In the form of a kind of super jockstrap, blast boxers protect important soldier parts, the maker said. BCB International, a Cardiff, Wales-based manufacturer of military and survival products, says the shorts could help reduce "life-changing" injuries to the genitalia and colon -- the type often caused by roadside bombs in Afghanistan.
"In 2010, 259 service members serving in war zones were injured in the genital area. That accounted for almost 13 percent of all hospital admissions from combat that year—"
ReplyDelete"Ballistic briefs aren’t bulletproof. They’re intended to keep bomb fragments, dirt, and debris from tearing into flesh and causing infections. The material has to be tough but breathable, which makes tightly woven silk—used in armor long before Kevlar came along—a good choice. Both silk and Kevlar fabrics are more comfortable than the common alternative, says Lozano:"
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/the-army-tries-on-bombproof-briefs-01122012.html
So the short answer is, yes they're real. You seem to imply that them being available is because the buyers are paranoid. The military often moves slowly when it comes to buying new stuff. Some soldiers and their parents are willing to go out and buy stuff that will make them safer in theatre rather than wait for the DOD to field a product as an issue item.
Many deploying units are provided a budget to purchase items off the market such as this. Semper Paratus indeed.
I think you civilian gun owners should wear them too, right under your tourniquet trousers. You know that same justification for carrying a gun applies to this too. The chances of needing it may be extremely low but the consequences of not having it are potentially grave. You must fault on the side of prudence.
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