But American efforts trail those of the British military, whose troops have been using pelvic protection units since the end of 2010.
U.S. Marine units fighting alongside British troops last year were among the first Americans to adopt the protective units and then made an urgent request for the British protective undergarments, saying that at least 18 injuries could have been prevented with the body armor.
“The Commanders have determined that it is an unacceptable risk to leave soldiers and Marines exposed when an interim solution exists,” the Marine request said. “Every day that a soldier or Marine patrols without this protection, he or she is at a greater risk of injury and death than if they had this protection.”
One British manufacturer of so-called blast boxers said it has received numerous orders from family members who intended to ship them to American troops — an echo of the early years of the Iraq War, when worried families sent bullet-resistant vests to service members.
Bureaucratic delays in the procurement process, as well as a the lack of battle-tested, American-made protection units spurred the emergency shipment, said Maj. Daniel Hilliker, a Canadian Air Force exchange officer and program integrator for the joint IED group. Hilliker said the IED Defeat Organization was able to bypass time-consuming procurement regulations in making its December shipment.
The Army and Marine Corps, going through the normal procurement process, are hoping to have enough protective armor for all combat troops in Afghanistan by this spring, Hilliker said.
Throughout the course of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, advancements in body armor technology have trailed battlefield needs. The Iraq war was 10 months old before all American troops in the country were issued ceramic bullet-resistant plates, which were originally reserved for troops stationed on “front lines” that proved to be more illusory than planners had imagined. Delays also plagued the distribution of more effective versions of body armor, as well as armored Humvees to replace the original, unprotected versions.
The December shipment includes bicycle short-like silk boxers — which reduce the risk of infection from the fragments and sand blasted upward during an IED explosion — as well as so-called blast diapers — bullet-resistant units worn over the uniform to protect the midsection.
Experts say any successful system must combine functionality with safety.
“The ultimate goal is finding something that provides protection but is comfortable and functional enough that the soldiers will wear it without feeling like they are compromising their ability to perform,” said Dr. Douglas Soderdahl, chief of urology at Brooke Army Medical Center.
And while the armor may decrease the number of genital and pelvic injuries, it’s unclear whether they will decrease the number of IED-related limb amputations.
“There doesn’t appear to be anything other than avoidance — staying out of the field of the explosion — that will change how these people lose their limbs,” said Col. Dr. James Ficke, the head of orthopaedic surgery and rehabilitation at Brooke Army Medical Center.
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