Military Clothing Research Articles

Burns and Military Clothing

Burn injury is a ubiquitous threat in the military environment. The risks during combat are well recognised, but the handling of fuel, oil, munitions and other hot or flammable materials...

Design and Evaluation of Thermal Protective Flightsuits. Part I: The Design Process and Prototype Development

An aviator's flightsuit must protect against hazardous thermal environments. In addition, it must be comfortable, fit properly, allow for mobility, and meet several other expectations for military clothing. A systematic approach to designing protective garments is needed to ensure acceptance on all criteria. The purpose of this study was to design and evaluate garment systems for optimum thermal protection for Canadian Forces flight personnel and to determine the effect of selected garment parameters (style, fit, closure system and seam type) on thermal protection. Part I focuses on the design process. Orlando's (1979) functional apparel design process served as the conceptual framework; for this study the process incorporated a literature search, material analysis, focused group interviews and movement analysis to develop design criteria and specifications for eight alternative flightsuits incorporating the parameters of interest. The design criteria included thermal protection, other functional requirements, psychological requirements, production and maintenance. Patterns for the garments were developed using AutoCAD® and PCPattern® software. The design process allowed systematic consideration of all related aspects of the problem. Evaluation of the garments is described in Part II.

Der Sanitatsdienst im Romischen Reich: Ein sozialgeschichte Studie zum romischen Militarsanitatswesen nebst einer Prosopographie des Sanitatspersonals (review)

Reviewed by: Der Sanitätsdienst im Römischen Reich: Ein sozialgeschichte Studie zum römischen Militärsanitätswesen nebst einer Prosopographie des Sanitätspersonals Vivian Nutton Juliane C. Wilmanns. Der Sanitätsdienst im Römischen Reich: Ein sozialgeschichte Studie zum römischen Militärsanitätswesen nebst einer Prosopographie des Sanitätspersonals. Medizin der Antike, no. 2. Hildesheim, Germany: Olms-Weidmann, 1995. x + 314 pp. Ill. DM 68.00. The publication of this Munich Habilitationschrift will be welcomed by students of ancient medicine and of military medicine for its careful exposition of the ancient evidence for the medical personnel and organization of the Roman army. Concentrating mainly on the period 31 B.C. to A.D. 284, Wilmanns first discusses questions of military and medical organization, before passing to a prosopography of the medical personnel active in the Roman legions, auxiliaries, [End Page 329] and fleets. There are also lists of medical men by regiment, and a map locating various hospitals. Wilmanns makes many cogent points: medici ordinarii were of centurion status; although many auxiliary forts had a small hospital, not all did, and in at least one instance a hospital building was replaced by something else; some physicians joined up for campaigns, and may well have returned to civilian life once the fighting died down. Particularly impressive is the range of her information and the way in which she integrates the very latest archaeological and epigraphical information. Her comments on the evidence for hospitals drastically revise earlier lists, and it is a pity that, despite several good indexes, these observations become almost lost among the footnotes. Above all, there is a solidity about the argumentation and conclusions of both parts of the book that will make this the first resort of anyone wishing to study the medicine of the Roman army. Factual errors are very few. I would have liked a more detailed discussion of the apparently near-total disappearance from use of the legionary hospitals after 284, as well as of the common assumption of a triage system, by which only the serious wounded were sent back from campaign to a base fort hospital—the latter notion seems implausible for Britain, but a German or Danubian perspective might be different. The new Vindolanda tablets show how much sickness and how many accident-injuries there might be in an apparently peaceful period to fill some of the beds of a legionary hospital (cf. recently the sick list of A.D. 253–59 in R. Marichal, Les ostraca de Bu Njem [1992], and Pap. Yadin 723). The idea that Dioscorides might have served as a sort of inspector general of hospitals seems a somewhat far-fetched interpretation of his “life as a soldier.” A few individuals seem to have slipped through the net. The physician and pharmacologist Scribonius Largus took part in the invasion of Britain in A.D. 43, although in what capacity is not entirely clear. A mysterious Archigenes, a “camp doctor,” is recorded in the Anecdota Parisina published by J. A. Cramer, vol. 4 (Oxford, 1841), p. 404. The decoration of military accoutrements on a tomb of a physician Asclepiades at Odessa ca. A.D. 175 (G. Mihailov, Inscr. graec. in Bulgaria repertae 150) suggests that their physician owner had seen military service. Somewhat more doubtful are Glaucias of Mesembria (ibid. 315), whose portrait was either inscribed on a shield or depicted him in military clothing, and Xenocrates of Heraclea in Pontus (Bulletin épigraphique 1938, n. 459), with veteran connections (but cf. Die Inschriften von Heraklea 7). R. P. Wright, in a letter to me, also suspected that the physician at Maryport (Roman inscriptions of Britain 808) was military, but proof is lacking. But these minor criticisms should not be allowed to mar one’s gratitude for what is an excellent survey of material that is both difficult to find and refractory to interpret. Future historians of ancient military medicine will have to begin here. Vivian Nutton Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, London Copyright © 1997 The Johns Hopkins University Press

