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Army creating first tactical bra for female soldiers:
The bra, dubbed the Army Tactical Brassier, is in development at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Center in Natick, Mass., according to the Army Times, which was the first to report the bra's development.
[...] If approved, it would make the garment the first tactical bra to be added to the U.S. Army's uniform.
Women make up about 16 percent of those in active duty in the United States armed forces, according to data from the Brookings Institute.
The Army is working on a tactical bra:
The bra's development began with a survey given to female soldiers on what type of functionality and preferences should be considered during initial design. It has been labeled a "tactical rather than sportswear item," according to Soldier Touchpoints.
It's meant to integrate into existing body armor and give an added level of protection to female soldiers.
"This means that designers are evaluating options such as the inclusion of flame-retardant fabrics and expertly layered compression, structural and protective materials while also taking into account the importance of accurate sizing, reliable comfort, moisture management and breathability," Touchpoints noted.
"The overall goal is to produce garments that not only protect the user, but reduce the cognitive burden on the female Soldier caused by discomfort and ill fit," said Ashley Cushon, clothing designer and project lead for the ATB at the DEVCOM Soldier Center. "Achieving this will improve the Soldier's overall readiness and performance levels, allowing them to focus on their mission," she explained.
(Score: 2) by Entropy on Sunday August 21 2022, @11:47PM (3 children)
That it'll fit correctly?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 22 2022, @12:18AM
A trillion to one against? I'm not aware of any military uniform article that fits properly. There's a reason tailors stay in business near military bases.
(Score: 2) by richtopia on Monday August 22 2022, @05:41PM (1 child)
That was my female coworker's first reaction. The Army does not have the best track record of getting something right the first time.
I wonder if the requirements are similar to other applications: other armies, or other hazardous jobs like firefighting. This could be a good example where providing requirements for the public market to fulfill and leaving said product in the public market is the best solution, allowing rapid innovation in the future unlike a rigid selection process.
(Score: 2) by krishnoid on Tuesday August 23 2022, @07:37PM
I've never been in the military, but if I had to bet on whether women would complain straightforwardly with each other about their bras not fitting properly, I'd believe it would happen in barracks before it would happen outside a lingerie shop:
Mall: "They're kind of tight and dig in underneath, but I like how they look."
Barracks: "Permission to speak freely? These new tactical-twin-tit-transports fit worse than [something off-color involving the sergeant's boyfriend/husband] in this private's, er, privates."