Even in non-combat situations, sailors in the US Navy are exposed to lots of heavy equipment, which can be very dangerous. Like ships and stuff. Too bad the current Navy Working Uniform (NWU) will burn like a Duraflame if exposed to fire. The good news: they’re getting new gear.
Nope, the standard issue NWU isn’t fire-retardant, and everybody in the Navy knows it. “An impromptu test” at the US Navy’s Clothing Textile Research Facility last October revealed that the existing NWU would “burn robustly until completely consumed” when exposed to flames. That’s a bad thing! Navy brass were understandably concerned.
Six months after the results of the test were first revealed last December, the Navy has announced its plan for dealing with the problem. Navy Times reports that the US Navy will be issuing two new coveralls to sailors. The first, a temporary solution issued within nine months, will be identical to the existing uniform except made of a fire-retardant fabric used by more specialised navy personnel.
Over the next three years, the US Navy will work to develop a more comprehensive fire-resistent NWU that can be used across different types of naval assignments. [NavyTimes via WTKR]