The danger of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Afghanistan is ever present. Too many troops have lost their limbs - or their lives - because of IEDs. These explosives can also cause devastation to service members' genitourinary organs (genitals).
The Washington Post reported last year:
There have been several efforts by private companies to develop undergarments that protect service members' pelvic regions. Now the Army is giving it a go.Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier, a part of the U.S. Army that provides soldiers with protective gear and equipment, has developed protective Kevlar underwear aimed specifically at protecting a soldier's pelvic region, according to Armed with Science.
PEO Soldier's Lt. Col. Frank J. Lozano says it was vital to come up with a way to save a very important part of a soldier's body:
The new gear actually has two components. The protective undergarment is called a "PUG," and the protective outer garment is called "POG." Both are worn like shorts. According to Armed with Science, soldiers started testing the gear in June 2011. Roughly 15,000 soldiers now wear the PUG and the POG.
