Jump to content

Groin protector


Bob Hudson
 Share

Recommended Posts

I'm posting this only because we seldom get a chance to use the word "groin" in forum topic title :)

 

This is a groin protector, consisting of the outershell and the ballistic panel insert.

 

groin.jpg

 

groinduo.jpg

 

Has anyone worn one of these? Even with one, I'd imagine that in the event of taking a round in that area your heuvos would feel rather scrambled.

 

These have a federal stock number so I assume they are issue???

 

groinpanellabel.jpg

groinlabel.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've worn them. That one there is current USMC issue. They make your...you know...sweat and chaffe, and still hurt if you get kicked there. Don't stop a direct shot from a bullet. We refused to wear them in Iraq

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wore one every day, they were a pain in the kiester. It was mandatory to wear it, so I would fold it up under my vest. SGM would come running on the hoof to jump my rump about not having it on, I would open the vest, let it fall out, then fold it back up and continue on. Had to see the boss about "not properly wearing my PPE".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

IMPERIAL QUEST
Heh, heh, heh... You said; "groin"

 

 

Yea....me tooo....huh huhhhhh.

 

I just had an image of Buzzcut yelling..."kick me in the jimmy!!!"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We had a guy in Afghanistan who had a round from his M2 explode on him while in the turret. He ended up with a hole in his face (still has the schrapnel in there), a big hole in his leg, and two good sized holes in his groin protector. "In", not "out"! He now swears by his groin protector because otherwise he would have ended up with a hole in his groin, which bleeds like crazy. No, it will not stop a rifle caliber bullet, but it will stop other things.

 

I've heard the same old complaints about body armor for decades. Before Soldiers had Interceptor vests I had to listen to police officers compain about their bullet proof vests and how hot and heavy they were. And there is always that guy who claims that the vest is no good anyway because of "backface deformation" and broken ribs. Well, to me, that's a whole lot better than a hole in your heart!

 

Yes, the vests are heavy and uncomfortable, two things that you get used to over time. Yes, they will not always stop a bullet or schrapnel. There are a lot of different factors at work that can determine whether or not that piece of metal will still penetrate. However, there is one thing that I can guarentee you: without a vest, your skin won't even stop a .177 pellet from an air rifle.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

IMPERIAL QUEST
We had a guy in Afghanistan who had a round from his M2 explode on him while in the turret. He ended up with a hole in his face (still has the schrapnel in there), a big hole in his leg, and two good sized holes in his groin protector. "In", not "out"! He now swears by his groin protector because otherwise he would have ended up with a hole in his groin, which bleeds like crazy. No, it will not stop a rifle caliber bullet, but it will stop other things.

 

I've heard the same old complaints about body armor for decades. Before Soldiers had Interceptor vests I had to listen to police officers compain about their bullet proof vests and how hot and heavy they were. And there is always that guy who claims that the vest is no good anyway because of "backface deformation" and broken ribs. Well, to me, that's a whole lot better than a hole in your heart!

 

Yes, the vests are heavy and uncomfortable, two things that you get used to over time. Yes, they will not always stop a bullet or schrapnel. There are a lot of different factors at work that can determine whether or not that piece of metal will still penetrate. However, there is one thing that I can guarentee you: without a vest, your skin won't even stop a .177 pellet from an air rifle.

 

 

Yea, I always hated wearing my damned fragmentation vest in the desert, but I did indeed enjoy the comfort of sitting on mine while driving the M1 Abrams. I don't think it would have done a whole lot of good if we rolled over a land mine, but I figured it couldn't hurt to take the precaution...a few milimeters of ballistic material can make a difference.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

jeremiahcable

Wore it, hated it but got another to put in my armpit on the side of my body facing out the armored door on my HMMWV in Iraq. You just can't be cool in a "co*k-piece."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wore it, hated it but got another to put in my armpit on the side of my body facing out the armored door on my HMMWV in Iraq. You just can't be cool in a "co*k-piece."

I dunno, I thought I was pretty cool walking the streets of Diyala with Army pattern shoulder DAPS obscuring the pocket in my shoulder pinch.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Oceanside, Calif. newspaper North County Times just ran this photo of one of our local Camp Pendleton Marines on patrol in Iraq:

 

groin.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Do not machine launder" they really have to actually put that on these things! :lol:

Absolutely. GIs will cram whatever they can into a washing machine rather than laying it out and cleaning by hand. I was always catching my guys trying to wash their rain gear, ponchos, and packs. Some of this stuff soaks up a lot of water and gets pretty heavy in the washer. When you only have 4 washers per company, they get beat up quick. Unfortunately, when you only give the guys 3 days to recover from an FTX, shortcuts get taken.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 6 years later...

It seems all depends on what the local honcho wants.

 

With the 3/4 series vest and the later PSAT vest there were not any options.

Problem is the new Body Armor systems I was issued in OEF and OIF/ND had a lot of corrective or MOD add ons.

In training before going to OEF (Afghanistan) we were told we had to wear the groin protector (Mud Flap was the slang term) and the throat protector.

The throat protector people often would unsnap, or remove. Once on the ground depended on what the head guy/gal wanted.

So you could go with plate carriers, which just held your trauma/strike plate( I did this with a MC unit along the border), or go with vest, groin protector, side plates, shoulder protectors, tail bone protector, and skull pad attached to the ACH. Now when I was in the turret I wore the shoulder protectors. The last place I was at, I added the side plates. In OIF/ND I got the new IBA, and if had the side plates issued.

The Tailbone protector and the skull pad I just snapped on and forgot about.

In fact I bought a CVC off of EBAY, and attached the skull pad to that, a long with having a person from Brown and Root drill a hole in the shell to mount a PVS bracket.

In both areas, once on the ground I exchanged my stateside plates for an in country plate set.

 

Some of the comments appears people are unsure of how the groin protector was worn-It was outside the uniform attached to the IBA, as were all the other items I listed with only the skull pad being attached to the ACH.

 

 

simon

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 years later...
Bob Hudson

How can your tell what size do you need? Extra Large or small :D

You tell the supply sergeant what size you think you need and he gives you the next smaller size.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 years later...

The older ones for the OTV (and this one) attached to the vest, the newer ones for the Gen3 and later IOTV attach directly to your pants.

 

They will stop pistol rounds and fragments, and yes it will still feel like getting kicked by a mule. But they are also there to protect the arteries in the top inner thighs. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/25/2008 at 5:05 AM, MikeL said:

Absolutely. GIs will cram whatever they can into a washing machine rather than laying it out and cleaning by hand. I was always catching my guys trying to wash their rain gear, ponchos, and packs. Some of this stuff soaks up a lot of water and gets pretty heavy in the washer. When you only have 4 washers per company, they get beat up quick. Unfortunately, when you only give the guys 3 days to recover from an FTX, shortcuts get taken.

It's not just GIs that will put armor in a washing machine. All armor comes with this because people have been trying to wash them since Rich Davis founded Second Chance. I only go back that far because he was among the firs to use Kevlar to make body armor, and the first to commercially sell concealable soft body armor. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...