Perspectives on U.S. Army Physical Requirements: Problems and Current Approaches to Solutions

Of the various types of occupational standards (e.g., cognitive, formal education, manual dexterity) two of the more important considerations for military operations are physical demands and anthropometric characteristics. Fifty-seven percent of Army entry level jobs have a physical demands rating of heavy or very heavy (i.e., occasional lifting of 100 or more pounds, & frequent or constant lifting of 50 pounds). Also, the issue of fit is important given that current assignment opportunities for women have greatly increased, and given that typically the design envelope on a given dimension for most equipment has been the 5th to 95th percentile male. Inadequate matching of personnel capabilities and task assignments results in increased costs in the form of supplemental training, inadequate performance, and work-related injuries. Summary of the Four Presentations In order to address these issues, the mismatches in physical demands and anthropometric design parameters must first be clearly defined. The first two presentations in this symposium address these issues. The initial presentation demonstrates an occupation specific data base management system which can be used to assist research efforts, identify jobs most in need of redesign, and set training and performance standards. The second presentation describes a research effort that identifies anthropometric dimensions of military clothing, equipment, and workstations and the level of compatibility (height-reach characteristics) of these fielded systems with female soldier anthropometrics. Once the potential problems are clearly defined, remedial methods must be explored. Task/equipment redesign, personnel selection, and training are methods typically suggested for addressing ergonomic issues and enhancing job performance. Two of these key methods are addressed in this symposium. The third presentation discusses physical training issues, including general versus task-specific training regimens and their potential influence in improving military performance, increasing soldier safety, and decreasing attrition. The final presentation describes a procedure for identifying, evaluating, and redesigning physically demanding tasks and equipment. This solution is the recommended procedure for ensuring soldier safety by designing a task to eliminate the hazard itself. Project Goals This symposium follows an ergonomic systems approach of analyzing the problem, designing and implementing appropriate interventions and establishing methods for evaluating the effectiveness of those interventions (e.g., analyzing cost-benefit tradeoffs of potential implementations). By closely matching job demands with human capabilities and limitations, the ability of all soldiers to perform their duties is enhanced. The goals of these projects and similar military research efforts represent a unified approach to enhance personnel utilization, sustain performance, and ensure the health and safety of our service members.

Al-Damurdashi's Chronicle of Egypt, 1688 - 1755. Al-Durra al-Musana fi Akhbar al-Kinana

This chronicle, allegedly composed by an officer of the 'Azab regiment in Cairo, surveys the conflicts between the two major mamluk factions, the Faqariya and the Qasimiya, and their struggles with the Ottoman governors and the Ojaqs to control Egypt's administration and the lucrative tax structure in the period from 1688-1755. Al-Damurdashi, who organizes his chronicle around the tenures of the Ottoman governors, focuses on the military class, but provides a wealth of descriptive information on a wide range of subjects, including military tactics, administration, taxes, food and clothing, the bedouins, coinage and fiscal policy, the mamluk system, and social life. After al-Jabarti's famous 'Aja'ib al-Athar fi 'l-Tarajim wa 'l- Akhbar, al-Damurdashi's chronicle is perhaps the most important manuscript source for the entire three centuries of Ottoman rule in Egypt. It is more authoritative and more descriptive than al-Jabarti's account for the period it covers, and was a major source from which al-Jabarti drew material for his own history of the period.

Military Protective Clothing: Implications for Clothing and Textiles Curriculum and Research

Increased likelihood of armed forces operations occurring in hostile climatic regions have increased the need for highly specialized protective clothing systems. Protection is needed under a variety of conditions which often present conflicting requirements. Protective military clothing provides broad design possibilities and stimulates research for new textile materials and equipment. Development of protective gear provides the possibility for interdisciplinary teaching and research. Disciplines such as textile engineering, electrical engineering, industrial engineering and design, clothing design, textile science, and physiology can all be combined to provide satisfactory solutions to design problems presented by protective clothing systems. Current requirements for protective military clothing, problems with gear, and critical factors which can be addressed by clothing and textiles research are included.

Permethrin transfer from treated cloth to the skin surface: potential for exposure in humans.

