risen in the past few years, with them even being sold at military clothing stores. Some companies have come out with product lines specifically catering to military needs, making polyester clothing readily available to servicemembers, said Welling.
For years servicemembers with jobs that put them at a high risk of flame exposure, such as pilots and explosive ordnance disposal personnel, were kept from wearing polyester materials because of the extra burn threat. Now, with so many encounters with improvised explosive devices, the Marines are extending this ban to everyone going “outside the wire.”
SportsOneSource contacted Malden Mills, who has worked closely with the military for years on fabric development. A spokesperson for the compant said that a lot of R&D time has been spent at Malden to develop “no melt, no drip” base layer fabrics specifically for the military. “There are already a number of Nomex based Polartec fleece products that were developed for the workwear and military markets and are in use currently (Navy Pilots wear a Polartec Thermal Pro with Nomex Jacket and we even have a Nomex style Polartec Power Shield),” the spokesperson said. “Base layers are the next logical step and have obviously become a critical issue for the military (especially with the IED issues). Malden has been working with the military for many months now to address these concerns.”
