Posted on Nov 12, 2020
Regarding personal plate carriers, if an item has a NSN, it means it was or is issued, correct? Why wouldn't it be able to be used?
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I know everything comes down to Commander discretion. My question is if an item has a NSN it means it was or is issued, correct? Why wouldn't it be able to be used at that point? I appreciate any input.
Posted in these groups: 
Army Regulations
Regulation
Army Regulations Regulation
Posted 4 y ago
Responses: 9
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Some items may be appropriate for some situations, environments, or units that aren't appropriate for others. A plate carrier with an NSN may not provide the protection needed (as deemed by a superior in your CoC), though other units may find it necessary to sacrifice some protection in order to lighten the load.
Some outlandish examples to illustrate the point -
I decide that I want to be as protected as possible as a light infantryman, so I purchase a EOD tech suit and wear it on patrol. It has an NSN, but it isn't the right level of protection for the situation.
I work at the CDC with highly contagious viruses, but my PAPR suit is cumbersome. I buy an M40 pro mask and wear it instead. It has an NSN but isn't the appropriate tool for that environment.
Obviously the difference between an IOTV and a plate carrier isn't as big a gap as those examples, but the point is, someone above you and me decides what is an appropriately level of protection for the situation, environment, and unit we are in.
Some outlandish examples to illustrate the point -
I decide that I want to be as protected as possible as a light infantryman, so I purchase a EOD tech suit and wear it on patrol. It has an NSN, but it isn't the right level of protection for the situation.
I work at the CDC with highly contagious viruses, but my PAPR suit is cumbersome. I buy an M40 pro mask and wear it instead. It has an NSN but isn't the appropriate tool for that environment.
Obviously the difference between an IOTV and a plate carrier isn't as big a gap as those examples, but the point is, someone above you and me decides what is an appropriately level of protection for the situation, environment, and unit we are in.
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Suspended Profile
Could be old, outdated or found to be flawed but mistakenly left in inventory. Could be for use in specific conditions. Could be prioritized to different units.
Suspended Profile
SGT (Join to see) I dunno. I’m not a geardo. I wore what the Army gave me and didn’t die.
CPT (Join to see)
SGT (Join to see) - Imagine you're wearing that out in the field, and an errant mortar round drifts into your sector and impacts near you. A piece of shrapnel hits you just above your collar bone seriously wounding or killing you. A 15-6 investigation takes place, and it is determined that the CoC authorized you to wear an unissued piece of gear with less protection in the area you were hit, and that in all likelihood the OITV would have provided greater protection, possibly saving you.
At a minimum, your commander's career is now over. That is how officers think (in worst case scenarios). Especially when they are hoping to make O-6+ some day, they are very averse to unnecessary risk. Like a politician, one whiff of a scandal is enough to derail a career.
At a minimum, your commander's career is now over. That is how officers think (in worst case scenarios). Especially when they are hoping to make O-6+ some day, they are very averse to unnecessary risk. Like a politician, one whiff of a scandal is enough to derail a career.
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SGT (Join to see)
Yeah, that doesn't really answer my question in regards to regulations. I appreciate the input, though, man
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