Marines Ban Sports Brands From Battlefield Clothing
POSTED: 11:22 am EDT April 12, 2006
UPDATED: 12:09 pm EDT April 12, 2006
BALTIMORE -- A military news Web site reported that synthetic athletic clothing containing polyester and nylon has been prohibited for Marines conducting missions away from forward operating bases and camps in Iraq.
Under direction of Marine Corps commanders in Iraq, the ban on popular clothing from companies such as Under Armour, CoolMax and Nike comes in the wake of concerns that a substantial burn risk is associated with wearing clothing made with these synthetic materials.
TheWBALChannel.com in Baltimore reported that the site -- Military.com -- says that when the clothing is exposed to extreme heat and flames, some synthetic materials such as polyester will melt and can fuse to the skin.
A military surgeon said this essentially creates a second skin and can lead to horrific, disfiguring burns.
http://www.wpxi.com/news/8642759/detail.html
