Marine Corps bans off-the-shelf body armor

Above: Leathernecks in Okinawa were the first to recieve a new Modular Tactical Vest last week. It takes about three hours to train Marines to configure, wear and care for the new body armor.


Don’t bother buying your own high-tech body armor. You can’t wear it, according to a Corps-wide message released Tuesday that mandates only government-issued “personal protective equipment.”

The policy shift puts an end to the use of store-bought vests, helmets, eye protection, ballistic plates, flame-resistant clothing, earplugs and anything else that would replace “government tested, approved and issued” gear Marines receive from their supply sections, according to MarAdmin 262/07.

Marines are still allowed to use commercially purchased protective items “in addition to those issued by the government, as long as additions do not interfere with the functionality of approved PPE,” the message states.

Read the rest at Marine Corps Times

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