Don’t play Russian Roulette with your body armor. . .or your life

By Steve Russ
RUSS Innovations, Inc.

When a bullet strikes body armor, it is caught in a web of very strong fibers. These fibers absorb and disperse the impact energy that is transmitted to the vest from the bullet, causing the bullet to deform, or "mushroom." Additional energy is absorbed by each successive layer of material in the vest, until the bullet has been stopped.

A major problem in law enforcement and corrections/military communities is the deterioration of body armor’s ballistic-resistant capabilities due to improper care and maintenance. In most cases, this problem is not caused by the manufactures of body armor, but is, in fact, caused by the men and women who wear this life saving device, or by their respective department heads/commanders who allow negligent — and potentially life-threatening — care and storage to continue.

The five most common ways to improperly care for your body armor could be fatal mistakes:

1. Using a wire hanger with the ends bent up.
2. Using a wood hanger, which is stronger than, but just as destructive as a wire hanger.
3. Using a clamping slacks hanger — when it clamps down on the ballistic panels, it crushes the ballistic fibers of the vest and allows no air to circulate inside the vest panels.
4. Tossing the body armor into the bottom of a locker — this not only creates permanent folds and creases, but also prevents ventilation and prohibits the body armor from completely drying.
5. Tossing the body armor in the trunk of your vehicle — very destructive because of the high temperatures and humidity in this enclosed area.

Manufacturers suggest that when not in use, body armor should be laid flat, dried on one side and flipped over and dried on the other. This was the only method that prevented damage to the body armor and allowed the ballistic fibers to completely dry. But a new device makes this task easier than ever.

The Flak Vest Hanger™ is ideal because the user can hang the body armor, which saves space and allows it to dry twice as fast as lying flat. The Flak Vest Hanger™ is fully adjustable for all sizes and fits both male and female armor. It addresses each and every improper method that causes damage, and is backed by a twenty-five year warranty.

Body armor manufacturers provide the user with instructions on how to care for their body armor. However, very few end-users or administrators take the time to read this important information. Upon interviewing thousands of officers and administrators around the country, I have found that less then 10 percent have read the care and use instructions.

The percentage is even lower when it comes to people’s understanding of the warranty, in terms of what it means for the body armor’s durability and effectiveness. Several high-ranking officials in federal, state and local governments have even gone as far as to say they didn’t care how the body armor was maintained since their agency could not be sued.

In other words, it wasn’t "their problem" if the men and women who wore it won’t take care if it. In my opinion, this says very little for their knowledge on the warranties of the body armor and it says even less for these department heads on the value that they place on the lives of the men and women who serve under them.

Today, most men and women and their department heads who wear body armor believe that their body armor will stop a projectile, as long as it was designed to stop a specifically rated caliber. This is a life-threatening misconception shared by those whose very lives depend on it. Improper care and maintenance may have caused deterioration to the ballistic fibers and, as a result, decreased the ballistic threat level that it once met. Just because it was designed to stop a certain round when it was made, doesn’t guarantee that it will continue to do so if it is not properly treated and maintained.

At one time, several manufactures of body armor provided a ten-year warranty with newly purchased vests. Today, only a couple manufacturers provide more than a five-year warranty. This is not because the ballistic material only lasts five years — in fact, it can — but because, once the body armor is out of the control of the manufactures, it is solely up to the police officers and their department to ensure the proper care and maintenance of the unit, and this can’t be vouched for.

One of the most frequently asked questions the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC) receives is "how long does body armor last?" Unfortunately, there is no definitive answer. Every piece of armor will eventually need to be replaced. Body armor is not a one-time buy.

For example, if a department changes its service weapons or ammunition, the armor worn by its officers must be shown to protect against the new weapons systems. If an agency determines that the ammunition threats that they face have increased, upgrading to a higher level of protection may be appropriate. An individual’s body weight may change over time, and armor that no longer fits or is uncomfortable is likely not to be worn.

Since no two pieces of armor are exposed to identical wear or care, each must be evaluated individually. Age alone does not cause body armor’s ballistic resistance to deteriorate. The care and maintenance of a garment, or the lack thereof, have been shown to have a greater impact on the length of service life. Armor that is 10 years old and has never been issued may be perfectly acceptable for use, provided that the rated level of protection is still appropriate for the typical threats faced. Conversely, 2- or 3-year-old armor that has been worn regularly and cared for improperly may not be serviceable.

Both the DuPont testing and a 1986 study by NIJ22 (Ballistic Tests of Used Body Armor) found that age alone does not degrade the ballistic properties of armor. Armor manufactured in 1975 that remained in inventory without issue exhibited ballistic-resistant properties identical to those at the time of manufacture.

No two people are built alike and no two people sweat or perspire the same amount. This is also true for how they take care of their body armor. Body armor manufacturers know this and their limited warranty is the only method that they have to somewhat insure to any degree that the ballistic materials used in the construction will perform as designed. Remember, anything won’t last if you don’t take care of it and body armor is no different.

Body armor that is improperly maintained and stored via "homemade methods" places one's life at unnecessary risk. I have always asked the question, "Would you go into a gun fight if you knew that your weapon may not work or the ammo was bad?" Each and every time I ask this question I get the same answer: "No."

I then ask, "Then why would you wear body armor that may no longer provide you with the safety level needed to perform your job if you do not have to?" Yet day after day, our loved ones wear poorly cared for body armor into battle, mistakenly thinking it will save their lives.

In short, don’t play Russian Roulette with your life by not caring for your body armor. Protect the device that protects your life so that you can come home to those who love you.

You can obtain more information on body armor by reviewing the Selection and Application Guide to Personal Body Armor NIJ Guide 100-01 (Update to NIJ Guide 100-98).

About the Author:
The author of this article Steve Russ is a retired Police Officer from the State of Michigan and has studied the deterioration of body armor for the last twenty-five years. Officer Russ provides expert testimony in several fields of law enforcement and has been working toward educating the men and women who wear body armor of these risks. RUSS Innovations, Inc.