Soon we will unleash an army of Xena: Warrior Princesses and the world will bow before us.
In a case of life imitating fantasy, the US military is developing Xena-style body armor for female soldiers. According to the Christian Science Monitor, the Army has been working to improve its female armor in the hopes that it will give our woman warriors “greater protection on the battlefield, with more curves in the chest and hips.”
Lt. Col. Frank Lozano, who helps develop female body armor, says women need different armor than men because of the shape of their bodies. (Yes, it took them this long to figure that out!) A 2009 study found that ill-fitting body armor is “more than a matter of comfort… It affects combat effectiveness,” making it difficult for female soldiers “to properly aim their weapons and enter or exit vehicles.”
Since then, the Army has been working on improving body armor for women and some believe Xena holds the answer to their problems. “Some people would like to eventually make plates so it’s like Xena: Warrior Princess and conforms to the shape” of female soldiers, Lozano says.
Female soldiers currently have a choice of 11 male body-armor sizes. But the Army is now testing eight sizes made specifically for women, with such changes as narrower shoulders and “bra-shaped darting” in the chest.
The next step, of course, is training our female soldiers to use Xena’s battle cry. Then even the gods will shudder at our might!
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