Permethrin is an agricultural insecticide of great interest to the military because of its repellency toward disease-bearing insects when impregnated into uniforms. However, migration of the substance from clothing to the skin surface is of toxicological importance. To quantitate leaching from treated clothing, studies were performed in which swatches of fabric impregnated with 14C-labeled permethrin were applied to the backs of rabbits for 1 wk. Permethrin migration was quantitated by measuring the fate of the 14C label. Conditions that could affect leaching and/or absorption were also evaluated, that is, varying environments, the presence of sweat, different fabric types, and the effects of prelaundering. Results showed that fabric treated with permethrin at a rate of 0.125 mg/cm2 lost the substance to the skin surface at an average rate of 0.49%/d. At the end of the 7-d exposures in rabbits, about 3.2% of the available permethrin had reached the skin, 2% having been recovered from excreta (absorbed) and 1.2% remaining on the skin surface. Prelaundering the treated fabric had little effect on migration rate, nor did the other variables tested. Exposure dose to humans from wearing permethrin-treated (0.125 mg/cm2) military clothing is predicted to be 6 x 10(-4) mg/kg/d.

Cotton Covered Nylon-Core Yarns and Greige Fabrics

Physical and mechanical properties of some specific cotton-rich, high tenacity, nylon- core yams and greige fabrics developed for military protective clothing are described. The core yams were produced on a modified ring spinning frame, and the fabrics were woven on a conventional dobby loom. The core yams and the fabrics developed from them contained approximately 70% cotton as cover and 30% high tenacity nylon filament as core. The core yams were about 25% stronger than comparable 70/30 cotton/nylon staple intimate blend or all-cotton yams, and the developmental greige fabrics were over 30% stronger. The developmental fabrics, after special finishing, may provide adequate flame retardancy as well as high strength retention. Properties of the finished fabrics will be reported separately.

Pressurized sprays of permethrin or deet on military clothing for personal protection against Ixodes dammini (Acari: Ixodidae).

Pressurized sprays of commercially available permethrin at 0.5% or deet at 20 or 30% concentrations applied to military field uniforms were evaluated as protectants against Ixodes dammini at Great Island, West Yarmouth, Massachusetts, USA, during May 1984. The tick-infested test site was in southeastern Massachusetts, where Lyme disease and babesiosis are zoonotic. A 1-min application of permethrin to the exterior surface of pants and jackets provided 100% protection against attack by all life stages of the tick, while 1-min applications of 20 and 30% deet provided 86 and 92% protection, respectively. These differences were statistically significant ( P ≤ 0.05) for adult ticks and for all tick life stages considered together.

User-oriented product development applied to functional clothing design

A method for user-oriented product development is presented. After a theoretical introduction the method is applied to the development of functional clothing. The characteristic of the method is its starting-point with the user in the use-situation. Important product demands are derived from use-analyses. Three case-studies are described where this method has been applied. They concern working clothes, clothes for the elderly and military clothing. The quality of this methos as an instrument for product development in the clothing area is evaluated by comparing, on the one hand, this method with those usually used in the clothing industry, and on the other hand the new products with those formerly used. The method for user-oriented product development has proved to be complementary to conventional methods. It should be applied to products whose functional properties are of great importance. The method can be generalised to all users and to products with close connection to human beings.

Field Tests with Repellent-Treated Wide-Mesh Netting Against Mixed Mosquito Populations1

Abstract : Space repellants were tested against mixed field mosquitoes by impregnating wide-mesh bed nets (8-11 threads/cm). The bed nets were taken to the field where human volunteers entered them and collected any mosquitoes that attempted to feed. Eight repellents were tested during a 3-year period. Ent 15510, 2-(2-(2-Butoxyethoxy)ethoxy)ethyl 3-methylcrotonate; Ent 20830, Diisopentyl malate; Ent 22542, N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide (deet standard); M- 1960 (standard military clothing repellent); Ent 20297, o-Ethoxy-N,N- diethylbenzamide; Ent 20573, 2-((p-Methoxybenzyl)oxy)N,N-dipropylacetamide; Ent 20364, 1-(o-Ethoxylbenzoyl) piperidine; and all of the repellents were tested at 0.5 gm/gm net weight and 3 were also tested at 0.25 gm/gm net weight.

Measurement of Optical Properties of Fabrics

Optical properties of fire-resistant fabrics largely determine the degree of radiation protection afforded by military clothing. Measurement of reflectance and transmission of the fabrics permits calculation of the protection

Protecting Military Clothing from Gases

Protecting Military Clothing from Gases

Military Clothing

Military Clothing