Title: The Effectiveness and Advancement of Military Combat Gear:

Michaela M. Judy

Undergraduate Business Major

College of Business Administration

Kent State University

Steve Riczo

Faculty Advisor

Exploring Business Professor

College of Business Administration

Kent State University

Trevor Watkins, MS, MCIS, MLIS

Faculty Advisor

Assistant Professor, Science Librarian

Kent State University Libraries

Assistant Dean, Elizabeth Sinclair

Co-Faculty Advisor

College of Business Administration

Kent State University

Title: The Effectiveness and Advancement of Military Combat Gear

As technology continues to advance at a rapid rate, U.S. soldiers face endless threats on the battlefield everyday and the threats of modern warfare using today’s technology are deadlier than ever. Our enemies are enhancing their military weapons making it imperative that we keep pace with protective gear for our armed forces who risk so much for us everyday. Military combat uniforms have evolved to become more advanced to meet military standards. However, we believe that current uniforms used in combat today, do not provide our soldiers with the most advanced protection needed when facing these threats. We investigated different ballistic fibers.

During the process of conducting the research for this project, we discovered the need to address some business aspects as well. For example, subsequent to patenting our product, we would joint venture with a military contractor for final testing and production of improved military combat uniforms that provide soldiers full body protection. We are also exploring the possibility of bringing on technical experts in liquid crystals and chemistry to work with us in enhancing our combat gear. We have used both qualitative and quantitative methods to conduct this research project, such as connecting with different universities in our quest for technical experts.

I am confident that our combat uniform will ultimately: have superior durability and protective qualities than that of its predecessors; protect a soldier’s entire body including arms, legs and neck; stand up to various climate conditions; and, last longer than the current 2-year lifespan of today’s uniforms.