Use of Body Armor Protection Levels with Squad Automatic Weapon Fighting Load Impacts Soldier Performance, Mobility, and Postural Control.

摘要

This report details a 2012-13 study, performed by the Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center, to examine the effects of wearing soft body armor and fighting loads on Soldier performance, mobility, and postural control. In addition to wearing body armor for protection against fragmentation or ballistic threats, Soldiers are encumbered with a fighting load that typically includes a weapon, helmet, ammunition, fighting load carrier and other essentials. Recently, the Army issued guidance on levels of body armor that can be worn during tactical operations. While increased levels of armor increase in ballistic protection of Soldiers, they also increase the weight carried. Previous research has shown that heavy loads from back packs diminish Soldier performance and mobility; however, little research has examined body armor and fighting load alone. Therefore, the main purpose of this evaluation was to examine how increases in body armor protection levels with a fighting load impacted Soldiers performance, mobility and postural control. Mobility and postural control were also examined without a fighting load. Results indicate that it is the addition of the fighting load that decreases mobility and postural control, while only large increases in body armor protection levels decrease performance. Further research on body armor protection levels with a fighting load is recommended to examine more challenging and unconstrained mobility and agility task, in the presence of cognitive performance tasks.